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Archive for May, 2007


Live Within Your Means

May 31, 2007 Author: hazel | Filed under: Personal Finance

Extra CashHave you ever noticed that in every relationship there is a spender and a saver? It’s kind of like having a night person and a morning person in each relationship. I think there is a law that requires it.

In my relationship I’m the saver and my husband is the spender. Oh, and he’s the morning person and I’m the night person. Fortunately, we both make decent incomes so until recently I haven’t paid that much attention to what he spent. I paid the bills and he pretty much had free reign on his spending. What that translates into is that we have not been financially wise.

Most people spend what they make. If you make $20,000 per year you spend $20,000 per year. If you make $200,000 per year, you spend $200,000 per year. That’s all well and good until something unexpected happens. If you and your spouse each earn $10,000 per year and one of you loses your job, it’s devastating. If you and your spouse each earn $100,000 and one of you loses your job, it’s just as devastating.

In the same way, you and your best friend might both spend $50,000 per year. That might work for your friend, but not for you. If your friend makes $60,000 per year and you make $45,000 per year then your friend is living within her means and you are not. In fact, under that scenario you are incurring more debt each year.

The point is, living within your means is all relative.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you make. If you don’t live within your means you are digging yourself into more debt and any unplanned for financial set-back can be a serious problem.

There are a few things that can help you get on track financially by living within your means.

  • Sit down and take an honest look at your finances and spending habits
  • Make realistic financial goals. For instance, where would you like to see yourself financially in six months? You might need to break it down to smaller periods of time, maybe one month.
  • Decide how much you can spend based on where you are now financially and based on your goals.
  • Decide that you are willing to not let others dictate how you spend money. You don’t have to keep up with anyone else. In the long run you are the one that has to live with your financial decisions.
  • Make a list of actions you can take to curtail your spending.
  • Start making the changes necessary to live within your means.

There are a few things you can do to help you limit your spending. Decide how much you can spend before you go shopping and take that amount of cash and no credit cards with you. This will prevent you from impulse spending. If you tend to spend more with a certain friend then find something else you can do with that friend rather than shopping.

I’ll write more about this later.

ciao hazel

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What Type of People Sleep Around

May 30, 2007 Author: hazel | Filed under: Relationships

Couple LegsLive Science is reporting on a study that concludes that aggressive, warm, cold, antagonistic and/or dominant people tend to have more sex partners.

So Patrick Markey, a psychologist at Villanova University, and his wife Charlotte Markey, a psychologist at Rutgers University, asked 210 adults to take a test to measure their interpersonal characteristics. They also asked the subjects to indicate with how many people they had engaged in certain sexual activities.

When they compared the subjects’ responses, they were able to confirm that dominance is a key trait of people who have a lot of sexual partners. They also found that people who are either extremely warm or extremely cold toward others tend to be promiscuous — and that people who are just moderately warm have the fewest sexual partners.

Antagonistic people might prefer to have multiple sex partners in order to avoid being in a monogamous relationship, out of fear of being poorly treated or being later rejected by a committed partner, the authors noted in their study, which is to be published in the Journal of Research in Personality.

Lets see. That’s people who are afraid of commitment or people who are overly needy. It’s also people who are very warm or very cold or people who are very aggressive or dominant.

Maybe it’s just me, but that seems to cover just about every Jack and Jill. Is it just me?

More from Live Science here and here.

ciao hazel

Hiya Hazel - I started to comment that HORNY people sleep around, but I’ve known lonely and angry people who sleep around. For them, sex isn’t the reason. Do you think it might sometimes have anything to do with wanting variety? curiosity? Uhhh - in other words - what you said. TTFN, Adeline

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Rosie O'DonnellRosie O’Donnell is showing her true class. That would be very low class.

Rosie has posted a video on her blog ’splainin things …

In a video entry posted on her blog, O’Donnell said Hasselbeck called after their now-infamous argument and spoke to O’Donnell’s partner Kelli. But O’Donnell said she didn’t speak to Hasselbeck and “probably won’t.” She said they exchanged e-mails.

I think it shows some class on Hasselbeck’s part that she tried to call Rosie. Rosie, on the other hand, shows NO CLASS to refuse to speak to Hasselbeck.

However, somehow I doubt Hasselbeck is all that upset over it all.

Elizabeth Hasselbeck

ciao hazel

Hiya Hazel - I think Rosie has lots of class - lots and LOTS of class. Unfortunately it’s all low. (Sorry - that’s an old joke) TTFN, Adeline

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Lindsay Lohan sexyThe Australian

ACTRESS Lindsay Lohan has been ordered to appear in court for driving under the influence after losing control of her Mercedes convertible, the Beverly Hills Police Department said.
Lohan was involved in a single-car traffic accident at about 5:30 am, and was cited (ordered to appear in court) after being admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries, Sergeant Mike Foxen said.

He said Lohan was not taken into custody. Sgt Foxen also said he did not know if Lohan was still in the hospital, which he declined to name.

The actress, who underwent a stint in rehab earlier this year, was given a citation and a court date, Foxen said, adding that he did not know the date.

Representatives of the actress could not be immediately reached for comment.

Lohan, 20, shot to stardom in Disney movies like The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday, and as her fame grew, so did persistent hounding from the paparazzi, especially after she became well known for club hopping in Los Angeles.

In July last year, the producer of Georgia Rule, wrote a letter to Lohan in which he called her behavior “discourteous, irresponsible and unprofessional” because she was showing up late to the movie’s set.

Georgia Rule, in which Lohan portrays a troubled young woman, opened earlier this month.

The hollywood brats need to get off the road. How many does that make who have gotten DUIs now? What is it with these chicks and driving drunk??

Paris HiltonWe know they have had too much, too young and don’t have a clue about taking responsibility for their actions. But how hard is it for them to hire a driver?? They can afford it.

I wonder if Lohan will end up rooming with Hilton?

Do we care?

I didn’t think so.

UPDATE: From TMZ - a ‘usable amount’ of cocaine was found at the scene of the accident. More at TMZ

ciao hazel

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Hiya Hazel - speaking of being philosophical . . . Rosie is leaving “The View” and I’m sure everyone at “The View” is crying about her departure. The meanness, the personal attacks, the grossness. There’s just so much to miss! Rosie wrote the following on her website.

“When painting there is a point u must step away from the canvas as the work is done,” she wrote. “Any more would take away.”

That is hilarious - Rosie waxing philosophical about her train-wreck of a sojourn on “The View.” She’s right, though - she’s taken enough away from the integrity and humanity of the show. Her damage . . . er I mean work IS done.

TTFN,
Adeline

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Jessica Simpson Gets Philosophical

May 25, 2007 Author: hazel | Filed under: Absurd Hollywood, Jessica Simpson

Jessica SimpsonJessica Simpson has been traveling Europe for the Cannes film festival. Apparently, she has gained some new found wisdom while on her travels. She tells us on her personal website, Jessica Simpson website, that she read about Michelangelo and visited museums.

All this studying inspired her to share some wisdom with others through her website. She finds new strength by repeating to herself …. ‘Can facing our fear be what walks us to somewhere better?’ She goes on to say that she has ignored her fears too often in life but by doing that ‘I’m left with nothing to challenge the best of me’. ‘There is no discovery’, she writes.

On the front page of her blog she writes that she has not yet accumulated the exact data to outline the perfect essay on obtaining truth, but she has many notes. She says it’s been too long since we’ve allowed ourselves to refute the arguement [sic] in our head.

She writes stuff like that all through her blog.

It gives me a headache to try to understand WHAT SHE IS TALKING ABOUT. Sigh. It helps to remember this is the same woman who genuinely believed that buffaloes have wings.

ciao hazel

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Adeline,

I thought a little Beefcake might cheer you up with your hurt foot!

Steve Martin


Whoops. I don’t think Steve Martin is the one I meant to post.

How about Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey

Now, doesn’t that feel better???

Get well!
hazel

Thanks for the beefcake cheer, Hazel. I’m feeling better already. LOL! Thanks, Adeline

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Dammit, Hazel! Did you realize that beer bottles are dangerous. So I was standing in the kitchen awhile ago - barefoot - and I opened the refrigerator to get some lettuce and carrots for a salad - and the bag of lettuce bumped against a bottle of beer that was on the top shelf. Suddenly there was a crash, I felt a stab of pain in my big toe - and there was beer, foam and glass all over the floor. MSSO (My Sexy Significant Other) was sitting in the recliner watching TV. He jumped up and asked if I was all right.

“I’m fine,” I assured him. But then I noticed some streaks of red trailing on the floor. My toe was bleeding — blood flowing steadily out of my foot. Not a trickle - a flow. I grabbed a paper towel and held it against the cut, but as soon as I would take away the paper towel, blood would immediately start flowing down my foot again. Seriously - after about 15 minutes I was afraid I’d have to go to the emergency room for stitches. I couldn’t get it to stop. Finally it did - as long as I kept pressure on it. I wrapped a white gauze bandage around it - tightly wrapping it around my foot and tying it in a bow at my ankle. Even a bandage can be a little glamorous…right?

But the thing is, I think MSSO felt a little guilty. He commented that if it had happened just 30 seconds later, the beer bottle wouldn’t have been there because he was about to get up to get it. He was in the mood for a beer (but then he is ALWAYS in the mood for a beer). I asked him if he was more upset over losing the only beer left in the fridge or upset that I was injured. Of course he was concerned about me, but come to think of it, he never answered my question.

I’m no fool. I milked the sympathy I was getting from MSSO for all it was worth. Those bloody paper towels were quite impressive. He cleaned up the entire mess - insisting that I sit in the recliner, and then propped my foot up on two pillows. He then finished dinner and served me. Brought me a popsicle for dessert, too. It was only my due. But was it guilt or love?

Adieu,
Adeline

Adeline! I left you a message here a while ago and just noticed it’s gone. Anyway, I hate that you hurt your foot!! I’m glad your SSO is taking good care of you. Who knew that making a salad could almost kill you!!! That’s just terrible!

I’m glad you are using it to its full advantage. Guilt or love??? Is there much difference?? lol The ankle bow with the gauze is a very nice touch!!

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Adeline,

Here’s the video of Rosie and Elizabeth duking it out on The View yesterday morning. Rosie seems upset that she doesn’t get a fair shake in the media. Of course, she tries to keep Elizabeth from getting a word in edgewise and insults her by calling her ‘cowardly’.

She claims she’s ‘misunderstood’ by everyone. I don’t know how she’s misunderstood. She makes herself heard LOUD and CLEAR!

Ciao,
hazel

hat-tip Political Pistachio

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Thursday Thirteen #1

May 24, 2007 Author: hazel | Filed under: Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Things about Adeline and Hazel
Just introducing ourselves.

  1. This is our first Thursday Thirteen.
  2. We have just started this blog.
  3. We are hoping people will like the new blog.
  4. No, we aren’t the same person.
  5. Adeline and Hazel are not our real names.
  6. We are going to visit as many Thursday Thirteen posts as we can today.
  7. We are both professional women.
  8. We both juggle our careers, family life and blogging :).
  9. We each live in different parts of the country.
  10. We have a potpourri of interests.
  11. Our blog will reflect our variety of interests.
  12. We hope you will visit often!
  13. No, Hazel doesn’t do windows!

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