Participation levels are at an all-time high. Talent levels at the professional ranks are unlike anything we’ve seen before. And most importantly, women’s golf is finally receiving the attention and the recognition that it so rightfully deserves. But none of this would have been possible without the women who paved the way. In that spirit, we present to you five women who played vital roles in building the golf of today.

1. Mickey Wright

Mary Kathryn, nicknamed Mickey, was a California girl who took up golf at the age of 12 in 1947. Five years later, she took home the U.S. Girls’ Junior and the World Amateur title two years after that. The next year, she took some time away to study at Stanford, but when she returned and turned pro in 1956, she began a journey that would establish the most impressive career statistically that any women golfer has ever achieved.

2. Sandra Post

In a way, Sandra Post is women’s golf in Canada. That’s not meant as a slight against the other greats, but Post did so much on big stages that she became a symbol. She began her career in 1968 and immediately won the LPGA Championship along with the LPGA Rookie of the Year Award. Despite that early success, her path wasn’t easy. She struggled for ten years to recapture that glory, but when she finally did, seven more tour victories followed.

3. Marlene Streit

Born in 1934, Marlene Streit is the most successful Canadian amateur golfer in history and the only golfer to have won the Australian, British, Canadian and US amateur championships. That distinction earned her a place at the World Golf Hall of Fame, and she was selected as the best Canadian female athlete five times. Some would argue that she was better than Post even, but Post has to get the nod because of the pro competition she played against.

4. Annika Sörenstam

The Swedish-born Sörenstam burst onto the golf scene in 1992 and never looked back. She was unlike anything we had seen before. Her intense passion, calculated efficiency and all-around game drew comparisons to male golfers, and she achieved attention for the sport at a time when it was difficult to come by. She won both the Open and the LPGA Championship three times, and she built a legacy of greatness that will stand for as long as we play the game.

5. Se Ri Pak

Se Ri Pak is a South Korean golfer who won the LPGA Championship in 1998, 2002 and 2006. She also won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1998 and the Women’s British Open in 2001. That incredible success paved the way for an influx of South Korean golfers into women’s golf.

There’s little doubt that the modern diversification of women’s golf has had a profound effect on the game, and this was perhaps the most important step in that process.

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Horror stories of bullied kids killing themselves to be free of the constant torment they face from peers have even pushed several states to create laws against bullying, encouraging individuals to report school bullying incidents to authorities. Recently, the New York State Legislature passed an Anti-bullying in the workplace bill that would prohibit employers from misusing their authority over subordinates.

From the playground to the office, the struggle for power continues well into adulthood and the effects of adult bullying can be severely detrimental. Adult bullies don’t get any less cruel, in fact they develop more ruthless and calculated ways to mentally deplete a person.

Workplace bullying is defined as the repeated mistreatment of individuals or groups using persistent aggressive or unreasonable behavior through tactics like verbal, nonverbal, psychological, physical abuse and humiliation.
In the majority of cases, bullying in the workplace is perpetrated by management but it can also occur with clients, subordinates and co-workers.  This article will cover some reported cases of workplace bullying to expose its severity and show where it can lead when not dealt with appropriately.

Driven to Death

Image source: Journal de Montreal

Take for instance the recent suicide of Carl Dessureault. The 44-year-old Quebec bus driver was incessantly being harassed by co-workers because he resembled a man police were after in connection with a rape. He was taunted by fellow employees with disturbing questions like “What’s it like to rape women?” and ”Who’s your next victim”. The abuse and teasing got so bad Dessureault took time off on the advice of his supervisors.

When he returned to work, the mocking resumed. Dessureault sought counseling and was put on antidepressants as well as medication to lower his blood pressure. Sadly, on September 17, 2010, the bus driver who had worked with the Reseau de Transport de Longueuil for 22 years ended his suffering for good.

No Help For Dedicated Nurse

Image source :Daily Mail

Margaret Gettins, a nurse at the Royal Bolton Hospital in England, also experienced insufferable name-calling and harassment from fellow colleagues, leading her to take her life in July of 2010. The taunts began when the 50-year-old had been moved from the orthopedic rehabilitation ward to a unit which treats stroke victims.

Gettins kept a diary detailing the torment she suffered at the hands of staff. In the 4-page suicide note she left her husband and daughter, she revealed the names she was being called. She had spoken to her husband about the problems she was having at work and he suggested she take it up with her ward manager. But Mr. Gettins does not believe she ever did. Instead, she resorted to the only option she felt she had.

Cooking Nightmares

Image source:SMH

Another tragic case is that of Stuart McGregor, a young man who had always dreamed of being a chef, but after he scored a highly sought-after apprenticeship in a kitchen in Bendigo, AU, his dream soon became a nightmare.

The manager of the kitchen was set on making Stuart’s work life a living hell. Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen was Angel’s Paradise compared to what Stuart felt he needed to endure to succeed in the highly competitive restaurant industry. Name-calling, berating and inappropriate remarks about Stuart’s sexuality were just the subtle beginnings of a mounting problem. Just before the end of Stuart’s three-month probation period, he was invited on a camping trip, but declined to go after the manager told him he ”would have blood up [his] arse and grass on [his] knees” if he went on the trip.

He was expected to do things that he hadn’t been taught and made fun of when he wasn’t doing them correctly. When Stuart asked a question about a particular soup recipe, the manager said he had to call the CEO of the company to ask for it. If he didn’t make the phone call he was in trouble, if he did, he was made to look stupid. One incident like this could have been tolerable, but these continual put downs lasted two years and eventually his mental health deteriorated sharply, and he took his life.

A Writer’s Woes

Image source:The Hook

On July 30 2010, Kevin Morrissey, the managing editor at the University of Virginia literary magazine Virginia Quarterly Review, shot himself. Mounting evidence suggests the harsh treatment from Morrissey’s VQR editor, Ted Genoways, was in great part responsible. Morrissey had also struggled with depression for many years.

Genoways had a tendency to berate Morrissey according to fellow co-workers, family and email communications retrieved between the two. Genoways was already known for unusual management practices, like making his staffers read all his incoming emails and forwarding only what was deemed pressing.

But all hell broke loose when Genoways put Morrissey in charge of the office while he was away on a prestigious Guggenheim fellowship. One of the staff members made a wisecrack about Alana Levinson-LaBrosse (a wealthy donor on the board of directors) during a meeting which Morrissey wasn’t even at. Genoways got word of the news, accused Morrissey of “unacceptable workplace behavior” and ordered him out of the office.

According to The Hook, which did a full cover story on Morrissey’s death, the email stated:

“If you are already at VQR office leave immediately and do not return to the office until July 26.” Genoways also told Morrissey not to talk to his co-workers.

Morrissey made over 18 pleas for help with officials in UVA’s human resources, ombudsman’s, and president’s offices and two days before his death, was told “it would stop”. This was no conciliation and as Morrissey feared, despite the University’s assurances, he received angry emails from Genoways. Morrissey would receive a last email from Genoways an hour before his death which Morrissey’s sister, Maria, found open on his iPhone. On his desk in his apartment, she also found a book covered with notes. He was reading Working with the Self Absorbed: How to Handle Narcissistic Personalities on the Job.

Racism That Led To Rampage

Image source: CBS

The Hartford Distributors shooting, which occurred on August 3, 2010 in Manchester, Connecticut, was the deadliest workplace shooting in Connecticut history. Omar Thornton gunned down eight people and injured two others at Hartford Distributors, a beer distribution company, before taking his own life.

Thornton had complained about being racially harassed at work telling friends and relatives that in the two years he worked at the company he was confronted with blatant racism. Friends and family reported Thornton had found a picture of a noose and a racial epithet hanging on a bathroom wall at work. Will Holliday, Thornton’s uncle said, “He went to the Union a couple of times with issues concerning what was going on, and it was not dealt with appropriately.

The killing rampage occurred moments after a disciplinary hearing in which Thornton was forced to resign after an alleged videotape showed him stealing beer from the company. Thornton made calls to his mother and to police after gunning down the eight people. Just before committing suicide, he told the State Police Trooper William Taylor he shed so much blood because “this is a racist place.” Thornton, who was one of only four black workers among the company’s 69 dockworkers and driver.

So many cases of workplace bullying go unreported. Scared to lose their jobs in such an unsteady job market, victims of bullying shroud themselves behind a wall of silence and endure suffering until they can’t bear it any longer.

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Santa’s coming to town

I found out there was no Santa in grade 1, thanks to my bitch of a teacher who thrived on crushing childhood dreams. Like many kids who have just been informed of the truth about Santa, I developed an impulse for damaging other children  by spreading the news.

If you cross your eyes, they will stay like that forever

Crossing your eyes will not affect your eye placement long term. Think about it, when we focus up-close our eyes naturally come together.  So, when you cross your eyes you are essentially just exaggerating this natural response. I was told that you would only stay cross-eyed if you kept your eyes crossed and someone smacked you on the back. I decided to test the theory out on my little brother, and I can assure you there is absolutely no harm in crossing your eyes, or crossing your eyes and getting smacked in the back.

Sitting too close to the TV will damage your eyes

Some eye doctors recommend not letting kids get closer than five feet to the TV screen, however, the intention is to prevent eye fatigue, not eye damage.

If you pick your nose your nostril will stretch

Your nostrils will not stretch from picking your nose. The technical name for compulsive booger-digging is rhinotillexomania and aside from grossing out bystanders, picking your nose may actually be good for you. According to Dr. Friedrich Bischinger, a lung specialist in Innsbruck, people who pick their noses with their fingers are “healthier, happier, and more in tune with their bodies”. His argument stems from the notion that exposing the body to the dried germ corpses helps to reinforce the immune system. He feels society should adopt a new approach to nose-picking, and encourage children to take up the habit.

You’ll grow hair on your hands if you touch it. If you keep playing with it, it will fall off

After years of experience I can tell everyone first-hand (pun intended) that your genitals will not fall off if you touch them too much. And no hair will grow either! At least, not on your hands… There is absolutely no harm in masturbating, even a lot of masturbating, unless it is so vigorous that you irritate the skin or if you were to do something really foolish like  inserting something into your urethra. But I imagine that must hurt quite a lot.

If you play with your belly button your intestines will fall out

If you avoid putting scissors or sharp objects in your belly button, you should have nothing to worry about.

When I was your age I had to walk 7 miles to get to school…

Really?

You get cooties from kissing

Scientists believe kissing was an evolutionary development to spread and build  immunity to germs, so your parents were partially right about cooties. What they didn’t tell you is that you do want them. The term may have originated with references to lice, fleas and other pests. A child is said to “catch” cooties through any form of bodily contact, proximity, or touching of an “infected” person. The phrase is most commonly used by children aged 5–10; however it is also used by many others older than 10 years of age.  Girls are most often the carriers of the “disease”.

“Rambo would eat it”

Rambo was probably beefing up on a mixture of protein shakes and steroids.

Thunder is the sound of angel’s bowling and lightning means they just got a STRIKE!

Thunder and lightning have been subject to scientific inquiry for centuries, but to date, no evidence that there is a bowling match going on upstairs has come to light. Scientists have this crazy idea that lightning bolts reach extremely hot temperatures- between 30,000 to 50,000 degrees F. (That’s hotter than the surface of the sun.) When the bolt suddenly heats the air around it to such an extreme, the air instantly expands, sending out a vibration or shock wave we hear as an explosion of sound, i.e. thunder. Then again, what do scientists know?

Babies come from storks

In Western culture, there is a common image of a stork bearing an infant wrapped in cloths held in its beak.  Some speculate that because childbirth was difficult to talk about in Victorian times the stork story was a good way to avoid discussion.

Sparky went to doggie heaven

Of course he did…

The crust of the bread is the healthiest part

Researchers in Germany have discovered that the crust of bread  is a rich source of antioxidants and may provide a much stronger health benefit than the rest of the bread. Did your parents actually know that or were they just making sure you didn’t waste food?

If you pee in the pool the water will turn red, purple, green or blue

In a survey conducted of 1,000 U.S. citizens, 17% admitted to releasing their liquid excretory product in a swimming pool. Even Olympic swimmer, Michael Phelps, has confessed to pool peeing. All to say, no the water will not turn any other color if you pee-pee in it. However, according to an epidemiologist in the division of parasitic diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “urine in the water causes “respiratory, ocular irritation: red puffy eyes, a cough or an itchy throat”. When swimmers sweat or urinate in the pool water, the bodily fluids combine with the chlorine. It creates chloramines, which causes a strange odor and eye and respiratory irritations for swimmers.

Raw Ramen noodles will give you worms

Top Ramen noodles (like all other kind of Ramen noodles) are precooked and completely safe to eat. Until I was led to believe that my raw noodle consumption would give me worms, my favorite way to eat them as a kid was “raw”. I would find the corner of a brick wall and pulverize the bag without ripping it. Next, I would take the flavor packet, pour it over the broken bits, close up the bag, shake it and enjoy.

If you crack your knuckles you’ll get arthritis

I was told that if I cracked my knuckles I would grow up to have arthritis. Eventually my knuckles would swell up and I would lose my strength and grip. There is no proof that any of this is true, however I have to commend my mother on her cleverness since she has arthritis, and seeing that it is hereditary, I will likely have it too. Arthritis can be caused by various factors including injury, metabolic abnormalities, hereditary factors or infections.  As for knuckle cracking the only thing it has been proven to cause is neurologic habit patterns like nail biting.

If you shave your face it will come back darker and thicker

While this would be an encouraging bit of information for boys wanting to grow facial hair, it is also the way I remember my mother trying to deter her little girl from having silky, smooth, touchable legs. Shaving does not stimulate new growth, if it did, those going bald would be shaving afflicted areas to encourage more growth.  Shaving hair doesn’t change its thickness or color either. The color, location, thickness and length of hair on your body mainly depend on genetics and hormones. After you shave body hair, it may feel coarse or “stubbly” for a time as it grows out. During this phase, it may be more noticeable — and may appear darker or thicker. But it’s not.

If you eat watermelon seeds, they will grow in your stomach

If you eat watermelon seeds you might choke, but unfortunately you will not have a stomach full of watermelons.

If you swallow your gum it will stay in you for seven years

Pediatric gastroenterologist David Milov claims in a  Scientific American article that he can say “with complete certainty” that gum does not stay in you for seven years.   Once it’s swallowed, the gum base is subjected to the same treatment as regular food, and after it’s recognized as useless by your digestive system, it goes the same route as any waste product.  Seven years is the amount of time, however, that a crime will remain on your record and until you are eligible to apply for a pardon from pardons Canada.

Stop playing with that toad – you’ll get warts on your hand!

Don’t be a worrywart, touching a toad will not give you warts. Those warty looking things on the surface of their skin are simply an accumulation of mucus glands and poison glands. The only chance of anything happening would be if you handled the toad roughly. Then you’ve got a problem. Make a toad angry and it will excrete a bufotoxin, which if ingested could cause intense pain, seizures, cardiac collapse, and even death. But no warts.

If you tell me, I promise I won’t get mad…

Hence the reason we lie. Whoever said the truth will set you free was crazy if they were suggesting you tell your parents the truth. Unless the kind of freedom you’re looking for involves the afterlife…

What lies have your parents told you?

Related articles

• The Santa Claus Lie, Is it justified? (gameofroles.wordpress.com)
• Everyone Is Obsessing Over This Video Of Rush Limbaugh Allegedly Picking His Nose At The Super Bowl (businessinsider.com)

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From human tetris to marshmallow-eating with your face strapped with an elastic band, here is a look at 8 of the most outrageous Japanese game show events:

Rock, Paper, Scissors

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Dodge the Bull

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This is a French game show called Interville but is so much funnier with Asian commentators. With a few more votes and some more fan mail, I definitely think this event should be entered in the next Calgary stampede.

Tug of War

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Don’t try this one at home with your mom’s pantyhose. The one they are using is made from a special material made specifically for this game show event. The contestants have to place their heads into pantyhose and pull in opposite directions. The rest is quite self-explanatory.

Door Running

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I am not quite sure what to say about this one. I just hope you have good intuition and a hard head.

Human Tetris

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Just like the video game, human Tetris is an instant classic. Even though it is just a wall pushing people dressed in spandex into a pool, it is still an amazing event. Here is a tip if you ever decide to participate: practice your fetal position.

Marshmallow Eating

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In all honesty, I thought this would be seen first on an American channel but I guess the Japanese beat them to it. In this event, each team member needs to eat a hanging marshmallow while an elastic band is attached to their face. I just hope that the elastic band is stronger than it looks.

Soccer with Binoculars

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Lotion Stair Climb

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The most physical event in Asian game shows: The Lotion Stair Climb. Get ready for the most brutal and physically straining event in years. The event tasks a team of people smothered in lotion to climb a flight of stairs, also covered in lotion, and make it to the top. Did I mention people are throwing buckets of K-Y jelly on you at the same time?

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This is not the description of a man.  This is the description of a teenaged frat boy living in a man’s body, not impressing anyone while destroying this poor man’s internal organs.  I blame the fact that I was raised without a father.  No man around to teach me how to change a tire or how not to crumple into a pile of tears in the face of a bully.   I find myself in need of something.  An event.  An obstacle course. A girlfriend to buy diamond earrings for.   Hand-to-hand combat with a sleeping kangaroo.  Anything to set me apart from the immature, irresponsible man-child who nearly set his apartment ablaze while changing a light bulb.

The following are extreme examples of how other cultures separate the men from the boys, many of which separated the smile from my face and the joy from my soul.

Hide and Go Stab

Practically handed a shield, a spear and a pair of crossbows once the umbilical cord was cut. The Spartan boy was taken from his family and trained in the art of war from the tender age of 7.  He is trained to fight and kill for the next 11 years, and once he reaches the age of 18 he undergoes a rite of passage known as the krypteia.  Armed with nothing more than a knife and his arms, he is sent out to kill as many helots (state-owned slaves) as he can and return home without getting caught.

Regular slave to another regular slave:  Could be worse! These fields could be riddled with pimple-faced Spartans just waiting for the chance to jump out of the bushes and shiv you.

Bungee Jumping’s for Suckers

I am proud to say that I have jumped out of an airplane, while it was in the sky.  Okay, well technically the skydiver jumped, I was the quivering mess of a “man” attached to him.  But the point is that I had to courage to let it happen.  I had to testicular fortitude to remain conscious as we fell towards the earth at unbelievable speeds.  Did I scream at frequencies only detectable by dogs and bats?  Yes.  Did my underwear fill to the brim with the evacuated contents of my colon?  Thankfully, no.  Will I ever give bungee jumping a try?  Hells to the no!  I’ll trust a highly skilled professional under a parachute over a giant rubber band any day.  Which is why the land divers of Vanuatu are what medical professional would call “bananas.”
Without a helmet, a crash mat, or a thousand feathered pillows to break their fall, the young men from the Vanuatu archipelago of the South Pacific prove their manliness by jumping from 100-foot wooden towers, with nothing but two tree vines attached to their legs.

The goal is to jump from as high as possible, and stop as close to the ground as possible.  Which means the vines have to be of the perfect length, and the right thickness to support the weight of each jumper.   “The judgments have to be precise. Just 1 ounce too much weight, or 1 inch of dry vine, can cause the vines to snap, slamming the jumper into the ground. A fall can cause serious injury, or even death.” (source)  The manliest of men actually touch the ground, hopefully without shattering their faces.  Umm, no thanks, I’ll just hang out over here, with the girls.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Walkabout

So much more than just a book I was forced to read in high school, and later forced to watch as a movie.  When an aboriginal Australian boy would reach the appropriate age, he was sent on a journey into the desert, alone, for periods lasting up to 6 months.  The Australian desert? Are you shitting me?  I wouldn’t last 6 days in the suburbs!  You know a rite of passage is baddass when your elders hand you a stick, extend their arm, and with a slight grin on their face say “Go ahead, walk.  If you come back, we’ll call you ‘sir’”.

Ant Gloves from Hell

I know what you’re wondering and the answer is “yes,” Ant Gloves from Hell is the greatest band name of all time.  It is also one of the most diabolical tortures-dressed-in-a-rites-of-passage-suit I have ever seen.  Whenever I start complaining that my hair is turning grey or that my love handles are becoming more love handly, I will think of the boys from the Sater-Mawe tribe in the Brazilian Amazon, and I will shut the hell up.

Hanging the Mandans

Have you ever been in so much pain, that you wish you could be knocked unconscious?  Anyone who’s ever rolled an ankle or dislocated their knee knows of the pain I speak.  Now imagine how much pain you’d actually have to be in for your brain to be like “Okay that’s too much, time to shut down”.  It’s quite an amazing gift actually.  Now imagine waking up, the worst of the pain has passed, and then your uncle kicks you in the balls.  This is sort of what the young men from the Native American Mandan tribe had to endure before they were considered true warriors.  First they would fast for three days.  Then they would have wooden splints pierced through their back, their chest and their shoulders, from which they would then be hoisted towards the ceiling on ropes.  Eventually, the warrior-to-be’s brain would grant him the sweet sleep that comes from the pain and loss of blood.  But wait, it gets better!  When the boy wakes up, his pinky finger is chopped off as an offering to the gods.  But wait, it gets better!  The man would then have to run around as the other men of the village ripped out the splints, and not from where they were entered, but from the other side, causing extra damage, making him an extra man.

Mardudjara Manginas

I am extremely thankful that my foreskin was removed when I was tough enough to handle it and baby enough not to remember it.  Not so fortunate are the 15-16-year old boys from the Australian aboriginal Mardudjara tribe.  During their coming of age ceremonies, two tribal moyles slice off the kid’s junk hood.  The elders would then tell the boy to close his eyes and open his mouth, at which point they would feed him his own shaft sleeve.  Once swallowed, they would tell him what he just ate, and that he will now grow up to be strong.  A few months later, just as he started to lose his awkward limp and learned how to smile again, the boy is once again abducted by the people he has come to call “Those f**king a**hole c**k mun**ing s**t squat***ers!”  They drag him to a nearby fire,and with one elder sitting on his chest holding his boy bits, and with one stick jammed in his pee tube to brace the tip of a blade against, a second elder slices his sausage open from tip to scrote.

If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go vomit my skeleton into a wastebasket now.

Okay, I’m back…now wait, there’s more…

Alright I’m really back this time.  The boy is now considered a man, even though he now has to squat whenever he pees.

I’d love to hear a Mardudjara and a Jew discussing their rites of passage into manhood.

Jew: When I was 13 I had to read from a book, I was thrown a giant party and then handed a giant sack filled with cash.  What did you have to do?

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The cult of Cybele

A cult following that has some ancient Mediterranean flavour.  This cult spread to Rome all the way back in 203 BCE when the Senate adopted Cybele as a state goddess.  However, due to the nature of the cult there was a ban on Roman citizens becoming Galli (priests) until Claudius lifted it in the first century AD.

Cybele was a fertility goddess whose lover, Attis, committed suicide in a fit of rage.  Cybele had Attis resurrected; that is why Cybele is associated with the cycle of death and rebirth.

The bizarre factor comes in to play when the actions of the cult are examined.  The Galli were priests in the cult of Cybele.  These dedicated followers would participate in wild dances to work themselves up in to an orgiastic frenzy and then castrate themselves.  Once their male genitalia was removed they would dress and act like females.   Another strange ritual that the cult of Cybele practiced was the initiation ritual called the taurobolium.  During this a new candidate would stand inside a pit underneath a wooded grate while a bull was sacrificed above them. The blood would then baptize the new initiate to symbolize rebirth and purification.  HBO’s popular historical-drama Rome has a scene depicting this initiation ritual during one of their episodes for anyone interested in watching a reenactment of the taurobolium.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cult Following

In 1975 a film called The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released.   The rock-musical film is a creepy story about transsexual aliens. After a while the show began to sell out regularly; and it was noticed that many of the same people were returning.  One extreme fan, Sal Prio, wrote about the cult-film phenomenon and how he has seen it more than 1300 times.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over time the audience began to yell out slogans during specific scenes; these lines consisted of pop culture references, current events, vulgar jokes and clever puns.  This helped spread the film’s popularity and packed midnight showings began to pop up across the country.  The reason for this massive jump in popularity is not only due to the film, the ‘shadow cast’ was a draw as well.  A ‘shadow cast’ is a group of fans who act out the film in the theater by the screen; they can be witnessed at most showings.  Members of the audience would also show up wearing elaborate drag clothes to resemble characters in the movie.  Many of these fans would join in during popular scenes like the Time Warp dance; and bring various props like toast, water, toilet paper, hot dogs, and rice to throw at specific parts of the film.  Some theaters had to outlaw the throwing of items because the clean up was too difficult.

Presently this cult following is still in existence, but its popularity has waned slightly.  There are showings in most cities, especially on Halloween.  There are also numerous fan sites dedicated to the cult film.  So if you are feeling a bit on the ‘wild side’ one night and have some spare women clothing, look up The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Furries

This cult-following comprises of men and women who have a passion for all things related to furries.  Furries are fictional creatures where animal and sentient human forms are melded together.  They can range from cartoon animals to sentient animal creatures and even walking cat-people. Despite the name, furries do not have to be covered with fur, there are bird and lizard furries as well.  All furries do have certain human-like features with an animal face and other bestial parts like claws, tails, wings, etc.  Furries have various types of human personalities mixed with animal traits.

Furrydom is the furry scene/fan base. This includes fan mags and comic strips; Albedo is a very popular comic book which contains material from different artists and writers. There are furry films, which are films that have a leading furry character.  For example Disney’s Robin Hood is considered a furry film.  A major part of furrydom is the furry art.  There are many furry artists and amateur artists who submit their art to various online websites.  One of the biggest furry art/story web sites is VCL with over 3,000 artists and 20,000 pieces.  Furrydom also hosts conventions where furry fans gather to celebrate all things furry.  Most attendees claim that they go to these gatherings just to socialize with like-minded people.  Some fans take it to the extreme by creating expensive and elaborate full body costumes to wear at these conventions; but the majority of fans only wear partial costumes like tails or ears.  Furry fans can even take part in role playing games where Anthropomorphic characters, known as fursonas, are used.

Most of the controversy surrounding this strange following concerns the sexual nature that surrounds certain aspects of furrydom.   The term ‘yiff’ was created to indicate sexual activity or material (art, comics, etc).  This term also applies to sexual activity/interaction within the furry following (cybersex and traditional).  Many in furrydom believe that this sexual component makes the rest of them look bad.  This is why they use the derogatory term “furvert” to describe these perverted fans.

Trekkies

These fanatical fans of the Star Trek television franchise have been around since the sixties.  But it was not until the first television show was canceled in 1969 and the first convention or ‘con’ was held in 1972 that this cult-following became well known to the public.

Trekkies are comprised of many different Star Trek fan clubs from all of the different Star Trek shows.  The largest fan club is called STARFLEET and it was founded in 1974 as the USS Enterprise Fan Club.  This club states that it comprises of 3,875 members in 217 chapters located around the globe as of July 30, 2009.  These fans tend to wear sci-fi costumes to the trekky cons.  For those of you who do not know what a con is you might remember the SNL skit with William Shatner on trekkies where he told them to get a life. But despite popular belief most trekkies do not speak Klingon fluently and know only a few words; it is the language experts who tend to speak the fictitious language.

While searching for an example of how extreme these “nerds” can be I came across a community located in Alberta, Canada that is actually called Vulcan.  On the tourist website for Vulcan, Alberta there is a list of comparisons between the fictional planet and the Alberta community.  This list comprises of:

a)Both have grain farming and the passage of land down through generations.

b)Natives of both Vulcan County, Alberta and the planet Vulcan share similar humanoid characteristics; however, unlike the 14.9 billion Star Trek Vulcans, the 6,000 plus Vulcan County residents don’t have upswept brows and a greenish tinge due to copper-based blood.

c)Pointy ears seen around vulcan county especially when special occasions.

You can imagine why swarms of trekkies flock to Vulcan’s annual community wide star trek convention held June 12-14 called Galaxyfest.  During their stay trekkies can visit the Space Station shaped Tourist Information Center.  Or try out a virtual reality game called “TheVulcan Space Adventure”where players take part in a “Starflight Academy” with look alikes of the original Captains as your teachers.

So if you are ever driving in Alberta do not be surprised if you come across a large space ship monument; it is just the town entrance to Vulcan.

Jediism

This is another bizarre cult following that is attracted to science-fiction.   This group centers around the jedi who were created by George Lucas for the Star Wars films. This cult following took it a step further than their interstellar rivals, the trekkies, by forming a religion.  The use of online forums enabled them to accomplish this.  The followers claim to understand that the films are fiction, but they stress that certain aspects about the jedi had real spiritual significance.  George Lucas did research various religions while writing the story for the saga.  For example they believe that the ‘force’ (the energy flowing throughout the universe) is similar to the Holy Spirit or Qi.   Unlike these religions, the Force does not require prayer or worship; but many Jedi do practice meditation.  In Jediism, the most common explanation of the Light and Dark sides of the Force are reflected by the practitioner’s emotional state or character.  They believe that compassion and helping others are good traits while it is wrong to focus solely on self improvement and to be selfish.

Jediism has a code for jedi to use as a guideline in their lives; and a creed which was taken from one of the Star Wars novels:

Jedi are the guardians of peace in the Galaxy.

Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others.

Jedi respect all life, in any form.

Jedi serve others rather than rule over them, for the good of the Galaxy.

Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training.

One interesting event involving jediism that I found occurred in November 2006 when two people wearing Star Wars robes and another wearing a Chewbacca costume demanded that the UN rename the “International Day of Tolerance” to “Interstellar Day of Tolerance”.  I guess that some people take their favourite films a little too serious.

While I did enjoy being a part f the boy scouts as a child I am not sure how “far out there” I am willing to go in order to find another group of people to hang out with. Hopefully this list of notable odd cult followings will inspire you to keep your weird hobbies hidden so that everyone will think that you are normal.

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Film

Julianne Moore (The Big Lebowski, Boogie Nights, Children of Men)

Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland)

Rose McGowan(Machete, Planet Terror, Death Proof)

Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, Definitely Maybe)

Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village, Terminator Salvation)

Television

Christina Hendricks (Mad Men)

Laura Prepon (That 70’s Show)

Debra Messing (Will and Grace)

Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice)

Alicia Witt ( Spanning across many categories: Twin Peaks, The Sopranos, Dune, she is also a singer and a classically trained pianist)

Sports

Christina Hemme (Model, singer, dancer,WWE wrestler)

Erica Jenkins (Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader)

Angelica Bridges (TV actress, lingerie football player)

Emily Samuelson (Ice dancer)

Jeannie Buss (Executive Vice President of Business Operations of the Lakers, and daughter of Jerry Buss, Lakers’ owner)

Music

Geri Halliwell (Spice Girls, solo singer)

Melissa Auf Der Maur (Basist, Hole, Smashing Pumkins)

Simone Simons (Singer, Epica)

Natasha Hamilton (Atomic Kittens, solo singer/songwriter)

Florence Welsh (Singer, Florence + the Machine)

The Classics

Rita Hayworth (Circus World, Dante’s Inferno)

Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy)

Tina Louise (Gilligan’s Island)

Judy Garland (The Wizard of Oz, A Star is Born)

Maureen O’Hara ( Lady Godiva of Coventry, The Quiet Man)

Vampires

Deborah Ann Woll (Jessica Hanby in True Blood)

Evan Rachel Wood (Sophie-Anne Leclerq in True Blood)

Rachelle Lefevre (Victoria in Twilight and Twilight Saga:New Moon)

Whoever the hell this is

Actresses who played vampires as children, then grew up into age-appropriate hotties

Kirsten Dunst (Interview With the Vampire, Spiderman I-III)

So there you have it folks. For all those Felicia Day fans out there, I didn’t add her to the list because we’ve already included her in our Most Beautiful Women in the World: Sexy Geeks Edition. Feel free to post your favorite redhead in the comments section. I’m off to take a cold shower now.

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I blame the fact that North America is still a young continent when compared to the rest of the world, so we’re still trying to figure things out. Despite what you might find on YouPorn, slapping a girl in the face with your meat hammer while firing your gooey tadpoles up her nose is not the path to sexual enlightenment. There are things we can learn from ancient civilizations in places like India, Asia, and apparently Poland. The following are just a few tips we can learn to enhance our sex lives, to increase the intensity of our orgasms, and how to crank our partner’s pleasure meters up to an 11.

Tantra

Born in India over 6,000 years ago and spread throughout East and Southeast Asia, Tantra’s purpose is to “achieve complete control of oneself, and of all the forces of nature, in order to attain union with the cosmos and with the divine.” The word itself means “to manifest, to expand, to show and to weave”, and when taken in a sexual context Tantra can expand your consciousness while weaving the vast differences between men and women into a harmonious unit. It’s also a path towards killer orgasms.

-Tantric sex starts way before the two of you are naked in the laundry room sticking tongues down each others’ throats. It starts with sharing moments of intimacy on a regular basis. This can be as simple as listening to music together, reading poetry to each other, communicating your loves and desires with each other. Intimacy is not something that just happens between two people, it needs to be nurtured.

- In Tantra there is no defined beginning or end, just an endless circle of sexual harmonization, which before any physical contact is established, starts with the harmonization of breath. One method to achieve this is to sit cross-legged across from your partner, dressed or buck, and without touching or talking just stare into each others’ eyes while synchronizing your inhales and exhales. This will be super awkward at first, especially if you’re nude, but the more you do this the more comfortable you will become, and the closer you will feel with your partner. The goal is to sit there for 10 minutes.

- Foreplay is HUGE in Tantric land. This involves more than just kissing and licking and punching. It also and most importantly involves communicating. Sex moves that worked on your last partner won’t necessarily work on your present one. I once dated a girl who loved having her inner thigh bitten…hard! Thinking all women loved this, I tried it on my next girlfriend. She screamed and punched me right in my non-communicating head. Talk to each other. Where do you want to be kissed? Are your ears sensitive? Do you like thinks delicate and gentle or do you like a little blood? It takes about 20 minutes for a woman to achieve an orgasm, but most sexual encounters only last 10-15. This is extremely frustrating. A man’s orgasm sometimes happens before the pants even come off. This might sound counter intuitive, but take your mind off the orgasm, dudes especially. Just focus on pleasing your partner, giving yourselves a full hour or 2 to really explore each other. When “getting there” is not the focus, you’ll be surprised how many orgasms can happen in an afternoon.

- Keep building the tension slowly. Once the in/out in/out has started, men will often pop their weasel long before the woman is even close. But during foreplay and pressure building, a man can last extremely long, and will in turn develop stronger pubococcygeus muscles. Aside from being one of my least favourite words, the pubococcygeus muscle lines the pelvic floor and is responsible for controlling pee, and contracts during orgasm. It is this muscle that you can strengthen using Kegal exercises, which will help keep you from erupting like Mount Vesuvius.

Orgasm and ejaculation are not one and the same in Tantric sex. If you want to learn the mysterious ways of how to have an orgasm without the mess, you can read this article.

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They say necessity is the mother of invention.  So you can protest war all you want, but just remember that throughout history the necessities to succeed in battle have led to many inventions that society uses today, inventions that we ironically couldn’t survive without.

Logistics

This system for the supply and distribution of resources can be traced back to the Classical period. The Greek and Roman empires utilized it so that their soldiers could move from a military base to various service locations.

Postal Service

During 580-529 BCE the Persian emperor, Darius the Great, had the first known postal service created. This allowed for better communication between the emperor and his armies on the battlefield.

Ambulance

Spain in 1847 had an exceptionally well treated army for the times. One of the practices that the Spanish army created was ‘ambulancias’ (medical hospitals). However, at this time the soldiers were not collected until the combat had ceased.

Weather Forecast Technology

In 1835 the creation of the telegraph system led to accurate weather forecast predictions. The telegraph allowed for weather conditions to be gathered from a large area and reported quickly. Francis Beaufort and Robert FitzRoy are credited with this system; and the Royal Navy accepted the innovative technology.

Margarine

In 1869 French emperor, Napoleon III, found that keeping his army supplied with butter was a considerable expense. Therefore, he offered a prize to anyone who could develop a cheaper alternative. French chemist, Hippolyte Mège-Mouriés, won for his mixture of clarified beef fat, water and a bit of tributyrin.

Canned Food

More food difficulties concerning the military arose for emperor Napoleon. Concerned with keeping the large French army fed, Napoleon offered a prize for a method of food preservation. Nicholas Appert conceived the idea of preserving food in bottles. He discovered that if food is sufficiently heated and kept in an airtight container, it will not go bad.

Wrist Watches

When wrist watches initially hit the fashion scene gentlemen did not wear them because they were designed for females. However, soldiers found that pocket watches were awkward during battle and began to use leather straps to fasten them to their wrists. This convenient trend caught on and in the 1880s Girard-Perregaux equipped the German Imperial Navy with similar pieces.

Detergent

1916 was the year that changed the chemistry which is used for manufacturing soap. Fat was used in the traditional method for manufacturing soap, but there was a shortage in Germany during WWI. German scientists were forced to create a new synthetic method as a substitute.

Tissue Paper (Kleenex)

The material used to make tissue paper was originally known as “cellucotton”. Cellucotton was used in WWI gas mask filters as a substitute for cotton because cotton was needed to manufacture surgical dressings that medics required to bandage wounded soldiers.

Sonar (Sound, Navigation and Ranging)

Paul Langevin created echo location to detect submarines during WWI but this technology was released too late to use in the war; SONAR has been used by militaries everywhere ever since. Civilian uses for SONAR include locating shipwrecks, oceanography and marine biology studies, etc.

Trench Coat

This fashionable item of clothing was first designed for life inside a literal trench. Thomas Burberry invented gabardine intentionally for the British army to use. These coats went over so well with the soldiers that after WWI ended many chose to continue wearing them and a fashion trend was born.

Radar (Radio Detection and Ranging)

This invention is credited with saving Britain during WWII. The creation of radar required a team of scientific minds and years of work to complete; but Robert Watson-Watt, a Scottish physicist, designed the first one that was put into use in 1935. Since WWII radar use has been standard for all commercial flights.

Cavity Magnetron

While working on the radar project Sir John Turton Randall invented this high-powered vacuum tube. The cavity magnetron is still widely used in various radar applications, as a part of microwave ovens and to obtain medical X-rays.

Microwave Oven

Percy Spencer was another scientist involved in the radar project. The story goes that while working on a radar a candy bar inside of his pocket melted. This inspired him to develop a new method of cooking with radiation. His method involved microwaves, emitted by the magnetron, that penetrated and cooked food from the interior.

Rocket Technology

Wernher Von Braun was involved in the development of rocket technology in Nazi-Germany. He invented the V2 rocket which was used to bombard London during WWII. After the war was over he became head of the US rocket program where he worked with many of his former German colleagues to develop a rocket ship.

Jet Engine

Dr. Hans von Ohain (German air plane designer) and Sir Frank Whittle (RAF pilot) are both recognized as being co-inventors of the jet engine during the 1930’s. Both these men came up with their own prototypes while being unaware that the other was working on a similar project.

High-Octane (Jet) Fuel

With the invention of the jet engine came the need for proper jet fuel. High-octane gas was invented in the US to fuel their jet fighter-planes.

The Manhattan Project

This project resulted in the devastating “doomsday device” that was used to end the conflict in the Pacific Theater of Operations. However, there are positive benefits that emerged from this collaboration of great thinkers. For example this work proved some of the theory on quantum mechanics (that lead to further advancements in physics) and it provided an alternative form of power.

Biker Jackets

Sticking with the jet theme; the style of leather jackets worn by most bikers that was made famous in Marlon Brando’s “The Wild One” , was derived from pilot jackets. Many WWII veterans chose to wear old flight jackets while ridding their ‘iron horses’ and started this trend.

Synthetic Rubber

When the US entered WWII they found that there was a massive shortage of natural rubber. Since this is required for many pieces of military equipment an alternative was needed. This resulted in the creation of synthetic rubber as a solution to the problem. Now there are multiple types of synthetic rubber that is used by businesses like the automobile industry, footwear, etc.

Silly Putty

Scottish engineer, James Wright, worked on developing synthetic rubber during WWII. He attempted the combination of boric acid and silicone oil in a test tube. This substance “polymerized” and resulted in a gooey and bouncy putty. This was eventually marketed as a toy for children.

Penicillin

While its existence was known before WWII it was during the heavy casualties of war that the worth of penicillin was brought into the spotlight. This resulted in studies on how to mass produce the treatment for the front lines.

Anti-Biotics

The success of penicillin as a life-saving treatment led to further research on the subject. During the late 1940’s and in to the early 1950’s the discovery of streptomycin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline resulted in the basis for anti-biotics.

Anti-Malaria

Malaria research received new life and military funding during the world wars when large amounts of soldiers serving in tropical areas were falling ill. A medical breakthrough emerged with the discovery of Chloroquine in 1934 by the German chemist Hans Andersag. However, the drug would not be released until 1946 because of the war.

Chemical Pesticides

Prior to the outbreak of WWII Swiss chemist named Paul Müller discovered that DDT killed insects. The US and other governments took this discovery and had DDT powder distributed to their soldiers in order to ward off disease carrying insects. WWII became the first war where there were fewer casualties from diseases like malaria and typhus than from bullets and bombs. The end of WWII saw the beginning of the chemical age in pesticides due of this success.

Aerosol Spray

Origins for bug repellent go further back in time, but Americans Lyle Goodhue and William Sullivan are given credit for inventing of the modern spray can. In 1943 they patented their design for a refillable spray can (nicknamed the ‘bug bomb’) for soldiers to use against disease carrying insects.

Jerry Can

The jerry can was invented as a part of Hitler’s secret preparations for WWII. The name is derived from the term ‘Jerry” which was a wartime label for Germans. There are still similar designs used today for water and fuel containers.

Slinky

During WWII a sailor working on a torsion spring dropped it on the floor and noticed the interesting manner in which it flip-flopped before him. This sailor returned home and created a long steel ribbon tightly coiled into a spiral which was used to amuse children for years to come.

Jeep

The jeep hit the scene in 1941, when the US Army asked for bids on a quarter-ton, four-wheel-drive vehicle that would be used for recon purposes. This generated responses from Ford, Bantam and Willys who would all eventually manufactured these vehicles for the Army.

Night Vision

The original night vision technology was created by the US army and used in WWII. Since then there has been advancements made in the field of night vision; one need only watch a scandalous “sex tape” on the net to see how far this has come along.

GPS (Global Positioning System)

For everyone who has their directions being dictated to them while they drive a “thank you” is owed to the US Department of Defense (DOD) and Ivan Getting who developed this navigation technology for the military.

Hummer

“The world’s most serious 4×4″ originated in 1979 when AM General started work on the M998 Series High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, commonly called “Humvee”) for the US military. Production of versions of the Humvee for civilian use (called the HUMMER ) commenced in 1992. Remember who to blame the next time you get cut off by the over-sized vehicle.

Chemical Laser

The idea for a chemical laser emerged from the carbon dioxide laser program in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This was picked up by Navy researchers and their contractors, such as Pratt & Whitney Aircraft and General Electric, etc. This technology evolved into the continuous wave laser which is used for industrial cutting.

Internet

Thanks is owed to the military for your finding this article on the world wide web. In 1969, the DOD was researching new ways to send and receive digital information and the internet emerged out of this work. So began the age of the “information super-highway”.

Prosthetic Limbs

The development of prosthetic limb technology has a strong correlation with the waging of war. In fact there are current developments (involving robotics) taking place to meet the needs brought on by the second Iraq war.

Infrared

Another current example involves the defense contractor Flir Systems. They are taking the thermal imaging work done for the military and creating ways to market it for civilian use. For example, BMW is incorporating a thermal imaging camera in to their M5 series; and technicians will be able to sue this type of camera is to measure moisture in walls and find gas leaks .

Hopefully the future great minds of mankind will be able to dream up useful inventions and create further technological advancements without the threat of war for motivation.

Update: for all of the things on this list that you’re likely to want or need, check out CentrSource for local deals near you. They’ll help you find savings on all kinds of items, like gadgets, watches, trench coats, and even cars — such as Jeeps and Hummers. And you can choose to either order the stuff online (maybe not the cars), or find a local retailer and pick it up in person.

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ENTER YOUR BRAIN

YOUR BRAIN: So, what on earth are you going to say to this girl?
YOU: Well, I don’t know. I’ll start with hello.
YOUR BRAIN: Yeah nice, that’ll win her over! In case you haven’t noticed, everyone in the coffee shop is actually paying attention to your every move.  They’ll laugh at you.  She’ll laugh at you.  See that dude in the corner? He’ll actually throw a muffin at you.
YOU: But I’ve never felt an attraction this strong, I really should say something.
YOUR BRAIN: You’re not her type. You’ll embarrass yourself.
YOU: But…
YOUR BRAIN: She probably has a boyfriend anyway.
YOU: (sigh) Yeah, you’re probably right.  She’d never dig me.  I’ll look like an idiot.

Your BRAIN has drawn negative information from your own supply of fears and insecurities and has gladly provided you with a PowerPoint presentation of all the embarrassing possibilities associated with saying “hi” to this girl.  You haven’t even left your seat but she’s already dumped her bowl of vanilla latte on your head. And so you return to your shell…oops..I mean book, and she walks out of your life forever.  Sound familiar?

How do you feel after these situations, confident? Proud to have maintained your composure in front of these strangers? Or do you feel deflated?  The fire you felt for this girl suffocated, leaving nothing but charred embers of regret, better known as The Should’ves?  My money is on the latter.  And you have once again supplied your BRAIN with more negative information for future PowerPoint presentations.

Before BRAIN showed up on the scene however, someone else had the stage, someone who deserves our undivided attention but rarely gets it: our GUT.  Our GUT not only keeps us alive but it helps guide us along the way.  Whenever we meet new people or encounter decision-worthy situations our GUT is always whispering to us, and ten times out of ten, our GUT is always right.  In the case of the girl in the coffee shop, your GUT was screaming. It can of course be argued that your CROTCH was also making a lot of noise, which is of course true.  But the CROTCH vs. BRAIN battle can go without saying, for the sake of this article lets give your GUT a chance in the ring.
Two major factors will help you to overcome your fear of rejection:1. Trust your GUT  2. Replace the negative info in your BRAIN with positive info.

STEP 1

Unplug yourself.  There are humans everywhere.

In order to hear our GUT we must first put down our cell phones, close our laptops and learn to actually listen when our GUT is speaking. Many of us wouldn’t recognize it if it came swinging at us with a sack of doorknobs. Surrounded by home theatre systems, ear-plugged environmental soundtracks and anonymous internet conversations, it’s little to no wonder why we’re developing difficulties when approaching other humans.

I realize that we are in the age of information and we must therefore spend many hours a day in front of computer screens with various telephone technology attached to our heads.  But if you find that you are unable to maintain decent conversations without the use of yellow-headed emoticons or break dancing Stormtroopers, you will never have the courage to approach a stranger.  I’m not suggesting that you disconnect completely, but every once in while step outside, unplug yourself from everything for at least an hour.  Without distractions become aware of your surroundings and the people around you. This will help to open up the channels between you and your GUT.

NOTE: The next time you go to Starbucks, leave your laptop in its bag for a while.  This will make you seem more approachable to those bravely considering talking to you. Getting picked-up by a woman in public is about as rare as riding bare-back on a unicorn, but it happened to me once in my life and had I been hardwired into technology at the time, she would never have had the nerve.

STEP 2

Establish and maintain eye contact.

“My eyes are up here!”

This is one of the most important steps as it will create a foundation of positive information for your BRAIN to draw info from in the future.  First, when walking down the street, keep your head up.  This not only demonstrates confidence but your peripheral vision will be at its max, and by peripheral vision I mean “Hottie Radar”.

Here’s your assignment:  The next time you go for a walk, try to establish eye contact with anyone walking by. Girl, guy, it does not matter.  You will soon discover that most people are just as insecure as you and are not able to look up.  For the first few tries feel free to look away as soon as your gaze is met.  When you are more comfortable, focus on people you are actually attracted to. So far so good.  The tough part now is to maintain the eye-contact once it’s been established. Every part of you will be dying to look away but you must fight this.   Your confidence will grow and eventually you will be so comfortable you will treat it like a game.  You will actually be testing others to see if they have the balls to hold your gaze.  It’s empowering.  You might even begin to feel sorry for those who walk with their heads down.  Funny, ‘cause that used to be you!

STEP 3

Smile!

If you are living in Canada anywhere outside of Montreal and Toronto, you can probably skip this step.  For the rest of you there is a strange phenomena going on in societies known as “smiling”. Once you’ve gained the skills to force other sidewalkers into eye-contact submission, try throwing a smile their way.  Your first few attempts will be awkward and you will probably frighten people.  Your smile is not genuine yet. But like everything else practice makes perfect.  You will soon discover something about human nature that will blow your socks off:  People will instinctively smile back.  Why instinctively? Because we are social creatures by nature, a fact that has helped us survive on this planet.  Thork would never have been able to warn Grook that he was about to get eaten by a saber-toothed tiger if humans had not developed communication through socializing. Despite what your BRAIN might tell you, no one will get pissed off if you smile at them (unless of course she’s on the arm of her boyfriend at the time).

So the next time your GUT nudges you about a certain someone, throw them a genuine smile.  Not only will they smile back, but they will certainly remember you.

STEP 4

Initiate conversation.

This is the moment when your BRAIN will either give you fuel or put sugar in your gas tank.  When approaching strangers we often play out entire conversations in our head and we become overwhelmed with the thought of messing up, sabotaging ourselves before even saying “hello”.  Let’s take a deep breath, relax. Start small, simple. Ask a stranger for the time (and for Christ’s sake, don’t be wearing a watch when you do this!) and when they tell you feel free to run away.  “Where are the bathrooms?” “Please pass the salt” Anything!  There are no commitments here, you’re just getting used to engaging with strangers. By practicing on people you don’t care about you’ll be a seasoned conversation starter when you finally see someone interesting.

If you’ve made it this far congratulations! But you’re about to lose your water wings and jump into the deep end.  I dare you to walk up to the hottest woman you’ve ever seen and ask her for directions, even if you know full well where you are. Sounds horrifying, but you’ll find that the pressure’s off you because you’re not asking her out on a date, you’re simply asking for help.  She won’t be judging you and you can disengage at any point.  But guess what, you’re in a conversation with the hottest woman you’ve ever seen!  Now when you see the girl in the coffee shop who made your heart want to explode and your palms all sweaty, your BRAIN will remind you of the time you had the guts to approach the beautiful stranger, and you’ll have to courage to follow your GUT.

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