Friday, April 29, 2011
Punish the Engineers and Doctors
so that lazy English majors can get their hobby subsidized..err...I mean "earn their degree."
Meanwhile you will all be wondering why the US economy isn't growing and why China is trouncing us economically.
Jose, makes a good solid economic analysis here.
Meanwhile you will all be wondering why the US economy isn't growing and why China is trouncing us economically.
Jose, makes a good solid economic analysis here.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Best of Cappy Cap - A Tutorial on Obamanomics
Figured this would be a good repeat from over 2 years ago;
As the market ebbs and flows 400 points here, 500 points there, I am often asked by friends:
"When is the market going to bottom?"
And I find it interesting that people are even buying right now, because as far as I'm concerned there's absolutely no reason to buy stocks until after the presidential election. When I tell my friends this, they say,
"Well why wait till then? Couldn't stock prices have gone up by then and you missed out of a great buying opportunity?"
Which indicates to me we all need a basic lesson in "Barack Economics."
You see, there are two things that drive the price of a stock; the profits the corporation makes and the capital gain one receives when they sell the stock.
First, let's start with profits. Profits are nothing more than what a company or corporation has left over when it pays for all of its expenses. Profits typically make people happy because that's how we not only enrich ourselves, but, frankly, live.
But hold on there now! You don't get to keep all of those profits. No no no. You see, since you own part of a corporation, the corporation has to pay on average a 40% tax rate in the US (though the effective rate for some is around 32%). This is taken out of your profits (pre-tax profits) before sending them along to you.
But with Obamanomuks this tax rate will go up. Nobody knows for sure how much, but 50%, 70%, maybe even 90%. Regardless, when it's all said and done, there won't be a lot of your profits left;
What profits do remain, however, can be passed along to you in the form of dividends.
But, UH OH!!! That was a transaction, and even though you own part of the corporation, since it is a separate legal entity, you get to pay taxes on the DIVIDENDS, typically between 5-15%. This is called "double taxation." It may not make you happy, but it makes lots of government freeloaders happy.
I know you may be upset that you get to pay taxes twice, but with the cutting edge of Barackian Economics, you will get to pay an even higher dividend tax! Don't worry, according to Joe Biden it's patriotic to pay more in taxes leaving you with even less.
Well how does this affect the stock market and stock prices? Well, it's very simple. Although if you go to any major corporation's web site and they make it seem like pursuing green policies is what gives them value, in reality they're just doing that so you are foolish enough to buy their products without guilt. No, the truth is what really gives stocks value is the underlying profits those firm generate. You see, if a firm doesn't make a profit, why would anybody forfeit their money to invest in it? I don't invest in stocks so they can sell green products or be socially responsible. I invest in a corporation so it makes money. And the less money I see after all the expenses and taxes are taken out, the less value that firm has to me and thus the lower the stock price.
But profits are not the only thing that drive the value of the stock (well, technically they are, but we won't go into that right now). There is also a "capital gains" ie-how much money you make when you sell the stock. Say you buy a stock for $10, and it goes up to $100. Why, that's an impressive profit of $90, and you are happy!
But hold on there little buckaroo! Uncle Sam wants some of that and you get to pay a capital gains "tax" on it. This tax can be anywhere from 0-35%.
But with Obamanomuks this rate will go up even more, leaving you with even less.
The relationship between the amount you get to keep and the value of the stock is the same. If you get to keep more, then the value of the stock is worth more and therefore prices go up. But if capital gains are increased, then the value of those stocks go down.
"But isn't it the rich that only own stock? And shouldn't we hate the rich by the fact they're rich, even though they may have actually worked for it and have never done anything to us?"
Although a common misconception, it's not just the rich that own stock in the US. Most everybody in the US, rich, poor, short or tall, own stock in one way or another. Most commonly this is done through our 401k, 403b and other retirement programs. We buy mutual funds which are nothing more than groups of stock which we hold in these retirement accounts. Also, pensions pay for your retirement by investing in stocks and mutual funds. So if you have a pension or you have a retirement program, YOU OWN STOCK!
Ergo, it is profits that drive the value of stocks which in turn determines the wealth of the people of the entire nation.
But with Obamanomuks there will be no profit, and therefore no stocks, and therefore no retirement.
All you'll be left with is;
And that's why the Captain is waiting to see if Barack Obama and the democrats take a supermajority in Washington before he invests his money in the stock market.
OH! AND REMEMBER TO BUY MY BOOK!
As the market ebbs and flows 400 points here, 500 points there, I am often asked by friends:
"When is the market going to bottom?"
And I find it interesting that people are even buying right now, because as far as I'm concerned there's absolutely no reason to buy stocks until after the presidential election. When I tell my friends this, they say,
"Well why wait till then? Couldn't stock prices have gone up by then and you missed out of a great buying opportunity?"
Which indicates to me we all need a basic lesson in "Barack Economics."
You see, there are two things that drive the price of a stock; the profits the corporation makes and the capital gain one receives when they sell the stock.
First, let's start with profits. Profits are nothing more than what a company or corporation has left over when it pays for all of its expenses. Profits typically make people happy because that's how we not only enrich ourselves, but, frankly, live.
But hold on there now! You don't get to keep all of those profits. No no no. You see, since you own part of a corporation, the corporation has to pay on average a 40% tax rate in the US (though the effective rate for some is around 32%). This is taken out of your profits (pre-tax profits) before sending them along to you.
But with Obamanomuks this tax rate will go up. Nobody knows for sure how much, but 50%, 70%, maybe even 90%. Regardless, when it's all said and done, there won't be a lot of your profits left;
What profits do remain, however, can be passed along to you in the form of dividends.
But, UH OH!!! That was a transaction, and even though you own part of the corporation, since it is a separate legal entity, you get to pay taxes on the DIVIDENDS, typically between 5-15%. This is called "double taxation." It may not make you happy, but it makes lots of government freeloaders happy.
I know you may be upset that you get to pay taxes twice, but with the cutting edge of Barackian Economics, you will get to pay an even higher dividend tax! Don't worry, according to Joe Biden it's patriotic to pay more in taxes leaving you with even less.
Well how does this affect the stock market and stock prices? Well, it's very simple. Although if you go to any major corporation's web site and they make it seem like pursuing green policies is what gives them value, in reality they're just doing that so you are foolish enough to buy their products without guilt. No, the truth is what really gives stocks value is the underlying profits those firm generate. You see, if a firm doesn't make a profit, why would anybody forfeit their money to invest in it? I don't invest in stocks so they can sell green products or be socially responsible. I invest in a corporation so it makes money. And the less money I see after all the expenses and taxes are taken out, the less value that firm has to me and thus the lower the stock price.
But profits are not the only thing that drive the value of the stock (well, technically they are, but we won't go into that right now). There is also a "capital gains" ie-how much money you make when you sell the stock. Say you buy a stock for $10, and it goes up to $100. Why, that's an impressive profit of $90, and you are happy!
But hold on there little buckaroo! Uncle Sam wants some of that and you get to pay a capital gains "tax" on it. This tax can be anywhere from 0-35%.
But with Obamanomuks this rate will go up even more, leaving you with even less.
The relationship between the amount you get to keep and the value of the stock is the same. If you get to keep more, then the value of the stock is worth more and therefore prices go up. But if capital gains are increased, then the value of those stocks go down.
"But isn't it the rich that only own stock? And shouldn't we hate the rich by the fact they're rich, even though they may have actually worked for it and have never done anything to us?"
Although a common misconception, it's not just the rich that own stock in the US. Most everybody in the US, rich, poor, short or tall, own stock in one way or another. Most commonly this is done through our 401k, 403b and other retirement programs. We buy mutual funds which are nothing more than groups of stock which we hold in these retirement accounts. Also, pensions pay for your retirement by investing in stocks and mutual funds. So if you have a pension or you have a retirement program, YOU OWN STOCK!
Ergo, it is profits that drive the value of stocks which in turn determines the wealth of the people of the entire nation.
But with Obamanomuks there will be no profit, and therefore no stocks, and therefore no retirement.
All you'll be left with is;
And that's why the Captain is waiting to see if Barack Obama and the democrats take a supermajority in Washington before he invests his money in the stock market.
OH! AND REMEMBER TO BUY MY BOOK!
Flashback! Da Bomb that started it all
Anthony Colpo, bless his carb-loaded heart, linked recently to the first post of mine that went *semi* viral.
Glyceroneogenesis v. Taubes
I thought I'd bump that up for those who have just stumbled upon my little neck of the low carb webwoods. Also, the original link to the lecture no longer is active. But it is on Youtube and I'll post the links below:
Gary Taubes Dartmouth Lecture Part 1 of 7
Part 2 of 7
Part 3 of 7
Part 4 of 7
Part 5 of 7
Part 6 of 7
Part 7 of 7
Oh, listening to this lecture again .... sooooooooo much more material there....
Just two:
Love you all my dear readers :D
Glyceroneogenesis v. Taubes
I thought I'd bump that up for those who have just stumbled upon my little neck of the low carb webwoods. Also, the original link to the lecture no longer is active. But it is on Youtube and I'll post the links below:
Gary Taubes Dartmouth Lecture Part 1 of 7
Part 2 of 7
Part 3 of 7
Part 4 of 7
Part 5 of 7
Part 6 of 7
Part 7 of 7
Oh, listening to this lecture again .... sooooooooo much more material there....
Just two:
- Pima ate beans and wheat and corn! Oh my!
- We need to lock people up in metabolic wards and see what happens when they eat this nutrient or that nutrient. Oh, double my!
Love you all my dear readers :D
DVD - Shaun Attwood's Presentation to Schools on Drugs and Prison - Free To Schools
I've just had a DVD made of my talk to schools, and I am offering every UK school that contacts me one free copy while my stock lasts. A version for US DVD players will be available soon, and US/Canadian schools are welcome to pre-order a free copy. Email: attwood.shaun@hotmail.co.uk Clips from the DVD are available at YouTube.
I've just had a DVD made of my talk to schools, and I am offering every UK school that contacts me one free copy while my stock lasts. A version for US DVD players will be available soon, and US/Canadian schools are welcome to pre-order a free copy. Email: attwood.shaun@hotmail.co.uk Clips from the DVD are available at YouTube.
Shaun Attwood's Presentation to Schools on Drugs and Prison - Gang Violence
Link to Shaun's talk to schools and this DVD: http://shaunattwood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=57
Tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jail gang violence addiction sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe Arpaio police guard cops crime "tough guys" weapons defense aryan brotherhood mexican mafia chicano tattoos tat tats shank knife shiv stab kill murder beat up
Shaun Attwood's Presentation to Schools on Drugs and Prison - Cockroaches
Link to Shaun's talk to schools and this DVD: http://shaunattwood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=57
Tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jail cockroach insect addiction sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time
Shaun Attwood on How Jon's Jail Journal Started
Tags: human rights activism drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon's jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger blogging cops "instructional video" nonprofit howto instruction
Shaun Attwood's Presentation to Schools on Drugs and Prison - Prison Gang Rape
Link to Shaun's talk to schools and this DVD: http://shaunattwood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=57
Tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon's jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger overseas America Arizona addiction rehabilitation human rights activism aryan brotherhood gang rape decapitation beheading murder eyeball popping defence lecture
Link to Shaun's talk to schools and this DVD: http://shaunattwood.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109&Itemid=57
Tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon's jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger overseas America Arizona addiction rehabilitation human rights activism aryan brotherhood gang rape decapitation beheading murder eyeball popping defence lecture
Shaun Attwood's Presentation to Schools on Drugs and Prison - Foreign Drug Laws
Tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon’s jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger police guard overseas America Arizona addiction rehabilitation human rights activism sandra gregory
Tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon’s jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger police guard overseas America Arizona addiction rehabilitation human rights activism sandra gregory
Shaun Attwood's Presentation to Schools on Drugs and Prison - Summary about Drugs
tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon’s jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger police guard overseas America Arizona addiction rehabilitation human rights activism
tags: drugs prison education school young people PSHE citizenship inspirational educational shaun attwood jon’s jail journal sixth form public speaker presentation mclellan practice joe arpaio police guard hard time author blog blogger police guard overseas America Arizona addiction rehabilitation human rights activism
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
The T-Bone Appreciation Society (TBAS)
Growing interest in T-Bone's story as part of my talks to schools led to the students at Maricourt Catholic High School in Liverpool starting up the T-Bone Appreciation Society, quickly joined by students at Maghull High, also in Liverpool, and Great Sankey High in Warrington.
Thanks to the help of my assistant, Charlotte, the TBAS now has an official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-T-Bone-Appreciation-Society/120986067982005
I will be mailing all of your comments and well wishes to T-Bone in prison next week.
Growing interest in T-Bone's story as part of my talks to schools led to the students at Maricourt Catholic High School in Liverpool starting up the T-Bone Appreciation Society, quickly joined by students at Maghull High, also in Liverpool, and Great Sankey High in Warrington.
Thanks to the help of my assistant, Charlotte, the TBAS now has an official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-T-Bone-Appreciation-Society/120986067982005
I will be mailing all of your comments and well wishes to T-Bone in prison next week.
Why I Don't Donate to Charity
Tithing (if I spelled it correctly) was forced down my throat during my days at a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran parochial prison...err...I mean "school." You "had" to forfeit 10% of your money, even if you were a child and your parents so piss poor you had to live in government housing.
Of course as an adult I don't donate to charity of any kind for these reasons three;
1. The government now confiscates 40% of production, 75% of which goes to income transfers. You are a fool to donate beyond what the government mandates you do.
2. I barely have enough money as it is.
3. Most of it goes to people I don't want it to go to, who really don't need help and are really just posing as a "charitable organization" when in reality they use the charity as a means of employment.
Enjoy the decline (by not donating to charity!)
Of course as an adult I don't donate to charity of any kind for these reasons three;
1. The government now confiscates 40% of production, 75% of which goes to income transfers. You are a fool to donate beyond what the government mandates you do.
2. I barely have enough money as it is.
3. Most of it goes to people I don't want it to go to, who really don't need help and are really just posing as a "charitable organization" when in reality they use the charity as a means of employment.
Enjoy the decline (by not donating to charity!)
Regional Differences in Fat Tissue Fatty Acid Regulation by Insulin
Insulin Regulation of Regional Free Fatty Acid Metabolism
Alternate Title: Why I had a fatter ass before low carb? :-)
Alternate Title: Why I had a fatter ass before low carb? :-)
This study involved 26 healthy young (21-38) non-obese (BMI 18-27) individuals split evenly by gender. Excluded were any medications known to influence FFA metabolism. Radiolabeled palmitate was used as a tracer for FFA's.
All studies were initiated in the 12 hour overnight fasted state and palmitate was infused for the duration of the study. Patients received insulin infusions of different doses (3M & 3F per group) for 150 min following baseline determinations. Controls received a saline infusion. Blood samples were obtained from femoral vein and artery (leg) and hepatic (liver) vein. This was to assess systemic (whole body), leg and visceral (splanchnic) rates of appearance of FFA's (release from adipose tissue).
Read more »
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
T-Bone Rearrested – Letter 13
T-Bone - Radiating power and strength, this deeply-spiritual massively-built African-American towers over most inmates. He is a prison gladiator with more stab wounds than Julius Caesar. A good man to have on your side.
What’s up, my brother?
I know it’s a shock to hear from me after all this time and the promises I’ve made about staying in touch with you. I had to go to work and put a lot of things in place, but then I lost them. I’ll talk to you about all that at a later date.
Do you still want to help me make my life into a movie? I give you my word that I won’t allow anyone to get in the way of my responsibility to us.
I go to the parole board pretty soon, and I do believe that they will let me go.
So here goes the big question: how’s your life? Man, I wish I had stayed in touch with you, but that was yesterday.
I didn’t even go to school to finish my education. I am here on a parole violation. I didn’t report. I don’t want to talk about it right now, but it is safe to say that I wasn’t thinking right. I wasn’t being myself!
I love you, brother, and please forgive me for not staying in touch with you. Give my best to your family.
Each one – teach one!
Steel embrace – Strength and Honor
T-Bone
Click here for T-Bone's previous letter - The Attack on T-Bone.
Click here for the Kindle ebook T-Bone. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. Proceeds going to help T-Bone.
Shaun Attwood
T-Bone - Radiating power and strength, this deeply-spiritual massively-built African-American towers over most inmates. He is a prison gladiator with more stab wounds than Julius Caesar. A good man to have on your side.
What’s up, my brother?
I know it’s a shock to hear from me after all this time and the promises I’ve made about staying in touch with you. I had to go to work and put a lot of things in place, but then I lost them. I’ll talk to you about all that at a later date.
Do you still want to help me make my life into a movie? I give you my word that I won’t allow anyone to get in the way of my responsibility to us.
I go to the parole board pretty soon, and I do believe that they will let me go.
So here goes the big question: how’s your life? Man, I wish I had stayed in touch with you, but that was yesterday.
I didn’t even go to school to finish my education. I am here on a parole violation. I didn’t report. I don’t want to talk about it right now, but it is safe to say that I wasn’t thinking right. I wasn’t being myself!
I love you, brother, and please forgive me for not staying in touch with you. Give my best to your family.
Each one – teach one!
Steel embrace – Strength and Honor
T-Bone
Click here for T-Bone's previous letter - The Attack on T-Bone.
Click here for the Kindle ebook T-Bone. UK version. US version. Or download to your PC from Lulu.com. Proceeds going to help T-Bone.
Shaun Attwood
PUFA's, the Primal Blueprint and Low Carb diets
It's sort of a funny thing in low carb circles. Atkins followers - or those who have fashioned their plans by tweaking Atkins - remain the majority of adherents to this lifestyle, despite the surging popularity of Paleo-styled plans.
I admit to not knowing or caring a thing about Omega 6 vs. Omega 3 and all that jazz until sometime in 2009 after I'd found the LC web. Atkins was a big fish oil pusher (if memory serves he had his own line of supplements) and fan of the O3, but he certainly didn't spend much time addressing the dreaded O6 fats. The root of all evil in the minds of many.
I have his original book, and many recipes contained good old fashioned industrial mayo made from soybean oil or other veggie oil. There was no shunning of veggie oils that's for sure, or commercial salad dressings containing them so long as no carbs went along for the ride down the gullet. Chicken may not have been as highly touted as the more luxurious ribeye, but it certainly had its place. And when climbing the rungs, nuts were big. Macadamias preferred, but not because of the O6:O3 ration, but because they happen to be the lowest in carbs. I just threw out an expired Atkins shake I used to use sometimes in place of cream in my coffee (mocha coffee, yum!) - sunflower oil! Let's not go into fats in the various "product" around, although many of the newer moose turd look-alike offerings no longer contain these in the name of paleolithic purity.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Oh, Don't Worry, It's "Love"
It will make you shake your head, but put a smile on your face with a sad laugh afterwards. I'd like to editorialize, but really, what else could I add to the story?
ht to the HouseBoy.
ht to the HouseBoy.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Fatty Acid Trafficking
Here's an interesting recent study that LynMarie Daye of Adipo-Insights blog brought to my attention a while ago. The link below is to the full text I'm sharing through GoogleDocs.
Downregulation of Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid Trafficking in Obesity, A Driver for Ectopic Fat Deposition?
Fats are continually being cycled in and out of our fat cells. In the obese, circulating free fatty acids (or non-esterified fatty acids), NEFA, are often elevated. These are often accompanied by deposition of fat in non-adipose tissues, aka ectopic fat deposition. This ectopic fat is implicated in various impairments of cell function and even cell death (apoptosis) that result in insulin resistance, beta-cell dysfunction, etc. This is often referred to as lipotoxicity.
This study sought to determine if this lipotoxicity is due to excessive release of NEFA from adipose tissue or from impaired trapping by adipose tissue of the NEFA released from dietary fat. This work is from Keith Frayn's group. It might be worthwhile to read my blog post on Frayn's paper on adipose tissue as lipid buffer.
Read more »
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Waterstone’s Birkenhead Easter Saturday Book Signing
Mum and I sold 41 copies today, smashing our previous sales at Birkenhead of 21 copies, and beating the record set by a non-celebrity author of 34 copies.
Much more importantly, the cockroach hand-stamping of children ran smoothly today, as demonstrated in the video below, during which the remote-control cockroach was happily running wild. Earlier on, three women were at the table, and the cockroach suddenly charged at them on the floor, causing all three to jump backwards.
Click here to find out what happened at the previous signing in Warrington.
Click here for Hard Time at Amazon UK. Here for the Amazon US hardback for $8.
Shaun Attwood
Mum and I sold 41 copies today, smashing our previous sales at Birkenhead of 21 copies, and beating the record set by a non-celebrity author of 34 copies.
Much more importantly, the cockroach hand-stamping of children ran smoothly today, as demonstrated in the video below, during which the remote-control cockroach was happily running wild. Earlier on, three women were at the table, and the cockroach suddenly charged at them on the floor, causing all three to jump backwards.
Click here to find out what happened at the previous signing in Warrington.
Click here for Hard Time at Amazon UK. Here for the Amazon US hardback for $8.
Shaun Attwood
Adiposopathy
Presented without comment on the content per se:
Role of the Adipocyte, Free Fatty Acids, and Ectopic Fat in Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Role of the Adipocyte, Free Fatty Acids, and Ectopic Fat in Pathogenesis of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
This is probably the most exhaustively referenced review article I've ever come across on the etiology of MetS and T2 Diabetes and the role of adipose tissue. Too extensive to quote w/o copying the whole darned thing, although I may revisit it at some point to do a bullet point summary type post.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Waterstone’s Warrington Good Friday Book Signing
I’d read that Good Friday is a busy shopping day, but the footfall in the store today was abysmal. We probably would have sold only 20 copies if Mum and our assistant, Natalie, hadn’t stood outside of the store in the thick of the flow of mall shoppers, handing out flyers incessantly, and pitching the book. Thanks to their exhausting effort (Mum was barely able to stand by the time we got home, and went straight to bed), and thanks to the Waterstone’s staff for keeping us supplied with copious amounts of flyers, we sold 43, slightly beating our sales at Wilmslow last week.
A big thank you to all of the students who showed up, including the father of a Great Sankey High School student who said my talk was all his son had been talking about all week. Some students who didn’t make it today have asked where else they can buy Hard Time. Click here to buy it at Amazon.
At the Waterstone’s Birkenhead signing tomorrow, Easter Saturday, the store is hosting Easter festivities for children, so the footfall should be up, and we hope to beat what we sold at that store last time.
The next Waterstone's signing is in Guildford on Saturday, May 7th.
Below are today's photos, videos of Natalie in action, and some live cockroach hand-stamping.
Click here to read what happened at the previous Waterstone's book signing.
Shaun Attwood
I’d read that Good Friday is a busy shopping day, but the footfall in the store today was abysmal. We probably would have sold only 20 copies if Mum and our assistant, Natalie, hadn’t stood outside of the store in the thick of the flow of mall shoppers, handing out flyers incessantly, and pitching the book. Thanks to their exhausting effort (Mum was barely able to stand by the time we got home, and went straight to bed), and thanks to the Waterstone’s staff for keeping us supplied with copious amounts of flyers, we sold 43, slightly beating our sales at Wilmslow last week.
A big thank you to all of the students who showed up, including the father of a Great Sankey High School student who said my talk was all his son had been talking about all week. Some students who didn’t make it today have asked where else they can buy Hard Time. Click here to buy it at Amazon.
At the Waterstone’s Birkenhead signing tomorrow, Easter Saturday, the store is hosting Easter festivities for children, so the footfall should be up, and we hope to beat what we sold at that store last time.
The next Waterstone's signing is in Guildford on Saturday, May 7th.
Below are today's photos, videos of Natalie in action, and some live cockroach hand-stamping.
Click here to read what happened at the previous Waterstone's book signing.
Shaun Attwood
Exercise v. Diet for Weight Loss
In recent months, mainly sparked by Mr. Exercise Only Makes You Hungry's appearance on the Dr. Oz show, there seems to have been some renewed interest in the LC community in the role of exercise for weight loss. Most studies show little effect of exercise only, but, as the authors of this study I'm about to share state, "these conclusions are drawn from studies in which individual energy intake and expenditure were not rigorously controlled or accurately measured" . When it has been controlled, the calorie deficits created through exercise alone were not sufficient to produce significant weight loss.
This study was done in weight stable (6+ months prior to study) obese (BMI >27) men with waist circumferences over 100 cm (~39"). The men were sedentary, non-smokers, non-light drinkers, and had normal lipids and glucose tolerance.
Read more »
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Economic Dumbassery
I swear we have the dumbest president ever. And I don't say that like most political pundits do because they disagree with politicians politically. I'm saying it because he really is that dumb, I assess his knowledge and wisdom as below average.
Regardless, I'm going to try anyway.
Given Obama's announcement to launch investigations into the price of oil, let me see if I can guess and plot the logic here so that even 2nd graders can understand;
Invasion of Libya + HUGE EFFING NATIONAL DEFICITS + growing 2nd and third world nations = increased risk of oil supply interruptions + increased demand for oil + weak dollar = increased gas prices.
Oh, I'm sorry, is that too complicated for you Obamaites out there? Would you prefer I mollify your little brains by telling you it's "big oil" and "oil speculators?" Hey, I know, let's do that stupid thing where we all decide to "boycott big oil" on ONE day! You know, that incredibly inane and stupid idea college kids come up with because of their galactically incomprehensible level of stupidity when it comes to economics.
Yeah, you go launch your investigation.
Morons.
Regardless, I'm going to try anyway.
Given Obama's announcement to launch investigations into the price of oil, let me see if I can guess and plot the logic here so that even 2nd graders can understand;
Invasion of Libya + HUGE EFFING NATIONAL DEFICITS + growing 2nd and third world nations = increased risk of oil supply interruptions + increased demand for oil + weak dollar = increased gas prices.
Oh, I'm sorry, is that too complicated for you Obamaites out there? Would you prefer I mollify your little brains by telling you it's "big oil" and "oil speculators?" Hey, I know, let's do that stupid thing where we all decide to "boycott big oil" on ONE day! You know, that incredibly inane and stupid idea college kids come up with because of their galactically incomprehensible level of stupidity when it comes to economics.
Yeah, you go launch your investigation.
Morons.
Good Friday Book Signing - Waterstone's Warrington
Good Friday April 22nd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 23-24 Golden Square Shopping Centre, Warrington, WA1 1QE (01925 658 484) from 11am until 4pm.
Easter Saturday Book Signing - Waterstone's Birkenhead
Easter Saturday April 23rd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 188-192 Grange Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6EA (0843 290 8147) from 11am until 4pm.
Click here for my previous book signing blog.
Shaun Attwood
Good Friday April 22nd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 23-24 Golden Square Shopping Centre, Warrington, WA1 1QE (01925 658 484) from 11am until 4pm.
Easter Saturday Book Signing - Waterstone's Birkenhead
Easter Saturday April 23rd, 2011 - Waterstone's, 188-192 Grange Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6EA (0843 290 8147) from 11am until 4pm.
Click here for my previous book signing blog.
Shaun Attwood
To listen to my BBC radio interview from this morning, click on the link and move the timeline ahead to 1 hour 49 minutes 30 seconds. Today, I learnt to never assume that the broadcaster won't say things about you after the interview has ended - what they said had my mum and dad laughing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00g1x4t/Tony_Snell_in_the_Morning_21_04_2011/
Sheriff Joe Arpaio Questioned for 5 1/2 Hours: The Beginning of the End?
I doubt it! This guy has more lives than all of the people his guards have murdered over the years. Here's the article by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and JJ Hensley:
I doubt it! This guy has more lives than all of the people his guards have murdered over the years. Here's the article by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez and JJ Hensley:
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was interviewed for 5½ hours by an investigator examining allegations of misconduct involving some of Arpaio's top aides, according to billings released to The Arizona Republic by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.
The billings for the first time reveal that Arpaio was officially questioned about the allegations, which focus on the activities of commanders in his inner circle. Among the unanswered questions is the depth of Arpaio's knowledge of his subordinates' activities.
Arpaio on Wednesday declined to characterize the nature of his conversation with investigators.
"I'm not going to get into whether I was a witness," Arpaio said. "We have met quite frequently to discuss the investigation."
According to more than 30 new pages of billings, private investigator Keith Sobraske billed Pinal County $351 on Jan. 12 for preparations to interview Arpaio and for the actual interview, which took place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Arpaio's administrative offices.
Last September, Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu hired Sobraske to examine misconduct allegations in a 63-page memorandum written by Arpaio Deputy Chief Frank Munnell. That memo accuses Chief Deputy David Hendershott, Deputy Chief Larry Black and Capt. Joel Fox of mismanagement, explosive behavior, favoritism, violations of county policies and potentially criminal conduct.
Arpaio placed all on paid administrative leave pending results of Babeu's probe.
Arpaio received the 1,022-page investigative report from Babeu last week, but has denied a demand by The Arizona Republic and 12 News to release findings of the six-month investigation. Arpaio's office cited federal civil-rights laws that protect public employees, among other reasons, in blocking release of the information.
The billing records also indicate that in March, as the inquiry neared an end, investigators were in regular contact with Deputy Maricopa County Attorney Clarisse McCormick, speaking with her by phone nearly 20 times during that month.
McCormick advised Arpaio not to release the report, according to the sheriff.
The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors agreed with Pinal County to pay for the investigation. According to the new invoices, its expenses from January through April 18 amounted to $39,000, putting Pinal County's total billings at about $85,300.
During that time, investigators completed 34 interviews and follow-up phone calls with the investigation's targets and witnesses.
Some were Arpaio's current and former employees, including the sheriff's former chief financial officer and former deputies once assigned to Arpaio's public-corruption unit. Other billable hours included conversations with an FBI special agent who has gathered evidence for a federal abuse-of-power inquiry into Arpaio, as well as an investigator for the Arizona Attorney General's Office who led a separate investigation into political fundraising by Arpaio staffers.
The billings also reveal that investigators:
- Reviewed Arpaio's internal affairs investigations tied to sex crimes and several other internal affairs cases.
- Interviewed Fox for a third time and conducted a telephone interview with Hendershott.
- Captured video surveillance of an apartment, and met with personnel at an apartment complex in north-central Phoenix.
- Uncovered a new allegation of misconduct, which documents do not explain.
- Explored allegations involving the political action committee known as SCA that solicited funds from wealthy donors and Arpaio's top commanders and donated the money to the Arizona Republican Party. That included interviews with county Elections Director Karen Osborne and the administrative judge appointed to review those campaign activities.
- Examined public records involving two security and consulting firms, including Blue Steel Consulting, a firm owned by sheriff's Deputy Aaron Brown. The deputy oversaw security for the Fiesta Bowl. A recent investigative report found evidence of potentially illegal bowl-employee conduct and spending irregularities that could jeopardize the bowl's non-profit status. Brown is also the subject of an internal Sheriff's Office investigation to determine whether he performed bowl work while on county time.
- Reviewed sheriff's e-mails and documents from the state Attorney General's Office and researched law enforcement standards.
Munnell's memo alleged years of behavior by Hendershott, Black and Fox that ranged from inappropriate to potentially criminal. He described Hendershott as a bully who retaliated against subordinates that questioned him, and who browbeat others into refusing to cooperate with investigations into the Sheriff's Office.
In the memo, Munnell alleged that Hendershott pressured subordinates on a corruption task force to write a questionable search warrant, then threatened to "machine gun" them if they refused. Munnell also asserted that Hendershott retaliated against those who acted against him.
Shaun Attwood
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Job Title Lies in the Finance World
Was looking for a job on Craig's list and came across this;
International Currency Analyst.
Thought, "wow! Right up my alley!"
Of course if you go to the actual job board, you'll see it's just an office admin position where you do data entry and reconcile errors and mistakes in trades.
You don't analyze currencies.
You don't study foreign economies.
You don't use your brain, let alone your degree.
Swear when I am king I will make it a law the title must match the job duties.
International Currency Analyst.
Thought, "wow! Right up my alley!"
Of course if you go to the actual job board, you'll see it's just an office admin position where you do data entry and reconcile errors and mistakes in trades.
You don't analyze currencies.
You don't study foreign economies.
You don't use your brain, let alone your degree.
Swear when I am king I will make it a law the title must match the job duties.
The Emotionally Unavailable Man
The other type of emotionally unavailable man is unavailable due to his relationship (or relationships) with another woman (or women). These guys are never really committed to a woman. They don’t see any relationship as necessarily permanent, including marriage - even if they give lip service to being “deeply committed” to the woman they are with at the moment.
In truth, however, they don’t truly value their intimate relationships or take them seriously, because they are merely “playing,” even though engagement or marriage hardly seems like something to “play” at. They don’t take their relationships seriously because on some level - even if subconsciously - they know they can find someone else who will get involved with them if their current affair ends. What else would cause someone to repeatedly play his future like a crap-shoot without really fearing the outcome?
…It is probably because women keep attempting to get close to him that causes him to keep moving from partner to partner or to keep adding partners. He is uninterested in experiencing or is unable to experience deep feelings of connection with anyone. CHECK!
…What is dangerous about emotionally unavailable men is that they are not authentically emotionally responsive. They are emotionally avoidant.
…Some of these men may have a sexual addiction that fuels their pursuit of rapidly revolving, superficial relationships. Perhaps his sexual addiction takes the form of chronic and compulsive pornography use, a pattern that will diminish a man’s normal human responsiveness.
… be aware that [this type of man] will come across to you as a devoted father and husband or as an upstanding citizen of his community. Never discount the possibility that your emotionally unavailable man may have multiple hidden lives (always the case if he’s engaging in clandestine extramarital affairs) as well as being an emotional predator. For example: emotional unavailability, plus life he keeps hidden from you, his wife or his girlfriend, plus the keen sixth sense of an emotional predator, plus a sexual addiction - help these pathological men thrive at attracting serial superficial relationships.
If he is a sexual addict as well he will have a hidden life of endless porn watching, masturbation, voyeurism, and even using prostitutes. Many times these men will cover their perversions with heavy involvement in community politics, their church or synagogue or doing volunteer work. And they will make sure this cover is very visible so no one suspects.
Sexually addicted predators will not stop at you, they will go after your friends as well. They think nothing of telling your friend that you mean nothing to them and that you are possibly “imagining” the relationship. They will tell their wives the same things about you or any other woman they know insisting “she’s jealous of us and is obsessed with me.” They are masterful jugglers of time and people.
…a woman’s availability itself is a deciding factor… “any port in a storm” will provide adequate distraction from the reality of his life.
Womanizers also look for women who will believe their stories about their home life. Very few of them tell women how happy they are at home, how wonderful their wife is, and how they just really want to have extramarital sex with no strings attached. No, that usually isn’t the story line. The story line goes: “No one has ever really loved me, and certainly not my wife. She nags… doesn’t appreciate me… hates sex…”
Women take this hook too often. …they will be able to make him “finally feel loved… listened to… appreciated.” His need is not “once and for all to be loved” as much as it is to get laid, be amused and be distracted.
A womanizer may be highly verbal about his relationships. He may share personal information in such a way that women mistake his sharing for emotional intimacy… He knows well enough that women are empathic to tales of empty and sad relationships…
An interesting point is that almost every woman who told us her story about getting involved with an emotionally unavailable man said it happened at a time when her self-esteem was low. [She] was coming out of a relationship situation that had damaged her self-esteem (such as being abused or even going through a divorce). Women accept far more during times of low self-esteem than they do when their self-esteem is sound. A belief that she doesn’t deserve a whole, satisfying and healthy relationship is a reflection of how low her self-esteem is. If a man gives a woman who suffers with low-self esteem a little attention… then too often she willingly falls [for him].
The emotional predator is as bad as it gets. He qualifies as the pinnacle of poisonous and pathological… He could, in fact, be called the “emotional psychic.” That’s because it’s his ability to intuit and sense a woman’s emotional vulnerabilities that places her at risk. Webster’s defines predatory as “having a disposition to injure or exploit others for one’s own gain"; it defines predator as “one that preys, destroys or devours.” That’s a good summation of this man. Who but the most pathological among us would set out to exploit, prey on, destroy or devour?
He will hone in on your vulnerabilities and read you. If he likes what he reads, he will follow up by luring you into his scary and dangerous life.
Predators have a natural ability for reading women who are lonely, needy by nature, emotionally wounded or vulnerable. The predator also has his antennae up for women who… have unfulfilled needs in their lives. …he figures out how he can squeeze into the vacant space in your life and what you need to hear in order to allow this to happen.
…[they] “sense” which woman will make the best target for them. They don’t know why they have this gift or how they acquired it. …they have been working women over since childhood. A predator’s intuitive sixth sense is untaught. …an adult’s skills can’t compete with his abilities to scam, con and conquer.
…emotional predators also fall into the mentally-ill category, usually under the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Most also have hidden lives. When you couple a predator’s natural instincts with a lifetime of skills honed by successfully conning, exploiting and injuring women, you have a man who is nothing short of extraordinarily smooth and capable of horrific dangerousness.
Predators’ motives vary. But you can be sure a predator wants something from you. That is the entire reason for the relationship. …There is something in you that he wants. Maybe “all” he wants is your utter adoration or for you to exalt his ego. …Maybe wants what you can provide to help establish his image so he will marry you (’good family man’). Or maybe …he’s most interested in the pursuit and conquest of a woman… If he is a sexual predator, you are a target, whether it be for consensual sex or rape - depending on whichever way it plays out or whatever mood he is in.
A predator does not “need” the relationship. Early on… the predator is deliberately romantic. Predators are shifting chameleons who can be all things to all women. Predators are smooth as silk. …predators are listeners who will give up very little information until they are sure it will align with your history. …His selection is based on his need and your vulnerability. He knows it’s a matter of matching need with need. The more he knows about your needs, the better he can meet them.
He has a nose for vulnerability, so women who have unmet needs “smell” especially good to him. He seeks women who need men who can “sense and know” them on almost a spiritual level. Since he is good at this, he will appear to know you well - and quickly.
They like women who had absent fathers, angry mothers or neglectful and abusive husbands. Knowing that many women are trained to believe that people are basically good at heart, predators will present themselves as men of honor and virtue…. But because he is a chameleon, he will listen closely to see if you also need a mentor, an adviser on some topic, a spiritual leader, or a male friend.
During counseling sessions I’ve had with men who are emotional predators, some have verbalized their targets. One said,
“I look for naive women. I like a certain vulnerability to her - that she trusts humanity without asking for proof. Maybe she’s been hurt a lot so there’s a “woundedness” to her. That vulnerability makes them believe you, because they need to believe you.”
Another said,
“I like the women who have been pounded down by men and those with childhoods that weren’t so good. They are particularly easy.”
It is important to understand that each predator has developed his own unique style. He has a “type” or two of women he prefers because with those types he has mastered the approach, the dating, and the ‘end.’ He doesn’t have to think very hard if he just uses the profile he’s had success with. One predator may prefer recently divorced or divorcing women because he succeeds at playing that angle with them.
… these guys can show a woman they definitely “get it.” They show you all the attention that the jerks you’ve been with haven’t. They say all the right lines that the men in your past could never verbalize. They are brilliant and insightful about what you need. They seem to know exactly every pain you have suffered.
With more skill than a carnival psychic, the emotional predator can hone in on your every need, sympathize with you in such a way so that you believe you’ve met your long lost soulmate and sweep you off your feet… He’s… more insightful than a therapist. He “knows” you the way no one else ever has.
This guy moves FAST. He’s got to - before you figure out what his M.O. is. Every woman should be suspect of the relationships that seem to be traveling in the fast lane on the super-highway of emotional intimacy. A predator needs to keep you so euphoric with compliments and lover’s talk that you aren’t listening, or paying attention. He is dripping with sincerity and clinging to every word you say. A predator wants to consummate the relationship with you right away, because time is against him.
To move the relationship along and be indispensable to you, he must act helpful, comforting and generous. Since he is working against the clock, he must find out what you need and then meet that need.
While listening to you and observing you, he will glean a lot of information about your hobbies, interests, spiritual beliefs and value systems. He is the original identity thief. He uncovers and uses for his own purposes everything he can about what makes you - YOU. He will find you amazing, beautiful, bright and talented - like no one he has EVER met before. He will align how he portrays himself with your needs and also your interests until you feel like you are looking at your twin.
Finally, another way predators succeed with women is by preying on their compassion. Once a woman is in the grip of a predator, anything can happen.
[Once a woman sees their stories] for the crock they are and bust them for their fake opinions with them, they will try and turn the table and make it seem it was the woman who had emotional problems!
The Modus Operandi of the "Emotional Blackmailer"
He is too good to be true - He is soft-spoken and polite, he is kind and loves women, he is respectful, he doesn't come on too strong FOR THE FIRST FEW MEETINGS ONLY. He's always on the lookout for a patsy, but he's in no hurry as there's always another one around the corner so he'll take his time in coming on to you.
He'll be there more and more frequently - gazing at you with puppy dog eyes; wanting to know everything about you, asking your advice, making it look like you are getting to know each other and forming a bond.
He will put himself in the best possible light - including lying through his teeth about his ambitions, activities, hopes and dreams.
His seduction techniques are often subtle and well-practiced - It will seem he did nothing to seduce you until you look back and analyze it. He sat and stood close to you, he brushed against you, but it didn't seem to be on purpose.
He suddenly "Turns on the Charm" and turns up the heat - Once you're hypnotized by his sweetness and modesty and respectfulness, he will pounce on you one night and turn into a Mr. Hyde. It "just happened." This is the critical moment to run away, don't let him touch you. He'll leave you breathless wondering what exactly happened. He'll turn on all the charm full force and you'll be wanting him from then on, yet wanting some breathing room. You won't get any. Ever. It won't bother you at first - you'll think he's attentive and ardent.
He starts using the lines technique - Once you're "seeing" each other, he'll be a real swain, discussing how amazing this new relationship is, how different you are from any woman he ever met; and he'll talk about your remarkable beauty and how "alike" you are. He will talk about your "resonance" and describe all the awful women he knew before who didn't want a good man - who wanted someone to abuse them.
All of this is meaningless talk. He uses the same lines on every woman.
He will whine and even shed tears - if you say you have other things to do, other people to see, or want to be alone after seeing him 8 days in a row. He enjoys being abused, so if you scream at him it only makes him feel more secure. He got used to fighting all around him as a child and he equates fighting with love.
He'll start demanding that you "prove your love" - You have become nothing but his prop. He has become your jailer. The key is: he demands CONSTANT proof of your love.
He will "seem" to accept your decision to break up - As the months roll along and you are tired of his constant presence, begging, whining and having unreasonable control of your life, you will decide to break up with him. He will then agree to back off, give you some space, and try to do better.
He'll tell you he has "changed" - No matter how many times you break up with him, he will call you to tell you that he needs you, that he has changed, and he will say it all in a calm voice as if he respects your decision to come back or not. His game is to stay away just long enough that you forget his annoying traits and miss the good parts. But if you agree to even one meeting it will be back to daily visits and demands for constant pampering again.
Getting Rid of the Bastard
The only way to get rid of the emotional blackmailer is when he has found another victim to be his patsy. He will already be courting her while seeing you (he is juggling two or more women per day).
Once he has the new person in his thrall and has nothing to lose by losing you, he will drop you like a hot potato.
He prey's on sympathy, and lives to control - his purpose is to have many women in his control - perhaps one for money and one to scream at him, and both for companionship. He gets a high from controlling people, because as a child he had no control over anything and frequently felt abandoned. This is why the more women who feel sorry for him, listen to him, go out with him, the better he feels and behaves. However, he is telling each of them the same thing: they are the best, the most beautiful, the most like him, he wants to spend the rest of his life with ONLY THEM.
The character of the Emotional Blackmailer
Everything he says or does is for gain. He does nothing for the sheer joy of it, or because he likes people or wants to build a relationship: he is looking ahead to what he can get out of the person: sex, housekeeping, emotional support, someone to listen to him spin his tales of woe, what have you. Loyalty or faithfulness are not in his nature.
He will become vicious and even violent if he is crossed, contradicted, found out, exposed or denied what he wants. It looks exactly like the tantrum of a five year old. That is still his emotional age, although he has the smooth moves of a Casanova down pat.
How Do You Extricate Yourself from the Emotional Blackmailer?
One way out is to cut off all contact. Even email may put you back in his control if you get back into the same pattern of doing what he wants when he wants it. He is a master manipulator who will prey on your sympathy for him as a human being.
Any time spent reasoning with him is wasted - he doesn't hear a word you say. All arguments are circular. If you discuss codependence, he says it doesn't exist, that it's a psychobabble word for two people caring for each other. If he has no answer to your logic he will remain silent and wait for you to shut up, then start with his argument again.
After you have cut off contact, he will stalk you for a while if he doesn't have a replacement lined up yet, but this will cease because it isn't fulfilling enough for him. He NEEDS feedback, anger, someone to scream at him. Any kind of attention pleases him - he is a true masochist who would enjoy being slapped. If you catch him? He will accuse YOU of stalking HIM!
Another way to ditch the Emotional Blackmailer is to turn the tables on him. A man who is so good at manipulating is also easily manipulated to do whatever you want IF you do it the right way. You can be rid of him within a few weeks without avoiding him by doing the following:
Exhibit jealousy and make it clear that you won't share him with anyone else, and you expect to spend the rest of your life with him and have exclusive rights over him. This will make him feel suffocated for a change and he will be eagerly stepping out on you while claiming he wants only you.
Lose interest in doing anything you used to do for him or with him; stop taking him seriously; don't listen to his rants about his job; ridicule his ideas, act bored and make it clear you see him only as a useful decoration. Tell him to grow up, tell him you are well aware of his manipulative games but you like him anyway and demand he be faithful to you. This will scare him and make him step up his efforts with the other women, and he will soon be out of your life.
A Final Note:
Healthy, non-manipulative men:
Don't beg
Don't tell you that you're "the best"
Don't use the lines "if you really love me", or "prove you love me by doing this for me"...
Don't put down their girlfriends or wives (former or current), even mildly
Respect your right to have other online friends
Share all their information with you: address, phone numbers, job, etc. They don't mind if you double check on them for your own safety!
He'll be there more and more frequently - gazing at you with puppy dog eyes; wanting to know everything about you, asking your advice, making it look like you are getting to know each other and forming a bond.
He will put himself in the best possible light - including lying through his teeth about his ambitions, activities, hopes and dreams.
His seduction techniques are often subtle and well-practiced - It will seem he did nothing to seduce you until you look back and analyze it. He sat and stood close to you, he brushed against you, but it didn't seem to be on purpose.
He suddenly "Turns on the Charm" and turns up the heat - Once you're hypnotized by his sweetness and modesty and respectfulness, he will pounce on you one night and turn into a Mr. Hyde. It "just happened." This is the critical moment to run away, don't let him touch you. He'll leave you breathless wondering what exactly happened. He'll turn on all the charm full force and you'll be wanting him from then on, yet wanting some breathing room. You won't get any. Ever. It won't bother you at first - you'll think he's attentive and ardent.
He starts using the lines technique - Once you're "seeing" each other, he'll be a real swain, discussing how amazing this new relationship is, how different you are from any woman he ever met; and he'll talk about your remarkable beauty and how "alike" you are. He will talk about your "resonance" and describe all the awful women he knew before who didn't want a good man - who wanted someone to abuse them.
All of this is meaningless talk. He uses the same lines on every woman.
He will whine and even shed tears - if you say you have other things to do, other people to see, or want to be alone after seeing him 8 days in a row. He enjoys being abused, so if you scream at him it only makes him feel more secure. He got used to fighting all around him as a child and he equates fighting with love.
He'll start demanding that you "prove your love" - You have become nothing but his prop. He has become your jailer. The key is: he demands CONSTANT proof of your love.
He will "seem" to accept your decision to break up - As the months roll along and you are tired of his constant presence, begging, whining and having unreasonable control of your life, you will decide to break up with him. He will then agree to back off, give you some space, and try to do better.
He'll tell you he has "changed" - No matter how many times you break up with him, he will call you to tell you that he needs you, that he has changed, and he will say it all in a calm voice as if he respects your decision to come back or not. His game is to stay away just long enough that you forget his annoying traits and miss the good parts. But if you agree to even one meeting it will be back to daily visits and demands for constant pampering again.
Getting Rid of the Bastard
The only way to get rid of the emotional blackmailer is when he has found another victim to be his patsy. He will already be courting her while seeing you (he is juggling two or more women per day).
Once he has the new person in his thrall and has nothing to lose by losing you, he will drop you like a hot potato.
He prey's on sympathy, and lives to control - his purpose is to have many women in his control - perhaps one for money and one to scream at him, and both for companionship. He gets a high from controlling people, because as a child he had no control over anything and frequently felt abandoned. This is why the more women who feel sorry for him, listen to him, go out with him, the better he feels and behaves. However, he is telling each of them the same thing: they are the best, the most beautiful, the most like him, he wants to spend the rest of his life with ONLY THEM.
The character of the Emotional Blackmailer
Everything he says or does is for gain. He does nothing for the sheer joy of it, or because he likes people or wants to build a relationship: he is looking ahead to what he can get out of the person: sex, housekeeping, emotional support, someone to listen to him spin his tales of woe, what have you. Loyalty or faithfulness are not in his nature.
He will become vicious and even violent if he is crossed, contradicted, found out, exposed or denied what he wants. It looks exactly like the tantrum of a five year old. That is still his emotional age, although he has the smooth moves of a Casanova down pat.
How Do You Extricate Yourself from the Emotional Blackmailer?
One way out is to cut off all contact. Even email may put you back in his control if you get back into the same pattern of doing what he wants when he wants it. He is a master manipulator who will prey on your sympathy for him as a human being.
Any time spent reasoning with him is wasted - he doesn't hear a word you say. All arguments are circular. If you discuss codependence, he says it doesn't exist, that it's a psychobabble word for two people caring for each other. If he has no answer to your logic he will remain silent and wait for you to shut up, then start with his argument again.
After you have cut off contact, he will stalk you for a while if he doesn't have a replacement lined up yet, but this will cease because it isn't fulfilling enough for him. He NEEDS feedback, anger, someone to scream at him. Any kind of attention pleases him - he is a true masochist who would enjoy being slapped. If you catch him? He will accuse YOU of stalking HIM!
Another way to ditch the Emotional Blackmailer is to turn the tables on him. A man who is so good at manipulating is also easily manipulated to do whatever you want IF you do it the right way. You can be rid of him within a few weeks without avoiding him by doing the following:
Exhibit jealousy and make it clear that you won't share him with anyone else, and you expect to spend the rest of your life with him and have exclusive rights over him. This will make him feel suffocated for a change and he will be eagerly stepping out on you while claiming he wants only you.
Lose interest in doing anything you used to do for him or with him; stop taking him seriously; don't listen to his rants about his job; ridicule his ideas, act bored and make it clear you see him only as a useful decoration. Tell him to grow up, tell him you are well aware of his manipulative games but you like him anyway and demand he be faithful to you. This will scare him and make him step up his efforts with the other women, and he will soon be out of your life.
A Final Note:
Healthy, non-manipulative men:
Don't beg
Don't tell you that you're "the best"
Don't use the lines "if you really love me", or "prove you love me by doing this for me"...
Don't put down their girlfriends or wives (former or current), even mildly
Respect your right to have other online friends
Share all their information with you: address, phone numbers, job, etc. They don't mind if you double check on them for your own safety!
Cyberpath, Predator: Narcissist, Psychopath
So, at bottom, the nature of the narcissist is the nature of a predator who preys on his own kind. The importance of that fact cannot be overstated. The brain of a predator just does not relate to the living soul of its prey. If you don't believe this, just watch PBS. Watch the behavior, and look into the eyes, of predatory animals while they're making a kill. There's nothing there. They are like machines at that moment. They must be, or they couldn't do it.
In other words, Nature has equipped them with hard-wired circuitry in the brain that takes over the moment prey is sighted when they are hungry. It suppresses what we could observe in that animal only a minute earlier while it was playing with its siblings or a waving leaf on a twig, tenderly nuzzling its offspring or mate. Perhaps it was even grieving over the death of a member of the pack. But that's all gone the moment it sights prey while hungry. Then suddenly it's a killing machine. It likes killing. Nature has endowed it with a taste for killing as necessary equipment for its survival. It even considers killing fun. Which is why we sometimes see in nature killing made sport: Chimpanzees (who don't eat meat) will gang-up on and attack a monkey, cruelly tearing it to pieces and having a blast over its heart-rending cries. Killer whales sometimes play with baby seals like a cat plays with a mouse. Wolves sometimes bring down and eviscerate prey they feed on the guts of till it dies and then walk away. Sorry, that's just the truth.
Humans are animals too and have that same predatory mode. Nature endowed us with it as hunters. It's in everyone. But in narcissists and sociopaths something has gone haywire. They go into this mode against their own kind. And they are permanently in this mode against all their own kind. Why? Because they don't view themselves as of our kind. They are of a superior kind. They think we are here to feed them, just as we think cattle are here to feed us. Correction: we do (or should) treat cattle humanely. We don't relate to them as objects like narcissists relate to us = like we relate to bugs or plants.
Compared to us, narcissists are gods. Alien beings. They can't help it. They are not to blame for feeling this way. Today the prognosis is poor. There is little sign of any real success in treating these people. Those who commit prosecutable offenses are repeat offenders — such as pedophile priests, sexual predators, and serial killers. They get this way as children and demonstrate it by torturing animals or murdering other children on a whim. Though they can't control their temptations, they CAN control their conduct. And this is what competent psychiatric care can really help them with. It can show them better ways to deal with their problems, making them resistant to temptation. In fact, I think it could build in some TRUE self-esteem to counterbalance their self hatred. (Lifelong treatment would be necessary to maintain it though.) And a lion tamer can walk into the lions' den. But they are still wild animals, so he can never be sure they won't give in to the temptation to attack the prey tantalizing them beyond their power to resist. We don't morally condemn those lions for being lions.
And the only thing more stupid and useless than morally condemning narcissists for being narcissists is trusting them. Don't tempt them. Just because a pedophile priest has behaved for the last five years doesn't mean he won't finally lose it and eat another altar boy. Indeed, it's cruel to tempt him daily thus! You wouldn't wave a bottle of whiskey in front of an alcoholic, would you? I don't see what's so difficult to understand about this. Talk therapy and/or punishment isn't the answer with PREDATORS.
We must do whatever it takes to minimize or eliminate their access to vulnerable prey as targets of opportunity. Period. For ever. Indeed, these people will thank us for it. Consider how many of them deliberately get themselves caught just to stop themselves.
Let's get a clue already and stop dangling bait before their eyes. There are many ways to do this: prison isn't the only one. For example, don't let him teach school or be a police officer. Don't give him power over his fellow employees. Don't elect him to be President for Life. Don't let him live off his parents till they die. Don't follow him on a purge to cleanse himself in the Holy Land. And if he steps over the line whack him, so that he thinks twice before doing it again.
And, especially, let's stop passing this curse from generation to generation by subjecting children to narcissistic parents. It takes the consent of the non-narcissistic parent for that to happen. So, just because your mother or father put up with it doesn't mean you should. If we began protecting the next generation today, this accursed cause of a vast amount of both the told and untold human suffering in this world would be gone in 50 years.
by Kathy Krajco
In other words, Nature has equipped them with hard-wired circuitry in the brain that takes over the moment prey is sighted when they are hungry. It suppresses what we could observe in that animal only a minute earlier while it was playing with its siblings or a waving leaf on a twig, tenderly nuzzling its offspring or mate. Perhaps it was even grieving over the death of a member of the pack. But that's all gone the moment it sights prey while hungry. Then suddenly it's a killing machine. It likes killing. Nature has endowed it with a taste for killing as necessary equipment for its survival. It even considers killing fun. Which is why we sometimes see in nature killing made sport: Chimpanzees (who don't eat meat) will gang-up on and attack a monkey, cruelly tearing it to pieces and having a blast over its heart-rending cries. Killer whales sometimes play with baby seals like a cat plays with a mouse. Wolves sometimes bring down and eviscerate prey they feed on the guts of till it dies and then walk away. Sorry, that's just the truth.
Humans are animals too and have that same predatory mode. Nature endowed us with it as hunters. It's in everyone. But in narcissists and sociopaths something has gone haywire. They go into this mode against their own kind. And they are permanently in this mode against all their own kind. Why? Because they don't view themselves as of our kind. They are of a superior kind. They think we are here to feed them, just as we think cattle are here to feed us. Correction: we do (or should) treat cattle humanely. We don't relate to them as objects like narcissists relate to us = like we relate to bugs or plants.
Compared to us, narcissists are gods. Alien beings. They can't help it. They are not to blame for feeling this way. Today the prognosis is poor. There is little sign of any real success in treating these people. Those who commit prosecutable offenses are repeat offenders — such as pedophile priests, sexual predators, and serial killers. They get this way as children and demonstrate it by torturing animals or murdering other children on a whim. Though they can't control their temptations, they CAN control their conduct. And this is what competent psychiatric care can really help them with. It can show them better ways to deal with their problems, making them resistant to temptation. In fact, I think it could build in some TRUE self-esteem to counterbalance their self hatred. (Lifelong treatment would be necessary to maintain it though.) And a lion tamer can walk into the lions' den. But they are still wild animals, so he can never be sure they won't give in to the temptation to attack the prey tantalizing them beyond their power to resist. We don't morally condemn those lions for being lions.
And the only thing more stupid and useless than morally condemning narcissists for being narcissists is trusting them. Don't tempt them. Just because a pedophile priest has behaved for the last five years doesn't mean he won't finally lose it and eat another altar boy. Indeed, it's cruel to tempt him daily thus! You wouldn't wave a bottle of whiskey in front of an alcoholic, would you? I don't see what's so difficult to understand about this. Talk therapy and/or punishment isn't the answer with PREDATORS.
We must do whatever it takes to minimize or eliminate their access to vulnerable prey as targets of opportunity. Period. For ever. Indeed, these people will thank us for it. Consider how many of them deliberately get themselves caught just to stop themselves.
Let's get a clue already and stop dangling bait before their eyes. There are many ways to do this: prison isn't the only one. For example, don't let him teach school or be a police officer. Don't give him power over his fellow employees. Don't elect him to be President for Life. Don't let him live off his parents till they die. Don't follow him on a purge to cleanse himself in the Holy Land. And if he steps over the line whack him, so that he thinks twice before doing it again.
And, especially, let's stop passing this curse from generation to generation by subjecting children to narcissistic parents. It takes the consent of the non-narcissistic parent for that to happen. So, just because your mother or father put up with it doesn't mean you should. If we began protecting the next generation today, this accursed cause of a vast amount of both the told and untold human suffering in this world would be gone in 50 years.
by Kathy Krajco
BBC Radio Interview – Widnes Talk – Book Signings: Warrington and Birkenhead
Thursday morning, Tony Snell is interviewing me for BBC Radio Merseyside about my talks to young people. It’s at 7.50am in England (GMT), and you can listen live by clicking here.
Friday, I’m signing books at Waterstone’s in Warrington, and Saturday in Birkenhead. Click here for more info about the signings.
Thursday morning, Tony Snell is interviewing me for BBC Radio Merseyside about my talks to young people. It’s at 7.50am in England (GMT), and you can listen live by clicking here.
Thursday night, I’m at Ditton Youth Centre, Widnes, from 6pm to 8pm to chat to young people on community sentences. Mum is also going to give the family perspective. Link.
Friday, I’m signing books at Waterstone’s in Warrington, and Saturday in Birkenhead. Click here for more info about the signings.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio’s New Mugshot Rating Website – Law Enforcement or Sick Entertainment?
(Published today in the Daily Mail, one of the UK's largest tabloids)
He is known for dressing inmates in pink underwear and feeding them green baloney.
And now America's toughest Sheriff has come up with a new initiative to give the public a voice in law enforcement - an online Mugshot of the Day competition.
And now America's toughest Sheriff has come up with a new initiative to give the public a voice in law enforcement - an online Mugshot of the Day competition.
Arizona-based Joe Arpaio, known for his uncompromising stance on crime, is letting the public browse through the mugshots of those arrested each day and then vote for their favourite.
Winner: Tuesday's current leader, by a wide margin, is this shot of Benjamin Luna who was arrested on drugs charges. It is not known what his face is covered in
Barbara Cyran: Arrested for indecent exposure
Timothy Burgess: Arrested for Burglary
The Maricopa County, Arizona Sheriff says he hopes the increased Web traffic will highlight the work of his employees.
He also says more crimes may be uncovered if the public can view the photos.
The top picks so far aren't unexpected: They're the most dishevelled, unusual looking people among those booked into an Arizona jail.
And while the new scheme may be controversial, it has the overwhelming backing of those using the site, with 4102 out of the 4964 people who have voted so far agreeing with Arpaio.
Visitors to the Sheriff's page mcso.org are greeted with the day's current most popular shot.
The top seven most popular pictures are displayed first.
Users can also sort those arrested by crime, picking via a menu ranging from sexual offences to assault.
Last month Arpaio was criticised for raiding a suspected cock fighting farm with a SWAT team, a bomb robot, two armoured vehicles, and action movie star Steven Segal.
Jesus Llovera, 42, was arrested for cockfighting after the operation involving Steven Seagal, 58, who drove a tank onto the property as he shot a reality television show.
The Sheriff also came under fire in 2008 for his controversial stance on illegal immigrants.
He was accused of dispatching teams of sheriff's deputies into Hispanic communities where they stopped and arrested anyone who could not prove he or she was a legal U.S. resident.
Tough: Sheriff Arpaio, renowned as America's toughest Sheriff, is notorious for his controversial program.The tactic drew heavy criticism from Hispanic activists, local lawmakers and the Phoenix mayor, who called the crackdown on immigrants a clear case of racial profiling in which only people who looked Hispanic were targeted.
And this month an examination of Maricopa County's finances found that the sheriff's office, inappropriately spent $99 million from two jail funds over the last eight years to pay for other law enforcement operations – including immigration patrols.
The $99 million figure is an update to an estimate made in September by budget officials who said the sheriff's office was believed to have used $60 million and $80 million over four or five years from a jail tax on other purposes.
Since then, officials said they discovered that the sheriff's office had inappropriately spent money from a second jail.
The findings by county budget officials discussed at a meeting Wednesday were sent to federal prosecutors who were already investigating Arpaio on abuse of power allegations
The mugshot initiative is just one of a long list of unorthodox methods employed by the notorious Sheriff.
According to the Maricopa County website, Arpaio served in the U.S. Army from 1950 to 1953 before working as a policeman in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas.
He rose to worldwide fame In August 1993, when he started the nation’s largest Tent City for convicted inmates.
Nearly two thousand convicted men and women now serve their sentences in the temporary canvas city, sweltering in the unrelenting heat.
During the summer of 2003, when outside temperatures exceeded 43 °C, Arpaio famously said to complaining inmates, 'It's 120 degrees in Iraq and the soldiers are living in tents, have to wear full body armor, and they didn't commit any crimes, so shut your mouths.'
He is also known for bringing back chain gangs to carry out road repairs, painting public buildings and even working as part time undertakers burying the county's dead.
His tough line on stealing led to perhaps his most memorable stunt, making inmates in the county's prison system wear pink underwear.
He has also banned smoking, coffee, movies, pornographic magazines, and unrestricted TV in all jails.
Click here for the highest rated mugshots of the day.
Click here for my tips on surviving Arpaio's jail. Also on YouTube
Click here for a video of an Aryan Brother murdering an inmate at Arpaio's jail
Shaun Attwood
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)