Disqus - Latest Comments for JulieG

Re: Ask Dr. NerdLove: She Had Wild Sex With Other Guys. Why Not With Me?

JulieG — Mon, 09 Sep 2019 15:48:44 -0000

"Queerplatonic" isn't the same as friendship. There's nothing wrong with friendship, of course, but I'd argue that once you reach the point of "living together, and not just as roommates", you've probably passed the point of friendship, even if you're not in a romantic / sexual relationship. It's a really useful term in the aro/ace community to distinguish someone you consider to be more than "just" a friend, without implying romantic or sexual attraction.

Re: Facebook down? Current status and problems

JulieG — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 08:57:11 -0000

Both FB and messenger down in Montreal, Canada, as of about 20 minutes ago for me.

Re: Gluten Free Curried Veg Pie | Christmas Recipes | Jamie Oliver

JulieG — Tue, 06 Dec 2016 23:53:14 -0000

For the 600g of leftover veg, are they supposed to be raw or pre-cooked? The recipe says to mash them, which leads me to believe they should be cooked? If we have raw, can we just cook them with the rest of the filling in step 3? Also, if raw, how much should we get so it reduces down to about 600g? Thanks!

Re: The High Price of Free Games - The Simple Dollar

JulieG — Tue, 26 May 2015 14:24:07 -0000

I am wiling to spend money on freemium games when I feel they are giving me good value. I'd spend money for books, movies, and console video games, so why not mobile or Facebook games? The thing is, I like being in control of my spending. So I'll almost never spend money on extra levels or boosters, but I have been known to spend on things like bigger backpacks or better equipment. I'd say in the last year and a half, I've probably spent about $40 on in-app purchases for freemium games, plus another $15 or so on paid games.

Re: 7 Gift Ideas for a Man’s Shower | The Art of Manliness

JulieG — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:14:40 -0000

Based on the title, I thought this was going to be a post about a "bridal shower" or "baby shower" targeted at guys. I thought, "That's such a cool and modern idea! Why should women be the only ones who are gifted with presents before a major life event? I'd love to see what sort of manly gifts would be appropriate for a soon-to-be groom or dad!"

And then I saw the actual subject of the post.

...Oops. :)

Re: Ask a Woman on a Date [VIDEO] | The Art of Manliness

JulieG — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 12:07:13 -0000

Are you saying that there are no men who would want to ask other men out on a date? Who still want to support the values of family, values, and lifestyles but happen to be attracted to other men? I see no reason why those two are mutually exclusive.

Re: Ask a Woman on a Date [VIDEO] | The Art of Manliness

JulieG — Sat, 08 Nov 2014 10:52:22 -0000

I think that for a first date, whoever asked is the person who should pay. If the guy asks the girl out on a date, the guy should pay. If the girl asks the guy out on a date, the girl should pay. If it's a same-sex couple, the asker should pay. For dates beyond the first, it should be a decision made by the couple as to who should pay.

(As an aside, did anyone else notice how heteronormative this video is?)

Re: Here are a few people who vote

JulieG — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 10:44:44 -0000

I'd love to see them go to a democrat convention and do the same thing. Stupidity and ignorance are, sadly, a reality on both sides of the political divide.

Re: Have You Ever Been Upset by a Well-Intentioned Gift? Acted Ungratefully?

JulieG — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 12:33:41 -0000

Oh, goodness, have I been there. I was once having a really bad PMS day, and my wonderful mother (who I was living with at the time) decided to buy me a present to make me feel better. She knew I liked dark chocolate, but wasn't a dark chocolate fan herself, so she had no idea what percentage dark chocolate to buy me. (For the record, I prefer 70-75% cocoa.) Instead, she decided to go the time-tested route of "the darker, the better." Yup, she came home with a bar of 99% dark chocolate. It was so bitter that I could barely bite into it. I was completely crestfallen and admit I was pretty harsh on my mom for buying me this well-intentioned present. I realized after I got out of my PMS how rude I had been, and apologized, and now we laugh about it. I think she may even still have it lying around somewhere, with half a square eaten and the rest untouched! But it was a pretty low moment in my life.

Re: Stop Expecting to Change Your Habit in 21 Days.

JulieG — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 23:31:46 -0000

I think it depends on how much value and importance you place on the new habit, on how much emotional resonance it has with you.

As an example: there are a few habits I've tried time and again to make regular, that just peter out after a few days or a few weeks. Stuff like waking up early, exercising regularly, and keeping a gratitude journal.

On the other hand, about two and a half years ago, my boyfriend and I had a scare with a hole in a condom. Within a week, I had a prescription for birth control pills (which we hadn't been using until then), and over two and a half years, I've missed maybe 3 pills total, and one of those was due to circumstances beyond my control. Taking those pills was a habit from day 1, because it resonated all the way to my core that I *really* don't want to be pregnant right now.

Now if only I could get that emotional energy into exercising...

Re: A Secret to Happiness? Don't Get Organized.

JulieG — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:21:08 -0000

This is so timely for me. I'm moving into a new apartment tomorrow and have been madly packing for the last few days. I've been throwing out a few things, but I suspect there's going to be even more when I get to the apartment and say, "Why the heck have I been keeping this?"

Just a small example: I went through my medicine cabinet yesterday, which was full to bursting with medication. Except that as I pulled down box after box from the shelf, I realized that most of them had expired... some of them as much as 5 years ago! I hadn't even gone through the shelves in years! Why was I keeping five-year-old medication? Beats the heck out of me. Now it's all in the garbage and the contents of my medicine cabinet fit in a very small box. It feels... liberating.

Now I just need to do that with my clothes. *grin*

Re: Is A Life Partner Essential To Your Happiness?

JulieG — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:07:59 -0000

While I have had a great time while I was single, I find that it's nice to have a designated "cuddle buddy." (I tend to avoid casual sexual relationships, for a variety of reasons.) It's also nice to be loved and to love someone. So I'd say that while it's not "essential" to my happiness, it certainly enhances it.

Caveat: I'm 26 years old and unmarried, having just celebrated my 2-year anniversary with my boyfriend. Take my thoughts with several grains of salt.

Re: Does It All Happen For A Reason?

JulieG — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:46:02 -0000

Similar to alligator_kate above, I believe that, as humans, we have the power to see meaning in all aspects of life. Whether we chose to do so or not is purely up to us. We can ask, "what was the meaning of this event?" or "what was this event meant to teach me?" or "how should this event change me?" If we do, then all things happen for a reason.

Re: 4 Reasons Why Your Bathroom Scale is Not Accurate

JulieG — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:11:52 -0000

While I was losing weight (I lost about 25 pounds in 2006), I didn't weigh myself at all because I didn't own a scale. However, I've found that since then, I'm most consistent in keeping the weight off when I weigh myself every day. I find that if I only weigh myself once a week and catch myself on a bad day, I might be bummed for a week. When I'm weighing myself every day, I get used to my body's fluctuations and know that a one-pound gain today will probably be gone by tomorrow.

So long as I realize that I'm aiming for a 3-pound range instead of a spot-on number, I'm fine. If I go outside my range, I can catch it early and pull back. It's a heck of a lot easier to lose one pound than ten!

Re: The Ones That Got Away: Reconsidering What We Didn’t Choose

JulieG — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 14:02:20 -0000

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you on the idea that it's impossible to have a platonic friendship. It's not common, I admit, for there to be a male-female friendship where neither party is attracted to the other, but it is possible. One of my closest friends is a guy I've known since I was 13. I've never had any romantic feelings for him and he (to the best of my knowledge, and confirmed by his most recent girlfriend) has never had any for me. On the other hand, he's probably my only male friend that falls into this category.

Re: Real Men Want Name-Changers

JulieG — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:14:58 -0000

As a random fact, in Quebec you can't actually adopt your husband's name (legally, anyway) except by doing an official name change and all the paperwork that entails. You can certainly introduce yourself by your husband's name (my mom still does, even though she's been divorced for over 20 years), but for the purposes of formal identification (driver's license, passport, etc.), you retain your maiden name. It's actually quite frustrating when you're trying to find someone in the hospital and have no idea what their maiden name is. (Yes, I know from experience.)

Re: What Song Would Best Describe Who You Are Right Now?

JulieG — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:15:16 -0000

"Trust Yourself" by Blue Rodeo. Or maybe "Let It Go" by Great Big Sea.

Re: http://carrieanddanielle.com/when-talking-to-strangers-is-a-good-idea/

JulieG — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:13:09 -0000

When I was backpacking in Europe, I discovered a very important fact about myself: after about 36 hours without a meaningful conversation (ie: something beyond, "I'll take two, please."), I start randomly talking to strangers. Some of my most interesting trip experiences come from after that 36-hour point where I just started talking to other solo diners in a restaurant, people hanging around the tourist information office waiting for it to open, people on the train... just people. It was great!

Re: 4 Ways to Know You’ve Found the One

JulieG — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:06:37 -0000

"Your Family and Friends Like Him" -- It's funny, because my boyfriend and I kid each other about this all the time. My family loves him (a nice Jewish boy who helps my mom around the house and shares a taste in Scotch with my dad), and his family loves me (a nice Jewish girl who comes over to bake with his mom and laughs at his dad's stories). We joke that obviously we're doing something wrong, and we'll have to start rebelling right away!

Re: How To Thrive and Survive in the Face of Adversity

JulieG — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:23:31 -0000

That's a beautiful story, Michelle. Thank you so much for sharing it.

Re: A Style Statement Holiday: Celebrations

JulieG — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:46:12 -0000

I'm Cherished Creative, and I'm hosting a chocolate fondue potluck party! I provide the chocolate, my guests provide stuff to dunk in it. Once we're all riding high on sugar, we pull out the board games.

Last year, I had a Channukah party that featured latkas, dreidels, and Mel Brooks movies. (Because no Jewish holiday is complete without Mel Brooks.)

I've very much looking forward to my party this year!

Re: The Healing Power Of A Nude Portrait

JulieG — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:43:10 -0000

One of my friends is the artist behind this site: http://synergisticimages.ca/

And, yes, I've posed for him. And some of the pictures up there feature me.

I'd never done a nude photo shoot before and I doubt I'll do one again. It was a little nerve-wracking but also a ton of fun! But I doubt I'd do it for anyone else: the photographer is one of the most comfortable-to-be-around people I've ever met in my life.

Re: A Better Way for Divorced Families to Share the Holidays

JulieG — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:29:22 -0000

My parents divorced when I was 6, and I don't remember it. (Thankfully.) Since then, my brother and I have alternated homes for the holidays each year. So, for example, if we spent first seder (for Passover) with my mom one year, the next year we'd have first seder with Dad. If we had Rosh Hashana with Dad one year, it would be with Mom the next. I don't think we ever spent a full year's worth of holidays with only one parents, but it sort of shifted back and forth throughout the year. It was a "good enough" solution for a situation where I don't think there are any ideal solutions.

Incidentally, it's even harder now that I've got a boyfriend who's also Jewish: do we spend holiday celebrations with my mom, my dad, or *his* parents? Oi gevalt!

Re: There Is No Santa Claus, Mommy, You Big Fat Liar!

JulieG — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:27:45 -0000

It has struck me many times over the last few weeks that I'm very, very glad I'm not Christian. Sure, Mom and Dad pretended there was a "Channukah bunny," but as far back as I can remember, it was always tongue-in-cheek. We always knew who got us our presents, and it was the people who loved us and knew what we wanted.

Re: What would you like to change about the holiday season?

JulieG — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:43:31 -0000

I'd like to change the idea that you *must* give gifts. I'm Jewish, and my family hasn't done present exchanges since the grandchildren (ie: me and my cousins) were kids. Frankly, I think we're all a lot calmer and happier. As I look around at my Christian friends madly trying to finish buying the gifts on their list, I'm happily biding my time and waiting until the deep discounts of January. (Seriously... check out any clothing store in January and you'll see things for 75-90% off.)

Really, the presents aren't important. It's the spending time with loved ones that's what the holidays are about.