Get your Formal Apology Form here for free

Tribute to Steve Jobs

Farewell Steve Jobs

 

He has changed the lifestyle of the people around the world. He and Apple reinvented/redefined computer (laptop), mp3 player, mobile phone, download, upload, high-definition, high-fidelity, portability, music, video, gadget accessories, software business and even status symbol. He made things beautiful, stylish yet functional (but arguably expensive). Thank you so much Steve. Thank you for showing us the meaning of creativity, innovation, technology and style.

3 Apples that changed the world:

the 1st one seduced Eve,
the 2nd fell on Newton,
the 3rd was offered to the world, half bitten by Steve Jobs...

Steve Jobs was born out of wedlock, put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college, then changed the world. What's your excuse?

"Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." - Steve Jobs

Wall of Shame

Maj. Gen. Marciano Ilagan -- a disgrace in the Philippine Air Force 

This is picture of a Filipino general identified as Maj. Gen. Marciano Ilagan shown being carried by another man on the shores of Mindanao while an American soldier walking behind him marched on water without hesitation.

Cong. GMA is in serious medical condition, asking to pray for her

Aba naman Gloria, napupuno ka ng Grasya! Ang yaman ng bansa ay sumasaiyo. Sa husay ni Garci naging pekeng Pangulo ka! Bukod kang mandaraya sa babaeng lahat. Pinagpala ring mangurakot, asawa mo't anak. Kaya't wala ng natira sa AMEN!!

 

English Translation: Oh Gloria, you are full of disgrace! You have owned our country's wealth. You became a fraud president because of Garci. You are a cheater amongst women. Your husband and children are also corrupt. And because of that, nothing is left for us.

Bat Cave location has been revealed - foursquare

Ghandi's Seven Dangers to Human

OMG I'm coming home honey

I love doing this for you, Daddy. Have a safe trip home!

Warning: NOT for tunnel-minded people

Prayer of the stressed and pissed off with their BOSS

State of the Art Battle Submarines

Racism is stupid. I'm White, Black, and Asian

Spaghetti with Zesty Tinapa Pesto Sauce and Buttered Garlic Cream Dory

Out of the blue, I suddenly craved for seafood pesto pasta. I first thought of eating somewhere in a restaurant but my budget is a little slim (can't afford). I decided to put on my toque (feeling chef) and went to a grocery store near our place. I don't know how to make fresh pesto sauce. Good thing there are available ready to cook pesto sauces. I found this Zesty Tinapa Pesto Sauce -- Celebrations by Sharon. A new product which is way cheaper than other similar pesto sauces available. I'm not sure if Sharon Cuneta owns this (or maybe she's just the official endorser). Anyway, I was able to satisfy my craving by cooking my own version of seafood pasta. One thing about the sauce -- it is a little 'bland'. I can taste the tinapa and the pesto sauce but it is lacking in flavor. I believe the sauce would taste better if they use olive oil instead of regular corn oil. You can try it and let me know your feedback.

Ingredients:

1 Del Monte Spaghetti Merienda pack
1 Zesty Tinapa Pesto Sauce -- Celebrations by Sharon
Garlic
Butter

Potatoes
1 small Cream Dory meat
Parmesan cheese (or any cheese)
Pepper
Salt

Optional: You can add some squid and crab meat

For Spaghetti with Zesty Tinapa Pesto Sauce

Cook pasta in 5-8 minutes of brisk boiling water. I suggest you put a dash of salt and some oil in the water to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set aside. Cut potatoes thinly (bite-size) and fry them until crispy brown (personal preference). Set aside. In a pan over low fire, heat Zesty Tinapa Pesto Sauce. Mix in spaghetti, dash of parmesan cheese and the fried potatoes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with Parmesan.

For Buttered Garlic Cream Dory

In a separate pan, saute garlic using butter then add Cream Dory. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Fry until cooked. Add the fish as a side dish to Spaghetti with Zesty Tinapa Pesto Sauce.

Pardon my plating skills but believe me, this tastes fantastic!

21 Suggestions For Success

21 SUGGESTIONS FOR SUCCESS by H. Jackson Brown Jr.

1. Marry the right person. This one decision will determine 90% of your happiness or misery.

2. Work something you enjoy and that's worthy of your time and talent.

3. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

4. Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

5. Be forgiving of yourself and others.

6. Be generous.

7. Have a grateful heart.

8. Persistence, persistence, persistence.

9. Discipline yourself to save money on even the most modest salary.

10. Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.

11. Commit yourself to constant improvement.

12. Commit yourself to quality.

13. Understand that happiness is not based on possessions, power or prestige, but on relationships with people you love and respect.

14. Be loyal.

15. Be honest.

16. Be a self-starter.

17. Be decisive even if it means you'll sometimes be wrong.

18. Stop blaming others. Take responsibility for every area of your life.

19. Be bold and courageous. When you look back on your life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the ones you did.

20. Take good care of those you love.

21. Don't do anything that wouldn't make your Mom proud.

How to Become Obese Level 2

I used to be thin and very active, but now, close to 30, signs of aging are already showing up. Sedentary living is really a bad habit to break. I'm trying to live healthy and active but conflict with my work schedule and Philippine weather is stopping me from doing so. It might be a lame excuse but most of the readers here would agree to that. I don't smoke, seriously I don't. I drink but not that much. I haven't been totally drunk, like in the movie -- Hangover.

When it comes to food, I'll be your perfect guy. I don't have any preferences and I'm not picky as well. As long as it is delicious I'm going to eat it. This is similar to Andrew Zimmern's tagline -- If It Looks Good, Eat It! Basically, I work, eat and sleep. The next morning I go through the same cycle. No wonder my waistline is getting bigger and bigger. When I am feeling stressed I fill up myself with comfort food. This is usually something fried and oily or if not, just cold and sweet. Just like chocolates, comfort food causes the brain to release endorphins, chemicals that make us feel good. Too much stress at work means uncontrollable binge eating. This is bad I know but you can't blame me I'm just human. I even tried slimming pills and different diet programs. I was losing 2-3 pounds a week but when I stopped taking those drugs I gained everything back plus more. Dieting makes me impatient and weak. I am a jolly person naturally, but when I'm on a diet I tend to be serious and irritable. You wouldn't like me when I'm hungry... I mean angry. I tried enrolling at Fitness First. I was really motivated during the first year but it slowly died as it felt like they just are extorting money from me every month. I had to cut my gym membership and end up saving more than 2,000 bucks a month. I'm back to square one and still clueless where to begin. Let me start by enumerating the reasons why I am overweight.

Top 5 reasons why I am overweight:

1. I eat too fast

Studies reveal that it takes at least 12 to 20 minutes for satiety (feeling of fullness) signals to reach the brain. We need to eat slowly so the "I'm full" messages have time to reach the brain. When we eat too fast it is harder for our digestive system to function properly, resulting in poor digestion, including indigestion and heartburn.

2. Lack of motivation to exercise.

I am thinking of waking up early and do some jogging. I do that if time permits and if the weather is good. I don't mind getting sun burns but my girlfriend does =). I love biking and swimming but I hate the scorching sun. Night ride is another option but my work schedule doesn't permit me so often. I do boxing but again, I need to check my work schedule and budget. Doing push-ups is boring. Sit-ups is just the same. Yoga is not my cup of tea. What else can I do? I believe I need motivation and discipline to make this work.

3. Lack of Sleep

According to the Internet: A large, new study, for example, provides the latest in a flurry of evidence suggesting that the nation's obesity epidemic is being driven, at least in part, by a corresponding decrease in the average number of hours that people are sleeping, possibly by disrupting hormones that regulate appetite.

4. Stress

stress is just a part of everyday life, right? Everybody, as in everybody even your pet get stressed. Depressing? Not always. Stress is the body's natural response to external events, both pleasant (a first kiss) and not-so-pleasant (traffic jams). In small doses, stress provides a beneficial prod when we need to step up productivity, and studies indicate that a lack of stress hormones can make us susceptible to autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis).

Our bodies are biologically programmed to put on weight when tension runs high. Here's what happens: a stressful event occurs and it signals an 'alarm' in the brain, which sends us into fight-or-flight mode. As a result, the body releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which trigger carbohydrate cravings, increase blood sugar levels, and encourage the body to store fat as an energy reserve. "In the wild, we'd use those reserves to fight back or run away, but as we're usually stuck behind a desk, in a car, or a supermarket queue when stress appears, we don't utilize the energy and it accumulates — around our waist,"

Source: http://health.ninemsn.com.au/family/womenshealth/695056/how-stress-makes-you-fat

5. Great Appetite/ Craving / Binge Eating

Obviously this is the top most reason why I am overweight. I love to eat... a lot. I'm trying to control it by eating something more healthier yet delicious. Hopefully I can get back into shape as soon as possible. Being fat puts me to greater risk of acquiring diabetes and hypertension. This is not good. I need to change my habit and be health conscious. I don't want to rely on drugs and diet pills. Taking those alternatives can cause damage to our liver. 

If you are also suffering from being overweight, let's get busy and start sweating to health. No more excuses. Just do it. Let's get physical! Let's get it on!

Live life to the fullest by being healthy.

Welcome to Facebook

Welcome to Facebook. Where love stories are perfect, where shit talkers tell the truth, where everyone brags they have the perfect life and claim to be in love with their partners, where your enemies are the ones that visit your profile the most, where your ex-friends block you and where you post something and people interpret whatever the hell they want...

I thank you. Bow

Everything is Arranged

Just another day before going to work here in India. Done with breakfast and back at my hotel room trying to kill some time before going to the office. I have my daily supply of local newspaper -- good thing it is written in English. Browsing through the pages, I stumbled upon classified ads section not really looking for anything. Then this page caught my attention.

Looking for a groom, WTH! I thought this country has the second largest population next to China. Where are the men? asking myself. What happened to them? Homosexuality is beyond control? What's wrong? I was really stunned... I checked with Google and found out that this is normal here. It's tradition. I can't comprehend the atrocities and complexity of this unique tradition. Would there be intimacy and genuine love and affection? Is it like forcing the issue because you are compelled to do so? Well maybe I'm just "westernized" so to speak. Courtship, flowers, chocolates, romantic dinner, love letters and poems are the norms where I came from. You have to woo the girl (and even her family) to win her heart. Then you can talk about engagement and everything, followed shortly by marriage and... (you know). It's a looooong process but that's tradition.  I'm not trying to be a smart ass or perhaps a love guru. I'm just a guy expressing my thoughts (my humble opinion). It's like me looking from the outside in. I don't know much about India's tradition but I have nothing against it. I'm not traditional either. I believe love conquers all! I quote, all's fair in love and war. If arranged marriage works for you then why not, coconut. If you are an Indian guy I guess you better look for a high-paying job (~10 Lakhs per year at least) as it is the usual requirement. Oh by the way, when you say Lakhs, it means 100,000 here.

FYR:

Arranged marriage in India

Wrong Timing

I flew to India for a business trip. I don't know what to expect aside from what I've read in the airline magazine during my flight. I arrived past midnight and feeling dead tired already. My hotel cab was there already to pick me up. Rode the cab and traveled for almost an hour before reaching my hotel -- it was a long journey indeed. Once I got my room keys I went straight to my room and jumped to my bed. I fell asleep right away. I woke up at around 10 AM. Looking at my wrist watch I said, "my god I'm late". I got up fast, took a shower, dressed up and hurried downstairs.  The receptionist greeted me good morning and I smiled back. As I was about to approach her, I saw a big clock behind her showing 7:45AM. I asked her, "miss, is that clock working?". She smiled back and answered yes sir, that's the correct time here. I laughed and said, I thought I was late for my appointment. Maybe my watch is not working. She then said that I must set my watch to India's local time (which is GMT+5.5). I felt a little embarrassed. Still smiling, she offered me if I want some breakfast then pointed me to the hotel's breakfast buffet lounge. I am really hungry actually, said to her, then gestured O.K. I went to the lounge and got a really nice table overlooking poolside with hillside backdrop. I sat down, calmed myself and just enjoyed the view for a moment. I got myself some coffee, a couple pancakes topped with syrup and whipped cream -- just a perfect way to start my day.

Lesson learned: Always check your destination's Time Zone before going there.

20 things foreigners need to know about India

Taj Mahal

1. Be polite and don't be shy to smile
2. They don't have much pedestrian lanes so be agile when crossing streets
3. Everyone (well, mostly) knows how to speak English
4. They like eating with bear hands
5. People stares at you - don't worry that's normal because you are obviously not a local
6. Most of them are vegetarian
7. Spicy food is a common thing. Be sure to ask before you eat your curry!
8. Auto rickshaw is the common mode of transportation here.
9. Murder of crows are everywhere... as in everywhere
10. Cows here are regarded as holy
11. Men here likes wearing long-sleeves, khaki pants and sandals.
12. Don't imitate their accent when talking
13. India is a cricket crazy nation
14. Honking is annoyingly normal
15. Bring your own bottled (mineral or distilled) water --> watch "Slumdog Millionaire" and you'll know why
16. Respect their culture, religion and belief
17. Weather here is hot (in most parts)
18. Men seen holding hands are not "gay"

19. Head wobble means Yes -- This is a side-to-side combination of a nod and a head shake

20. They have a unique smell -- so train your nose and shut your mouth

27 Things you Wish You Could Say At Work !

1. I can see your point, but I still think you’re full of shit.
2. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don’t give a f***.
3. How about “never”? Is “never” good for you?
4. It sounds like English, but I can’t understand a word you’re saying.
5. I see you’ve set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
6. Ahhh, I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
7. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
8. I’m already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
9. The fact that no one understands you doesn’t mean you’re an artist.
10. Someday, we’ll look back on this, laugh nervously and change the subject.
11. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
12. I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet it’s hard to pronounce.
13. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
14. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
15. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
16. I’m not being rude. You’re just insignificant.
17. Thank you. We’re all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
18. It’s a thankless job, but I’ve got a lot of Karma to burn off.
19. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
20. No, my powers can only be used for good.
21. I’m really easy to get along with once people learn to worship me.
22. You sound reasonable……time to up my medication.
23. I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter.
24. I’m out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
25. I don’t work here. I’m a consultant.
26. Who me? I just wander from room to room.
27. My toys! My toys! I can’t do this job without my toys!

Here's one for you....

Batman Arrested

Subject:  Airport Arrest

Airport Security: What's your Name?
Passenger : Batman
Airport Security : Your real name please 

Passenger : My name is Batman
Airport Security : Are you trying to be funny - What is your family name?
Passenger : Superman

Airport Security handcuffs him & puts him into a locked security room -

Then they checked his Passport....... (see photo)

WEDDING TEST

I was a very happy man. My wonderful girlfriend  and I had been dating  for over a year, and so we decided to get married. There was only one little thing bothering me...It was her very beautiful  younger sister.

My prospective sister-in-law was twenty-two years old, wore very tight miniskirts, and generally was bra-less. She would regularly bend down when she was near me, and I always got more than a nice view. It had  to be deliberate. Because she never did it when she was near anyone else.

One day her 'little' sister called and asked me to come over to check the wedding invitations. She was alone when I arrived, and she whispered to me that she had feelings and desires for me that she couldn't  overcome. She told me that she wanted me just once before I got married and committed my life to her sister.

Well, I was in total shock, I couldn't believe and couldn't say a  word. She said, 'I'm going upstairs to my bedroom, and  if you want one last wild fling, just come up and get me.'

I was stunned and frozen in shock as I watched her go up the stairs. I stood there for a moment, then turned and made a beeline straight to the front door.  I opened the door, and headed straight towards my car.

To my surprise, my entire future family was standing outside, all clapping!

With tears in his eyes, my father-in-law hugged me and said, 'We are very happy that you have passed our little test. We couldn't ask for a  better man for our daughter. Welcome to the  family.'

And the moral of this story is:  "Always keep your condoms in your car"

The Sex life of an Electron

One night when his charge was pretty high, Micro-Farad decided to seek out a cute little coil to help him discharge.

He picked up Milli-Amp and took her for a ride in his Megacycle. They rode across the Wheatstone Bridge and stopped by a Magnetic field with flowing currents and frolicked in the sine waves.

Micro-Farad, attracted by Millie-Amp's characteristic curves soon had her fully charged and proceeded to excite her resistance to a minimum. He gently laid her at ground potential, raised her frequency and lowered her reluctance.

With a quick arc, he pulled out his high voltage probe and inserted it in her socket, connecting them in parallel. He slowly began short circuiting her resistance shunt while quickly raising her thermal conductance level to mil-spec. Fully excited, Milli- Amp mumbled "MHO...MHO...MHO"

With his tube operating well into class C, and her field vibrating with his current flow, a corona formed which instantly caused her shunt to overheat just at the point when Micro-Farad rapidly discharged and drained off every electron into her grid.

They fluxed all night trying various connectors and sockets until his magnet had a soft core and lost all of its field strength.

Afterwards, Milli-Amp tried self-induction and damaged her solenoids and with his battery fully discharged, Micro-Farad was unable to excite his field. Not ready to be quiescent, they spent the rest of the evening reversing polarity and blowing each others fuses.

WHEN IT'S TIME TO BREAK UP

WHEN IT'S TIME TO BREAK UP


Sometimes, good things end. That's just the way life is. Sometimes, bad things continue due to neglect or fear. This ISN'T the way life should be!
The problem isn't that there are too many divorces or there are too many marriages!  So many people hook up with partners that are (or become) unhealthy for them, then find that they c an't bring themselves to break it off.  Sometimes out of fear of being alone, sometimes through convincing by their friends or family, sometimes through concern of how they will look, sometimes through simple neglect, etc.
When should a relationship break up?  Simple: when it no longer provides benefit to one or both partners.  In other words, if you aren't getting what you want or need from being with someone, or if you recognize that your partner isn't getting what they want or need it's time to move on.
You may encounter some questions like:
a) Isn't that a little selfish?  What about the person you're dumping?
b) How can it be good for someone to stay with a person that doesn't want to be with him or her?
c) After all, how low does your self-esteem (let alone your self-respect) have to be to want to do this?
It is by far much healthier to go about finding the relationship that works for you that gives you what you need, than to apathetically cling to something that isn't fulfilling.  Life is too short for this, and you deserve better.
So, how do you know when to break off your relationship?  Here are Ten signs to watch for. Note that most people encounter one, two or more of these things periodically. However if you're finding that you experience more than a few consistently over a longer period, it's probably time to move on:
 


10. YOU NO LONGER LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING TIME ALONE WITH YOUR PARTNER.
You may still have a good sex life (or not!) but actually talking to your partner seems like a chore.  If spending time alone with your partner seems like a prison sentence you may be up for a parole.
9. YOU BEGIN COMPARING YOUR PARTNER TO OTHERS.
This is particularly true when other people seem more appealing to you.  We all find others---often those we don't have---attractive.  If however, you find that you're comparing specific traits, a person's voice, their neatness, they way they carry themselves, etc., against others; especially things your partner can't change, you should re-evaluate your relationship.
8. YOU CRITICIZE "MICRO-MANAGE" YOUR PARTNER.
If you're always concerned that your partner's socks aren't exactly right for his pants, or that she wears too much make-up, or that he or she just can't seem to take their responsibilities seriously, don't look at them, look at yourself.  People that are in love tend to look beyond minor annoyances to the bigger picture.  If you're having trouble doing this you may want to work on your exit plan.
7. YOU START TRYING TO CHANGE YOUR PARTNER.
Many people fall in love with people that excite them, but find that this excitement isn't good for them in the long term.  On the other hand, they may find someone "stable" that doesn't provide enough variety in their relationship.  If you find that you're constantly trying to convert your partner from the person you fell in love with, it may be time to bolt.
6. YOU RE-CONNECT WITH EX LOVERS.
It's one thing to send an ex-girlfriend or ex-boyfriend a birthday card.  It is entirely another to take her/him out for dinner and a movie "just to catch up".  The trick here is to be honest about your motivations.  If you had the chance to sleep with him/her, would you?  Are you looking for approval or an ego-boost from him/her?  Have you forgotten why you broke up in the first place?
5. HIS OR HER JOKES ARE NO LONGER FUNNY.
Of course, you may have heard them 1,000 times, but people in love tend to look beyond this repetitiveness.  They see that their partner is being humorous, not how funny something is or isn't.
4. YOU'RE DOING ALL THE GIVING OR ALL THE GETTING.
Relationships are about mutual benefit.  If one partner is benefiting over the other, the relationship isn't healthy. This doesn't mean that everything should be exactly balanced.  For example, just because one partner spends $50 on a birthday present, that the other should spend exactly that amo unt.  Nor does it mean that both partners should always split a dinner check.  If one person pays all the time, and the other doesn't at least cook a few meals, there is something wrong and unhealthy about the relationship.
3. YOU CONSTANTLY FIND WAYS TO INCLUDE OTHERS IN YOUR ACTIVITIES.
Always including others indicates that you're not looking forward to being alone with your partner.  Of course, you need time with your friends, but if you never have private time, or the only time you're alone is when you're having sex, perhaps the problem is in the company.
2. YOUR FRIENDS NO LONGER LIKE BEING AROUND YOU WHEN YOU'RE WITH YOUR PARTNER.
Your friends don't have to dislike your partner---perhaps they don't like what affect your partner has on YOU!  Consider that your relationship with your friends is at least as important in the long run as your relationship with your partner.  In fact, it may be MORE important as they will see you as you really are, and will be there even if he or she isn't, IF you treat them right!
1. YOU NO LONGER FEEL GOOD ABOUT YOURSELF.
At first, this seems like a strange warning sign about your relationship, but think about how you felt when you first hooked up with your partner.  You felt great about yourself and your world.  If this is now lacking where it was there before, you may wa nt to look at your relationship.

Love Myths

Ten Relationship Myths

Think your relationship is a failure because you and your partner aren't following certain "rules" or meeting certain standards? Dr. Phil blows the whistle on 10 of the most common but dangerous relationship myths.

MYTH #1: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP DEPENDS ON A GREAT MEETING OF THE MINDS

• You will never see things through your partner's eyes because you are two entirely different people. You are genetically, physiologically, psychologically and historically different.
• You will not solve your relationship problems by becoming more alike in your thinking. Men and women are wired differently. Attempting to blur your fundamentally different viewpoints is unnatural and even dangerous.
• Recognize that a relationship is far more enjoyable when you're with someone who enriches your life, not simply reflects it. Appreciate your differences.

MYTH #2: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES A GREAT ROMANCE

• Yes, your life with your partner should include plenty of romance. But don't kid yourself and expect an unrealistic Hollywood fairytale. The truth is that in the real world, being in love is not like falling in love.
• Falling in love is only the first stage of love. It's impossible to remain in that stage. A mature relationship will shift from dizzying infatuation to a deeper, more secure love.
• Don't make the common mistake of thinking that when the initial wild passion fades you aren't in love anymore. The answer is not to start a new relationship so you can recapture that emotional high with someone else. The answer is to learn how to move on to the next stages of love for a different but richer experience.

MYTH #3: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES GREAT PROBLEM-SOLVING

• Don't fall into the trap of believing that you and your partner can't be happy if you can't resolve your serious disagreements. Ninety percent of problems in a relationship are not solvable.
• There are things that you and your partner disagree about and will continue to disagree about. Why can't you once and for all resolve these issues? Because in order to do so, one of you would have to sacrifice your values and beliefs.
• You can simply agree to disagree and reach "emotional closure" even though you haven't reached closure on the issue.

MYTH #4: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP REQUIRES COMMON INTERESTS THAT BOND YOU TOGETHER FOREVER

• There is nothing wrong with your relationship if you don't share common interests and activities.
• If you and your partner are forcing yourselves to engage in common activities but the results are stress, tension and conflict, don't do it!

MYTH #5: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP IS A PEACEFUL ONE

• Don't be afraid to argue because you think it's a sign of weakness or relationship breakdown. Even the healthiest couples argue.
• If approached properly, arguing can actually help the relationship by (a) releasing tension and (b) instilling the sense of peace and trust that comes from knowing you can release feelings without being abandoned or humiliated.
• Instead of worrying about how many times you argue, worry about how you argue. Here are some guidelines:

• Don't abandon the issue and attack the worth of your partner during an argument.
• Don't seek conflict because it's stimulating.
• Don't pursue a take-no-prisoners approach in your arguments.
• Don't avoid achieving emotional closure at the end of an argument.

MYTH #6: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP LETS YOU VENT ALL YOUR FEELINGS

• Getting things off your chest might feel good, but when you blurt something out in the heat of the moment, you risk damaging your relationship permanently. Many relationships are destroyed when one partner can't forgive something that was said during uncensored venting.
• Before you say something you might regret, bite your tongue and give yourself a moment to consider how you really feel. The things we say while we're letting loose often don't represent how we really feel and shouldn't be communicated — especially if they are potentially destructive.

MYTH #7: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH SEX

• The belief that sex is not important is a dangerous and intimacy-eroding myth. Sex provides an important time-out from the pressures of our daily lives and allows us to experience a quality level of closeness, vulnerability and sharing with our partners.
• Sex might not be everything but it registers higher (90 percent) on the "importance scale" if it's a source of frustration in your relationship. If your sex life is unfulfilled, it becomes a gigantic issue. On the other hand, couples that have satisfying sex lives rate sex at only 10 percent on the "importance scale."
• Don't restrict your thinking by considering sex to be something that only consists of the actual physical act. Touching, caressing, holding hands and any means by which you provide physical comfort to your partner can all be viewed as part of a fulfilling sex life.

MYTH #8: A GREAT RELATIONSHIP CANNOT SURVIVE A FLAWED PARTNER

• Nobody's perfect. As long as your partner's quirks are non-abusive and non-destructive, you can learn to live with them.
• Instead of focusing on your partner's shortcomings, remember the qualities that attracted you in the first place. Perhaps some of these idiosyncrasies were part of the attraction? Just because a behavior isn't mainstream, doesn't mean that it's toxic to the relationship.
• Be careful to distinguish the difference between a partner with quirks and one with a serious problem. Serious problems that are destructive and abusive include substance abuse and mental/physical abuse. Unlike idiosyncrasies, these are not behaviors you should learn to live with.

MYTH #9: THERE IS A RIGHT WAY AND A WRONG WAY TO MAKE THE RELATIONSHIP GREAT

• Nothing could be further from the truth. There is no definitive "right way" to be a good spouse, good parent, or to handle any relationship challenge that life throws you.
• Do what works for you rather than following some standards you might have read in a book or heard from a well-meaning friend. If what you and your partner are doing is generating the results you want, stick with it. If both of you are comfortable with the principles that work, you can write your own rules.
• Remember not to be rigid about the way in which you accept your partner's expressions of love. There is no "right way" for someone to love you. The fact that your partner expresses feelings differently doesn't make those feelings less genuine or of less value.

MYTH #10: YOUR RELATIONSHIP CAN BECOME GREAT ONLY WHEN YOU STRAIGHTEN YOUR PARTNER OUT

• Don't fall into the trap of believing that if you could change your partner, your relationship would be better. You are, at the very least, jointly accountable for the relationship.
• Let go of the childlike notion that falling in love means finding someone who will be responsible for your happiness. You need to take responsibility for your own happiness.
• If your relationship is distressed, the most important person for you to change might be yourself. Once you identify the payoffs you are subconsciously seeking with destructive behavior, you can choose to remove them from your life.