Nataly

The police would have a hard time tracking down and interviewing the thousands of people in the square during the explosion... When I finally got through to him yesterday I was so relieved... I know he goes to that cafe all the time... Honestly, we go through life feeling upset about such stupid stuff... We should spend more time focusing on what we *do* have because in an instant everything can change. I feel for the poor bastards who were in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday - I just can't understand how anyone would want to bring this kind of tragedy into the lives of so many people. It's really sad. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I watched so I could see all the pretty hats!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

My boyfriend was in the cafe next to Argana... Just makes you re-evaluate what really matters in life. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

2 things: 1 - STOP LOOKING FOR A QUICK FIX. 2 - I don't buy your excuse about not having time... How much time do you spend posting on here?? If you're serious about "finding happy" you need to work at taking out the things in your life that don't increase your happiness. -Cut back on work hours (yes you CAN do it). -Cut back on your time online (it certainly doesn't seem to make you happier). -Consider getting a house-mate - some human company might cheer you up. -Consider renting out your place so you can move to the kind of (smaller) rented accomodations that will suit your dating needs. Lots of things you can do Shah... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I think it's a safe bet you skimmed the original question, and didn't read most of the other posts either... The question wasn't about this specific guy offering me a coffee (anyway I'm not single) - it was broadly whether people ever give anything without expecting something in return. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Lots of good advice on here. I would add this: HAVE A GOOD CV (I think you call them resumes in the US). Don't underestimate the value of a well-worded/formated resume. Best thing to do is to look up a bunch of jobs that interest you and make sure you use the same lingo as they do on your resume - talk the talk. If you apply directly, tailor your resume to the job - use the same words/descriptions if you have the exact experience; also be sure to put the most relevant skills (for that job) at the top of each job description. Yes, it may take half an hour for each application, but this method ensures a MUCH better chance of getting an interview compared to just sending the same thing to 20 different companies. Have a professional LinkedIn/Monster profile. Also, know that headhunters / recruiters pay most attention to monster on Mondays - so update one or two things on your profile on Sunday night to put your resume at the top of the list on Monday morning. After that, if the recruiters don't contact you, you either don't have the skills or they don't have the roles. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I think the majority of people don't deserve any help. A little bit here and there doesn't hurt, but too often those who readily take a hand-out are the very people who should just sort themselves out. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Mwaaa ha haaaa!!! Nope - wasn't the waiter! I'm in a teeeeeny village where everyone knows when you sneeze, so I doubt this guy was out to rape me... But a girl should always be careful. I think he was hitting on me, and there's nothing wrong with that but I am not single, so prefer not to encourage anything. Even if I were single, I prefer to buy my own coffees/drinks/et cetera... Still, with the broader question, I think people (from Western cultures) are encouraged to be self-serving. When everyone is self-serving it tends to mostly work out... So if you're the odd person out who is selfless/generous, people tend to try to take advantage of you, IMO. Maybe in a culture where the group is more valued than the individual, giving with no expectation of a return is possible (if everyone behaves that way). The problem with this notion is that if everyone gives freely, you can reasonably expect that when you give, someone else will return the favour. So indirectly you expect something in return... Just maybe not from that person. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Even if I were single I would never say that!! But I'd love to see someone's reaction to that proposition - reckon most people would freak out by such outrageous forwardness!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Maybe that was tongue-in-cheek... But the reason I want to be financially secure without a man is that I can't count on someone else always being there for me. Even with the best of marriages, my partner could always become ill or incapacitated or die. If I spent my life being "looked after," where would I be then? Ok, you could say all I need to do is find another man, but I'd rather rely on myself than on someone else. Personally, I think it's unfortunate to be dependant on someone else, and given the choice I would rather have my freedom. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I was sitting outside a cafe enjoying a lovely cappucino, when a guy kindly offered to buy me something else to drink. Innocent enough, but I said no thanks. Maybe it's a bit bad of me to think this, but I generally assume that a man who offers to buy me something wants something in return, and I don't like that dynamic. And it just got me thinking, how often do people genuinely give freely with no expectations of some kind of return on their investment? Not saying scratching each-others' backs is necessarily a bad thing, just wondering... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

And when she fats rainbows explode from her ass and it smells or roses. YEAH RIGHT! Nope - I'm not saying my shit don't stink, but I've only been with nice guys. I like nice guys. I've dated guys who ended up not being what I was looking for, but the problem was never that they were too nice

SOOOOO true. Too many people confuse the two... The so-called "nice" guys that finish last don't fail because they are nice but because they have no spine and/or personality and/or balls. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Did you ask him why it would be a deal-breaker? Without this it's hard to say whether he's being "reasonable" or not. I vote for everyone to keep their name and for the name to pass from mother to child - if it came out of her vagina there is little doubt that it's hers!!! Is there a statistic on divorce-rates of people who do vs. don't change their last name? If I had to guess, I would say people who keep their name are more likely to have a lasting marriage because the husband let his wife decide what she wanted - a sign of trust and respect. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

How do you plan on getting yours turned back on? I have never dated nor slept with a jerk. The only person who says stupid things to me is you and I *would* have to be brain-dead to be with someone like you. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I don't know this for sure, but this certainly sounds true to me... It's probably not the same but my mom came to my Boot Camp graduation even though she was dead against me joining the military - this meant a great deal to me then and still does now. I knew she didn't approve, but I also knew she loved me

I asked the waiter for testicles instead of coffee last month... Apparently the two words are quite similar in Arabic What did he bring you? He brought me coffee with (I hope!!) milk "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

They come in 2nd. See chart at bottom of page: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1216621/German-men-worlds-worst-lovers-lazy-English-come-second-battle-sheets.html Shame they don't say what makes the top ten the best!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I asked the waiter for testicles instead of coffee last month... Apparently the two words are quite similar in Arabic "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I hear blow-up-dolls are becoming more and more life-like!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

This is a pet peeve for me as well. Being a computer systems / software engineer, I don't expect everyone to understand what I'm talking about when it comes to computers, math, etc. However, I don't want to have to explain everything either. Some things are fine from time to time, but if I say "don't worry about it, it's some dumb computer thing," let it be. Yep... Don't like to feel like the other person doesn't understand me, and *definitely* don't like not to understand the other person!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I said "support your friend, if not her decision" - I didn't say she should (or shouldn't) go to the wedding. Last week my best friend flat out told me not to do something. She's my best friend and we don't always see eye-to-eye, but this is the first time she has ever explicitely told me what to do/not do. I'm really considering her opinion because I know what she is saying is out of concern for me. I know and she knows if she hadn't put it so bluntly I would have dismissed her opinion. This is a true friend - she cares more about my well-being than about possibly "hurting my feelings." If I felt she was making a big mistake I would tell her - I'm glad she has the balls to do the same for me. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

OMG, how terribly shallow and short sighted!!! *sigh* I know... (Sticks hand out for wrist-slapping.) "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Wasn't meant to be. Maybe lots of people's brains turn off once they sleep with someone!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss