Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relationships. Show all posts

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Baggage: A Little More Action Figures



Baggage: A Little More Action Figures
This guy's favorite action figure is one of a thousand. Are his chances at landing a date one in a million?




Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Book of the Month: ABC of True Love



Our Book of the Month is ABC of True Love by Christian Onyebuchi Nwankpa (Author)



Editorial Reviews

ABC of true love unveils the realization of the desire of every man and woman to love and to be loved. We all dream of a world without hate, a world without abuse. It all starts from the moment a man and a woman commits themselves to unite in mind and purpose. Is it possible to have a perfect, blissful and happy relationship that can stand the test of time? There is no other better way to achieve a fruitful and far reaching relationship than to see and approach it from the Creator’s blueprint. The author of this book has laid down principles and blueprints that uncover the mystery behind True Love and simple things that can be applied to give every relationship the needed spice. Do you want to unravel the secret of true love? check out the 10 Laws of love in this book. Do you want to spice up your dead relationship? check out the mystery behind this as you read along.

About the Author
Christian Nwankpa is the President/Executive Producer of Gu International pictures, a leading media production company. He is a prolific writer, a motivational speaker, relationship counsellor, business executive, a youth leader, a professional Banker, Born in Lagos, Nigeria. He earned a degree in mathematics from the University of Ilorin and a master degree in Business Administration from University of Lagos.



Saturday, February 5, 2011

Nigerian women have better taste than Nigerian men in romance


Photo Credit: The Serene Bride


Nigerian women have better taste than Nigerian men in romance

If you take time to examine the relationships of Nigerian women and men, you will find out that the women are more intelligent and sophisticated in their choices than the men.

Nigerian husbands are the most likely to be caught sleeping with their housemaids to catching Nigerian wives sleeping with their houseboys or servants. Meaning Nigerian men can sleep with any girl or woman, but Nigerian women cannot sleep with just any boy or man.

A Nigerian male executive with all the "Big Boy" status and swagger can rush to pull down his pants to have sex with the impressionable "Agege Bread" seller or Orange hawker even if she is dirty. But the Nigerian "Big Girl" will not even be caught flirting with any boy or man beneath her status or the class of her peers.

I have seen Nigerian "Big Boys" chasing what we call “bush meat” or half educated girls and women they can intimidate for cheap sex.
They resort to these cheaper options when the "Big Girls" bluff or rebuff them. So, they look for the poor secondary school leaver or undergraduate they can easily get with their cheap gifts and treats.

If the Big "Nokia" or "Blackberry" babies are playing hard to get, they might as well go for the poor babes who have little or no choice.

Like in Lagos city in Nigeria, the poor pretty ones from the ghettos of Mushin, Ajegunle and Shomolu are cheaper and easier for the "Big Boys" than dating the rich pretty babies in the upscale middle class Surulere, Ikeja, Anthony and upper class Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki.

You can pose for the poor ghetto babies they can impress and brag about travelling to America or the UK, but not to the rich babies who spend their holidays and go for shopping trips in America, the UK, Spain, Italy and other fashionable destinations.

Nigerian "Big Girls" are more informed on the latest trends in vogue and have acquired more highbrow sophistication than the Nigerian "Big Boys" who in most cases are upstarts anyway. You see "Big Boys" who cannot even speak good English. So, they would prefer "toasting" the less educated poor girls to bending backwards to impress the more cultured "Big Girls".



~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima



Thursday, January 21, 2010

Women Say Infertility Makes Them Feel Flawed While Men Say They Feel Inadequate


Photo Credit: Jujumama.


21 Jan 2010 13:37 Africa/Lagos

New Survey Finds Infertility Delivers a Serious Blow to Self-Esteem

Women Say Infertility Makes Them Feel Flawed While Men Say They Feel Inadequate

WHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J., Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Struggling to get pregnant can be a serious blow to the self-esteem of both women and men, according to a new national survey. Seven in 10 (71 percent) women said that infertility makes them feel flawed, while half of men (50 percent) say it makes them feel inadequate. Infertility also has a big impact on a couple's relationship, with half (53 percent) saying they find themselves trying to hide their feelings from their partner. The survey of 585 women and men was conducted in September 2009 by GfK Roper on behalf of Schering-Plough; Schering-Plough and Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) merged on Nov. 3, 2009.

"Couples undergoing fertility treatment clearly experience a rollercoaster of emotions," said Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., executive director, The Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF. "The desire to start a family is a strong one, and failing to achieve that can impact everything from the marital relationship to interactions with future grandparents and friends who become pregnant."
In a signal that the stress of infertility can lead to isolation, about 6 in 10 couples (61 percent) stated they try to hide their fertility troubles from family and friends. One-third (34 percent) say their ability to confide in others has decreased since they began trying to get pregnant. In fact, 54 percent of all couples agreed that it was easier just to tell people that they were not planning to have children, rather than admit to their struggle.

Disbelief a common issue

The majority of those surveyed never imagined that they would experience infertility. Two-thirds (65 percent) said that prior to trying to conceive, it never occurred to them that they may have trouble getting pregnant when they wanted to. More than half of couples (51 percent) agree that they may have waited too long to try to become pregnant. Of the survey respondents currently being treated by a fertility specialist or reproductive endocrinologist, 91 percent wish they had started doing so sooner.

While the survey found that both women and men understand the link between a woman's age and fertility, they often do not fully understand how soon a woman's fertility begins to decline significantly. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a healthy 30-year-old woman has about a 20 percent chance per month of getting pregnant, but by age 40, her chance is only about 5 percent per month.(1)
"Although an estimated one in eight couples of childbearing age struggles with fertility problems, patients often say they never thought it would happen to them," said Zev Rosenwaks, M.D., director, Center for Reproductive Medicine, NY-Weill Cornell Medical Center. "Couples need information so they can understand their fertility risk factors, and they need to seek treatment from a specialist quickly if they suspect a problem."

Relationships with family, friends become strained

Infertility can also have a negative impact on a couple's relationships with family and friends. More than 6 in 10 couples (63 percent) say they get tired of people asking them how the process is going, or offering suggestions on how to conceive.
"Couples undergoing fertility treatment often turn inward and stop confiding in family and friends because of the pain involved in talking about their struggle to conceive," said Barbara Collura, executive director, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. "It's important for couples to know that extensive resources exist to support them throughout the process."

Many couples also expressed frustration about receiving unsolicited advice. Most often, couples who receive unsolicited advice are told to just relax and stop worrying so much (78 percent), followed by health advice like changing their diet (42 percent), getting more exercise (41 percent) and getting more sleep (38 percent).
"Deciding how much information to share with family and friends and when to share it is a challenge for couples dealing with infertility," said Ken Mosesian, executive director, the American Fertility Association. "Many couples respond by closing themselves off, so it is important for families and friends to be sensitive and listen instead of offering advice."

Intimacy and relationship affected by infertility

More couples agreed that their difficulty getting pregnant has brought them closer together (58 percent), as compared with those who say that it has hurt their relationship (36 percent). Women praise their partners for being supportive, with more than 8 in 10 (84 percent) saying that their partner either makes or attends medical appointments. For those women who have used injectible fertility treatments, 86 percent say that their partner has helped them with injections.
However, both sexes indicate that the stress and tension in their relationship has increased since they first started trying to get pregnant (42 percent of men, 36 percent of women). Men were also more likely than women to say the time spent arguing with their partner has increased (36 percent of men, 26 percent of women).
The struggle to conceive also takes a toll on intimacy. More than half of all couples (55 percent) report that infertility has made sex a physically and emotionally anxious time. In addition, 53 percent of couples say infertility has taken the fun and spontaneity out of their sex life, and more than 4 in 10 (43 percent) report feeling sexually unattractive.

Full survey results are available at www.planforsomeday.com.

About the survey
A total of 585 people who are in a relationship and who were having difficulty trying to conceive over the past two years were interviewed from September 1-14, 2009. The 585 respondents were made up of 326 men and 259 women. Women interviewed were between the ages of 18 and 44. Men interviewed could be any age, so long as their partner was between the ages of 18 and 44. In all cases, either the woman or both partners had the fertility problem.
The survey was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Media, a division of GfK Custom Research North America, on behalf of Schering-Plough; Schering-Plough and Merck & Co., Inc. merged on Nov. 3, 2009. Respondents were from online panel sources in the United States.

The following steering committee provided guidance on survey development: Alice D. Domar, Ph.D., executive director, The Domar Center for Mind/Body Health, Boston IVF; Zev Rosenwaks, M.D., director, director, Center for Reproductive Medicine, NY-Weill Cornell Medical Center; Barbara Collura, executive director, RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association; and Ken Mosesian, executive director, the American Fertility Association.

About infertility
Infertility is a disease or condition that impairs the body's ability to perform the basic function of reproduction. It is often diagnosed after a couple has not conceived after one year of actively trying, while women over the age of 35 are encouraged to seek diagnosis and treatment for infertility after six months.(2) More than 7.3 million Americans, or one in eight couples of childbearing age, struggle with fertility problems.(3)

There are many causes of infertility including problems with the production of sperm or eggs, with the fallopian tubes or the uterus, endometriosis, frequent miscarriage, as well as hormonal and autoimmune (antibody) disorders in both men and women.(3) Approximately 40 percent of fertility problems are due to a female factor and 40 percent are due to a male factor. In the balance of the cases, fertility issues result from problems in both partners or the cause cannot be explained.(3)
There are a variety of treatments available for infertility; these include surgery, hormone treatments, insemination, and IVF, among others.(3)

About Merck
Today's Merck is working to help the world be well. Through our medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and consumer and animal products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching programs that donate and deliver our products to the people who need them. Merck. Be Well. For more information, visit www.merck.com.

Forward Looking Statement
This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may include, but are not limited to, statements about the benefits of the merger between Merck and Schering-Plough, including future financial and operating results, the combined company's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of Merck's management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: the possibility that the expected synergies from the merger of Merck and Schering-Plough will not be realized, or will not be realized within the expected time period, due to, among other things, the impact of pharmaceutical industry regulation and pending legislation that could affect the pharmaceutical industry; the risk that the businesses will not be integrated successfully; disruption from the merger making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; Merck's ability to accurately predict future market conditions; dependence on the effectiveness of Merck's patents and other protections for innovative products; the risk of new and changing regulation and health policies in the U.S. and internationally and the exposure to litigation and/or regulatory actions.

Merck undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additional factors that could cause results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Merck's 2008 Annual Report on Form 10-K, Schering-Plough's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2009, the proxy statement filed by Merck on June 25, 2009 and each company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) available at the SEC's Internet site: www.sec.gov.

(1) American Society for Reproductive Medicine, "Age and Fertility: A Guide for Patients." http://www.asrm.org/Patients/patientbooklets/agefertility.pdf. Accessed October 21, 2009.
(2) Frequently Asked Questions About Infertility. American Society for Reproductive Medicine Web site. http://www.asrm.org/Patients/faqs.html. Accessed September 1, 2009.
(3) Infertility Diagnosis. RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association Web site. http://www.resolve.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lrn_wii_id. Accessed September 1, 2009.
Source: Merck & Co., Inc.
CONTACT: Pam Eisele, Media Relations contact, +1-908-423-5042; Lisa
Ellen, Public Affairs contact, +1-908-298-7128; Joe Romanelli, Investor
contact, +1-908-423-5088
Web Site: http://www.merck.com/
http://www.planforsomeday.com/