Tami Hoag’s book Lucky’s Lady is a bit different from her previous novels, but it is definitely interesting and takes the reader into a world that is not often explored: The backwoods of Louisiana or the Cajun Bayous! Below is my review of Lucky’s Lady by Tami Hoag.

Main Characters:

Serena Sheridan: Successful psychiatrist from Charleston returns home to Louisiana

Lucky Doucet: a mysterious and potentially dangerous Cajun who is feared by most

Shelby: Serena’s sister, who has never gotten along with her

Gifford Sheridan: Serena’s grandfather, who owns a large ancestral home which a chemical company is trying to buy

Plot:: When Serena Sheridan, returns to her ancestral home for a break from her psychiatric practice in Charleston, South Carolina, she is faced with an unforseen problem. Her grandfather has left his home and moved into the Louisiana bayou, where he keeps a shack for fishing and hunting.

He seems to be unable to handle the financial problems surrounding his home and business and the prospect of selling it to a large chemical company who wishes to build a plant on the property. Of course her sister, wishes for him to sell, so that she can get the money to help advance her husband’s political dreams.

Serena must venture into the bayou and the only person who can get her there is a shady character named Lucky Doucet. Lucky has a bad reputation and no one seems to know much about him, except that he lives in the Bayou and is feared by the locals.

Lucky and Serena, soon learn to like and respect each other, which develops into an unusual love story. Lucky turns out not to be the dangerous criminal, but more of a protector of the bayou and the people who live there. He keeps out poachers and those who wish harm on the bayou.

Lucky has his own demons, which he must deal with, while trying to help Serena convince her father not to sell the property.

I enjoyed the way Tami Hoag, describes the bayou and you really feel that you are on the pirogue and poling through the bayou. The dialogue from Lucky is Cajun French and makes the book feel authentic and very romantic. There is even a glossary in the back translating the french phrases, so you know exactly what Lucky is talking about!

Lucky’s Lady is filled with mystery, action, intrigue and lots of romance. I usually read mystery and crime novels, but found this a refreshing break with the unusual love story intertwined. I really enjoyed this book and think that most of Tami Hoag’s women fans will love this book.

For men, there may be a bit too much of the romance, yet I did not personally mind it and will reread this book sometime in the future. Overall, this 342 page, was a page turner and a very enjoyable read from cover to cover.

The character of Hellena in Aphra Behn’s The Rover could be described as outspoken, witty, and rebellious. This article will focus on Hellena’s rebellious nature and explore the deeper meanings of it. We find Hellena rebelling against her brother Pedro’s wishes to send her to a nunnery, against the conventional system of honor expected of 17th century women, and against the traditional roles of females in society. These three areas will be studied in depth to reveal the reasons for, and the results of, Hellena’s rebellious nature.

Hellena’s personality is set forth almost immediately in the play when she says to Florinda, “Now hang me, if I don’t love thee for that dear disobedience. I love mischief strangely…”. The Rover creates a picture of a society dominated by men, and Hellena is clearly not a woman who wants to be controlled.

In the first scene, we discover that the futures of Hellena and Florinda have already been determined by their father, and their brother Pedro plans to carry out his wishes. Florinda humbly submits to her brother: “Sir, I shall strive to do as shall become your sister”. But the outspoken Hellena openly rebels in the face of her sister’s obedience: “As becomes his sister! That is to be as resolved your way as he is his”. In this way, Florinda is a foil to Hellena because she is portrayed as the “ideal” subservient woman while Hellena is much more of a free spirit. Presumably, one of Hellena’s chief concerns as a prospective nun should be chastity, but she is much more concerned with expressing her sexual desires. Pedro scolds Hellena by remarking that she is “not designed for the conversation of lovers”. However, it is Hellena’s conversation with Pedro that sheds light on Florinda’s desire to marry Belvile. In this way, Florinda is also a parallel to Hellena because they are both being forced, by men, to suppress their desires. Hellena’s rebellion against her brother and against the convent is clearly a stance against being controlled by men.

This brings us to our second point regarding Hellena’s rebellion against the conventional system of honor expected from the women of her time. While this is closely tied to the first area we explored, it has specific qualities that need to be examined.

The ideal 17th century woman was one who ate very little, fainted easily and often, and blushed whenever she was looked at. Her code of honor was primarily influenced by her duty to obey men and to remain chaste. This code is turned on its ear early by Hellena and is exemplified when she and Willmore meet for the first time. We discover that neither is searching for a permanent relationship — they are just looking to “get it on”. Once again, we see Florinda serving as a foil to Hellena. While Florinda has been portrayed as a virtuous maid, this stands in stark contrast to the frank sexuality of Hellena.

Hellena also breaks the code of honor by relying heavily on deception, specifically, by disguising herself as a man. Deception is involved throughout the play and Hellena’s disguise is a means of hiding her identity and, thus, liberating her from the restrictions placed on it by a patriarchal society. The ideal woman of this period would certainly never break her code of honor by defying the authority of a male, but Hellena not only breaks the code, she proves to be an equal wit to the most outspoken man in the play — Willmore.

The third point regards the traditional role of females. This point encompasses the first two that we have looked at, but it also serves to put an exclamation point on one of the main themes of the play. With the rebellion of Hellena, Behn is resisting the double standard applied to women as well as the idealization of what a “proper” woman should be.

A good place to start would be to point out that Angelica Bianca is introduced as a second foil to Hellena. This may be difficult to see at first because, as a prostitute, Angelica certainly falls outside the guidelines of an ideal or a proper woman. But on closer examination, the contrast will come to light.

Angelica has vowed that “nothing but gold shall charm my heart”. In declaring this, she has suppressed her natural desires in order to market herself as a prostitute. Romantic love, in the traditional sense, is not a possibility for a woman whose identity is defined and devalued as a prostitute. This is why she must attempt to cast aside the identity imposed on her when she begins to fall in love with Willmore. As long as she is locked into the stigma that goes along with prostitution, she will never be able to pursue her “natural” desires. Likewise, Florinda’s natural desires are also held captive by her idealized maidenhood. By showing the limits on self-expression and sexuality in the female identities, the “unnaturalness” of these roles are revealed, whether it be nun, maid, or prostitute.

When Hellena steps out of the traditional female stereotype of her day, her contrast with the other two women comes to fruition. Instead of being jealous of finding Willmore with another woman, Hellena teaches him a lesson by matching him in wit and beating him at his own game. In this way, she stands in direct opposition with Angelica who, because of her jealousy, threatens Willmore’s life. Angelica has physical beauty, but Hellena has that plus wit and humor to match Willmore’s.

In conclusion, we have examined how Hellena rebels against her brother and the nunnery in order to avoid being controlled. We have also seen how her rebellion against the conventional honor expected from women of her era not only liberates her from restrictions, but ultimately wins her the title character himself. And finally, we have explored how her rebellion against traditional female roles places her in contrast with the other women and yields a positive result. As the female characters push at the boundaries of identity allotted to them, we come to see that a woman’s nature is not contained within a label, whether it be nun, prostitute, or maid. However, Behn does show that living “happily ever after” in a patriarchal society is not an easy task, and it is only Hellena’s courage to rebel that makes it possible.

Nothing can be a better way of expressing your heart to someone you love than finding a beautiful gift. To help you out, I am presenting some wonderful Rakhi gift ideas that will surely strengthen the bond between brothers and sisters. Let’s explore here…

1. Apparels

Every sister truly loves watching silently that pretty smile on her brother’s face and a gift can always bring that magic. One of the best rakhi gift options that you can choose to present along with Rakhi would be his favorite apparel. Trendy stylish T-shirt or a shirt would perfectly do!

2. Rakhi with Sweets

We all know that sweets are one of the must have things for all occasions and when it’s Raksha Bandhan nothing can be a better idea than a tang of some delicious sweets. There are a number of online websites where one can find a combo of beautiful Rakhi with sweets very conveniently. So, be mindful to get the best for your brother.

3. Rakhi gift hampers

A Rakhi hamper would include everything from sweets to rakhi to dry fruits to that amazing rakhi and everything. Choose that fascinating and inclusive Rakhi hamper to impress your brother and that will be one of the best Rakhi gift ideas for brothers.

4. Spiritual Gifts

If you have a big brother who loves to listen to the spiritual talks and having that kind of surrounding around than a spiritual gift along with a beautiful Rakhi would be the best option.

5. Rakhi with Dry Fruits

If you have seen your brother having a great love for healthy food than a gift combo of Rakhi with dry fruits would absolutely be an apt one for Raksha Bandhan.

6. A Classy Watch

Watches are definitely an attractive gift for any occasion and when it’s Raksha Bandhan you can always gift your brother a classy watch. You can take a whiff of his likings by looking at his collection of watches.

7. Motorcycle Accessories

When you are looking out for something unique and something special for gifting on Raksha Bandhan then choosing a `set of motorcycle accessories would be a great idea. These motorcycle accessories would include Stretchable Belt, gloves, Mesh, Body Cover, Mirror Blind and various other items.

8. Rakhi with Chocolates

Is your brother a great chocolate lover? Raksha Bandhan is the perfect time when you can delight him with his favorite chocolates. Find the prettiest Rakhi for brother and couple it with some yummy chocolates and he will love that for sure.

9. A Personalized Rakhi gift for brother

By gifting a personalized gift, you can always bring that palpable sense of love and affection. You can easily find a number of such gifts online. A personalized coffee mug or a personalized cushion would be one of the great Rakhi gift ideas for brother

10. Smart Phone

Yes, off course it’s quite an expensive one but if your budget allows you for the same, gifting a smartphone on Raksha Bandhan would definitely make it worth. But, you need to do a rigorous research before proceeding further.

11. Kids Train

If you have a little brother you must know that he does not needs much, just a small toy would make him more than happy. Most kids love to play with kids train and so you can always choose to gift a kids train along with a kids Rakhi to bring that innocent smile on little one’s face.

12. Set of Books

One of the best Rakhi gifts for your book lover brother is a set of books of his favorite writer. For that you will need to search through his book shelf and that will let you understand your brother’s choice of books. Choose a beautiful Rakhi and couple it with a set of books and he will love it.

13. Personalized Wall Clock

A wall clock is something that will always be in front of your brother’s eyes and will keep reminding him of his sister’s love. And, get it personalized with a picture of you two, engraved onto it and your brother will love the idea.

14. Rakhi with a Flower Bouquet

The magical smell of flowers can win the heart of anyone and when it’s Raksha Bandhan you can always plan to gift a bouquet of flowers along with a designer Rakhi. Choose some lovely flowers for bouquet and that will definitely spread the fragrance of love in your relationship.

15. A chic and Stylish Wallet

Do you know that using a gifted wallet is considered lucky for males? And, if you want to summon luck into your brothers’ life than choosing a chic and stylish wallet for Raksha Bandhan would be a great idea.

So, these are some really bankable Rakhi gift ideas for brothers that are sure to bring that extraordinarily magical charm in the occasion. We must not forget to put in that extra flavor of love into it and that moment will become the most memorable moment of your life.

I am often amused by the ads and offers I see concerning

living trusts.

Almost always, one of the big sales pitches is how a living

trust will save th*usands of doll*rs in “nasty” probate fees.

This leads the consumer to believe that you pay for probate,

but living trusts are “fr*e.” (that is, after you’ve paid the

promoter to set one up for you).

Not so.

Here’s an email I received from one of my subscribers

(she has given me permission to discuss her question in this

article):

Hi Phil,

My mom passed away recently and my sister is 1st trustee.

She claims she gets 10% of my mom’s estate as 1st trustee.

Is this true? What is the normal fee for 1st trustee?

Great question. Often one of the biggest, if not the biggest,

areas of dispute between children or heirs after a death occurs.

What is a trustee fee? How is it calculated? Are there other

fees?

If you have a trust and don’t know the answer to these questions,

I think the proper thought is “Uh-ohh!”

OK, let’s have a quick review of trustee fees.

First let’s make a distinction between the times a trustee may

be called upon to act.

Remember, one of the best uses of a trust is to manage the

assets of someone who is incapacitated. My best friend and

his sister have been managing their mother’s affairs (as

trustees) for the last 10 years. Mom is 95, in decent physical

health, but has advanced Alzheimer’s).

Let’s save the discussion of trustees fees charged for

managing an incompetent’s estate for a future article. Let’s

get down to answering the above question.

Here it is again:

Hi Phil,

My mom passed away recently and my sister is 1st trustee.

She claims she gets 10% of my mom’s estate as 1st trustee.

Is this true? What is the normal fee for 1st trustee?

Basically, the question is “How much can a trustee charge to

handle an estate after a death?”

How do we answer this?

First, we have to look at the trust instrument.

Most competently drawn trust instruments will have a section

that deals with trustee fees.

The better ones are fairly specific and make a distinction

between acting as trustee while the beneficiary is alive, but

incompetent, and acting as trustee after a death has occurred

(similar actions to what an executor performs through a probate).

So, first, we look to the trust instrument. Often it will specify

a fee. Sometimes it will say .75% to 1.25% of the total value

of the assets being managed and transferred (since this is the

typical fee charged by the professional trust companies run by

many banks).

In fact, let’s see what California law tells us about trustee fees

(every state will have a statute, go to your county law library

and ask the law librarian to help you look it up).

In California, the law of living trusts is contained in the

Probate Code. Here is what Probate Code Sections 15680-82 tells us:

15680. (a) Subject to subdivision (b), if the trust instrument

provides for the trustee’s compensation, the trustee is entitled

to be compensated in accordance with the trust instrument.

(b) Upon proper showing, the court may fix or allow greater

or lesser compensation than could be allowed under the terms of the

trust in any of the following circumstances:

(1) Where the duties of the trustee are substantially

different from those contemplated when the trust was created.

(2) Where the compensation in accordance with the terms

of the trust would be inequitable or unreasonably low or high.

(3) In extraordinary circumstances calling for equitable

relief.

(c) An order fixing or allowing greater or lesser compensation

under subdivision (b) applies only prospectively to actions taken in

administration of the trust after the order is made.

15681. If the trust instrument does not specify the trustee’s

compensation, the trustee is entitled to reasonable compensation

under the circumstances.

So to answer the question, we have to find out what the trust

instrument says. If it is silent, then Section 15681 tells us the

compensation is to be “reasonable compensation under the

circumstances.”

What is reasonable under the circumstances? If it were me,

I would gather up the brochures of the various bank trust

departments in the area to determine their rates. Where I

live, the fee is .75% to 1.20%, depending on the size of the

trust and the type of assets. The minimum is $5,000.

So, it looks like the answer to the question is that if the

trust instrument says the 1st trustee is entitled to 10%

compensation, then she may be. However, if it doesn’t then the

amount to be charged must be reasonable.

And, even if the trust instrument said 10%, I would seriously

consider asking a court to change the compensation per

15680 (b) (2) that allows the court to change compensation

“Where the compensation in accordance with the terms of the trust

would be inequitable or unreasonably low or high.”

This article needs to be continued since we haven’t even

touched on the big m*ney m*ker for trustees and attorneys,

“extraordinary fees.”

Good luck and until next time,

Phil Craig

P.S. Feel free to forward this on to any friends.

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© Phil Craig, All Rights Reserved

http://www.LivingTrustSecrets.com

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Today I asked myself “Can pain and peace coexist?” The question arose because I was talking to a friend who was comforting me as I processed some painful grief. As she consoled me and I shifted out of feeling self-pity for my loss I realised I had not even found out how she was doing because I was so consumed with my issue I then asked my friend how she was. “Well” she said hesitantly, “I’m OK but, I just found out my sister went into the hospital today and they discovered bone cancer throughout her body.” I was stunned to hear of this shocking travesty. I knew she and her sister were close and this would be hard. My thoughts raced to “how selfish of me to burden her with my issues when her poor heart is heavy with her own grief and fear and loss.”

Suddenly, my own personal pain disappeared like a small puff of smoke in a fierce wind. Instead, my heart filled with compassion for my friend and her sister. Peace welled up inside me as I internally prayed for them. I then listened for the right words to say. “I’m so sorry, that must be really hard,” I said.Then I said in amazement “How could you listen to me and my loss,

( which seemed unimportant now I thought), when you just found out such devastating news? ” Camelia responded enthusiastically that I should never hesitate to reach out to her and share what’s going on with me.She explained that her heart feels happier when she gets out of herself and focuses on another. She assured me that she likes being of service and feeling useful and the act of helping another softens her pain.

In that moment my personal pain and grief felt very far away and instead I was aware of a soft presence comforting both Camelia and me. I believe the angels drew near and supported and held us in their loving embrace. This common bond of human suffering and grief touched both Camelia and me. The shared grief opened us to the truth that no one gets to escape experiencing some pain in this life, but that it is possible to invite peace into the room to sit with pain and lessen the sting. Our shared honesty and compassion comforted us both and aided each of us in looking at life through a bigger lens than that of our own. She was my teacher of compassion that day and I knew in my heart that both pain and peace can coexist when love and compassion are present.

Myth: Crying is a Sign of Weakness. A client recently came to me as a referral by her ear, nose and throat specialist–ENT. She had constant nasal drip and a cough, which did not have any physical basis. After many treatments and much frustration on both their parts, she came to me.

Her history revealed that she had never cried more than a few tears at age twenty-one when her husband was killed in Viet Nam. Two years ago when the post-nasal drip became unbearable her younger sister died with cancer. Another instance she did not allow herself to cry.

She would not let herself cry, because she did not want to be weak or be taken advantage of if she showed any weakness. Mother of a one-year-old she believed she could not allow herself to be vulnerable. She needed to be strong. Not allowing herself to cry was her way of proving she was strong and could handle what life handed her. When her sister died she was in shock for two years–she could not believe that her younger sister would die. Her sister was positive that she would beat the big “c” and when she did not this woman again would not allow herself to mourn her loss. She thought if she cried she would not be as ‘strong’ as her sister had been facing cancer.

Fact: Crying is generally a sign that one is experiencing something overwhelmingly emotional. It may be enormous joy, sorrow, fear, hopelessness, despair, grief, love, or even confusion. While we are in a moment of extreme emotionality, it is true that we may not necessarily be up to our fullest strength, whatever that means. For example, while crying, one could probably not figure out math problems very well or lift weights or plan a weekly menu or negotiate the sale of a car or home. Crying tends to put anyone in a temporary state of reduced capacity.

The metaphysical cause of post-nasal drip is inner crying and feeling like a victim.

However, when one experiences emotions so overwhelming that tears are formed, it takes an incredibly strong person to stay in the moment, to let the feelings wash over them, embrace them, and perhaps, take them over for a moment. It is an incredibly strong person who can endure emotional pain, let the tears flow, and wait for the emotion to pass. Therefore, I argue that only the truly strong allow themselves to cry.

Those who are weaker, those who cannot tolerate deep emotions, use things to cope with emotions, blunt emotions, stuff emotions, or hide emotions. They numb out with drugs or alcohol, they avoid their painful relationships with workaholism, or they simply deny the feelings so forcefully that they move the feelings out of their consciousness. Some people believe that to avoid or escape your feelings is the easier thing to do.

The people who cry are the ones, who are truly brave enough to live their lives, as life’s journey is presented. To be able to cry is proof that you are tough enough to handle pain. So, go ahead and cry when it is time to process the sadness–you are strong enough!

Arrow Books, 2007, $19.95 pb., pp. 401, ISBN: 24681097531

If I am missing or dead is a gut wrenching, eye-opening book; and a page turner! It is not fiction, however; it is an account of an all-too-real scenario of how women, even loved, intelligent and successful women can fall prey to men who do them harm: emotional, physical, life-threatening harm. This book is also a dedication to her younger sister, Amy, the much loved baby of the family. No-one knew Amy was in trouble until she went missing.

In retrospect, the signs were there, but it was too late. Amy was dead.

Janine? my sister Jane says. Have you heard from Amy?

He killed her, I say into the phone. That bastard killed her.

The only lead they have into what has happened to Amy is a note taped inside her desk at work:

In the event of my disappearance or death… I fear I have placed myself at risk in a variety of ways…

Janine is a successful, educated woman; a working journalist with a broad view of the world. She knows she is loved by her family and is close to her siblings. She has struggled to put herself through university, scrimping and saving and staying determined. She is a woman who can survive, make do and sustain herself.

Yet she enters abusive relationships; as does Amy. Michael breaks ribs, blackens her eyes, kicks her in the kidney. Then, he cradles her. Oh, baby, he says, I love you so much. Why do you have to go and push my buttons?

Then she meets Kurt.

… he knows I am a battered woman and he wants me anyway. He lights up even though he knows… I can be ugly and I can… make someone so mad that he beats me.

Attentive and affectionate, Kurt is also jealous, demanding and sexualizes his wife. He likes her to dress in mini-skirts, tight tops, stockings and high heels. He even ‘coerces’ her into breast enlargements she doesn’t want, and is often ‘inappropriate’ in public: an unnerving echo of her father.

Amy, too, has experienced a difficult marriage, weight problems and cancer. Even after becoming single, losing the weight and working successfully, loneliness leads her to the net, where she meets Ron Lee Ball.

Meanwhile, Kurt’s behaviour becomes more jealous and erratic. He even leaves Janine on the beach, asleep, letting her dehydrate and burn. He has stalked off… Pissed… Until recently I would have run after him…

Rebuilding her life and self-esteem as a single woman, Janine is on an upward path when she gets the call about Amy.

Hi, sweets, I say. What are you doing?

I’m planting impatiens… I’m using my bread maker, too, she says.

I say, I love you.

Love you, too, she says.

I’ll never talk with her again.

if I am missing or deadis both an honest recounting of love, violence and loss, and a cautionary tale. Abused women, especially if they stay, and they almost always stay, are considered by many as weak, stupid or, in some cases, deserving. This book can shatter those false beliefs. Latus displays her ownership for her actions. Despite being an educated and successful woman, she believes she needs the love of a man, one who obviously loves her dearly despite what he brings to the relationship. She is also not reticent about admitting that she could give as good as she got, at least initially. In time, though, eroded by the constant criticism, opportunistic slurs and emotional blackmail, she succumbs on a deeply psychological level.

Her first relationship with a man, that of her father, is far from ideal and is, in fact, abusive in itself. Latus never falls into a maudlin state of blaming him. She presents her family with a degree of calm and dispassion, allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions. This comes from her journalistic skills and is an admirable recounting of some difficulty times and experiences as well as one of love, fun and togetherness.

This journalistic approach, and her consummate writing abilities, give this autobiographical tale an added level of validity and easy reading, to the point of wanting to turn the page rather than turn off the light.

And examples: when anyone in the family phoned Amy, including her mother, Ron would answer the phone and make up some excuse why they couldn’t talk to her, effectively isolating her. He even told her mother that he had killed her and buried her in the back yard. Although it made everyone uneasy, and far from funny, they thought he was only making sick jokes. They could not suspect what would happen.

Highly recommended, especially for those wanting to know the signs of when a loved one is in trouble, but is not telling.

I remember it like it was yesterday. My sister had just arrived home from a long trip, and my family and I were all together just playing games as a family. Before my sister arrived home, we had all decided that we would pull a prank on my sister and play a trick game on her that we had never played before.

So, we got out the camera, got the lipstick, and we all tried to keep a straight face. The game was called: “Inchypinchywinchy.” Yes, the name says it all! There is no skill required in this game – it is not educational, intellectual, challenging, or competitive in any way. You simply have to try and not laugh and give away the ‘secret’ to the victim. To this day, it still is one of the funniest and most memorable games we have ever played as a family. It was just a trick/prank game – but it was a blast. Have fun playing it – but make sure you do it on someone who does not know what is going on!

INCHYPINCHYWINCHY

# of Players: 4 or more

Objects Needed: Lipstick

Those playing will sit in a circle around the room. The person who has never played before will be referred to as the victim. Then, the person who is sitting to the right of the victim will need to have some Lipstick. In preparation, this person will rub a small amount of Lipstick on their finger, and then hide the Lipstick so the victim can not see it (or smell it). Everyone else will keep a straight face and not laugh, look at the victim, or give anything away. The game starts by having one person turn to the person on their left and, with their index finger they will do some random thing to the face of their neighbor. While doing this, they must say: “inchypinchywinchy.” Examples of some random motions one might do is: pinch their cheek, rub their nose, squeeze their chin, pull their earlobe, draw a line on their forehead, etc.

The only rule of the game is that the person who is doing the random motion, and the person receiving it – they both can not laugh at all (all the others can when it is not their turn). The random motion only needs to last a few seconds, but neither person can laugh. If a player does laugh, they receive a strike (3 strikes and a player is out of the game). It is important that the rule is enforced to make the victim think this is an actual game (as weird as it may be to them). But, as is obvious, you should be more lenient on the victim so that they do not get eliminated from the game. Play continues around the circle with each person doing some random motion to their neighbor on the left. (It may be helpful for others to play dumb and pretend that this is a weird game to them too so it is not only the victim who wonders what is going on).

Eventually it will be the person’s turn who is sitting on the right of the victim. Again, this person will have rubbed some lipstick on their fingers – thus, while doing their random motion, lipstick will be smeared on the victim’s face. (Everyone else can laugh, but the other players do not want to laugh excessively or give it away that something is happening to the victim). The person rubbing lipstick on the victim must be very subtle and not let the victim see their finger with Lipstick on it.

After the victim has taken their turn, play continues around the circle. Players will laugh and receive strikes, and some people may even be eliminated from the game. The game ends when everyone is tired of playing, or everyone gets out, or when what most likely will happen – the victim discovers what is going on!

Rakhi 2010 is just round the corner. But how to know when is Raksha Bandhan? In modern times and in everyday life we have become accustomed to the English calendar system. However, our traditional and religious occasions follow the time-honored Indian systems of time calculation. According to the Indian calendar, Rakhi falls on Shravan Poornima, or the full moon day of the month of Shravan, the prime month of Indian monsoons. The date shifts almost every year in the English calendar, for the English calendar does not follow the lunar month as Indian and traditional oriental systems do.

Rakhi 2010 falls on 24 August according to the English or Roman calendar. It is interesting to note that the full-moon night of the Shravan month has always been considered sacred in Indian traditions and there are several other traditional festivals that coincide with or are celebrated in proximity with the festival of Rakhi. Rakhi, or Raksha Bandhan is primarily popular in Northern India and associated with both ancient culture as well as Vaishnavite traditions. In the central part of India, festivals like the Pavitropana and Kajri Purnima are also celebrated along with Raksha Bandhan. In most of Western India, Shravan Poornima is celebrated as Nariyal Purnima meant for praising the auspicious coconut. In Southern India Shravan Purnima is celebrated as Avani Avittam the most auspicious day for the Upakramana or second-birth ritual for a Brahmin.

Rakhi 2010 is the day for celebrating love between brothers and sisters who either are born as siblings, or have blood relations by birth, or have socially recognized each other as brother and sister. During Raksha Bandhan, sisters tie the Rakhi on the wrists of their brothers to protect them against all evil and wish them long life. On Rakhi 2010, brothers and sisters across the world who follow the Indian tradition will offer gifts and sweets to each other to express their bond and affection.

How to get your ex boyfriend back? This is the discussion that my little sister and her girl friend were having when I came into the room. At first they hesitated to speak in my presence but, I suppose because my sister and I usually spoke openly to each other, they invited me into the discussion. My sister also knew that I had helped some other folks with that very problem so she knew that I had some valuable tips to offer when it came to knowing how to get your ex boyfriend back.

The first thing I did was speak directly to my sister’s friend to find out exactly what was going on with her and her ex boyfriend. It soon became clear that, in an effort to win back her ex, she was in effect smothering him.

You see, she was desperately in love with the guy and in an effort to communicate with him she was constantly phoning him, texting him, and e-mailing him. She was willing to do anything, at every opportunity, just to speak to this man. She was actually embarrassed to tell me that on the few occasions when she did manage to actually speak to him, she became a stuttering idiot as she desperately tried to explain to him how much she loved him.

What I had to explain to her was that all she was doing was pushing him further away with all that exaggerated behavior. I had to make her understand that it was human nature for men (generally) to resist that kind of pressure. It negated their hunter instincts. They preferred to be the ones doing the chasing so that when the ‘prize’ is gotten they can feel proud that they have succeeded in their efforts and have won. All smothering does is help push them further away.

If you want to know how to get your ex boyfriend back, I told her, you have to figure out how to massage his ego. By this I mean that you have to devise a plan to get him to come after you.

The first phase of this plan was to reduce, or better yet break off completely, all contact with him. Will it be easy? No! But it will be the most important part of the overall plan to get your ex boyfriend back. It means no phone calls, no texting, no e-mails, no communication of any kind. And it should ideally go on for about 3 to 4 weeks.

To help distract her so that this period of time would pass with less pain, I advised her to use this time to improve her own personal life. I suggested that she call up some of her old friends and organize some fun activities. This could be activities like going out and making new friends, male and female. I explained that having new male friends would actually increase her confidence in her ability to be comfortable with other people while having clean fun.

Confidence, I explained, is the key when you want to get your ex boyfriend back. The more confident you are the more fun you will have. The more fun you have the happier you should be. The happier you are the easier it would be to attract meaningful people into your life and, more importantly, be more attractive to your ex boyfriend.