I've written this entry three times already. The first time my computer at work crashed. The second time I saved it to a floppy disk to bring home and somewhere between work and home the disk went bad and now here I am. Answering for the third time.
It's a good thing there are only two questions this week, otherwise I'd be pissed. Pissed I tell you, PISSED!
Err.
Tomorrow is my Poetry Slam. Kwesi Davis is the feature.
I think I have to help the Youth Slam Team practice tonight, but I'm not sure when. I hope I didn't miss it if practice was yesterday. Wow how interesting am I today?
Anway, I write this here answer column every Wednesday and today is Wednesday. If you need advice or need the answer to something, click on this � advice link and ask away.
ask johnpowers
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name: outgrabe
email: [email protected]
url: http://outgrabe.diaryland.com
question:
Hi, John. Long time listener. First time caller.
1) A fellow diarylander has recently become obsessed with me. She Emails me constantly and before I knew how obsessed with her, I made the mistake of giving her my phone number. Now she calls me every day. Without being rude, how do I get her to stop? I would also like to stop her from writing in her diary about me and about how she wants to marry me. She also tells these really long anecdotes that don't go anywhere. I guess I don't mind if she does that since it doesn't affect me. Oh, and I would especially like her to stop using my real name. I think that's a diaryland no-no for people who want to be anonymous.
2) No offense to diarylanders, but I would really like to date a beautiful Hollywood actress. Now I don't have any acting ability and I am not particularly good-looking, but I have hatched two plans. First, which is boring, is I could write a screenplay since I can, sort of, write. Then after selling a couple of screenplays, use the fame to become a big-time director and the Hollywood actresses would fall in line. Or second, which is somewhat more exciting, I'm sure I can act at least as weird as David Arquette or Tom Green and it seems to have worked for them. What do you think I should do?
answer:
1) There is little you can do besides be honest with the person who's bothering you. You can't get thier diary shut down, you can't have then arrested for stalking, you can have them fined for harassing you over the phone. You can't do anything unless you talk with her first and tell her how she is making you feel uneasy with all of the attention.
Send her an email that spells out in no uncertain terms that you really don't want to talk to her anymore and that you have no intention of pursuing any type of relationship with her because her enthusiasm is down right frightening. You can't help but to be rude about it because the two of you are operating from two distinct polls of perception.
2) Ahh fame.
Marlo Thomas said of fame that "(it) lost its appeal for me when I went into a public restroom and an autograph seeker handed me a pen and paper under the stall door."
Then Dorothy Parker said "I'm never going to be famous. My name will never be writ large on the roster of Those Who Do Things. I don't do any thing. Not one single thing. I used to bite my nails, but I don't even do that any more."
George Bernard Shaw said "Martyrdom is the only way a person can become famous without ability." and we all know how popular martyrs are these days.
Michael Pritchard pointed out that "No matter how rich you become, how famous or powerful, when you die the size of your funeral will still pretty much depend on the weather." but what does that have to do with getting the girl?
So I guess Alan Alda sums it up best with "It isn't necessary to be rich and famous to be happy. It's only necessary to be rich."
Yes, you should just strive for power and riches, because in my opinion that is what really attracts the Hollywood types. Hell, Claudia Schiffer (sp) married David Copperfield and he is one weird looking freakazoid. So the fact that he's an extreemly rich weird looking freakazoid must somehow factor into that marriage thing.
I suggest you go for a career that will make you very rich if you just work very hard and then learn to dance. Actresses love guys who can dance.
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name: girl
email:
url: http://
question:
I might be pregnant. I'm 16, and the would-be father lives in another state. I'm not ready for this yet (of course) and he is probably even less ready than I would be. We have a serious relationship, calling eachother and talking online when we're not together. Most likely he would support me through whatever decision I would make (to carry the fetus to term or to end the pregnancy). I'm also worried that I could be delaying my period needlessly because of the worrying. It seems that it's next to impossible for me to have become pregnant, I was on birth control pills and we used a condom. I don't know if the pills actually were working, I was set back a week after i misplaced my new pack, so they probably wouldn't have worked this last month anyhow. My parents would be a bit less than happy with me if I was pregnant, but my mother would eventually support me, though I doubt my father ever would. I don't know what advice I need, maybe support, I rather think if I turned out to be pregnant, I would have an early abortion. I used to rant about how horrible it was, but that was before I was in the spot where so many other women have been in... And now I can respect those who made the decision responsibally, out of a need rather than as a last resort from their carelessness.
answer:
Do what you think is best for your own body and for your own self. I'm a guy, who am I to tell a woman what to do with her body? Who am I to actually believe that myself, a person who will never fully know what it is to carry a child, is in any way equiped to guide a person on whether or not to get an abortion?
There's a diary with only a few entries in it called pregnant.diaryland.com that deals with what you are going through. Check it out and perhaps it will help you.
If there is anyone you trust, I'd talk to them. Be it your doctor, an older female friend... you get the idea.
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