Your personal public service announcements

[LadyShea]

I know that in my 34 years, I have learned some things that might be of benefit to others, and I am sure everyone has something to share. Please post your "Had I known...." tips in this thread!

1. Sexually active women please have a chlamydia screening at least once a year, simply have it done with your pap smear. Chlamydia settles in the fallopian tubes, destroying them, is asymptomatic in 70% of cases, and the first time many women are aware of a previous infection is when they notice they are infertile. Condom use protects against initial infection, but the bacteria can live on toys, and fingers (so pulling off the condom, then touching genitals or any kind of digital sexual play can transmit it).

Monogomous couples have been known to pass the infection back and forth for years. Although men can carry it, and sometimes have symptoms, the long term affects are not nearly as dire as for women, but to protect your partners men may want to be checked as well. It takes ONE dose of antibiotics to clear chlamydia, yet over 40 million Americans have it right now!

2. If you own pets, please be sure they are spayed/neutered, and have good identification. A microchip is best, but should still be backed up with an ID tag and rabies tag.

3. Buy your home, even if its a small fixer upper to start with. Rent is just throwing money out the window, and if real estate goes up, your equity/profit can help finance an increase in your quality of life or even your longer term goals. At the very least, usually when you sell a home, you get some of your money spent back. If it's gonna cost you X amount of dollars to have shelter for the next 10 years, why not have a possibility of recouping all or a portion or make a profit?

Obviously some care must be taken in that you don't want to buy a house in an area where the economy is dependent on a single entity, like a factory, that can close.

[Lauri D]

Those are all quite good, Brandi.

I can't think of any right now, other than:

READ BOOKS, and not just the ones they "make" you read in high school and college. And not Danielle Steele.

Books are our friends :)

[seebs]

Monogomous couples have been known to pass the infection back and forth for years. Although men can carry it, and sometimes have symptoms, the long term affects are not nearly as dire as for women, but to protect your partners men may want to be checked as well. It takes ONE dose of antibiotics to clear chlamydia, yet over 40 million Americans have it right now!

I'm curious. Specific antibiotics, or just any-old?

[Roland98]

I'm curious. Specific antibiotics, or just any-old?

Generally azithromycin is given for chlamydia.

[RevDahlia]

LadyShea, I have to mention that your exhortations w/r/t chlamydia screening convinced me to get my first pap-n-swipe in three years. I have engaged in some pretty sketchy practices, about which I've suffered no end of late-night fretting, and I never would have known I was okay if your posts hadn't inspired me to go get checked out already.

Thanks, beautiful wise lady.

[LadyShea]

I am so glad RevDahlia, thanks for sharing.

Seebs, all kinds of antiibiotics can clear it, but if a couple isn't treated together, they can, and do, reinfect each other. As Roland said azithromycin is usually used.

[Dingfod]

Check the fluids in your motor vehicle. If you run out of oil or coolant, you will ruin the engine. If you run too low on brake fluid the vehicle will not stop. If you don't know how to do it, either have it done regularly by someone that does, or have someone show you how. It can get very expensive if you do not.
Check the air pressure in your tires on a regular basis too. In fact, a quick walkaround of your vehicle before you take off could clue you in to a problem with a flat tire before you find out too late, like when you're driving down the freeway. And if you do get a flat tire on the freeway, try to pull over somewhere that it will be safe to fix the flat. A wheel rim is not worth your life.
Pay your traffic offense fines and show up on your appointed time for your court appearance. I've heard jail is not a fun place to spend time, especially for stupid shit like that.
If you don't have enough money for all your bills, prioritize. You gotta eat, but you don't have to eat filet minon and lobster, it is possible to survive for quite a while on rice and beans, they're cheap. If you don't pay the electric bill, the gas bill, or the telephone bill, they will cut you off and then charge you a fat deposit to get it turned back on. If you are renting, pay your rent, eviction from rental property doesn't take too long, if you are paying a mortgage, you can probably get away with not paying it for about five or six months before the sheriff department will make you move out.


These public service announcements are brought to you by Life Experience, a subsidiary of The School of Hard Knocks, Inc.


Warren

[seebs]

I am so glad RevDahlia, thanks for sharing.

Seebs, all kinds of antiibiotics can clear it, but if a couple isn't treated together, they can, and do, reinfect each other. As Roland said azithromycin is usually used.

Huh. Well, in that case, even if we ever did have it, we're long since cleared, because we've been on that at the same time a couple of times for our roughly annual October bronchitis.

[Clutch Munny]

Buy a used set of encyclopedias at a garage sale. Keep a volume in the bathroom. (For reading, that is.) Rotate your way through the set; start over when you've got through it.

You'll find articles for every length of engagement. You'll learn something about every damned thing. You'll never read it all (or never remember it, if you do). And maybe, someday, when someone at a party wonders aloud whatever became of Upper Volta, you'll win everyone's love and respect by blurting out, "It became Burkina Faso!"

[livius drusus]

Mmmm... Ouagadoogoo... :homer:

[Adam]

And maybe, someday, when someone at a party wonders aloud whatever became of Upper Volta, you'll win everyone's love and respect by blurting out, "It became Burkina Faso!"

Would it be weird to admit that I've had a sort of fascination with the State Formerly Known as Upper Volta since the fourth grade?

[Clutch Munny]

Would it be weird to admit that I've had a sort of fascination with the State Formerly Known as Upper Volta since the fourth grade?

Do you really need an answer to this question?

[Nil Desperandum]

Communication is by far the most important thing you can master in this world. Through writing, or spoken language, educate yourself on the ability to read other people and understand what they are trying to say.
If you are confused, figure out what they are trying to say.

Lack of communication destroys relationships, ends marriages, causes arguments, and is responsible for people in power causing wars.

You have two ears, and one mouth, for a reason. And, yes, bi-directional sound detection is wonderful, but you can also listen better than you can speak.
So do it.

Chris

[Talulah]

1.) Discuss the important things BEFORE beginning a relationship, not after. Love doesn't always find a way.

2.) Don't waste time wondering what other people think and letting it affect your happiness. You only THINK you are the center of the universe. Most people are too self absorbed and petty to worry about what you are doing. And if they do care, they are petty and not worth your time anyway.

[Goliath]

1. When you inevitably fuck up a relationship (or maybe not you...maybe I just do that, dunno), try your damndest to find out what you did wrong.

2. This is going to sound really obvious (and will also make me look like an idiot for saying this) but don't put off paying your bills. I'm just as much of a procrastinator as the next guy, but bills need to be paid on time.

[Nil Desperandum]

Despite loud objections, I learned that it is in fact not a good idea to smear your chest with Vicks, wear a hoodie like a ninja, and having mock 2000 year old katana fights with electrical sockets.

[Dingfod]

Shaving your head, wearing a maglight headband, and gluing reflectors to your nipples will not make you into the human truck no matter how much you say "Beep, beep, beep." as you back up.

[Corona688]

When stuff you're building goes wrong, do not check with your hands to see if any chips are burning hot. Sometimes they are.

[Dingfod]

Along that line, your tongue is not the best way to find out if an automobile's cigar lighter is working.

[Ensign Steve]

If you drop a piece of food under the gas burner, don't pick it up with your fingers, even after you turn the fire off. Even though it seems like cooking with gas cools things off a lot quicker than cooking with electricity, the metal parts of the burners still stay hot for at least a couple minutes. I learned that one the other day.

[SharonDee]

1. Don't get married.

2. Don't have children.

3. When you ignore points 1 & 2, don't act all surprised when both spouse and children desert you.

[BrotherMan]

Don't wizz on an electric fence.

Don't tug on Superman's cape.

Don't spit into the wind.

Don't pull the mask off the Lone Ranger (not our beloved Michael, the real Lone Ranger).

Don't mess around with Jim.

[Ymir's blood]

Live your life the way you want everyone else to. If that doesn't work out, then STFU.

[Dingfod]

Sitting on a toilet for two years may in fact cause your skin to to grow around and adhere to said toilet seat.

It is not a good idea to let someone sit on your toilet seat for two years.

[BracesForImpact]

Originally posted by Dingfod:
Pay your traffic offense fines and show up on your appointed time for your court appearance. I've heard jail is not a fun place to spend time, especially for stupid shit like that.

Ahem, heed this man's wise words children. :blush2:

[Watser?]

When you put the coffeemaker onto the flames it is advisable to put water into it first.

[freemonkey]

Even if you're pretty sure you're going right back out there to work some more, pick up the garden/digging tools. 'specially the sharp, pointy ones.

[Corona688]

Even if you're pretty sure you're going right back out there to work some more, pick up the garden/digging tools. 'specially the sharp, pointy ones. Ouch, that's a good one.

[Dingfod]

When you put the coffeemaker onto the flames it is advisable to put water into it first.A corollary to that one: electric teapots do not work well when heated up using the gas stove.


Assholes are everywhere, there's one in every workplace. If you quit a job because your boss is an asshole, you're probably going to quit a lot of jobs.

[Qingdai]

Never wear a neck tie to a protest.

Never sharpen a common shovel on a grinding wheel.

[Ensign Steve]

If you're going to open up 20 porns in 20 tabs at once, make sure you're not still connected to your work VPN first.

[Pinecone]

Don't get so use to tossing stuff in the microwave that you try to toast a bagel on a paperplate in the toaster oven.

[Ensign Steve]

If you are going to stroll around a construction area in flip flops, don't be surprised when you get what's coming to you.

Also, construction workers are easily impressed by a woman who swears well.

They are less impressed with morons wandering around their sites in flip flops and injuring themselves.