Both Pansy and Leigh's posts resonate with me. This topic is similar to another 'What would you give up for...' and in that one, I answered 'nothing.'

The posts Leigh and PT put up here made me rethink that some.

Had I been thinking instead of just responding, I'd have said, 'I'll sacrifice anything which doesn't violate my core values.'

Flexibility is a really valuable trait in general, and even more valuable in a relationship. 'My way or the highway' rubs MY fur the wrong way; It'd be just stupid to expect something different from someone I chose to share my life with.

Learn something new every day. Thanks, Leigh and PT.

*swoon* Be still, my heart (and tongue)

Howdy, Ms. AK and a Hap-Hap-Happy Birthday to you!

I looked all over for a present; wanted to get you a charm bracelet with a little baby cow charm for the first installment. Did ya know that they don't HAVE baby cow charms?!? Sheesh!

Feliz Cumpleanos to you too, Needsum1.

Hope you both have the most wonderful of days.

Hey! That chick doesn't have leopard spots!

Partner, you're single because you've confused sex with having a relationship and your self-confidence is zeroed out. You seem to be pretty thoroughly fixated on a single aspect of the relationship.

Any one of the 3.5 billion women you noted will see that radiating from you and it's probably not gonna help. A woman that desires a sexual partner would, at the least, like one that's confident enough to make it interesting. It becomes interesting when it becomes about what is going to make HER happy. No one worth taking to bed is going to hand it to you.

Sex is cool. It's not worth getting this worked up over, though. Get out of your head and hang-ups and start concentrating on learning what your potential partner wants. You'll find it helps.

You might also consider scrapping the numbers stuff. Sex isn't a game. It isn't a competition. It isn't even worth much, outside of a loving relationship. You're just making comparisons to folks who've got something you don't, yet - confidence.

At the end of the day, if it's just a matter of 'doing it,' hand a hooker a few bucks and get busy. Maybe just getting 'it' out of the way once would let you concentrate on what IS important - finding the confidence and desire to please someone that pleases you.

Good luck. And, action cures fear.

Can't begin to tell ya how bad I feel for you, li'l bit. Sorry to hear about Max. (((Lb)))

How wonderful.

I'll never have to wonder again why we're so busy shipping jobs off-shore. Thanks, dude!

Ah-haaa! Maybe that's how I can translate this! Lemme get a beer. Well, maybe it's gonna take more than one.

Huh? I'm confused a bit, OP.

I'm guessin' that you mashed a couple of sentences into one.

I get that you're looking to play. I don't get the '...I want kids...' bit. I don't get the '...secret...' bit, either.

Do you want to play with kids? Do you want kids with your playmate? Do you want a playmate with kids? Do you want the kids to be a secret? (and howdahell do ya do THAT?)

Well, that's hardly fair! After I told you what I liked about your 'file, you deleted the pics! And then turned green! And got HUGE!

What was I thinkin'?

Ohhhhh, you've seen it a bunch o'times, T. Send out carbon copy 'Hello, Dear. You're so...' to every profile pic that tugs at your...ummm, guess ya got the picture, huh?

It's the corresponding theory to 'If ya throw enough chit at the wall, some is bound to stick.'

Nutz, Nancy. If ya give it up here, you'll have more business than you can shake a stick at.

Pfffft! Go 'head. Rub it in.

Oh, for cryin' out loud. I've got to remember ALL of the amazing critters I send a text to? I have it on good authority that the 'shotgun approach' is effective. Do I have to rethink the advice I've been given, Ms. T?

(I can poke ya this way now 'cuz the big ol' green girl is history! )

We can! They just aren't intelligible.

I may be the only critter on two feet in existence that's never gotten a text message! Yay!

Alright, alright. It was about me and a kangaroo in a tutu and cockle burrs. That's all I'm willin' to share.

Sorry, 'Star.

I've never done that. And I'm in precisely the sort of mood that might make that interesting. Thanks for the nudge in the right direction, 'Star.

(results) Sheesh! I'm invisible.

Nope. I've trained dogs for many years and am well aware of body language and 'tone'. This particular article/study result dealt specifically with a canine's ability to discern spoken language.

I've tried to find it and haven't had any luck. I'll keep my eyes peeled. It was pretty interesting.

As a side note, I've helped others train dogs, particularly correcting problem behaviors, and have noted that even simple variations in the corrections supplied resulted in inconsistent results. When the spoken commands were precisely as I taught the dog, the results were more often (but not always; inflection apparently plays a part) duplicable. Much can be attributed to 'rote learning' but I'm not so certain that that's all that's going on. I know that I can 'command' strange dogs, to some degree, sometimes, with the 'right' tone of voice. They will respond to dominant behavior. But it isn't consistent.

Late edit: Datwasntme has a post 'Dogs can understand' that has a link to the article I've referred to here. Enjoy.