Advice Section, with Esseilte

Dear Esseilte,
I keep getting a burning, pulling sensation when I pee. I keep treating it myself by drinking huge amounts of water, because a friend of mine said that would help. Do you know what it might be, and what might be causing it?

I would assume you are suffering from a UTI. That is a urinary tract infection. That being said, you can do a few things to help prevent them. The water is a great idea, but I assume you're only drinking a ton of it when you have the symptoms. Try inreasing your intake of water. It helps flush your system out. Second, I don't know whether or not you are fooling around with guys, or even having sex. If you are, I would reccomend making sure your nether regions are clean beforehand. Bacteria has a field day when you provide the transportation for it. Next, urinate after you're done with whatever activity you're doing. I always know my best friend is done having sex and its safe for me to enter that part of the house when I hear her go to the bathroom. Another possibility is getting them from bubble baths. The soap changes the surface tension of the water, and water tends to get up your urethra. Since all of the dirt and bacteria on your body is just floating around in that water, its a recipe for disaster. Avoid bubble baths, and stick to showers. If you must have a soak, shower first and clean yourself very well, the soak. Try these things, and if you get the symptoms again, make a trip to your doctor. It could be something more serious that you need medical attention for.

Dear Esseilte,
I really really like this guy at my school who is super hot. Hes so nice to me, and smart, and popular too. He'd make a great bf, and I think he's kinda interested. I've spent all summer away, and now I get to see him next week. The problem is that hes 2 years older than me and my parents would have a cow. I really want to see if things will work out with this guy. HELP!!!

Darlin, do I know what you're going through! I'll tell you what I did. I dated the guy that was two years older than me, and I did it behind my parent's back. They had no clue what was going on. That is exactly what you do not need to do. It put a huge strain on my relationship with my parents, got me into some really deep trouble, and there was a reason why I shouldn't have been dating him. I'm still dealing with psychological trauma associated with that. (do I have you sufficiently convinced that its a bad idea? good.) Now, what you can do, and what I wish I had done, is this; Go back to school, and flirt with this guy, but don't get your heart set on him. When you know that he is interested, talk to your parents. Sit down, and discuss their concerns and reasons behind not wanting you to date him. If you calmly address these things (by no means scream or get upset!) like an adult, then they might start treating you like an adult. Thats the catch though. You have to be responsible in all the other areas of your life. If the answer is still no, don't take it as your parents are evil and that they're out to ruin your life. Give it a year or two, and get to know this guy as friends. Then when you're old enough to date him, you know him already.

Dear Esseilte,
I'm moving away, and my boyfriend and I want to make things work. How can I do a long distance relationship with success?

I'll be honest with you, I haven't ever tried a long distance thing. I will give you a whole bunch of speculation on the matter, though. My friends have tried this unsuccessfully, and the reason it has been unsuccessful is because they forget that they're still in a relationship. Yeah, i know it sounds stupid, but they do. They stop putting the other person first, and thinking of the other person's best interest above everything else. They stop contributing positively to the relationship, and they stop compromising. Essentially they become booty call when they see eachother, and eachothers therapist. If you can manage to avoid that, and keep putting the other person first, then you should be fine.

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Items and lotto, with Ghost 5-0

I’m sitting here on the 22nd of July. As I look at the rare finds store, I see it only has 11 icons. I then look at the secret store to see how many it has and see it has 29 icons. I looked back on a few posts and saw that Four Degreez had said that the Rare Finds store is a complete rip off. I checked out the secret store right after this and that 4 of the icons that were in the Rare Finds store were in the Secret Store for 3$ to 9$ less. I then looked at the Premium Store and saw two more icons that were in the Rare Finds store in the premium store for 5 to 13$ less.

I polled some people and saw that 63% of people know were the secret store is, and everyone knows someone that knows where it is. Also most people know someone that is premium. So I wonder why people don’t purchase the icons for a lower price. And after some thought and some talk with some other people I figured out why. When people first login after a store restock the first stores they go to are the General Store and the Rare Finds store, followed by the Classifieds then the Premium store then the Secret Store. When people are looking through the stores after the restock let’s say they come across the Rare Finds store. Let’s say they see an icon in the Rare Finds store and they want it for a series. If they have enough money they’ll buy it right then. But if they think about it they should look around the other stores before purchasing, because they can save over 9$. Now this may not seem like much, but it is in the long run. And this article may seem pathetic, but it’s what someone like me would right.

-Ghost 5-0

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Psychology Section, with Temujin

Hello Ye Olde Ink Blot readers. This month's psych section is devoted to the psychological theory of a well-known Renaissance political figure--Niccolo Machiavelli.

Despite writing a book (The Prince) with guidelines by which an individual might ascend in power, Machiavelli had a fundamental preference for a republic governed by institutions, not a principality governed by personal characteristics.

Briefly, his theory was this:
1) human desire cannot be satiated
2) resources are scarce
3) these two maxims lead to universal conflict

However, Machiavelli believed that conflict was no bad thing. Indeed, he is unusual amongst writers of the time in believing that conflict and change, rather than rigid stability, is a better state of affairs for a nation. The conflict should result in constant improvement, whereas the rigid state can never gain increase, but rather stagnates in its own constancy.

Obviously this idea, conflict leads to change which results in improvements, is not limited merely to the nature of a state. An easy example is growing up. Whilst being a teenager, particularly a younger one, can be a turbulent time that is far from easy, the adult that emerges at the end is hopefully better than the child at the beginning.

Machiavelli's belief that human desire cannot be satiated is echoed, to a degree by Nietzsche, who said that the 'will to power' not to remain the same, but to ever be gaining in power, is what makes us happy. How many of us would be happy doing the same job all our life, with no promotion or pay increase? We all want increase, whether it be money, social life, or power. However, the republic that Machiavelli preferred would have means to curb individual powermongering. His examples are most frequently from Rome, where the people were represented by Tribunes and the aristocrats by the Senate and Consuls. For this reason, Julius Caesar is demonised by Machiavelli as the slayer of the perfect republic, whereas others in history have sanctified him, (in Dante's Inferno, Brutus and Crassus are on the 9th and last level of Hell where Satan chews them through eternity, at least according to the 4degreez test).

That's it for this month. And you thought Machiavelli was nasty when really he's as nice as pie, and not nearly so fattening.

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Member Spotlight on Rquethe, with Shyla

S) Hello and welcome to Sitting with Shyla. I'd like to introduce our member spotlighted for this issue, Rquethe. Take a bow Rquethe!

R) *makes a most graceful bow*

S) Okay, let's get down to business. I know a lot of people are excited to hear from and about you, but let me ask you, how does it feel to be the chosen spotlighted member in this issue of Ye Olde Ink Blot?

R) Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You know, like a fuzzy wuzzy the teddy bear. Of course, he had no hair. So hrm...

S) : Hmm, interesting. a/s/l please?

R) 18(19 on the 8th of August)/ Male / Minnesota

S) Happy almost birthday! Were you born and raised in Minnesota?

R) No, I was born in Oklahoma City, and moved to Japan for 4.5 years and then to England for 3 years. Then moved again to Georgia for a year and a half and then finally to Minnesota. My dad was in the air force, so there was a lot of moving around. And I have been in Minnesota for about 9 years now.

S) Well, you can definitely say you've been around the block a few times. Was the travelling enjoyable to you, or have you always longed for your homegrown roots?

R) I don't know that I thought too much of it. I never established many friendships, so there wasn't much of a problem with moving for me. However, I have grown rather attached to Minnesota. Even though I'm just 18, I feel sometimes as though I'm as stubborn as some old fart who is completely set in their ways.

S) Let's talk a bit about the 4thkingdom. How long have you been a member?

R) Well, if you include 4degreez, I have been a member since July of 1999.

S) And how did you hear about the site?

R) I believe I had simultaneously stumbled upon from two different sources. Four's NINterpretations website and some Nine Inch Nails forums.

S) By your calculations you've been a member of the site for 4 years.. Tell me the best and worst things you find in our community.

R) The best things are the occassional intellectually stimulating debates. If you're open minded, I think they definitely enhance one's perspective. These sorts of conversations seem to be hit and miss and occur in less frequency then they once did. 4thkingdom introduced some additional features that have some addictive qualities, such as the lotto and icon collection... The worst things in the community are quite simply those who don't know how to be mature. It's okay to have fun. That's the point of the site, but of course, somebody always seems to ruin that. We just need more respect, that's all.

S) Okay, clue our readers in..how do you pronounce your online name and how did it originate?

R) lol oh boy... I do have a way of pronouncing it... But I'm to lazy, I mean efficient, to explain it. So I'll just say that you can pronounce it however you want, or just call me "rq(are-cue)" which is what many others do. As far as the origination, it is basically entirely made up. Though the idea came from the word requiem.

S) So, who do you talk to most from 4k, outside of 4k?

R) Oh, that's a good question. I've gotten the AIM screen names 22 4thK members and I have others on MSN messenger too. Maybe Nexus though... I'm not sure though. There are others I talk to a lot as well.

S) I love reading your posts because you're clearly above average intelligence, but have no arrogance that usually comes with such a gift. Whose posts do you look most foward to and why?

R) You know, I can't say that I look forward to anyone posts unless I'm in an ongoing debate with a specific person. That said, I have in the past looked forward to posts from Sovawanea, Samael, and 4degreez the most I would say.

S) Is there anything else you'd care to clue the readers in on, Rquethe?

R) What do the readers want to know? I'm a moody, emotional person. I'm lonely, but I am trying to fix it. But I'm slow. I am a christian and love to learn more about God and His will. I tend to get obsessed with things and become extremely adept at them. Hm, I dunno. I'm just a nice guy I guess :-)

S) Well thank you for a time and have a lovely day!

R) You too! :-)

Remember readers, you heard it first right here, Sitting With Shyla!

For next month's issue, I'm taking questions any members might feel they have to better get to know the spotlight member! Feel free to PM with your questions, and you'll get your name in the issue!!

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