Biofuels make greenhouse gases worse, scientists say
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
The New York Times

Almost all biofuels used today cause more greenhouse-gas emissions than conventional fuels if the full emissions costs of producing these “green” fuels are taken into account, two studies published Thursday have concluded.

The benefits of biofuels have come under increasing attack in recent months, as scientists took a closer look at the global environmental cost of their production.

These plant-based fuels were originally billed as better than fossil fuels because the carbon released when they were burned was balanced by the carbon absorbed when the plants grew. But that equation proved overly simplistic because the process of turning plants into fuels causes its own emissions — for refining and transport, for example.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2004171188_ethanol08.html

On Saturday Feb. 2nd I drove down to a friend’s mother’s funeral. There I met up with my friend Jennifer and gave her some flowers and card to pay my respects for her mother. When I saw her cry, no amount of my hugs would make it easier for her. I wanted to break down and cry for her so she wouldn’t have to, I wanted to take away all her pain so she wouldn’t have to suffer. It hurt to see her cry and to know her, her son, brother & sisters lost their mother. Melissa was a wonderful, caring & nurturing person and a stellar mother. She will be missed, but NOT forgotten. Jennifer, I give to you and your family a small token of my sympathy and heart-felt wishes in this hard time. I will always be there for you if you need another shoulder to cry on or an ear to vent to.

Four Candles for You

The first candle represents our grief. The pain of losing you is intense. It reminds us of the depth of our love for you.

This second candle represents our courage. To confront our sorrow, To comfort each other, To change our lives.

This third candle we light in your memory. For the times laughed, The times cried, The times we were angry with each other, The silly things you did, The caring and joy you gave us.

This fourth candle we light for our love. We light this candle that your light will always shine. As we enter this new year and share this night of remembrance with our family and friends. We cherish the special place in our hearts that will always be reserved for you. We thank you for the gift your living brought to each of us. We love you. We remember you.

Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest

Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
The mate was fixed by the bosun’s pike
The bosun brained with a marlinspike
And cookey’s throat was marked be like
It had been gripped by fingers ten;
And there they lay, all good dead men
Like break o’day in a boozing ken
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Fifteen men of the whole ship’s list
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Dead and be damned and the rest gone whist!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
The skipper lay with his nob in gore
Where the scullion’s axe his cheek had shore
And the scullion he was stabbed times four
And there they lay, and the soggy skies
Dripped down in up-staring eyes
In murk sunset and foul sunrise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Fifteen men of ‘em stiff and stark
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Ten of the crew had the murder mark!
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Twas a cutlass swipe or an ounce of lead
Or a yawing hole in a battered head
And the scuppers’ glut with a rotting red
And there they lay, aye, damn my eyes
Looking up at paradise
All souls bound just contrawise
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
Fifteen men of ‘em good and true’
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
Ev’ry man jack could ha’ sailed with Old Pew,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!
There was chest on chest of Spanish gold
With a ton of plate in the middle hold
And the cabins riot of stuff untold,
And they lay there that took the plum
With sightless glare and their lips struck dumb
While we shared all by the rule of thumb,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

More was seen through a sternlight screen
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Chartings undoubt where a woman had been
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
‘Twas a flimsy shift on a bunker cot
With a dirk slit sheer through the bosom spot
And the lace stiff dry in a purplish blot
Oh was she wench or some shudderin’ maid
That dared the knife and took the blade
By God! she had stuff for a plucky jade
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.

Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum.
We wrapped ‘em all in a mains’l tight
With twice ten turns of a hawser’s bight
And we heaved ‘em over and out of sight,
With a Yo-Heave-Ho! and a fare-you-well
And a sudden plunge in the sullen swell
Ten fathoms deep on the road to hell,
Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!

Top 10 Pick up Lines

10 . Avast, me proud beauty! Wanna know why my Roger is so Jolly?

9. Have ya ever met a man with a real yardarm?

8. Come on up and see me urchins.

7. Yes, that is a hornpipe in my pocket and I am happy to see you.

6. I’d love to drop anchor in your lagoon.

5. Pardon me, but would ya mind if I fired me cannon through your porthole?

4. How’d you like to scrape the barnacles off of me rudder?

3. Ya know, darlin, I’m 97% chum free.

2. Well blow me down?

And the number one pickup line for use on International Talk Like a Pirate Day is…

1. Prepare to be boarded.

Bonus pickup lines (when the ones above don’t work, as they often won’t)

1. They don’t call me Long John because my head is so big.

2. You’re drinking a Salty Dog? How’d you like to try the real thing?

3. Wanna shiver me timbers?

4. I’ve sailed the seven seas, and you’re the sleekest schooner I’ve ever sighted.

5. Brwaack! Polly want a cracker? Oh, wait. That’s for Talk Like a PARROT Day.

6. That’s the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid eyes on.

7. Let’s get together and haul some keel.

8. That’s some treasure chest you’ve got there…

Well, I started my blog here because my other wordpress blog was deleted for some lame reason…FUCKIN ASSHOLES! So, I lost everything there (2 years of blogs!) and now I have to attempt to reclaim what blogs I do have in various places Man this fucking pisses me off! So, yeah I know, I shoulda backed up the other…I simply forgot to :*( But alas, it’s a new start now With that said. I’ve decided to completely redesign it and make a better theme for it. I’ve always been interested in pirates, pirate treasure, metal detecting, etc. since I was a kid so I thought why not center my theme around that And no, it’s not because of the POTC movies, although that does help my fame And as you’ll notice…some of the categories are misspelled…yup on purpose! Hey, I gotta stick with the pirate theme little bit ya know

* A PYRATES NOTE: I’m probably going to lose several more friends after they read this. But that’s their choice and I REALLY hope I don’t. * 

Hmmmm…so how do you try to condense a whole year of life into a manageable size too read? Well, I’m about to try (and probably fail  ).

I’m a believer that if the start of the new year goes well, so will the rest of the year. This year was the defining year for me, the year of truth and tests…the year everything in life came full circle for me.

So, 2007 started out ok. Not the greatest, but not the worst either. I wasn’t able to go out for NYE due to no job or money. But the good news is I had the most wonderful and beautiful girlfriend I’ve had thus far. We were only dating for 3 months then, but I had fallen so head over heals in love with her that I decided to not only love her with my heart, but with my soul as well.

Then as Valentine’s Day approached, I wanted to take her out…just the two of us. It was good and we had given each other good gifts. Neither of us wanted to celebrate because we had been hurt badly the year before and it left us with a bitter taste. But in the end this Valentine’s Day was a sweet taste.

Now March is approaching and with it my birthday. My 30th was a failure, so I had no plans to celebrate except to be with Audie. Well, somehow I got a late voicemail from my friends saying to meet them in Seattle because they were going to take me to see the movie 300. That ended in a flop with no way for me to get there in time. But they tried and that’s what counted  Then Easter rolled around and I was pretty excited. I mean Audie was going to come and actually meet the whole family all at once. But she said she was sick for the past few days and apparently the tone of my voice I had Easter morning sounded like I was disappointed and playing a “pity me” for her not being able to come up. Actually that wasn’t the way my brain was thinking. I was sad she wouldn’t be able to make, but also understood being sick and not wanting to drive 2 hrs like that. I tried to tell her to stay home and get better. But again she felt I was not thinking that way so came up anyway (yes I did feel bad for her coming up while sick & I tried to convince her otherwise). It actually turned out pretty decent…till the end. My “glorious” oldest sister kicked in with the 20 questions game. That’s when I shoulda known something was wrong. She asked Audie what about me interested her to be with me. To my amazement….Audie was silent on that question

And as May and Memorial Day came, Audie, me and 2 of her friends went camping for the weekend for her friend’s birthday, which they do every year. I knew she didn’t want me to go, which is fine, but she seemed to be in a bad mood the whole weekend because of it. Why invite me if you didn’t want me there? It wouldn’t have bothered me if she wanted to just spend it with her friends.

Up until March I didn’t have a job even though I was trying my ass off. I finally did get a job, but lost it a week later because I was actually arrested. It was my first time being arrested and going to jail, all because I had no idea I had a suspended license. Well after 24 hours of that ordeal in county jail I finally went home and my (her) cell had tons of messages, calls and texts worrying why I didn’t call back. I was so afraid to talk to her feeling she was going to be pissed. Well she didn’t sound pissed, but I know she wasn’t happy, I could just feel it. But it finally was taken care of and I was on the search for a job again.

So, in May I did get another job. Not the best paying, but it was something. It was going pretty good with that and Audie. She moved out of her parents to Shelton & I saw her as much as I could just like before. I enjoyed being with her because every time I saw her or heard from her it would give me a giant smile and happiness. The best part of my day was getting that 1st text/VM of the day and hearing her voice before going to bed. It just made me feel so happy to finally know that I’ve got a good woman by my side.

So, the end of May rolls around and I got a job offer making almost $5/hr more than the job I had. It’s what I was looking for, but I didn’t know how to tell Audie I was going to take it, even though I only had the other job a short time. I knew she wouldn’t be happy with me even if she didn’t express it much. It was a major risk I was taking but preceded anyway.

So, in June I started working for Securitas @ Microsoft in the Security Operations Center. It was a good job & I enjoyed it. But things started getting rocky with me and Audie. During the past month or so a friend of many years butted in and started emailing Audie and later became a bitch the whole time. She assumed a picture on MySpace with Audie & her niece was Audie’s kid and began the long torment of trying to destroy our relationship with every lie she could think of. Apparently Audie didn’t realize that I wasn’t going to leave her or give up on her no matter what, but she said it’s her or my friend….I chose Audie. Then more crap happened. At the time I didn’t know why, but she had been talking to Miles more often than before. Now don’t get me wrong, it didn’t bother me that she had lots of guy friends. But when those friends/former FWB were always trying to have sex with her again knowing she was with me, how would you feel and think? So, on June 18th the 2nd worse thing she did to me happened…she cheated on me with Myles. Not the “wham bam thank you maam” type. She let him stay there the whole night. When she told me, a week later, you could not only hear my heart die, but my soul start to die as well. I went to see her a week later and it hurt. When I went to get into bed with her that night I just paused for a bit starring at the bed. All the imagery and thoughts of him being there with her were running through my head a million miles an hour. I could feel my soul slipping away even further, even to this day I feel the effects. The promises she told me before seemed to mean nothing, like I was a temporary boyfriend. After about a month I could finally control those thoughts to a manageable level. She said she would cut ties with him, but that only lasted a few months. I still wonder to this day if her crying (which was my first time hearing) was real or not.

So, after June she seemed to slowly drift. I know I told her about the 4th of July gathering with my friends, but when the day came she acted like I never told her. My friends liked her and wanted her to come, why wouldn’t I want her to come and be with me & my friends? So, FUBAR came up and it was a blast as usual, but she acted like everything was back at the start.

Then August came and everything was still good. She couldn’t make it to REBAR because she had to work. But I still went there after work and still had a great time, but I did miss having her there though

Then September came around and things seemed to be rocky all over again. But we did talk a little and we both wanted things to be back to the way they were when we met. I got some free tickets (as usual LOL) to the Puyallup Fair and we had such a blast, just the 2 of us…I still laugh and giggle when I think about it. For the majority of the day we walked all over the fair…and I do mean all over, well minus the animals areas LOL We both weren’t fond of seeing them and the smell. So, we did the games at the end of the day. I already knew which ones were completely “rigged” and virtually unable to win at. So, I played the other ones trying my hardest to win in her a prize. Nearly $100 later I was empty handed I did come VERY close 2 times though One game you had to knock 3 beanie baby type of things completely off the shelf. Well, with ball 1 I got 2 off, ball 2 almost got one off but I failed on the 3rd ball. I tried a few more times and failed, but it was still a blast Then towards the end we went and got one of those frontier photos. During the day we also got our caricature drawing and waited for ever for the one we thought was drawing best….it turned out pretty damn good (except for my big ears LOL). After we got home I just couldn’t stop thinking of how much fun we had and I couldn’t wait to spend many, many, many more times going out and having fun with her again.

Not too long after on a weekend I went to a friend’s birthday in Seattle and little did I know that she had ridden her parent’s new horse. Apparently while I was at her apt taking a shower, she fell off the horse landing on her side with a big “crunch” sound. She was on the way to the hospital at the same time I was driving to Seattle. I had my phone with me the whole time I was driving, but for some reason I forgot it in my car when I got to Seattle. I knew she had to work that night so I think I was just thinking that I wouldn’t need it because she can’t use her cell very easily at work. So, when I left around 12 or 1 am I saw there were a ton of text messages and missed calls from her and her mom saying she was in the hospital. Well, I started freaking out like a chicken with his head cut off. I called them back right away professing how stupid, sorry & a bad boyfriend I was for this. At one point I was doing about 80 – 90 on the freeway. Then her mom finally told me to relax & slow down so I don’t end up in the hospital either. SO about 1.5 hrs later I got there & saw her on the couch all bandaged up and I felt like scum. I stayed awake for about an hour, but every time she groaned/moaned I would wake up to see if she was ok. I was there for about 2 days like that. Then I felt like I overstayed my unwelcomeness. But what I don’t understand is why it took them 4.5 hours to tell me something was wrong. Was I that unwelcomed as a boyfriend? And somewhere around this time I was also pulled over by the cops twice for a suspended license…Audie was beyond angry, but refused to show it. It was the last straw for me and did a lot work to get that crap fixed. But I don’t think she felt the same about me after all that

Then life slowly started to return to “normal”. Then Miles re-entered the scene and now he was no longer an irritation, it was full blown jealousy & betrayal. She promised she wouldn’t talk to him again…she betrayed that. Which caused me to start not trusting her again…just when I was slowly getting to the way I was before June. I had no problems with her guy friends (the ones that weren’t trying to get into her pants while still with me), but he was an exception to that rule. I was being stupid & passing up jobs with average pay trying to hold out for the one that was going to get me close to my previous $14.50/hr one. If I was smart I would have taken those jobs just to have income again. Would it have changed the outcome with me & Audie? I still wonder to this day.

Then things got REALLY rocky. I could sense lots of disappointment & unhappiness from Audie and I began to distance myself to give her room to breathe without me, close to the borderline of ignoring her. Then, drum roll please…on Oct. 7th she dumped me…via email!! She took that knife that was still stuck in my through my heart and forced it all the way through my soul. I could feel my soul bleeding out, dying & I couldn’t do anything about it. My brain wouldn’t function that day. I was already on my way to help my dad cut up some trees for firewood. I don’t even remember how many times the chainsaw missed cutting me or 70 lb. tree rounds feel on my feet (thank goodness for steel toes!). I guess at that point in time it really didn’t matter what happened, even though it does matter now. I guess I was just so distraught and in disbelief that this had happened to me.

So, then, in the middle of October we went to Depoe Bay for her b-day. This was already planned out before the break-up & I decided to use my parent’s timeshare. Apparently from what I was told is that Depoe Bay is near impossible to get a condo because it’s constantly booked. So we went and I think we had a kickass time. We went and did all kinds of touristy things like sightseeing in Newport, walked around, saw sea lions, etc. But, in the end I’ve lost her completely…as a girlfriend and a friend. It didn’t take her long to find a new “interest” and it makes me wonder how valid and real our relationship was, if my friends were right at the start and if what she told me about Jenn was true. It makes me question a lot of things.

Now we have moved on through November which was pretty uneventful. The only exciting thing was going to Ty & Christy’s Thanksgiving gathering. It was a pretty good night as they had a few other friends & family as well and we played Rock Band most of the time. An interesting game and kinda hard as well. But I found people were concentrating more on doing it right than having fun…except me of course LOL

At last… December! Finally an end to a shitty year. But there was still one more major family hurdle to jump over…my dad. All my closest friends know that me & him don’t get along…no matter how much I try, he just seems to piss me off every time. But this bit of news shook me up, I was neither expecting it nor prepaired in my life for it yet. He was scheduled for a physical in August at which time it was discovered his mitral valve in his heart was failing. He went through numerous tests and was on lots of meds and he had an espohogeal cat scan. It appears that the heart is basically healthy but the upper left chamber is enlarged because the valve isn’t closing properly and blood isn’t being pumped through his system as it should be. It also appeared to be repairable instead of replaced but they didn’t know until they did the surgery. He had two choices – go on as he is and gradually get worse until he dies or do surgery. Obviously he opted for surgery! Since this is the same valve that failed on his brother Bob we certainly don’t want a stroke happening! His surgeon specializes in valve replacement and repair. He went into Virginia Mason on Dec. 4th for an angioplasty in case they have to do a bypass while they are there. He stayed in the hospital overnight and they did the surgery on Dec. 5th and was in the hospital for 5 days. They do get you up and walking around day 3. But soon after that they changed or reduced his meds and he started have problems with breathing, etc. That’s where it first started to hit me that what will happen if something bad happens? The 2nd reality of all this is when I actually visited him in the hospital…I wasn’t use to seeing him all hooked up and totally helpless like that. The reality is, he’s getting old and it’s finally showing. Since then it’s been no heavy lifting for a while but he can go back and sit in the office to answer phones, etc. (not his style).

I started my new job and so far it’s pretty good. I have great co-workers and “easy” work. By “easy” I mean there isn’t much involved other than memorization. I simply handle alarms and alarm signals with a few other duties. But what I didn’t realize is it’s difficult because it uses software I’ve never used before & it’s solely reliant on using the “F” keys. Some accounts are “special” which means extra memorizing & work involved. Unfortunately due to the schedule I have I don’t have a social life during the week and I “missed” Christmas. It was the first Christmas I had missed due to work. I wasn’t really looking forward to Christmas this year because of being depressed. But it’s the only family function I enjoy. Luckily I was able to get NYE off and spent it with friends. That was a blast to have a good time with friends again. But the night was short lived due to someone breaking the toilet tank…like half of it was broken off. Well, the party ended real fast after that. And as I was going to spend the night there but instead 3 of us trotted many blocks (while fairly buzzed) to another friends house to crash…not fun when your drunk LOL

So, now we’ve come full circle to a new year. This time this year is mine. I’m going to stand tall and take the bull by the horns. I’m tired of being there for people who aren’t there for me. The start of the new year has been good to me so far and I’m going to work hard to make it better for myself. Time to evaluate who’s really a friend and who’s not. Time to worry less and enjoy life more. Take everything one day at a time and not rush into a relationship like the last one. I haven’t made any new year’s resolutions, but instead lifelong resolutions. I actually started the “list” late last year and started acting on it in December. So, now I’m starting full swing on making the rest a reality. It may take a year or 2 for some of it, but I’m determined to make it work this time. I have made a few cool new friends towards the end of the year and I’m grateful for them. I’ve got some weddings to attend. As well even more and long time to meet up with. And even maybe bring God back into my life that’s more than just a passing thought of Him.

I hope the rest of you have taken the time to sit and evaluate your life and see where it needs improvement to make your life better and more enjoyable…and I don’t mean the “I need to go on a diet” junk. I wish you all the very best in the coming year and beyond.

Sooooo…it’s come to my attention (after much meditation/thought) that I have an interesting situation….a very rare one that doesn’t happen to me. I always attract the women I don’t want to be with and never get the ones I do want  So, here it is – I have 4 women interested in me and 3 others that I am interested in that don’t appear to feel the same way. Since around early December I decided to get out & make some friends and maybe love will find it’s way into my heart again. So, I did start talking & met a wonderful woman and we’ve spent many Saturday nights together going out and having a good time. But…I can tell she’s not really the one for me….or at least I thought. The main reason….she appeared as if she was trying to change who I am, by trying to make me go to church. Don’t get me wrong I’m not opposed to God, but I’m not a church going person (due to past personal reasons). She just doesn’t get it. She really is a wonderful, beautiful and good natured woman and I know we are able to love each other for a long time. But, church gets in the way She specifically said that she wants a church going guy and now that we’ve talked about it she decided I’m not for her even though she has feelings for me. The whole not going to church bit killed me. So, I began to think. The only reason I don’t go to church is because I was forced into it while growing up. I haven’t gone to church in like 12 years. I began to wonder…is it possible it could be something I can handle? I mean she goes to a Christian/Baptist church and I grew up as a catholic. Christians don’t have communion like the Catholic church does. So, I went once with her which made her the happiest person and it made me feel good to make her happy But I just felt so out of place there. It almost felt like everyone was watching the “new guy”. It was just an awkward feeling. The pastor is a great guy too. But it was only once and who knows it could change. It won’t change my personality or anything and I won’t know till/if I go again if it really is something I can appreciate/handle.

The 2nd girl…well, there isn’t a chance in hell with getting with her. She is soooooooooooooo headstrong on being independant that it’s almost like she’s a lesbian as far as how she views relationships and her being in one. She is way cool to talk to or hang out with (only hung out once though). But I don’t know of any other girl who likes the sc-fi channel. But she is an odd one too. I mean she has this stalker-like obsession with Sigur Ros (great band but not that good), loves Johnny Depp more than he does & plans on getting an “Edward Scissorhands” murral tattoo, wants to live in Iceland…her obsession with Icelandic life is odd and insists that she will never be in a relationship with a guy ever. The odd/weird/obsession stuff doesn’t bother me though. So, that’s kinda a no brainer for me The 3rd girl. Well I’ve been talking to her for a bit more than a year and she is way cool. So far the only thing I can see wrong with her is she refuses to move out of Longview (a tiny town near Portland) and doesn’t want to be in a relationship. She’s attractive, has great goals and a good head on her shoulders. So, I’m at a loss. Another one is she is odd and weird, which doesn’t bother me, but she actually helped to think about this whole situation and where I want to go with her or any woman right now. And another one I’ve been friends with for like 10-11 years and I really don’t see that “spark”. Sure I could easily settle for her and be happy I have someone that cares about me and that we get along, but what about love? DO I want to be old and one day have my kids ask me “did/do you ever love mom?”. I don’t want to have to explain everything about that

Every decent woman I have met has said that I’m attractive, has beautiful blue eyes and have a “sexy” voice. Personally I don’t see it. Marie (girl #1) says I am the greatest guy she’s met despite the church deal. Soooo, if this is all true…then why the fuck am I still single? Is there something I’m not seeing about myself that’s screwing up possible relationships with me? I know one part is that I refuse to settle for someone. I need that “spark” to be there to start the fire. Man….this year started out great. But now it’s starting to turn upside down slowly. I got a great job, paying off my debt a bit faster, going back to school soon, getting a 2nd p/t job soon to pay off the debt for good and buy a few things I’ve always wanted. BUT, it’s costing me friendships (2 for sure gone, 1 is 98% dead) and my long time friends are moving on with their lives and I feel like I’m being left in the dust. Maybe they feel because they are “married/engaged” that friends come last now. Well, nothing in your life should change just because a piece of paper says you’re married. Ugh….I need to do something so my boat doesn’t sink and I’m left treading water

Money makes the world go round, but it can stop a friendship in its tracks. It’s probably happened to you before where you’ve been out with your friends and you either a) don’t have enough money to do what everyone else wants to do, or b) a friend needs to borrow money, but you’re scared that they’re just mooching and will never pay you back. It’s an uncomfortable situation to be in because you want everyone to have a good time—yourself included–unfortunately, when it comes to money and friends, it can sometimes be an either/or situation.

Some of your oldest friends may date back to elementary school and earlier, says Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management in Chicago, to ABC News, ” a time when [money was] nonexistent or minimal in your world.” Therefore when you start venturing out with friends to go shopping or to eat, how you and your friends spend money raises a lot of red flags if either one of you is insecure about your financial situation.

“If you believe differing finances are affecting a friendship, the issue is likely with you and not your friend,” says Hobson. “Ultimately, it is important to make peace with your own situation. You need to avoid comparisons and instead focus on what you have in common.”

Reminding yourself that your friendship does not revolve around money, whether you are a have or a have-not, can save you from losing a good friend. You can always find free things to do. And when a birthday rolls around, no one should ever feel pressured to “match” the price of a gift. After all, is it the cost of the gift that counts, or the meaning behind it?

If you find yourself in the have position, while your friends stand green-faced around you, you have the right to not disclose your financial situation. Michael Stahl, 22, falls under this category. He comes from wealthy background and has made a good future for himself in the finance business. However, not all of his friends are in this same situation. When his friends try to persuade him into talking about how much dough he’s has stashed up in the bank, he tries to casually avoid the question. “People bring it up, and they’ll keep asking two or three times,” Stahl said to MoneyCentral.”I’m not a millionaire — I’m only 22 years old. I just say, ‘I don’t tell anybody that.’”

Likewise, when your friends know that you have money and you’re hesitant to let them borrow (for fear that they won’t pay you back). You might find yourself torn between playing the fool for letting them borrow (knowing you are actually gifting them the money), or being a jerk if you refuse your friend (whether they are actually “in need” or not).

“Obviously, lending money to a friend can complicate a relationship, so there are few things to consider before saying yes, says Hobson, “First and foremost, figure out if you can comfortably afford to lend the money. You also may want to think of alternatives to lending the money outright.”

By If you do choose to lend your friend money, Mr. Mafiaso of AskMen.com has a few tips to make the journey go a little more smoothly:

*Make sure any amount you “lend” is an amount you are willing to write off as a loss. Call it your personal stupidity tax. Never lend over that comfort level (assuming you are not man enough to say “no” in the first place).

*Get collateral. He’ll say “Come on.” You’ll say, “Fine, I won’t give you anything then. Why should you get something that is mine and I don’t get anything of value that’s yours?” Get something of greater value than what you are lending him. You give him five grand. Get his Rolex worth eight grand. Otherwise, he might just write off the money he owes you because you get to keep something of lesser value.

*Set a repayment plan from day one. Get it on paper, get a witness, make the guy pay every month on the same date. This is when holding collateral worth more than the amount you lend becomes valuable leverage to blackmail him.

*Until you get all your money back, never lend out any more. Don’t be shy to ask for a vig. That money is not being put to use by you, so there’s opportunity cost, capisce?

The price you pay when lending money to a friend should never be your friendship. So keep your wallet close, but keep your friends closer.

I hate the way you talk to me
And the way you cut your hair.
I hate the way you drive,
I hate it when you stare.
I hate your shoes
And the way you read my mind.
I hate you so much it makes me sick,
It even makes me rhyme.
I hate the way you’re always right,
I hate it when you lie.
I hate it when you make me laugh,
Even worse when you make me cry.
I hate it when you’re not around,
And the fact that you don’t call.
But mostly I hate the way I don’t hate you,
Not even close,
Not even a little bit,
Not even at all.