Shopping sprees

Ah, shopping sprees. Don't you just love them? As long as you're making choices, and spending money anyway - following mature people around shops, as they get vocally excited at balls of wool, is not such fun.

Now psychologists believe they have explained the reason for some impulse buys & extravagant shopping: the time of the month - shopping being a way for premenstrual women to deal with negative emotions.

With the greatest respect to Professor Karen Pine though, Hippie* has to question these findings. Of the 153 women studied, almost two-thirds of those in the later stages of the menstrual cycle - that luteal phase - admitted they had bought something on impulse. And many felt remorse later.

But what does that prove? If you studied 153,000 women, almost two-thirds would (or at least if they were honest, or understood the harm of a little white lie) admit to have bought something on impulse - regardless of where in their cycle they are.

Now, let's be clear: Hippie isn't a women-basher, either verbally or physically. In fact he despises such conduct. And of course, while not being able to appreciate first-hand just what the regular cycle must be like, Hippie does empathise as much as any man can.

But ladies, really! It's appreciated that you might display emotions, feel discomfort, shout & scream, or find one or more (Hippie's trying to be polite, and does wish not to be in anyway disparaging) of many other means to express yourself. But impulse shopping? For 10 days in a month?

Check your calendars again, and then check your calculators: there are twice as many days in the month that you have yet to account for!

No doubt you indulge in shopping during these uncomfortable 10 days. But be honest with us all - you indulge in shopping in the other 20-or-so days too!

Hippie's view on all of this shopping though is an all-together different matter: as long as it's not for balls of wool, and perhaps if you take in a local inn to refresh yourself/your partner after a long day shopping, what harm? Enjoy, as what purpose does money serve if you can't have fun spending it?

Hippie hopes any males reading this do try to tolerate the difficult experiences their friends/partners/lovers/associates/enemies are experiencing.

And Hippie hopes any females reading this try to understand that we men can't properly appreciate your experiences, but we (at least some of us, anyway) do aspire to be tolerant, and wish - for your sake - that we could do more to help.

Hippie

*No, that's not really Hippie! Did you really think Hippie would publish his image online? Please go back to the start, and read all entries in this blog again.

Still not dead

Hello,

Hippie has been really busy recently, so no time to keep you in touch with thoughts.

A few court cases coming up, so expect little in the next month or so, but I will make up for it - and if any Hippie thought comes to mind, I'll certainly update.

In fact, that's what brings me here today: bloody busy, and pissed-off with a silly "professional" in a court case we're working on - while we both work on it, but from opposite sides, the court reasonably expects us to behave professionally towards each other. I am, but they are... well... the court can decide that.

I'm confident in that case, and just pissed it's requiring so much time.

Another case is going.... well, nowhere! Or at least for the respondent, the last I heard or saw. I'm the litigant, so if they take no action I'll reluctantly take a default case against them, although a day in court would be interesting.

Hippie is going places though. But that's another story, and not for this blog.

Hippie's business is on Twitter now too, but that won't be linked to this blog (professional standards, you understand I'm sure), so just mentioning in passing.

Anyway, getting back to Hippieisms...

Does Mother Hippie (F***** - anonymity is still assured) still read this? If so, turn off now!

Still here? Bye F***** - you won't be interested in this!

No, honestly F******, you should check the next blog, but go now!

Ok, you got a warning before entering, and more above. So here goes:

what is Pope Pointless XXIX about now? Even Silly-Billy & the wife wants to spend their masses of money helping poor nations - but never on iPods, and I suspect there's probably a ban on the $100 laptop too, as the operating system isn't good.

The real problem the world has is the cost of Durex, and their monolopy in their market.

Banning Durex though is more ridiculous than banning bankers - they either serve, or are, wankers.

These days, Hippie thinks World AIDS Day is often forgotten (it happens on 1 Dec, and is marked with the wearing of a red ribbon). We have colored ribbons for every event now, and inter/national days for just about everything.

Perhaps it's because we think AIDS is cured, controlled, or just not in our community anymore.

Hippie is still here, but a good friend of mine did die from AIDS, and while he had to take a hell of lot of drugs everyday, and couldn't even have ice in the pub's gin & tonic (we often don't realise just how restrictive the controlled condition is), he passed away some years ago now.

I've never appreciated condoms, and particularly could never grasp the idea of using the thick latex that you are often offered freely in gay clubs, but I certainly don't appreciate the idea of AIDS either.

Hippie isn't dead, but there will be many that will be, and ancient lectures & virtues will never solve the problem.

Pope Pontificating XXX will need to appreciate the modern world, and support the control of disease that harms so many - including that disease rape, that may justify a child of nine choosing (or more naturally, having an adult decision taken for them) that they have a right to mature & enjoy the life they were gifted with.

Wow, this got heavy!

Sorry, not intended - I just planned to pontificate about the views of others about condoms. Que sara.

Well, Hippie is good, still madly in love, and still really busy, but with every intention of keeping you up to date with new Hippieism thoughts - for the benefit of F***** (have they got this far? Que sara, sara....), Hippieisms, are explained below, but are succinctly thoughts or views, hopefully often with a slant of humour, but occasionally of a more important stance. Debates/contributions always welcome.

Be good & have fun all (that doesn't require a condom),

Hippie