On Site with Lueb Popoff

Man Is Horrified When She Sits Beside Him On The Plane. 2 Hours Later, His Mind Is Blown

                                                        

e've been hearing this forever: "it's what's inside that counts." It can be so difficult to see beyond the exterior that the statement sounds blatantly untrue. A person's physical appearance does arouse primal responses (i.e. a low waist-to-hip ratio in women represents fertility, which makes this a desirable feature, etc.) but we are more than animals reacting to biological triggers. People who can think and feel are able to look past these distractions and, sometimes, get a glimmer of true beauty. Some women just don't need anything else; some women are so spectacular, they're mythical.

“Hi! How are you?”

The woman smiled as she took the seat beside me. She had to lower herself slowly, squeezing her ample bottom into the seat, filling all available space.

Positioning herself comfortably, she plopped her enormous arm on our common armrest. Her immensity saturated the space around us, shrinking me and my seat into insignificance.

I cringed and reclined towards the window.

She leaned towards me...

 ...and repeated her greeting in an upbeat, friendly voice. Her face towered above my head, forcing me to turn to look at her. “Hi,” I replied with obvious loathing.

I turned away to stare out the cabin window, sulking silently about the long hours of discomfort I was going to experience with this monster beside me.

She nudged me with her meaty arm. “My name is Laura. I’m from Britain. How about you? Japan?”

“Malaysia,” I barked.

“I’m so sorry! Will you accept my heartfelt apology? Come, shake my hand. If we’re going to spend six hours side-by-side on this flight, we’d better be friends, don’t you think?” A palm waved in front of my face. I shook the hand reluctantly, still silent.

Laura started a conversation with me, taking no notice of my unfriendly reactions.

She talked excitedly about herself and her trip to Hong Kong to see her friends. She rattled off a list of things she was going to buy for her students in the boarding school where she was teaching.

I gave her one-word answers to her questions about me. Unperturbed by my coldness, she nodded as she made appreciative comments to my answers. Her voice was warm and caring. She was considerate and obliging when we were served drinks and meals, making sure that I had room to maneuver in my seat. “I don’t want to clobber you with my elephant size!” she said with utmost sincerity.

To my surprise, her face which repulsed me hours before...

...now opened into extraordinary smiles, lively and calm at the same time. I couldn’t help but let down my guard slowly.

Laura was an interesting conversationalist. She was well read in many subjects from philosophy to science. She turned a seemingly unimportant subject into something to explore and understand. Her comments were humorous and inspirational. When our topic turned to cultures, I was pleasantly surprised by her intelligent comments and well-thought-out analysis.

During our conversation, Laura managed to make every cabin crew who served us walk away laughing at her jokes.

When a flight attendant was clearing our plates, Laura cracked several jokes about her size. The flight attendant roared with laughter as she grabbed Laura’s hand, “You really make my day!”

For the next few minutes, Laura listened attentively and gave pointers to the flight attendant’s weight problem. The grateful attendant said before she rushed off, “I’ve got to work. I’ll come back later and talk to you about it.”

I asked Laura, “‘Have you ever thought about losing some weight?”

“No. I’ve worked hard to get this way. Why would I want to give it up?”

“You aren’t worried about cardiovascular diseases that come with being overweight?”

“Not at all. You only get the diseases if you’re worried about your weight all the time. You see advertisements from slimming centres that say, `Liberate yourself from your extra baggage so that you are free to be yourself.’ It’s rubbish! You’re liberated only if you’re comfortable about who you are, and what you look like any time of the day and anytime of the year! Why would I want to waste my time on slimming regimes when I have so many other important things to do and so many people to be friends with? I eat healthily and walk regularly; I’m this size because I am born to be big! There is more to life than worrying about weight all day long.”

She sipped at her wine. “Besides,...

...God gives me so much happiness that I need a bigger body to hold all of it! Why would I lose weight to lose my happiness?” Taken aback by her reasoning, I chuckled.

Laura continued. “Folks often see me as a fat lady with big bosoms, big thighs and a big bottom that no man would even bother to cast a glance at. They see me as a slob. They think I’m lazy and have no willpower. They’re wrong.” She held up her glass to a passing flight attendant. “More of this magnificent wine, please.” She smiled sweetly at the attendant. “Great service from your crew. May God bless all of you.”

She turned to me, “I’m actually a slim person inside. I’m so full of energy that people won’t be able to keep up with me. This extra flesh is here to slow me down, otherwise I’ll be running everywhere chasing after men!”

Laura paused before she said thoughtfully, 

“You know, the relationship between men and women is so complicated. Women worship men and call them, `Honey’ until they find out they have been lied to, and then they turn into bitter gourds! Men love women so much that they see them as their soul mates until they look at their credit card bills, and then women become devils with tridents!”

Laura’s enthralling conversation had turned the flight into something thoroughly enjoyable.

I was also fascinated by the way people were drawn to her. By the end of the flight, almost half the cabin crew was standing near the aisle by us, laughing and joking with Laura. The passengers around us joined in the merry-making too. Laura was the center of attention, filling the cabin with delightful warmth.

When we waved goodbye to each other at the arrival lounge at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport,

I watched her walking towards a big group of adoring adults and kids. Cheers sounded as the group hugged and kissed Laura. She turned around and winked at me.

I was stunned, as the realization set in:

Laura was the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life.

http://diply.com/

Crispy Potato Roast

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 12 russet potatoes, peeled
Kosher salt
1 small onion or 4 shallots, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 - 6 fresh thyme sprigs
About 3 ounces pancetta, cubed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the oil and melted butter in a small dish. Set aside.

Brush a round baking dish (around 9 - 10 inches) with a little of the butter and oil mixture.

Slice the potatoes as thin as possible crosswise.  Arrange potatoes vertically in the baking dish.  Wedge onion or shallot slices throughout potato slices - in about 3 or 4 sections of each potato.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper flakes (use some black pepper if not using red pepper flakes).  Brush with the remaining butter and oil mixture.
http://www.joyouslydomestic.com/

Through the Eyes of a Rapist

                                                      

Recently, rapists and date rapists in prison were interviewed on what they look for in a potential victim.  Here are some important revelations: 1)  The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun, braid or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They also likely to go after a woman with long hair.  Women with short hair are not common targets. 2)  The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women whose clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around specifically to cut clothing. 3)  They look for a woman on her cell phone, searching through her purse or doing other activities while walking because she is off-guard and can be easily overpowered. 4)  Men are most likely to attack and rape in the early morning between 5:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. 5)  The Number One place women are abducted from or attacked is grocery store parking lots. Number Two: office parking lots/garages. Number Three: public restrooms. 6)  These men are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to another location where they don't have to worry about getting caught. 7)  Only 2% said they carried weapons because rape carries a 3-5 years sentence but rape using a weapon is 15-20 years. 8)  If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn't worth it because it will be time-consuming and, also, increases their likelihood of being caught. 9)  These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas or other similar objects that can be used from a distance in their hands. Keys are NOT a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon.  The idea is to convince these guys you're not worth it. 10)  Several defense mechanisms mentioned are these:  If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question or make small talk.  “What time is it?” or “I can’t believe it’s so cold” or “Think we’re in for a bad winter?”  Now, that you’ve seen their face and heard their voice and are more likely able to identify them in a line-up and could more certainly identify them, you lose your appeal as a target. 11)  If someone is coming toward you, hold your hands in front of you and yell “STOP!” or “STAY BACK!”  Most rapists interviewed said they'd leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed she would fight back.  Again, they are looking for an EASY target! 12)  If you carry pepper spray, yelling “I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY” and holding it out will be a deterrent. 13)  If someone grabs you, you can't beat them with strength but you can outsmart them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm (between the elbow and armpit) OR in the upper inner thigh VERY, VERY HARD. (One woman in a self-defense class said she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands.  The guy needed stitches.)  Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it.  It hurts! 14)  After the initial hit, always GO for the GROIN.  It’s extremely painful. You might think that you'll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but these rapists said what they want is a woman who will not cause a lot of trouble. So, start causing trouble! 15)  When a guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible.  It’s very painful! 16)  Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings.  Take someone with you, if you can.  And if you see any odd behavior, don't dismiss it.  Go with your instincts!!!  You may feel a little silly at the time, but you'd feel much worse if the guy really was trouble. OTHER TIPS:The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough, use it! If a robber asks for your wallet or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you.  He’s more interested in your wallet or purse than you.  Chances are that he will go to retrieve it.  THEN RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION! If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back taillights and stick your arm out the hole and wave like crazy.   The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will.  This trick has saved lives.  Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook or making a list, etc.)  DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you.  This is his perfect opportunity to get in on the passenger’s side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head, DO NOT DRIVE OFF!  Instead gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car.  Your Air Bag will save you. If the person is in the back seat, they will get the worst of it.  As soon as the car crashes, bail out and run.  It is better than having them find your body in a remote location. TIPS ABOUT GETTING INTO YOUR CAR IN A PARKING LOT OR PARKING GARAGE: A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, at the passenger’s side floor, and in the back seat. B.) If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger’s door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars. C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle and the passenger’s side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall or work and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. MORE SAFETY TIPS: ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot. This is especially true at NIGHT!) If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times. And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN, preferably in a zigzag pattern! As women, you tend to always be sympathetic.  It may get you raped or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well-educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane or a limp and often asked for help getting into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim. KNOW THIS SAFETY POINT:  A crying baby on your porch? Call the police! The police will tell you ”Whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.” Serial killers have been known to use a recorded baby’s cry to coax a woman out of her home when she thinks someone dropped off a baby.   DO NOT open the door for a crying baby.  The “Crying Baby” hoax was mentioned on the TV show America's Most Wanted when they profiled a serial killer in Louisiana. http://www.authorsden.com/

Patagonian Penguin Finds Second Home in Brazil

God will carry you.

People who criticize you....