The Origin of the word F.U.C.K - Part 2

Dark Helmet's line, "'Out of order'?! Fuck! Even in the future nothing works!" The second is Big (1988) which has the character of Billy asking Tom Hanks' character, "Who the fuck do you think you are?" The third is Beetlejuice (1988) which has the character Betelgeuse kick over a fake tree and scream, "nice fucking model!"[30] In the PG-13 rated movie Soapdish (1991), Sally Field played an aging soap opera actress who, appalled that her costume included a turban, complained to her show's producer, "What I feel like is Gloria fucking Swanson!" Also in the 1999 film "Galaxy Quest," Sigourney Weaver's character Gwen DeMarco is edited from the line "Well, fuck that!" to "Well, screw that!" The change was made to avoid a PG-13 rating, and the original line is obvious when reading her lips.
Films edited for broadcast use matching euphemisms so that lip synching will not be thrown off. One televised version of Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown, for instance, had the actors dub in the words frick, Nubian, and melon farmer for fuck, nigger, and motherfucker, respectively. In similarly dubbed versions of Die Hard and Die Hard 2, Bruce Willis' catchphrase "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" is replaced by "Yippee-ki-yay, Mister Falcon" or "Yippee-ki-yay, Kemo Sabe." Similarly, the TV broadcast edit of Snakes on a Plane has Samuel L. Jackson saying "I have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday-to-Friday plane", emending two occurrences of motherfucking.[31] In the film The Big Lebowski, John Goodman's character repeatedly yells, "This is what happens when you fuck a stranger in the ass" while trashing a car. It was infamously censored on television as "This is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps."[32] His character also repeatedly says to Steve Buscemi's character, "Shut the fuck up, Donny," or "Donny, shut the fuck up." In the television version, fuck is censored with hell.
Many stand-up comedians who perform for adult audiences make liberal use of the word fuck. While George Carlin's use of the word was an important part of his stage persona, other comedians (such as Andrew Dice Clay) have been accused of substituting vulgarity and offensiveness for genuine creativity through overuse of the word. Billy Connolly and Lenny Bruce were pioneers of the use of the word in their shows for general audiences.
Recently, the hip-hop group Black-Eyed Peas' hit song "Don't Phunk With My Heart" was censored on many radio stations to "Don't Mess With My Heart", establishing a new trend toward eliminating all euphemisms for "fuck" as well as the word itself. James Blunt's first major song, You're Beautiful, featured the line "she could see from my face that I was fucking high" - this was censored to "flying high" for broadcasting purposes.
Use in marketing
In April 1997, clothing retailer French Connection began branding their clothes "fcuk" (usually written in lowercase). Though they insisted it was an acronym for French Connection United Kingdom, its similarity to the word "fuck" caused controversy.[33] French Connection fully exploited this and produced an extremely popular range of t-shirts with messages such as "fcuk this", "hot as fcuk", "mile high fcuk", "fcuk me", "too busy to fcuk", "fcuk football", "fcuk fashion", "fcuk fear", "fcuk on the beach", "the joy of fcuk", etc.
In 2009, the European Union's OHIM trade marks agency disallowed a German brewery to market a beer called "Fucking Hell". They sued, and on 26 March 2010 got permission to market the beer. They claim the beer is actually named after the Austrian village Fucking and the German term for light beer, hell.[34]
Freedom of expression
In 1971, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the mere public display of fuck is protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments and cannot be made a criminal offense. In 1968, Paul Robert Cohen had been convicted of "disturbing the peace" for wearing a jacket with "FUCK THE DRAFT" on it (in reference to conscription in the Vietnam War). The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeals and overturned by the Supreme Court. Cohen v. California, 403 U.S. 15 (1971).
In 1983, pornographer Larry Flynt, representing himself before the U.S. Supreme Court in a libel case, shouted, "Fuck this court!" during the proceedings, and then called the justices "nothing but eight assholes (referring to Justices Warren E. Burger, William J. Brennan, Jr., Byron White, Thurgood Marshall, Harry Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William Rehnquist, and John Paul Stevens) and a token cunt" (referring to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor). Chief Justice Warren E. Burger had him arrested for contempt of court, but the charge was later dismissed on a technicality.[35]
Band names
The word "fuck" has been used in a number of band names, generally based on common compounds. Although most of these bands are in the aggressive, non-mainstream genres of punk and metal, others fall into the categories of more accessible forms of electronic rock and pop.[36]
Holy fuck
"Holy fuck" is a widely used example of 'liturgical profanity' used interjectionally to express anger, contempt, disgust, or amazement. Usually vulgar.[37] Noted by academics [38][39] and used in literature [40][41][42], deriving its power from a combination of the sacred, holy, and the profane, fuck. An exclamation, similar to "holy shit!", but more offensive, also used informally for sex within a religious context.[dubious - discuss] [43]
In machine mistranslations
The word fuck occurs sometimes in Chinese/English bilingual public notices in China as a machine translation of the Simplified Chinese character ? which can also mean "dry" and "do", e.g. "spread to fuck the fruit" for "loose dried fruit", "fuck to adjust the area" for "dry seasonings section", "fuck the certain price of goods" for "dry foods price counter". The fault occurred in some versions of commonly-used Chinese to English machine translators, for example Jinshan (?? = "Gold Mountain") by Kingsoft.[44]
Common alternatives
Main article: Minced oath
In conversation or writing, reference to or use of the word fuck may be replaced by any of a large list of alternative words or phrases, including "the F-word" or "the F-Bomb" (a play on A-Bomb / H-Bomb), or simply, "eff" (as in "What the eff!" or "You eff-ing fool!"). In addition, there are many commonly used substitutes, such as flipping, frigging, fricking, freaking, feck, fudge or any of a number of similar sounding nonsense words. In print, there are alternatives such as, "F***", "F - - k", etc.; or the use of a string of non-alphanumeric characters, for example, "@$#*%!" and similar (especially favored in comic books).
A common replacement word used mainly on the internet is fsck, derived from the name of the Unix file system checking utility.[45] In Battlestar Galactica the bowdlerized form 'Frack' (spelt 'Frak' in the reimagined 2003 version) was used as a substitute for fuck. The word is sometimes jokingly used as a curse by fans, but its use in unrelated media is growing.[46] Similarly, Dr. Elliot Reid (played by Sarah Chalke) has frequently used the substitute "frick" on the TV show Scrubs

Love, Lust and Money (My friend, her boyfriend and I) - Part 2

Thanks for the open hearted responses we got from Part 1 of Joke’s story.

                  

We hope her journey to finding happiness, would inspire many to come out of the closet; be true to themselves and seek help.

 

From the first installment, Joke has been in eight (8) relationships in five (5) years. In that time she’s not been able to reach organism.

 

Tola her friend has provided a way out; think out of the box!

 

Will Joke go along with Tola’s plan? Would she back out and remain in her entrapment? Knowing is believing...

 

Here’s - Love, Lust and money! (My friend, her boyfriend and I) - Part 2.

 

Enjoy the read:

 

            I was thinking, “Is what I’m about to do right? Can I live with my friend and myself afterwards? What if Tola and I have a misunderstanding in the future? What if my boyfriend Niyi hears about my little escapade? What if Kunle can’t deliver as promised by Tola? Oh boy, that will be a disaster! On the other hand, if I go through with this act maybe I’ll find release from this sexual frustration I’ve always been in, then I can be sure nothing is wrong with me and I can also find myself and discover my body sexually”. I sighed, so many “what ifs” and regrets before the actual act.

 

          These are my thoughts after my dear friend Tola had convinced me to have a one night stand with her soon to be ex-boyfriend Kunle and today is the D-day! It’s a Friday and the time is 5p.m and Kunle is due to be here by 6p.m, Tola has been out since morning but promised to be back by 4.30pm but it’s 5p.m now and I’m beginning to get nervous, “Maybe she’s having second thoughts or changed her mind” I said aloud to myself then I heard the sound of a car drive into the compound, I ran to the window, my heart beating faster than normal and looked out. It is my friend driving in indeed; my heart did a somersault as I watched her get out of her car.

 

          I went back to my seat and tried to pretend I was cool, three minutes later my friend entered. “What’s up girl? Sorry I’m late. The traffic na die. Hope you are set for your sexual breakthrough?” she said, I was relieved that she hadn’t changed her mind. I was also worried that she still wants to go through with her insane idea. “I’m as ready as I can be”, I told her. “Don’t worry, Dr. Kunle will soon be here to help you out of your misery” she said.

 

          Oh sorry, I forgot to mention to you that Kunle is a medical doctor, maybe that’s why Tola has so much faith in him, “Girlfriend lets go get you ready for our guest” said Tola “Ready ke, how again?” I asked. “Common Joke, go have your  bath jor. Put on a sinful dress and little make up jare” replied Joke. ”Is all that necessary, maybe we should just….” Joke cut me off immediately “don’t even voice out what you are about to say! Not after all the hard work I put into convincing you and Kunle to agree to this. You can’t change your mind now, too late chick, abeg go get ready, the guy will be here in less than an hour” Joke lectured me! ”Yes madam” I marched off to my room.

 

          I was adding gloss to my lips when I heard the doorbell ring. My heartbeat shot up, my stomach flustered, suddenly there were over a hundred thousand butterflies flying haphazardly in my stomach and my courage left me. I ran to my bed and pulled the duvet over my head. Ten minutes later the door to my room burst open and I heard steps coming towards me ”Oh mehn, here comes Kunle , what am I going to do”. I felt the duvet coming off me, I cracked open my right eye and I saw my dear friend looking at me with a gentle and understanding smile ”Adejoke, I know what you are about to do is very unlike you and I can understand how hard this is for you, Kunle  being my bf, but I want you to know that I’m doing this from the bottom of my heart because you’re my best friend and I want you to feel like a real woman, but if you want to pull out now, I’ll understand..” Tola said. Tears sprang to my eyes as I realize my friend truly cares for me. ”No, sweetheart, I’m not backing down now, thanks for loving me so. Let’s go see to the doc.” I said. We hugged each other hard and walked out of my room holding each other’s hands.

 

         Kunle  sat down on the couch, his left leg crossed over his right leg and his hands on his laps, he stood up when he saw us and smiled at both of us. ”Hi Kunle”, I whispered. ”Hello Joke, how are you? Nervous as I’m?” he asked, I smiled,”Yes, maybe more” I replied. ”That’s enough both of you, Kunle  here says he has something to tell us before …….”She winked at me not finishing her sentence. ”Ok”. I said,

 

          So Kunle began his eye opening lecture, “Joke, I’ll like to ask you some questions”. ”No problem.” I said, “Were you circumcised?” He asked, “Yes I was” I answered, “Hmmm, I thought as much. You see, it’s hard for a circumcised woman to reach orgasm because the clitoris, which is the powerhouse of every woman, has been cut off. Some girls are lucky part of their clitoris are cut off, but some that are not so lucky get everything cut off, in these case, it’s very hard for them to reach climax unless they find a lover who’s extremely patient, caring, loving and knowledgeable about the anatomy of the female body. I think your case is a severe case of circumcision but I know a few tricks to help you if you still want to…? He finished. I sighed deeply and dropped my head against the back of the sofa looking up. ”Joke, this is your last chance to get out” I said to myself but I said to Kunle and Tola, ”I want to..” We all kept quiet for thirty seconds and then Tola broke the silence, ”Ok guys, I’ve got to go somewhere, I don’t think I’ll be back tonight” she picked up her bag and came over to hug me and she said into my ears, ”Be naughty and have fun darling” we both giggled. She went over to Kunle and hugged him too, I could just imagine what she must have said into his ears because Kunle said ”I’ll do my best” and winked at me, I shivered. Tola left us and vanished.

 

           ”So, what can I offer you” I asked Kunle, ”I’ll like whiskey and I’ll suggest you have some yourself”. “Is that your recommendation doctor?” “Yes dear patient”. I smiled and left for our small bar. I could feel the tension leaving my body because Kunle is actually easy to talk with, I poured some whiskey for him and some for myself too, I gave him his, went back to the fridge and brought out a pack of ice which I dropped it on the table, taking four cubes for my drink, Kunle took four for his too. I sat down opposite him staring into my drink but I could feel his eyes burn into me, ”Oh my, what am I supposed to do? Should I say something? Oh darn, where are all my flirting skills? My courageous act, my daring and adventurous heart? Why hath thou forsaken me now?”  These were my thoughts when I heard my name ”Joke, the time to change your mind is past if that’s what you are thinking about, drink up, we’ve got some findings to do, where would you like to start?” Kunle said smiling and looking serious at the same time.

 

          I wanted to say something but my mouth was dry so I drank my whiskey gulping half of the content in my cup, ”So is there any part of foreplay you enjoy?” he enquired ”Yes actually. I like my ear, throat, lips and breast being licked and sucked” I said, finding some of my lost courage, ”Ok, good, have you ever been sucked down there?” “Yes but I don’t like it”, I said”. ”Why? If I may ask?” “Well, I just don’t like it because it doesn’t make me feel anything. Sometimes I do feel this unexplainable sensation then it drops and makes me feel frustrated. That’s the reason I don’t like it”. I explained… ”Alright, seems your boyfriends have not been doing a good job. I have all my facts now. Let’s get to the business of the day”, Kunle said, as he drew me up from the sofa; I swallowed the rest of my drink not taking my eyes off him. I dropped my cup on the table and watched as he advanced on my lips with calculated slowness… [To be continued]

 

By Olatorera - @sexitee03

 

Edited by @tonyobj

 

 

In Part 2 of Love, Lust and money! (My friend, her boyfriend and I):

We’ve learnt?

 

Joke has agreed to go along with the plan. Even with her doubts.

 

Would Kunle live up to the hype?

 

Here’s a bit of what to expect from part 3:

 

… I dropped my cup on the table and watched as he advanced on my lips with calculated slowness. Oh oh, I thought you were supposed to close your eyes when kissing, but I couldn’t close mine, I had my eyes locked on his and his on mine. I watched as he licked and suckled on my lips. Oh my, this guy can surely kiss, unlike some guys who just stick there tongue in your mouth. Kunle was gentle on my lips, he treated it like a strawberry. Using his lips, teeth and tongue, I was just standing there looking at him and feeling every moment we kissed. To my horror, Kunle suddenly stopped kissing me! “Wh-why did you stop?

 

Follow on Twitter:  Tony Obijeih - @tonyobj and Olatorera - @sexitee03

Feel free to drop your comments and opinions in the comment box below and follow us on twitter.

 

Watch out for Part 3 of Love, Lust and money! (My friend, her boyfriend and I.)

 

Love, Lust and Money (My friend, her boyfriend and I)

Introduction:

The love and relationship series on Scam-dalous - Love, Lust and Money! (My friend, Her boyfriend and I.)

We hope to address several issues relating to Relationships, Sex, How to Satisfy your Partner (be it husband, boyfriend, partner or whatever.)

There are various taboos even in modern day Nigeria; people don't want to talk about... So we want to put it out for you the readers!

Enjoy the read.

Love, Lust and money! (My friend, Her boyfriend and I) - Part 1.

..... Damn not again! Why can't I simply one day, experience all I've read in novels and what my friends keep talking about?

Another one has come, gone and I've had to fake it again! This is frustrating' 'Are you okay baby' asked Niyi, 'I'm fine', i said with a fake smile.

Oh, sorry you are probably wondering what I’m talking about right?

Let me introduce myself, my name is Joke, I'm 25yrs old and my current boyfriend is Niyi and we've been dating for roughly 7months and in all that time I've never climaxed in that whole period, or let truth be told, in my 5yrs of having sexual intercourse; I've never climaxed!

Oh... oh, you are probably feeling sorry 4 me, I know; I feel sorry for myself too. Because of this ever present depriving, sometimes, I feel like something is wrong with me.

But i know nothing is wrong with me, there's this sensation deep down at the apex of my legs..., that I know its there, just that NO one has reached it yet!

'Babe you are the best, seriously your body is so soft i can be inside of you forever! "I thought in my heart, GOD forbid bad thing" but i said '... yes baby... Yes. You are the best too', i said, he kissed me and rolled off me and went for the bathroom to clean up.

I stood up and started putting myself together, picked up the condom wrapper we had used, threw it in d bin and straighten up my bed.

Niyi came out of the shower and held me from behind. I turned around in his arms, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him gently on his lips before going full french on him.

'Jokes' baby, I've got to be in Ghana tomorrow evening, I'll be back in two weeks, would you like to join me? He asked. "Oh baby I wish I could, but, I can't be gone for 2 weeks right now, I've got some pressing stuff to attend to which can't wait, but I'll be there in spirit with you baby, you know? I said and kissed him all over again.

'You just don't like going anywhere with me, I want to show you the world baby, let me, ooo Pls let me. I thought in my heart, what's the point? But I said that's not it babe, its work but come December I'll take leave from work and we can go anywhere you want, ok boo? 'He said 'yes babes, I'll hold you to it ooo; you berra not f**k up come December or else..., I'll kidnap you!

'Yes boss, i saluted, we both laughed and hugged, he dropped

his arms around me and went for his briefcase, brought out two bundle of 500 naira notes and gave it to me, 'take this babe,i hope its will take you through two weeks?

'You will spoil me rotten, of course it’s more than enough, thanks baby' I said with a genuine smile and hugged him even tighter.

How I wish he could makes me this happy on bed too... Hmmm that would be nice.

I took his briefcase in my right hand and held his right hand in my left and led him out to his car, i open d the door with the remote, dropped the briefcase in the back seat and came to the driver’s side where he sat behind the wheel.

"Babes, pls take care of yourself for me ooo, and don't do what i won't do, i love you and I'm gonna miss you dearly", he said, I smiled and said 'same here baby boo, will miss u too, I'll be a good girl I promise!

You better be a good boy too', 'i will. What should i bring for you from Ghana', he asked, 'anything you think your baby deserves', i replied; we kissed.

He started the engine and drove off waving and blowing me a kiss; I reciprocated and waved till his car disappeared.

Went back into the house, straight to my room, took the money from the bed and headed for the living room while counting it as i was walked, i sat down and turned on the tv, couldn't find any programme that caught my interest.

Dropped the money on the stool beside me and drifted into my thoughts, I remember the time I tried to tell Niyi that I don't climax when we make love, oh boy! It was a bad day!

'What are you trying to say, that I'm not good in bed, what do you mean? If you are not cumming it means you don't love me or something must be wrong with you because none of my previous lovers have ever complained!

Is my dick not big enough or i don't spend enough time on you? 'i didn't know what to say so I lied, 'baby, take it easy, I didn't mean.. That way.. I don't cum, I meant to say i didn't cum from the sex we just had, I just want you to f**k me again! He smiled and said ok baby, you know I love your down below.

"Joke, Joke  Joke!! What are you thinking about that you didn't hear me entered! 'That’s my best friend and flatmate, Tola talking, 'how far babes, sowapa?

'I asked, 'I'm fine, you are not looking good, kilode?' She replied. 'Niyi just left',i said, 'i see, another cum-less session abi?

Pele ore mi' she said raising an eyebrow. You see, I've kept no secret from my friend, she knows everything about me, 'i don tell you make you leave this guy, there are plenty sexy guys out there who can give it to you well, well and make you cum pieces.

Babe yi jara e jor! 'She poured out, 'Tola, i love Niyi, besides, he's rich and he really cares for me; if u don't forget he's my eighth boyfriend and none of them can make me cum yet, its me not them jare'! i said.

'Hmmm you are right girl', she said and drifted off into thoughts. 'Joke, do you trust me? 'My friend asked, 'yes dear' i replied,' and i trust and love you too, please let me help you'.

'What? OMG!! How can I not notice my best friend is bisexual all these years I've known her? She burst out laughing, 'common Joke, don't tell me you are thinking I'm Bi?

No, that's not how i want to help you', i relaxed, thank GOD.. I thought to myself. 'So how? i asked.

"Let Kunle f**k you". My eyes almost bulged out of there socket and my mouth dropped to my jaw! Which Kunle are we talking about?

You don't mean your boyfriend Kunle? Or is there any other Kunle  don't know about?' i asked confused, 'calm down, just hear me out first, ok, i said, you see, I've not told you this before, but i had the same problem as yourself until i met Kunle. Men that guy knows the anatomy of a woman's body.

Please let him f**k you, if he sleeps with you and you still don't climax, then we'll know something is truly wrong with you' she pleaded.

I was just staring at her, 'common say something sweets', i swallowed and licked my lips because suddenly my lips and throat were dry, 'but Kunle s ur boyfriend, how can i have sex with your man and how are you going to confuse or should I say convince Kunle o this crazy idea of yours if i say yes?' i asked?

fiyen le fun emi, I'll deal with Kunle  just agree to it first', she pressed on, don't you love him, i mean he's your boyfriend? Isn't he? for God sake! i said, 'bf my foot!

I don't love him, I'm just keeping him for the good love making, besides the dude has two other girls i know of so what's the big deal and you sef know say i wan break up with am sef, so let him help my friend out before i dispose of him.

You know I'll do anything for you now', she said, i thought about it, though what she's proposing is crazy but darn, i have to cum soon, i need to experience an orgasm, i cant continue like this, 'oh ok', i whispered!

She hugged me tight and said "You wont regret this i promise sweets". "I hope so", I replied [to be continued]

Love, Lust and Money:

By: Olatorera - @sexitee03

Edited by: @tonyobj

In Part 1 of Love, Lust and money! (My friend, Her boyfriend and I):

We've learnt?

Joke has told of us of her rather somewhat situation of not being able to reach the height of sensual satisfaction.

In 5 years of her having sexual intercourse; she's had 8 partners. None of them have been able to help.

Tola her best friend, wants her to think out of the box; be more adventurous...dump her bf Niyi and get someone else to give her the thrill of womanhood.

So what's your take on Joke's problem? What do you think her actions would be?

Send your comments and Suggestion.

Follow on Twitter:

Olatorera - @sexitee03

Tony Obijeih - @tonyobj

Watch out for Part 2 of Love, Lust and money! (My friend, Her boyfriend and I.)

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Bulgarian Government Resigns Over Protests

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, tendered his governments resignation today, Wednesday February 20, 2012. Just 2 days after sacking his Finance Minister for not moving fast enough to liberalise the country's enery industry.

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PM Boyko Borisov blamed police brutality for his decision to resign after 25 protesters were taken to the hospital after Tuesday's clashes. He said "I will not participate in a government where police are beating people. It is the people who put us in power and we have decided to hand over power back to the people in the face of the current situation." He assured lawmakers that members of his GERB party would not be a part of the caretaker 
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He also stated that they will perform their functions until the election of a new Cabinet and they will do everything possible to ensure continuity," Borisov said in the formal resignation letter read to parliament, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.

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What's the BIGGY About Cover Letters?

Find below some frequently asked questions about Cover letters. Find out why cover letters are necessary and some of the common mistakes we make while preparing our cover letters.

1. Why is a cover letter necessary?

A cover letter should always accompany your CV. Few employers will seriously consider a CV without a letter. A cover letter tells the employer exactly what kind of job you want to do and tailors your qualifications to that job.

Frequently the job-seeker will see this line in a rejection letter: "We chose the candidate who provided the best fit with our needs." The cover letter is the way to show an employer how you fit the company's needs.

Given the screening process, a cover letter may have as few as 20 seconds to grab an employer's attention. A well-written, interesting cover letter that opens a window on your personality has a much better chance of enticing the employer to interview you than a boring, formulaic one.

2. What are the biggest mistakes cover-letter writers make?

• Addressing the letter to "Dear Personnel Director," ''Dear Human Resource Manager,'' "To Whom It May Concern," "Dear Sir or Madam" (or worse, "Dear Sirs") instead of a named individual. Most employers toss cover letters in the circular file if they are not addressed to him personally. "To Whom It May Concern" shows the employer that you were not concerned enough to find out the name of the person with the hiring power.
• Telling the employer what the company can do for you instead of what you can do for the company. This mistake is particularly common among new college graduates and other inexperienced job-seekers. In most cases, employers are in business to make a profit. They want to know what you can do for their bottom line, not what they can do to fulfill your career dreams.
• Leaving the ball in the employer's court. Too many cover letters end with a line like this: "If you are interested in my qualifications, please call me." Proactive cover letters, in which the job-seeker requests an interview and promises to follow up with a phone call, are far more effective.
• Overusing “I.” It’s okay to refer to yourself, but not in every sentence. Remember to use “you” even more. Show the “you” to whom you are writing that you’re more concerned with meeting his or her needs than meeting your own.
• Exaggerating your experience. Don’t “stretch” anything you say. Be completely truthful while still presenting yourself in the best possible light.
• Forgetting to give the employer a way to contact you. Never forget to include your phone number or email address or both. How will the employer let you know about your upcoming interview if he or she can’t call and tell you about it?
• Forgetting to sign the letter or to attach your CV.

3. How do I Make my Cover Letter Stand Out?

• Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). An advertising term, the USP is the one thing that makes you better qualified to do the job than anyone else. The USP should answer the question: "Why should I hire this person?"
• Be yourself. A “formula” approach is fine, but each letter should reflect your personality and your enthusiasm. Let it shine through. Take pride in who you are and what you’ve done. The reader is looking for a human being, a person who knows what he or she can offer and can express it well.
• Clearer expression. Most people come close to expressing what they really want to say but usually miss the target. Take the time to craft your words and sentences to mean exactly what you intend and you’ll be in great shape. Ask others to review your letter/CV to ensure that you’re communicating what you want to say.
• Write in the active tense. Active verbs are the key when writing cover letters and CV. Instead of saying, “...my best attributes include team play and motivating people,” say “I’m a dedicated team player who can motivate people…” The latter promises a go-getter employee – someone who can take action instead of waiting to be led by the hand.

4. Can't I just mass-produce the same letter to all the companies for which I'm interested in working?
Never -- unless you use word-processing equipment that enables you to personalize each letter and include at least one paragraph specifically revealing your knowledge about each company and how you can meet its needs. Nothing turns off an employer faster than getting a letter that looks like the same one everyone else is getting. Why bother to do a cover letter if you don't tailor it to the company and position you want?

Hope this has answered one or more of your questions? If you have more questions or answers, kindly use the comment space below.

Shop Lock

If you are unmarried, store this as info to use when you do get married. For the married, please share with your spouse.

MANY sisters have boasted in my presence of how often they have had to 'lock shop' early, or how they lock shop for weeks, sometimes months, in order to teach hubby a lesson or just to spite him. These sisters are of the impression that they can do as they please, because they have the shop keys. As a result, they lock shop for every little thing, without giving consideration to the 'shopper'.

There are exceptions to every rule, and opinions will sometimes differ. However, where shop-locking is concerned, my philosophy is that shop should remain open at all times. I agree that teeth and tongue will meet, but shop-locking should never be used as a weapon or tool in conflict resolution. Couples should find suitable ways to solve problems.

It is a fact that not all 'shops' have a common closing time. As a matter of fact when one shop door closes, another is usually right around the corner with a big neon sign that blinks 'OPEN FOR BUSINESS'. Be wary of shops that are open late! The goods they stock are usually illegal, contaminated or expired. Ladies, if you or hubby should get sick or go to an early grave, let it not be due to consumption of tainted goods from another woman's shop.

Shop-locking adds fuel to fire in most cases. Women should never be fooled into believing that by putting up a 'CLOSED' sign on the shop door they are on their way to problem solving. Women, a hungry man will not allow himself to starve to death. Some will stop at nothing in their quest to satisfy their seemingly insatiable hunger. They will accept anything, whether hot and spicy or cold and icy. Some men will eat food not for taste, but for mere survival. They eat to live, to satisfy a need. That, my friends, is the nature of man.

When shop locks, who suffers more? In reality isn't it the shopkeeper more than the shopper? Sisters, please, I implore you, learn from the immigrants who come and set up shop on our soil, and keep shop open. Stop closing shop for every little thing. Open shop in shop seasons. Open shop on holidays. Open shop late at nights. Open shop during storm and hurricane. Open shop when shop should be open.

Even the well-bred man who eats out and scrupulously cleans his hands and mouth will bring home even a morsel from his street meal. Visualise what could happen when shop reopens for business as usual and some of his contaminated crumbs fall onto your plate. Imagine that you would have contributed to this scenario by locking shop. Always leave your shop open to your man. A word to the wise is sufficient!