Musings on Life and Love

This is a comprehensive and chronological index of the articles that have been published on Musings on Life and Love.

Why I Gave Up Teaching
And why other teachers soldier on
By Dennis Hong

I Almost Missed An Opportunity That Changed My Life
A lesson on recognizing opportunity
By Dennis Hong

The Problem Of Modern Medicine
When your job is prevention, how will people ever know when you’ve done your job?
By Dennis Hong

When Is It Okay To Wear Leggings As Pants?
The fine line between fashion advice and unnecessary judgment
By Dennis Hong

What 21 Couples Taught Me About Love
If you want to learn about love, maybe you should ask those who’ve made it work
By Anna Bowen

Of Marriage Proposals And Porn
Why public marriage proposals are basically porn
By Dennis Hong

The Gifts That Make Teaching Worthwhile
When you hear from a former student 30 years later….
By Marc Severson

Grieving From Afar
How should we react when someone we didn’t know well passes away?
By Dennis Hong

How I Added A Side Of Spicy To My Life As A Working Mother
A working mother finds some creative solutions to add sexiness back into her life
By Olivia Alexander

I Traveled The World, Trying To Find My Home
If you’ve lived all over the home, which place do you call home?
By Amy Ewen

The High-Tech Solution To All My Dating Problems
How a technical manual changed her dating life around
By Olivia Alexander

“Why Don’t I Receive Much Attention From Men?”
Dennis answers an all-too-common question
By Dennis Hong

I Feel The Same Way About Meetings As My Students Feel About School
An epiphany about staff meetings
By Dennis Hong

I’m An Awkward Hugger
Uh… hello… *high-five*
By Dennis Hong

How I Played A Player
It wasn’t too hard
By Olivia Alexander

Why You Should Be Worried If You Feel Chemistry On A First Date
Beware of butterflies!
By Dennis Hong

I Grew Up Thinking “I Know” Is How You Respond To “I Love You”
Learning about love and romance from Star Wars
By Dennis Hong

Spoiled By Early Success
What happens when you “peak” in high school?
By Mary Jo Cramb

Maybe There’s A Reason He’s Not Listening
When we need someone to keep us grounded
By Katie Gard

My Teacher Made Me Ashamed To Be An Introvert
The power that a teacher’s offhand comment had
By Dennis Hong

Life Is Too Good Not To Breathe
Reflections from a life-long smoker
By Peter Loggins

My Mother Married A Jack-Ass
How do you deal with a mocking stepfather?
By Karen Zaun Kennedy

School Shootings – A Personal Perspective On Why They Happen
What drove a boy to carry a gun to school one day?
By Will Childers

Can I Be A Mom And Still Be Me?
What do you have to give up when you become a mother?
By Mary Jo Cramb

The Day I Realized I’m A Bad Boy
Your whole life, you think you’re a “nice guy.” What happens when one comment by a close friend shatters that?
By Anonymous

Seeking Perfection By Being Imperfect
How do you deal with a child who craves perfection?
By Stacey Tompkins

I Wish Cars Had A “My Bad” Horn
A potential cure for road rage?
By Dennis Hong

Why You Can’t Prove (Or Disprove) That God Exists
Why science and religion are not mutually exclusive
By Dennis Hong

I Blame Your Shitty Kids On Your Shitty Parenting
The rotten apples usually grow from the rotten apple tree
By Dennis Hong

How I Pissed Off A Bunch Of Asian Women On The Internet
Why Asian men get no respect in the dating world
By Dennis Hong

A Little (Ruthless) Mocking Only Made Me A Better Person
Call it “tough love”
By Dennis Hong

If You Can’t Change The World, Change Yourself
Because the world will always be full of shitty people
By Dennis Hong

Overcoming Huge Bouncers And Tall Fences To Get A Phone Number
Winning for the little guy
By Rick Allan

Your Team Doesn’t Always Have To Win
Reflections on the death of a football legend
By Jon Shellhammer

When A Man Has What It Takes
To the men who set the bar high
By Darcy Dates

I’m Still Learning How To Say No
An uncomfortable story of unwanted advances
By Erica Sager

Dear Politics: Please Pick Your Battles
Take a lesson from my mom, will you?
By Dennis Hong

The Boy Who Only Wanted One Thing
Otherwise known as the boy with the lizard tongue
By Fleur Phillips

The Boy Who Got Away (With It)
The trials and tribulations of childhood romance
By Fleur Phillips

Can You “Hear” What You Read And Write?
A fun game… to tangle up your mind
By Dennis Hong

Let’s Talk About Dating And Relationships!
Announcing our new group dating advice site!
By Musings on Life and Love

It’s Okay, I’m A Doctor — It Says So Right Here On My…
Always ready to lend an unqualified medical hand
By Dennis Hong

Does Christianity Have A Place In Professional Football?
Weighing in on the merits of on-field prayer
By Jon Shellhammer

The Ricktastic Guide To Proper Booty Call Etiquette
Also known as, “don’t try to turn a booty call into a relationship”
By Rick Allan

When Ordinary People Turn Into Trolls
The fine line between being helpful and being a troll
By Dennis Hong

Losing My Motivation
Trying not to let a genetic condition get me down
By Dennis Hong

Thoughts From A Two-Week-Old Mother
The lessons a mother can learn from her two-week-old
By Wendy Atterberry

Desperately Seeking The Friend Zone
What happens when you want to be in the friend zone?
By Jennifer Hamilton

Once A Cheater, Never Again A Cheater
Why simple rules about people are often wrong
By Jennifer Witt

(Almost) Over You
How something seemingly insignificant can bring back feelings from the past
By Catherine Gryp

My Ex-Boyfriend Isn’t My Friend Anymore
The sad inevitability of drifting apart
By Lady Bee

I’m Choosing Contentment Over Conformity
Choosing between religion and happiness
By Anonymous

How I Know He’s Just That Into Me
It’s not what he says, it’s how much he sweats for me
By Miss Bonnified

My Not-Quite-So-World-Changing Dream
I’m no MLK, but this one means something personally to me
By Dennis Hong

Casual Sex Isn’t As Great As I Thought It Would Be
Guys can feel used, too
By Isaac Kennedy

Sex Is The Most Important Part Of A Marriage
Everything else, you can get from someone else
By Jennifer Witt

When Saying “I Love You” Matters Most
It’s not when everything’s going smoothly
By Jennifer Hamilton

How Women Reinforce Douchebaggery
Is your dating history a minefield of douchebags?
By Shaun S.

Leading A Balanced Life Doesn’t Come Easy For Me
The art of juggling life
By Lady Bee

Love Conquers All
But not love for who you think
By Catherine Gryp

I Hate Myself, But In A Good Way
Turning self-hate into something productive
By Isaac Kennedy

To Be Strong Is To Show Our Weakness
It’s easy to live life at the extremes. It’s not so easy to find that happy middle.
By Dennis Hong

Sex With An Ex Sucks
Well, maybe not the sex itself, but certainly the consequences
By Jasmine Curry

When Did “Trying Too Hard” Become A Bad Thing?
There’s a fine line between trying hard and creepy desperate
By Dennis Hong

Bonnie’s Rules For Kindergarten, Bachelor Parties, And Life In General
Who knew the rules we learned in kindergarten would apply to bachelor parties, too?
By Miss Bonnified

No Romance For Me, Please
Just cut the cheese now, okay?
By Lady Bee

The Little Victories At Work
Getting paid to talk smack about the boss
By Isaac Kennedy

Standardized Testing, Merit Pay, And Misaligned Incentives In the American Education System
What I actually teach in the classroom
By Dennis Hong

I Never Thought I Would Lose My Job, Part 2
Final score: Rebecca – 1, Unemployment – 0
By Rebecca Sullins

One Man’s Hookup Is Another Woman’s Boyfriend
Oh, the skeletons some people have in their closet
By Kevin Kwong

My Hot Date Didn’t Look So Good Upon Further Inspection
Sometimes, we just have to cut our losses
By Darcy Dates

I Never Thought I Would Lose My Job, Part 1
The recession hits even the best of us
By Rebecca Sullins

Why Can’t Men Learn To Read Women’s Minds?
Is it really all that hard?
By Katie Gard

If I Chase You, I May Fall For You
If I’m interested, I may still mess it all up
By Rick Ahlgren

If You Chase Me, You’ll Never Catch Me
If I’m interested, I will pursue you
By Rick Ahlgren

Fair Skin, Foul Play
How much skin color really does matter
By Reena Malhotra

How To Save Your Relationship While Planning A Wedding
Don’t forget about the marriage
By Miss Bonnified

My Mama Needs Her Daughter Right Now
The special bond between a mother and her male daughter
By Danny Braciole

We Weren’t Having Sex, But I Was Still Getting Screwed
Damn you, biology!
By Dennis Hong

Why Do We Look Back On Past Love?
Is it okay to reminisce about our exes?
By Kat Richter

Freedom Means I Have Nothing Left To Lose
Is it possible to be with someone and still have our freedom?
By Danny Braciole

May The Forced Small Talk Be With You
Really, small talk is our friend
By Matt Sanchelli

The Valentine’s Striptease That Almost Broke My Neck
I blame my husband
By Katie Gard

Working With Your Husband Is Tricky Business
But at least he gets to sleep with his secretary
By Jennifer Witt

Death Of A Patient, A Father, A Husband
A lesson learned in the emergency room
By Reena Malhotra

How I Fucked Up My Own Game
Because maybe she’s playing it, too
By Danny Braciole

The Lion And The Panda
Can opposites really get along?
By Allison Schein

A White Girl Can Dream, Too
Am I raising a racist?
By Jasmine Curry

Mathematical Proof That Women Are Just As Promiscuous As Men
Don’t believe what the surveys say
By Dennis Hong

Playing It Cool Isn’t Cool Anymore
Forget the three-day rule. Just call her.
By Danny Braciole

Screw You, Christmas Spirit!
I’m canceling Christmas this year
By Jasmine Curry

I’ve Become My Own Worst Nightmare
Damn, my mother was right
By Rebecca Sullins

Wasting Away In The Friend Zone
Definitely not as fun as Margaritaville
By Dennis Hong

Caught In A Blizzard Of Little White Lies
A few harmless snowflakes can add up
By Meg Pierce

I Put Men In Boxes
And they’d better stay in there
By Jasmine Curry

Is Honesty Really The Best Policy?
An awkward situation with a family friend
By Jennifer Hamilton

No, He’s Not My Daddy
But he does share his walker with me!
By Julie Hartley

Pumpkin Patches And Bumble Bees – A Girlfriend’s Guide To Football
How a girlfriend can appreciate football, too
By Miss Bonnified

The Curse Of The Red Flag
Why do we ignore all the warning signs?
By Jasmine Curry

The Ex-Girlfriend Speaks Up
Uh oh
By Katie M.

True Friends Stab You In The Front
You really need to grow a pair!
By Rebecca Sullins

Monogamy Is A Load Of Crap
Science calls shenanigans on monogamy
By Dennis Hong

The Losses I Keep
What a rough day means to me
By Danny Braciole

I Can Have My Bacon And Eat It, Too
Bacon: God’s way of testing Jews
By Allison Schein

The Hardest Job Everyone Thinks They Can Do
Can you?
By Dennis Hong

He Might Be A Sugar Daddy
And he wants me to be his mistress!
By Kat Richter

I’m Picky, And I’m Proud Of It
Life is too short for bad food–and bad boyfriends
By Allison Schein

He Loves Me, He’s Just Not In Love With Me
How am I still stuck in the friend zone?
By Meg Pierce

Me And Bad Boy McGee
A great–if not unexpected–reason to swear off bad boys
By Alex O’Sullivan

I Date Outside My Race Because My Race Won’t Date Me
Surprising stats from Match.com
By Dennis Hong

What’s Wrong With Online Dating?
Enough with the stigma
By Allison Schein

Making The Case For The Single Guy
The perpetually single man’s lifestyle–perhaps not as disgraceful as you believe
By Danny Braciole

Voluntary Insanity
Living life on the edge
By Cameron Livermore

In Defense Of The Friend Zone
What’s wrong with having opposite-sex friends?
By Meg Pierce

I Can’t Make You Love Me, So Why Am I Here?
We can’t pick our family. So what do we do when they don’t love us?
By Kat Fenn

When The Alpha Male Is Just A Betta Fish
Don’t believe the posturing of the beta male
By David K.

Breaking Up Is Hard… For Your Friends, Too!
We’re the ones who have to figure out how to make you feel better
By Julie Hartley

There’s A Fine Line Between Smart And Ass
Sometimes it’s easy to cross the line from sarcastic to offensive
By Dennis Hong

Seven Reasons I Love Being Single
Savor your singleness, not wallow in it
By Meg Pierce

Nice Guys Finish First
Don’t believe the popular saying!
By Miss Bonnified

My Absolute Dealbreaker
The dealbreaker to trump all dealbreakers
By Dennis Hong

The Progression Of A Breakup
The arduous road to healing from a breakup
By Jennifer Hamilton

How I Get A Girl To Break Up With Me
Just call me Mr. Douchebag
By Dennis Hong

The Truth About The “One”
How we really can find our “One”
By Mariah Sandoval

Pursuing Your Perfect 10
A lesson from Marilyn Monroe
By Meg Pierce

Intellect Required
Debunking the “opposites attract” myth
By Allison Schein

In Search Of Certainty
It was a civil breakup. But was it the right thing to do?
By Dennis Hong

Stranded, Dumped And Rejected—Oh My!
Breakup lessons from a volcano
By Jennifer Hamilton

The Bane Of Friendship
Ah, friendship. The last bastion of the freshly dumped.
By Dennis Hong

A Boyfriend’s Guide To Women And Musical Theatre
What musical theatre teaches men about women
By Jennifer Hamilton

Grief
Happiness isn’t something that happens to you. It’s something you have to make for yourself.
By Alex O’Sullivan

Top 10 Ways To Make A Relationship Last – The Hard Ones!
And now, the high-hanging fruits
By Jennifer Hamilton

Should You Post That Status Update?
How to make sure your status update doesn’t end up on Lamebook
By Dennis Hong

Romance And Fairy Tale Syndrome
The search for our fairy tale ending
By Rikki Marzan

My “Ah-Ha!” Moment
Sometimes, we have to think about more than just romantic love
By Jasmine Curry

That Guy Was My Friend, Part 2
Dedicated to Jacob Faust, 1980-2005
By Dennis Hong

That Guy Was My Friend, Part 1
Dedicated to Jacob Faust, 1980-2005
By Dennis Hong

I Need A Wife!!
Don’t we all?
By Jasmine Curry

Defensive Un-Kissing
How not to date your barber
By Jennifer Hamilton

5 Lessons I Learned In Alaska
“How to see Russia from your house” is not one of them
By Traci Lopez

Are You Annoying?
A handy-dandy test to find out!
By Dennis Hong

Surprise! She Has A Kid. Now What?
Don’t suggest tying up the kid, for starters
By Meg Pierce

Butterflies
Annoying little moths? Or symbols of something special?
By Meg Pierce

Do It Like They Do On The Discovery Channel
You and me, baby, ain’t nothin’ but mammals
By Miss Bonnified

The Cursable Case Of The Sneak-A-Break
The Red Ryder carbine-action, two-hundred-shot range model on the Christmas list of cowardice
By Dennis Hong

Five Signs Of The Guypocalypse
What exactly is it that women are hiding?
By Dennis Hong

Un-Magic Number
Curiosity kills more than the cat
By Miss Bonnified

Things My Two-Year-Old Has Taught Me
Take a look at life through the eyes of a toddler!
By Jasmine Curry

Numbers Don’t Count For Everything
Remember, quality, not quantity
By Meg Pierce

The Eternal Quest For The Quick Fix
A not-so-complimentary commentary on today’s society
By Dennis Hong

What Not To Do On Your Honeymoon
For one, don’t lose your wedding ring
By Jon Shellhammer

Hot Guy And Nice Guy Walk Into A Party
Advice for guys on how to hook up at a party
By Meg Pierce

Top 8 Ways To Make A Relationship Last—The Easy Ones!
Let’s start with the low-hanging fruit
By Jennifer Hamilton

In Search Of Deserve
Who or what do you deserve? And do you have the strength to find it?
By Denice Blue

The Ex Factor
You can learn a lot about a guy from his exes
By Meg Pierce

How Awesome Are You?
Use this handy guide to calculate your personal awesomeness
By Dennis Hong

Everything I Know About Dating I Learned From Hockey
Who knew hockey was such a romantic sport?
By Dennis Hong

Dump As I Say, Not As I Do
Five tried-and-true ways NOT to break up with a guy
By Meg Pierce

The One With Coasters
A simple exercise in decorating coasters reveals the differences between men and women for this newlywed
By Jon Shellhammer

The Mercy Of Gift
Are you a sucker for the mercy gift? Perhaps this woman’s story will help you figure it out.
By Dennis Hong

Everything I Know About Dating I Learned From Surfing
Catch the parallels
By Meg Pierce

Can’t Get Fooled Again
How to identify patterns of maladaptive behavior, featuring the sage words of former President George W. Bush.
By Dennis Hong

Let’s Work It Out
All work and no play make Scott a dull boy
By Scott Joiner

Top Ten Guy’s Worst Nightmares
It’s not easy being a guy. Can you imagine living with nightmares like these?
By Dennis Hong

12 Lessons I Learned From Our Mexican “Unvacation”
Well, at least I learned something from all this
By Dennis Hong

Buckets And Buckets Of Lemonade!
How a relaxing family vacation turned into the ultimate “unvacation”
By Dennis Hong

My Ultimate Confession
Don’t blame me. Blame natural selection.
By Dennis Hong

Dennis’s Online Dating Dictionary
You, too, can enjoy a meal at Denny’s
By Dennis Hong

What About Walt?
An alternate perspective on a familiar story
By Dennis Hong

Tell Me About The Booger In My Nose
It’s the least you can do
By Dennis Hong

Just Be Yourself (Unless You’re Ugly)
I’m not going to sugarcoat things for the ugly people out there. But hey, here’s what you can do to make yourself more beautiful.
By Dennis Hong

Top Ten Reasons We’d Rather Use Facebook To Ask You Out
Nowadays, guys don’t even have to ask for girls’ phone numbers anymore. We just look you up on Facebook! Ever wonder why we do this?
By Dennis Hong

The Curious Case Of The Sneak-A-Date
Ladies, have you ever been on a date and not realized that you were on a date? Read on to find out how it happens.
By Dennis Hong

Determined Derek Double Dips
A group of online friends weigh in on the practice of “double dipping”
By Dennis Hong

Can You Spare Some Change?
As common wisdom tells us, when we’re involved with someone, we can’t expect them to change. Or can we?
By Dennis Hong

You (WHAT) want your cake? And (YOU’RE KIDDING ME) eat it, too?!?
My story of a girl who tried to create her own Frankenstein Monster of love
By Dennis Hong

When Baggage Turns To Issues
We all have baggage. But how does baggage turn into issues?
By Dennis Hong

Six (Billion) Simple Rules Guaranteed To Help You Find The “One”!
Finally, I have all the tips you’ll ever need to find true love. Guaranteed!
By Dennis Hong

Check Your Baggage, Please
How I once made a girl cry on a first date
By Dennis Hong

Love’s Greatest Irony
Why I’m more difficult around the women I actually care for
By Dennis Hong

There’s No Crying The Second Time Around
If we find ourselves repeating a past mistake, can we reasonably expect our friends to be sympathetic?
By Dennis Hong

Walk Away
Are compassionate people really just serving their own interests?
By Dennis Hong