Problem is, people always treat me like crap because of it, so trying to see myself differently is a foreign concept. Any suggestions?

They're doing a very good job of hiding.

But I wonder, is there a way to penetrate the Hollywood-induced hypnosis of all the people out there who are that shallow or are they just lost causes?

No, I'm actually glad you mentioned it so that people don't get the wrong idea; I'm not a hypocrite and it's actually hypocrisy I'm trying to figure out by making this topic. I mean, are people happy being miserable just so they can have an impressive piece of arm candy to show off to their friends, or is there more to it than that?

I'm going to suggest getting on the phone with a family counselor. The kids can't possibly come out of this without some psychological scars and it's best to try and make sure those don't get bigger as they get older. If they learn to deal with it starting when they're young they're less likely to develop bigger problems later.

I don't come from a divorced family, rather a single-parent family from the get-go, and I wish someone had set me up with that kind of thing early on.

My first and only girlfriend was actually a girl bigger than me, and I thought she was gorgeous. So to answer your question, yes. It has to go both ways.

I've read both of Harris' books. The guy is a lunatic. He actually (not overtly but it's in "The End of Faith") advocates for a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the Muslim world. Really tugs at the heartstrings, this guy. Dawkins and Hitchens make much more sensible arguments than he does.

The way I've always looked at religion is this: When people think they have the answers (which religion claims to provide) they stop looking for them. The human race stagnates as a result. Not to mention, when people think they're right, they also tend to think they are superior, and hence we inevitably get things like the Inquisition and fundamentalists.

I'm not saying religion should be ditched, but there are superior ways of dealing with mysteries of life. Just as science can't provide all the answers, religion alone is not a solution to anything. If humanity can stop bickering over ridiculous notions and slay the monster of pride, maybe then we can all find the happy medium that satisfies everyone and gives us the answers we so desperately seek.

This is a problem I've been having my whole life. Women tend to just brush me off because of my appearance and even when I do have the opportunity to show them what kind of person I am on the inside, they still won't let it go beyond a simple friendship just because I'm heavy.

Yet I still cringe whenever I see a woman with a guy who (and the worst part is, these guys do it in public where everyone can see) treats them like absolute crap; yelling at them, ordering them around, insulting them. It hurts me so badly to think that women would rather be with a guy who looks good and is in good shape than be with a guy like me who isn't the easiest on the eyes but who would cherish and respect them.

Am I completely wrong about this or is the world really that messed up and I just have to deal with it?

Sitting around looking here for someone so I WON'T be alone, LOL. But yeah, a birthday is just another day. It just happens to be a Saturday so I don't have school to worry about. Yay.

But I'd just go out to eat or something and get free birthday desserts and stuff later.

Okay, I'll check them out. Thanks!

Where in the forums would you suggest? I kind of feel out of place since I'm not already in a relationship of some sort.

I wonder if anyone can help with something else-when I go to search for potential matches, virtually everyone in that list has been inactive for over a month so I feel like even having a great profile won't help if there's no one on here I'm compatible with to see it.

Well thank you, I appreciate the input. I am working on getting more and better pictures posted, so hopefully that should help some.

I would appreciate more feedback though, so anyone else should feel free to comment as well.

I am just wondering if there is anything wrong or missing from my profile. I haven't gotten any messages or replies so I need to know if there is something I should change or add. Thanks.

I'm trying to meet new people and the only people popping up under my matches are ones who haven't been on here in over a month. Am I being too picky or something, or is Sacramento just not really active these days?

LOL, that reminds me of that movie Falling Down where Michael Douglas scares the crap out of two old man golfers and then gives one of them a heart attack, and shoots the golf cart so the guy's medicine rolls away with it.

I think ending it on good terms is pretty darn important, if it comes to that. I did just sign on here to find friends, so if we can't end up with a successful relationship I still do want to be able to be at least friends.

Okay, so this IS something special then. I'm glad. She was the one making the moves, too, so that means the attraction is mutual and not one-sided. I've had unpleasant experiences with insincerity and I can tell this is genuine.

I'm dumbfounded I didn't hear anything about shoes in that.

8. If you can hear that noise and nobody else can, get out of the house immediately.
9. There is no general concensus on how long you can keep metal in the microwave without it exploding so don't be the only one to run an endurance test.

That's awesome. Reminds me of that one line from The Simpsons:
"Inflammable means flammable? What a country!"