Chic Geek says:

I like this question, because I am also in need of some positive thoughts to enter into the new year. 2012 as a concept has always been a bit stressful to me (no, I don't think aliens will invade...but...well, you never know...) so let's all think happy thoughts and enjoy some of my favorite quotes and good things to look forward to below.

Please share your positive/inspiration quotes for 2012 in the comments.

Quotes:

-- "Every day, in every way, it's getting better and better..." -- John Lennon

-- "It is sometimes a mistake to climb. It is always a mistake never even to make the attempt." -- Neil Gaiman, Sandman

-- "There's someone out there for everyone, even if you need a pickaxe, a compass, and night goggles to find them." -- Steve Martin, L.A. Story

-- "Move on/stop worrying where you're going/just keep moving on..." -- Stephen Sondheim

Stuff to look forward to:

-- The Walking Dead comes back in February, Mad Men in March or April and Game of Thrones in April.

--- Hunger Games is in March.

-- The Avengers is out in May

-- New albums by Sleigh Bells, Lana Del Rey, Nicki Minaj, Leonard Cohen, The Shins, Air, Tyler the Creator, Ting Tings, Wu-Tang Clan, Silversun Pick-Ups, Metric, Grizzly Bear, MGMT, The Walkmen, Bloc Party, Tegan & Sara, D'Angelo (yeah, I'll believe it when I see it...) and The Cranberries for crying out loud...

-- The Dark Knight Rises is out in July

-- The Amazing Spider-Man is also in July

-- Pixar's Brave features their first female heroine and looks great

-- New Final Fantasy, BioShock, Mass Effect, Halo, Metal Gear, and Grand Theft Auto games

-- The PlayStation Vita and Wii U video game systems both look interesting

-- Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tim Burton, Hayao Miyazaki and Terence Malick all have movies out this year

-- The Hobbit is out next Christmas

Cool thoughts:

-- We have another year of fun/crazy/heartwarming/scandalous/outrageous questions and answers to look forward to!

Funny Guy's Line of the Piece: "Wes Anderson, Paul Thomas Anderson, Tim Burton, Hayao Miyazaki and Terence Malick all have movies out this year"
Say what you will about Chic Geek as a world class gymnast, but the fella has his pimp Finger on the pulse of what's hot.

I find underwear in the nightstand, later 2 condoms gone, naked texts from several women, bff w/ex (ex is married). He says he didn't know panties were there, masturbates in condoms sometimes, and haven't asked about nudes. He says I am the only one, beautiful, never cheats, and he cares about me. What do you think?

Girls' BFF says:

Well, I think that your guy is cheating on you. With whom? I have no clue. But if you're finding that stuff and there's no plausible other real explanation, then I'm inclined to fall into the old adage that if it looks, walks, and quacks like a duck, its probably a duck.

Of course your boyfriend is going to say that you're beautiful. You probably are. Of course he's going to say that he never cheats. Why would he tell you that he does. You seem possibly content with being oblivious. And yes, he cares about you.

None of that means he isn't cheating. If anything, he's careless and inconsiderate. I'm not a fan of cheating nor do I condone the practice. But if you have to do so, at least have enough respect to keep it hidden from your partner. Don't make a fool out of them. You finding underwear in the nightstand is rude. He could have used the condoms to beat his own meat but given the rest of the information I find it unlikely.

I think he's cheating. But I don't know. All you have in this world is your gut feeling. If your gut is telling you that he's doing you wrong then I'd follow that. If you truly believe in your heart of hearts that he's not cheating, then stay. Just don't pretend that you don't have enough circumstantial evidence to convict.

Funny Guy's Line of the Piece: "All you have in this world is your gut feeling."
Simple, but true. As we get older we realize, holy crap nobody really knows anything do they? The gut is a great tool. It's our biological GPS. Gut Positioning System.

You usually answer the odd/complicated questions, so here's my issue. My school's in Cali and am TERRIFIED of earthquakes. It interferes with my daily life and keeps me up at night freaking out. I'm okay when I leave, so I know that if I moved somewhere else I'd be fine. Is moving away copping out of a legit solution?

Mystery Man says:

Quakes scare the crap out of me too. There is something very unnerving about the ground beneath your feet suddenly deciding to dance.

Rationally, there is no reason for fear. Being in California, you are several hundred times more likely to be killed in traffic, or murdered, or choked by smog or taxed to death than have an earthquake do anything more than mildly inconvenience you by spilling your coffee.

Face your fear. Stare that sucker down.

Why does the thought of quakes freak you out so much? Absolutely every fear has a reason. As babies, we fear nothing until we are taught to. What taught you to fear earthquakes?

Is there a mismatch between what you fear and the reality? As in, when you are actually in a quake, are you paralysed by terror or reasonably functional? If you are reasonably functional, you have the imagination effect screwing with your head. The tendancy for you to see things much more terrifying than they are in reality. After all, since Christmas, according to the US Geological Survey, there has been roughly one quake per day in Ca. Most of them so small you don't even notice, with the biggest being a 3.6. That is about as much vibration as an idling car.

Not helping, is it. Fears have very little to do with rational thought. They just are.

That is OK. Letting them rule your life - not OK. To use a mildly sexist saying, "A fearless man is a stupid man. A man that faces his fears and gets on with his life is a real man."

Time to man up.

I ain't going to tell you not to move. That would be both foolish and immoral of me. I will say though, that running away can become a habit. One thing I learned the hard way, if you are going to run, run towards something not away from something.

One final thing - from Frank Herbert. I say this every day, it might help you.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Good luck.

Funny Guy's Line of the Piece: One thing I learned the hard way, if you are going to run, run towards something not away from something."
Yes, and I'd also add if you're going to run make sure to stretch and hydrate (physically and emotionally).

I don't want to keep living together and not be married. If I give him an ultimatum will that make him marry me?

Reformed Player says:

Well, it'll get you a decision, one way or the other. But some finesse might be called for.

Here's the key thing to ask yourself: do you want to be married to this guy? Do you love him? I'm asking because if so, it's not coming through in the question.

If the answer is yes, then tell him you want to take the next step, but don't put him on the spot yet. But put it out there and see how he reacts, and go from there.

Funny Guy's Line of the Piece: "Well, it'll get you a decision, one way or the other."
As RF plainly points eventually there's only one way to find out X Y or Z . Ask. Ask and you shall receive your answer. It might not be what you want to hear, but at least it's out there and not out there in the murky world of who knows.

Hey Cary! Merry Christmas. You answered a Q of mine a year ago, and it made all the difference in the world. Just wanted to say that you changed my life, literally, and I'm so much happier now. So, thank you. And I wish you all the best :-)

Wise-Ass says:

Wow. I love hearing things like this. You just made my week.

Thanks very much for writing to say so. I'm glad I was able to help. I wish you all the best as well.

CM

Funny Guy's Line of the Piece: "You answered a Q of mine a year ago, and it made all the difference in the world"

Technically not penned by WA, but in a round-about-way authored by him.

You see readers, the system works! Proof that between the wang jokes, snarky one liners and gut jiggling prose we actually give solid and meaningful advice. Keep it coming in 2012!

Like the Williams' sisters, we're ready to serve. And, have massively powerful thighs.