When is it really time to call it quits....with a friend or lover?

How do you know when something is really over. Whether it is a relationship with a friend, or lover? When is it just time to give up , cut your losses and move on?
Over the past month or so i have been noticing a difference in some of my friendships. I have begun to notice people changing, or maybe it is me changing. Either way, i can feel the other person slipping away, and yet i have no idea what to do to stop it from happening. For example, My best friend (whom i have been incredibly close to since about eighth grade), no longer seems to have interest in getting together just to sit around and talk, or go out to dinner just to catch up on the past days events. Instead he chooses to consume every last ounce of time and energy with another individual, in this case, his girlfriend.
Now i did not begin to explain this dilemma in an attempt to either get some sort of pity or some sort of cathardic whining and complaining forum, but really all i want to do is try and figure out when it is really time to give up and move on. Most of us at one time or another, have experienced this with a friend or romantic relationship. Sometimes, nothing is wrong exactly, the two people are just no longer the people they were when they began the relationship.
In looking back on my past relationships it is clear that my last serious relationship simply didnt work because both of us grew into different people than we were years earlier. Does this really happen with friends too? Do friendships really have an expiration date?
Also related to this, is staying friends with someone you were once romantically involved with? Is it even possible. In my experience it isnt. And even when a sincere attempt is made, it usually involves a conversation littered with kniving little comments, intentional hidden insults, and in the end usually an excessive amount of tears at the end of the night by one or both of the people involved. You see, the problem is that when you know someone as well as you know an ex, you know exactly how to hurt them, where to hurt them, and even worst of all, how to kick them when they are down. So really, in my experience it is very veryt unlikely that any ex-relationship could turn into a healthy friendhship. What do u think?

Back from the Weekend....

This past weekend, i had a skating carnival in plattsville. For most people it isnt a very big deal, however for those of us in it, it is ALOT of hard work and LONG HOURS put into what seems like 3 extremely short shows. It seemed like each show was like 20 minutes when in reality they were each about 2 full hours. Alot of friends and family fo the skaters came to help support us in our show and overall it went pretty well. We, as the skaters even choreographed a special tribute number for our coaches to show our immense appreciation and love for them. However, after this weekend. I am quite glad that it is over for now, just because it will be nice to have time to do nothing, and catch up on homework (like writers craft for example) that i haven't had time for the past two weeks.
On another note, in philosophy, i am in a debate about the potential banning of music videos that portray women in a derogatory or disrespectful way, with the inclusion of violent images involving women. I have strong feelings towards this banning as i feel that it is extremely inappropriate, that we as a society feel that it is important to censor and put special ratings on movies and television programs that contain controversial, violent, sexual or profane images, however, when it comes to having half naked girls dancing around in a music video to a song that contains numerous profanities, it is remarkable to me that we do not feel the obligation to protect our children from such images being aired during the daytime hours without so much as an indication that the upcoming video may be inappropriate for some audiences.
I think that it is impossible to monitor children 100% of the time, and therefore it is the responsibility of the broad casting authorities to make the call that these images are inappropriate in our society, and directly conflict with our society's values and something needs to be done immediately, to protect our youth from these inappropraite images that they will be exposed to, that could potentially cause the wrongful treatment and inequality of women.
Just my thoughts....and preparationf or my debate. Any comments?Let me know what you think...

Back from March Break....

Well, today was my first day back from March Break and as i walked into school today my reaction was anything but enthusiastic. The one week holiday that most of us recently had, was seemed like nothing but work for me. I worked 8 consecutive days starting thurs until friday ( nine and a half hour days) and to say the least, i did not feel refreshed at all after this work. Then i spent Saturday at a skating competition, which only exhausted me more. For all those fortunate people who were able to kick back, relax, and go some place hot i am definitely envious. Now, more than ever, i am pale pale pale and am very jealous of all you lucky ones with wonderful tans. So now, i am back at school and didnt have much of a vacation, but there is an upside...i get to see all my friends that i missed for that week and hear about all their great vacations. Until i manage to find a trip of my own to go on, i guess i will just need to live vicariously through all those tanned individuals we see in our halls. In the upcoming months i am looing forward to warm weather and summer clothes, and i can't wait to permanantly say goodbye to scraping off the car in the morning (well, at least until next winter).

What else is going on with me?Hmmm......well the idea of univeristy decision is still looming and is becoming more stressful than ever. How can you really know if you are making the right choice? I mean not only is it simply where you want to go and what you want to do, but its also such a huge financial decision, and if you make the wrong choice it could cost thousands. For now though, i am just trying to not be str essed and see what falls into place.