Cosmo's Save Your Hide Guide.(Brief Article)

Sometimes you just can't help giving in to your darker urges. And to get away with those (rare) devilish deeds, you need to act fast to cover your ass. We show you how.

* We can't be angels all the time. There are simply some occasions in life when you have to honor the rebel in you and put dark desire before duty. You know...stay out till all hours on a weeknight, see your ex at the risk of having your current boyfriend flip out--minor felonies like that. But, as we can all attest, there can be a nasty consequence to breaking the rules: getting caught. The trick to getting away with such outlaw activities is taking some smart, simple precautions to preserve your good-girl rep before you commit the crime. Below, our highly controversial strategies to cover your ass (code: CYA) so you can be bad without getting busted. Just please don't tell anyone where you learned them.

Doozy Dilemma 1

You haven't even put a dent in a work project, and the update meeting is first thing tomorrow. But...your favorite band's in town, so you decide to ditch work duties and indulge in a wild night.

THE BEST WAY TO CYA

The first step to concealing your slack attack is to create the illusion that you've done tons of research by bringing all the preliminary notes and memos you have to the meeting in a folder bearing the project name. And don't cower in your seat and risk getting called on by the boss--a sure sign you have little to contribute. Instead, volunteer any info you know, even if it's merely building off a coworker's idea. As soon as someone throws out a thought that strikes a chord with you, jump in and say, "I think Sheila's really on to something. I've been finding the same results. Perhaps we could use this opportunity to get people's opinions on the matter...." This not only throws the spotlight off of you and back at the group, it will also get you off the hook to say something brilliant later.

Doozy Dilemma 2