CAN CUCKOLDING BE GOOD FOR RELATIONSHIPS?

Photo from CNN.com

Apparently some psychologists have gone off the deep end, and may require some psychotherapy of their own. They now claim cuckolding can be good for some relationships. This kind of thing is beyond my understanding. Perhaps I've been fortunate enough to have a loving marriage, we make sacrifices for each other; but I can honestly claim that I am happily married. The thought of my wife engaging in sexual relations with some other man is abhorrent to me, it would immediately end our relationship. My wife thinks the same way, she would leave if I had relations with some other woman. Are we a couple of old fogies that are behind the times? Were we born in the wrong century? I often get lectured by people wanting me to change my ways and become more in tune with the times. I tend to reject their ideas, on the basis that those ideas simply don't work. Many of those same people come from broken homes, and have experienced multiple divorces in their lives.

I've always believed that sex is something that is best when it is between two people that love and care for each other.  To quote Eugen Levy from American Wedding "It's called making love because you have to make love happen". The sort of sex dramatized in porn films is pure fantasy; a loving couple does not require kinky or strange acts in order to enjoy a healthy sex life. Random hookups may be exciting, but they offer nothing in terms of long term value; and they can bring about unexpected and unwanted results.

The notion that cuckolding may be healthy for some relations borders on the absurd. If a couple feels the need to add partners to their sex life, they have much bigger problems in their relationship.

ENOUGH WITH THE LIES, DISTORTIONS, AND EXAGGERATED CLAIMS

The government has closed down, pending a budget agreement. SO WHAT? This does not have a real affect on the public. In previous decades, the government would be shutdown on a frequent basis. Nobody ever noticed until it became something for the media to salivate over.

A random perusal of the mainstream press will find any number of media "experts" declaring the end of the world has arrived. These experts discuss doomsday scenarios, which will never occur, while keeping a straight face and serious expression. The more creative and nonsensical the fantasy, the higher the ratings.

Two things will happen, before this government shutdown is finished. Congress will pass a budget of some sort, and government employees WILL get paid for the hours they lost during the shutdown. In the end, life will continue as it always has.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH???

 

How is anyone supposed to know what is really going on, if people can bend, stretch, or completely fabricate the things that go on behind closed doors? Would Trump describe third world nations as "shitholes"?  Perhaps, he would. I believe he is arrogant enough to use such a vulgar term for entire societies. However, I believe in giving people the benefit of doubt, in case they are being unjustly accused, and Senator Richard Durbin has a rather sordid history of his own.

 

Other Senators that attended that meeting have claimed that Trump did NOT use such terminology. Of course, CNN quickly dismissed those Senators as having questionable or ulterior motives.

The truth is that it is unwise to trust any politician, including Trump. Politics is all about compromise, and an effective politician will sell his (or her) own mother in order to get what they want. This is nothing new, politicians have been crooked since the beginning of time. This recent scandal of who said what, and which countries are "shitholes", will soon be forgotten in favor of the next big story.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

Merry Christmas

Καλά Χριστούγεννα

Feliz Navidad

buon Natale

joyeux Noël

feliz Natal

Craciun Fericit

счастливого Рождества

Gëzuar Krishtlindjet

메리 크리스마스

A SIGN OF THE TIMES: THE RETAIL BLOODBATH CONTINUES

The traditional American place the shop, the local mall, is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Online shopping, and discount giants such as Walmart, have made enormous progress in taking business from traditional brick-and-mortar retail outlets. This Christmas season is witnessing countless more retail chains filing for bankruptcy.

The conventional wisdom from industry insiders is to blame Internet sales and discount outlets; however, there may be a more serious problem than most realize. The US economy is in a giant inflation bubble that has affected every aspect of our lives: from shopping patterns, to the way we pay for medicine and higher education. Middle class wages have not kept pace with the rate of increase in the cost of living over the past 30 years. There is ample evidence that good paying jobs are difficult to find for most Americans. This is one major part of the reason people are beginning to shy away from expensive mall retailers in favor of discounters, the prices are simply too high for most consumers.

If we look at average rental costs in a mid-sized town such as Fredericksburg, Virginia, we can see how even successful mom and pop businesses are closing due to exorbitant rents. The owner of the former Blackstone Coffee shop in Eagle's Village confided to friends that the rent on his small location had risen to over $10,000 a month, at which point he closed that location. The business had been successful, it was very popular with consumers, and was always busy. However, we must consider how much the business would have to charge per cup of coffee just to keep up with the rising costs associated with running the business.

If one little coffee shop was facing rent of over $10,000 per month, it is difficult to imagine how much a giant sized mall anchor store such as Macy's is paying per month. Add in other rising prices, such as: insurance, utilities, labor costs, etc. and it becomes impossible for mall retailers to lower their prices in order to remain competitive with online retailers that are not burdened by the same costs.