Free Republic

It's that time again ! Tricky Treats for Kitties,relationships and more !!

Nice Guys Don’t Have to Finish Last Posted By Brett On September 28, 2008 @ 8:26 pm Oftentimes, when a man sees yet another bombshell on the arm of a dude who from all appearances is a complete d-bag, he is compelled to shake his fist at the sky and wonder if there is any justice in the world. “What does she see in him?” he asks in exasperation. The poser of this question is often a self-proclaimed “nice guy” who doesn’t understand why men of his breed so often seem to finish last while the moronic tools of the...

Our two celebrities-Leo the Lion and Gentle Ben-list their grievances as we wonder: Can This Alternative Relationship Be Saved ?

Torn from the pages of "The Ladies' Hmmm Journal" - a hard-hitting photo essay !!

This audio was played this morning on WMAL's "Grandy & Andy Morning Show" and I was laughing so hard I almost fell over. You will totally enjoy this. Here's the YouTube blurb: "This was sent to me by a friend, its legit... following is the story from him. Okay guys here is the info on this voicemail. One of my friend's from work and her friend were out one night in the SF Marina district and were hanging outside of the bars trying to find a cab. One of the girl's, Olga ends up meeting this guy Dmitri and they...

BAGHDAD — Time had little effect on the strands of razor-sharp concertina wire that spanned hundreds of meters and split Ali’s farmland except to dull its original purpose - security. Located on the outer wall of Camp Slayer on the Victory Base Complex in Baghdad, the fence was originally constructed sometime during the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom more than five years ago. But until early June, it served no purpose but to divide. In the small community of Radwaniyah, west of Baghdad International airport, an Iraqi farmer simply wanted to be able to access his fields without the seemingly...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, June 11, 2008 – Task Force Gladiator soldiers of 101st Headquarters Support Company serve as the first line of defense here, manning entry-control points and ensuring base security. Children from Gulam Ali village, Afghanistan, gather at the opening ceremony for their new all-girls school, June 7, 2008. Soldiers from 101st Headquarters Support Company and the 101st Division Band attended the school’s opening, and the HSC soldiers provided wood for the school staff to build desks. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Jessica R. Dahlberg, 382nd Public Affairs Detachment  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Their operations...

Could Become a Political Liability Long-standing ties between a member of Senator Obama's new vice presidential search team and a prominent mortgage executive the senator has pilloried could become a political liability that hampers the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee's ability to tap into public ire over the subprime mortgage crisis. James Johnson, one of three people tapped by Mr. Obama recently to oversee the search for his running mate, took at least five real estate loans totaling more than $7 million from Countrywide Financial Corp. through an informal program for friends of the company's CEO, Angelo Mozilo, the Wall Street...

SPILLING a vodka cranberry down your date’s white shirt is never a good start. And banging on about Brad Pitt won’t help your prospects either. That’s why it’s a good idea to set yourself some dating rules right from the start. ‘Chilling out’ and ‘not acting like a psycho’ are definitely priorities as far as we are concerned. So we asked relationship expert Jenni Trent Hughes to share her top ten dating tips: 1) Give yourself a quick emotional MOT before you go on a date to check you’re in the mindset for a possible new relationship. In other words,...

...So why, despite this avalanche of chatter, do we still seem hungry for even more chatter? Why are so many people continuing to chew on the Spitzers as if the secret to marital happiness is embedded in the talking point of the next pundit? More important, why didn't Spitzer's replacement, David A. Paterson, manage to defang the whole subject by announcing on his second day in office that he and his wife had had extramarital affairs in the past? ...At its core, it reveals how much uncertainty exists within even the strongest and most enduring relationships...humans desperately want to think...

Spc. Gregory Touzani, from Des Moines, Iowa, and Pfc. Troy Buford from Wichita, Kan., both with Company A, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, pose for a picture with children in Hamiya, Iraq, March 1. Photo by 2nd Lt. William Perdue. 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FOB KALSU — There were no doors being kicked in and no shots being fired in Hamiyah during the March 1 patrol. Soldiers were geared up and prepared for anything. They had pockets full of toys and candy for children who approached them as...

By Arthur C. Brooks Many couples disagree about politics. In fact, researchers at the University of California have found that 56 percent of couples discuss politics fairly regularly, and 53 percent disagree “occasionally or frequently.” For some, this disagreement is a major barrier to marital harmony. I know one couple that battles bitterly and continuously over politics. It will be unsurprising this Valentine’s Day if one of them doesn’t end up sleeping on the couch due to a dispute over something along the lines of whether Barack Obama is secretly a socialist. Conjugal disagreement over the presidential election is just...

I know that flirting can be a huge source of contempt in relationships. Some guys see their partners flirting with other men and go ballistic. Some women see guys flirting with other women and think he's trying to score. And while I know that flirting can be a dangerous game if you're playing with the wrong people, I also believe that flirting can be healthy - as long as you're taking the energy you're building and putting it back into your relationship. So, what can innocent flirting with a co-worker, stranger, or random bartender do to help your relationship? More...

Returning to Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, for a Shabbat is an exhilarating experience. Lubavitchers are arguably the most alive people in the world and there is a pulse and electricity in the air that can scarcely be found anywhere else. [A view of Crown Heights.] A view of Crown Heights. Photo: Courtesy What I did not expect, however, was to be approached by a large number of young rabbinical students of marriageable age who wanted counseling as to how to overcome their obsession with a woman's looks on dates. Some of the young men who approached me had...

"Sometimes the names alone provided hints as to the prospects for a lasting relationship. Somehow gunilla_luvs_prozac didn’t seem quite ready, whereas cum2mama was if anything a little too ready. Messages from hysterical_hilda, katsb4men and imeldamarcos were similarly binned. But diligent research eventually brought its rewards as I discovered that beyond the mundane Majas lay clusters of intriguing Tinas, Linas and Sabrinas."

Dating Swedish men: bring your own beers Dating in Sweden: When Isabel March arrived in Sweden from America, she set out to find her own blond bombshell. But dating US-style left her ill-prepared for dealing with the strong, silent types she found in Scandinavia. Many people who move to Sweden – especially those relocating to small villages in Lappland – are beguiled by a strong, silent Nordic type or one of the members of the Swedish Bikini Team. But despite the hordes of love immigrants who have been caught in the net of a blond bombshell, it often seems easier...

When she was in her 30s, Margaret Monaghan* ended a relationship because her boyfriend liked sex less than she did. “He thought sex once a week was more than enough,” she recalls. Sex then was a vital part of her life, says Margaret, 60, who teaches business communications at a North Carolina university. When she met her current partner, David, 57, some 16 years ago, things were frisky at the start. But in her late 40s, menopause hit and Margaret’s libido fizzled. “I wasn’t looking forward to having sex as much,” she says. “It was, ‘If we do it, we...

Scouts, left to right, of Troop C, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, Sgt. Jonathan Toth of Clinton, Miss.; Pfc. Zach Foege who hails from Watertown, Wisc., and Pvt. Joseph Solis of Dallas get to know an Iraqi boy during a foot patrol in the Baghdad Gardens neighborhood near Taji, Oct. 6. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. TAJI — Soldiers from Troop C, 1st Squadron, 7th “Garryowen� Cavalry Regiment, who work out of a nearby Coalition outpost, are continuing to reach out in operations to build relationships and trust with the...

A few years ago, my husband, Mark, and I were at one of those hip downtown restaurants sipping mojitos and nibbling on lime-spiked seviche when one of my bosses appeared from a cloud of Cuban-cigar smoke and patted my shoulder. When I introduced him to Mark, he naturally asked what he did for a living. We both froze. "I do some freelancing," Mark said. "He studied film at NYU," I said at the same time. Mark looked at me and shrugged. "I stay home with our daughter," he said, as my colleague quietly balked. "He makes it possible for me...

When many of us hear the words "domestic violence," we automatically assume the victim would be a female and the attacker would be a male. After all, men are traditionally viewed as the more aggressive of the two sexes, and the victims of most domestic abuse situations are indeed women. But a surprising number of domestic violence episodes do involve women as the aggressors, creating a new category of victim known as the battered husband. A battered husband suffers the same emotional, verbal and physical abuse as a battered wife, but is less likely to report these crimes to authorities....

The Stiletto doesn’t understand how anyone ever got away with the dodge, "Not tonight, dear, I have a headache," considering that nookie is better than naproxen at curing a throbbing head. It’s a scientific fact.Two psychologists at the University of Texas at Austin catalogued 237 reasons people have sex, based on a survey of 2,000 people and "to get rid of a headache" is No. 173 on the list, reports New York Times columnist John Tierney.Researchers, Cindy M. Meston and David M. Buss, who published the list in the August issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior, organized the reasons into...

New road to symbolize progress from years of war and neglect. KHOWST, Afghanistan, July 2, 2007 — A tribal elder from Matun district, Khowst province has seen first-hand the detriments of poor road conditions in Afghanistan. "By providing our Afghan friends with roads, schools and fresh drinking water, the government of Afghanistan provides hope." U.S. Navy Cmdr. Dave Adams Gulzar Aka explains how after decades of war and neglect, the often flooded, bumpy dirt roads to Khowst City slow access to the Provincial Hospital, impede trade among outlying districts and produce a cloud of dust that blankets shops and homes...

One Another Thread, 21 APR 2007 Verse for the Day Rom. 13:8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ONE ANOTHER DEVOTIONAL CHRISTIAN CAUCUS: Knitting a Conundrum: We are coming together in love, and to share the love of Christ, and therefore, even if we disagree, we need to remember to avoid things that are not said kindly and in love. Each of us holds our beliefs because we do it for the love of Christ, and even if you don’t accept the conclusion of...

Question: I've been dating the same guy exclusively since high school. I'm now 26, and we've been talking about marriage. I'm crazy about him, but I worry that I will regret limiting my dating experience to just one man. Should I explore other options? Her Take: If you've been with your boyfriend that long and are still "crazy about him," that's pretty promising. But you're smart to ask these questions. I think you could have regrets -- dating around often shows you just how many wrong men are out there, which makes the right one feel that much righter.

An Iraqi Army Soldier makes friends with an Iraqi boy, March 17, during a foot patrol near the village of Kem, Iraq. The boy rushed over to show the Soldier a fish he had caught. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Cupp, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs. KEM -- Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) and U.S. Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment went on a joint foot patrol in the villages surrounding Kem, Iraq Saturday afternoon.While on patrol, Iraqi Soldiers and U.S. Soldiers paired up in two...

Lt. Col. Drew Meyerowich, battalion commander, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, listens to community concerns from civil and law enforcement leaders of communities surrounding Forward Operating Base McHenry, located just outside of Hawija, Iraq, Jan. 29. Courtesy photo Wolfhounds Build Relationships to Achieve Success U.S. soldiers and Iraqi citizens share the common goal of peace. By Spc. Mike Alberts 3rd Brigade Public Affairs HAWIJA, Iraq, Feb. 15, 2007 -- When they arrived six months ago they knew coalition success in their area of operation would hinge on integrating Iraq’s tribal culture. For...

In a culture where young women take pride in having guilt-free sex with partners they barely know, Nolan and Aparicio are rarities. They have genuine boyfriends, not hook ups. "I don't know anyone else who's in a relationship, do you?" Nolan asks Aparicio. Nope, no one else. Hooking up has come to define sexual relationships for most of today's teens and young women. It can mean anything from kissing and touching to oral sex or intercourse. Vagueness is its hallmark. "A girl can say, 'I hooked up with so-and-so,' and no one knows what she did. It protects you and...

A national survey of 18-to-29-year-olds by the Pew Research Center reported that almost 60 percent were not in committed relationships and the majority of those were not interested in being committed. Young women even have phrases for couples, frequently spoken with a touch of derision: They're "joined at the hip," or "married." Absent old-fashioned dating, the alternative for these young women is hooking up, which can happen in any semi-private place and includes anything from kissing to intercourse. The beauty of hooking up is that it carries no commitment, and this is huge, for being emotionally dependent on a lover...

A recent "Valentine's" discussion thread turned to flame wars and ended when someone complained to the management. That end is unfortunate because the thread might have provoked some worthwhile discussion. I can't quote the exact question, but the general thought was: For those who aren't in a meaningful relationship on this Valentine's Day, what are you doing to prepare for that relationship when it comes? I'm a lonely single, and I realize that the week around Valentine's Day can leave many of us with feelings a little more raw than usual. I realize that for many of us, the first...

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 65 percent of consumers are spending more time with a computer than with their significant other, according to new independent research commissioned by support.com. Conducted by independent research firm Kelton Research, the "Cyber Stress" study confirmed consumers' growing relationship with technology in their everyday lives. In fact, more than 8 out of 10 Americans (84%) say they are more dependent on their home computer now than they were just three years ago(1). Like any relationship, the test comes not when things are going well but when times are tough. And unfortunately in the...

Being semi-“out there” in the public eye via my Townhall.com column, ‘net presence, ministry, a little TV and my radio show, I get to hear from a lot of people. One thing I hear constantly from single girls is their dating and marital horror stories. I hear comments like, “Guys are jackasses, jerks, scum, sleaze bags, dufuses, low lifes, lazy, abusive, etc. . . .” I’ll grant that some of my male brethren can be brutish, but . . . uh . . . at the end of the day . . . unless you’re a pre-teen girl who’s part...

Civilians line up at the point of entry in Rabea, Iraq, to have their paperwork reviewed by a customs agent to gain passage into Syria. The agents receive their training from U.S. Customs agents and embedded transition teams. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Shannon Crane Border Transition Teams Secure Relationships U.S. soldiers work side by side with Iraqis -- advising, coaching, teaching and mentoring them. By U.S. Army Sgt. Shannon Crane U.S. Central Command Public Affairs RABEA, Iraq, Nov. 20, 2006 -- It is early morning at the point of entry where two countries meet -- Iraq and Syria....

How does a girl avoid dating or marrying some festering bag of ripe compost like Kevin Federline and his helix-missing ilk? I know Britney Spears is about as sharp as a bag of wet mice; however, even with her low levels of discernment and her Turkish walnut like density, I believe Brit (as well as those below and above her in brilliance) can, with a little guidance, steer relationally clear from any urge to merge with some future K-Fedian bad date. So . . . how does a girl circumvent the date from hell? It’s pretty simple, ladies. Follow the...

RABEA — It is early morning at the point of entry where two countries meet – Iraq and Syria. Two men in different uniforms stand near a sand-colored tower. They look off in the distance and wait for signs of activity, anticipating the mass of vehicles and pedestrians who will soon attempt to gain access to one of the neighboring nations.But at this time of day, the only thing crossing the border is the occasional gust of sand carried by the breeze. The two men, an American Soldier and an Iraqi Border Patrol agent, engage in friendly dialogue. Each makes...

BAGHDAD — Soldiers from Multi-National Division met with key community leaders, Iraqi policemen and residents of Karkh district Sunday to build positive relationships and get input on improving security. “Basically, we’re trying to better the security in the area with the Iraqi army and the Iraqi police,” said Capt. Duane Waits, platoon leader, Troop A, 4th Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who is from Little Rock, Ark. “We were here for two or three days about four weeks ago,” he said. “The people were responsive and liked to provide us with information. We’ve improved their perception...

GHARMAH, Iraq (June 9, 2006) -- Marines with A Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment – along with soldiers from the Iraqi Army – brought a breath of fresh air to a local mosque. Operation Cool Carpet delivered two new air conditioning units and a box of prayer rugs to the Iraqi people near Gharmah, Iraq. “This is basically a mission of good will,” said Sgt. Juan J. Mendez, a 24-year-old squad leader from Gardena, Calif. “This, hopefully, will help the Iraqi soldiers become more trusted in the community.” Marines from A Company have operated in the area since the...

THE world's first "theme park" dedicated to sex and relationships is set to open in London's bustling West End later this year, its promoters said today. Amora: The Academy of Sex and Relationships, featuring "high-tech and interactive exhibits together with new media displays", expects up to 600,000 visitors within its first year in the Trocadero Centre at Piccadilly Circus. "Titillation is not the goal," the promoters – who include sexologist and self-help book author Sarah Brewer – said in a statement, refuting comparisons with museums of erotica in Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris. "Our vision is to build a Kinsey-type institute...

ATLANTA, May 4, 2006 – Just as the United States is transforming its military to adapt to today's world, the nation must be willing to change old relationships and form new ones, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said here today. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld poses for photos with members of the Georgia National Guard in Atlanta May 4. Photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Chad J. McNeeley, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Rumsfeld said, "the United States has done more things, with more different nations, in more constructive...

Thirty years after The Hite Report, its author is a fierce opponent of the raunch culture and a George W. Bush supporter. ___ THE poster seemed innocuous enough, but its timing was atrocious. At the height of the women's movement in the early 1970s there was one advertisement that enraged women so much that they decided to picket the company responsible. The ad, for Olivetti typewriters, showed a young blonde woman seated at her typewriter, her long legs crossed, her red lips making a seductive pout for the camera. "The typewriter that's so smart," ran the caption, "that she doesn't...

Soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, and Iraqi troops with 2nd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division conducted a dismounted patrol on the streets of Islah Zerla, recently. Their focus was to develop relations with Iraqis citizens, said Sgt. 1st Class David Dodson, platoon sergeant, 172nd Stryker Brigade. With the Iraqis patrolling along side them, it lets the people know their government and military care, and are taking steps toward freeing Iraq, he said. Since September, the Stryker Brigade has patrolled, searches in Islah Zerla, said Sgt. Justin Shaffer, a 172nd team leader. Their presence in the area gives them...

What can a celibate priest really teach us about love, sexuality, and relationships between men and women? That’s the question a Polish priest, Fr. Karol Wojtyla, addressed in the introduction to his revolutionary book, Love and Responsibility. Published in 1960, this book on sexual ethics was the fruit of Fr. Wojtyla’s extensive pastoral work with young people and his philosophical reflections on this topic while serving as a priest and university professor in Krakow — long before the world would come to know him as Pope John Paul II. In Love and Responsibility, Fr. Wojtyla argues that while a...

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Cyber-sex, war, and erection-inducing drugs are a recipe for a more socially inept, violent culture, according to a panel of top US sex experts. The concern was raised as researchers discussed "The Future of Sex" at an unprecedented summit near Santa Fe, New Mexico, late last week. "The de-interaction of sex is something I worry about," said Julia Heiman, director of the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. "If we go too much in the direction of virtual sex, what's left out? How you get along in a personal sphere is getting short...

Falling in love has never had a reputation for making much sense. Dante glimpsed Beatrice a few times and wouldn't shut up about her for decades. Why should not-falling-in-love be any more rational? It comes down to the deterrent power of a Phil Collins CD in a woman's car. Or, a guy who habitually sticks his tongue out while eating, like a lapping dog. His girlfriend returns him to his cage, permanently. Centuries from now, scientists may point to this as the moment in time when the pickiness gene became dominant. In the end, it will come down to one...

Freud confessed that his “thirty years of research into the feminine soul” left him unable to answer one great question: “What does a woman want?” Modern feminists have been arguing for decades over a variation of it: What should a woman want? This week, two sociologists from the University of Virginia are publishing the answer to a more manageable variation. Drawing on one of the most thorough surveys ever done of married couples, they’ve crunched the numbers and asked: What makes a woman happy with her marriage? Their answer doesn’t quite jibe with current conventional wisdom. Three decades ago, two-thirds...

Today it is Valentine's Day Men are in a hurry to say "I love you" to her with Diamonds or Fur ...and hope to get paid back "some way". Note: the thread in the hypertext link is a parody, so your mileage may vary... Off-topic, but couldn't resist: Dick Cheney hunted last weekend and accident'ly shot his friend But what makes it worse (no room in this verse) It means this gambit's at an end!

As a woman, New Yorker Norah Vincent was used to being stared at by men she passed in her Village neighborhood. It's a way men "assert their dominance," she says. But she often wondered what was behind those stares. So she conducted an experiment. Like John Howard Griffin, who disguised himself as an African-American in the South of 1959 for "Black Like Me," and Gregory Peck playing a writer posing as a Jew to investigate anti-Semitism in the Oscar-winning "Gentleman's Agreement," Vincent went undercover. With makeup, workouts, wardrobe and a voice coach, she became a man and plunged into a...

It is exceptionally difficult to find the right person to marry. This is especially true for first marriages. That is why it is so important to think through your decision by asking and answering critical questions. In Part I, I offered five. Here are seven more: 6. What problems do the two of you now have? And what inner voice of doubt, if any, are you suppressing? Here is a rule that is rarely broken: Whatever problems you have before the wedding day, you will have during your marriage. Do not think that marrying will solve any problem you have...

Decades of radio counseling, personal experience, and public and private discussions about marriage prompt me to write this list of questions for anyone contemplating marriage. 1. Is the person your best friend or at least becoming so? It is easy to find a lover. It is easy to get excited about a new person. But if you cannot say that the person you are considering marrying has become or is becoming your best friend, you need to figure out why before you decide to marry. This is probably the single most overlooked question among couples, especially young ones. And for...

Dear Tech Support: Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity: applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6. I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0, but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please...

When Jake Walker upsets his girlfriend, Jaci Boydston, he might buy her flowers. When Jaci feels she owes an apology to Jake, she agrees to play a round of the Nintendo fighting game "Super Smash Brothers." Jaci and Jake, who both attend Kansas State University, are a modern couple dealing with a modern issue. One of them is a gamer; the other is not. Theirs is not an unusual plight. For decades gamers and non-gamers in love have struggled to find harmony. At Kansas State the frustration is rampant. Like most college campuses, it is a place where the release...