Looking for extra cash?

While in San Diego hanging out with Jenn and her friends as part of her send off before moving to Albuquerque to start the MFA in Creative Writing, we spent time on the beach with her friend Karen.

Karen has traveled much of the US and shared the story of someone she knows who, if I recall, wanted to be a stay at home mom. Money got tight but she found a great job working at home for $300 an hour. She's a dominatrix. She doesn't even get naked, just a two piece leather ensemble and a whip. Even better, she makes them clean her dishes and scrub down the bathroom. While in LA, she wouldn't be able to pull down that sort of cash, she works in conservative Orange County where it has to be hidden.

It's a wacky and wonderful world out there, so get out there and enjoy!

Book Commentary: Life on the Color Line

First book that I finished this summer is a wonderful autobiography of Gregory “Billy” Williams who happens to be the President of The City College of New York where I currently attend. He spent the first 10 years of his life in Virginia on the road that divided the white neighborhoods from the black, US 1. His father owned a bar/restaurant that served both communities; it was not typically tolerated for a white business to serve blacks but it was as it was war-time and many of the patrons were military. His father worked hard and started another few business, then it all fell apart as alcohol took its toll on his father.

His parents broke up after his mother left to not take any more beatings; she took the youngest two kids with her. The eldest boys, “Billy” (the author) and “Mike” his brother returned to their father’s hometown of Muncie, Indiana where he and his brother discovered that they were black.

He struggles for acceptance, he fights for and against his drinking dad, he tries to help his brother Mike find his own way and not take to the same path as his father. Through it all he pursues his dream of becoming a lawyer.

Well written, it’s a very enjoyable read that shares the mood and madness of life under segregation.

The List!

After an Engineers Without Borders meeting, a few of us went to the pub for some bonding. Joanna is great and we get along too as we are both second degreee students. She spent 5 years as a journalist covering the courts here in NYC.

So she mentions that she'd like to set me up with a friend but wants to what I like, blonds or brunettes or what? And I try to share how I'm more about relationship and really like to spend time with people who have been overseas, are cultured and have a friendship as a part of dating. Joanna tells me about how she's reading a book about how we chose our sex partners and the need for mystery in the chemistry. I explain that I understand many people are like that but not all. A humble friendship in the midst of the thrill of dressing up and going to opening night doesn't burst everyone's bubble. The book seemed to suggest that by design we are about the excitement of the unknown and the competition and the chase. I avoided saying that if left to our natural instincts we might act like chipanzees and focused on "I'm not like most people."

Joanna was didn't know where to go with the conversation so she relied on what she knew and asked, "Do you like blonds or brunettes or what?"

"I want a woman who likes museums."

"You know those glasses you were in the lab, the goggles; you should wear them when out at the pub." She explained.

"So as to let everyone know up front I'm a geek; I'll consider it. It might save me some time."

Years ago, I believe it was in a flight magazine, I read an interview with Renée Zellweger and thought what a wonderful person, she likes to read, her father is Swiss and mother Norwegian, she's from Katy, TX nearby Austin and loves the city as well as the country. I also like a lot of her movies and so if I were to mention someone for the moviestar fantasy, she comes to mind. Although, the recent supposed plastic surgery that has not been confirmed or denied did put me off; she's quite elegant without it. But I don't go for looks first (plus I haven't found anyone to replace her).

I would never mess with a married woman. At the same time, when Keith Urban went into rehab, I was hoping he'd get help for his problem and a divorce from Nicole Kidman. I guess I got a Cold Mountain ménage a trois fantasy. (Actually, I don't, one woman at a time is perfect for me, but this is a blog so we say stuff like Cold Mountain ménage a trois fantasy.) And she'd always have the curls. She looks fab in curls. I think she'd do that for me.

Many years ago I saw the movie Gotham with Virgina Madsen; she was smokin hot and I was too young to control my hormones.

The first three are blondes, yeah I know but it's been said men have wanted blondes since the thirteenth century.

Being hands off married women also means no Halle Barry. But she's hot. Her streak of bad-boys makes me think she'd never look at me unless I was doing something strange like wearing lab goggles, still this is a blog so I get to say she's hot. I chose the bond girl pic.

It's always that last one that makes life so difficult. Actually, I know nothing about these women so it's over before it started. Still, I won't put up names of women I admire as that is so not sexy, especially once you see the list: Cokie Roberts, Madelaine Albright, Condaleeza Rice, and there's the dead ones Mary Cassat, Princess Grace Kelly, Ella Fitzgerald, Marie Curie. Anyway, let me just roll with the illusion...

There's another bond girl that I think is so hot...Lucy Liu. She is so sleek and sexy when she's kickin ass and so elegant on the red carpet...très hot. While the attraction of a woman wrapping her legs around me while doing the horizontal mombo gets my motor running; I don't think it's hot that she could tie me into a pretzel at any moment. I'm not really into kink, especially if my bones get broken.

So, I don't expect to meet any of these women ever, but if you do, let them know I'm still available. If that works out, then I need another on the list. If Renée wakes up next to me realizing that it's forever, I'll need another to give her the list of five women.

I could sing duets with Shania Twain. She'd have to dress down a bit; I'd look stupid next to her looking like this, but it is my fantasy so I chose this picture.

I love psychology...

It just fascinates me. Three times I considered changing careers for something in that field. Three times I decided not to, each time based on good information from professionals in the field. I am very happy with it as a hobby.

So I was looking for some info the other day when I was going to comment on Schwartzy's blog and I came across this article:Ten Politically Incorrect Truths About Human Nature. An interesting read.

A personal favorite is number 10 when they discuss the "hostile environment" claim for sexual harassment (which is distinctly different from sexual harassment for sex which is terribly inappropriate behavior). It reads...
Sexual harassment cases of the hostile-environment variety result from sex differences in what men and women perceive as "overly sexual" or "hostile" behavior. Many women legitimately complain that they have been subjected to abusive, intimidating, and degrading treatment by their male coworkers. Browne points out that long before women entered the labor force, men subjected each other to such abusive, intimidating, and degrading treatment.

Abuse, intimidation, and degradation are all part of men's repertoire of tactics employed in competitive situations. In other words, men are not treating women differently from men—the definition of discrimination, under which sexual harassment legally falls—but the opposite: Men harass women precisely because they are not discriminating between men and women.

Women who create a hostile environment use abuse, intimidation, and degradation, but are typically labeled a bitch by those enduring the poor treatment. It is just a part of competition.

It is like any political campaign. I laugh when the candidates pledge to no mud-slinging like in the good old days. Mud-slinging has always been a part of the competition.