Here is a clip from this season’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’. This is one of the few shows i typically don’t miss throughout the week. The others being ‘the office’ and ‘Lost’ when it starts back up. Anyway, this was one of my favorite seens so far this season.
Not a bad problem to have. In case you do have this problem, here are some positives and negatives according to freelance writer Bob Strauss as posted on msn.com.
By Bob Strauss
As a freelance writer living in New York, I’ve grown accustomed to dating women who earn more than I do. Some of these women earn lots more than I do (we’re talking double-digit multiples here), some of them earn two or three times what I do, and some of them earn exactly what I do, but with those all-important benefits (like employer-paid health insurance) that can make the difference between cooking ramen noodles on a Tuesday night or splurging on a hamburger. During the year after the great dot.com crash of 2000, I can state with certainty that every woman I dated earned more than I did, since my net income amounted to $60 (and that was for two days of jury duty). Dating a gal with a comparatively high income can be acutely embarrassing, oddly liberating, or sometimes a little bit of both. Based on my extensive experience in the field, here’s a list of three good things, and three not-so-good things, of wooing way above one’s Form 1040.
On the minus side:
Playing the “Guess how much I make?” game. While I have yet to meet a woman who is so enormously wealthy that I’m instantly convinced things can never work out, I’m sad to report that the opposite is not always true. On some dates, the unspoken assumption will hover in the air that I’m a solid six-figure earner, until blurted-out references to my part-time gig as an after-school LEGO teacher or that magazine that still owes me $500 will gradually reveal to my partner that I’m not likely to be taking her skiing in Gstaad anytime soon.
Keeping up with “Miss Jones.” Even if a huge disparity in income isn’t an instant deal-breaker, there are certain lifestyle (let’s not be so crass as to use the word “class”) differences that can be wearisome in the long run. I’d rather date someone who agrees with me that the Grande Mint Mochas (or whatever they’re called) at Starbucks are wildly overpriced baby-bottle substitutes for vaguely dissatisfied yuppies, just as I’m sure she’d rather date someone who didn’t constantly complain about the high price of grocery-store apples (for the benefit of you non-New York readers, they’re now about a buck apiece).
Competing for her time. One thing about our capitalist system that works fairly well is that (as a general rule) the higher your income, the harder you have to work. Sure, the average female lawyer or doctor earns vastly more than I do, but she also has to slave away for 80- or 100-hour weeks, whereas I can achieve my modest income with just a few hours of writing a day. Often, the result is that I’m desirous of her attention, while she’s envious of my ability to kick back on a lazy summer weekday afternoon and do absolutely nothing.
Now for the plus side:
Not having to pay for everything. This is probably the first thing that popped into your mind when you read the title of this piece, and while it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, it’s not so bad, either. If a woman is reasonably smart, understanding, and sympathetic, after a few dates she’ll have judged my earning power vis-à-vis hers and adjusted her expectations accordingly. If she wants to eat at a fancy restaurant, she’ll treat, then let me pay for the movie afterward—and if she wants to go on a trip, she’ll suggest a destination that won’t empty my pitiful bank account.
Learning about the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. As a writer of kids’ books, I don’t often get to mingle with neurosurgeons or investment bankers. It can be fascinating to get a vicarious peek into other peoples’ work lives, such as, say, a 40th-floor executive-board showdown in which a hedge fund decides to unload Uruguay and buy Uzbekistan. Also, I’m often edified to learn that a higher salary doesn’t necessarily translate into increased spending power: One date once told me that she had to spend $15,000 a year on clothes that she didn’t particularly covet, just to impress her clients.
Having the opportunity to play the Evolved Male. Every now and then, one of my high-powered dates will express relief (or admiration) that I’m not more competitive about my paycheck. Not only does this make me feel good about myself compared to all those hard-charging alpha males she’s been with (what do these guys do, try to buy the restaurant after she insists on paying for dinner?), but it reassures me that, yes, there is a market out there for creative, cynical guys who earn in the mid five-figures.
Now, would anyone out there like to buy me a meal?
New York-based writer Bob Strauss is the author of Who Knew? Hundreds & Hundreds of Questions & Answers for Curious Minds. To find out the female perspective on dating a man with a lower income, read When women earn more… by Yolanda Lawrence.
Another crazy animal story from around the world….and a few helpful hints if you ever need to fight off a gang of crazy monkeys.
What should you do if you’re surrounded by angry macaques?
The deputy mayor of New Delhi, India, fell off his balcony and died Sunday after being attacked by monkeys, his family members say. The city has around 10,000 monkeys, some of which have taken to roaming through government buildings as they steal food and rip apart documents. What should you do if monkeys are picking on you?
It’s like Mom said about muggers: Just give ‘em what they want. When monkeys get aggressive, it’s usually because they think you have something to eat. According to one study, about three-quarters of all the aggressive interactions between long-tailed macaques and tourists at Bali’s Padangtegal Monkey Forest involved food. If you are holding a snack, throw it in their direction, and they’ll stop bothering you. If you don’t have any food, hold out your open palms to show you’re not carrying a tasty treat or back away from the monkeys without showing fear. To diffuse the situation, don’t make eye contact or smile with your teeth showing—in the nonhuman primate world, these are almost always signs of aggression.
Monkey attacks are extremely rare in the wild; the creatures tend to be scared of us and often scamper away when a person gets within 100 feet. As monkeys lose their habitats around the world, though, they’ve started to live in closer proximity to humans, and that causes conflict.
What if you can’t or won’t appease the monkeys with food? You can try to chase them off by shaking a stick at them, but they might get violent if cornered. If they don’t budge, bop ‘em on the head; visitors to temples in India sometimes carry a stick for just this reason. Primatologists will sometimes send a macaque warning signal called the open-mouth threat. Basically, form an “O” with your mouth, lean toward them with your body and head, and raise your eyebrows. Female victims might seek protection in a group of men, since monkeys are somewhat afraid of males. But whatever you do, don’t freak out; those who scream, wave their arms, and run away are only going to make the macaques even more aggressive.
Despite all the monkey business, Delhi has refused to cull the macaques, which are sacred because of the Hindu reverence for Hanuman, the monkey god. Instead, the government has relocated some of the troublemakers and even brought in langurs, a mellower but larger monkey, to scare off the smaller macaques.
Who knew that elephants had a taste for alcohol. Kinda a crazy story here from the associated press on msn.com …. Not setting a good example for the baby elephants.
GAUHATI, India – Six Asiatic wild elephants were electrocuted as they went berserk after drinking rice beer in India’s remote northeast, a wildlife official said Tuesday.
Nearly 40 elephants came to a village on Friday looking for food. Some found beer, which farmers ferment and keep in plastic and tin drums in their huts, said Sunil Kumar, a state wildlife official.
They got drunk, uprooted a utility pole carrying power lines and were electrocuted in Chandan Nukat, a village nearly 150 miles west of Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state, Kumar said.
“There would have been more casualties had the villagers not chased them away,” said Dipu Mark, a local conservationist.
The elephants are known to have a taste for rice beer brewed by tribal communities in India’s northeast. Four wild elephants died in similar circumstances in the region three years ago.
India’s northeast accounts for the world’s largest concentration of wild Asiatic elephants with the states of Assam and Meghalaya alone estimated to have 7,000 of them.
“It’s great to have such a huge number of elephants, but the increasing man-elephant conflict following the shrinkage in their habitat due to the growing human population is giving us nightmares,” said Pradyut Bordoloi, a former forest and environment minister for Assam.
This week has crept by like no other. I was so looking forward to a weekend off….but now i have to spend all day sunday driving to mexico and back. I guess that is better than saturday.
I struck out once again in slow pitch softball tonight. I think that is my 2nd of the year. Usually i am good for about 4 strikeouts a year. I am not really sure why i strikeout, i think it’s a mental block because normally i constantly think about striking out before i do it. I need to start with more positive thoughts i guess when i step to the plate. I don’t want you to think i am a pathetic softball player by any means. Normally i can hold my own and look like i know what i am doing. But i guess a few times a year i just fail to connect. It’s pretty damn embarrassing.
I watched the first few episodes of season 1 of “Heroes” last night. It was really good i thought. I am excited to watch the rest of the season. Unfortunately i have heard that season 2 isn’t any good so far. Maybe that’s just a bad opinion though.
I’ve been told that it is time to grow out my hair. Apparantley it isn’t the best look for me….but i so enjoy not having to style it everyday. So i have a big decision to make as to whether it’s time to grow it back out. Maybe it will keep me more warm in the winter time or something….then i can cut it off again next summer.
I need to buy a plane ticket home for the holidays.
Ever thought about fractional ownership of a nice car for a few weeks? This would be an expensive way to try and impress somebody it seems. If i had the money to do this, i would just buy the car outright. What more would you really get out of the $16,000 commitment for a few weeks of driving a car than just trying to look cool? Although they do pay for your gas….so maybe it’s worth it after all! Check out the website to see what i am talking about.
|
Fractional Ownership allows you to enjoy the prestige and the pure driving pleasure of owning an exotic super car throughout the year, without the costs & hassles of full ownership. Plus, your fractional ownership share allows you the option of driving multiple super cars throughout the year. If you choose, trade weeks from your primary Curvy Road vehicle to other super cars in the Portfolio to enjoy the greatest variety of driving experiences possible. A single share provides you with four to eight weeks of driving time per year, in blocks of one or two weeks, scheduled to meet your needs, so you gain the ultimate in convenience. The vehicle is delivered to your door fully detailed and ready to enjoy, for each reserved usage. |
 |
Only pay for the time you can really enjoy the automobile — not for down time while you’re traveling or just busy — and keep your money working for you, instead of sitting in the garage.Insurance is covered by Curvy Road, which on an individual basis is typically quite high for exotic and high-end luxury cars. You benefit by participating in a shared program.
Generous mileage allowances mean worry-free driving and no onerous surcharges that many leases often carry. Complimentary tank of fuel per usage and prepaid tolls means all the driving enjoyment without the hassles. |
By the Editors of Men’s Health
1. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Even when there’s not a prize in the bottom of the box.
2. Sometimes it’s best to be completely blunt with people, as you used to be with relatives who wanted you to do something embarrassing or tedious for a shiny quarter.
3. Asking questions is how you figure things out. Lots and lots of questions.
4. An older, wiser Gordie Lachance says in Stand By Me, “I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was 12.” Lachance is right. The trick is to try to be the friend you were when you were 12: fun-loving and loyal, with no strings attached.
5. Playing is work. Approach your downtime with all the seriousness of a 5-year-old with a secret treasure map.
6. Real guys don’t dip their toes in the water. They jump right in.
7. Girls have cooties. Well, the ones you meet in certain bars do, anyway.
8. You hated it when a grown-up told you, “We’ll see.” It’s still unacceptable. Don’t say it yourself.
9. The only way to know how something works is to completely disassemble it. (This is still good advice when tackling a complex problem. Your plasma TV? Not so much).
10. There’s a reason they don’t give credit cards to 8-year-olds. You’re supposed to save up money before you buy a new toy.
11. Your body was designed for throwing baseballs, shooting hoops, and jumping off diving boards and stuff. In the secret language of children, the word “fitness” doesn’t exist. It’s called “having fun.”
12. Your world can be half-real and half-imaginary.
13. Homework blows. Bring work home with you and it’ll ruin your night. And your marriage. And your family. And your life.
14. Too much of anything will give you a tummy ache. Like, say, bourbon.
15. If there’s even the slightest doubt, hit the potty before you leave.
16. The coolest adults were the ones who took the time to listen to you. You still want to grow up to be a cool adult, right?
17. Treasure Island, Dracula: The best books are consumed after dark with a flashlight.
18. Use adrenaline as your drug of choice. You don’t need beer, pot, or cigarettes to have a good time.
19. Kissing a girl on the cheek is a big deal. Kissing her lips is an even bigger deal. Seeing her naked for the first time is a major, life-altering event.
20. Going after a target in the urinal makes the time whiz by.
21. Seeing a thunderstorm roll in is better than watching HDTV. And rain isn’t something to curse, but to enjoy. Hurry up, before it clears
I was thouroughly dissapointed yesterday during lunch after going to Wendy’s. I always get a jr. bacon cheeseburger there. I don’t know if this was just a 1-time unlucky experience for me, but the jr. bacon that i ordered was about the size of a white castle burger. It was tiny. I seriously hope they aren’t cutting back on the sizes of their jr. bacon cheeseburgers….although it probably would help my overall health if they did. I also had ordered a chicken sandwich, but i couldn’t tell if it was smaller as well. I might have to do some investigation.
Speaking of Wendy’s, it’s 11am and i am starving.
I am in serious need of some new blue jeans. I realized last night that i only have 1 respectable pair that i could wear on a date. My favorite pair have too many holes in them. Might be time to do some shopping….might have to spend more than $20 on a pair of jeans this time.
This was definitely an earth shattering blog entry.
 | Manoj Gandhi on Asi Del Precipicio |
 | psychoTs#1fan on Tennis Anyone? |
 | Mike on Golf Course Photography |
 | carla on Asi Del Precipicio |
 | Dr.O on Golf Course Photography |
