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***The OFFICIAL Weekend Singles Thread*** March 28-30 - Platonic Friends and Marrying Ugly
March 28, 2008 | WFTR

Posted on 03/28/2008 3:56:43 PM PDT by WFTR

Welcome to the Weekend Singles' Thread

The last thread I hosted was called "The Bucket List" and was based loosely on a movie that I'd never seen. I'm repeating the idea of threads about movies I've never seen again this week. In my defense, this one wasn't my idea. Someone else suggested a discussion of platonic friendships between men and women and the idea from the "Harry met Sally" movie that those friendships can't exist. I'm going to add an idea from a news story this week in part because the story seemed amusing and in part because I wonder whether there is a connection.

From what I've heard, the idea behind the movie When Harry Met Sally is that men, or at least Bill Crystal's character, believe that they can never have a truly platonic relationship with a woman because they'll eventually want to have sex with that woman. I don't remember whether this idea applies only to situations where the man feels a strong physical attraction to a woman or whether any man will eventually want to have sex with any woman. Apparently, "Harry" claims that this desire will eventually doom the friendship because the man won't be able to endure the stress of the unfulfilled desire.

The second part of the topic is a short article that was published this week claiming that the happiest marriages are those where the woman is more physically attractive than the man. The whole article is only a few sentences and can be found at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,340869,00.html. Important points in the article include the fact that only 82 couples were included in the study and that they had been married only six months. The study that led to the article requires a subscription to read, so I don't know whether the details of the study strengthen the idea.

Combining these topics leads to several points of discussion.

First, do you agree with the idea that men and women cannot form platonic friendships? Are those friendships destined to be disrupted by sexual desire on one side or the other? If so, does that desire generally come from the man? If those friendships are possible, what are the factors that lead to those friendships and what are the factors that make them impossible? Is appearance a big part of the equation?

Secondly, do you agree with the idea that marriages will generally be better if the woman is more attractive than the man? Obviously, if you're a guy, you're going to look at any couple and find the woman more attractive, but in a more objective sense, will the relationship be stronger if the woman is more attractive? If you're a gal, you're likely to see things just the opposite, but the same question applies.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Society
KEYWORDS: attractiveness; dating; friendships; marrying; singles
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Comment #101 Removed by Moderator

To: DaveLoneRanger
The only problem is that the dog can't throw very well, and I like to catch a frisbee too.
102 posted on 03/28/2008 9:20:21 PM PDT by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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Comment #103 Removed by Moderator

Comment #104 Removed by Moderator

Comment #105 Removed by Moderator

To: RikaStrom
Did you ever meet or see Texas Cowboy or COB1 as he was known before he passed?

I remember he passed on, but what was his cause of death? I remember that 68-69TonkinYachtClub was having health problems, but I never heard anything about Texas Cowboy.

106 posted on 03/28/2008 9:25:51 PM PDT by GOP_Raider ("Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man" -Nietzsche)
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Comment #107 Removed by Moderator

Comment #108 Removed by Moderator

To: DaveLoneRanger

Hmmmmm, I will take that under consideration...:)


109 posted on 03/28/2008 9:30:04 PM PDT by GOP_Raider ("Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man" -Nietzsche)
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To: DaveLoneRanger
All-nighters are interesting. I never pulled an all-nighter because I had to pull one to have something done on time, but I would occasionally pull one because I got going on something and didn't see any point in stopping.

When I was in college, we didn't have personal computers. In my first computer class, we used punch cards to write our programs. Later, we were on terminals, and finding space on a terminal was always tough. During most of the day and evening, getting on a terminal meant waiting in line to sit in a room full of people and computers. Instead of fighting that nightmare, I used to go to the terminals at two or three in the morning. I was rarely alone at that time, but the rooms were rarely more than half full. Typically, I'd write my code in the evening and then nap from about ten or eleven o'clock until midnight or one o'clock. Often, I'd check the code again and maybe start another program. Then, I'd go to the terminal, enter my code into a program, and try to make my runs. I'd typically be on the computer until close to sunrise. I'd usually go back to the dorm, put my books in my room, take a walk around campus, and then be at the dining hall when they opened for breakfast. I never figured out whether doing this qualified as an "all-nighter."

110 posted on 03/28/2008 9:31:35 PM PDT by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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To: All
To answer some questions::

I ma NOT paying ANY attention to the “march madness”. To me—it is “much ado about nothing”.

ON the OTHER hand—I AM paying attention to the REAL “March(and hopefully, all the REST of spring and summer) madness”— involving the demoncratic party!!)

I will no doubt need that tax check, and refund (if any) to live. My job is on the shakiest terms since I started it over 2 years ago. My pay has been late for 3 weeks in a row, and now—there may not be any work for us next week.

I am NOT planning anything special for “earth hour” BUT—ALL of my outside lights are “green” already( sodium vapor, and CFL, plus solar house #).

And NO—I do NOT believe that a man and a woman cannot have a platonic friendship. I have already spoken about the fact that I have one now, with a woman who is married, but we are close and share a lot with each other.

NOW—I have a couple of questions for some here::

ON the IMDB site—I have read a BUNCH of posts from women who are just falling all over themselves about a man whom they think is hot, sexy, talented and such. They want to meet him and some want to sleep with him.

And men on the site also think this leading Hollywood star is talented, funny and has a great personality.

WHO am I speaking about?? Harrison Ford,?? Tom Cruise?? Asthon Kutcher?? Keifer Sutherland??

NO!!!!

The m,an they seem to pant over is......

JACK BALCK!!

I personally think (and said there) that I feel that Jack black is a talentless slob, and he looks like it.

ONE man there wants to beat me up for saying that!!

NOW—and comments on this-How do you women here feel about this “gorgeous hunk” named Jack Black??

111 posted on 03/28/2008 9:52:19 PM PDT by Rca2000 (I am VERY fearful for the future of this nation......)
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To: WFTR
That whole story is sad, and I’m sorry that you and your kids lost a friend.

Thank you. I'm sorry, too. It is sad. As you know, deep friendships are rare gifts, and should not be thrown away for light reasons, like a petty jealousy. I am only sorry that he chose to marry someone of such immaturity and foul temper, and that he did not have the strength to tell her firmly that there could be no risk to their marriage if he maintains at least an email friendship with my young son, who adored him.

112 posted on 03/28/2008 11:16:21 PM PDT by ottbmare
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To: LaineyDee
SCUBA is fun, but I haven't figured out why my hobbies have to be pricey. I like warm water, so I have to travel to go. There are places you can dive in Texas but they're cold.

Wow, that's a taxing and important job. I'm an HR manager, so I do the 60 hours thing but I am not on call, although I am available... I hate cell phones. :-)

113 posted on 03/29/2008 9:00:30 AM PDT by RikaStrom (The number one rule of the Kama Sutra is that you both be on the same page.../Exeter 051705)
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To: WFTR

So basically we need another 15 hours or so in the week that don’t require additional sleep and aren’t slated for work.... then we can get a little exercise, a little fun, a reminder of why we work in the first place.

I agree completely.


114 posted on 03/29/2008 9:02:54 AM PDT by RikaStrom (The number one rule of the Kama Sutra is that you both be on the same page.../Exeter 051705)
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To: WFTR
I've not looked into ebooks, but I prefer paper and ink when I'm going to do serious reading. I like being able to sit in a recliner with the book in my hand rather than sit at the computer.

Oh I hare reading at the computer, it's not comfortable. My ebook reader is the size of a closed standard paperback. I curl up on my couch. :-)

115 posted on 03/29/2008 9:03:56 AM PDT by RikaStrom (The number one rule of the Kama Sutra is that you both be on the same page.../Exeter 051705)
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To: GOP_Raider
I remember he passed on, but what was his cause of death? I remember that 68-69TonkinYachtClub was having health problems, but I never heard anything about Texas Cowboy.

He had cancer, once he was diagnosed he passed fairly quickly. He was such a crotchety old man (COB) hehe, but just an absolute love. Roughneck from way back. He tought me how to shoot long guns. Let me shoot his .50 Barret. I miss him.

116 posted on 03/29/2008 9:08:27 AM PDT by RikaStrom (The number one rule of the Kama Sutra is that you both be on the same page.../Exeter 051705)
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To: WFTR
That whole story is sad, and I’m sorry that you and your kids lost a friend. I’m also a little surprised that she would make that kind of move. If she wasn’t happy with his relationship with your family, I don’t see why she married him.

It doesn't surprise me that she cut him off from his friends. I've seen this to be more common than not, where the man meets a new girlfriend or gets married, and the new woman in his life cuts him off from all his previous life. It also doesn't surprise me that the new relationship or marriage crumbles soon after.

I have a male friend from 1974 who moves into and out of my life. We seem to just pick up where we left off, sometimes in mid-sentence, as if there were no interruption of time. It seems to me the degree of contact we have is directly proportional to the degree of insecurity of his current flame. If she is pretty OK with herself in life, the three of us do fine on those few occasions where I am invited to join them (his new love is his main focus, as it should be). If she's a little insecure about "something", either in herself or in him, that tension usually shows itself within the first few minutes of meeting between myself and his new woman.

Maybe it's that "intuition" thing between females, but it nearly always becomes obvious during the first few minutes of meeting his new woman, whether or not I will hear from him again anytime soon or not, sometimes for years, until they break up and he's free to run his own life.

117 posted on 03/29/2008 9:49:23 AM PDT by pigsmith (Viewing life as a gift from God, I tend to regard self-defense more as an obligation.)
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To: The Spirit Of Allegiance
“I’d still love to have someone with whom to throw frisbee in a park somewhere.”

Pinging Dog.

I don't fetch....I'm a union dog....we got rules against manual labor.....:-)

118 posted on 03/29/2008 10:45:23 AM PDT by Dog
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To: DaveLoneRanger
Power-of-Attorney and all that is still firmly in place. People just don’t DO it.

Does that give people visitation rights in hospitals? Some issues are not technically legal issues that require power-of-Attorney but do require a "family" relationship.

119 posted on 03/29/2008 3:15:53 PM PDT by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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To: DaveLoneRanger
Tolkien’s princess-turned-feminist Erendis once bitterly told her daughter that the men of Numenor “made matters of importance into great play, and great play into matters of importance.” Somewhat fitting, that. Think of the billions of dollars invested in sports!

I enjoy sports sometimes, but I have to agree that this statement sometimes characterizes the way things have become.

120 posted on 03/29/2008 3:17:13 PM PDT by WFTR (Liberty isn't for cowards)
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