I could have saved 9 bucks
 

That was pretty friggin' amusing.

Man-hos, watch out!
 

OK, if it wasn't for your explanation I would hav assumed, from your subject line, that this was a continuation of our discussion of the increasing commonness of the "house-boy" phenomenon among our age group. 'Cause, I'm the primary breadwinner, too, and having all those "it sucks to be the breadwinner" feelings (though none about not taking care of the children), and the Mr. has taken to referring to himself as a "man-ho," chiefly in front of my mother because it drives her nuts. (Also because he thinks Deuce Bigalow was a brilliant unappreciated movie, but moving on...) I keep telling him I don't keep him in high enough style to be a proper man-ho, and make him clean, cook and do home repairs besides, but he insists he's a slug-a-bed cabanna boy anyhow.

Anyway, the whole thing was reminding me of the fact that, in most of the world, women are, in fact, the main providers for their families, economically as well as in housekeeping. But no one realizes this. In most of the world, the men sit on their asses or head into town to drink tea and shoot the shit while women do all the work.

Just thought I'd comment.

Man-hos, watch out!
 

Substitute beer for tea and you have just described the result of the dole system in Ireland. :D

PSA
 

What's a 2/1?

And GEEZ, 5300 is a lot of crib!!

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

So it's not, as one comedian said whose name escapes me, that women outlive men for the simple reason that "they're not married to women?";)

PSA
 

2 br/ 1 ba

Nothing by new york standards, but we don't make new york money in the provinces.

Prices have dropped since the bust, of course.

PSA
 

2/1 = 2 bedrooms, 1 bath.

PSA
 

Maybe in some places.

Our house is up 55% since we bought it - 20 months ago.

PSA
 

I think it is 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, but I am not certain.

And I just re-read that. 5300 square feet? That's palatial.

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

Married men live longer and are generally healthier than unmarried men.

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

It just seems longer.

(And, 5300 sf is actually a fairly standard-size house in much of the country.)

PSA
 

I was speaking specifically about my once hot, now not, little burgh.

Here, we have a four-year backlog of inventory of houses in the once $400k-750k market.

There are some tony neighborhoods where every other house is for sale.

PSA
 

You bet'cha -- try being the one who has the clean the huge bastard. Generally, when I ain't working I am cleaning. :(

Canada: Come get married and go curling
 

Spree: The Canadian prime minister said he will file a bill to permit same-sex marriages, a change that would make Canada only the third country where homosexual couples can legally wed.


http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news...18samesex.html



Bravo.

PSA
 

Why would you buy such a big house then? And why do you clean it yourself? Seems like such a waste of precious time.

PSA
 

I fell in love with the house and got such a great deal on it ($47 a sq foot in an area where new homes are cropping up at $100+ per sq ft) so I bought it. I just can't get used to hiring somebody to clean it -- I guess a throwback to the fact that my mom always took care of the house plus my frugality. I can multi-task though -- I put the baseball or hockey game on the intercom and can listen throughout the entire house while I clean. It isn't all that bad -- cleaning can be a bit relaxing at times and at least it provides a sense of pride and accomplishment. It wouldn't be such a chore if I wasn't such a neat freak, I suppose. It does seem like sort of a waste but I wouldn't want to give up the house so I just muddle through.

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

Out here, they are generally new McMansions, bought solely for the prestige factor of having something huge in a place where a nondescript 2000 sf runs well over $500k.

If you can buy a place like that out here, you can afford to hire--hell, buy-- people to clean it for you.

P(hate cleaning house of any size, would have heart attack at thought of cleaning 5000 sf)J

PSA
 

I too do all of my own cleaning, but that is mainly because I don't like the idea of a stranger in my house. If you have a lot of hardwood floors, Roomba, the robot vacuum is a must. It will do all the floors while I am dusting and cleaning bathrooms or mowing the lawn or something, and it does a much better job than I could do, cleaning under all the furniture and such.

PSA
 

Does it work on carpet?

Even(I am the Roomba.)Odds

PSA
 

Thanks for the tip -- I will look into it. I find that the new Floormate does wonders on tile and wood floors and I use mine religiously -- it is a good companion to the steamer I have for the carpeted rooms. I also like the Swiffer-type dusters for cat hair under the couches on wood.

I too find the idea of a stranger in my house odd -- my husband says that if I ever broke down and hired someone I would probably spend all of my time cleaning the place so it looks nice before the cleaning person arrives (he is probably right).

What the spam world thinks is my "match".
 

http://photo3.matchnet.com/alpha/200...4/22602362.jpg

:anon: !!!

Link to "MarcoItalian"


(Spree: link to a service I never used but I'm STILL getting spam from "singles" groups from that introductory ad I unfortunately did so long ago; profile is an entertaining read except to Leagl and a few others who think I suck when I do this but DTB thinks it's funny).

PS to all you "asymetrical" gals: he only requires that ONE breast be big. :eek:

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

I am all about hiring a maid. I used to think it was a crazy extravagance, but now I think that having free time that is not spent cleaning is worth the $130 per month I pay. I have no problem with keeping stuff tidy anyway but I don't want to spend my weekends cleaning toilets and floors (have always hated those two chores in particular). I figure that if I am going to spend the amount of time working that I do, having someone take care of chores for me (since I have no stay-at-home spouse, actually no spouse at all) and using my free time for more enjoyable pursuits is the only thing that makes the hard work tolerable.

If you get some pleasure out of the housework, go for it... I just really don't.

n(unfortunately I can't seem to hire anyone to clean out my closet)cs

PSA
 

Yes! Anything but really thick shag. It will work on normal pile carpet too just fine. I use it in the bedroom and was astounded at how much dust there was in the carpet under the beds and chairs. I just noted that it's cleaning ability relative to me with a broom is vastly superior. I do have a really thick shag rug in the living room, and it sees that as a barrier when it's cleaning the hardwood. I only have to vacuum that one rug and one flight of stairs. Roomba does a wonderful job of cleaning all of the stupid carpet fuzz from the rug (still sheds after a year!!!) and getting pet hair dust bunnies.

What the spam world thinks is my "match".
 

That's slave in eight years.

TM

What the spam world thinks is my "match".
 

Good to know Bob Weir has gone back to girls.

I say, keep up the links. Its kinda like reality tv for the bored at work.

PSA
 

When I used to travel frequently, I had people clean. It's so much less weird than you think.

The first time they came, I had cleaned a bit, but I had dropped cash out of my wallet on the way out the door. (The concierge let them in.) When I came home, I found all of my money stacked neatly in a pile on the bar.

I have friends whose full-time housekeepers also cook before they leave. To me, that is too weird.

PSA
 

I just flashed back to the shaggy orange carpeting of my 1970s youth. :eek:

any Big Brother watchers?
 

Here's another reality tv politician --

Another former reality TV star is trying to enter public service: Big Brother's Will Mega, New Black Panther Party member and now graduate student, is running for Philadelphia city council, SurvivorSucks noticed. His mission statement says "now is the time for militant organization, agitation and action. We are at a crossroads." It also details his thoughts in a section titled "What we want" and in an open letter to city residents, and his platform outlines his positions on and plans for ethics, education, employment/entrepreneurs, equality, and car insurance. In These Times reports that Will "is attempting to galvanize that city's hip hop generation around his bid for a seat on the City Council."

You can also check out willmega.com if you are interested. I didn't watch the show, so it means nothing to me.

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

There are people who will do this with you for an hourly or flat fee. I think some personal shoppers will, and maybe professional organizers.

Dining Hall?
 

Seriously (not really), I want to open a dining hall in a highly congested urban area where 22-25 yr olds live (Wrigleyville in Chicago for example). One could get a dining hall debit card and everything. It would be just like college. In fact, I would wager that SOME young 'uns would be able to convince theire parents to pay for it (I'll just cook Ramen instead mom - don't you want me to eat a balanced meal?). Chicken patties would be flowing. Unlimited soft-serve ice cream. There would be alternative (i.e., healthy) dishes as well. What busy young person wouldn't LOVE this? Let's see, should I cook, or walk across the street to the dining hall where the food is decent and other people my age are hanging out? Eat and socialize before going out on the town. And you get your vegetables. And chicken patties!

kicking a man when he's down
 

Whatever you say, Big Pun.

not7yS

Isn't "not as careful" sort of like being dumb?
 

My SO's friend specializes in closets.

I could have saved 9 bucks
 

Yes, but can you do it with Arye Gross, too?

Actually, the above musing about Ellen is currently competing with the "only one breast needs to be big" for Most Incisive Observation on the FB Today. Watching it in its last two years was a fucking chore, but I felt obligated to do it because of its social relevance --- what a bust that turned out to be. Ellen does pretty good non-nasty standup, but she's not the female Bob Newhart, which is what the TV execs were trying to push.

Dining Hall?
 

I'm with ya, Coltrane..... $$$$$$$$$. Only with booze.

Tuesday Reality Rap-up
 

AMERICAN JUNIORS:

The Judges: I can't believe Guarini is the most interesting judge. Deborah (don't call me Debbie) Gibson has perfected the not-so-difficult-skill of saying something nice about the way they look, and their family, and not mentioning the singing. On the whole though, they refrained from skewering the contestants.

The Contestants: Does having the name A.J. just make you a lock for a boy-band? A.J. Melendez blew everyone away last night with his "Isn't She Lovely." Katelyn who went last was also quite good, as was Danielle White, who got a standing O from the judges. I think the other two spots are going to be tight between Kristinia, Tyler and Grace. I think the two black boys are in trouble, as is no-style Julie with the mega-bangs and the god-awful floral print who sang Rainy Days and Mondays. Ecch. She was sabotaged by bad advice, probably from her loser mom who loves Linda Ronstadt. Kara is also probably in some trouble, though she might squeek in. A.J., Katelyn and Danielle were the standouts though, no doubt.

LAST COMIC STANDING:

I didn't see last week, but I was very pleasantly surprised by last night's show. I saw Ralphie, the 400 pounder, open up for Jay Mohr. That night was the funniest comedy show I've ever seen, and Ralphie contributed heavily to that. He did this bit about Jack in the Box in the 'hood that I'll never forget involving "a Jumbo Jack for my baby mama and a shout out to the fry guy." He was very good last night. I can't believe they took stupid spiky haired girl and left off the girl who talked about going to India.

Anyways, should be a good show.

any Big Brother watchers?
 

First guy kicked off the first Big Brother. His mission was to stimulate the house into meaningful discourse about important issues. He also deliberately tanked a challenge, costing the house some food or something. He thought he was very important.

Dining Hall?
 

They had these in turn-of-the-century urban areas. They were called Automats, and originally served blue collar workers hot lunches and packaged sandwiches, but also were open for cheap, waiterless dinners served from steam tables, just like a college cafeteria. They flourished through the '50s but were killed by the rise of fast food chains.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald...od/4618297.htm

Personally, I think it's a great idea. Fast food chains and takeout salad bars have positively destroyed a centuries-old tradition of meeting friends for informal dining, which explains why America has none of the pub/café life that makes Europe so liveable despite its supposedly second-world economy.

Dining Hall?
 

There is, or used to be a cafeteris, in Kenmore Square in Boston. Though BU is right there, I recall it being a blue collar joint. It wasnt an all you can eat thing I don think - but did have the tray and stuff. I guess the problem would be how do you keep the proles out and limit it to the MTV demo? Perhaps it could be a membership thing? Private club?

I guess its like that old saying goes, Where there's cheap food, there are proles.

Dining Hall?
 

How is what you all are talking about different than Luby's? http://www.lubys.com/Summary.asp
This is a regional chain, but presumably there are similar chains in other areas of the country. It might interest you budding entrepreneurs that Luby's performance has been crappy.

Dining Hall?
 

That's why I suggested Wrigleyville. The population almost entirely consists of recent college graduates. Not blue collar but with blue collar incomes. And there's nowhere to park, so people from outside the area probably wouldn't visit.