Here Come the Holidays

Halloween is almost here. And in the USA, Thanksgiving will be here before you know it.

Guys, this is a reminder that you need to be executing your holiday game plan.

Daily Wire and Dennis Prager Panic Over Marriage Strike

 

The Daily Wire folks like Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, and Dennis Prager have been freaking out, the last day or so even more, because more and more men have realized that signing a terrible state contract and being reduced to nothing more than an ATM and lackey is not for them.

It’s a little late, fellas.

Dennis continues to be pathological on the subject. It’s truly stunning.

The state contract is atrocious.

Most marriages fail.

Most men can have a great life staying free.

There’s no benefit in marrying a man can’t get for less cost and risk other ways.

And more and more men are figuring this out.

Don’t like it? Change the family laws and courts, for starters. There’s a lot more too it, though. 

Life has changed. We are adapting.

Guys, do check out the “Free Men” and “Marriage Strike” tags attached to this post.

Dennis Prager: "You Owe Me" & Circular Reasoning

Dennis Prager has repeated many times on his radio show, Prager U videos, and elsewhere I'm sure, that his teachings on male sexual nature (the core of which includes that most men want to bang most women and if a husband stays faithful, it means he has worked at doing so) have prompted married couples to approach him, such as at his speaking events, and express that those teachings have helped their marriage.

Dennis Prager says he tells the husbands "You owe me."

Really?

What if that man married in the first place because of Dennis Prager's constant urging of men to do so?

If that is the case, it's like Dennis Prager encouraging a man to step in front of a moving bus, then telling someone on the bus to give the man an ibuprofen pill after the bus runs him over, then Dennis Prager tells the guy as he's being loaded into an ambulance, "You owe me."

Dennis is largely correct about male sexual nature, but his inevitable conclusion of selling marriage isn't the only option. To Dennis it is, because he has an obsession with urging men to sign that terrible state contract. He might say this is prompted by his faith in the Torah, specifically the early chapters of Genesis, yet other things he's said seem to imply or outright indicate one of the reasons he has faith in the Torah is that he says it promotes marrying and having children. It seems circular.

Recently he did an hour on his show saying people should "act religious" and "lead a religious life" even if they don't actually believe in the religion, because it means "living a good life." From what he's said other times, that "good life" likely is primarily, or significantly, about marrying and having children.

Regardless, who determines what a "good life" is?

To some people, a good life is earning more than enough to meet all of their needs as well as finance many of their desires, being able to move for promotions and new opportunities, driving stylish sports cars, eating at high end restaurants, taking expensive vacations any time of the year, going to concerts and theaters, having a clean and orderly home so they can have company over frequently and host parties and gatherings, being able to get a good night's sleep, having sex anytime and anywhere in their home, keeping a punctual and reliable schedule, and many, many other things that aren't possible or are far more difficult if they're raising children. What makes Dennis Prager's model of a good life (which he didn't explain thoroughly this time) the correct one?

My understanding of a good life is ultimately determined through my faith. If someone doesn't have that same faith, why would their definition of a good life necessarily match with mine? The churches I have attended have said they meet because of Jesus. If someone doesn't believe Jesus is an authority, why would they get up on a Sunday morning (or Saturday, for some), go sing and listen to a lecture, and fork over money? People can join far more convenient social clubs or charities.

It seems that sometimes Dennis Prager forgets that not everyone (or, not everyone who isn't a Leftist) wants the same things he does. I'm reminded of my open letter to Dennis Prager.

The State of This Blog

Being married and raising kids (and, of course, working full time) means I don't have a lot of free time. (Not because I'm having fun with my wife, but because when I'm not working I'm usually running errands or doing chores.)

I have so many draft posts I'd like to complete and post, including continuations of various series I have started.

I try to get at least a couple of new posts up here each week, and I rotate still-relevant past posts up on other days, so that six days per week someone coming here might see something they haven't before.

I'm active daily on Twitter, or X, or whatever it's being called today.

Send me a DM on Twitter if you want to reach me privately. You can also comment on any post here and ask me NOT to post the comment. That's another way to send me a message privately.

Of course you can also comment on posts if you DO want your comment to be posted.

Also, I always like to hear from you as to why you read this blog, or how you found it. Or, just tell me how your life is going or anything else you want to say.

I plan to keep updating here and keep analyzing the things I see, hear, and read, and keep encouraging men to thrive as Free Men, other men to make the best of their situations, and giving women insight into how men really think.

Dennis Daily: Boo Hoo, Marriage Rates Are Down

 

 

The "Male-Female Hour" (Hour 2) of the Dennis Prager Show on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 was dedicated to trying to fool people into marrying.

Unless he's off traveling or for a religious holiday, Dennis Prager is on the air each weekday lamenting that fewer people are marrying. Sure, there's also political talk, current events, and more on the show, but it seems like every day Dennis must lament that the marriage strike is growing.

So, this dedicated hour he attempted to make the case for marrying. He still hasn't had an articulate marriage striker on his show to counter our points.

Here's my report from that hour.

He kicks it off by saying marriage makes the best men and the best men get married. What this means is that married men are more likely to behave in ways Dennis likes, and women are more likely to prefer men who are better off to be their walking wallets.

He says most people aren't going to have the best careers. Right, Dennis, and one reason people don't is that they married and marriage is a dream killer.

He asserted that the worst argument against marriage is that so many people divorce, and he again said that's like refusing to drive because people get into accidents. He didn't address any other arguments against marriage the whole hour.

Dennis tried to say marriage has benefits for men, citing the usual stuff, and he said the benefits are just as profound for women, that women need men, and that single women are the least happy group in America and that they do a lot of damage. Even if true, isn't it likely that they are unmarried because they are sad and problematic people?

Then he says yes, it might go wrong. You might get divorced. So what? Again, I'm glad Dennis' divorces apparently weren't so bad or that his masochism was fed by them. Good for him.

My guess is that calls opposed to marriage or warning people about the facts weren't allowed through.

First call was a married guy. He said people say marriage is hard, but when there's illness and loss of a loved one it is helpful to have a spouse. Uhm, people can have companionship without a terrible state contract or a ridiculous pledge. The caller hasn't even been married ten years. I sure hope he isn't about to find out.

Second caller was a woman who has a daughter she says is having trouble finding someone. The daughter doesn't want someone who took the C v-cines. Yeah. She mentioned dating apps and how her daughter must be getting overlooked.

Dennis says there is always a better one [better potential date]. EXACTLY! There's always a better person to be with, so why marry???

Dennis says people need to speak well of marriage, even if divorced. Why? He hasn't explained well why. That he grew up in a congregation in which married men got to wear a shawl isn't a compelling reason.

Third caller was a guy, said he asks younger people if they're married or dating, tells them to marry as soon as they can, they will mature faster and will experience happiness on a deeper level. That's horrible advice. They are more likely to divorce. He claimed people who get married in their 30s are so set in their ways that it creates chaos. He claims you experience life's joys together and asks why would you want to travel or build a house alone? Uh, because you don't have someone stifling you and wanting things their way??? You can experience life's joys with someone without marrying. You can travel a lot more if you're not having to pay some woman's way.

Dennis claims people don't want to be mature. But his definition of mature is likely "married" and thus circular.

He goes on to say many people who aren't married say they're not lonely. "I would ask them the same question later in life. Marriage is an investment for later in life." So again, we have the argument that you should give up decades of freedom on the chance someone will be your nurse. Dennis went on to say he's always thought about that. He never doubted, even in high school, that he'd marry. Demanding people marry is a healthy thing. "The number of unhappy women should make the case. The number of men sitting and home playing video games should, too." See, to Dennis, standing around smoking a cigar is great, playing games is somehow magically bad. He wants men to stop doing what they want to do and try to make miserable woman happy, so they can both be miserable.

"I'm stunned when these women are working on career. You should work on getting married, then work on career," So he wants women to marry, pop out kids, then dump them in daycare and work in a career? And what happens when her path to career advancement is in a different city from her husband's?

Fourth caller was a guy who agreed it's an investment in the future. He has guilt and regret because he gave up on a marriage 40 years ago. "I could have made a difference. I didn't stay. I was single for eight years, and then I remarried. I've been married over 30 years. I do love my current wife but every day I think about the prior marriage." Geez, imagine being his current wife.

Dennis said "Life is not a dress rehearsal." OK, well, that's all the more reason to NOT marry.

Fifth caller was a man in the Bronx who said "I haven't married because I asked her if she would immediately file for divorce if I had a one night stand. A one night stand doesn't constitute a betrayal of the entire marriage."

Dennis responded by restating something he's said multiple times before, that adultery shouldn't automatically end the marriage. He says it's not autobiographical as he's been faithful. He points out that some marriages that survive adultery are stronger. "Good people commit adultery. Not everyone who commits adultery is a bad person."

He lauded the hypothetical person who wouldn't automatically divorce over a one night stand.

Sixth caller was a woman. "I encouraged my kids to marry because life is like a tango, it takes two to tango.There is nothing better in life than to be married." I can just as easily assert that life is like a solo dance recital.

Dennis capped off the hour by saying to women they should find a good man, the sooner the better, and men become men when they marry.

And there you have it. Did that hour convince one person with a functioning brain?

 

I'll just stick to addressing men. Everythingy most men want out of life they can have without ever marrying.

With hours like this one, we can expect the marriage rates will continue to decline. Women don't need marriage anymore to fully participate in society and life or just to survive, and men aren't being given compelling reasons to marry but have many significant reasons to stay free. That Dennis is fixated on wanting everyone to marry isn't a compelling reason for anyone else to marry.

Married Men Are Taller

 

 

 

The quickest and most simple way I know of to counter marriage sellers who say married men are happier, healthier, wealthier, live longer, or have more sex is to point out that married men are taller.

Did marriage make the men taller, or is it more likely that taller men are more likely to attract a wife?

Remember, divorced men are counted as unmarried.

Also, intentionally unmarried men are never separated out in the data. Men who are desperate to marry (some of whom have been religiously indoctrinated from the earliest ages that they must marry), including those who are poor, sickly, unhappy, etc., and divorced men, are lumped together with men who have intentionally avoided marriage and are doing well, happy with life.

Don’t fall for the trap. Stay free!

Why Does Dennis Prager Now Have a Part-Time Co-host?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dennis Prager has a Salem terrestrial broadcast radio program for three hours on weekdays, he also does “Fireside Chat” videos, and he has a podcast he co-hosts with Julie Hartman.

Hartman was a student at an Ivy League school when Prager started to bring her on the air.

She is one of several people who will guest host his radio program for a day or an hour of it when he has to be elsewhere.

Now she’s been co-hosting his radio program frequently during the third hour.

Why?

Yes, she can talk. But what’s really going on here? Why has Dennis started to have a co-host? He can plug their podcast without having her co-host his radio program. 

Given the circumstances and the way he talks about her, some people probably think they’re having an affair. I wouldn’t be shocked. He’s a horny man and she’s getting national exposure at a young age. But I hope an affair isn't happening, as Dennis Prager thinks being married is the most important thing ever, and it would be a shame for his third marriage to end that way, especially after he's explained eloquently the problems with affairs.

Dennis is old. He can still talk well and doesn’t appear to be struggling at all with cognition and speech. But let’s face it..: Hartman is young and female, and this is probably a change rooted in demographics.

It’s possible it goes even further and she is being set up to be Prager’s replacement. 

 

If I had to guess, I think Dennis wants to stay on until he has his complete set of commentaries on the Torah distributed and marketed, and through the 2024 Presidential Election, and then after that I wouldn't be surprised if he hands over the radio program.

Salem replaced Medved with Gorka, Elder with Officer Tatum, and it wouldn’t be surprising to replace Prager with a young woman. After all, he’s in his 70s. How much longer is he going to be doing this?

Dependent Shackup Tells Dear Abby She’s Abused

Time for some more true love!

BAD SCENE IN THE MIDWEST wrote in to Dear Abby:

I'm a 37-year-old stay-at-home mother of two teens.

Not employed, not running a business. Doesn't say she homeschools. She stays home and has two teens.

I've been in a relationship with a guy I'll call "Doug" for four years.

What happened to the father or fathers of the teens?

I feel he only wants me here for sex.

That's true of most men, when you really get down to it. I mean, many value the companionship and friendship is there is some, too, but that's more of a byproduct. They often have to be friends and companions with the women to get the sex, or so they think, and the women take up their time, and, they're there. There are couples, including married, who really don't do much together. They may or may not have sex, and attend certain events together, but that's about it.

The way she says "here" and the rest of the letter imply she and her children are living in Doug's place. They're not married. How much money is Doug spending on these three people? Remember, she's not working.

If I say no, he either tries to force it or verbally abuses me.

Force or abuse are unacceptable, period. But clarification on "tries to" and "verbally abuses" would be helpful. "You don't give me what I need" isn't verbal abuse. "You're worthless" is.

But even if he wasn't abusive, if she doesn't want to have sex with him, she should leave.

You know why she doesn't? Because he provides money and services.

He tells me if I don't give him sex, I need to leave so he can bring another woman to do it.

Well that's just silly. He could go out and run game, part of which would be doing it elsewhere. But the real reason you need to leave, in addition to it being an abusive situation, is that it isn't your place.

He will destroy my belongings or call me names.

He couldn't do either of those things if you weren't there.

He says it's my fault that he does that to me.

His actions are his responsibility.

I'm not sure what to do here.

Get out.

Right... but you depend on him. That mistake is going to make things harder, but you have to.

What she can likely do, and a lawyer can fill her in on this, is call the police on the guy and have him kicked out of his own place and still compelled to pay for it, and, possibly, pay her as well and pay child support for those kids even though they aren't his. While he might "deserve" that for being an abuser, most men should NEVER move a woman in to their place, ESPECIALLY one with kids.

When a boyfriend (or husband for that matter) forces their partner to have sex, it isn't foreplay; it is rape.

Agreed. And what is it called when someone is forced to labor for another adult?

What you need to do now is get out of there as safely as you can. Place a confidential call to the National Domestic Violence Hotline (800-799-7233) and ask for help formulating a plan to safely escape your abuser, because that is what this man is.

She has places to go, thankfully. It's not as easy for abused men.

I'm trying to get the domestic abuse rate down to zero. The best way to avoid abuse is to be independent and don't move in with an abusive person.

This woman apparently has a habit of picking bad men. Bad men apparently turn her on. That’s what young men see over and over again. What do they learn from that?

Dennis Prager Sad About Independence

 

Dennis Prager opened his Monday, July 10 program lamenting that more Americans are living alone now.

He has a pathological fixation on badgering other people to marry. It’s absurd.

It’s never been easier to live alone.

I liked living alone.

How many of those who are living alone like it? That’s what really matters. If they like it, that’s great.

Better living alone than shacked up in a bad situation or abusive marriage or a marriage full of conflict.

Hey Dennis, want to stop the trend? Have a marriage strike proponent on your program so you can expose the errors of the marriage strike. Your one-sided lecturing isn’t working.

Good News and Bad News About the Marriage Strike

The bad news first: Many men are still signing that terrible state marriage contract.

The good news is a record number of 40 year-old Americans are never-married. And keep in mind, that's with people being able to marry someone of the same sex since June 2015 nationwide (and before that in some states). That has to mean that the rate of men and women marrying each other is even lower than needed to be a record.

There are people who think this is a bad thing. But I think it's great if men stay free.

I realize many of these never married people are still shacking up, which I think it almost as bad as marrying. I also realize many of them are still having children. I don't think men should have children unless they really, really want to and can rationally explain why they want to in a way that isn't selfish, and they will most likely provide the children with a healthy, stable home.

But many of these never-marrieds aren't shacking up and aren't having "oopsie" children, and that's great.

Men shouldn't be subjecting themselves to terrible state contracts, becoming beaten dogs for some woman, nor burdening a woman.

Men who make it to 40 as bachelors are far less likely to see a need to marry. After all, they've made it that far without marriage. And, according to Dr. Laura, they've reached the age for which is is unfair to have children, or will by the time they are settled into a marriage. So even men who think they should be married to raise children will have no reason to marry.

As long as state marriage contracts and family courts are bad...
As long as our culture punishes men for being husbands...
As long as women aren't eager and prepared to actually be wives...
As long as men are denied their own spaces, institutions, and programs that haven't been feminized...

...marriage rates will be in decline.

The marriage strike is growing.

Important Messages to Young Men - Introduction

This will be a series of important messages to young men and boys.

A frequent prompt on social media is "If you could tell your younger self something, or talk to your younger self, what would you say?" Sometimes it is limited to one thing or three words. Someone will always say that if they could talk to their younger self, they'd say "Bet on..." or "Invest in Apple." That's not the point of the mental exercise.

If it's limited to just three words it would be "Stay free, unmarried."

If I could literally talk to my younger self back in that time frame, there are specific things I'd say. But what would I say to young men today? That's more generalized. And it is one reason this blog exists. In some ways, many entries on this blog are messages to younger men. This series will attempt to codify the more important things into several basic messages.

The USA is what I know. Much of this series might apply elsewhere.

So check back regularly and I'll post the series as I have time.

Success Sequence

To what should males aspire?

Dear Abby Gets It Right In Reponse to Thrown In Kansas

A woman was having a great marriage at a time in her life many women no longer have any marriage at all, but she's found a way to ruin it, as she detailed in her letter to an advice column.

Dear Abby gave a great answer.

THROWN IN KANSAS wrote:

My husband and I are in our early 70s. We have been married seven years.

So, there's a lot of history for each one of them.

I was celibate before we met and thrilled to have a partner I respected and was attracted to.

Maybe she means chaste? Or does she meant she had never married? If she means she was chaste, especially for her entire life, then she likely doesn't have much of a libido.

Our sex life seemed normal and exciting with lots of kisses and hugs throughout the day.

So, she was happy with their level of affection and the sex.

Recently, I caught him on a phone sex call and then discovered he visits sex chat rooms. I'm devastated.

Why devastated? He's much more horny than his wife and so he seeks relief.

I feel betrayed and angry that my trust has been violated.

Trust? How does this in any way mean she can't trust him? Did he explicitly agree he'd never do anything like that?

After several attempts to lie, he finally admitted the truth, but said it was a "recent" thing -- which was even more insulting!

My therapist says men don't suddenly take up phone sex and pornography in their 70s.

They do if they're not getting as much sex as they want.

When I shared that with my husband, he revealed it wasn't "as often" in the past. He swears he loves me and will get help, but I can't imagine how I can trust him again.

"Get help?" He's saying these things because you are upset. He tried to deny what was going on because he has difficulty being honest about his sexual nature, and she clearly has trouble dealing with the reality.

He doesn't seem to want to talk about it any further, other than taking some online classes dealing with porn addiction.

Why would he want to talk about it? The truth is upsetting to you. "Porn addiction" is a term used by grifters, hysterics, and their marks. It's not an official diagnosis.

Our relationship has always been cordial and friendly and that continues, though I'm no longer willing to have sex at this time.

So he's DEFINITELY going to seek relief. "My husband is hornier than I am, so my solution is to not have sex with him at all!"

My impulse is to bolt. I'm too old to deal with this nonsense, and I just want to live the rest of my life in peace.

Want peace? Accept male sexual nature for what it is. If you won't do that, leave. You might be able to find a man who has no drive or interest, but is that what you want? The pickings of men in general are slim at your age, and you had  a good thing going with this guy.

Dear Abby responded:

Please ignore your impulse to bolt. When you started your letter, you stated you had a good marriage to a man you respect and are attracted to -- with the bonus of kisses and hugs throughout the day. Your husband isn't having physical contact with anyone on the "hotline."

True. But maybe he should go out and have an affair instead.

If your therapist hasn't told you, many thousands of individuals of both sexes consider porn to be erotica and helpful, and many couples use it to enhance their sex lives.

Porn panic people will say that porn use is "linked" to relationship problems. But what they don't tell you is that the "link" is either that the relationship was already in trouble and/or that a partner's panic over porn caused the problems. Beyond that, compulsive people tend to do things compulsively, which may include watching porn. The core issue is their compulsiveness.

Rather than sacrifice what has been a successful marriage, you and your husband would be better off scheduling some appointments with a marriage and family therapist, and possibly one who specializes in sex therapy to help you overcome your emotional issue on this highly personal subject.

Obviously, anyone consulted should not be someone who buys into porn panic. And the concern for me is making sure he's avoiding being scammed.

She was getting what she wanted and everything she needed from their sex life. He wasn't. He needs more. If it's mostly a matter of frequency, is she willing to have sex more? If he "needs" variety, she might not be able to do anything about that. If she no longer wants to have sex with him, either she needs to accept he's going to seek relief even more or this marriage is over.
https://www.uexpress.com/life/dearabby/2023/06/07https://www.uexpress.com/life/dearabby/2023/06/07
Abby is going to get absurd letters and comments about how his enjoying what he does is going to turn him into a serial killer or cause children to be abused. Even some people who are usually rational and reasonable throw logic and sense out the window when it comes to erotica.

June Is Here

Wedding season, gentlemen. Maybe you’re scheduled to be the groom.

Maybe a man you care about is scheduled to be a groom.

Maybe a woman you’re "seeing" or "with" is expecting you to be her date for a wedding or weddings.

Obviously, the first situation is the most dire.

Have a Nice Weekend

I wanted to pause for a moment and highlight some of the better or more useful posts of this blog, especially for any of you new readers.

This blog is mostly about giving an honest male perspective on life, relationships, and so much more.

I say "honest" because men, especially men in media or men who are in a relationship with you or are working with you, can't be honest about certain topics, and young men and boys often don't get the true facts of life from the older men around them. We can discuss these things on Twitter.

My Core Advice To Men

What Do I Mean Be Free Men?

Get a Vasectomy

Organizations of Which To Be Wary

Why Can't Men Be Upfront and Honest?

Learn to Say No

The State Marriage Contract is Bad

Answering Marriage Advocates

Reasons For Men to Stay Unmarried

What Is the Marriage Strike?

Thinking Critically About Cohabitation

Women Need To Be Romanced

Why Running Game Works

Red Flags

Don't Date Women With Minor Children

Know Thyself

The Success Sequence

June Is Coming

Wedding season, gentlemen. Maybe you’re scheduled to be the groom.

Maybe a man you care about is scheduled to be a groom.

Maybe a woman you’re "seeing" or "with" is expecting you to be her date for a wedding or weddings.

Obviously, the first situation is the most dire.

This Is Depressing

My wife asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate something, something for me, not us.

What she was thinking was something like a family trip out of the country. I can't see doing that for several reasons I'm not going to get into, in addition to the cost and a hassle. One of those reasons has to do with something to which she agreed in order for me to grudgingly agree to something she wanted. Of course, when she agreed, she was probably thinking "I can change his mind later." Too bad. I told her at the time that if she got X, it would prevent Y, for directly connected reasons. She agreed.

Such a trip would be stressful, tiring, and draining for me.

I can't tell her my real answer - what I REALLY want.

Because what I'd REALLY want is a bunch of horny bisexual women who would be willing to at least pretend to be into me and each other.

But let's get what would sound more realistic.

• Sleep in
• Peace and quiet
• Relaxation - no chores or errands
  
• A nice long bath
• Uninterrupted screenings of my favorite movies on our best screen with a great, working soundsystem
• Great food and drink
• Great sex (with my wife because I'm not allowed to have sex with anyone else)

Note that free men can have days like that every week. For a married man like me, I can propose having it for a rare special occasion, but most likely, I'm not going to have great sex, I'm not going to be able to sleep in, not going to have peace and quiet, not going to have total relaxation, and not going to get the movie screenings. I'll probably get a nap - maybe - and great food and drink (purchased by me), and maybe a bath.

This is depressing to think about.

Stay free, guys.

Mother's Day is THIS SUNDAY May 14

Don't forget the mothers in your life, unless they've torn up their mother card.

Don't forget people like your stepmother, if you're trying to keep peace with her/your dad and she expects to be celebrated by you, even if she tore up her mother card.

And those of you who are foolish enough to be in a relationship with a woman who is a mother, you'd better do something for her, unless you want a fight.

Don't expect much reciprocation in June if you're a father or have taken on the role of a father.

Have A Nice Weekend

I wanted to pause for a moment and highlight some of the better or more useful posts of this blog, especially for any of you new readers.

This blog is mostly about giving an honest male perspective on life, relationships, and so much more.

I say "honest" because men, especially men in media or men who are in a relationship with you or are working with you, can't be honest about certain topics, and young men and boys often don't get the true facts of life from the older men around them. We can discuss these things on Twitter.

My Core Advice To Men

What Do I Mean Be Free Men?

Get a Vasectomy

Organizations of Which To Be Wary

Why Can't Men Be Upfront and Honest?

Learn to Say No

The State Marriage Contract is Bad

Answering Marriage Advocates

Reasons For Men to Stay Unmarried

What Is the Marriage Strike?

Thinking Critically About Cohabitation

Women Need To Be Romanced

Why Running Game Works

Red Flags

Don't Date Women With Minor Children

Know Thyself

The Success Sequence

Gut Check Time for Men Legally Married to Men

Many same-sex marriages legally started in June 2015 or in the few years before.

In states like California, the spouse who earns more get tagged with ongoing support payments when the legal marriage ends. For every two days married, it's another day of payments. But at ten years of being legally married, you can be compelled to make payments for the rest of your life.

As of this writing, it is January 2022. [Bumped this up.]

California started giving contracts to to same-sex couples, uninterrupted, in June 2013. Some of you are rapidly approaching that ten-year mark, and some of you still have over three years until you get there.

Either way, if you're not absolutely certain that both you and your spouse want to keep this legal contract intact for the rest of your lives, you need to figure out what you're going to do.

Don't end up like so many heterosexual men, who are making never-ending payments to someone who hates their guts.

Or, use your proven lobbying power to change marriage and family law for the better.

UPDATE: How many of you have already bailed out? Don't let family law screw you over even more! Get out if you need to.

Reviewing Deep Dive

Three episodes in, my predictions here about "Dr. Laura's Deep Dive" podcast are turning out to be correct.

The free weekly podcast is between 30 and 40 minutes, and supported by advertisements at the start, end, and with breaks inside of the episode, too.

Dr. Laura pontificates on a topic she often addresses on her "live" program that airs on SiriusXM and is available as a podcast through payments on her website. She supports her points with rereading letters and replaying calls that have been on her program.

Episode 1: What Dr. Laura considers bad parenting is the reason for most of what Dr. Laura considers today's problems. Specifically, parents paying or things, like cars and phones, for their older kids rather than making the kids earn those things themselves.

Episode 2: Dr. Laura has saved children and encouraged her callers and listeners to save children, ranging from saving them from being aborted to saving them from being in stepfamily homes.

Episode 3: Essentially the answer to "What about The Proper Care and Feeding of Wives?" It's a basic overview on how to be a good husband, according to Dr. Laura.

If your time is limited, here's the bottom line:

If you regularly listen to her "live" program, either on SiriusXM or via podcast, there's no need to listen to "Deep Dive." If you want Dr. Laura's point of view about life and you really don't care about "live" calls and/or don't want to pay for the podcast or SiriusXM, "Deep Dive" might be enough for you.

Dr. Laura Is Debuting a New Podcast

After dropping one "live" program a week (usually Fridays), Dr. Laura is debuting a new podcast, "Deep Dive."

As I write this, I haven't heard it as it is scheduled to debut tomorrow. When she announced this, I expected it to be new content, as opposed to her main podcast, which is her "live" program of that day (usually... sometimes it is a past program) posted with the breaks removed, and her popular "Call of the Day" podcast, which features one call from her program. However, upon thinking about it more, I would not be surprised if at least some of the episodes will be monologues she did during her program.

But even if it is all new, the question becomes "Why drop down from five to four live programs per week, only to end up doing a new podcast?"

There are many possible reasons.

The live program relies heavily on phone callers, and that is becoming a problem for many programs as fewer people are willing to make actual phone calls. A podcast doesn't need any callers. The live program, if done live for all three hours, requires at least three hours of work, whereas a podcast can be much shorter, even something like 15 or 20 minutes, and even if Dr. Laura does research for an episode, the total time can be much less than three hours. But she doesn't necessarily need to read or watch anything new. She can speak well on a topic for 20 minutes easily. By her own statements, she doesn't argue or debate. So with a podcast, she can speak her mind about a topic and her call screeners won't have to deal with anyone wanting to argue (although some might people might try to call the live program to argue after hearing the Deep Dive podcast).

My guess is the podcast will be much like the monologues she does on her her live programs, and whenever she says "I want to talk about the last call some more" and goes on for ten minutes. For example, she's almost certainly going to talk about why she advises against daycare, casual sex, living together without a state marriage license, and marrying when you have minor children with someone else. There will be lectures on how to have a good life after a bad childhood. Things like that.

We'll see.

Listeners should definitely expect advertisements, since the podcast is being offered for free. There will probably be ads/mentions of sponsors at the start and end of the podcast as well as in the middle of it.

The podcast will certainly be used to try to get people to listen to her main program, which they can do by paying for SiriusXM or the podcast of that program (through her website). The frustrating thing about that for many people will be their desire to argue about something said on Deep Dive, but not being able to do so because it won't be allowed on the live program. The best they can do is either blog (like me) or post their responses on social media, email Dr. Laura, or call up the live program with a request for "clarification" and then sneak in their argument as part of their question. But with that last method, Dr. Laura will hang up on them and talk about five minutes asserting that "all the research" supports her position.

The State of My Union

To give you an idea of where I'm coming from, I will occasionally provide some updates and general evaluation of my current life.

I'm a husband and father. We have pets. My wife and I are homeowners with a mortgage that's probably less than a third of the value of the house right now. We have no other debt; we don't carry credit card debt beyond the free monthly limit. I'm the breadwinner. I don't hate what I do to earn money but much of it I only do for the money; it's not what I wish I was doing. I earn more than the average for the area in an area that is generally higher than the national average. Our kids are minors.

Thankfully, I'm not in bad health (as far as I know) but I could be more healthy.

Cutting Back 20 Percent

I've written much about the Dr. Laura Program on this blog.

I remain a fan of the program and the woman who hosts it, even though there are a few serious things with which I disagree. I think she mostly gets things right.

Sometime last year, Dr. Laura started taking one day per week off, almost always on Friday. "Best of" recordings are played on Friday or whichever day she takes off, and offered for the podcast listeners.

This means a 20-percent reduction in new content, since it is a weekday program.

Actually, that's not entirely accurate because often, during the four live programs, previously aired calls are played, and not just when there are technical problems. Dr. Laura tends to confirm to the audience when there were technical problems and thus recordings were played.

No, these previously aired calls are slipped in without any acknowledgement that they are previously aired calls, perhaps due to a lack of people calling in or Dr Laura needing to handle something (she works from her home).

Some podcast subscribers, who are paying, are asking if the price will be reduced or not. Asking that question on the program's social media might result in a ban.

The reduction in new, live content must be fine with SiriusXM, because she signed a new contract with them late last year and the days off and the repeat calls have continued.

This reminds me of how Howard Stern cut back on his live shows (I know Dr. Laura hates to be mentioned in the same place as him, but this is strictly about schedules.) I remember when Johnny Carson, in later years of hosting The Tonight Show, in addition to all the weeks he took off, would work Tuesday through Thursday. Jay Leno did the Monday shows and repeats were aired Fridays, or Carson would record two shows on Thursday.

As I was writing this, another ongoing thing occurred again: Someone botched the podcast. The podcast is supposed to be the program that aired that day, uploaded as one recording for each hour, with the breaks removed. Sometimes a segment gets repeated (thus replacing a segment), sometimes the hour get cut short (for example, it will be 37 minutes instead of the 48ish it normally is), and sometimes, like this time, the wrong hour gets uploaded. This time it was especially noticeable because instead of being an hour from a couple of weeks ago, it was the second hour of yesterday's program being uploaded again as the third hour. Mistakes happen. But when they aren't corrected, and asking about them on the program's social media can result in being blocked, that's not a good look. Will this latest one get corrected? Based on experience... It might. It might not. [UPDATE: It was fixed.]

Like me, you might find it is still worth it to pay for the program. Bit understand you're getting four programs per week, not five, and some of the four new programs contain content you'll start to recognize as having aired before.

Why Do You Read This Blog?

I'd  like to "hear" from you, especially if you're a returning reader. Leave a comment below. You can post anonymously. If you don't want your comment published, say so in the comment and I will delete it after reading it. Comments have to be approved before they can be published.

You don't have to be supportive. Maybe you come here because you hate what I write. Maybe you like it when I write about being miserable (when I do). That's fine, too. Just let me know why you read this blog. If you want more of something or less of something, say so. I might not adjust in a way you like, but maybe I will.

So... tell me. 

Thanks.

No, Really, I Need A Vacation

I'm not talking about a family vacation. We haven't done one of  those in forever, either.

I'm talking about being away from being a husband (butler) and father.

This is a follow up to this entry.

I think it was a year and a half ago, or so, that I got away for a few days, but that was basically to work with a friend of mine. It could hardly be called a vacation.

I don't need to go anywhere. My wife and our kids could go somewhere. The thing is, they're not going to go anywhere together without me. They'd need to be split up. Likewise, they aren't going to all be home together without me, unless it needs to be that way for work for a few days.

Work.  Heck, as long as it was working from home, it would feel like a vacation (staycation) as long as I didn't have to handle chores and errands, or deal with disputes between the rest of the family.

But... there are pets who'd need care. Pets I didn't want to get because of the expense, the mess, and I knew it would mean more work for me and be limiting as far as getting away.

I'm not talking about  need to see sights or do various activities.

I just want to relax and have a lack of stress for several days.

I want to be able to sleep as long as I want, wake up because I want to wake up and not because something needs to get done right now.

I want to read what I want to read, write what I want to write, watch what I want to watch, listen to what I want to listen to... without interruption, without someone else around who might not like it.

I want to relax in pool that isn't cold, or in a hot tub, or a bath, with no time limit.

If you're new to this blog, especially if you've never been married, you might be asking "Why would you need to get away from your wife? Don't you want to have sex on your vacation?"

HA!!! Oh, that's hilarious. Sex? Probably wouldn't happen. No, if she's around I'll have chores and errands, even if we are somewhere else. My wife doesn't crave vacation sex. She avoided it for an entire long weekend for our anniversary when I'd made arrangements for us to get away. That wasn't an anomaly: sex isn't a priority for her. That's how it is for, probably, most wives who have all the children they wanted and have reached the point in a marriage in which the husband would have to pay lifetime alimony if he left.

I want to be clear I wouldn't be fooling around with anyone on this vacation. No, that's one of the ways I'm very loyal. I'm a married man. My wife wouldn't approve of any involvement with another woman. So, it's her or nothing, which, except for a few restricted minutes every month or so, means it is nothing.

You guys who live alone: Enjoy it! Enjoy your peace and quiet. Enjoy being able to nap, or sit down, or sleep in without someone needing something from you. Enjoy being able to watch a movie or show you want to watch on a big screen, without being interrupted or disapproval or complaints.

Could I schedule a vacation for myself? Not without causing a lot trouble. And I'd probably have a stream of texts and calls I'd have to deal with at the very least.

Valentine's Day Aftermath

Are you an unmarried guy who just spent a lot of money and effort on Valentine's Day, only to get what you used to get all of the time? Or did you get less than that?

Did you even propose marriage and give her a ring?

If you're not married, and you just made a big deal about Valentine's Day, and especially if you proposed marriage, you need to step back and think about what you've done and you are doing. Are you regretful? Are you doubting? Are you asking yourself "Why did I do that?" If not, you probably should be.

Most men shouldn't be in exclusive relationships, and certainly not marriage!

Most unmarried men, if they play their cards right, can get everything they want without spending a lot of money and energy on Valentine's Day, birthdays, holidays, or anniversaries.

If there is a woman who is planning to marry you this June, or any other time this year, you probably need to put the brakes on the relationship, especially if there are any red flags. If you're shacking up and/or if she has kids, plan your escape!

You don't need to be married. And there's a good chance that, deep down, you don't really want to be.

So, get out. And learn to be scarce so that you won't get trapped into wasting money, effort, and time on things like Valentine's Day or meeting a woman's family or friends for holidays.

If you're scheduled to get married in June or anytime soon, here's how to cancel the wedding.

If you're engaged, here's how to get out of that.

If you're in a supposedly exclusive relationship, here's how to break up.

Be a Free Man.

Unmarried Men, You Need to Get or Stay Scarce Until at Least February 15

Unmarried men, if you've been staying scarce for the last month or two when it comes to any woman who was thinking of you as husband material, keep up the good work!

For those of you who spent December and the holidays with such woman, you really need to get with the program NOW!!!

You DO NOT want a woman trying to make you her husband, and so you need to get or stay scarce. Be busy. Be "sick."

There are ads on television, radio, and websites/apps right now trying to get men to plan romantic evenings and buy expensive items because February 14 exists. NO NO NO!!!

Don't be so ignorant, delusional, or masochistic that you're thinking you want to be exclusive to a woman.

Annual Marriage Sellers Propaganda Week

February 7-14 is the week that marriage sellers have picked to be their annual publicizing of more propaganda than usual.

DO NOT FALL FOR IT GUYS! Certainly, DO NOT PROPOSE OR MARRY on Valentine's Day!

If you're not currently married, DO NOT let these people fool you.

There is no benefit to you to get legally married (or married again) that you can't get for less cost without legally marrying.

Marriage is a terrible state contract for most men.

Most marriages fail.

You can have an honorable, happy, fulfilled, full, productive, good life without ever legally marrying.

Something you're likely to see:

"Married people are happier."

For the purposes of this blog, I'm more concerned about men. Not "people." Our marriage laws and culture are gynocentric. Women get materially rewarded for marrying. Of course marriage can make women happy. (Don't be fooled, though. Women might like getting married, but many despise and resent their husbands, and don't really want to be wives.)

Briefly, because I've detailed this elsewhere, here's why you shouldn't infer what they are outright saying or trying to imply; getting married will make you happy.

1. Married men aren't always being honest or reality-based when reporting that they are happy. If they aren't assured their answers are anonymous and that their wife won't see their answer, if they don't want to admit "failure," if they think saying they are anything less than thrilled with their marriage would be a sin or a negative confession, they're not going to be honest. Most people in my life, including my wife, think I'm happily married. I'm not. But I don't let on (weekly therapy helps me keep the ruse going) because it would make my life worse if I did. I was VERY happy before I married. Unfortunately, I was ignorant and delusional enough to think I should marry.

2. Many of these husbands have no idea how much happier they'd be if unmarried.

3. Men told by their family, their religion, culture, etc. that they're losers if they're not married, and they've bought into it, are going to be happy that they got married.

4. Happier people are more likely to attract and keep a spouse. It isn't that marriage made them happy. They were already happy. If unhappy, they are more likely to get divorced and thus be counted as "unmarried."

5. Studies about this never separate out intentionally unmarried men. Rather, all unmarried men (divorced, widowed, shacking up, hoping to get married, unable to attract a wife, etc.) are lumped together. Men who have decided to be Free Men or have otherwise joined the marriage strike can be much happier than the average husband.

The other "benefits of marriage" can be debunked in the same or a similar way. Alleged correlations might sound great, but don't withstand close scrutiny. Again, these claims that marriage is of benefit to men never separate out men who are able to attract women, but have intentionally avoided marrying,

Feel free to link to, copy and paste, or steal shamelessly from this blog to counter the narratives you'll be seeing this week.

Here are just a few other posts on this blog that might help:

My Core Advice to Men

Why You Don't Want to Do That

Reasons For Men to Stay Unmarried

How to Just Say No to Giving Up Your Freedom

How to Keep Your Friends Free

You Don't Need a Wife