Paul's Corner

LOL! That was really cute.

Okay, Paul. So what idea may, or may not be, part of Greg's/Australian' males' world view? That barbies are desirable seven days a week or that life is only "bloody good" when there's a Sheila around to help you believe that you deserve all that fun?

My husband is filming abroad. He calls me to tell me he's riding his bicycle and having fabulous meals. I'm enjoying a fabulous sinus infection and eating whatever the kids leave over on their plates. Today he sent me an email after asking me to run something for him on the computer. "I'm off riding my bike and collecting a paycheck, while you're home doing all the work! We're a great team, huh?"

This Sheila is taking the day off tomorrow and shopping with her Bloke's credit card! Hee! Hee! (Alright, so maybe I'll clean the barbie on Sunday. The kids want a pool party next week.)

Diane, life wouldnt be worth livin' without sheilas!!! Spend up big girlfreind you deserve it!!! Putting up with us blokes cant be easy, and I for one am glad god thought well enough (for a bloke) to create youse! Geeze what we would we do without ya!?

Hugs and kisses (and fire up the barbie will ya babe)
xoxoxo

My bloke cleans his own danged barbie. ;-)

Hello all

My god Paul....so positive it practically hits you in the face when
one reads the threads. It feels a bit like hanging onto someone's
coat tails who has just taken off. Keep it going I suspect your
optimism will be infectious. And all thanks to Mum!

Diane, thanks for letting me know about the video. I too have
contacted them to see if they do a PAL version. Can't get any of
Paul's films in Britain except SB and Dark Planet. I guess I'll just
hold my breath. Seriously hope you went into the red on the credit
card though - I’m right behind you.

I think Creation is great and I’m printing a copy off cause it kind of
says how life should be. Not too serious and plenty of sunshine.
Can’t help thinking though that man just wasn’t happy with all the
good livin’ and his mates - he still needed a Sheila (for whatever
reasons). We may all be differently abled but in most aspects of life
women could do without men and thrive whereas men could only
survive without women.

Now I feel guilty, like we're ganging up on fellas.

Ange

I can't fathom the barbie, can't get it hot enough to cook anything. Some days I could not even get it to make fire much less heat.
Fortunately my husband does all the outdoor cooking at our house.(the cleaning of the thing too) Keeps the house cooler in the summer months when he does the cooking outside. Guess I'll have to remain tied to the oven and cookstove inside. I use the microwave and slow cooker a lot in the summer and the traditional stove in the winter months. ( helps heat the hovel you know)
Must go buy video tape and batteries.
Welcome to the new visitors and Howdy to the rest of you.

Long live the barbie! :-) Nothing beats food on a barbie! If it wasn't for snowy cold winters, I'd barbecue year round!

Cute creation theory!

I agree with Greg, Australia is bloody good!

Unfortunately I didn't make it to Paul's present home, Melbourne, on my visit last year, but it leaves the door open for future visits! :-)

I must disagree with Greg's creation theory for women - we were made for more than just cooking, cleaning and bearing children. It's great that some women enjoy doing just that, great for them, but we do have so many other capabilities! :-)

My two cents! :-)

Carol

Thanks for your encouragement, Paul. I read Creation to my husband today (in my best Aussie dialect, how else?) and he had a good chuckle. Then I told him you gave me the green light on the credit card.

Ange, I adore men. I really do. I've been surrounded by them all my life. But one of my favorite sayings is: A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle. (And that concludes my bicycle-themed posts.)

I think it's okay to gang up on the fellas as long we give 'em a big kiss after that swift boot. They know what we're talking about and they'll usually acknowledge our superior understanding of them. Anyway, smart men like independent women and they love the attention. So this is SWAK to my hubby, to Paul, to Greg and to all the other blokes who can take it as well as dish it out.

Diane: You've got them pegged alright. Then to make sure they truly understand, get them out on a concrete dance floor in a light rain and keep them there for at least 2 or 3 songs. He just needs practice, but getting him to do it is difficult. We are going to work on it tho.
Didn't ask permission, just went out on my own little spree. Put 5 new disc's for my embroidery machine on layaway, picked up some new music.
Paul: As trained dancers, what do you and Andrea listen to at home. I've a little bit of everything, Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons Project, Armik, a lot of Celtic instrumentals, some classical. Yes, you guessed it, I dance to C/W. and listen to C/W at work and in my car (no CD player in it yet). You can't get any of this other music on radio out here in West Texas. I like the more upbeat music to clean house to. Keeps me moving.
God I must sound pathetic. The better half thinks I'm addicted to this site worse than chocolate. I think it is less fattening.
Gotta go move the feet.
Love to all.

Diane

You have so got it sussed about blokes. LOL I'm thinking a book deal about the finer points of how to deal with your bloke when he tries to write the rules. We could move onto great things - specialised tours and inspirational talks, spots on TV chat shows, book signings, special weekend workshops for women who believe in equal rights. You've got the knowledge. I love your posts. :)

I don't have kids but would always want boys to try and figure out how they work!

Ange

Equal rights????? I want some!! Women are so it! As far as this site being less fattening I guess I will have to stop drinking beer as I write!

I love youse girls...ahem...women!

I think equal rights are given to those men that women feel sorry for - your wife is obviously much more in control than that! Interesting this debate should come up when you are in a house FULL of women, little or otherwise! Any subtext going on there Paul?

Ange: Guys are guys regardless of the age or size. I have never been able to figure them out.
My only child, a son, is now 26. He is married, house payment, 2 car payments, a full time job, no pets or children and still trying to finish college ( lacks 6 hours getting that diploma).
He is not a communicator, with e-mail, telelphone, cell phones, fax machines I still can't find him half the time. We try to talk once a month, after days of phone tag. But I hear in is voice, "Mom what do you want now, I don't have time for chit-chat." I also know in my heart that that is not what he thinks but that's they way it comes across 1400 miles of air space. I often wish we lived closer to them but am also glad that we don't. I'm afraid that I might tend to meddle and I know how much I resent that from my parents and my mother-in-law (she lives 1400 miles in the opposite direction, AZ).

If you really want to get a grasp of kids, teenagers specially, become a mentor at a youth activity center, school or church. The organization could use the help and the kids can really use the attention. Good luck on figuring the guys out. It is a daunting challenge for all of us.

To All of you: Say a prayer for Cammie and her neighbors, that part of Texas is getting dumped on again with heavy rains.

Must go, have rambled on too long for a Sunday evening. Will go finish the laundry and clean up the kitchen.
Much love to all.
Sherrlyn

Ange, there are privleges and there are rights - equality between the sexes does not fall in to either group. The metaphor of eve coming from adams rib was obviously written my a masoginist way back in 50 ad. Are we all created equally??? I dont know...I just posted my friends death notice so talking about this is probably not the best time. I think we are all valid. No one is right or wrong or better or worse. I do however love to play on some of the stereo types and thus my last response - but hey I am in a house full of beautiful women and need to get my attention even if I have to pout to get it. Have you never done that?:) Other than that I am complete;ly outgunned by chicks - my mum included - Man would destroy the world if we didnt have woman around....what would woman do if she didnt have man around????

Ok, Paul...*I*, the English Major, had to go look up the word "masoginist". So where would *I* be if I didn't have particular men putting me in MY place? ;-)

What would women do if they didn't have men around?
I've always loved "guy" energy...just maleness in general. And I'm not a "femmy" sorta gal (you probably figured that out by the fact that I play fiddle in a band full of guys and make metaphors about life as it relates to my chickens!) And I live surrounded by "my men". (Hell, even the ANIMALS were all boys til I got the hens!) I couldn't survive with girls, I swear. Little boys are just worlds away from little girls. Boys just act out and on their feelings. Girls broil them inwardly, manifesting them until they are an entity unto themselves, and then, only when SHE is ready to reveal/discuss, only THEN are you honored with her feelings. I feel sorry for you Paul, (Andrea esp.) when the ole estrogen kicks in in the next few years...oy. ;-) They'll just glom right onto Dear Old Dad while Mum gets the brunt of the attitude. Good thing you picked a tough gal to work through all this with you!

Paul says "Man would destroy the world if we didnt have woman around...." Uh, yah...point in case: the husbands starting the Sat. evening bonfire across the road from our house...a little fuel oil, a trip to the store to get more beer while the oil "soaks in" (meanwhile the fumes from the fuel oil were settling down in our gulley, trapped by overhanging brush and a bridge wall...)

Let's just suffice it to say that no REAL damage was done (except to the men's egos as the wives ripped them apart for the rest of the night--hell, the rest of the weekend!) but the neighbor's now know the response time of the local Volunteer Fire Department. ;-

On a serious note--And the Feminists will SLAM me for this one--but this is one of those Life Realizations that just presented itself to me over my vacation up north...when I was totally taken aback at meeting up with my ex-fiance'. Haven't seen him in 8 years. (we broke up long before that, but just kept finding our way back to each other...one of "those" things where we were Life kept us apart til it was too late). It was such a shock, seeing him and my husband noticed and said "your whole demeanor has changed since you saw him" and so I had to deal with it:

He made me feel PROTECTED. How basic of a human "need" is THAT one? And it's taken me almost 15 years to figure out that that's what I was searching for in any of the possible "candidates" for lifelong partnership. Yes, I could/can/would make it on my own. And I did...and met my husband and have a WONDERFUL life, don't get me wrong. But I am the money-maker in the family. I am the "supporter". My husband and I were drinking buddies before we decided we loved each other and started our gorgeous family. But we met and walked such a "mutual" path of general intersts, that there was never that "I will provide for you" vibe, ever. AND, apparently that is something that I NEED in my man...to make decisions, to be in charge sometimes, (don't ask me what I WANT for dinner, just go ahead, take the bull by the horns and MAKE something, please! Do I ever complain? No...) to make me feel safe. HOW very basic.

Enough splah. I see there is weightier material above.

Peace,
Dhiana

sounds like the blokes had one too many fosters when scribing the MANifesto. ;)

Man would destroy the world if he didn't have women around and women would PARTY constantly and attempt DIY without men in the world.

Before I get slated for that remark, I am joking. I do respect everyone has a place in the world.....yeah even men.

By the way Paul, never had to pout for attention - never needed to darling! (joking again ;)

I'm gonna say it again... I love men. They are very different from us women, but certainly equal. As a result of growing up around women who were very dependent, I used to think that men were stronger than they really are. But each gender has its strengths and weaknesses and in the right partnership, that dance of energy can be beautiful.

I didn't get to really know my mother before she passed. I didn't have grandmothers available to me. (One lived too far away and the other had been through some horrible shock therapy in the '50s and wasn't ever really "present"). I never had sisters and I don't have daughters. There have been times when I've felt awfully alone in the midst of all this testosterone. Then, Dhiana, I see my friends' teenage daughters raging against their moms and I'm cured.

And you know what? I absolutely believe in equal rights and equal pay and all of that for women. I don't think that women should have to be twice as good as men at anything in order to get respect. (Oie, vey, I have stories for you!) But I also think that it's acceptable to enjoy the sense of protection men bring to us. My husband and I enjoy the fact that we are there to protect each other in our own ways whenever it's necessary. And even though I may demure to him, if anyone or anything ever threatened him or my children, I would be every bit the (Leo) lioness that I am.

Otherwise, I pout and slink around until I get his attention or I give him my feline silent treatment until he deigns to ask me what's wrong. However, I have learned to respond cautiously rather than roar in his face.

Yes, Paul, men would very likely destroy the world if women weren't around. But without men, women wouldn't have anyone to redesign:))!

without women, men could not write a poem for they would not know poetry.

...and poems are good.

...and let's just be clear that "creation," listed here, ain't one. ;)

Dear Paul

MEN ARE GREAT!!

Because
They stop at junctions when you want to cross the road.
They let you go out of the lift first
They’re always up for a pub session
They don’t have a clue what you’re talking about so they don’t take offence
They let you get away with murder when you wear a short skirt.
They can reach the higher shelves in the supermarket
They can undo those really tight screws
It makes them happy when you tell them they're exactly right the size they are
They’re straightforward and easy to read
They’re loyal to their mates
They need us

Love Lesley

P.S Now, is anyone still speaking to me?

Dearest Lesley...of COURSE we're still speaking to you, you silly thing. And I loved your speak-easy way. And hey, come ON, we've discussed all the ins and outs (woops...uh, just forget I said that pls) of personal psychology, so how could we ignore one of THE most prevalent factors in a young man's psyche? The size issue and the short skirt comment REALLY have a lot to do with everyday living, at least in these here parts. Unfortunately. Awe, hell, I'll admit to the short skirt thing...and I'm 36 (no, 35 I guess...oh jeez the mind, isn't it the first thing to go?).

BUT, I also purport a lot of my short skirt and pouting tendencies on my Scorpio personality. (Funny Diane should mention the Leo sign just above!) NOT as an excuse, just as an explanation, so I know where to concentrate my efforts on subduing myself. I've gotten a lot better about the skirt/sex symbol "Can Coerce a Man To Do Anything" thing...although my husband falls for it hook, line and sinker every time without realizing it...or more probably, without caring! ("Honey, what do you think about THIS washer/dryer?" holding the ad up under my cleavage) :-o

So, Les, don't worry. We wouldn't expect you to try to squelch the honesty and humour.

Dhiana
(PS. My Dad's middle name was Lesley, and I was going to name our third child that, girl or boy, but I miscarried at 4.5 months. My husband immediately went in for his "surgery" so that wouldn't happen again. BUMMER! But it's nice to meet you!)

Oh...PSS. The Size thing and the barbie posts...the joke among our neighbors is how the guys have "Grill Envy" over our monstrosity of a barbeque grill. I left my husband alone on a Sunday am with a Sales guy from the "deliver to your house" place and two little boys in diapers. Bill said the guy wouldn't leave till Bill bought the danged thing. This is when we were just about destitute to begin with and here he is spending $1,200 AMERICAN dollars on a flippin' fire pit on wheels!!! Needless to say, I kept my cleavage to myself for a few days (or weeks, I wouldn't be surprised if it was!) til I deigned to forgive him. Jeez.

RE:Blokes, Sheilas and Barbies.
Well sometimes I just hate to admit it, but my family has it's blokes and sheilas all crossed. I couldn't cook a pre-cooked turkey even if the direction booklet was interactive. My bloke can make a gourmet meal out of mayonaise and macaroni noodles. His take over of the cooking duties all began when I created a huge fireball in the oven because I didn't realize that there was a "light" feature to the gas. I guess some Sheilas were destined to bring home the bacon and not cook it.

Hi Dhiana!

P.P.P.S Here in England we usually have “Lesley” for girls and “Leslie” for boys, but if I had been born a boy, I was going to be Harvey after the invisible rabbit.
Lucky me that the universe is unfolding as it should
Lesley

I've read this thread chuckling at many different points. I like playing with these gender stereotypes as well, even though there are times when I unfortunately totally buy into them. :-( Usually not a very good thing for me to do.

Re. being the only guy in a household full of women--not me! but grew up in this scenario--we, his four women, always put it this way that we were spoiling Dad rotten and thus had our own way. Okay, we did spoil him too, but often enough it was strategy.

Otherwise, I love to cook myself, on the barbie or not, occasionally invite the guys over to benefit from this (and of course my female friends), and I wear the short skirt whenever it damn pleases me!!!! Hey, if the guys like it too, then that's okay too.

Evelyn

I am more than hapy to be spoilt rotten by my girls even if that means knowing they are manipulating me to their own end!! Long live the stratedgey of spoiling Dad rotten!

Saddly whenever my wife does the short skirt or clevage thing I.... well I was going to say I turn to jelly but thats not right....needless to say it works in our favour - hers and mine!

PAUL! I am *shocked* by your jelly "not-so" comment! ...NOT! ;-)

"All Acts of Love and Pleasure Are My (our!) Rituals"...

The Happy Heathen,
Dhiana

Paul!! haha. . . you dirty little Australian man! That's hilarious. . . and sweet.

I hope that one day in the future (after I'm married) my husband will still feel that way about me!

~Megan

Shocked! Dirty! Come now - surely you cant be offended my my upright honesty.

More love will help the world go around.

All I wanted to say was "Good for you, Andrea and Paul!" and "Enjoy!" and perhaps suggest to Paul to wear the short skirt for a change.... :) Now that I've typed that I'm of course totally blushing and wanting to hit the delete key, but what the heck!

And I've wondered over the last few days why "shocked," why "dirty"? I know these comments were meant in jest, but I still wonder why in our supposedly so enlightened society love and sexuality get or can get so --hmmm, can't think of the word I want-- now I've stared at my computer screen for a few minutes and I still can't think of "the" word, the only thing that comes to mind is "deamonized" but I don't really think that's what I want, so perhaps I'll just post this and if and when I can think of what I mean, I'll post that later. But perhaps you all know anyway what I mean.

i have a friend who wears cut-off jean shorts and heels while vaccuuming for her husband...it's the little things that keep a marriage exciting. ;)

i have a friend who wears cut-off jean shorts and heels while vaccuuming for her husband...it's the little things that keep a marriage exciting. ;)

Hey, Paul. I say be upright, outright, forthright to your heart's content. As long as you and your wife keep each other happy, that's all that matters. Ah, ain't the life force wonderful!

Texas, I'll have to try that shorts with heels thang. Always good to try something new.

Best to you all,
Diane

Surely I wasn't offended Paul--just teasing you! Like I said, I'm happy for you that you and Andrea still feel that way about each other, I think it's really sweet-- and I agree... "All you need is love... love... love... love is all you need"..ok enough of that.
But anyways- just needed to clarify. Wouldn't want anyone to think I was prudish :) Far from it actually!!

Peace
Megan

Evelyn, maybe the term you are looking for in relation to views of sexuality in our society is "distorted"? I think sexuality if given both more emphasis and less emphasis than it deserves. It is incredibly important in our relationships with our partners, yet sex is often given more validity than other forms of communication.

Megan, I hope you and your future spouse will have a fantastic physical relationship throughout your lives together. If you can continue to grow back to one another (individual growth is sporadic and unpredictable and thus is that of relationships), your physical relationship with your companion can become more intense and beautiful.

My husband came back this past weekend for a one-night stand. I want him back — NOW!

Let's see. Paul in a short skirt? What? Roman epic? Naaah! Read a bit in the L.A. Times today about actors taking on more challenging roles. That's what I'm wishing for you, Paul. More challenging roles in your acting career. I think you have far more to offer than anyone has yet tapped into. If I'm frustrated about their inability to see your talents, I can only imagine how you feel.

My husband worked on Disney's "The Country Bears" which opens in L.A. this Friday. The boys and I went to the cast and crew screening tonight. Cute film. Lots of laughs. He also worked on "Men In Black."

I have yet to go on my retail therapy trip, but it's brewing.

Love to all,
Diane

Wow!!! "Retail Therapy"! Is that what it's called? That is SO great! I'll have to use that next time!

Margie

As far as the skirt thing goes. I did a ballet many years ago where my costume for the entire ballet was a wonderful silky skirt and lacey stockings and a beautiful billowing top. I loved it!! Looked great! was very comfortable and wonderful to dance in!!! I was an Arab advisor to the Italian King Roger. Had a goatee and a pony tail. Ive got a picture here somewhere...If only I knew how to post pictures to this post?!

I might mention the cut off jeans and vacuum cleaning to my wife but I am sure she will want me to wear them! It's a little hard to dress like that around the kids, they start to ask rather difficult questions :)!!

Diane, what did your husband do in "The Country Bears"? Okay, this is me being interested and nosy! Perhaps "distorted" is getting at what I was trying to say, even though it is a very different word I'm looking for and I just can't get it. I hate when that happens in whatever writing I do, and it happens frequently. Occasionally I can access that missing word through another language, mostly English and German depending on what language I write in, but occasionally also my now unfortunately less active knowledge of French, Spanish and Swedish can be helpful, but not this time. Oh well, I'm going to leave it at that.

My suggestion about Paul and the short skirt had nothing to do with movie roles etc. but much more with what he says himself in the last paragraph, but that's definitely a topic I'm going to drop now, before I get myself into any sort of trouble. Although that picture from your ballet performance would be fun to see. Can't quite picture it yet, but I guess I could work on it .... Grinning broadly now!

Evelyn, my husband performed animatronics puppeteering on the Fred (bear) character. Most of his work is in puppeteering, although he has done some on-screen performance as an actor, as well as suit performance. Among other films, he worked on "Babe" and, as a result, we all spent a glorious 4.5 months in New South Wales. I want to go back to Australia soooo badly!

I, too, get frustrated when I can't find the word I want. I'm very impressed with your multilingual abilities, though. I remember reading Spanish novels in junior college and thinking how beautiful the expressions were and how that beauty was lost in the translation to English.

Yes, I gathered you weren't thinking Spartacus when you painted that picture of Paul in a skirt. It's just that the Roman image popped into my mind as I struggled to keep my mind from veering off course.

Paul, I would love to see the photo of you in that silky costume. I haven't a clue of how you'd attach it to these posts. I'll bet that marvelous Cat knows, though! It's true. Adult games are not easily played in a house full of children, especially young ones. Then when they get older, they get keys to the house, and that can put a damper on your freedom. But hey, I'm sure your wife would love to see you vacuum. I know that I appreciate (far beyond it's actual value) the household help my husband gives me. And I pay him back with interest. ;-)!

Hope all is going well on your show and that more good things are on the horizon for you!

Diane

Good morning Diane (and everyone else of course!), it's 4:30 am and for whatever weird reason I'm awake and not sleeping, which of course I'd much rather be doing right now. Pupeteering sounds cool. How does one get into that, though? And I love the movie "Babe" it always had something magical for me, I think I might just have to watch it again very soon. With regards to my many languages, I just love learning them and most of them came relatively easy for me and perhaps having grown up in Europe, it made more sense to me, since I was exposed to many languages on a regular basis, of course it also helped that my parents always were open minded about other cultures and we constantly had visitors from different countries in our home. To me another language provides a much deeper experience of that culture than it would if I had to experience it through e.g. the world language English. I just wish that my students could have such a rich experience learning German over here (which is what I mostly teach), but that's a bit more difficult. And I'm jealous that you got to spend so much time in AUS. Always wanted to go, haven't quite made it there yet. Perhaps I will make it sometime soon, now that my cousin is moving to Melborne. She was there earlier this year for about 3 months and now decided to move there on a more permanent basis. I already convinced one of my sisters to go visit with me, now it comes down to saving up the money. And thanks for attempting to deflect my Paul-and-the-short-skirt thing to something Roman, but of course I did not take your rescuing hand and more or less shot myself in the foot there. Oh well! Sorry Paul, but my mind clearly ran away from me on that one. Will attempt to behave myself now :) Wish I could convince my cat Freyja to participate in house work, but she's rather stubborn about not participating in the cleaning process and very persistent in distributing cat hair and cat litter all over the place.

Paul, how's that show coming along and what exactly is it about? I know it is called Body and Soul (or something similar to that) but that of course could be about so many things nonetheless. I hope it makes you very happy and fulfills you personally and professionally.