"Family" Values? Who Holds Them Here, Exactly? Not 37 Million Married, Apparently

In an era erratic enough to suppress surprise and shock, it was
nevertheless astounding to learn about the approximately 37
million married in the USA who want to cheat on their spouses,
according to the now-hacked site, Ashley Madison.  This is a
breathtaking, sobering statistic in view of our total population
of some 317 million, not all of whom are sexually active, many of
whom are in the too young or too old portion of the demographic.
Bear in mind that those who beat their breasts the loudest,
exclaiming the importance of family values, exhorting audiences
to live a wholesome life,  including now-disgraced pastors and
politicians, are adulterers, all too often.

The related websites, Ashley Madison, Cougar Life and
Established Men  are all under the umbrella of Canada's
Avid Life Media (--Sigh, if only most were "avid" to be
informed....). Our neighbors to the North are not much
more blemish-free than we are, I suspect, as I see,
recently toting up the various egregious doings there.
(--Yet their great expanse of land vs. their vastly smaller
population continues to sedulously appeal.)

Hypocrisy is the order of the day, today, tomorrow,
yesterday. Of course there are many faithful couples,
married happily here at home. But family values as
presented in churches and on media outlets, well...
who holds them, exactly? --Not those many millions
trolling for others to "hook up" with.

Kinsey, who blew the lid on America's sexual ways and
morays many decades ago, is, sadly, still right, even if he
too was later proven to be a satyr and a sex addict,
encouraging even his own female relatives to copulate
with any and all comers. (This included his wife and
daughters...ugh!)

When will this culture settle down and spend significant
time and effort on serious matters, focus less on how
sexy everyone is/is not, etc. ? I despair, knowing it won't
be anytime soon.

But thanks to the hackers, hypocrisy won't be going
down quite as easily as before.  This is a rare instance
where they have performed a valuable service. It
may not be pleasant, but it's important to see
just what and who is behind the curtain.

Unconditional Love: Wishing Won't Make it So

I've grown weary of all the untutored, online woman-to woman
exhortations about self-love, unconditional love, ad nauseam,
ad libidinum, etc.  In particular,  teaching people to love
themselves unconditionally is a really bad idea; I'm certain
criminals, the always entitled, gigolos and gold diggers think
they deserve all the riches life and other people can afford them
without their having to produce anything of value themselves.

OF COURSE there must be conditions and expectations,
except if one is helpless, very young or very old. All the
rest of us must pull our weight, one way or another. We
really must be decent to each other, not make messes for
others, not lie, cheat, kill, etc. ...or else what are the Ten
Commandments all about, those rules that all of Western
"Civilization" is based on?? That same "civilization" imitated
eagerly, shamelessly all around the world? (-Even while
juxtaposing Western economics to antithetical political
systems....)

My ire increased, waxed, watching a young single
mother pole dancing with her infant secured to her
body in an online video today. What is she trying to
 prove? --That she's sexy? The accompanying article
claims she is demonstrating unconditional self love,
that  mothers can be sexy.--Yow!

I DO have conditions for myself AND others,
you bet. I DO possess a healthy conscience
and a sense of guilt, shame and remorse, and
attempt to make amends when I have erred.
Arrogantly as well, I strongly suggest the rest
of the planet better acquire such strictures
against bringing harm to others or we will
not last, period.

Sure, we all yearn to love ourselves and others.
But respect, admiration, fondness must be
earned, can't be realistically, automatically
handed out...

Unconditional love: wishing won't make
it so.

July 4th, 2015: Our Founding Fathers Would Be Ashamed About Our Society's Lack of Civility

No one, it seems, utters that now unusual word "please" when
placing orders for food, whether at McDonald's or Dunkin'
Donuts. Then there was the person who insulted the baked
goods, saying, "Those donuts are from this morning? They're
no good." I was ashamed of my fellow American, and
instantly decided to be especially kind and sensitive to
the staff and other customers. I asked three of them,
"Are you in a hurry?" When they nodded, I let all
three check out ahead of me, even though I had  ice
cream waiting.

What would our Founders make of our uncivil society
in 2015? Very likely they would be chagrined and
ashamed, especially George Washington, whose
manners, by all accounts, were without peer. If you
read books about any of our principal Founders,
read works written by them.  Ben Franklin, George
Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton,
John Adams and others were products of the
Enlightenment, acted and wrote accordingly.
Of course they erred now and then--who hasn't?
But their commitment to higher standards for one's
own behavior clearly produced excellence in these
men--and gave us a country.

I look forward to a revolution in manners, civility,
humane treatment of others, and acting with no
malice of forethought. Will I see that day?--No,
I doubt it. but I have some hopes for/of the
younger ones.