This would occur on February 13 or february 15. When you're unpartnered, the last thing you need is to see every Tom, Dick, and Gordon make this big sentimental whoop over Valentine's Day. Why not a holiday for SINGLE folk? On Day of the Unpartnered, unpartnered people of all ages and both sexes can: Do good works for those less fortunate. Buy themselves a gift (maybe a paperback, a nice pair of earrings, a beauty-parlor manicure and pedicure) or do something nice for themselves like take a bubble bath or cook themselves a special dish. Spend time with friends and family. Attend singles events, (optional). Indulge in a hobby they find rewarding Anything to remind them that life is not a commercial for mouthwash and no one ever died from not having a partner.-- Sparki, Sep 25 2001 russel http://www.utm.edu/.../iep/p/par-russ.htm [technobadger, Sep 25 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] For [Sparki] http://www.halfbake...dea/Vomit_20HandbagDo try to keep up. [angel, Sep 25 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Hoosier Park http://www.hoosierpark.comYAY! horse racing! [Susen, Sep 25 2001, last modified Oct 04 2004] Baked. Every other day.-- sdm, Sep 25 2001 Sparki, with respect, are you saturating us (and every other website to which you may contribute) with your 'Tom, Dick and Gordon' phrase so that when your book/play/whatever œuvre comes onto the shelves/Broadway, we'll subconsciously all go out and buy/see it?-- lewisgirl, Sep 25 2001 It's just a thing I say-- Sparki, Sep 25 2001 Well, slap me sideways, sdm, I never even thought of it that way.-- Sparki, Sep 25 2001 <pedant> I'm not sure that unpartnered is technically correct. There's an implication there that you had a partner and have become unpartnered. So your Day of the Unpartnered would be for widows, widowers & divorcees only (Aside: Is there a technical term for the surviving member of a gay couple? If not then it's probably about time that there was). </pedant>-- DrBob, Sep 25 2001 Nice idea, but that name does sound awfully like the Mexican "Day Of The Dead".-- pottedstu, Sep 25 2001 nonpartnered is probably best. But unpartnered isn't *too* bad, de-partnered would be worse.-- lewisgirl, Sep 25 2001 Given what has happened to Easter, Halloween, Christmas, and to a lesser extent, Valentine's Day, I wonder how long it would take MTV to turn this idea into a giant orgy.-- beauxeault, Sep 25 2001 Unpartnered means NOT HAVING A PARTNER, whether you used to have one or not-- Sparki, Sep 25 2001 I wasn't too keen on this idea until I read beauxeault's annotation. Now I'm sold. <eyebrow raised in best Terry Thomas fashion> Rather!-- Guy Fox, Sep 25 2001 "Day of the Free"-- pottedstu, Sep 25 2001 The public should be told.-- DrBob, Sep 25 2001 Peter, I'm a lady. Look, like I said, it's just a thing I say. Like when I see an idea for something disgusting on this site, I make my references to the Farrelly Bros. movies. It's just a thing I say. I once heard someone say "every Tom, Dick, and Stanley," no lie.-- Sparki, Sep 25 2001 How about NON-PARTNERED?-- Sparki, Sep 25 2001 Sparki: when I was unpartnered (what was wrong with 'single'?) the time I hated most was the company Christmas do. Everyone else turning up with their partners and poor little me on my own (and yes, the times I am talking about I was the only singleton). St V's was actually quite optimistic as it is an opportunity for making contacts. And you can choose where to go, who to be with, etc.
(And I first contacted my now-partner on St V's - without even realising what day it was.)-- snagger, Sep 25 2001 This idea is akin to the 'Disability Integration Room' in my local library. Why visibly single out groups (no pun intended,) to make them feel better about who they are? If you want to feel good about your relationship or lack thereof, do so, there's nobody stopping you.
Dont dwell on your status [Sparki]. You can learn to live without some social constructs. Y'know, I was at a conference yesterday about Intellectual Property, and one of the speakers was a biochemist. Apparently there is a lack of good biochemists. Instead of thinking about how much it sucks to be single, think about something else, like biochemistry. It might be harder, it might be smelly at times, and the other kids might not think it's "cool", but if you guard your IP well enough, you could make some big money.-- sdm, Sep 26 2001 You see, this is the kind of typical whingeing female-authored idea that gets us nowhere, gets the greeting card companies everywhere, and gets the boys exasperated. How many times have you been out on a birthday night out that wasn't quite on the person's birthday? Many? And that is (aside from recent historical event dates with public holidays assigned) the only commemorative date you can be sure is correct. So all this 'Christmas had to be on the 25th Dec, Easter on a Sunday after the fourth full moon, Saint Valentine was born on the 14th February...' claptrap is completely pointless. Personally, I make a point of getting rid of all my frustration at being single in a one-week concerted effort immediately after splitting up with that last sucker. I take sick days, cry a lot (if necessary) and put all the photos, cinema tickets, cards, champagne corks etc. into a shoebox and get on with my life. It works, try it.Oh, but presently, I'm fully partnered. Ha ha.-- lewisgirl, Sep 26 2001 Tom, Dick and Harry = Pandora's Box.-- thumbwax, Sep 26 2001 lewisgirl: be careful about anyone finding that shoebox. It got me into a lot of trouble once.-- fretzman, Sep 26 2001 I own 35 pairs of shoes. Go figure.lol, UB. I just had a mental image of fretzman's distraught girl/boyfriend sitting in a room surrounded by shoeboxes, saying "but these aren't yours!!"-- lewisgirl, Sep 26 2001 On Day of the Unpartnered (or as men would call it "No Nag Night") might I suggest the following activities:
Watch Titanic and laugh the whole way through. At random pick one of your married friends, phone their spouse, and tell them the worst thing your friend ever did. Go through last month's celebrity magazine and cut out all the couples who've got divorced since then. Encourage your parents to get divorced. Phone up an old flame. Ask them out. Then when they accept, call back to say you've changed your mind and you just remembered you have a dog to shampoo. Eat lots of baked beans. Drink beer in your underwear. (Esp. women.) Log onto Halfbakery and make enlightened comments about hair accessories. Snore.-- pottedstu, Sep 26 2001 'Drink beer in your underwear.'
Wouldn't it keep spilling out? Or would you just soak it in the stuff then suck it out...-- StarChaser, Sep 29 2001 to match up with day of the triffids,-- technobadger, Sep 29 2001 Gordon? Stanley? Why, every Tom, Dick, and Harry is named Gordon or Stanley. How about something original, like Keewault?-- bristolz, Sep 29 2001 I haven't had a date since June. JUNE! Even then it was with a guy (boy) eleven years younger than I am and it wasn't really a date but an excuse to get drunk, stoned, and cry a lot. Before that, I haven't had a date since March (I think....I really can't remember at this point).
I get asked out weekly....but since I *require* teeth in a date, I haven't accepted any. You know....it's better to drown yourself in your work and not think about the lack of a partner....besides, five Russells keep me really warm at night and they don't steal the blankets.-- Susen, Sep 29 2001 <grin> Susen, surely YOU know the old saying about don't look gift horses...-- StarChaser, Sep 30 2001 RH --- If I understand correctly what you are suggesting, you are sick, and, if I ever meet you in person, I will slug you for it.
Peter, if only I knew where in Indiana the real men were....sigh....-- Susen, Sep 30 2001 PeterSealy... I had a guy who thought he was my fiancé once; I met him at Imperial College London where the ratio was then 8:1 boys to girls. In retrospect, I could have been a whole lot pickier. (He now teaches West Coast Swing in Leisure Centres in Essex. Sometimes we're far better off without, Susen.)-- lewisgirl, Oct 01 2001 It's what people who used to linedance do. They don't think linedancing is cool any more so they've found partners and do a sort of tasselled-up cowboy-hatted hip-squiggly ever-so-slightly-latino dance. It's kind of Swing, kind of jive, but after a few too many chuckwagon dinners; think The Mavericks and you're there.It has to be called West Coast, because they do it differently on the East Coast (faster, basically) and anyway it sounds more romantic to your average Thurrock Golf Club middle-aged Country fan.t.e.a., if they even try to bring Dire Straits into it I will personally strangle them. West Coast Swing aficionados are not fit to touch the hem of Mark Knopfler's garment.-- lewisgirl, Oct 01 2001 Hmmm! lewisgirl, you seem awfully familiar with the technical details of West Coast Swing. I suspect that you secretly rather like it. And when you say that he thought he was your fiancee, do you mean that you had a fiancee and that he thought he was him? Or that you had led him on disgracefully and then ripped his heart out?-- DrBob, Oct 01 2001 definitely the latter.-- lewisgirl, Oct 02 2001 waugs...five guys named Russell...that would be amusing to say the least....I don't think I've ever met more than one person with that name.
Peter, I went to the racetrack last night...where I go quite a bit, got to see a horse that we condition win a big race, got my face in the win photo, and picked up a jockey :-)
OK. I literally picked him up...all 105 lbs of him. But he did ask me out. Yee haw, I have a date later this week!-- Susen, Oct 02 2001 Well slap me sideways-- thumbwax, Oct 02 2001 So long Susen! Been nice knowing you!-- DrBob, Oct 02 2001 Drbob://and that he thought he was him// whoah!heavy!! deep!! how could he think he was him but be someone else?-- technobadger, Oct 02 2001 Obligatory 'play horsie' post-- thumbwax, Oct 03 2001 technobadger: Let me lead you through the twisted corridors of my mind!-- DrBob, Oct 03 2001 bring it on-- technobadger, Oct 03 2001 UB: Ah, "surcingle", how long since I heard that word?
Bees are black with gilt surcingles Buccaneers of buzz Ride abroad in ostentation And subsist on fuzz
-- Emily Dickinson-- pottedstu, Oct 03 2001 Yes. You.-- lewisgirl, Oct 03 2001 what about dick- or gordon-foolery?-- lewisgirl, Oct 03 2001 LOL, Lewisgirl! Somebody watches or HAS watched "Gilligan's Island"-- Sparki, Oct 03 2001 More ponytail stuff (I know this isn't a ponytail idea but it's Sparki). I'm sure I saw on a dating guidance TV show ("Would Like To Meet") that it's considered flirtatious for a girl to point her ponytail at a guy (gathering your long hair and pulling it forwards round the side of your head) but understandably none of my female friends believe me. Come on, ponytail experts, am I right or wrong?-- pottedstu, Oct 03 2001 Hey, blissmiss, there ARE no pure gold hair fasteners that I know of, and if they DID exist, they'd cost like the moon!-- Sparki, Oct 04 2001 For someone who is writing a book, Sparki is worryingly unfamiliar with language devices such as sarcasm, repetition of themes, and blatant leg-pulling. (Incidentally, all of those will be used to full effect in my PhD thesis, which will be available in the British Library in Spring 2003.)[pottedstu], I have flirted for England in flirt Olympics, I have employed methods old and new, bodily and electronic (c.f. the text message story found elsewhere on this site), but never in your wildest dreams would you find me pointing my ponytail. Childishness is a turn-on for some, but generally only wins over short or teenage men. (oxymoron?)-- lewisgirl, Oct 04 2001 UB, go to the folder called 'recognition before the meet' and there's a pic which is far more normal. hippo has already disparaged it mercilessly, but then appeased me by posting another cute one of his own.-- lewisgirl, Oct 04 2001 lg: Tell me more about these flirt Olympics. Do you have special people selected to be the object of your flirting (and if so how could I become one of these flirt targets), or do you just flirt at each other? I imagine the latter could prove dangerous, as the resulting explosion of sexual energy between 2 champion flirters could destroy a large building or small stadium.-- pottedstu, Oct 04 2001 Does no one actually read Halfbakery any more? I just noticed, this exact idea was posted by Susen on Valentine's Day this year, except she wanted August 13th rather than Feb 13th. (Haoma Day, see link.)
PeterSealy annotated both ideas, adding credence to one of the theories that he's more than one person, a bot with very limited programming, or does not exist. Even more worryingly, Susen annotated this idea, and either didn't notice or was too polite to say. I guess people were just looking for an excuse to slag off Sparki.
Logically, this should be [marked-for-expiry], though with a heavy heart. Yes? No?
Sorry, I just saw the phrase "giant orgy" next to the OK button (beauxeault's annotation), and freaked out for a minute.-- pottedstu, Oct 11 2001 interesting .. Haoma day got boned on a ratio of 3:2 as well... though this idea has attracted 3 times as many voters.. coincidence? (sorry just bored)-- The_Englishman_Abroad, Oct 11 2001 I noticed the similarity of ideas...but felt no need to bring up my idea again. I'm not that attached to it...and it was fishboned. On a brighter note....I think I am officially "partnered" at this point....for the first time in a long time. His name is Mark...former jockey, current exercise rider and horse trainer.....pretty darn nice guy.... :-)-- Susen, Oct 11 2001 Blimey Susen! That was quick work. First date on Oct 2nd, by the 11th he's already an ex-jockey and got a nice job at the stable.-- DrBob, Oct 11 2001 well, no, it's not *exactly* the same guy.....I went out with the jockey but brought the horse trainer home ;-)-- Susen, Oct 11 2001 what's the old saw? "She was only the stableman's daughter / but all the horsemen knew her."
Susen, go *you,* lassoing the trainer for your own stable! Add him to the Tom, Dick and (Russell * 5). And the site looks great to me and my browser.-- daruma, Oct 13 2001 Congrats, Susen! So when's the wedding?-- Sparki, Oct 13 2001 Looks's like Sparki's offering to do up Susen's hair real nice for the big day...-- lewisgirl, Oct 13 2001 Got my first pony at three and then my first horse when I was nine....I may just be one of the few USAians who never did learn to ride a bike.....
It's more like riding a horse..... ;-)
(should I mention that I don't ever plan on marrying again? Living in sin should do nicely.....)-- Susen, Oct 13 2001 Day of Enduring Freedom?-- lewisgirl, Oct 15 2001 Mephista, partnerless means NO lover or partner at all. Partner doesn't only mean marital partner or even engagment. Partnered can mean having a boyfriend/girlfriend-- Sparki, Oct 15 2001 "Childishness is a turn-on for some, but generally only wins over short or teenage men"
Oh, but Lewisgirl, don't you "desperately want to make love to a schoolboy?" (joke -- that was a joke. It's a Jim Carrey quote)-- Sparki, Oct 15 2001 // It's a Jim Carrey quote //
Not from a Farrelly brothers movie, I hope.-- pottedstu, Oct 15 2001 I can feel the gorge rising. Quick Sparki, open your handbag! I need somewhere to throw up.-- A Farrago Of Calumnies, Oct 15 2001 You all talk about being single like it's a bad thing - I often miss it. On 'day of the free' all the partnered of the world should be allowed to act as if they're unpartnered for the day and drink beer in their underwear and masturbate lots (or whatever it is that the single freaks do with their miserable lives these days).-- stupop, Oct 15 2001 Farrago, if you dare puke in my purse, I will put your eye out with my ponytail fastener!-- Sparki, Oct 15 2001 [Sparki]: See link.-- angel, Oct 15 2001 Oh. Beg pardon-- Sparki, Oct 15 2001 I was Wondering where Susen was.-- thumbwax, Oct 28 2001 Susen's back on her way up to Hoosier Park in about 10 minutes....as soon as she gets the trailer hooked up and the horse loaded. Mark just got done giving him a bath and wrapping his legs.
I had two horses race last night and have another in the 10th race tonight. His name is Dustineer if you would like to check the results on the Hoosier Park site. Or, go to your local simulcast place and make a bet on him to "Show" (which means to come in third). If you have TVG on cable (USAians only) you can watch it on that station.
jutta, can I vote to have Haoma Day die and this one stay?-- Susen, Oct 29 2001 Or, for those with more anarchist/Marxist inclinations, there could be an F14 protest against the commercialism of romance and the ruthless Darwinian capitalism of the sexual marketplace.-- acb, Oct 30 2001 Susen, looks like Dustineer finished out of the money...-- daruma, Oct 31 2001 Yeah, the horse next to him slammed into him right out of the starting gates and sent him slamming into the next horse out and they clipped heels.... he almost went down. (he has a nasty cut on his one back leg) Joddie did a good job at keeping him on his feet but he just didn't recover from the bad start. He was a cinch to cool out after the race....because he never really ran. We'll try him again in about a week.-- Susen, Oct 31 2001 unlucky. after I took all my profits from the NASDAQ and bet the bundle.-- daruma, Oct 31 2001 Congratulations, Sparki....your idea gets to stay ;-)-- Susen, Nov 04 2001 Yeah, I wish. Actually, I had one in last night....came in 3rd in the 7th race....Houston Express. Have a couple more in tonight....no sure bets though.-- Susen, Nov 05 2001 A New Topic: HalfBookery. Susen gives us tips on the horses, we bet them through UK connections (legal there) and take the scandalous amount of profit to do ... something.-- daruma, Nov 05 2001 random, halfbakery