Oh, no!! It's The Dreaded Rules!!

Yep, it's there again. Thank you!

Rather off-topic,

I have been confronted with a book called "The Rules". It is about dating and how following certain "rules" will solve all the problems you ever had with men.

I feel awkward about "The Rules" as it relates to something that we do not do in Germany. Not that I noticed that we do. No woman goes crazy if she doesn't have a man pick her up on a Friday or Saturday night and take her out on a date. If she wants to go out, she will arrange something with friends. So I cannot really try out if it is really the solution to man-trouble.

I could write a book about how the US Rules could be transformed into "The German Rules" but that sounds even worse.

LOL, Magenta.

People are always coming up with this kind of nonsense. If it really worked there would be no single women in the United States. I had someone recently give me a book about how to be a "bitch" because apparently I'm too nice of a person and they thought I should change that. I'm all for self-help but I don't think being nice is a personality flaw!!

And it was a gross generalization that women in the United States can't survive if a man doesn't take them out Friday or Saturday. Most of us do the same thing you do - make arrangements with friends or just go out ourselves!

Don't ask me, I've been married over half my life, I wouldn't remember how to act if I were single.
I do wish I could spend more time just going out with friends, but no one actually has any time to do that, we only talk about it...

Magenta, I don't think there is a German "dating culture" - I get the impression that there seems to be at least a stereotyped one in the US, at least in movies and shows like "Sex and the City", like, when you have a third date and don't have sex, the relationship is going nowhere (huh? I know, I write erotica, but I would never have sex with a guy as early as after the third date!).

But you made me curious, so I checked out what I could find about the book online, and the official web site http://www.therulesbook.com/med_pagesix112308.html made me laugh, because it's simply not true.

He's not that into you if he doesn't make the first move. - Definitely not true. Some men really are shy. He's not that into you if you make the first move and he doesn't make the second move.
He's not that into you if he asks you to split the check. Sounds medieval to me. I wouldn't let my date pay for me - it could be the wrong signal, making him feel I "owe" him.
He's not that into you if he doesn't ask you to be exclusive after sex and/or a couple of months. Er... do you really have to ASK someone to be exclusive?? Don't you just know when you're in a relationship?
He's not that into you if he doesn't propose. Hello?! Are we in the middle ages? I'm in a long-term relationship, no proposal, no marriage, and no intention to marry, but definitely most happy.

My advice? Put "The Rules" in the Used Books section of Amazon

Maybe I should sit down and write some "How to... " book, best about sex I think... I would not solve man-troubles but I might stash a nice pile of coins and give me a chance to travel more...