Is an Open Marriage a Happier Marriage?

What the experiences of nonmonogamous couples can tell us about jealousy, love, desire and trust.

When Daniel and Elizabeth married in 1993, they found it was easy enough to choose a ring for her, but there were far fewer choices for him. Daniel, then a 27-year-old who worked in information technology, decided to design one himself, requesting that tiny stones be placed in a gold band, like planets orbiting in a solar system. He was happy with the ring, and what it represented, until it became obvious after the wedding that he was allergic to the nickel that was mixed in with the gold in the band. As if in revolt, his finger grew red and raw, beneath the circle of metal. He started to think of the ring as if it were radioactive, an object burning holes in his flesh. A month into the marriage, he took it off and never got around to replacing it.

But as with any happy marriage, there were frustrations. Daniel liked sex, and not long after they were married, it became clear that Elizabeth’s interest in it had cooled. She thought hers was the normal response: She was raised by strict Catholics, she would tell Daniel, as if that explained it, and she never saw her own parents hold hands, much less kiss. It was not as if she and Daniel never had sex, but when they did, Daniel often felt lonely in his desire for something more — not necessarily exotic sex but sex in which both partners cared about it, and cared about each other, with one of those interests fueling the other.

-NY Times

Having an Affair Is Going Out of Style

The boomers are the sexual libertines. Younger people are more into monogamy.

Senator Ben Sasse recently observed, apropos of Rousseau’s “Emile,” that it “turned out sex was really similar most centuries.” Sex is the cornerstone of human evolution, and evolution is an inherently conservative institution, killing far more innovations than it allows to thrive. So it would hardly be surprising if we humans stayed with the same basic standbys in bed.

-Bloomberg

The Forgotten Sport of Octopus Wrestling

One April morning in 1963, some five thousand spectators gathered on the shores of Puget Sound near the Tacoma Narrows, in Washington, to watch an unusual event—the World Octopus Wrestling Championships.

The rules were simple: teams of three divers would descend into the waters at depths between 30 to 50 feet, and try their best to grab an octopus and drag it to the surface. Whoever pulled the biggest octopus out of the water won the trophy. A total of 25 giant Pacific octopuses were captured that day, the heaviest weighing nearly 30 kg.

-Amusing Planet

Deepest Dive Ever Under Antarctica Reveals a Shockingly Vibrant World

In the morning, when we arrive on foot from Dumont d’Urville, the French scientific base on the Adélie Coast of East Antarctica, we have to break up a thin layer of ice that has formed over the hole we drilled the day before. The hole goes right through the 10-foot-thick ice floe. It’s just wide enough for a man, and below it lies the sea. We’ve never tried to dive through such a small opening. I go first.

Pushing and pulling with hands, knees, heels, and the tips of my swim fins, I shimmy through the hole. As I plunge at last into the icy water, I look back—to a sickening sight. The hole has already begun to close behind me.

-National Geographic

A Day at the Beach

More than just the border between land and sea, our coastal areas and beaches form a special ecosystem teaming with life. They are also a subject of human contemplation and activity as reflected in our collections and archives. 

-Smithsonian

Smells Like the 70s: Vintage Deodorant Advertising

Women’s deodorant and antiperspirant ads came in three varieties: (1) a demonstration of how well the product performs across a busy day (as below), (2) a confident gal giving her testimonial (above), or (3) straight-up shaming (i.e. you will be humiliated by your gross personal stench if you don’t use our product).  The best of the best somehow incorporated all three.  Let’s have a look at some examples from the 1970s and a few more from other decades.

-Flashbak

A Miniature version of Hell, discovered by demolition workers in Paris

A crew of demolition workers in Paris discovered a mysterious wooden box hidden in the ruins of a condemned building. The box, which had been wrapped with old military belts, was found to contain a collection of photographs depicting a hedonistic world filled with drunken devils, sinister skeletons and scantily clad women.

-Messy Nessy Chic

Power can literally go to your head by damaging your brain, according to psychological research

People in high places are often observed as having let the power go to their heads. As it turns out, there could be some scientific truth to this.

-Business Insider

Who’s Steely Dan and What’s a Supertramp? Band Names Demystified

I’m always curious about where band names originated.  Upon research, usually it’s something very boring and mundane (i.e. they saw it on a sign, they saw it in a dream), but sometimes the origins are quite interesting.  Here are a bit of both from bands mainly associated with the 1970s.  Enjoy.

-Flashbak

Grocery Shopping Yesteryear: An Eclectic Look Back Down the Aisles

I love looking at old pictures of grocery stores.  Getting a glimpse of the old packaging is always interesting, and it’s a treat just noting how much times have changed.  So, here is an assorted mix of images of grocery shoppers from “the olden days” of the 1960s through the early 1980s. Enjoy.

-Flashbak

More people than ever before are single – and that’s a good thing

The 21st century is the age of living single. Today, the number of single adults in the U.S. – and many other nations around the world – is unprecedented. And the numbers don’t just say people are staying single longer before settling down. More are staying single for life. A 2014 Pew Report estimates that by the time today’s young adults reach the age of 50, about one in four of them will have never married.

-The Conversation

Loneliness and Self-Centeredness Amplify Each Other in a Vicious Feedback Loop

If you're feeling lonesome, 200,000 years of evolution would like to have a word with you. 
A University of Chicago psychological study, backed by the National Institute on Aging, concludes ten solid years of research into the relationship between loneliness and self-centeredness. The research supports an emerging evolutionary-biological theory, which suggests that the unpleasant feeling we call loneliness has long served a critical function in the evolution of the species.

-Seeker

Why The Hell Are We So Scared Of Spending Time Alone?

To begin with, let's talk about the phrase, 'Spending time alone'. The word 'alone' gives it such a negative connotation and convinces you that 'spending time with yourself' is actually not psychologically or socially acceptable.

-Scoop Whoop