Comments by FONDL (page 17)

I don't like either party - they both say one thing and do the opposite. Republicans say they stand for less government and less spending but spend more and make no effort to shrink government. Democrats say they care about the less fortunate and routinely support higher taxes on the less fortunate and oppose reforms that would actually help them. I generally vote for Republicans because at least they pursue an aggressive foreign policy, which should be the primary focus of the federal government. They're willing to confront our enemies, while Democrats practice appeasement and generally ignore foreign threats. They focus on domestic issues and get the government in volved in too many domestic issues which should be the resopnsibility of state and local governments. In terms of presidential politics, you should vote for the person who you think will do the best job in foreign policy, because that's really the only real power that the president has. Congress runs the domestic agenda and the president is pretty powerless to have much impact.

"You may not like hearing this, but what we want to see most is you flat on your back and your pussy moving slowly about an inch from our nose." I'm just the opposite, that doesn't do a thing for me, it's way too clinical, I much prefer some mystery. Which is an important pint for a dancer to remember, every guy is different. The secret to success is to figure out what a guy wants and give it ot him (within reason.)

If anything you're too young! Most of the guys here are older than you, some of us a LOT older. Two suggestions - (1) Tip but don't tip too much, girls have as little respect for the guys who overtip as for the guys who don't tip at all. I can't tell you how much is the right amount because every club is different, watch what other guys do. Unless the place is super fancy a dollar or two should be enought when the girls are onstage or doing a tip walk. (2) Go earlier rather than later - in most places the crowd gets younger as the evening goes on. Older guys usually go during the day or ealrier evening, it's more fun anyway because the place will be less crowded. Enjoy.

David, unemployment may not cover 100% of the exaggerated incomes that these guys have gotten used to, but it still pays pretty well. And every unemployed construction worker I've ever known did fairly well working under the table in addition to hisgovernment check, when steady work wasn't there. And I doubt that illegal immigrants spend much in strip clubs, the ones I've seen in clubs never spent anything other than the required beer or two, they don't even tip the dancers. I agree that dancers will have a more difficult time making big bucks. But I think that's more due to over suppy than to lack of demand. And over supply in any field is a sign that the workers in that field are overpaid in relation to other jobs. So unless dancers can raise artificial barriers to entry (eg. unionize) some downward adjustment in incomes is inevitable. Not only inevitable but necessary. When girls come here and argue that their time is worth $500 an hour, as has recently happened, that ought to tell you that something is seriously out of wack.

You can all save yourselves an ulcer if you just stop watching the market for about 6 months. Five years from now you won't even remember this episode. (Footnote to you worriers - in past recessions the stock market has INCREASED an average of 2.9%.)

Thanks, Clubber, I know how to do that but I'm too lazy, plus that requires advance planning and I didn't realize that my story was going to be so long. So I've been blogging it in installments, which is more fun anyway. If I posted it all at once no one would read it. Come to think of it, probably no one is reading it anyway (LOL).

"Whatever happened to personal boundaries?" Tessie, I've often wondered that myself in a strip club when some dancer was trying to conn me out of my money by telling me a bunch of lies. Seems to me that respect is a 2-way street - you have to show it to earn it.

Shadowcat, I'm pretty sure I've stated my age here before but maybe not lately, you probably just missed it. It's no secret - I'm an old fart. But with a young mind and body. As a friend of mine says, you can only be young once but you can be immature forever. That would make a good slogan for this site.

IRISH, the thing to keep in mind is it's not about you, it's about her. It always is. She obviously enjoys being with you when you're in the club together, but when you aren't she probably doesn't even think about you, especially when she isn't at work. Most dancers live in two different worlds - their dancer world and their real world, and it's tough to cross the line from one to the other because in their mind they're two different people, the real person is a stranger to you. My advice is to enjoy what you have in the club, and if she wants to take it beyond that let her suggest it. And even then she'll probably back out. You have your fantasy ( dating her) and she has hers (that she's 2 different people.)

David, how does a bunch of guys with lots of spare time on their hands and collecting unemployment hurt strip clubs? Seems to me if that happens it'll help a lot of clubs, not hurt them. Especially those that sell cheap beer.

Snowtime, I think you mean category 4, not 3. In any event, haven't you heard that 70 is the new 50? You guys are still middle-aged and will be for a long time. Personally I think young, middle aged and old are a state of mind, not a chronological age. I've known people in their 20s who were old and people in their 70s who were young. My advice to you guys who are fat and old - hit the gym. That's what I did when I was fat and old, now I'm fit and young. The biggest benefit is mental. And if you don't believe it, read the book "Younger Next Year." I'm 68 and I feel sigificantly younger than I did a dozen years ago.

First of all, I disagree with the original premise. You can't define an ATF in terms of her qualities because it isn't about her, it's about you. Your ATF is the dancers who you have liked the most and would rather spend time with compared to all the others. There can be only one ATF at any given time (which is what the AT stand for) - you can have many faves but only one of them is your ATF. Having said that, I don't think anyone goes looking for an ATF, it just happens. And she may or may not be a substitute girl friend depedning on what type of relationship the tow of you have - she can be stricgtly a club buddy or she can be much more than that. I've had 4 regulars over the years but one stands out as my ATF. And yes it has worked well for me, it's been very pleasant. And she's never been my GF nor have I ever wanted her to be, she's just someone whose company I really enjoy.

2for20, sorry if I misinterpreted your comments, but it sounded to me like you were referring to everyone here. I don't think any of us regular posters here qualify as Regulars in Love. In lust maybe but not in love.

I've always thought that high maintenance was part of the fun of being with a stripper. When your wife or daughter does it, you have to put up with it. But when a stripper does it you can laugh histerically or tell her what you really think. Just don't try that at home.

Boness, I think you guys are a much smaller group that the first 2 categories, I've never seen many customer who seemed to fit your category. And I think I could tell from the smiles on their faces. Most of the older customers I've seen never smile. I also think there's a 4th category that's pretty common - younger-to-middle-aged single guys who are lonely because they are misfits and have no social skills. Lots of them in strip clubs. And maybe a few here too. And I don't mean any disrespect to anyone here by saying that, we all have our problems.

Shit, I lost it. I just spent the last hour composing a very long blog as promised in my first post here. And when I went to post it I couldn't. I guess there's a time limit and I exceeded it, because it asked me to sign in again, and when I did my blog was gone. I don't know if I can do it again, at least not today. It's kinda emotional for me. Sorry guys.

DougS, I like your categorization of customers, I've always thought the same thing. And I guess when you come right down to it, that's exactly why I rarely go to strip clubs anymore. I no longer fall into either category. I'm no longer either depressed or lonely. I guess strip clubs worked for me and I graduated.

I used to work for a guy whose favorite expression was, "I can't tell you which direction the next 25% change in the market will be, but I can tell you which direction the next 100% change will be." That's good enough for me.

Gee, 2for20, how original. But didn't you forget to capitalize some of your remarks? Hey, maybe I'll get to use the ignore button twice today.

Actually he hasn't posted very much for a long time, so I never got around to it. I remember when he used to attack you for no apparent reason. I guess I became his latest target by starting this thead. He obviously doesn't have the balls to ever post anything original himself, he just attacks others, usually based on untrue assumptions about them. I feel sorry for jerks like that, they must be very lonely.

Congratulations, parodyman, you just made my "ignore" list along with the other assholes who never have anything interesting to say.

Parodyman, it's been nearly 10 years since she was a stripper. She's a totally different person now and we've become really close friends. I thought evryone here knew all that. I only refer to her here as my ATF because I don't want to use her name, I never think of her in those terms except here. I feel sorry for you if you can't understand that.

I'm surprised that this topic has drawn so many interesting responses but I'm not at all surprised that loneliness and depression have been common motivators for many of us. I've done most of my clubbing in smaller clubs during the day, and that's about all you see then - older men who are obviously lonely and depressed. I wonder why so many older married men are lonely? In my case I think it was because my kids grew up and no longer seemed to need me, and my wife spent all her time and attention on family and friends and didn't seem to need me either, and I lost interest in my job. A 1-2-3 punch. When I was depressed I tried a lot of different things to get out of it, but 2 things really helped - meeting my ATF and going to the gym everyday. Thank God I still have both of them. And I haven't had any significant depression in 10+ years. "I met a pretty Funny Girl/ dancing in tall shoes/ she smiled a smile and said hello/ and chased away my blues." Truer words were never spoken.

I think the term "high maintenance stripper" is redundant.

I used to drive about an hour each way (longer when it was anywhere near rush hour) to see my ATF and I did it weekly for 5 years years.