HAPPY NEW YEAR

END OF THE YEAR THOUGHTS ON MISTRESSES and the UPCOMMING DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENCY

Donald Trump is our next President of the United States, our 45th.  I've read around this past years election like no other election year, was not a Trump supporter, and have some serious concerns about what will happen when he and the Republican conservatives he will surround himself with, will do about women's issues, such as the right to get contraception, Choose abortion (which should be affordable), and so much else.

To stay on topic though, let me say that his appeal is in his promise of a new prosperity for the United States, something that I'm all for.  However, I'm not sure if to Republicans this means not only FULL EMPLOYMENT but LIVABLE COST OF LIVING WAGES.

Several people I know who have college educations and once had nice careers have been unemployed for years and are only eating enough because they get SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits.  I suspect that during Trumps administration, this thrice married man and alleged womanizer and sexist (who is a feminist when it comes to his daughters and their education, careers, and businesses), will, with the help of the conservative cast he has assembled around him, manage to create conditions in which there will be more mistresses than ever. And I'm convinced that if ever the truth could be revealed we'd find more Republicans have mistresses than Democrats!

These mistresses won't all be involved with married men but they will be Kept just the same, perhaps not in the Classic Mistress manner, but Kept.  Busy and wealthy,  the men who keep mistresses will delight in having a person and place to come home to that is an escape from all that Washington.

As we enter into renewed prosperity, if the business men who dominate his cabinet reinforce sexism in the workplace and in life in general, the men's income will go up, and women's will go down, creating a perfect scenario for women needing some financial help, some to survive.

May I suggest that in an attempt to deal with these conditions, more women than ever will leave men who do not make good incomes and more women than ever will go back to traditional dating rituals, such as remaining virgins until marriage or celibate between committed, serious, marriage prone relationships, expecting men to ask them out, make all the arrangements and pay for the dates?

You see, some people, including The Rules for Dating Girls, Ellen and Sherry, have long believed that when it comes to romance, it is only right to let gender considerations determine who does what, such as who is the pursuer. If a man cannot afford to impress a woman with his personality, manners, education, income, and potential to rise in life, he cannot date at all.

One of the many benefits of the feminist movement for men is women taking some responsibility for these traditional male roles.

When a man is a millionaire or billionaire (remember Trump's promise to reveal his tax returns?), he can afford a harem, which is what a man like Trump would do if he were in say, Saudi Arabia.  Here in the U.S.A, we expect people to divorce a spouse rather than keep him or her around when things aren't going well.  Trump has Ivana, Marla, and now Melania, all tied to him by children. It's as harem as it's going to get for the U.S.A.
However, it used to be that a divorced man could not expect to win the White House. The American public has wanted married men who stay married and seem to love their one wife and families as their President.  As such, Presidents who did womanize or have affairs or mistresses, kept their wives.

I wish the Clintons had been able to say, "We are dedicated to staying married, but we have an agreement that we can fool around."  That certainly seems to have been the case. I think it hurt Hillary Clinton that she stayed with her cheating husband after they left the White House. The woman has been called a lesbian, hated, cold, and a number of other adjectives that dismiss that she's worked hard in her professional life to make good things happen for average people. Yet it seems the era of the Clintons is over.

At the end of four years I think President Trump will be humbled and the country will be geared up for a revolution that ends the Republicans for good.  Other parties will begin to form and stand on different, more reality-based platforms.

Yours,
Missy

BE BOUNTIFUL

OH MISTRESS MINE : Baritone Philip Summerscales performs O Mistress Mine, composed by Roger Quilter

WORDS by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU! DO YOU HAVE ANY ROMANTIC GOALS FOR THE NEW YEAR? IS HE YOUR FATE?

If you're in a RELATIONSHIP, this holiday season may be full of holiday parties - his, hers and at other couples', shopping for presents for each other, maybe taking some time off work to take a romantic trip out of town... or maybe, just a dinner at your place where he brings the jewelry you've been secretly hoping for. 


If you're NOT in a RELATIONSHIP, or are not happy in the one you're in, the holidays can still be full of activities, and you can still have a good time with friends and family, or enjoy having some well needed alone time with yourself, BUT, you may be hoping that the NEW YEAR is the start of something very special between you and another new person.


Although it's true that if you're sitting alone at home and not making an effort to get out there and get involved and meet people, it's unlikely that Mr. Right is going to come knocking on your door,  he MIGHT if he happens to live in the same building...  I guess you could say that I think that one should make efforts to reach any goal but am also a believer in DESTINY.  And not everyone is meant to have a partner in life.


I often ask people how they met the person they have committed to in a loving partnership.


Although I've heard it was at a concert, dance, or party, or a dinner at a friends (which seems to be more popular than the concert, dance, or party), and I have heard people say through some sort of dating service, personal ad, or on the Internet, I've also perhaps more often heard of some sort of KARMA or SYNCHRONICITY - something simple.




One of my friends met the man she married when they both attended a free real estate seminar, where neither of them were actually looking for anything more than information on how to buy distressed housing.


One senior citizen told me that she went to an amusement park when she was a girl, but couldn't afford to get in.  Still, you could hear the live dance bands playing from outside where there was a picnic grove and a swing set.  On the swing she got, and on the swing next to her sat a young men, as broke.  They soon married and stayed married.


I've met people who met on public transportation, while one of them had a car in the shop.


The coin laundry, borrowing lavender softener.


In the line at the grocery store, when one of them pitched in because the other one was a bit short of cash when the groceries were registered at Trader Joes.  (He said it was from his expense account for food, on a filming that was taking place near by and not out of his pocket, so she accepted,  but it turned out it was his personal pleasure.  He gave her his business card and she called to thank him again for his good deed.)


He bought his girlfriend a beautiful bracelet that the department store retail clerk who waited on him suggested.  His girlfriend hated it and asked him to return it.  He did and asked out the clerk who loved it!


She went to a comedy club, something she rarely did, with some girlfriends, and in the audience was a man who she had gone to grade school with years before - in a small town - in another state - who she never ever thought she would see again - date - or move in with! 


YOU NEVER KNOW!


Missy


C 2016  All Rights Reserved

CHARITY NAVIGATOR WATCHES and RATES CHARITIES

CHARITY NAVIGATOR - DOES YOUR MONEY GO WHERE IT SHOULD?

A dynamic site that lets you check out charities and has lots of great advice to help you be wise about your money when you donate!  As I see it, if a charity has five stars it is probably a great place to volunteer and meet people too!

SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME : SARAH VAUGHAN

From the YouTube poster of this great music video:

"Someone to Watch Over Me" is a song composed by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin from the musical Oh, Kay! (1926), where it was introduced by Gertrude Lawrence. It has been performed by numerous artists since its debut and is a jazz standard as well as a key work in the Great American Songbook.

Sarah's accompanied by Hal Mooney and His Studio Orchestra. Recorded New York, March 20, 1957. (EmArcy Records affiliate of Mercury Records)

AS YOU GET UNDER YOUR WARM COMFORTER TONIGHT THINK OF THE HOMELESS and HOMELESS TEENS ON THE COLD PAVEMENT OF CITY STREETS

NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS - YOUTH



EXCERPT:


The National Center for Housing and Child Welfare states there are between 1 million and 1.7 million homeless youth who have runaway or have been asked to leave their homes.

According to the US Department of HHS, 61.8% of homeless youth reported depression, 71.7% reported experiencing major trauma such as physical or sexual abuse, 79.5% experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder for more than a month.


According to the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, 25% of former foster youth became homeless 2.5-4 years after exiting care. 


5% to 7% of American youths become homeless in any given year.
 
Homeless youth are evenly male-female, although females are more likely to seek help through shelters and hotline.


According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, between 6% and 22% of homeless girls are estimated to be pregnant.


75% of homeless or runaway youth have dropped out or will drop out of school.
Between 20% and 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBT.

Causes of Youth Homelessness

The causes of homelessness among youth falls into three, inter-related categories:

Family problems – Disruptive family conditions are the principal reason that young people leave home and many homeless youth leave home after years of physical and sexual abuse, strained relationships, addiction of a family member, and/or parental neglect.

• According to interviews conducted by the Street Outreach Program through the US Department of Health & Human Services, youth attributed homelessness to the following causes: 51.2% were asked to leave home by a parent or guardian, 24.7% were unable to find a job, 23.8% claim to be physically abused or beaten, or left due to caretaker's drug or alcohol abuse.  
• According to the National Conference for State Legislatures, Additionally, 17% of homeless youth were forced into unwanted sexual activity by a family or household member.

Economic problems – Some youth may become homeless when their families suffer financial crises resulting from lack of affordable housing, limited employment opportunities, insufficient wages, no medical insurance, or inadequate welfare benefits. Youth may become homeless while still with their families, but may be separated from their families by the shelter, transitional housing, or child welfare policies.

Residential instability – Some youth living in residential or institutional placements such as foster care, become homeless because they are discharged or emancipated with no housing or income support. One national study reported that more than one-in-five youth who arrived at shelters came directly from foster care, and that more than one-in-four had been in foster care in the previous year [National Association of Social Workers, 1992].

Taking Action

Homeless youth benefit from programs that meet immediate needs first, and then help them address other aspects of their lives.
Educational outreach programs, assistance in locating job training and employment, transitional living programs, and health care especially designed for, and directed at, homeless youth are also needed.
Homeless youth would benefit from many of the same measures that are needed to fight poverty and homelessness in the adult population, including the provision of affordable housing and employment that pays a living wage. In addition to these basic supports, the child welfare system must make every effort to prevent children from ending up on the streets.

Visit the National Campaign for Youth Shelter page to learn more!

Fact Sheets and Publications:  

• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - 2013 Point-in-Time Estimates of Homelessness 
• National Center on Family Homelessness - The Characteristics and Needs of Families Experiencing Homelessness
• National Center on Family Homelessness - A Framework for Developing Supports and Services for Families Experiencing Homelessness
• National Coalition for the Homeless - Youth Homelessness Fact Sheet
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Street Outreach Program - Data Collection Project Executive Summary
• United States Interagency Council on Homelessness - Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Other Organizations

• The National Center on Family Homelessness
• National Network for Youth

THE MESSENGER IS SWIFT

JOHNNY MATHIS : TURN AROUND LOOK AT ME

I've always loved this oldie, recorded by so very many artists, but Johnny Mathis' smooth voice is just superb on this recording.  It's a very romantic song.

.

ASCENT

POLARIS PROJECT - WORKING TO ELIMINATE MODERN SLAVERY - ASHLEY JUDD AMBASSADOR

Readers, you know that I stand for choice, and choice made with knowledge and understanding. 

Those who have little to no choice in life are of great concern to me.  In these Blog Posts, you read about so many people who had little to no choice because of the times they lived in as women, or their class or status or poverty.  Well, today there are very many people who are SLAVES in this world, and in particular people who are SEX TRAFFICKED, often young teenage girls, some runaways, some snatched.

In choosing charities that I think you should know about, perhaps donate or volunteer for, POLARIS PROJECT seems to be well regarded and INTERNATIONAL. 

POLARIS PROJECT - STOP HUMAN TRAFFICKING


National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline 1 (888) 373-7888  (United States)

FROM THEIR SITE:

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery -- a multi-billion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 20.9 million people around the world. And no matter where you live, chances are it's happening nearby. From the girl forced into prostitution at a truck stop, to the man discovered in a restaurant kitchen, stripped of his passport and held against his will. All trafficking victims share one essential experience: the loss of freedom.

Sex traffickers use violence, threats, lies, debt bondage, and other forms of coercion to compel adults and children to engage in commercial sex acts against their will. Under U.S. federal law, any minor under the age of 18 years induced into commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking—regardless of whether or not the trafficker used force, fraud, or coercion.
The situations that sex trafficking victims face vary dramatically. Many victims become romantically involved with someone who then forces or manipulates them into prostitution. Others are lured in with false promises of a job, such as modeling or dancing. Some are forced to sell sex by their parents or other family members. They may be involved in a trafficking situation for a few days or weeks, or may remain in the same trafficking situation for years.

Victims of sex trafficking can be U.S. citizens, foreign nationals, women, men, children, and LGBTQ individuals. Vulnerable populations are frequently targeted by traffickers, including runaway and homeless youth, as well as victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, war, or social discrimination.

Sex trafficking occurs in a range of venues including fake massage businesses, via online ads or escort services, in residential brothels, on the street or at truck stops, or at hotels and motels...

JEAN MAALOUF on the HEALING POWER OF KINDNESS

Kindness holds the key to the secret of our own transformation and, in the process, of the transformation of the world.

JEAN MAALOUF, The Healing Power of Kindness

EARN AN ANGEL WING : MISTRESS MANIFESTO HOLIDAY 2016 EDITION

Did you know that every major religion on earth has a belief in Angels?  That means that most people on this earth have at least left the option open that they exist. Be you Catholic, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, or Moslem, there are angels. They are sometimes described differently; with wings, without, or simply as shining beings. They are often messengers or visitors, in dreams or while wide awake, and they sometimes give us a message (from God!) or save us from some danger. It's thought that everyone of us has at least one.  (As a child I was told to leave room in line for mine to walk back into school with me from recess!)

To prepare for this month's subject here at MISTRESS MANIFEST BLOGSPOT, I watch so many YouTube videos that claim to have caught angels on film.  Some of these videos are amazing.  I'm sure some of them truly caught angels doing rescues and some of them are enhanced or faked videos. 


I've been thinking about angels.

I'm not asking you to believe in angels or to pray to angels or even get into a debate over their existence on this earth or in heaven. I want you to be one, if not forever more, than just for this month, and if you can't earn two wings, earn one, by giving of yourself, either through volunteering or by opening your pocket book. At this time of year there are very many volunteer opportunities for people who cannot make long term commitments or don't have money to spare, and volunteering is known to be an excellent place to meet good people - maybe even a new man.  First I want you to self assess and ask yourself how selfish you've been, how self-involved and focused lately, and if being that way has brought you to jealousy, envy, meanness, or ingratitude. If you indeed have been more naughty than nice, turn it around and move towards helping someone else.


Don't think I've got my head in the clouds.  I'm completely aware of the terrible suffering in this world and sometimes I think evil violence has taken over.  



You can be someone's special angel secretly, not taking any credit at all, by sending a friend in need some cash, or by doing a little research to elect a charity that is doing what it says it's doing with the donations it receives.  (One of my friends, who was going through old boxes that had been delivered to her new apartment some time ago when she was just squeaking by, called me recently just stunned because she finally started to go through those boxes and found an envelope containing $500 in cash which she is 100% sure wasn't hers, knowing that someone who was doing the heavy lifting that day, had to have opened the lid and put it in there!)

You can also be a special angel through making donations, which are often tax deductible.  I'll be providing some links that I myself have chosen, with a focus on sex trafficking, slavery, and homeless teens.  Here at MISTRESS MANIFESTO BLOGSPOT you have the opportunity to read about a variety of women (and some men) who have been Kept by others, sometimes by choice (to me the best and only way to go circa 2016), but sometimes because choices were few, if any.  When a person is enslaved, their choices may be down to live or die.

Thanks for reading MISTRESS MANIFESTO BLOGSPOT.  It's been a successful year here. I've thoroughly enjoyed all the efforts that go into researching and writing this blog. At this time of year I reassess and feel satisfied that I did a good job.  While I never pick my topics just for the hits, it does feel good when a post gets lots of them.

I hope all of you will find happiness these holidays!

MIssy

YOU ARE MY SPECIAL ANGEL : THE VOGUES

What a lovely job this YouTube poster has done with the illustrations that go with the song "You Are My Special Angel." I chose this video over many others because of it.  The Vogues are one of my favorite Old School groups.  They were known for their harmonies.

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