No matter how you cut it, layoffs are difficult for everyone involved.

There have been tons of articles written about layoffs, going through layoffs and people having a difficult time finding jobs after getting laid off.

With the economy struggling to regain its footing, there are so many stories of people losing their jobs and struggling through the current job market.

It’s tough for everyone.

For this article, however, I would like to explore and write about the other side of layoffs.  I’m not talking about the big corporate layoffs that are done purely based on financial information.  I’m talking about the personal and emotional difficulty for managers of companies and small-to-medium sized business owners to come to the decision of layoffs and what they go through during the entire period from financial stress to the actual layoff.

First off, I think the first thing that people must understand is that most company managers and small-to-medium sized business owners do not want to lay people off.  For the most part, they will do everything within their power to prevent that final decision from happening.  

Some companies will borrow money to make it through the slow economic times.  Other companies will reduce any additional spending they can.  Some will take as many paycuts as possible.

Every once in a while, however, there comes a time when the money runs out.

Then the decision has to be made: save half the ship, or lose the ship entirely?  This is probably one of the worst decisions anyone will ever have to make in their life.  Do you potentially ruin the lives of people that you have possibly known and worked with for 10 to 20 years?  Are you making the right decision?  Have you failed as an individual and as a company?  Is the economy going to rebound?  How long can we wait before we do it?

No matter what anyone says, you know that this decision will change everyone’s lives – including your own.  You know with this decision, you may lose friendships, trust and any form of positive morale within your company or group.

Unfortunately, there are certain decisions that have to be made.  And you as the business owner or company manager will be the one that has to make it.

Once that decision is made, you lose sleep and live in anxiety.  You look at people’s faces when you go into work and antagonize about what you are about to do.  You constantly second guess yourself.

Are we making the right decision?  Isn’t there anything else we can do?  Will the economy turn around?

Then the day comes.  You have to look people in the eye and tell them that they are about to lose their livelihood.  You are about to change the history of people’s lives forever.  The promise of success and greatness you gave them when you hired them is now just a faded memory.

Once the layoffs have been done, you feel empty and exhausted.  The stress and anxiety has come to a final chapter and you have nothing left in you (physically and emotionally).

In the end, most companies survive.  From a financial standpoint, overhead and costs decrease significantly after a round of layoffs. Companies end up rebuilding what they had and get to a point of stability and growth once again.

It’s an unfortunate cycle of business and economics that everyone has been going through.

The scars, however, will always be there for both the people who were laid off and for the people on the other side of layoffs.  Rarely are there people who are unaffected by these types of decisions.

Some may ask: Is it better to be on the other side of layoffs? 

In my humble opinion, neither side is better.  Each side has to survive, rebuild and grow to get back to where they once were. 

The only hope is they both end up in a much better place in the long run.

"Okay, cue the models! Play fancy Mariachi slow sexy music! Lighting! Where the hell is my PA?"

Have you ever heard of “adults-only” all-inclusive resorts?  Do places like “Hedonism, Secrets and Temptations” sound familiar? 

Don’t worry, this isn’t your girlfriend testing you.  It’s a serious question.

If they sound vaguely familiar, just check out one of your adult or men’s magazines.  You’ll invariably find an ad for these resorts tucked in there somewhere either in the back or in the margins.  There will be a picture of an incredibly beautiful couple sitting alone at an incredibly beautiful locale.

At some point in your life, those ads had to have piqued your interest.

I’m also sure that visions of playboy models lounging around the pool filled your mind – with lots of yummy barbeque ribs and alcohol. 

Most men, including myself would probably agree:  if the “all adults” hotel lived up to your fantasy, it would be the perfect vacation for any self-respecting single man.

Now let me get you back to reality.  You know, the real world where everyone doesn’t look like a 36-24-36 supermodel?  It’s the same world where these “adults only” resorts try fill their occupancy rates to 80% or more.

Surprise!

We’re writing this article to give you an insider’s view of what really goes on in these resorts, by listing 5 common myths associated with them:

Myth 1: The resort is going to be secluded and empty.
Sorry, much like any other resort, these adults-only venues are still hotels that want to maximize their occupancy for maximum profits.  If they can double people up in rooms and charge each of them full rates, they would.

Myth 2: Going solo is the way to go.
Wrong again, Maverick.  A lot of these places are usually booked by couples and you won’t really have a chance to meet other singles.  You would be better off just going to a regular hotel to score.

Myth 3: The resort is going to be filled with 20-30 year olds.
Try multiplying that age range by 2.  Now try thinking about everything that goes along with that new age range: kids, grandkids, horrible eating, lack of excercise…  It’s definitely not the playboy mansion by any means.

Myth 4: Nice tatas.  Lots and lots of nice tatas.
Although a lot of these places have “tops optional” policies, not every female is going to go with the topless option.  Oddly enough, the ones that go with their convertible open usually have really old cars.

Myth 5: People having sex everywhere.
You’ve been watching too much Skinemax there bud.  These hotels are still public places and having sex in public places in most cities is still considered a crime.

Now you’re probably asking yourself: “Why should I even bother going to these places in the first place?”

Although a lot of the original reasons to visit those resorts have probably been blown out of the water, an adults only resort is definitely good for:

• Couples interested in meeting other couples (s.w.i.n.g….)
• People who want to be in an “adults only” atmosphere with “adults only” people
• People who are interested in tossing out their inhibitions with the bath water

As for me, it definitely wasn’t my speed.  I just felt dirty sitting in the 25 foot hut tub with 50 year olds making out with each other.  Yes, 50 year old people making out with each other.

It took a 20 minute shower in rubbing alcohol and antibiotics just to help me feel respectable again.

The Oscars. Rated NC-17.

The Oscars.  Another awards ceremony that you don’t really want to watch but do anyway.  To make things more interesting in our lives, we decided over a few shots of tequila what movie titles can actually double as porn titles.

Really.

The Blind Side
A romantic story about a janitor who inexplicably has an affair with the football coach.  In the dark.

An Education
An amazing journey of growth and youth set in downtown Riverside Junior College.  They both laughed, loved and loved.  And loved. And loved. And… loved. 

The Hurt Locker
The story of a mythical sex move that only a few have learned to master without killing their partner.  Think Blades of Glory meets Cirque du Soleil.

Inglorious Basterds
Set in World War II, these young Jewish-American soldiers stormed more than Normandy.

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
An eclectic collection of short stories about the dog from Silence of the Lambs set in the Sapphire nightclub in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Up in the Air
Really?  You need a synopsis for this one?

Fantastic Mr. Fox
The story of an older divorcee with a “furries” fetish.  He’s fantastic.

Princess and the Frog
The princess on the search for the ultimate Frog – the next evolution of the Rabbit.

Nine
The story of a man who wants to use all nine.  Inches.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
A coming of age story when Harry Potter meets the virgin Prince.

That’s right, we went there and we don’t care.  Not only does this article have no relevance to our core purpose as a business, it has no intellectual value.

We wrote it just because we could.

Screen cap of 4playclub.com. Enjoy.

So you think you’ve been to gentlemens’ clubs, huh?  Think you’ve thrown down singles (or twenties) with the best of them?  Think you’ve seen the baddest, hottest women on the planet?

I don’t think so.

Not at least until you’ve been to 4Play Gentlemen’s Club in Los Angeles.  Everyone who thought they knew Gentlemen’s Clubs threw that idea out of the window when they visited 4Play.

And believe me, it’s not because of the decor.  It is because of the incredibly beautiful dancers that grace the stage every night.  Unlike country-wide companies like Deja Vu, there are no ugly dancers to be found here.

So the next time you have a bachelor’s party or just want some time “alone” make sure to check out 4Play.  Just make sure to not empty out your bank account.  Because regardless of what you may think, the reality is you will never get farther than that private dance.

For more information, you can visit them online at 4playclub.com.

I know, I know, we normally reserve Dime Piece articles for women of exceptional talent and grace.. but this isn’t one of those times.

I’m only going to say it once so pay attention: 32E-24-35 (that’s not the combination to my high school locker).

Hailing from Rochester, Kent, England (what the hell do they put in the water over there anyways?) Kelly Brook is best known for dating celebrities, hanging out topless near large bodies of water and some piss-poor acting in B-movies that require her to remove clothing.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s really nothing more I can say about it either. She’s not exactly feeding the homeless or making the statue of Liberty disappear in her spare time.

As if by design and true ESM bravado, Jason Stratham adds to his mystique by being one of the few guys to have kicked her out of bed for eating crackers.  I can’t say that I’d do the same (quite the opposite, there might be handcuffs and a ball gag.. err.. nevermind).

Do yourself a favor and check out Todd’s gallery of everything Kelly Brook at his site, Idontlikeyouinthatway.com

My hair is all tangled up in this plant. Could you lend me a hand?

As we grow older we never really stop searching for that unicorn, but the reality with women is that it can go either way- just compare Kim and Khloe Kardashian side by side if you need further proof.

Excuse me ma'am.. do you need a towel?

But then there’s Jessica Gomes. She’s mythical combination of two completely different types of cereals (Singaporean and Portuguese) with a little sugar drizzled on top (born and raised in Australia). I don’t know about you, but I’m sitting here like a wide-eyed 10 year-old who just figured out that throwing some Cinnamon Toast into Captain Crunch was the meaning of life. Who knew?

What a coincidence.. I like to paint!

From her Wiki Page:

“Jessica Gomes is an Australian model of Singaporean and Portuguese heritage who appeared in the 2008 & 2009 Swimsuit Issue of the United States–published magazine Sports Illustrated. She was featured in a bodypainting layout as a canvas for bodypaint artist Joanne Gair, who is in her tenth year of producing bodypaint art for the Swimsuit Issue.

Jessica was born in Perth, the baby of a family that includes two older sisters, an older brother, a Portuguese father, and a Singaporean mother. Jessica’s mother sent her to finishing school at the age of 13. It was there that she appeared on the hit TV show “Bush Patrol,” which lead to a modeling contest and the start of a successful career. She has appeared in Vogue, Teen Vogue, Glamour, and the Victoria’s Secret catalog, as well as ads for Adidas, Gap, Motorola, and DKNY. She also recently signed with Estee Lauder as the face of Diddy’s Unforgivable fragrance. When she’s not walking the catwalks, Jessica enjoys interior design, yoga, dancing, painting, gymnastics, playing tennis, squash, surfing, swimming, and boxing. She currently lives in NYC.”

If you need further proof just check out her Swimsuit Edition video- no, I demand it:

I've never wanted to be a dolphin so bad.

Thank you, GQ

Born December 10, 1977, Emmanuelle Sophie Anne Chriqui is best known for her roles on HBO’s Entourage as Sloan (love interest for E) and as the main love interest in the movie, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.

As always, here is a little bit on her background from her Wikipedia entry:

Chriqui (Berber surname pronounced “Shri-ki” as per Morrocan romanization based on French orthography) was born in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of Moroccan Jewish immigrants. Her mother was born in Casablanca and her father in Rabat. Chriqui has relatives in Israel and her family practiced Orthodox Judaism in the Sephardic tradition.

I know what you are thinking: “That’s fascinating! Where are the pics?” 

Here you go:

Thank you, Emmanuelle's parents

Thank you, inventor of the bikini

 …and one more thank you to GQ for filming their photo shoot.  Great job, guys.

Umm, hi.

Born August 25, 1987, Blake Christina Lively is most commonly known for her role as sometimes-mega-beyotch Serena van der Woodsen on the TV series Gossip Girl.  She has also been in the movies The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, and The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants 2.  So my guess is you’ve never heard of her.

Make no mistake, she qualifies for everything required to be the first person to grace The Dime Piece section of our site.  If you need more reasons, just check these images out below:

The only reason we would watch The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants

The only reason we would stay in school

You see, the advantage to an older woman is that there is no superficial bullshit to deal with. She wants you to do one thing and do it well- that’s all that is expected of you. If you’re a busy guy (and you should be- that Azimut isn’t going to pay for itself) you can immediately see that there is a pretty big ROI in the Cougar market.

Well, as they say, we'll always have Paris. And the pool table.

But most of the articles I see on this subject seem to be written in theory (or worse yet, by women themselves) and spew crap like “Take her somewhere exciting and expensive” or “brush up on current events” so for our younger readers I figured I’d lay out some simple ground rules from a weathered old Captain who has long since hung up his sails:

• This isn’t a relationship. You don’t pick her up at 7, wine and dine, and then cross your fingers that she wasn’t just using you because she’s broke and couldn’t afford a meal. The only question after initial contact has been established should be “my place, or yours?”

• You are a ghost. No contact with kids, family, her ex-husband, or otherwise. If you stay the night you better be up and out of there before anyone else in the house starts their day. Conversely, never -ever- ring a doorbell or feel like you can waltz in and plop your feet on the sofa unannounced. Follow the protocol she gives you.

• Don’t freak out about dating other women. It’s an unwritten cougar rule that they will not approach you if you’re out in public with a younger woman. But that’s the key- younger. If you’re out with another cougar, god help you. Along the same lines, you can feel free to consider the agreement over if you spot her with another younger man.

• Forget it. By sleeping with her, you’ve given up all rights to date her super-hot 22 year-old daughter. Sorry, it’s one of the rules of the road (and pretty sleazy too boot).

One last thing- if you manage to stay within those very simple boundaries, keep her happy in the sack while maintaining her public persona you’re probably going to find yourself on the mythical “referral” program for a long time to come. Unlike younger women, they have no problem sharing a good experience with their friends (and in more ways than one).

Deuce, you the best he-bitch in my man stable. If I had two more manginas like you, I'd be a millionaire.

Happy sailing!