Sometimes it’s a bit scarey to look back. I want my hair back!

The truth is, guys are right about plenty of things, and if women listened, really listened, to some of their insights, they could have a happier, healthier love life. How? It turns out men have at least eight things Glamour Magazine says men are right about:

When it comes to sex, what’s done is done
Abandon a sinking (relation)ship.
More sex does lead to better sex
You don’t need to talk everything to death
And sometimes it’s fine to be completely quiet
It’s OK (and dare we say it, a good thing) to check out other people
Video games can bring you closer
It’s sex, not the Psychic Network

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And did you know:
Used to be when a woman would marry the man she loved that put her on a sure route to a lifetime of financial security. Now it is men — not women — who get the biggest financial boost from saying “I do,” according to the Pew Research Center. In the period beginning in 1970, women have outpaced men in both education and earnings growth. And a far larger proportion of men now, compared with men in 1970, are married to women whose education and income exceed their own. In addition, a larger number of women are married to men who have less education and income.

Maintenance Day — Are you high maintenance? Ladies, take this little quiz to find out. Answer true or false to the following questions.

The first outfit I put on is never the one I end up wearing.
I have a housekeeper.
I demand a phone call, or a very good explanation, when someone is late.
I would never ride in a convertible with the top down for fear of wind blown hair.
My partner should compliment me often, especially before we go out at night.
I sometimes require much sleep in order to look and feel my best.
I expect my significant other to give me gifts “just because.”
At a restaurant, I order my meals with special requirements.
I never leave the house without blow drying my hair or using a hair product.
My getting-ready-for-bed regimen last for more than 15 minutes.

Add up your true answers.

1-3: Your are a dreamboat! Self-sufficient no matter what is thrown your way. Although you will probably grow to be an easygoing loaner or hermit.

4-6: You can get by with little maintenance. Usually you can do your own thing but occasionally you can be a pain in the patootie.

7-9: Wow are you needy! Do you remember a time when you could accomplish task on your own? I hope your significant has a fat pocketbook loaded with patience to fill your needs.

10: You are pathetically high maintenance. Either that or the person you had fill this out for you misunderstood your barked out commands. You might think about these results the next time you are at the nail salon in your Liz Claiborne outfit and Gucci shoes going over next months events in your daytimer.

But what about your guy? Is he high or low maintenance? — Cosmopolitan says you know he’s low-fuss if…

He likes the way you look in flat shoes and your favorite baggy cargos.
He’s capable of making travel arrangements, dinner reservations and (bonus!) doctor’s appointments.
He likes to make out — even when he knows it won’t lead to sex.
He’s not threatened by your amazing, talented girlfriends.
He knows the difference between a pot and a frying pan, and can cook more than two varieties of eggs.
You turn him on even when you’re not wearing your $200 Agent Provocateur undies (though he’s especially appreciative when you do).
He doesn’t get angry (read: feel blamed) when you are having a bad day.
He can keep quiet as you parallel park.
He listens.

You know he’s going to be a handful if…

He talks to his mother every day (worse, gets an allowance; worse still, lives with her).
He’s in analysis — five times a week.
When he doesn’t get to yoga, it’s not pretty.
He can’t handle you giving him directions, even if only you know where you’re going.
He whines (just once is too much).
His way of being empathetic is telling you how whatever you just told him — your woes, your big news, your latest story — affects him.

His e-mail address is exceptionally cute.
He checks his voice mail/beeper during a “romantic” dinner.
No matter what, he can’t miss his weekly poker night or a football game.
He thinks he’s low maintenance.

Online friends can fulfill some friendship needs, but not our very human need for face to face interaction, says friendship expert Elaine Zelley, Ph.D. So while they are real, there are definitely pros and cons.

Virtual friends are good when:

You’re very busy. You can read and respond to messages anytime; no phone tag or complicated scheduling required.
You’re introverted. Sometimes it’s just easier to “talk” on a keyboard.
You have something specific in common, such as being breast cancer survivors or parents of autistic children.

Virtual friends are not so good when:

You misread the emotion behind the message. Ever read an e-mail and weren’t sure if the writer is angry with you or just had a bad day?

You crave actual interaction. You can type out how you liked the book you’ve both reading, but it’ll never be the same as discussing it in real time, when your conversation might wander to more interesting places.
You spend too much time on them. The more time you spend hunched over your computer, the less you have for the real pal right next door.

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Did you know:
65% of Americans spend more time with their computer than their spouse or significant other, reports Digital Trends. And get this — we waste 12 hours a month fixing computer problems. That’s the word from a study by Kelton Research, which also found that 84% of Americans say they are more dependent on their home computer now than they were three years ago. During the same period, 52% said their most recent computer problem caused them to feel anger, sadness or alienation.

With so many New Year’s resolutions out there to get back into shape, it’s time to re-evaluate the rules of the gym. This is an awesome list from Joe of JoethePeacock.com:

*Stop comparing yourself to everyone in the building. You are there for YOU. Who cares if you lift more or less than anyone else, if you run slower or faster, if you can swim farther and faster, etc?
*Don’t laugh at the fat guy / girl. They’re there just like you are, they’re working just as hard as you are. In almost every way possible, they’re 10x the athlete you are - not only did they show up to the gym to get better, they did it amidst snickering and comments from people like you - and that takes more guts than you’ll EVER have.
*Don’t spit in the water fountain - spit in the sink in the locker room or in the trashcan.
*Passing wind is a natural occurance, especially if you are exerting yourself. If someone lets one or 2 fly, or burps a little while running, just grow up and let it slide. That said,
Don’t go farting all over the place. If you ate something last night that didn’t agree with you and your intestines are blowing like the foghorn of an icecutter, stay home and run around the block.
*Wipe down the equipment when you’re done with it.
*Be courteous with “working in”. If you are alone and you see another solo person working out on equipment you need to use, wait until they are done with the set and ask nicely if they mind if you work in.
*When you need to wait on equpiment - do so at a close enough distance to indicate you’re waiting on that machine but a far enough distance that you are not crowding whoever’s currently on it.
*When someone else is waiting on your machine - cut down on the lollygagging. If you’re with a buddy, don’t clown around between sets and make the person / people wait on your goofy self.
*Eat somewhere else. Don’t eat your energy bar / granola nut cluster / peanut-butter-coated-pinecone-rolled-in-birdseed when you’re on the equipment.
*Don’t sing along with your walkman. If you’re singing along with whatever music they’re piping over the speakers in the club, that’s kinda annoying.

Happy New Year!!!!!

My resolution: Keep Moving Forward.

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National Trivia Day — So here’s some totally useless information:

Every day more money is printed for Monopoly than for the U.S. Treasury.
Hawaiian alphabet has 12 letters.
Men can read smaller print than women; women can hear better.
There’s a 50% chance that an American lives within 50 miles of where they grew up.
Hong Kong is the city with the most Rolls Royce’s.
Alaska has the highest percentage of people who walk to wor.
28% of Africa that is wilderness. 38% of North America is wilderness.
44% of American adults who go on diet each year.
The average West German goes without washing his underwear for 7 days.
Hallmark makes cards for 105 different family relationships.
It costs about $6400 to raise a medium-size dog to the age of eleven.
The average number of people airborne over the U.S. any given hour is 61,000.
70% of Americans who have visited Disneyland or Disney World.
The average life span of a major league baseball is 7 pitches.
One third of potatoes sold are french fried.
7% of Americans eat at McDonald’s every day.
James Buchanon was the only U.S. president to remain a bachelor.
Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.
The pig is the only animal besides human that can get sunburned.
Ostriches stick their heads in the sand to look for water.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The world’s youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
Mark Twain didn’t complete elementary school.
Proportional to their weight, men are stronger than horses.
Jupiter is bigger than all the other planets in our solar system combined.
Hot water is heavier than cold.
Cream does not weigh as much as milk.
Iceland consumes more Coca-cola per capita than any other nation.
Heinz catsup leaving the bottle travels at 25 miles per year.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
Men get hiccups more often than women.

With so many Christmas movies out there, it’s hard to pick a favorite. On the other hand, it’s pretty easy to pick the stinkers. Here you will find a list of the top ten worst movie Santas from TopTenz.net:

1. Santa Visits the Magic Land of Mother Goose
2. Santa’s Magic Kingdom
3. A Christmas Story
4. The Santa Clause 3 — The Escape Clause
5. Miracle on 34th Street
6. Silent Night, Deadly Night
7. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
8. Santa’s Slay
9. Santa Claus: The Movie
10. Bad Santa

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For Santas that make the kids cry, be sure to visit
SKETCHYSANTAS.COM

How many times can you hear “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or Madonna trying — but not even coming close– to best Eartha Kitt with “Santa Baby” before you just scream? The Washington Post has called these two songs, along with Barbra Streisand’s “Jingle Bells” and the Jackson 5’s “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” the “sonic equivalent of a chorus of screeching cats.” They are among the most hated Christmas songs of all time — but they aren’t the most hated. The honor of the most hated Christmas song of all time goes to “Jingle Bells,” as “performed” by the Singing Dogs, a 1955 Danish record that was reedited and released in 1970.

According to Edison Media Research and Pinnacle Media Worldwide, the three songs we love the most are:

1. Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” (1942)
2. Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” (1946)
3. Burl Ives’s “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (1965)

Also high on the list of songs we adore this time of year are:

• “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (Brenda Lee, 1958)
• “Jingle Bell Rock” (Bobby Helms, 1957)
• “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” (John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1971)

The most recent song to make Pinnacle’s top 10 list was Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” which was released in 1994, while Lennon/Ono’s “Happy Xmas” is the most recent for Edison.

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Consider this fact presented by Women’s Health magazine: The average American eats 600 additional calories per day between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Translation: That’s an extra six pounds. Yikes! But if you know which foods are the worst culprits for your waistline, you can battle back more effectively:

1. Worst Classic Holiday Drink: Eggnog — At 350 calories and 19 grams of fat, eggnog, even without the booze, is on the naughty list because it consists of milk, cream and eggs. If you want a festive seasonal drink, choose homemade hot chocolate instead. Just limit how much whipped cream you squirt on top.
2. Worst Holiday Appetizer: Crab Cakes — When crab is blended with mayonnaise and then rolled in bread crumbs and cooked in a vat of bubbling fat, you end up with an appetizer that weighs in at 400 calories and 19 grams of fat. Each. That’s more calories than three dozen shrimp.
3. Worst Holiday Party Cocktail: Gin and Tonic — It may taste light, but a gin and tonic has 210 calories and 22 grams of sugar, thanks to the tonic water. Choose Champagne instead for one-fourth the amount of sugar.
4. 4. Worst Holiday Party Snack: Spinach and Artichoke Dip — In addition to the spinach and artichokes, this dip has mayonnaise, sour cream and cream cheese, which add up to a whopping 285 calories and 17 grams of fat per serving. And that’s without the crackers or chips! If you simply must have some, limit yourself to dip on one cracker.
5. Worst Holiday Entree: Prime Rib — This coveted holiday cut of beef comes from one of the fattiest parts of the cow, which means you’re ingesting 750 calories and 45 grams of fat with just one serving. Beef tenderloin is a tasty alternative at a fraction of the calories and fat.
6. Worst Holiday Dessert: Pecan Pie a la Mode — There is no pie that has more calories, fat and sugar than pecan. Even though some of the 810 calories and 65 grams of fat come from the healthy nuts, most come from the corn syrup and sugar filling. A better alternative after a filling heavy meal is angel food cake. Made from egg whites, it’s virtually fat-free.

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The no. 1 cause of holiday stress is spending too much money! That’s the word from a recent FranklinCovey survey asking over 15,000 customers what causes them stress during the most wonderful time of the year. 87% admitted that holiday activities do cause stress, while 49% confessed to being relieved when it was all over. Here are the top 10 most stressful holiday activities in ranked order of most stressful to least stressful:

1. Spending too much money
2. Creating a specific holiday budget
3. Deciding what gift to buy for whom
4. Managing workload to take time off
5. Not enough time to shop
6. Not enough time for events
7. Sending gifts and cards on time
8. Taking care of physical well-being
9. Relationships with family, friends and co-workers
10. Decorating for or hosting a holiday party

“The key to avoiding stress during the holiday season is to create a manageable, written plan for the holidays that includes events, budgeting, shopping, traditions and quality time with friends and family. Make sure your plan allows you and your loved ones to enjoy the holiday season — your way,” said professional organizer Julie Morgenstern, author of “Organizing From the Inside Out.” “Without a plan, you can easily go over budget, waste time searching for the perfect gift, and abandon your own well-being. Be prepared before you take on the season.”

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THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have agreed to co-host the next Academy Awards show.
• Thomas Dekker, the star of the now-defunct “Terminator” TV series “The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” has been charged with two DUI’s.
• Michael Irvin and “Iron Chef America” chairman were sent home this week on “Dancing with the Stars.”
• Carrie Underwood is pretty nutso over her hockey player boyfriend, Mike Fisher. Even wrote him a really mooshy love note in the pamphlet of her new CD.
• Now available: a Snuggy featuring the rock band Weezer. Can life get any better than that?
• Eat curry. It may well be the new wonder food. An extract that is found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric actually kills cancer cells, The BBC News reports of a study from the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland.
• Kirstie Alley in another reality show based on her weight challenges? A and E have signed her for a 10-episode thing next year.
• Supermodel and mommy-to-be Gisele Bundchen (Mrs. Tom Brady) has passed her written test for acquiring her helicopter license.
• Sesame Street starts it’s 40th season on November 10th.
• The coat rack reality star Ryan Jenkins used to hang himself earlier this year… was put on display at a Halloween party, where guests could take their picture with it. A little too macabre, don’t you think?
• Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will debate — I’m not kidding — in New York’s Radio City Music Hall February 25th of next year. Part of a speakers series being put on there.
• Brad Pitt is blaming the paparazzi for his recent motorcycle accident and is currently shopping for a new bike.
• An Atlanta stripper claims she had a one-night stand with Fergie’s husband, Josh Duhamel. But both Fergie and Josh are denying it. The stripper says she has text messages to back up her claims.

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WEIRD NEWS

Man Robs Same Bank Four Times?
There’s an old adage that says if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. In other words, if something’s working fine, don’t mess with it. That usually doesn’t apply to bank robberies but it seems to me the motto of one bank robber in Tamarac, Florida. Investigators are searching for the guy who has now robbed a BankAtlantic branch four times in the last year. It happens so often that on his last robbery one of the tellers was overheard saying, “He’s here again.” The suspect is described as heavyset and has dreadlocks. He wears different clothes each time. He always orders tellers to fill a plastic bag with cash, then casually walks out. Hey — after maybe say the first three times, do you think it might have been a good idea to have hired an armed guard to hang around during banking hours? (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

I Stole From a 9-Year-Old!
Shame, shame on 56-year-old Evelyn Border and her 35-year-old daughter Tina Griekspoor. They became willing victims of a modern day stockade after agreeing to stand outside the Bedford, Pennsylvania courthouse holding signs that read: I stole from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday! Don’t steal or this could happen to you!” The strange sentence was part of a plea-bargain to keep the mom and daughter duo out of jail. Instead they got probation. They apparently swiped a gift card that a 9-year-old girl set on a shelf while a Wal-Mart employee helped her. The girl’s mother planned to drive by the courthouse to teach her daughter the importance of obeying the law. And let’s be honest — probably so they could just laugh and laugh and laugh! I know I would! (AHN News)

No More Shout Outs to Prisoners!
Try not to end up at the Van Buren County Jail in Paw Paw, Michigan. One section of the jail is 100-years-old and has no air-conditioning. As a result, its barred windows are opened during warm weather. As the wing stands only a few feet from the sidewalk, separated by a tall chain-link fence crowned by spirals of razor wire, for years friends and loved ones of inmates have been known to stand outside the jail and shout out to them. Sometimes they hold entire conversations together. Not anymore. A new Paw Paw law (yeah that’s fun to say) makes giving your favorite inmate a shout out from the sidewalk illegal. Do it and you could be having lots of conversations with them — from inside the jail — for 90 days!  myway.com)

Don’t Mess With Me and My Trusty Umbrella
A parking valet in Boston is being heralded a hero thanks to his bravery and his trusty umbrella. Just after he brought 61-year-old Barbara Pero her car, a knife-wielding purse snatcher came out of nowhere and attacked. The guy forced his way into the car and threatened to kill her. Ms. Pero jumped out and screamed. That’s when 23-year-old valet Felix Vega sprang into action. He grabbed a wood-handled umbrella from his manager’s office and began beating the suspect. The suspect, 48-year-old Richard Morse, fled but was arrested nearby with Ms. Pero’s purse. Turns out he had previous convictions for mayhem and armed robbery. Mayhem?? (Boston Globe)

Three Cat Limit!
If you just can’t have enough cats in your life, stay clear of Dudley, Massachusetts. Dudley is a small town about 60 miles southwest of Boston and just passed a new ordinance which says it is now illegal to live in Dudley and own more than three cats. That is unless you get a special license. And good luck getting that. Voters at a town meeting made it so in response to a neighborhood feud over the 15 cats owned by Mary Ellen Richards. A neighbor complained that Ms. Richard’s cats ruined his yard. Ms. Richards has put her home up for sale and says she plans to move to a “more cat-friendly community.” So there! (Telegram & Gazette)

Unfortunately Police Had the Wrong Teletubby!
Maybe the best headline we’ve seen this year. Halloween took a bizarre turn in London when late Halloween night, a man dressed as a Teletubby robbed a woman at gunpoint. The gun-toting Teletubby confronted the woman just after midnight and demanded cash. She gave him the money and then called police. They indeed stopped a man in the area who fit the description, but then realized they had the wrong Teletubby. The Teletubby who robbed the woman has described as between 6 foot 2 and 6 foot 4, 200 to 240 pounds and a muscular build, short, dark hair and was clean shaven. Apparently Teletubbies are still all the rage on Halloween in London. (Packet and Times)

Ouch! Right in the Wii!
Apparently Judge Marvin Garfinkle of Winnipeg doesn’t believe much in being scared straight. He’d rather hit trouble kids where it really hurts — right in the Wii! He just opted to grant a troublesome 12-year-old boy bail on condition that he surrenders his beloved Nintendo Wii to the court. Judge Garfinkle said, “He is pledging as a security, akin to a cash deposit, his Nintendo Wii. And if he doesn’t comply, he loses it.” By “comply,” the judge means “keeping the peace, appearing for court dates, living with his grandmother and participating in a bail management program.” Failure to uphold any of those duties will result in forfeiture of the console. The creative punishment is basically a last ditch effort to curb the boy’s bad behavior, which includes smashing windows at his elementary school, punching a classmate in the face, disobeying a court order to stay away from school, hitting another boy with a pool cue and attacking a teacher after a game of dodge ball. (Yahoo News)

But That Cat Is My Mommy!
46-year-old Peter Keonig is serving five-years for armed robberies in Whirl, Germany. And the Buddhist bank robber has been refused permission for his cat to visit him in jail– even though he says it’s the reincarnation of his mother. Buddhists believe that people come back as other animals after death and Pete went to court to demand the right for his cat Gisela to be allowed to visit him in jail “because she is my dead mom”. He added, “I need to see her like other prisoners see their wives and children.” But the court said forget it and issued a statement which read: “While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected.” The court did say Peter would be allowed to write to the cat. (AHN News)