The other day while watching television, I came across an ad for people with depression.  No drug was mentioned and all the ad showed was people smiling and having a good time.  The ad used a lot of "soft" words and used the term "Life is waiting."  It talked about how by simply completing a form online your life could change.  I got even more suspicious when I saw the logo of GlaxoSmithKline - the maker of drugs to cure depression.  It is called Paxil in the US and Seroxat in the UK.  It is a drug that works like Prozac.

All of this will be fine but the sneaking manner in which the ad has been designed and the fact that Paxil/Seroxat has been linked to suicide attempts even in adults (Prozac too has also been accused to causing suicidal tendencies).

While I did not want to give my personal info just to check out what it was all about, Dr. John Grohol did.  What he found was that the whole "Life is waiting" campaign is about companies using sneaky ways to sell drugs.  Reminds me of how Merck sold Vioxx.

The Desperate Housewife Eva Longoria got even more desperate during the VMA last weekend.  She actually wore a pink swimsuit to introduce another woman who pushes the envelope when it comes to dressing - Mariah Carey.

I have been trying to confirm but my sources tell me that the bathing suit was actually designed by Shay Todd - who also gave away a few swimsuits in goodie bags to celebrities at the VMA.

Now who is Shay Todd, you may ask?  Remember that controversial Carl's Jr. burger commercial with Paris Hilton as she washed a Bentley?  Shay Todd designed that swimsuit too.

So today I received a not-so-common question.  Janice is asking, "Can you lose weight by cutting calories and not exercising?"

The simple answer is, Yes.  By consuming less calories, you will eventually start using some of the stored fat and that will gradually reduce your weight, particularly when all you are trying to do is to lose a few pounds. 

However, most fitness experts recommend that weight loss should be accomplished through a combination of diet and exercise.  This is why.  One, when you do both, you lose weight faster.  With reduced calories alone, you will take forever.  So if you have a lot of weight to lose, you will need to do both.  Secondly, exercise also keeps your body more toned as you lose the fat - otherwise, sagging will occur.

But if all you can do is to cut back on eating and you do not really enjoy excercising, then eating less is definitely a great choice.

Recommended article:  Tips to lose weight without a diet

The discussion on thongs on my blog has been very entertaining and interesting so far.  Michael in Tucson, Arizona asks, "How do you tell if a woman has a thong on?"  The simple answer is "You can't."  In fact that is the whole point of wearing a thong - to eliminate visible panty lines(VPL). 

Having said that there is another trend these days.  Show your thong.  With the popularity of low rise pants and jeans, no matter what type of underwear women wear, when they bend or sit, everyone gets a nice view.  While some consider it tacky, a lot of people have developed this thong watch into a hobby - so much so that there are several internet websites dedicated to pictures of women with their thongs or g-strings exposed.  People with mobile phones take pictures of women who do it deliberately or are just clueless and then their pictures show up on the web.

I have discussed this with many of my female friends and the consensus is that women who do expose their thongs know it well that they are doing so - it is not a mistake.  What do you think?

After talking about if thongs were bad for health, why women wear thongs, and if men wore thongs, I knew it was coming.

Suzanne writes to me, "Hey, you didn't tell us if you wear thongs?"

Blush, blush!

Yes, I do.  Not all the time but yes for those special moments.

In response to my two previous posts: are thongs bad for health and why do women wear thongs, I got a series of questions emailed to me. In summary, several women want to know if men wear thongs too, and if so, why.

Indeed, men do, though not as many as women. And it is absolutely ridiculous to think that just because men wear thongs they are gay or feminine or less masculine.

Some of the reasons men wear thongs are the similar to those for women. Not all men like to wear bulky boxers - they also love that "I am wearing nothing" feeling. Many men like to feel sexy wearing thongs and have found that women love them in thongs.

So guys tell me if you wear a thong at least sometimes. Girls, what do you think of guys in thongs?

In response to my previous post about thongs and health, I got a question from Martina, who is asking, "I have never used a thong in my life.  Why do women wear thongs?  If I hear good reasons I might try them too."

Based on our research, some of the reasons women gave for using a thong are:

1. Feels as if you are wearing no underwear.  Great for those women who do not like the feel of an underwear.


2. No VPL or visible panty lines.


3. Looks sexy if you have a chance to show it.  Men go crazy seeing a woman in a thong.


4. Feels sexy.  Particularly ones made from lace or nylon.

Do you have a reason why you wear a thong?  Add it here in your comments.

Many women who have never worn a thong seem to have a lot of myths about them.  Madeline in Illinois asks, "Are thongs bad for your health?"

Absolutely no, otherwise we would have millions of unhealthy men and women out there.  However, the design of a thong is such that for women who do not believe in clean underwear, they can create problems. 

So our advice is that no matter what you wear, change your advice daily (at a minimum).  In other words, wear something clean in the morning and take it off in the evening when you go to bed (no need to wear underwear in bed).  If you do wear underwear to bed, you must put on something clean.  Then it doesn't matter whether you wear thongs or G-strings.

Kate is asking us, "Are there any alternatives to wearing a bra?"  Well, the easiest thing to do and something that is very popular these days is going braless.  But that is not always an option.  The other option is to wear tops that have built-in bras.  And Lisa has another tip, "Forget the bra but cover yourself with a nice jacket.  No one would ever know!

Do you have a tip when you do not want to wear a bra?

Useful article:  Tips on dressing without a bra

In case you are wondering, I have this weakness for fantasy movies.  For instance, "Lord of the rings" or Harry Potter movies - anything in which the only limit is the power of your imagination.  Remember "Alice in Wonderland?"  That is how feel when I watch movies like these - you feel like a little kid again!  Will you watch it too?

I am a big fan of Technorati to check out what are people blogging about.  Though I am disappointed that having a blog at Tblog does not really allow you to be able to ping Technorati.

But sometimes the results are very weird or I wonder if they are manipulated by some crooks.  Here is what i saw just now.

1. “Pat Robertson”
2. Natalie Glebova
3. Ajax
4. Accor
5. Accor Gicquel
6. Tsunami Gicquel
7. Tsunami Sofitel
8. Accor Tsunami
9. “Utah Rave”
10. “Lance Armstrong”

For #2,4,5,6,7, and 8, there are no new posts but still the website says that these are the "Top Searches This Hour." Something is not right with this picture.

Ouch!  How did I come up with that number?  The current average price in the US fore regular gasoline is $2.60 according to AAA.  While Hugo Chavez's prediction that oil could touch $100 appeared like a sarcastic remark to me, looks like he may be right.  Michael Economides, a professor of Chemical Engineering, told CNBC the exact same thing.

So if you do the simple Math, gasoline will be about $3.90 a gallon.  Ouch!  I remember that in 2000 when I worked in New Jersey there was this gas station on Route 46 that I bought gas at 79 cents (full service) - the guy even called me Sir and wiped the wind shield.  Those were the days.  I already feel like a grandpa.

So one of the things that I am observing these days is that companies are launching blogs just to talk about their products.  They think that blogs are a cheap way to "advertise."  Some have even hired bloggers who do nothing but spin out fake content - marketing baloney recycled as interesting, edgy content.

So I was even thinking that these blogs must be called adverblogs - the way the term advertorial describes an article that has been paid for.  But sadly enough, a company already runs a blog about advertising on adverblog.com.  I feel bad for them.

A satellite radio that you can actually wear?  Indeed.  As everyone knows satellite radio has become extremely popular in cars (the sound quality is like listening to music on a pre-recorded device like an MP3 player or iPod or CD player).  But these are bulky machines fit only for the car.

Now you can actually have a portable satellite radio from Sirius measuring just 1.9 by 3.9 inches and 0.7 inches thick.  It also includes a full color display, sleek black exterior and voice-assisted channel navigation - exactly like the Nintedogs that I talked about before.  And the principle is like an iPod used to record podcasts.  You simply download what you want to listen to and then listen to it wherever you go.

I need one of these so that I can listen to my favorite news and radio while I am running in the park.

Today we received a question from Ron, a Filipino living in Japan for 4 years.  "I have never had a girlfriend and I feel hopeless.  Is there anything I could do to make change my situation?" he asks.

Reminds me of The 40 year old virgin.  Jokes aside, here are four great articles that we have on our websites on how to get a Japanese girlfriend:

How to find a Japanese girlfriend?

Meeting Japanese women

How to date a woman from Japan?

I received a question from a fellow webmaster who needs help with email newsletters.  "Can you please suggest a subject line for our newsletters or do you think we should start focusing on each event that we organize?" she asks.

I think a generic subject line is a bad idea - that means you need a new subject for each event.  It should vary by what is the most exciting "item" in the newsletter.  It can be subject (e.g. lose weight by exercising just 10 minutes a day) or a featured person ( e.g. Jessica Simpson) or connection with latest news (e.g. Tour by Rolling Stones).
 
Since most people like me read only the subject line before deciding to open or delete a message (most people don't care who sends the email) - so work on a new subject line each time.

Earlier I had reported at the "Wembaster's life" blog, that Jack Osbourne was looking pretty good after his "heroic efforts" to lose weight through diet, exercising, and detox.  But the media always goes one step farther and the tabloids started speculating that like his mother Sharon Osbourne, he too must have had liposuction and a nose job (apparently his nose looks different, according to some accounts).

But in an interview, he says that "I'm just not that vain."  Does it mean that he is calling his mother vain?  Maybe yes, but in the Osbourne family, anything goes.

As I had written about Britney Spears, I feel the same sympathy for Scarlett Johansson.  Indeed, the photographers may be legally able to take her pictures any time they can but I think everyone deserves a little privacy.  Plus, you have no right to harm someone.  Remember how a crazy paparazzi crashed his car into Lindsay Lohan's?

What do you think?

I came across is only today and a quick Google search shows literally no results at all.  A magazine called Arizona Living seems to be thefirst one to use it.  Considering how obsessed we all are with what celebrity is pregant, this is a good term to describe it.

Current Bellywatch candidates:  Courtney Love, Angelina Jolie, Demi Moore, and....

Please add names of others that you are watching.

As it turns out, this is a multi-billion dollar question.  A quick check on Google tells me that there is no agreement on this.  All the way from a tiny $4 billion to $50 billion.  But Jay estimates Merck's Vioxx liabilities to be $65 billion or more. 

The question I have is that if Ms. Carol Ernst would get at least $26 million, why are the Wall Street analysts assuming that the average amount be to just $200,000?  Jay has assumed that even if each plaintiff receives 5% of what Ms. Ernst receives, that adds up to a huge number.  I suspect that Wall Street analysts never want to tell you the bad news since they have a vested interest in the stock going up.  Remember how days before Enron filed for bankruptcy the analysts were still pumping the stock?

Yahoo recently announced that they had surpassed Google in the number of pages indexed.  I had such a good laugh because what they have indexed are junk pages operated by spammers and crooks.  Long time when I was naive enough to search on Yahoo, all I got was crappy results.  Maybe they should use their search engine sometime to find out how bad they are.

I think Google is still the best but not perfect.  So many crooks are able to cheat Google as well.  I have seen some good results with MSN lately but they have a long way to go.  And Ask Jeeves or AOL or Excite or Mamma or A9 any of the other ones - don't even waste your time going there.

I ate at the California Pizza Kitchen this weekend and while I do go there some times I do not go regularly.  So this time we decided to try their Chipotle pizza.  Men, "that's hot!" as Paris Hilton would say.

Curious, what it has?  Grilled chipotle chicken, fire-roasted mild chilies, chipotle sauce, Mozzarella and Enchilado cheeses. Then it is topped with roasted corn & black bean salsa, cilantro and lime cream sauce (which I liked a lot).   Those of you who may not know what Chipotle sauce is - it is Mexican sauce that is quite hot.

Has anyone else tried it?

Related recipe:  Low carb pizza

I have talked about how Carol Ernst received some $253 million in damages from Merck in the verdict though that number will be reduced to just $26 million on appeal.  But how did the jury come up with such a big number?

Apparently they were presented with an internal Merck document that analyzed that if Merck could fight the FDA to delay putting a warning on Vioxx label that could mean an extra $229 million in sales.  It is no secret now that Merck did drag the label revision process and the FDA which tends to favor the industry any way and has a very bureaucratic approach simply looked the other way.

In other words, the jury was highly offended by Merck's analysis and simply decided to punish the company.  This document also showed that Merck placed profits ahead of drug safety - a charge that has been made by many experts.

While earlier reports had indicated that Ms. Carol Ernst who won the Vioxx lawsuit against Merck would get over a quarter billion dollars, according to latest reports, she may only get $26 million since Merck has decided to appeal the verdict (thanks for the comment, Sue!).  No matter what the number is, the fact is that Robert Ernst can not be brought back simply because a company put greed over human life.

When I talked about how Carol Ernst got over a quarter billion dollars from Merck, I got the impression that somehow the jurors rewarded her for being mistreated by Merck attorneys during the trial. 

I was wrong.  Actually the jurors were very fair.  The jurors have now said they had intended the verdict, which included $229 million in punitive damages, not to reward Mrs. Ernst but to punish Merck for its actions.  No surprise then that Merck is in serious trouble in future Vioxx trials.

After the news that Carol Ernst was awarded over $250 million in the Vioxx trial in Texas, I also learned that Merck actually mistreated her.  Mrs. Ernst, a widow, old, and soft-spoken, was treated like a criminal by a Merck attorney during cross-examination.  I mean her husband died because she believed Merck's ad that "Talk to your doctor about Vioxx" and asked him to do exactly that.  It just doesn't seem right that these lawyers had to harass that lady.  No wonder Merck lost the case - I hear the jury was mad with Merck.

Jay actually is arguing that Merck may simply go bankrupt because it is fighting with its customers - people like you and I who believed its marketing baloney and took Vioxx.  And considering that what Merck did was deliberate and ruthless, a quarter billion dollar is nothing.  As a friend and I were talking, if I had to choose between my parent or brother or wife or any loved one and a quarter billion dollar, I will simply say,  "So much so that I like the money, but keep it.  I will go with my (loved one)!"

Am I right to think so?

Carol Ernst, who became a widow has received a quarter billion dollar in damages from Merck - the maker of now recalled drug Vioxx. A jury in Texas found that Merck was guilty of causing the death of Robert Ernst who was a very healthy man and a marathon runner. Robert died due to a sudden heart attack after he started taking Vioxx.

The whole Vioxx litigation saga began last year when Merck realized rather belated that it may have been responsible for deaths of as many as 60,000 Americans and as many as 140,000 injuries. Merck's competitor Pfizer is also being sued for killing more Americans after they took Celebrex and Bextra.

You probably have heard about the new Game Boy Micro from Nintendo.  The coolest feature of the new Nintendo Game Boy is the faceplate.  Take a look at some of the options you will have starting next month:

• The black version comes with a "Flame" design of fiery yellow double helixes on an orange background and a "Camouflage" faceplate and a chic silver faceplate.


• The silver Game Boy micro includes an "Ammonite" faceplate with a dark blue swirling pattern. It also will come with a "Ladybug" faceplate that features a ladybug on a large pink gerbera daisy, and a slick black faceplate.  Perfect for all those girls who like to play video games.

To further make it exciting, this new baby from Nintendo features a 2-inch, crystal-clear screen, and Start/Select buttons that glow with the cool, neon-like blue found on many cell phones.

Can't wait to buy it!

So Sharon Osbourne took the easy route - she got breast implants and a breast lift so that she can look hot on X-Factor.  But I am so proud of Jack.  He is doing what we all should be doing when we want to lose weight and look good, as Mirror reports. 

Jack Osbourne is dieting, exercising, and undergoing detox.  I am a bit embarrassed to try this detox flush thing but maybe I should.  Has anyone of you tried it?

So I first heard how we Americans are now starting to like women with curves.  Then this morning I read that the English people are honoring women who wear a C or bigger cup bra (sponsored by a lingerie company).  Then this morning I read that the Australians are also starting to like full-figure women, according to Newspoll.  In fact their favorites are Catherine Zeta-Jones and Beyonce Knowles while they do not like Victoria Beckham.

"It seems that the young women are rejecting the stick insect kind of really thin ideal," said University of Sydney senior lecturer Jenny O'Dea, who designed the questions for the survey.

Hmm...what do you think?

So at the recommendation of Peter I developed a liking for South Indian cuisine and ate for the first time at Udupi Bhavan in Framingham.  Then he suggested I try Chennai Woodlands.  Both of his recommendations were great though I thought Chennai Woodlands was a better deal, though not the place to go on a date or with your clients.

The other day someone recommended that I might want to try Dakshin Indian restaurant in Framingham, MA.  Please remember that it is the experience of just two people and should be seen in that context alone.  First of all, it seems that the place probably was a European (either Italian or French) restaurant before and so it does not look Indian at all in style or decor.  We went for their weekend buffet and the food was simply inedible.  My companion and I just did not know what to eat.  In fact, we both think that their food is the worst among the Indian restaurants in the Boston area. Not recommended at all.

So now Peter is telling me that the next time I am in New York I should check out Azucar Cuban Restaurant.  Can't wait since I trust his recommendations now.

I have an online friend Kim who is struggling with the same issues that teenagers and people in their 20s struggle with.  I get the same feeling when I read the blogs of all the young people.  They feel that no one understands them and that makes them feel so lonely and sad.

So Kim tells me, "Recently I got into a fight with my family - the whole family !! And now we talk to each other like strangers. My brother has tried to end it and asked me to talk but I choose to avoid him. I know it won't be setteled that way but I don't know...as if there's a wall or someting that prevents me from doing it.  I'm feeling so empty inside...I'm sick and tired with this condition. I'm tired with people around me. I see them like a bug who annoys me. I become a person that is so annoying to the others. What's wrong with me? Is it a sign that I am just bored with all that is happening in my life ? I don't know...do you know ? Here is me again - the girl who always got a problem."

So what do you think I should tell her.  I find her to be the sweetest among my online friends.

Yesterday I talked about how reality television does not really present the reality as is evident from plastic surgery programs. 

But here is something else I learned about Tommy Lee and his reality television program "Tommy Lee Goes To College."  According to Matthew Gilbert of Boston:

• Lee actually lived off campus, despite the impression that he and Matthew are in a dorm room.


• Lee was not actually enrolled as a student at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.


• Some elements have been produced and/or edited for comedy.

What a fraud!

Like many of you, I too enjoy watching reality television programs.  My favorites are the Gal Pals (Queer Eye for the Straight Girl) and of course, the original Fab Five (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy).  I also enjoyes watching America's Next Top Model, Project Runway, I want to be a Hilton, and The Apprentice (though I am not sure I want to watch Martha Stewart).

But I learned today that reality television is not all "reality."  At least not in plastic surgery.  Many plastic surgery programs like Nip/Tuck only tell you what is nice about it but fail to highlight the risks, complications, and the pain.  Well, maybe they shouldn't call them reality programs then.

You would think that the Teen Choice Awards would be about what is appropriate for teens.  Wrong.  A lot of the winners are the same that anyone of us adults would have picked. 

No surprise that Jessica Simpson was voted as the Red Carpet Fashion Icon Female and TV Personality Female.

Red Carpet Fashion Icon Male is Brad Pitt and his current girlfriend (according to rumours) Angelina Jolie is the actress for Action/Adventure/Thriller movie and also the movie liar.  No surprise that Brangelina have also been voted as the Movie Rumble for Mr. & Mrs. Smith.

Shrek 2 as the Animated/Computer Generated Movie was no surprise since it appeals to people of all ages, as does Harry Potter.

Carrie Underwood, the current American idol and the sexiest female vegetarian, has been chosen as the TV Reality/Variety Star Female.  Hillary Duff gets the best movie blush scene for A Cinderella Story.

While Ashton Kutcher may be known more for dating a mature woman - Demi Moore - he also won the Movie Rockstar Moment TV Personality award.

Will a list be complete without Paris Hilton?  She got the Movie Scream Scene award for the House of Wax.

We would not have expected Desperate Housewives to be on the list.  Isn't the show about somewhat inappropriate for teenagers?  But it is indeed the Breakout Show and so is its sexy star Eva Longoria.

Similarly, while the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is popular among teenagers but it also recently got into a lot of trouble for having inappropriate content.  Not right for most teenagers with the new images!

Like most people, I often chat with my friends and family members using a webcam or hang out in chat rooms.  I think it is just a richher experience than just a text chat.  But have you noticed that when you think people should be looking at you while chatting, you realize that they are really looking at a computer screen.  So I have to often ask the other person to look up so that I can see their face better, but then they can not look at the screen/keyboard.

Frustrating; isn't it?  Well, Logitech may have the answer.  The company that makes many computer peripherals (I use their mouse), is now releasing its Logitech QuickCam Fusion webcam which has a 1.3 megapixel sensor (that means better quality).  It also features an ultra-wide field of view lens, which provides 78 degrees of visibility — making it convenient for an entire family to join a video call or an ability to see more than you see now.  For $99, I think it is somewhat expensive but may be worth the price.  Can't wait to buy it!

Yesterday I wrote an article about how women are becoming more like men in what they expect in the bedroom and how often they would like to make love.  There was one really interesting comment in particular.  "Women needs lots of emotional attention too, while men focus their desires and need on physical pleasures. Or maybe this is another topic. But anyway, women are more emotional than men, and since Mother Nature stipulated that males are always ready," the writer wrote.

So I went back to my research and found that 37% per cent of the women in the survey say they need passion on a daily basis.  Remember only 25% said they would like to make love each day.

I often joke that if I could make love every day of the year, I will be happier, healthier, and more productive.  Of all the women I have spoken to, none of them had similar wishes.

But it seems that I am not talking to the right women.  According to a survey of British women by the Daily Mail, more than a quarter insist the most important thing in their lives is to have sex at least once a day.  Or in other words, I should relocate to London - a favorite city of mine anyway.

But jokes aside, it is important to understand that sex is important to women as much to men and what we found in our research was that while these so called sexless marriages exist, they do not last too long.  Physical intimacy is a pillar of a relationship and without it people feel incomplete.  But the 40 Year old virgin could still prove me wrong.

--------------------

Is it possible to be a virgin even when you are 40.  In our society, while this sounds impossible, it does happen.  I actually know some people (both women and men) who have done it so few times that it is as bad as never doing it.  So the movie "40 Year old virgin" plot does not surprise me.

I found several reasons for some people either being virgin or just having had sex so rarely.  Shyness was the #1 reason but other reasons were lack of self-esteem, lacking confidence to perform in bed, and being so concerned about their looks/weight etc. that they just wouldn't try.

As Andy Stitzer (Steve Carrell) says, "It just never happened.  When I was young I tried and it didn't happen.  And then I got older and uh I got more and more embarrassed because it hadn't happened yet, and then I just kind of don't know, quit trying."

And when he does meet Trish (Catherine Keener) - another 40 year old with three kids - you would think that he would make it but it so turns out that they are just happy being just two great friends. 

I guess if you have never done it you don't miss it!  So when did you do it the first time?

Wow, I am so happy.  I crossed the ten thousand milestones today in just about 7 weeks.  Thanks to all of you for support.

I am sure some of you may be curious how I did this.  Here are a few tips:

1. Write about things that are also useful to others; not only what are useful to you.


2. Engage your audience.


3. Be nice.


4. Make it interesting.


5. Give people a reason to come back.

I just read that teenage girls who are obese are reaching puberty much earlier, but looking at our selection for the sexy woman today, that does not appear to be the case.  She clearly has signs of early puberty with a rather large chest, but no signs of even one extra pound of fat in the wrong place.

While I have never smoked in my life, I have friends and family members who do.  The death of Peter Jennings (who was a smoker) from lung cancer and the news that wife of Christopher Reeves too has lung cancer has made us all think about dangers of smoking.  I also learned that some of the stars that we all admire - Paris Hilton, Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell, and many others - all smoke.  What a shame!

Smoking can not only make you age earlier, you may also not have surgery if you want to.  And from what I know it is a bad idea to smoke to lose weight - there are better ways to do it.  So if you smoke now or are thinking about it, forget about trying it.

What would you do if someone tried to intrude on your property?  While I do not have a gun of my own, but I will get very concerned and will call 911 if I felt threatened.  Well, Britney Spears has her own guards and when Brad Diaz tried to trespass on her property, someone shot him.  From the latest news it seems that the bodyguards are denying if they shot Diaz, but even if they did, I support their decision.

I am no celebrity but I know that I may be photographed when I am in public, but my home is my private space and it is a violation of my privacy if someone wants to take my photos inside my home.  So all those pararazzos out there, get a life.  Leave people alone for a while. 

OK, I have a confession to make first.  If I see a woman with a big chest, that is what I look first.  And now it seems that I am the odd man out.  The most noticeable part of a woman by men is her eyes.  So when we published this article today on what men notice about women, I was feeling a bit guilty, despite the fact that I respect women a lot, love them to death, and have great friends who do not have sexy bodies.

So, guys, what do you look at?  And ladies, what do you think guys look at first?

There is absolutely no doubt that the number of interracial couples is growing.  Why?  There are several reasons.  One, our society, at least in metropolitan areas, is becoming more diverse.  Two, the income differences that were so stark in the past are no longer so wide.  And finally, social acceptance of an interracial couple is much higher.

So it was not a surprise when Lisa wrote to ask, "Can you tell me if there is an annual meeting for interracial couples to meet?  Can you also tell me of other organizations in my area (South Carolina) that help with challenges of being an interracial couple, such as finding housing and facing discrimination?" 

Unfortunately while interracial relationships are growing, not many people have really come together as a group.  And no signs yet of an annual meeting which we think will be great.  I am myself in an interracial relationship and think that it would be great to hang out with other couples in a more structured fashion (which I do on an informal basis).  Maybe that is what you might want to do - start a group of your own and I will too.

Do you know of such a group?

You would think that considering the American obsession with breast size, breast augmentation will be the name of the game.  At least that is what I used to think with all the big deal about Pamela Anderson or Scarlett Johanson or Jessica Simpson.  Actually Pierre crunched some numbers from ASPS and Allure and he found that liposuction and nose jobs are the most common plastic surgery procedures.

What procedure would you rather have?

It appears that not only in the United States but almost everywhere life is tough for gays and lesbians.  Today we heard from Gordon in Malta, a 23 year old who can not find a lover.  "I am fed up to tell you that it is almost impossible for a gay man here to have a relationship.  What can I do?" he asks.

You are not alone.  We do not know much about Malta but even here in the US, gays and lesbians have a tough time finding a lover.  Some of the things that work for heterosexual couples also work for gays and lesbians.

Below are a few articles that we have done, read them, and try to use whatever you can.

Tips on lesbian dating

How to find a lesbian girlfriend?

Approaching your dream girl

Tim wrote to us today about his thoughts on what type of women do men like.  He says that it is the women who are obsessed with being slim and dieting, while men don't care if their partner does or not.  "While men generally find curvacious women sexy, when it comes to looking for a partner, only the shallowest people worry about a person's figure - if it were otherwise, all the smaller or slim women would never get married," he says.

Ladies, do you agree?  Guys, what do you think?

Kate Hudson, who recently commented that monogamy was tough, now has some excellent tips for couples on how to keep the passion alive in their marriage.  In an interview with InStyle, here are some of the tips from Hudson:

• Treat everyday as if you have just met.


• Flirt with your partner, even if you have been together for decades.


• If you do not have the time and the privacy to engage in quality time with each other, get a hotel room instead - even better if it has a big jacuzzi.  The Japanese are famous for taking regular trips to love hotels or spas.

While most people will expect that we will make love only in the bedroom or in the privacy of our homes, the reality is that people do so in all kinds of places.  So we decided to do a survey and it seems that people have done it almost anywhere and everywhere.  Here are the results of our survey (Please scroll below as the table is not formatting well):

Place	%
Car	10
Bus	6
Ambulance	3
18-wheeler	4
Hearse	5
Roof of a home	8
Backyard of home	8
Park or similar public space	11
Hospital room	5
Beach (not inside water)	9
Restaurant/nightclub	10
Public place in front of others	8
Hidden but still in public	13

So tell me where have you made love?

Related article:  Fun in the bedroom

Kate Hudson recently said on television that monogamy isn't "realistic," but added that couples do have the power to be faithful. I have heard that from many of my friends before that we are "polygamous" by nature and we force monogamy on us.  I also happen to have some friends who are proud to call themselves "polyamorous," or in other words, loving and being physically intimate with more than one person.  I recall that Brad Pitt said something similar about his divorce with Jennifer Aniston.

I am not sure if I agree completely with Kate Hudson but she said something else that I agree with.  "If you focus your attention on that, then you are always wondering if your husband or men are out there cheating on you."  We get so many emails from women who want to hire private investigators or follow their husbands/boyfriends, or check into his bags and even put software on the computer to track everything.  This is ridiculous.  Most of these women are simply struggling with their own insecurities and most often find nothing at all. 

"If for some reason, that's what he has to go do, I just don't want to know. As long as things are good in our house, just please, don't get caught," she added.  That is good advice to all the women out there who spend sleepless nights wondering if their partner is cheating.  I know that if someone decides to cheat, there is no way she or he will stop.  Plus, people who cheat these days are pretty savvy and they know how to avoid all those traps and private investigators.

Recommended article:  When women commit adultery...

Irene has asked us that when a man says that he's attracted to you but isn't looking for a relationship, what does he really mean?

It is possible to be attracted to another person but there can be several reasons why that person may not be looking for a relationship (which by the way, is a great responsibility and I admire men who take their relationships seriously and are honest about it).  Here are a few;

1. Already in a relationship.


2. Not ready for a relationship (for a whole bunch of reasons).


3. Just want a casual friendship or relationship - nothing serious and no commitment that is a given in a relationship.

Does that kind of man fit into your life?  If so, it is OK to have him as a friend or a one-night stand.  If not, you can politely tell him that you appreciate his comments but you want a real relationship.

Now it is no secret that we men tend not to take as much personal care as women do.  We are uncomfortable with putting all kinds of lotions on our bodies and just do not think that taking care of ourselves is as exciting - as say, drinking beer or working out.  Many of us also afraid of being called "metrosexuals."  But it looks that not all men are so casual about their looks.  Some men are starting to have plastic surgery. 

Recently Kevin Campbell and his wife Tashya Kowalski-Campbell, owners of a medspa in King of Prussia, PA, spoke to Sara Wilson of Entrepreneur magazine.  According to them, one-third of their clients are men.  "Men are no less vain than women," Kevin Campbell told Wilson.  Maybe I should schedule an appointment at a spa for men.

From time to time we get emails from other parts of the world.  This time it was an email from a reader in India.  With the recent modernization of India, it seems that young Indian people are being allowed to date.  As always happens during a transition period, not everyone is able to find dates - which by the way happens even here in the US.

Dinesh, a 17-year old, says, "Whenever I am with my friends, we always talk about girls.  They talk about their girlfriends and all that they had done on the last date. Hearing all this I feel very upset because I don't have a girlfriend. When I told this to my friends they said "It is impossible that a boy like you - good looking, well dressed, and funny - doesn't have a girlfriend."  Now please guide me how to make a girlfriend?"

Well you have to keep trying since no matter where you live finding the right partner is not easy.  While there is no simple answer or tip that will do the magic but if you do everything right, things will eventually work out.  Just approach the girls that you like in parties or at social events and if you are charming and pleasant, someone will eventually like you.  And do not give up even if you fail a hundred times.  Just keep trying till you find her - this is key.  People who give up are the ones who fail.

Recommended article:  Dating tips for Hindus

I knew it was coming.  It is no longer just the geeks who are finding love online!  "I think it's a positive message, that you can go out there and meet people," Elizabeth Perkins, whose character in the movie "Must love dogs" helps her sister (Diane Lane) find love on her computer, is quoted as saying in an article by Daniel Fienberg. "You're not necessarily gonna meet The One, but if you keep sticking your thumb out, someone's gonna give you a ride."

Then there is a reality television program "Hooking up" that is tracking the lives of women who try internet dating.

What about you?  Have you tried online dating?

Yes, there are a growing number of men who do wear panties. And as you might wrongly expect them to be, they are neither crossdressers nor gay nor weird. They are just regular guys. Check out the link above to read the experience of a military guy who happens to enjoy wearing feminine lingerie. I mean take a look at this guy who is so happy to wear a pink bra.

P.H. sent us an email the other day.  "I am wondering where you get all of your articles from? Where or how can I find this sort of content?"

Well here is the secret.  100% of our articles are generated by us in-house or through our network of contributors. We have been in business for about 6 years now - so we have the resources necessary to run about half-a-dozen websites.

The only way to generate proprietary content (material that is published only on your website - and this is the only material that is valuable today) is through paying someone to write it.  Occasionally you may find someone who may be able to contribute something for free in return for publicity (but for that you better have a very popular website), but there is no alternative to actually asking someone to write it for you.  You might have heard of free articles on the Internet that anyone can publish (and many of them are well-written) but they don't build a great publication - if an article is available on a million other websites, then people get a very negative image of your publication.  A good website can only be built by generating articles that represent your focus and appeal to your readers.