What is the key to happiness? Everyone will have a different answer. Sometimes, I will say that my key to happiness is to not feel alone – because when I feel that way, it is when I feel the most lost in the abyss, and when I am surrounded by love – be it platonic or romantic – do I feel happy. I have friends who find happiness in material wealth. Some find happiness of food, or sex, or something entirely different. My puppies? A good greenie. Researchers at the University of Rochester, NY recently researched this subject, and discovered that for many, money, looks, and even fame, don’t actually create happiness. The study showed that the acquisition of external goals not only didn’t bring about the sense of happiness... [Read more]

Are we jaded in our friendships with opposite sex? My dentist – a highly attractive, but much older, married man, has asked me out to dinner. He wants to consult with me about some social networking he may be doing for the memoirs he is writing. I had assumed we would meet at a restaurant, but he just emailed and suggest we meet at his apartment, because he has wi-fi there, and then after that, we’d find something “yummy”. At face value, it makes sense. One can not look at a computer screen and talk biz while sipping margaritas and eating chips. But then that paranoid person inside me – the one in the dating scene – is like…huh? What’s THIS about? Image: Sxc.hu [Read more]

Wow, did you know that there is a “right” way to react when your partner calls you by another person’s name? I’d react with a body slam, but in the book I am checking out, How to Instantly Connect with Anyone, Leil Lowndes offers tips and insight on how to respond without spewing suspicion-fueled obscenities because, after all, it might just be an innocent mistake. (Not sure HOW. But whatev.) But the issue existing made me curious – has it ever happened to any of you? How did YOU react? I personally think at the point of that, there better be a GOOD reason, or I wouldn’t be caring about damaging the relationship! Image: mhprofessional.com [Read more]

It goes without saying that weddings – and who we invite to them – are a personal thing, and no one really has the right to tell us what to do. That said, when we are NOT invited to a wedding we really feel like we should have been invited to…what is our recourse? Without going into a long and winding tale, an old friend of mine is getting married next month – a friend who as soon as he got into this current relationship, basically began to ONLY spend time with his girlfriend, and disappeared off the radar. So, to that end, we’ve hardly spoken in a year…but before that, would talk all the time, and never had a falling out or any complications of any sort. All our mutual friends are invited to the wedding.... [Read more]

I got an email today that absolutely blew my mind. Get this: According to a recent study published in the June issue of Contraception Magazine, the “Pull Out” method of birth control rivals the use of condoms! This was a piece published by sex researcher Rachel K. Jones, that finds  “pulling out” before ejaculation is nearly effective as condoms in preventing pregnancy – calling the method “only slightly less effective” than condoms. Wow. This is not a good thing. It’s like millions of college boys are suddenly going to feel validated to not wear condoms and spread disease far and wide. Image: Sxc.hu [Read more]