10 Places You're Guaranteed to Meet Men

Meeting the opposite sex isn't the easiest feat – especially when you work in femme-heavy fashion – but here's a compilation of some handy and perhaps unexpected tips to cross paths with Mr. Right.

1. Eat Out
Busy, single men don’t have time to cook. This is why they need a girlfriend! Just kidding. However, when they are tired and hungry after work, they dine out at restaurants. So if you want to meet a new man, try a new restaurant at least once a week.

2. Join a Gym
Gyms are places where all body conscious men go to let off some steam. If you meet a man at the gym you can see what he really looks like when he’s all sweaty. If he looks good in gym clothes, he’ll look great in real clothes. People who work out are also much happier (translation: a better partner to be with).

3. Pay Attention To Your Pet
The sun is out and love is in the air. People are outside enjoying the weather. Take the opportunity to give your dog some extra attention and go to the park. If you don’t have a dog, borrow one. Many men think of dogs as soul mates (who else better understands their zest for the simple things in life?) and will often frequent dog runs. If a man sees a woman walking a cute dog, he will most likely start talking to her.

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4. Fix Things
To me, Home Depot is the worst place in the world. I would rather sit in an icebox and freeze than go to an oversized tool shed. But, guys consider it their inner handyman Mecca. Men love fixing and building things, so Home Depot (or Lowes) stores are always filled with an array of manly men.

5. Start To Love Toys
Men love toys. The bigger the boat and the faster the engine, the more powerful the guy will be. The same way women love fashion shows, guys love toy shows. Car and boat shows are places where single men are like a flock to a shepherd. If you attend a car or boat show, pick up on the finer things in life (um, Ferraris anyone?), while meeting a man to drive it.

6. Wash Your Car
Speaking of cars, most men love their four-wheelers and they like them to appear brand new. It could be a rut (pun intended, but I’ve always dated men who are car freaks and I’ve been taken to car washes much too often. But while I'm there (bored to death), I’ve noticed that they were usually filled with men, and pretty hot ones sometimes. Head to a car wash and remember, your car can never be too shiny.

7. Be Tech-Friendly
True or false? Men are into electronics. All the men I’ve dated (or known for that matter) have proved this statement to be true. Men love technology and are always looking for new phones. If you want to meet a tech-friendly type of guy, frequent a Verizon, Sprint, or AT&T store.

8. Pick Up a Sport
Do you like tennis or golf? Well, start to love them both! Being active will boost your confidence and help you stay fit. Golf courses and tennis clubs are places that men go to with their friends. If you join one, you can better your game and meet new people.

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9. Start Reading
Reading is a great way to escape your day-to-day troubles. Go to a bookstore and kill two birds with one stone – find a book and a brand new man. Some men love to learn and are always looking for reading material. If you’re browsing the same aisle, then you know you have something in common.

10. Get Cultured
Experience a typical New York moment by going to a museum. There are new exhibits opening all the time. If you meet a man at a museum, chances are he is interesting and cultured. You can also brush up on some art history while looking for that prospective boyfriend or husband.

What do you think of the advice above? Any other places our dating expert missed? Let us know in

source: www.yahoo.com

the unique videos and imposible.., hehehe

What does your sleep position reveal about your personality?

• by Jessica Ashley, Shine staff, on Mon Apr 26, 2010 12:55pm PDT

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These days, the way that I sleep simply says, "I am happy to be single and spending five to seven hours sprawled out in the center of my bed alone."

At other points, my tightly squeezed eyes and curled-up body would have screamed, "I know the baby will wake up/someone will start snoring/the alarm will begin blaring as soon as I finally, finally, finally get to sleep."

Years and years ago, the corpse-looking college student still in her clothes would have mumbled something like, "Finals. Boys. Beer."

Our lives, the amount of sleep we get, and how well we actually rest during those nighttime hours may change drastically over time. However, one sleep researcher says that our body position in bed could say something about who we are, not just what else is happening in our lives.

Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service, says that a study of 1,000 Brits revealed that the six most common sleeping positions are indicative of personality types.

If this sounds ridiculous (and honestly, I'd love to see information on this study and the analysis fleshed out further than any of the reports I could find), consider that Idzikowski says it comes down to body language.

"We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us," Idzikowski said. "What's interesting is that the profile behind the posture is often very different from what we would expect."

The research also links certain sleeping positions with health risks. Some aid digestion while others spur on snoring and restlessness.

Here are the six common sleeping positions and correlated personality traits and health implications, according to this study.

[graphic via BBC.com]

• Fetus position - A whopping 41% of participants sleep in this curled-up manner. Women are twice as likely to rest like this and it is listed as the most common position. These sleepers are said to have a tough exterior but are still sensitive and may appear to be shy but warm up quickly.

• Log position - If you sleep on your side with both arms down, you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting, sometimes to the point of being gullible. The study showed 15% of people sleep like a log.

• Yearner position - A close third is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body, with 13% of partipants sleeping like this. Yearners are noted to be open-minded and still cynical, suspicious, and stubborn about sticking to decisions once they are made.

• Soldier position - These sleepers lie on their backs with arms down and kept close to the body. This 8% study is said to be reserved, quiet, without fuss, and hold themselves and others to a high standard. Soldier sleepers have a higher likelihood for snoring due to the flat-back position, which may not cause them to wake up often but may result in a less restful night's sleep.

• Freefall position - Those people who lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow with head turned to the side, make up 7% of the population studied. Freefallers are brash, outgoing, and are very uncomfortable with criticism.

• Starfish position - Sleepers who lie on their backs with arms up near their head or the pillow account for 5% of participants. These people are good listeners, helpful, and are uncomfortable being the center of attention. People who sleep in starfish position are more likely to snore and to suffer from a poor night's sleep more often.

If you think you are one of those people who move through all of these positions, that's not likely to really be the case. Idzikowski said the research reveals most people stay in the same position all night and only 5% lay differently night by night. Also interesting is that the study showed only one in ten people cover their bodies entirely with a blanket, with most people exposing an arm, leg, or both feet.


Let's see how the Shine readers are resting these days. No need to get yourself to a sleep lab or set up the video cam to run all night. We'll take your word for it on our own not-so-scientific but still fascinating research.

What position do you sleep in? Use the poll to tell us and the comments to reveal whether the personality traits linked to the way you sleep are right on or really off.

source: yahoo.com

10 Tasty and Healthy Store-Bought Snacks

Love to snack? Here’s some good news for all you grazers: Savvy nibbling in between meals can actually help youlose weight by keeping you satisfied, so when you sit down to lunch or dinner, you’re less likely to overeat. In fact, plugging your ears to a grumbling tummy will only set you up to overindulge later.

My favorite go-to filler is a small serving of almonds (I like the Starbucks kind, but any kind will do in a pinch.) We know anything that grows is a good bet—crudités or endive or a piece of fruit—but the other kinds of snacks are trickier. With all the bags and boxes of salty, sweet and often fatty temptations on grocery-store shelves, it’s difficult to know which bites are as healthy as they are satisfying.

To munch smartly, bring this list of 10 standout snacks on your next trip to the supermarket. They clock in at less than 200 calories per serving and are low in saturated fat, yet tasty to the extreme!

You’re craving...CRUNCHY!

• Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips (The Works!)
  Garlic, onion and poppy-seasoned chips pack plenty of taste. (140 calories, 6 grams of fat per ounce)
• Blue Diamond Almonds Bold Lime ‘n Chili are chock-full of protein and vitamin E as well as citrusy zing and bold spice. (170 calories, 16 g fat per ounce)
• Snyder’s of Hanover MultiGrain Pretzel Sticks are satisfying and low-sodium. (120 calories, 2g fat per 7 sticks)
• Trader Joe’s Omega Trek Mix boasts pecans, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cranberries and pumpkin seeds. (150 calories, 10 g fat per 1/4 cup)

You're craving... SALTY!

• Trader Joe's 94% Fat Free popcorn has deliciously buttery flavor without the fat. (130 calories, 2 g fat per bag)
• Kettle Brand Baked Potato Chips, 65% Less Fat, Lightly Salted dipperstaste like the real thing. (120 calories, 3 g fat per ounce)
• Triscuit Rye Crackers with Caraway Seeds are mild enough to go well with anything from peanut butter to hummus, yet tasty enough to chomp on their own. (120 calories, 4.5 g fat per 6 crackers)

You're craving...SWEET

• Edy's Light Slow Churned Rich & Creamy Neopolitan ice cream has a deceptively rich texture and three yummy flavors in one container. (100 calories, 3 g fat per 1/2 cup)
• Sharon's Sorbet Mixed Berry is among the freshest and fruitiest in the freezer case. (110 calories, 0 g fat)
• Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate-Cranberry Almond bar is smooth, decadent and even heart-healthy, thanks to the flavonols it contains. (170 calories, 10 g fat per bar)

Get more nutritious, delicious finds everyday on the Healthy Bites blog at Self.com.

8 Questions for the Constantly Broke

If you find yourself nervously checking your bank account balance before payday, then perhaps it's time to make some changes. Before swearing off restaurants or cutting up your credit card, ask yourself the following 8 questions, which are designed to help get you back on top of your finances.

Do I know where my money is going? Beyond a quick glance at our credit card statements each month, most of us don't bother tracking how we're spending money. That means we might not realize that our grocery expenses have suddenly skyrocketed, or our utility bills have doubled. Using an online personal financial management tool to automatically track your spending - www.Mint.com and www.Wesabe.com are among the most popular - allows you to figure out where money is going with minimal effort. The programs can also warn you once you get close to your target budget for the month.

Am I focusing too much on the month, instead of the year? Research suggests that people often fall victim to forgetfulness when budgeting by the month. They tend to overlook unexpected and one-time expenses, such as car repairs or gifts, so underestimate how much they'll need to spend. But when people budget by the year, they tend to factor in those costs. Research by University of Southern California's Gulden Ulkumen, Cornell's Manoj Thomas, and New York University's Vicki Morwitz found that college students were about 40 percent off-target when budgeting by the month, but only three percent off base when thinking by the year.

[See Benefits of Budgeting by the Year, Not the Month]

Do I do something everyday that wastes money? It might be a cab ride, lunches, or a six-pack of beer. These types of small, daily expenditures add up, and by the end of month, you could be out $100 or more. (In the case of a $10 lunch on each weekday, that's $200.) Finish Rich author David Bach famously coined the phrase "Latte Factor" to capture this idea. He argues that if you invested the money instead of spending it, you could eventually become a millionaire.

Do I know my own weakness? Almost everyone has one. It might be a golf habit, fancy jeans, or nice dinners. Perhaps it's simply buying more than you need when you're out running errands. Gwyneth Paltrow's budgeting expert for her GOOP newsletter, Lynnette Khalfani-Cox, offers the following advice: Carry a stopwatch with you on shopping trips. She also suggests bringing a loyal friend on shopping trips to remind you not to overspend.

Am I saving too much? This question might sound counter-intuitive - how could anyone be saving too much? But if you're going into debt to fund your lifestyle and you've already cut back wherever possible, then it's time to look at how much money you're funneling into your 401(k). While it always makes sense to take advantage of matching programs from your employer, it doesn't make sense to save additional pre-tax dollars at the expense of a hefty credit card bill that comes with a 10 percent or higher interest rate.

Is my relationship hurting my bank account? Even if you're on top of your own finances, your bank account won't reflect it unless your significant other is also on board. If you share credit, in the form of credit cards, auto loans, or a mortgage, then any late payment from your partner can also ding your own credit report. Marriage can intertwine your financial lives even further. Before tying the knot, be sure to review each other's credit histories, talk about whether you prefer joint or separate accounts, and make sure you are familiar with each other's long term financial goals. Couples also often get tripped up when it comes to handling money requests from needy family members. Make sure you're on the same page to prevent tension later.

[See 6 Money Talks to Have Before You Marry]

Are the big items dragging me down? According to Elisabeth Leamy, Good Morning America's consumer correspondent and author of Save Big: Cut Your Top 5 Costs and Save Thousands!, it's the big items, not the small ones, that hurt people's finances the most. She suggests focusing on minimizing your mortgage, car, health, debt, and grocery payments. Buying a used car instead of a new one, for example, can save drivers tens of thousands of dollars. Plus, she says, since "cars these days are really well built, the risk is lower than it used to be."

Am I wasting money by carrying debt? If you're paying down a $10,000 credit card bill with a 15 percent interest rate, then you're paying about $1,500 a year to carry that debt. If you're paying off a $10,000 car loan at 6 percent, then you're wasting $600 a year on interest. If you can find the extra cash, consider paying off those loans so you can stop throwing money away on debt payments.

Get more tips at www.usnews.com/alpha.

Dating Tips: 9 Ways to Make Your Relationship Last

As a divorce attorney, I pride myself on having saved some marriages during my 25 years in practice. I would very much like to see people work things out, if they can. I have come to realize that if couples try one or more of the following 9 suggestions, they may be able to keep their relationship from hitting the rocks in the first place.

1. Delineate "yours," "mine," and "ours." If you have finances that should be placed in each of these three categories (for example, you have an inheritance and he has a savings account he accumulated before the marriage, and you also have a checking account to which you both contribute), have an upfront conversation about those assets and what belongs to whom. Moreover, talk about your time away from "together" activities, like he wants to bowl with the guys on Tuesday nights and you want to attend your yoga class on Wednesday. Respect these important delineations. Doing so will make the relationship stronger.

2. Carve out time to be together. Sure, you're busy working and attending meetings, but how important are those things if your relationship falls apart? Make time to do things together that you both enjoy. This could be anything from grocery shopping to taking in a movie. Take regular vacations together -- at least a couple of long weekends and, better yet, a couple of long vacations (more than a weekend jaunt). Commit to a weekly date night and make it as unbreakable as that all-important staff meeting at work.

3. Take care of yourself. Spend time every day on your appearance and your physical well-being. Work out regularly, eat healthy, and stay fit. Not only will your partner like looking at you, but you'll feel better about yourself.

4. Make sure communication goes both ways. Many relationships fail because of misunderstandings. Effective communication skills are necessary if your relationship is going to survive. If there is a hint or vibe that your partner is disconnected or you are unhappy about something, do not ignore those signals or feelings. Approach your mate and suggest an open discussion. You may be frustrated, angry, or hurt and so may he or she, but always stay calm and reasonable. Your goal should be to resolve differences, and the only viable way of doing so is through open and direct communication.

5. Criticize gently. Don't judge too harshly. If you criticize, do so in the same way you would want others to criticize you. Be kind and considerate.

6. Never stop courting one another. Gifts, compliments, and a loving embrace go a long way, especially when they are a surprise. Send unexpected greeting cards, slap a Post-It note where you know your mate will find it, keep those flowers coming in a "just because" way. Treat your partner with the same courtesies you did when you were dating. A terrific mindset is to pretend you are trying to win your partner all over again.

7. Keep the flame burning. Keep your romance alive despite the chaos and craziness life can present from living in the midst of sheer reality. Resolve to offer up romantic suggestions for your partner's pleasure, even if only occasionally, like cooking her favorite meal when you know she's had an impossible day, or entice him into a bubble bath with you just for the fun of it. Little gestures like these from time to time can ensure that the flame you once had burns forever.

8. Spell out your terms of endearment. Call out the expectations for one another in the form of the "terms" of your relationship together. Put them in a contract, if you like. This contract will simply clarify and document those needs and wants that mean a lot to you. For example, though he typically runs late, your agreement might specify those times when he agrees not to be late; she may agree to keep her spending at a certain limit, though she typically has little restraint as she traipses through the mall. Discussing these boundaries, as well as your needs and wants, can prevent either of you from stepping over the line and causing irritation. It is often the disappointments (needs and wants, gone unexpressed) that bring down a relationship.

9. Renegotiate your contract. Your relationship will evolve, and your needs and wants will change right along with it. Once a year, it's a good idea to review, update, or revise your contract with each other -- whether it is verbal or written. Be mindful, however, not to allow such a "contract" to ruin your relationship.

Read more articles from Hitched at hitchedmag.com.

Got a video game goldmine in your garage?

Could you be sitting on a $40,000 windfall? Fueled by a surge in interest from collectors, a string of high-profile, high-dollar sales of collectible video games have been making headlines -- but how can you tell if the long-forgotten stash of gaming treasure you found in your garage is going to make you rich?

First things first: if you bought it in a regular store -- and all your friends bought one too -- it's probably not worth anything. Although some games (and, to a lesser extent, consoles) are indeed worth many thousands of dollars, the vast majority are widely produced consumer items, and that means they're unlikely to be hard for collectors to find.

Find this Nintendo cartridge in your attic, and you're sitting pretty.

Take the comparatively esoteric Mattel Intellivision, an early competitor to the Atari 2600. Although it released over 30 years ago, worldwide sales were over 3 million, and today it simply isn't worth all that much. You might be able to squeeze $50 out of one if it's in nice condition and includes some desirable games. That's not a whole lot of money, considering it's about as close as the video game world gets to a genuine antique.

Even trendier, higher-demand machines like the original NES fetch comparable money, although if you have some desirable blast-from-the-past accessories you'll do better. Unusual versions of popular consoles can be worth substantially more than regular ones, though: a top-loading NES commands a premium over the more common front-loading variant, pushing prices up closer to the $100 mark.

Sounds kinda paltry next to $40,000, no? It's the games themselves where most of the real money is. But if you're sitting on a stack of games that are (or were) popular, critically acclaimed, or top-selling, forget it. You could probably pick up a lot of every Mario game released on the NES for less than $60 or so. But there's a thriving trade in older, more obscure games, especially for the NES, which is where you'll find most of the real highly sought after rarities.

How about more modern gear? Being newer, and consequentially more plentiful and less collectible, anything made within the last 10 or 15 years is unlikely to be worth anywhere near as much as you paid for it (with the notable exception of a handful of collectible specials, like Uncharted 2: Fortune Hunter Edition, which is worth well over a grand). In general, anything bearing the words "Playstation" or "Xbox" should go back in the attic for another decade or two.

So what is going to open the door to early retirement -- or at least foot the bill for a nice meal?

Obscure peripherals

Nintendo power glove

Collectors have an insatiable appetite for failure. It stands to reason: success leads to popularity, popularity leads to high sales, which leads to the dark side. No, wait, it leads to low used prices. Conversely, unpopular hardware has lower supply and consequently fetches higher prices. In short, if you played with it twice, decided it was a waste of money and stashed it away in the attic, it could be worth big bucks --and the more terrible and useless it is, the better. If you were so horrified that you never even opened the box, that's best of all.

Remember the Nintendo Power Glove? What a piece of junk that was -- but today, in good condition, it's worth upwards of $50. Well-kept examples of Nintendo's even more terrible Virtual Boy are also worth significant cash. Even third-party peripherals, like Konami's head-mounted lightgun, the Laserscope, can yield prices out of all proportion to their, you know, quality.

Obscure games

It's big-ticket games like Stadium Events and Atari Air Raid -- both of which fetched auction prices in excess of $30,000 in recent months -- that make the headlines. Unfortunately, you're extraordinarily unlikely to find any of them. Most seriously high-priced collector games were produced in vanishingly small quantities, and many were never available at regular game stores at all.

But they're out there, says top game collector JJ Hendricks. "26 Nintendo World Championship Gold cartridges were made and only 13 have been accounted for," he told us. "That means there are 13 still in the wild."

Air Raid

Fortunately, there's an easy way to determine the price a particular game is currently fetching. Hendricks keeps track of the average selling price of a bewildering number of old games at his website, and there's no better place to get an impression of the value of that box of old NES games you've been hoarding.

Just be careful: it's not necessarily as simple as looking up the game's name. Sometimes, games that were released in unusually colored cases are worth considerably more than their regular counterpart: the rare gold-colored version of NES bestseller Punch Out is worth north of $400, for example, compared to just $10 or $15 for the regular release. But color is by no means a guarantee -- the gold version of the original Legend of Zelda isn't worth much of anything, other than really good times.

And even if you don't happen to be sitting on your own goldmine, you might be able to snag someone else's. "Go to garage sales and pawn shops and thrift stores to look for games," JJ suggests. "I've heard many stories of people finding games worth a couple hundred dollars, and even one person who found a game worth $20K by rummaging through games at places like these."

Obscure...junk!

Would you believe a box of 20-year-old Nintendo cereal recently sold for over $200? Random consumables branded with game-related imagery can often be worth surprising amounts of money to the right buyer -- and here's one area where better-known characters are likely to command better prices. Think Mario or Donkey Kong, rather than, say, fellow NES star Kid Icarus. Still, there's such a wide variety of licensed spin-off consumer products out there, you might just want to throw it on eBay and see what happens.

Navigating the eBay minefield

And when it does come to making a sale, make sure you do everything you can to stack the odds in your favor. Hendricks passed on his top tips for a smooth -- and, most importantly, profitable -- auction experience.

-- "Take lots of high-quality pictures of the game, game box, and manual, if you have them. Collectors want to see the condition of the item before they'll pay big bucks. Take a picture of the game being played on a TV if you can, a picture of the game next to a note showing the date and your eBay name (so people know you didn't copy the pictures from somewhere else), take pictures of every side of the game. The better the pictures, the better the chances you'll get bidders."

-- "Start the bidding off low. $0.99 is always good. If you have something that is valuable the item will get bid up to a higher price really quickly, but starting the auction at a high price will discourage people from placing any bids."

-- "Write a good description. You don't need to write an essay, but make sure people know what you have, its condition, and any shipping or payment terms you might have."

-- "Answer people's questions. No matter how good your description is, you will probably get questions from people asking for more details. You don't want to ignore any questions, because they probably won't bid unless you answer."

source : www.yahoo.com