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Saturday, September 30, 2006
Anti-smoking pill gets OK in Europe
Come on, you smoking slackers, get information and do something about that nasty habit:
[T]he European Commission has approved anti-smoking pill Champix... Champix is believed to work by reducing the severity of the smoker's urge to smoke and alleviating many withdrawal symptoms from nicotine. In addition, if a person smokes a cigarette while receiving treatment, the medicine has the potential to diminish the satisfaction associated with smoking... The medication, varenicline, received Food and Drug Administration approval as an aid to quitting smoking in May, under the tradename Chantix.
Friday, September 29, 2006
U.S. homework outsourced as "e-tutoring" grows
A trend of things to come:
Private tutors are a luxury many American families cannot afford, costing anywhere between $25 to $100 an hour. But California mother Denise Robison found one online for $2.50 an hour -- in India... "It's made the biggest difference. My daughter is literally at the top of every single one of her classes and she has never done that before," said Robison, a single mother from Modesto... The outsourcing trend that fueled a boom in Asian call centers staffed by educated, low-paid workers manning phones around the clock for U.S. banks and other industries is moving fast into an area at the heart of U.S. culture: education... China and India, meanwhile, are producing the world's largest number of science and engineering graduates -- at least five times as many as in the United States, where the number has fallen since the early 1980s.
Discussions in the ARGville Forum
- Fence between USA and Mexico - Is a fence a good idea? Will it prevent illegals from crossing the border? Is this fence just for show?
- Friendly or Inappropriate? - An older man trades emails with a teenage boy. Based on the content of the emails, is the man's behavior appropriate?
Does marriage smother sex?
Here's some help for those married folks struggling in the bedroom:
Read the article and interview. You might learn something. You never know.
Is it really possible to make marriage feel sexy? Esther Perel, a New York couples and family therapist, argues that it is, but that it involves nothing less than a rethinking of what matrimony has become for most Americans, as well as a hard look at how we deal with the competing roles of parent, worker and lover... Her advice is refreshingly counterintuitive: Communicate less with our spouses about the minutiae of daily life and speak more with the language of our bodies and our secret desires. Pursue interests outside of work, marriage and the family. Open up about our fantasy lives. Flirt and play with both our spouses and others. And get the kids out of the literal and figurative bedroom even if you have to rent a hotel room to do it.
Read the article and interview. You might learn something. You never know.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Men are a microwave oven?
Huh? Read this and you'll know what that means:
No animal has to commit to a relationship to lure the female of the species into the nest. We humans are much more complicated. Women need to be in the mood, which many men don't seem to understand... That's just one of the differences between men and women... Sex therapist Laura Berman... said those differences are stunning. "First and foremost, men tell me they don't get enough sex. That's the biggest complaint," Berman said... About 30 percent of women — twice that of men — have a low libido, or sex drive, studies show... "Women need a context in which to be sexual," Berman said. "She has to feel good about the situation, even about the surroundings, in order to let go and really enjoy the sexual scenario."... "A man isn't as picky," Berman said. "It's just the way they're wired. Men are much more goal-oriented. And so they'll try to heat things up way too quickly. And if, you know, men are a microwave oven, women are a slow-cooking stove."
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
I wanna dance the night away
Ben Asks: Hi, I don't know how to dance with a girl. Is this a problem when going out? Will it be a big turn-off when she finds out? Or does it even matter? Please reply, thanks! (Ask A Real Girl)
In the mood for friendly debate?
- Global Warming: The Debate is Over!
- Whats with the sex drive?????????????????
- Admirable or opportunistic move?
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The Boyfriend and the Phone
Karla Ask: Why do I feel like my boyfriend does not want to talk to me on the phone? (Ask A Real Girl)
Irina in New Orleans
"Yesterday I worked a second day at the Children's Museum, while my mom cooled her heels at the New Orleans Museum of Art. She saw an exhibit of photos of Katrina through the eyes of those who lived it."
For more about Irina and her mom's volunteer work in the reconstruction of New Orleans, visit Pop Culture.
For more about Irina and her mom's volunteer work in the reconstruction of New Orleans, visit Pop Culture.
Best companies for working moms
Are you a mom looking for a good company to work for? This article includes the top 100 companies:
Working Mother magazine released its annual list of the top 100 places to work, with its chief executive touting an improvement in mother-friendly benefits in corporate America... The magazine used five main criteria as the basis for its judgments: flexibility, leave time for new parents, child care, elder care and the number of women occupying top jobs. The top 10 companies that best satisfied the five criteria were: Abbott Laboratories; Bon Secours Richmond Health System; Ernst & Young LLP; HSBC USA Inc.; IBM Corp.; JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Patagonia Inc.; PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP; Principal Financial Group, and S.C. Johnson & Son Inc.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Don't Let Your Computer Be Hijacked
Identify theft is on the rise. This article gives you tips to protect your computer. It contains some of the typical stuff, such as keeping your virus software up to date and installing Windows updates, but I thought these three points are well-worth emphasizing:
-- Be extremely cautious about clicking on links or file attachments that arrive via e-mail or instant message. E-mail and IM networks are the most popular ways to spread viruses and worms, and many will appear to have been sent from someone you know. If someone sends you a brief message urging to you click on a link, consider sending a reply message or calling the sender to verify its authenticity.
-- Be careful what you download. Take a minute or two to research software you download before you install it; you may get more than you bargained for. Also, avoid downloading programs from "peer-to-peer" (P2P) file-sharing networks popular with song swappers; a large percentage of these programs harbor viruses, spyware or other unwanted pests.
-- Browse the Web with an alternate browser. Much of today's spyware is foisted upon users of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser. Consider surfing the Net with a browser that is not so cozy with the underlying operating system, such as Firefox or Opera.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
The best of ARGville
Follow Irina and her mom as they make their way from Florida to New Orleans to perform volunteer work with the reconstruction of that great Iraqi American city. This is the first of several updates to come. (Pop Culture)
Your Syllabus, and Your Condom
College students are back at school or have arrived for the first time and...
[I]t is a good bet they will find some sort of condom promotion on their college campuses. Some deliver grave messages about sexually transmitted diseases; others are humorous riffs on masculinity. But the goal is the same: to introduce the companies’ products to freshmen, create new health habits and, of course, drive future sales. “If you look at condom sales, there are different peaks,” said Jim Daniels, the vice president for marketing at Trojan, which dominates the United States condom market. He cited New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day and even the Fourth of July, but said the back-to-school season is a particularly good opportunity for recruiting young customers.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Some of the ARGville forum topics
- Would you want my penis?
- What a crazy world we live in!! (The Napster dancer)
- Drug-Testing Parents
- How much should children help around the house??
Choosing a College, With Help From the Web
Thinking about choosing a college to attend? You may want to try this:
Annie Allhoff was valedictorian of her high school class, and everyone expected her to apply to Ivy League colleges. Annie, 18, had other ideas... As the college application process has become increasingly available through the Web, many companies —Princeton Review, the College Board, Kaplan, Thomson Peterson and others — are offering search engines that help students put together a list of colleges to consider... Annie visited Counselor-O-Matic, offered by Princeton Review. After entering information about the kind of school she was looking for, along with her grades, class rank and SAT scores, the site generated a list... Counselor-O-Matic and similar sites are free to students because they are operated by companies that make money from advertising, from fees paid by colleges and from selling the names of prospective students to colleges.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Single Mother of 3 Boys
Tabitha asks: I am a 26 year old just recently single mother of 3 boys. Their father cheated... I don't want him back. He wants to see the kids all the time and I feel that it is just so that he can see me. Every time that I take the kids to him he cries and begs me to take him back and tries telling me how I feel... What should I do? (Ask A Real Guy)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Slap Happy Girlfriend
"[My boyfriend] has anger managment issues and gets mad very easily. I have slapped him in the past. And just recently we had a huge fight at his bar (work) and I slapped him, because he was in my face yelling at me in front of A LOT of people." (Ask A Real Guy)
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Give voluntourism a try
If you like to travel and if you like helping people, you can do both and save money. Irina tells us about Voluntourism. (Pop Culture)
New passport rules to take effect Jan. 8
US citizens, get that passport ready:
WASHINGTON - The date when passports will be required for U.S. citizens flying or cruising to Canada, the Caribbean and Mexico has been extended by one week, to Jan. 8, 2007... Until the new rules take effect, you can go to Canada, Mexico and most Caribbean countries and then re-enter the U.S. with just a driver's license and birth certificate... Congress is considering extending the deadline even further... On Jan. 1, 2008, passports will be required for all land-based border crossings to Canada and Mexico as well.
New Short Story
"For Shravanti, life was dull and stereotyped. There was no variation. One day was no different from the other. It was boring. Like millions of other housewives, she longed for attention, not just as a wife or a mother, but also for her own sake. Something that would make her feel special, but then, that never happened." (Short Stories)
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The Serious Side of Heartburn
If you suffer from chronic heartburn, go see a doctor NOW!
While occasional heartburn is normal, chronic heartburn is not and can lead to cancer when not properly treated... Heartburn is caused by a leaky valve at the end of the esophagus that allows acid contents from the stomach to back up, or reflux, into the esophagus. The constant exposure to acid can damage its lining... Esophageal cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers in the United States, and it is extremely deadly if not caught in time. Only 16 percent of patients diagnosed with this cancer will be alive in five years.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Turned on by a fight?
Harry asks: "What do most girls think about fights?I always thought that they just assume that the two guys who are fighting are just jerks, but recently a sophomore girl came up to me after I beat up a kid because he and his friend were picking on me and my brother (he is one year older than me) and she said, 'Are you alright?'... she went on she said, 'Hey, you're cute!' (Ask A Real Girl)
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The whole package?
Letet says: "I have this classmate, he is good looking, smart, and has a great economic status, you can say he has the whole package..." Oh boy. (Ask A Real Guy)
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Collective Consciousness
Collective Consciousness. One of the topics in our forum.
PaleRider says: First, let me say that I am a philosophical conservative... I see tradition as a valuable source of wisdom where modern liberalism sees no value at all in it... Modern liberalism disdains tradition and relies instead on theory.
PaleRider says: First, let me say that I am a philosophical conservative... I see tradition as a valuable source of wisdom where modern liberalism sees no value at all in it... Modern liberalism disdains tradition and relies instead on theory.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Vitamin D cuts pancreatic cancer
Vitamin D, the newest wonder. If you believe this article, that is:
Taking vitamin D cut the risk of pancreatic cancer nearly in half, according to a new study that is being called the first to show such a benefit. Vitamin D protects against colorectal and breast cancer, earlier studies have found. And lab and animal studies show it stifles abnormal cell growth and curbs formation of blood vessels that feed tumors... Taking 450 international units (IUs) of vitamin D — about the standard dose in most multivitamins — reduced the risk of pancreatic cancer by 43 percent, according to researchers at Northwestern and Harvard universities who led the latest study.
Snobby and cliquey friends
crystal says: "My bf says that [his friends] are very snobby and cliquey and have been known to be kind to your face then rude behind it... I am told by my boyfriend that he never wants to find out that these particular individuals, who its safe to say are just his drinking friends, do not like me. I don't feel that is sufficient enough for me as it stresses me out and makes me feel like he is not proud of the sexy girl he dates."
Oh well, it's a messy job, but someone has to set Crystal straigth. (Ask A Real Guy)
Oh well, it's a messy job, but someone has to set Crystal straigth. (Ask A Real Guy)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Arctic Ice Melting Rapidly
Global warming?! Don't be silly. Two Exxon scientist say it ain't so and damn it, I believe them.
Arctic sea ice in winter is melting far faster than before, two new NASA studies reported Wednesday, a new and alarming trend that researchers say threatens the ocean's delicate ecosystem... "It has never occurred before in the past," said NASA senior research scientist Josefino Comiso in a phone interview. "It is alarming… This winter ice provides the kind of evidence that it is indeed associated with the greenhouse effect."... A second NASA study by other researchers found the winter sea ice melt in one region of the eastern Arctic has shrunk about 40 percent in just the past two years. This is partly because of local weather but also partly because of global warming, Comiso said.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
To drink green tea or not to drink green tea?
More details here:
CHICAGO - Can drinking green tea really protect against two big killers, strokes and cancer? A huge study in Japan suggests yes and no: It might lower your stroke risk but won't save you from cancer.
The study's authors say their findings might explain why the Japanese are less likely than Americans to die of heart disease and stroke. Even so, the answers aren't clear. Green tea has been researched a lot, and many of the studies have come up with conflicting results.
Dating Divorced Men
Do you agree with this advice to a Christian woman who is dating a divorced man: "Don't you know what he promised her? 'Until we are parted by death.' And don't you know what Jesus taught? 'What God has joined together, let no man separate.' That means no woman either. (Singles Center)
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
This boy wants the impossible
Jonathon asks: "In general, what kind of a guy does a girl fall for? I am not going to change myself completely for one girl, it's just I want to better myself, so I can actually have a girlfriend for over 2 weeks" (Ask A Real Girl)
Porn on her computer
Lola asks: Lately I have found more and more porn sites on my computer. Some of these sites being teen porn. I confronted my boyfriend about this and his response was that the girls were not actually teens, only young looking girls. I don't have a problem with porn but I worry that he may be taking it a little too far. Am I overreacting? (Ask A Real Guy)
Intro to College Eating
College students, take notice and read this article for more details:
Do college students really need another book telling them how to fight the dread Freshman 15 and eat healthy? Assuming the answer is yes, why would they want to take the word of a 20-year-old? Daphne Oz is prepared to answer both questions. Oz, a Princeton undergraduate, is the author of "The Dorm Room Diet: The 8-Step Program for Creating a Healthy Lifestyle Plan That Really Works" (Newmarket Press). Despite the title, it's not really a diet she's offering, but rather a series of practical tips for maintaining health amid the relentless pizza, beer, junk food, parties and comfort food of college life.
Monday, September 11, 2006
New Cure for Cellulite?
Before you read this article, remember the old adage, "if it's too good to be true..."
The Cellubike is "the most effective method of cellulite removal as proven by millions," says its commercial... Manufacturers claim you can pedal away your unsightly cellulite with the help of a secret ingredient: infrared light. According to the makers of the Cellubike, exercisers who ride an upright or recumbent stationary bike for 40 minutes will burn up to 200 calories. But because of the infrared rays, Cellubike users will burn between 600 and 2,400 calories in the same time. "It penetrates your skin up to an inch and a half, and that's what gets the capillaries expanded and producing more blood flow, which is then detoxifying your body and bringing the wastes out," said Ellen Reinhardt, president of Better Bodies Inc., which markets Cellubike in the United States.
A wonderful relationship, but...
SunGirl asks: I have been in a wonderful relationship for a year now, the thing dream are made of. I never imagined something like this would happen to me... But: we are members of two different... nationalities (which were engaged in a war not long ago)... We’ve been keeping this a secret but I can’t do it anymore. I really feel anxious about it, recently with some somatic reactions... Oh what to do? (Ask A Real Guy)
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Are you ready for church?
"Emerging churches" is a fairly recent approach to Christianity, mainly attributed to Evengelical pastor Brian McLaren. Come find out about this concept and discuss with us your thoughts about it. (Religion Today)
Premature Ejaculation?
Full story here:
Great! Some women will have more time to decide what color is best for the ceiling.
Premature ejaculation is believed to be the most common male sexual dysfunction, affecting about 20 percent of young and middle-aged men. Yet despite these numbers, no drugs have been approved to treat this disorder. But a new study published in the British medical journal the Lancet shows the drug dapoxetine may offer promise as a treatment for this debilitating condition.
Great! Some women will have more time to decide what color is best for the ceiling.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Sex toys contain dangerous chemicals
Who knows, coming to this site today could have saved your life, you sex fiend:
OK, Irina, put.that.toy.down!
"Adult sex toys contain the same toxic substances that the European Union banned from use in children's toys," Greenpeace said in a press release from its international headquarters here. The environmental group said it was shocked to find that seven of the eight sex toys it had tested contained between 24 and 51 percent of phthalates.
OK, Irina, put.that.toy.down!
Religion and Current Events
Are you interested in the role religion plays in our society and how it affects current events? Are you looking for a hobby? If the answer is Yes, please visit Religion Today for more details.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Children's help around the house
Ellen asks: How much should children help around the house?? Should her son do more house work? Why are her daughters more willing to help than the boy?
Come share your opinions and personal experiences.
Come share your opinions and personal experiences.
Women Face Less Money
Confirmation of what we already knew, yet some deny:
[T]he U.S. Census Bureau revealed a static wage gap. Women working full-time and year-round continued to make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, a number that remains virtually unchanged from 2004.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
U.S. Breast Cancer Rate Stabilizes
Here's hoping the trend in this story continues to decline:
The decades-long rise in the rate of new breast cancer cases in American women appears to have leveled off, indicating that the nation may have reached a long-sought turning point in the battle against the feared malignancy.
After climbing steadily since the 1980s, the breast cancer rate stopped rising in 2001 and may have started to fall in 2003, according to the latest federal data. While it will take more years before it becomes clear whether the change marks the start of a lasting trend, the statistics appear to indicate a tantalizing shift, experts said.
Do we need simpler shirts?
President Bush is, without a doubt, a busy man. Maybe someone needs to design shirts that save him time. After all, buttoning his shirt correctly is... *gulp* hard work. (Funny Picture)
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Should she tell him or not?
JP's question: I've been friends with this guy for two years, and I've always had feelings for him, but I think I've fallen in love with him... we're both off to different universities, far away from each other, in a few weeks... I don't know if I should tell him how I feel, or just leave things the way they are. (Ask A Real Guy)
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
HCG counts
Rachael 32 asks: "Is it normal that your blood hcg counts can be less than your previous test in 5th week?" (Ask A Real Mom)
Fact or fiction: crush on dad's girlfriend?
Tracey asks: "[My dad's girlfriend] is slim, gorgeous and dresses sooo sexy... I have a major crush on her...if I don't tell her I will never have the chance to kiss or go to bed with her, which I'm desperate to do. What next? (Ask A Real Girl)
Ask A Real Guy is the Blog of the Day
Boyfriend went to college, she's in high school
Elizabeth asks: I'm going to be a senior in high school and my boyfriend of 4 months went away for his first year of college... We agreed to have a long distant relationship... The other day I called him and he was playing pool with two girls and he gave the phone to them, because they wanted to talk to me... To make matters worse, it hasn't even been a week yet, and we talked on the phone a max of 15 min, and he said he should probably go... Am I in over my head?!? (Ask A Real Guy)
Monday, September 04, 2006
Obesity Pandemic Looms
Full article here:
SYDNEY, Australia -- An obesity pandemic threatens to overwhelm health systems around the globe with illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease, experts at an international conference warned Sunday... The World Health Organization says more than 1 billion adults are overweight and 300 million of them are obese, putting them at much higher risk of diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure, stroke and some forms of cancer... there are now more overweight people in the world than the undernourished, who number about 600 million... Among the most worrying problems are skyrocketing rates of obesity among children, which make them much more prone to chronic diseases as they grow older and could shave years off their lives, experts said. The children in this generation may be the first in history to die before their parents because of health problems related to weight...
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Sex is out of the question
Mary asks: "I meet a guy online. We both live across the ocean. He wants to come to visit me and see if we both click... And on the days he visits, should I stay in the same hotel room with him or separate hotel rooms (far away from my home town). Sex is out of the question." (Ask A Real Guy)
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Seeking Opinions
Sexual abuse in Colombia: Was the police right or wrong?
Cops videotape two 11-year-old girls getting sexually assaulted by a man. Did they have a good reason for what they did or not? Come share your thoughts. (Controversy Square)
Cops videotape two 11-year-old girls getting sexually assaulted by a man. Did they have a good reason for what they did or not? Come share your thoughts. (Controversy Square)
Friday, September 01, 2006
Flat Daddy and Flat Mommy
Have you ordered yours yet? If you don't know what they are, or if you know and have an opinion about them, check out our Controversy Forum.
Long distance relationships: a personal view
Irina shares her personal thoughts on long distance relationships based on her current personal experience. (Singles Center)