Tarzan...

Call me old fashioned, but somehow, I picture the perfect relationship between a man and woman to have some of the Jane/Tarzan element. The strong man on which the woman, when she feels she needs to, can lean on him for support. The big strong man that will take care of her, that would protect her, that would advise her, and of course to comfort her. Yes of course, a woman also provides comfort, love and nurturing to the man, but from some aspects she would like to feel that he is more capable than her, so she can lean there when needed. Like wanting more physical strength; I would like to call on my husband to open a stubborn jar, and not vice versa. I would like to be able to take his opinion and respect it and be able to listen to it.

What happens when the women are too self sufficient in these areas? The world today puts us through ordeals that make us as capable as, if not more, than a lot of men. Modernized or not, a woman would like to feel that although she is happy and able to share the load, if she wants to lay back and just let him take care of her, he can. That is the point, not if he will, because most of us would like to share responsibility, but that HE CAN. Every woman occasionally takes a step back and looks at her husband with Jane’s eyes, and evaluates her Tarzan. Content that he has it in him, she would happily take the step forward again into the modern world where we stand hand in hand.

What happens when a woman is really smart? One very tricky situation is when she is much smarter than him. Though it would probably help her win a lot of arguments, and be able to get what she wants, I do not know if it will satisfy her as a woman. To feel that she is the wiser one, the one to guide him, and I guess ultimately, it makes sense that she will assume leadership. is It not difficult t follow when you feel that you are more capable that your leader?
I sometimes feel that maybe part of what makes me feel this way is my star sign. Being a Pisces , the romantic side usually outweighs my practical side. Idealistic images in my mind of a relationship where the man is the mentor, protector, lover and provider, plus of course partner and bestest friend. My romantic Utopia I guess, or shall I better name it “La La land”?

All in the Details

Some would argue that a home design you love is based on paying attention to details. Therefore, your house would be surrounded by all the things you love. So there is no surprise a store can offer over a thousand models of residential mailboxes. If you get a lot of mail, and mailboxes are what you see at least everyday, why not chose one that pleases your eyes and in turn says something about yourself?

Having a certain mailbox can be a powerful statement. It's sometimes the first thing people see when coming to your house. So why not tell them you're stylish or trendy or just alternative? No reason not to, and that's why the commercial mailboxes business is expanding. Think about it: we personalize email inboxes with colors and everything. It seems only natural that some of us would take great interest in front door mailboxes too.

I for on love this model. I'd love to see it someone's yard on my way to work. And the company selling them also has a very nice affliate program. Efficient too: they pay you to join. Why? Probably because every other business offers such a program and they know they should go the extra step to convince you to join theirs.

This is a sponsored post.

Recommended Reading: On False Values

I've just run into an extremely interesting post on the false values and tactics today's musicians and magazines are promoting in what women's behavior and their relationships should be. The post depicts the very trendy belief that we are free to go for everything we might want, regardless of who else we harm. Go take a peak and tell us what you think!

I Now Pronounce You Robot and Woman

Humans might marry and have sexual relationships with robots within the century, according to an MSNBC article.

"My forecast is that around 2050, the state of Massachusetts will be the first jurisdiction to legalize marriages with robots," artificial intelligence researcher David Levy at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands told LiveScience.

What is the theory based on? Technological breakthroughs of course, but also ancient Greek myths and current behavior of people being attracted to computer programs:

Not only has science fiction explored this idea, but 40 years ago, scientists noticed that students at times became unusually attracted to ELIZA, a computer program designed to ask questions and mimic a psychotherapist.

Would that be an actual answer to gender differences and issues? And will humanity accept it easier than same sex marriage? Would gender count at this point? And what about babies? Will we cut all blood relationship between the baby and at least one of the parents? These are the questions I leave you with.

Comment the issue on Slashdot as well.

Skateboards, my loves

Why I love skateboards that much? Well easy! As I was growing up, up until secondary when we rediscovered ourselves, girls and boys had a golden rule of never mixing. Why was that an issue to me? Well, I liked football, tennis, climbing trees and other such "girlie" things. And I had a hard time convincing boys to let me play. And all this lasted until my step dead got me my first skateboard! It was cool, with incredible colors and none of us knew how to use it. But because I was the privileged one on our block, I was allowed to play with boys.

Now when I look at what skateboards are available, I am seriously taken aback. And look at the names, it's like talking about spaceships: California Advanced CAB 20 Scream Complete Skateboard, or Sector 9 38" Trylam Professional Longboard Deck Only, or Remote Control Raptor 2.2 Electric Skateboard (this one is my absolute favorite). And if this is not enough, you have some cool skateboarding equipment to help you practice, again with futuristic names: Factor X Quarter Pipe and Razor Punk Ramp.

These all look extremely addictive and if you have time to look, the prices are not that high. Especially when I compare them with what they used to cost here when I was a kid.

After School Assisted Learning

When children start school, most education is done within school premises. But it does not also end there. Homework preparation, getting ready for exams, it's all part of the same process. Most children do just great on their own and with some occasional help from their parents. But others need tutoring, not necessarily because they lack the ability to learn, but because they need more time doing so, or they don't pay enough attention in school or they simply reject some subjects.

When I was about to finish secondary school, most of us took Maths tutoring to prepare for our first major exam (the one before high-school). That was the trend, and needed or not, parents thought it was a great idea. Algebra, geometry, they all seemed to scare us all. But what I really needed homework help with was Physics, as most of us had trouble getting any of it from my first Physics teacher.

Now that we live in a technological paradise, online tutoring is also available. I guess it is a good idea, given that anything computer-related tends to attract children and teenagers more than a classical tutor.

Entry sponsored by TutorVista.com

Thinking of Moving Together with the One?

Moving together is something couples always look forward to. The privacy, the enormous time together, the play family game and the freedom to act as you both feel like. But what happens when things happen the wrong way? Not as in not getting along, but as in mishaps and wrong doings that generate an enormous amount of stress for both of you. Well, I came up with a list after this weekend of moving:

• breathe
• breathe again
• remember you are both tired and possibly cranky
• go over the reasons for doing this again
• think of the finish line
• forget about how the place looks with all the stuff inside, that will definitely change
• yes, you don't have everything you need, that happens
• yes, you will forget to buy everything in on the list at the supermarket, so breathe some more
• if you fight, remember it's because of the stress
• physical work helps with tension and frustration, and you have plenty of that coming your way
• think of that celebration dinner coming your way
• think of all the advantages of the new place's location
• breathe again
• and breathe some more
• cry if you have to
• remember you are also exaggerating

That's all folks! Have fun while at it :) I did!

Online Shopping with Coupon Chief

Coupon Chief is the place to go for those who believe that shopping at a lower price is better than a trip to the stores. I have to say more of those I've been talking to wish they could have all their shopping done online and delivered home, given the general lack of time that seems to affect all of us. Coupon Chief collaborates with all the online stores that matters, so there's no chance to miss out on what you are looking for: books, food and wine, computers, clothes, shoes, flowers, gifts or jewelry. All of these at a lover price.

I took a look at the HP Store. As you might now, I am a big fan. I love my HP notebook and have a bad habit of taking it everywhere with me, although sometimes I don't even go near the power button.

Given my current mood, waiting for desert after dinner, the Fanny May coupons to get delicious candy. Basically, everything you wanted is there, at a mouse click. I'd see this as the place to go for quick shopping, if you only see the need fulfilling part of it. If you see shopping as a social act, well, that's a different story.

Sponsored by Coupon Chief

GPS Inside Information

GPS systems can turn out to be life saviors when you have no idea where you're going exactly or how to get there. This was their original purpose, to safely lead people from one point to another without all the fuss that came along with asking for direction, learning how to find your way using a normal map or calling someone at your destination to guide you through.

As it happens with other gadgets and systems, their original purpose changed. Somehow, software and hardware GPS tracking systems shifted focus and turned into a security tool: personal or corporate. Personal as GPS is used to locate stolen cars or to track company owned cars and their drivers. GPS Insight for example helps employers make sure their drivers are not doing something else instead of working. As they are closely monitored, their location being updated every 2 minutes. What does the company gain: they don't waste money on wasted time, they make sure no fuel is stolen and make sure the route taken is the best available one. The provided maps are highly customizable and come in high resolution so that monitoring a few dozen vehicles does not turn into a torture. But their true differentiator, what makes them really stand out, is their unique ability to provide direct engine diagnoses. That means providing data regarding fault codes, speed, fuel consumption, odometer readings, idle time and so on.
The system does come with its costs, as we all know there never is any free lunch. The price, of about 1,5-2 USD per vehicle/per day is however justified by the benefits the product offers. GPS Insight also comes with support services and, something I found interesting, covers a number of incidents for each monitored truck or car.

The company targets service and trucking companies mostly, of any sizes, but it can easily be integrated in any field requiring transportation. I see hardware and software based GPS tracking services as highly important not only to prevent losses resulting from specific, planned action of employees. It is also necessary to prevent little errors (such as not avoiding a way to crowded route, or taking a longer one) which, if computed, amount to quite important losses.

GPS Insight has a very clean site, offering all the information you might need and a large number of product screenshots and live demo. The product also comes with a 30 days money back guarantee.

Entry sponsored by GPS Insight

Intelligent You Say?

I got this on my email, in a list of adds tagged ad (very) intelligent. I'd say funny at most. Does this look intelligent to you? Does it annoy you to see this stupid image of a woman being angry on another one because of her bigger breasts? I'll stick to my Canon for now and am not planning to ever buy a Nikon.

If you are a man reading this blog, does this make you want to buy the product?

The Heartless Corporate Woman Cliche

There's a story that has been going around by email about this corporate hot shot, admired by everybody, who suddenly starts crying in the bathroom. She then pours her heart out about wanting to have a child and not actually having time for the actual procreation. The moral of the story? Focusing on your career will make you miss out on so many things.

What is wrong with this story? One simple fact: the husband in the story is also too tired to procreate. So I don't really get how she'll do it all on her own if she stops focusing that much on her job.

Now I know that ideally we should all work 5 days a week, from 9 to 5 and then have enough time left to enjoy all the other pleasures life has to offer. All good till now, but that is still only an idealistic approach. In the Real Romania, it works like that for a lucky elite only. The rest of us women have to put more effort into making enough money to first afford other treats and only then make time for them.

And no one thinks about long term state of affairs. Ok, she has the child and gives up her job for the hubby and baby and all. Should I remind you all that in Romania the wife gets no monthly sums of money? Only the child does, and not always enough. Should I also remind you that a break of a few years can make getting back into the work field can be really hard? For most of us, there is no either/or. As generally women with an ongoing career still have a hard time raising children on their own.

Then again, did any of us stop to think why certain women (house wives) stay in dysfunctional marriages? Why they accept to be beaten, cheated on or treated as servants? Simply because they cannot afford to do something else. So having to postpone a pregnancy is not the worst thing that can happen to a woman. Why do we blow it out of proportions? Why do we keep fighting the successful career woman? Isn't it high time we stopped?

College Attendance Made Easier

College is not always easy to attend and within reach for all social classes. For a lot of young men and women, the fees are way too much and scholarships are not that many. So what to do in such a case? Student loan consolidation might be a solution. But what is that exactly? Student loan consolidation means you have some options when it comes to pay for college - you mix available scholarships with federal aid and with the most advantageous private student loans.

Such loans address parents, future college students and also graduate students, those having or looking for student loans. The NestStudent services in this area have an interesting slogan: college funding made easy. And this is something everyone would need, I guess. Material details sorted out so that they concentrate on what's really important: their education and their future career.

I haven't seen any real student loan consolidation services in Romania. But I am sure they'd be quite useful for a lot of college graduates whose parents cannot afford to pay for their education. Sure, there are some scholarships (most of them granted if students have great results during college), but there are still transportation, housing, meals and other such issues to worry about.

Post sponsored by NextSudent

Cliches in Tourism

Being a regular viewer of Euronews means that you watch a different variety of adverts compared to your average terrestrial channel.

The
tourism adverts are especially unusual, with destinations like Iran
(The slogan for there should be "Iran...enjoy it while you can"),
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Montenegro and Sochi (Russia) being featured.

How ever, pretty much every advert features the same scene:

A
lady in "traditional dress" proffering a bowl of fruit. I call this,
the Prithee Fair Maiden
Shot.

It's a cheesy cliche that smacks of "Come to our country, filled with comely wenches who will wait on your every need" .

Sell what you have to offer, not your self respect.

Eating Disorders, Again

As you all know, this is actually a topic I keep my eyes on. Mostly because I've come across people facing such issues and because it is a problem most people (those who suffer from it and their families) tend to ignore in some parts of the world. Romania is such an example, with no extensive studies being performed and with parents still seeing such disorders as a way to get more attention.

I've accidentally come across and article on the Change Therapy blog. featuring the results of a research performed on teenagers with bulimia. The results show that parents play a key role in their children's getting better. Read the article to find out more on the research and for additional information on such disorders.

Who Are the Women Who Rule the World?

Feel like getting to know powerful women in the world? Then Forbes has the right answer for you. A list of the most powerful women in the world. I've only got to see the first 30, but it all seems quite interesting. Enjoy reading.

Creating the Right Light

I am the type of girl who thinks light plays a key role in how I feel in a certain room. That is why I love rooms with enormous windows and why I am very careful in choosing the lighting for the nights I spend there.

Farreys. com gives you quite a large number of options for lighting and lamps. You have plenty to see and to choose from. But if you already know what you are looking for you can use the site's lighting search tool to help you narrow down your options.
My eye was particularly caught by the fine art lamps collection (from which I have taken the photos) and by the House of Troy lighting section. But there are a hundreds of possibilities on the site, to fit any type of room you might want to further decorate.
I am not all that crazy about their logo or their site look, they should work a little on those. But there are a few lamps I've seen that are really amazing. Take a look and tell me what you think.

Entry sponsored by Farreys.Com

Recommended Reading: "Men are very bad for women really"

BBC News published a very interesting article on reasons why women moving in with their partner gain weight. It was recommended by a friend and turned out to be a quite useful read. Therefore I am sharing it with you.

Among the most important reasons couples leaving (especially the women forming them) together gain weight are:

• the new found habit of eating male size portions
• more often meals at the restaurant
• replacing fruits and veggies with treats and more complicated dishes
• skipping the daily workout to spend more time with the significant other
• sharing the house chores
• going on the pill
• multiple pregnancies

As obesity expert Dr Haslam concludes, men are actually very bad for women :D. I believe it is more about self discipline and setting the correct priorities. Going to the gym together can be a perfect mix of time spent together and work outs.

What Women Really Want

...or be careful how you state your wishes :P

Recommended Reading: Top Ten Tips for Men Leading Women

The brain differences between men and women, meaning their different ways of thinking and approaching certain topics or situations, are subject to a lot of research being made and the findings are usually aimed at making you rethink your strategy. I do recommend this article giving advice to male leader to help them better manage the women in their team. It will give you a whole new perspective.

To be honest, I recommend keeping a close eye on Dr Ellen Webber's blog entires. From the few posts I've read, having a BrainBased activity can really help you create and maintain a focused and prosperous business.

Recommended Reading: Powerful Women

The online edition of Channel Web includes this interesting article on Powerful Women of the Channel. Stop by to red about some very powerful business women and their accomplishments.