Our world is constantly changing, and so is our society. Social practices are changing all the time. What men wouldn’t dream of doing 10 years ago is slowly becoming commonplace. The 21st century man is able to express his feelings and emotions, cook, decorate, and dress stylishly, all while maintaining his masculinity. So where does that leave you? If you are visiting this blog, you're probably looking for some tips on how to improve your lifestyle. This is your chance to get started.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Commentary – CD and DVD Clubs.

If you are considering joining one of these clubs, think again! The clubs are designed to get you in with a great deal like, “7 free CDs, buy 1 at full price with nothing more to buy ever!” This will reel you in, and then they start sending you a CD or DVD every month. The hard part is getting them to stop; this isn’t just hard, it’s nearly impossible! The staff is trained to try and sell you the club if you try to quit, so they will offer incentives. The site actually has a “cancel membership” option if you search and scour very hard, but once you get there the page says this:

We're sorry! Our website is unavailable right now, while we perform System maintenance. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please stop by later today, when our site will be back up and running.

The page has been like this for 10 days so far, obviously another tactic to try and keep your credit card on file, so they can continue sending you these DVDs that seem to continue coming no matter what you do. They are like zombies in a horror film, they just won’t die! Of course, there are handy links on the cancel membership page and this lovely line:

If you are interested in joining the ColumbiaHouse.com Music or DVD Clubs, click on one of the links below.

VIEW THIS PAGE HERE

Saturday, March 26, 2005

Dating - Quick tips to score you big points on a date:

If you are having her over to your place, buy a tablecloth, flowers, and some candlesticks. Set the table with the tablecloth, flowers, and candlesticks, she will be very impressed and perhaps even aroused. Make sure your place is clean, don't just pick things up, vacuum, dust and wipe things down with household cleaners. Now cook or barbeque something you know she will enjoy. Have a bottle of wine chilling if she likes white or opened if she likes red. Do not drink too much on your own or when she gets there, you may do something foolish which will only lose you points.

Have a small gift and a card with a handwritten note in it, the gift can be something as simple as a scarf or a bottle of perfume, but you will score more points for getting her something thoughtful. Giving a gift just because you are thinking of her is much more romantic than giving her a gift on her birthday or Valentine's Day, because it is unexpected.

If you haven’t taken her out for a while, take her on an official date. One of the most common complaints from women in long term relationships is their mate no longer takes them out or does special things for them. Take her on a first date again; this will be fun for both of you. Pretend you are going to prom again, rent a limo, take her to a nice dinner then out for a drink and some dancing, you are sure to get bedroom point for this.

Get involved in an activity together. Sign up for a Spanish class, or a pottery class, but you will score a lot more points if it’s a dance class, women love to dance. Give her a card telling her you have signed up for the classes, because you love her.

Don’t talk too much. She will want to share equally in the conversation. If she is dominating the conversation tell her, but nicely. And don’t talk too fast, this makes you appear nervous.

Make and hold eye contact. It appears that you are not paying attention if you are not looking in the eye of the person who is speaking to you, even though you may be. It is also considered rude not to be looking at the person who is speaking to you.

Stand or sit up straight. This shows confidence and good manners.

Practice good hygiene. Women want a man who takes care of himself. Make sure your nails are not too long and do not have dirt under them. Make sure you don’t smell, if you have been told you have body odor, use deodorant and a little aftershave, but don’t use too much this will only put her off (you should only need about one sprits.) Learn more about hygiene in the chapter on grooming.

Listen to your mother. Your mother probably told you not to chew with your mouth open, or not to talk with your mouth full, to sit up straight, etc. Women also respect a man who has a good relationship with his mother.

Recipes - Frittata Primavera

This is an Italian omelet that can be served for a starter or a main course, it’s quite easy to make, and very tasty. Primavera means springtime, so it should have a mix of fresh vegetables.

3 teaspoons olive oil
I medium onion
½ cup fresh asparagus pieces
8 oz of fresh spinach
handful of finely chopped fresh parsley or a tsp of dried
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups egg substitute or 6 eggs

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a skillet and cook the onion 2 or 3 minutes or until soft. Stir in the asparagus, spinach, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until tender but still slightly crisp, 3 to 5 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Beat the egg substitute or eggs season with a bit of salt and pepper. Pour in the egg mixture and cook until just set on the bottom and around the edges, but still wet on the top, 1 minute. Scatter the parsley over the top and set in the oven to finish cooking, 2 minutes. Dust the top with the Parmesan cheese, cut into wedges and serve.

Friday, March 25, 2005

Impress Her - Cook For Her

Some say that nothing turns a woman on more than a man who knows how to cook. All the recipes in this blog are all quite easy, just take your time and don’t get stressed. Cooking should be fun and enjoyable. Put some music on and relax.

You will need to inventory your kitchen and perhaps get a few new items. Make sure to use the proper utensils. If you have not really cooked before, you may not own knives or pots and pans. Buy yourself a decent quality set of knives, although I use a chef's knife for most everything. Make sure to keep you knives sharp. There are many varieties of knife sharpeners are that are easy to use. There is nothing that looks more pathetic than someone chopping vegetables with a steak knife. Salad looks best served in a salad bowl; this is pretty elementary stuff, isn’t it? Get yourself a pepper mill, fresh ground pepper tastes much better. Try to use fresh whole foods in place of prepackaged, this includes fresh herbs.

I love to cook and as you get more comfortable in the kitchen, so will you. Cooking can be therapeutic; my dad seems to get enjoyment out of cooking and is a great cook.