#ehow.com

[bestofaaw]

Read my latest piece for the ehow.com style blog here

[smshngpmpkins-blog]

What women like in men.

Affinity for Children

Psych Central reports on a study by the University of California Santa Barbara that indicates that women are attracted to men who they perceive as liking children. This is particularly true with women who are looking for a long-term relationship.

Sense of Humor

A study presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference in 2009 shows that women value a sense of humor in a man. CNN Health quotes Kristofor McCarty, the author of the study, as indicating that women see humorous men as being more honest and intelligent.

Self-Confidence

Women like men who are sure of themselves. A nervous, uncertain guy may leave too much decision-making up to them, and that puts the burden on them to make the right decisions or risk disapproval. Nerves can also be contagious in a social setting.

Optimism

Optimism is not quite the same as self-confidence. Self-confidence shows as a can-do attitude. Optimism is believing that things beyond a man's control are going to work out just fine anyway. Since women can be natural worriers, the ability to offer reassurance is an attractive quality.

Ability to Listen

Women want to talk about their feelings. As a general rule, men do not. But a man who listens to a woman, who honestly pays attention and remembers what she has said, will draw a woman to him.

Clothing

Women are attracted to a well-dressed man. This doesn't necessarily mean he has to wear a Brooks Brothers suit 24/7, but he should look well put together even when he's wearing jeans. Dr. Jessica Ward Jones reports for Psych Central that color matters, too. A University of Rochester study showed that undergraduate women think men are sexually desirable when they wear red.

Smell

Pheromones are the body's natural chemicals that draw all living beings together on a primal level. They're actually odorless, but the psyche registers them even when the nose does not. Men can't control their own pheromones, but they have to be clean in order for a woman to pick up on them. The Social Issues Research Centre also reports that women have more heightened sense of smell than men do, so they're also sensitive to scents that a man splashes on after a shower.

Hormones

Women don't like the smell of stale male sweat. It tends to carry heavy hints of androstenone and this is a turn-off. But they are attracted to men they perceive as having high levels of testosterone, and they are pretty good at gauging a man's testosterone levels based on his facial features, according to research performed at the University of California Santa Barbara.The men women perceived as having more testosterone were the ones they indicated a preference for.

Respect

Women feel a little flutter when a man opens a door for them or pulls out a chair for them, but even more importantly, they're drawn to men who respect their opinions. They are also attracted to men who show respect for others.

Sex Appeal

When a man is focused on a woman, truly focused, it shows. It spells sex appeal. Sex starts well before the physical act. It involves romance, time spent wooing her, and small touches that aren't necessarily a rush to the finish line. Women are attracted to men whose mannerisms promise sensuality.

[uniqme]

[uniqme]

[briannaboulton-blog]

DIY Media: A New Generation of Thinkers

I want to learn how to play the guitar.

An odd statement to start off with maybe, but it has meaning behind it I swear.

I start out with this because ten years ago, had I said this to someone my age who was a starving student in University struggling to find time to sleep, let alone pick up a guitar, I might have been laughed at. Balancing school, work and a social life at 23 doesn’t always leave a lot of time or money to take on new hobbies that are as demanding as something like an instrument. Had I been 10 and asked my parents, my fate might have been different, but alas, as a youngin’ I lacked the patience for music.

This poses a problem as now, I REALLY WANT TO LEARN. I get jealous of those people who can just pick up a guitar and start strumming away and singing without a second thought. I wish that were me.

I REALLY want to learn how to play the guitar.

Lucky for me, YouTube.com exists. I can now come home at 11pm, turn on my laptop, load up a tutorial online, pick up my guitar, and start learning at my own leisure. Having this luxury is HUGE. The fact that I can follow a video or a guide online (most of the time for free too) and learn at my own pace thanks to graciousness of others willing to share their talents, provides me with the ability to pursue a dream I couldn’t have otherwise.

We now live in an age of new and exciting, ever growing media, a digitized culture based around expanding and sharing knowledge with each other. Thanks to the openness of the Internet, someone from Poland can upload a video of how to play the A chord and I can follow along from my couch here in Hamilton.

This new culture of Do It Yourself Media is thriving. It provides an outlet for people who want to teach and for those who want to listen. You can pretty much find a How To video on anything now-a-days. From makeup tutorials, to how to kiss, even learning how to sheer a sheep (I’m not kidding), our generation has become a group of great thinkers and entrepreneurs willing to share ideas and experience to help each other grow. In fact, there are whole websites completely devoted to DIY works, like eHow.com. How cool is that?

So Here’s My Test to You

1: Sit down for a minute and think about something you’re good at. Is it cooking? Singing? Growing an awesome beard? Are you an expert on how to put on sweater vests? It can honestly be anything.

2: Write down the steps on how to perform this action to the best of your awesome abilities.

3: Pull out your laptop or digital camera and show us how it’s done.

4: Load it up to Youtube, keek, eHow, vimeo, Soundcloud or Facebook. Tweet about it, make it known that you have a skill to share.

5: Sit back and watch, because people will appreciate it, even if it’s just one person who really didn’t know which holes to put their arms through in that confusing vest.

Why do it?

It’s fun to share your wisdom, and if you’ve ever partaken in other people’s DIY works, it’s time to give back.

Also, it’s great to continue on the gift of sharing.

Besides, if it weren’t for DIY Media, I wouldn’t know how to play the A chord 

[rockwithpeace]

How to amuse yourself: When having a conversation, keep eyes focused on other party's chin. Then, slowly change expression to one of horror, then of quiet amusement.

Works every time.

[deoptimize]

Better Color: Yellow Or Blue

n/t

[tashacaughtfire-blog]

Tumblr, you are making me mad.

So now, I'm off to surf ehow.com.