8 Male Behaviors She Secretly Loves
It’s hard to establish the exact characteristics that members of the opposite sex find attractive. While women fanatically ready themselves in anticipation for a date, men may drool over a sweaty gym bunny instead. Likewise, women aren’t always known for being the most straightforward when it comes to dishing on what they think is hot in a man. Most men have been nagged by girlfriends about some characteristic or other; but wouldn’t it be great to find out some of those behaviors are actually what keep your woman interested? Read on to find out if which of your “male” behaviors she secretly loves, and you may think twice about changing your ways. 1- Being a man’s man A woman doesn’t date a man in order to have a competitor for prettiest hair or shoes; it’s likely that the differences between the two of you are what attracted her in the first place. It is true that when you go out to the ballet or to a nice dinner, she’d like you to dress well and act better, but what she doesn’t admit is that, for the most part, she appreciates your masculinity, however unfinished it may be. 2- Saying no Having a mind of your own is a good thing, even if it means making her angry now and again. Guys tend to think that women want a boyfriend they can lead around by the nose, and who will do whatever he’s told. Women want a guy who has something to offer in terms of opinions and conversations. They also want a man with a personality. 3- Having a strong sexual appetite Though doubtful point for me. But occasionally women like this active men and hide it professionally. 4- Being independent You should recognize that if you have no other interests, hobbies or things to do, she will likely feel stifled in the relationship. Not only does your woman appreciate having space as much as you do, it is also sexy for a man to be independent and self-sufficient. A needy or unambitious mate is not attractive to most women. So, while you need to set aside time for your lady friend, making time for your career and hobbies can be just as important to a relationship. 5- Being jealous Remember: When it comes to jealousy, a little will go a long, long way, so use it very sparingly. Be aware of its power and allure: She can get really hot over a man who’s protective of her assets. 6- Showing occasional vulnerability Everybody likes feeling needed sometimes, and since women aren’t often in the position where they can protect their boyfriends, it’s nice to see you need help in other ways. It may sound silly, but sometimes helping you out in these little ways can make a woman feel good and more attracted to you. It’s not that she wants to be your mommy -- that’s likels to be your mommy -- that’s likely the last thing on her mind. It’s just that if you need help and she can offer it, she’ll feel powerful, helpful and important. 7- Hiding your feelings Sometimes, however, the fact that you’re a little bit mysterious or elusive can be a major turn-on. Half the fun is figuring out how to crack the case. Women enjoy the challenge of figuring out what you’re thinking without having to be told. So keep it a mystery; share the important stuff, and don’t feel pressured to give it all up when she asks you to. She might not hate it as much as you think. 8- Occasionally objectifying her Women want to be respected for their brains and abilities, just like men do. Women enjoy a compliment, just like men do. When it comes to looks, there are few better compliments than a man whose gaze wanders south of a woman’s face or strays to watch her walk away. Even a crude compliment will go miles from a trusted source. So don’t think you have to be squeaky-clean or even upstanding to get her attention. If you notice her, she’ll be flattered, and flattery will get you everywhere. Since we know women like attention, and since women like men, it’s likely that she smiles to herself when she thinks of you and your quirky antics. So don’t always take what she says at face value; in most cases, she actually likes you for you.  

'Father Oprah' Explains How to Make Love Last
Fr. Albert Cutié, a first-generation Cuban-American, is a parish priest in Miami's South Beach. Since 1998, he has hosted a variety of Spanish-language talk-show television programs that reach an estimated 24 million homes in 22 countries. He also writes a syndicated newspaper advice column, "Advice from a Friend." Dubbed "Father Oprah" by his fans, he has recently published a book, As a celibate Catholic priest, you've probably been asked this before. How can you give advice to married people and people who want to get married? You don't have to be mentally ill to be a good psychiatrist. I don't think you have to be someone who has a real problem in order to relate to people's problems. When you are in the help industry, especially as a priest, rabbi, or minister, you're constantly hearing from people talking about marriage or sexual dysfunction. People naturally turn to religious figures for advice. Half the people who write to me are not Catholic. In the Spanish-speaking world, everybody gets that. In the English-speaking world, however, people always ask, "What authority does that person have to talk about relationships?" It's prejudices and biases and stereotypes about what a priest can and can't offer. But in the Spanish-speaking world, that's never been an issue for me, because those who have listened to my shows or watched them or read my columns, they get what I do: It's no-nonsense practical advice for everyday life. It's not dogmatic and pushing religion down your throat. What advice do you give to single people about finding a mate who's right for them? People usually come to me with a very definite idea of who the ideal person is for them. It usually has to do with some physical characteristic. I tell them: That's not important. What is important is seeking out someone you can love and give your life to. You have to base your search for a mate on the capacity to form those strong and lasting relationships. What is the biggest impediment in today's society to forming strong and lasting relationships? The biggest issue is courtship and how people meet. There are things like speed-dating, where people say they are too busy to spend a lot of time getting to know someone and want to form a lasting relationship based on just a couple of dates. When people are serious about a relationship today, they have to be careful not to fall into the traps that are out there. For example, rushing into physical intimacy. The relationship begins with the carriage in front of the horse. We rush into this very deep aspect of the relationship before we know each other, before we share our common values and goals for life. People are getting hurt left and right. In my book, I talk about how to establish the foundations first. You talk in your book about our very high divorce rate. Are married people not making enough effort to save their marriages? There's a difference between getting out of a marriage because you've been abused, mistreated--and you've tried everything and there's nothing you can do--and going into a marriage thinking if things don't go my way, I'm getting out. There are good reasons to separate and divorce when there's an abusive relationship, when things are not well, and when people are inhumane with each other. But the real issue is that people go into marriage thinking, "When things don't go my way, I'm outta there." Just that attitude is single-handedly responsible for lots of divorces. People are not willing to struggle enough to keep this thing going. When they have issues—sexuality issues, communication issues, just basic unhappiness with themselves—they think, "If I get out of this, I'm going to feel better." What you find with a lot of couples is that they leave their marriages, get remarried, and find the same dissatisfaction once again. It doesn't actually get better. Divorce is never easy. It usually creates a real long-term emotional struggle, and people suffer. In some cases, it's the only way out—I totally understand—but in many cases, it's the attitude you enter the marriage with. Have you been able to persuade people to stay in a marriage where the problems weren't those obvious, serious ones such as abuse? I've never seen that as my role. What I try to do is to facilitate the couple with two things. First, to be totally honest with them, to be that third party that tries to be as neutral as possible. Second, I try to give them some common sense, practical advice without the guilt trip of "Oh, you're failing your marriage." People need a helping hand, not a judge. Let God be the judge. When I see that the couple is serious, which most of the people are, I send them to counseling. I don't want them to think if they came to me, that's it. No. You came to me, you're beginning to scratch the surface. You need to commit yourself to a long-term counseling situation. Psychology Today, which is not very church-friendly, put out a study—I believe in 1987 or so, I was in the seminary and I remember reading it with great care—it said Catholic celibate priests are among the best marriage counselors. People said, "Why?" Well, because when people come to them, people believe their advice is not just based on a common-sense practical psychological authority, it's also based on a spiritual moral authority. If the priest says to them, "You know, you need to seek a counselor," people are more prone to follow through. In the book, I say, "Seek wise people, people who have lived successful marriages, and talk to them." A lot of girls having trouble in their marriages, who are they hanging out with? Their divorced and separated friends. Well, guess what? That ain't gonna help you very much. We have life coaches for work, we have mentoring programs. Why don't we have mentors for our personal lives and relationships? Your book seems to gently prod people toward what is essentially a traditional Christian view of marriage: fidelity, sticking with marriage for the long haul, self-giving. Will those Judeo-Christian values work for everyone? A lot of people who have no religion must come to you. If you want to enter a lasting relationship, you need common human values, apart from the spiritual values of faith and religion. Sometimes we may confuse traditional Christian values with basic human values: respect your neighbor, treat others well. But the book offers a perspective of faith. Faith and spirituality somehow help couples. It helps those who are seeking something more, a greater challenge.  

LAS VEGAS--The digital living room is taking many forms, and Microsoft is hoping to have a place in all of them.
In his annual address to the Consumer Electronics Show here, Chairman Bill Gates showed off a new home server and a new crop of small entertainment PCs, as well as new software that will allow the Xbox 360 to serve as a gateway to Internet-based television. Gates kicked off his keynote before a crowd of about 5,000 at the Venetian by saying he would be back next year, despite plans to step down from full-time work from Microsoft in 2008. "After that, I'm not sure they'll want to invite me because I might talk more about infectious diseases," he said, referring to his philanthropic work. "If they want me, fine." Gates' speech also served as a coming-out party for Windows Vista. The operating system was released to businesses in November and goes on sale in new PCs and on store shelves at the end of this month. In particular, Gates showed a number of new PCs designed for Vista. One of the more striking designs is a round, white Vaio Media Center PC from Sony. Another of the new PCs is an all-in-one from Hewlett-Packard that features a flip-up LCD touch screen. Gates also showed off a new tablet PC from Toshiba, one of the first models that will include a second SideShow display for access to alerts and notifications even when the screen is closed. Also on display will be a new ultramobile PC from Medion. "The strength of Windows has always come from the ecosystem around it," Gates said. On the home-server front, Microsoft is touting a new crop of devices that consumers can use as a central place to back up and store videos, pictures and music. The devices, due out later this year, will use Windows Home Server software from Microsoft and be built by computer makers, including the MediaSmart Server from HP. The software from Microsoft is based on Windows Server 2003, but Microsoft is aiming to make the interface much more friendly to consumers. Gates said that the home server will link up information stored on PCs, Xboxes, Zune and even allow remote access for when you are away from the home. "We think its a category that will explode in importance," Gates said. Ideally, the devices would cost somewhere between $400 and $500, not much more than current network-attached storage products that HP and others have been touting for managing home media. HP currently has two Media Vault storage products ranging from $379 to $550. Gates also touted the high-end version of the new operating system, Windows Vista Ultimate. To lure people to that pricier version, Microsoft is offering some additional features, known as Ultimate Extras. One of the extras is DreamScene, which lets consumers have a video, rather than a still image, as their screen backdrop. Users can either run their own digital video or choose premade video such as a cascading waterfall or a field of windswept sunflowers. Microsoft included a reference to Ultimate Extras in test versions of Vista dating back to June, but had not detailed the perks until now. Microsoft also revealed new content partners for its Media Center PC. The remote-control-based entertainment software will add new channels from Nickelodeon, Fox Sports and Showtime. The SportsLounge from Fox will allow people to watch a game while simultaneously getting scores and video from other games. Showtime's channel will offer hundreds of hours of programming and allow non-subscribers to purchase individual episodes of some Showtime programs.