What a Bonus

Goldman Sachs Chairman and Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein won the battle of the Wall Street bonuses raking in a record $53.4 million for 2006. Blankfein earned a cash bonus of $27.3 million, $10.5 million in options and the rest in restricted stock. You could probably buy a lot of Starbucks gift cards with that, right? Here's to hoping your holiday bonus is just as fruitful. Read the full article here.

These Ladies Are Golden

For the first time ever, the U.S. Mint is dedicating a series of coins to the nation's first ladies. First up is Martha Washington. Each coin will be a half ounce of pure gold and sold as commemorative items retailing at about $300. Sometime in the future, they'll also release bronze versions of these coins which would sell for a more reasonable $3 to $4 a piece. So when can you expect to see the wives of our founding fathers? In May around Mother's Day. To read more, click here.

Men & Women Feel Different Pain

New research at the University of Maryland Dental School conference suggests that men's and women's nervous systems process pain information differently and act on it differently. This new research is just building on what other have already reported. This article from The Washington Post says that everything from estrogen to emotions are considered factors in the perception and processing of pain. So maybe in the future when your spouse is complaining of pain and you think they need to suck it up, realize that what they're feeling could be much more severe than what you perceive.

eHarmony Marriage

The people who help connect couples through the chemistry of science have recently launched a new resource for married couples called eHarmony Marriage. Based on their website, it looks like they've got two different marriage programs for users to choose from. To get started, eHarmony marriage asks visitors to answer four simple questions. The program gives users a 40-page marriage profile with details on 10 key areas. If anyone have done this, please let us know what you think.

Blood Diamonds

A few weeks back, James Park wrote an article (click here) anticipating a backlash from the diamond industry over the movie "Blood Diamond". Well, he was right. The World Diamond Council trade group has launched an estimated $15 million PR and education campaign to combat the movie's images of diamond smuggling from war-torn African countries. This article article in Advertising Age also mentions that diamond-industry powerhouse, DeBeers is also putting together a huge PR push. The WDC also launched the website DiamondFacts.org to help educate consumers on new procedures for the diamond industry. So where do you stand with diamonds?

Tiger Woods: Marriage Makes Him Better Golfer

When you're the greatest golfer in the world, pressure can be intense. In this article from USA Today, it's reported that Tiger Woods credits his marriage and outside interests as making him a better golfer because he says they help him keep focus during competition. So what are the outside interests? He's just started getting involved in designing golf courses. I wonder how he would make a Tiger-proof course? Nevermind, with a successful career and happy marriage, there's no such thing as a Tiger-proof course.

New Parenting Resource

Now we don't aim to be a parenting resource, but sometimes being a parent definately affects marriages. And with that in mind, we've come across a website with quite a few parenting-related articles. It can be found at http://parentinginfo4u.com/. This site includes articles on everything from parenting tips to being a new parent. It even has articles depending on the age of your child, like being a teen parent.

Happily Ever After

In most fairy tales, the credits start to roll right after the royalty get married. So what happens then? The Queen of Jordan has revealed her secrets to marriage success. Among them Queen Rania says, "Teamwork! While my husband obviously has more of a political and economic role, I complement him by working with civil society organisations." She goes on to say, "He is interested in my work and I am interested in his; we have to be because everything we do is so inter-related. We are each other's biggest fans and toughest critics."

To read more, click here.

Mom Has Son Arrested for Opening X-mas Gift Early

Kids get real excited around the holidays. They snoop around in the cupboards, look under beds and every once in a while, they'll find and play with a toy before Santa has a chance to drop it off. Well, not in Brandi Ervin's home. She had the cops come and arrest her 12-year-old son for larceny. They put him in cuffs and took him to the police station. I'm guessing they'll need to exchange they Gameboy he was playing with for a new pair of shorts. Read the full article here.

Pimpin' Ain't Easy

According to this release, the latest issue of Rolling Stone magazine has an interview with Snoop Dogg, in which he opens up about his life as a real life pimp and how that almost cost him his marriage. What? Who'd a thunk it. Snoop was so heavy into the game that was the recipient of the Bishop Don Magic Juan Lifetime Achievement Award. And while Snoop says pimping helped him sever past gang ties, it nearly ruined his bond with his current gang--his family.

Free SwapThing

Looking for a great gift for your husband or wife this year but don't have a great budget? There's a website called SwapThing that lets members swap items. Users post what they're willing to swap and what they're looking for. A recent swap that they've announced was a 10 carat diamond bracelet for a Mitsubishi 3000GT 71K Miles (It's an $8,000 Stereo). For the first week of December SwapThing is allowing free swaps for the first week in December. Swaps are normally a couple bucks a swap. If you have items of lesser value than what you're looking for, then you can add money to your offer. Hey, it beats a stocking full of coal.

Wii Love It

If you've ever wanted to get your lady into video games, now's the time. Already having sold over 600,000 units in its first eight days of availability, the Nintendo Wii is showing consumers where the next generation of gaming is going. Using a revolutionary new wireless controller, the Nintendo Wii is converting non-gamers, like your wife, by the thousands. Used as a handheld pointing device the controller can detect motion and rotation in three dimensions allowing the player to be completely involved in the game. The Wii comes bundled with a five game sports pack. Like golf? Well, stand up (talk about a new generation of gaming right there) and swing the controller like you would a golf club. Boxing? Use the controller and an attachment like boxing gloves and knock your spouse, err opponent out. If you've ever wanted to play video games but are afraid the machine might kill you, and your wallet, check out the Wii.

Start Slouching

You know how you were always told to sit up straight and not slouch, but when you corrected your posture your back hurt? Well, Scottish researchers say new imaging technology shows that sitting up straight does hurt your back. I can't wait to e-mail this to mom! The best position, they say, is that of a La-Z-Boy recliner. Wow, this just gets better and better. Soon researchers will tell us that beer and buffalo wings are staples of an Adonis diet. To get all the info on slouching being good for you, click here.

Fight Diabetes with Mangos

A new study that was presented at the Australian Health and Medical Research Congress suggests that mangos can help prevent diabetes and high cholesterol. Extracted from the the story it says...

"Dr Sarah Roberts-Thomson of the university's school of pharmacy, who is supervising the work, says early results suggest some compounds in mangoes work by activating or inhibiting groups of receptors known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, or PPARs.

"We don't know yet how the whole thing's going to play out but we know some of the individual components activate these receptors or even inhibit them," she says.

"That could end up with positive nutritional health benefits for diabetes and high cholesterol."

PPARs are also increasingly being linked to colon and breast cancer, and the study will investigate whether compounds in mangoes can also kill cancerous cells. "

For the full article, click here.

Party Excuse Generator

During this time of year it's common to get together with those you don't normally see. Sometimes, there's a reason you don't normally see some of those people. For the occassions where you wish you had an excuse, visit the Holiday Excuse Generator. The excuse generator asks a few simple questions such as how bad do you want to avoid the get together? Or how do you feel about the host. When it's all said and done, it writes a simple letter, maybe not the most gentle of letters on how you can break the bad news.

The Truth About Turkey Day

This week, we posted an aritcle on the truth about Puritans. The good folks at The Chicago Tribune did a little exposing too, revealing that the original Thanksgiving menu back in 1621 probably didn't even include turkey! That's right, back at the original Thanksgiving day table, it was more likely that they were eating duck, geese and/or shellfish. There was also no pumpkin pie, white potatoes and cranberries. Many of you are probably wondering if they had the cream of mushroom and green bean casserole? Probably not. For the real scoop, check out the article here. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone, we'll be taking the day off.

Flying Turkeys

It turns out that more people plan on flying on Thanksgiving than last year. According to this article from USA Today, 66% of the turkey-day traffic will be flying, compared to 63% last year. One reason it may be up is because it's cheaper to fly on Thanksgiving than the day before. According to travel consultants Sabre Airline Solutions, travelers will save an average of $36 by flying Thursday instead of Wednesday; making the average ticket $141. When all is said and done, experts predict that this will be the busiest air travel day ever on Thanksgiving. Maybe you should consume some tryptophan before you arrive at the airport.

Also, don't miss James Park's article on traveling over holidays.

Thanksgiving Dinner Costs $38.10

The American Farm Bureau Federation has been calculating the price of Thanksgiving for 21 years. This year, they say the comma-inducing feast will run $38.10 for a table of 10. That's a $1.32 price increase from last year. Data is collected from a shopping list that includes: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream and beverages of coffee and milk. This article from the Voice of Agriculture breaks down the price of each item and also gives a chart of meal price over the years.

Silicone Is Back

It's been 14 years since the FDA had banned silicone breast implants and today they've officially lifted that ban. One interesting thing, however is that silicone breast implants are okayed for women 22 years old and up, but they say they most likely won't last a lifetime and women will need a second surgery later in life. This article from The Mercury News in San Jose says, "Last year, 291,000 women had their breasts surgically enlarged in the United States, a 37 percent increase since 2000, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons." It also states that 39,000 women has their implants removed.

Merry X-Mas Uncle Sam

The IRS is sitting on $92 million in tax refund checks that they couldn't deliver last year. The average refund waiting to be claimed is $963. Not a bad chunk of change, eh. The checks went unclaimed because the IRS doesn't know where to send them. Residents had moved without notifying the IRS or the Postal Service. The IRS says:

"Taxpayers can use the "Where's My Refund?" feature on the home page of the IRS.gov Web site to learn the status of their refunds. To use it, a taxpayer must enter a Social Security number, filing status (such as single or married filing jointly) and the refund amount shown on the taxpayer's 2005 tax return. When the information is submitted, "Where's My Refund?" will display the status of a refund and, in some cases, provide instructions on how to resolve potential account issues.

Taxpayers can access a telephone version of "Where's My Refund?" by calling 1-800-829-1954."

We've supplied the link here.

Shocker! Work Stress Affects Marriage

It's not really a surprise that work stress can affect your marriage and that's why we were happy to find this article. It offers a few tips and advice to take into consideration. Among them: "What is more important? Married life or work life? New work /job can be found, but getting another person to marry will be difficult. What about after retirement? Who will be with us- our spouse or our company? We never think about these issues. For us the stress at that moment is the center of our life. Our mind is occupied with that stress. Therefore when we reach home, we are ready to speak harshly, blame family members, showing irritation and express our frustration in many other ways."

To check out the full article click here.

Mile High Control

Remember that Mile High article we wrote a few weeks back? Well, when we said you know the terrorists have won when you can't do the ditty in thin air, we didn't mean that people should threaten the flight attendant so they can get a little nook nook. A California couple got busted while they were waiting on a plane in Phoenix during a layover. The flight attendant requested that they keep their passion on the DL, but the male partner replied, "I'm going to give you one warning to get out of my face." Not a smart move. The couple is now facing federal charges. Remember, bathroom, discreetness and obey the flight attendant, otherwise you may have a new "partner" behind bars! The full article from CNN is here

Read Books By E-mail

Okay, so we may be literature junkies, but other people like to read books too--honest. This will be the last book-related blog for at least another, um, 48 hours. DailyLit is a website that will e-mail sections of books to your e-mail at a frequency you set, making it nice and easy for you to keep up your reading while not having to lug those tomes around. Since it's sent to your e-mail, that means you can read it on your Crackberry, Treo or other portable e-mail device. Pretty neat. Currently, all the books offered are public domain, sorry Potter fans. But at least you can catch up on your classics! A link to their website is here.

The Secret to Marriage--3,000 Miles?

Learning a little somethin' from the old timers. Maldwyn Hughes, 86, from Bangor, in north Wales, has been married to Shirley Luck-Hughes, 79, for nine years. Their secret? Shirley lives in America, 3,000 miles from Maldwyn. They speak twice a week on the phone and they visit for only a few weeks during the year. It's not what you expect from traditional happy ending. This couple's has rewritten the story and their's ends like this, "and they lived apart happily ever after." Would you consider living apart from your spouse? Here's a link to the full story.

It's Back

Ladies and Gentlemen get your ovens ready. Yes, it's here and Hitchedmag.com has your holiday survival guide to make this season one that you can deal with. Our resident experts have you covered-from the inevitable stress of the holiday season, to dealing with the relatives, to making the holidays a little hotter under the sheets. Make sure to stay tuned as hitchedmag.com covers you with some holiday help.

Still Time For Flu Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has sent us a reminder that it's still not too late to get your flu vaccine. The release says:

CDC recommends that beginning at 6 months of age and up to their fifth birthday children get a flu vaccine each year.

Children under the age of 5, even if they are healthy, are among those at highest risk for flu-related complications such as seizures and ear infections. The flu, which can cause symptoms including high fever, headache, cough, nausea, weakness, and muscle aches, is contagious and often transmitted through sneezing and coughing. While some people suffer mild symptoms, others are too ill to work or attend school.

Individuals who received the vaccine last year likely won't be protected from this year's influenza because the flu viruses change from year to year which is why the flu vaccine is updated annually.

To find out when or where to get a vaccine, contact your doctor or local health department. To find a clinic near you, visit the Web site, www.flucliniclocator.org and enter your zip code.

Warning Signs of Emotional Affairs

The OC Register has 10 warning signs of emotional affairs. According to this article, some of the signs include purchasing inappropriate gifts, sharing intimate emotions, thinking and daydreaming about the person and looking forward to the next time that you see that person. Each item goes into a little more depth in the article. So have you ever had an emotional affair problem in your relationship? What did you do about it? And what's worse, a physical or emotional affair? Let us know what you think.

Paperback Swap

Here's a neat website for you book readers. It's called PaperBackSwap and can be found at www.paperbackswap.com. Essentially, book lovers list the books that they would like to swap and receive credit to swap books every time they send one out. When sending out a book, you're responsible for the postage, but it comes around when others send books your way. The site says postage typically runs $1.59 per book. The website boasts over 800,000 books in circulation. Members also rate books, so it adds a little web 2.0 panache.

Chris Calls It Quits

Funny man Chris Rock is filling for divorce from his wife of nearly 10 years, Malaak Compton-Rock. Married in November of 1996 Rock once told NBC's Stone Phillips that marriage was "beautiful" but added, "If you're a guy, [your individual self] is dead. Get rid of you. Take yourself to the door and wave. Hey, see you later. It sounds horrible. I'm happier than I've ever been now that I've shot myself in the head." Ironically, Rock is currently in post-production for the film "I Think I Love My Wife." Maybe they could have gotten some pointers from the best resource on marriage... that's right, hitchedmag.com

Marriage Deal Breakers

According to this article Nicole Kidman has told her husband of four months, Keith Urban, that he better check-in to rehab or she's gone. This got us thinking. What are some other deal breakers in marriage? Obviously infidelity or any kind of abuse. But when someone has a problem like this, do you think it's the role of the significant other to try and help them or drop an ultimatum? Let us know what your deal breakers are and we may turn it into an article. E-mail us at feedback@hitchedmag.com

Spec Your Hood

Do you know the makeup of your neighborhood? Neighboroo does. It's a pretty neat website that uses U.S. Census data to give maps and information about everywhere in the U.S. For example, you can see how many Republicans or Democrats are in your hood. Or find out how many married households or crime rates or household incomes, or just about anything else you want to know. Okay, so their are limitations, but it may open your eyes to where you live.

Mobile E-mail Made Easier

Are you serious about getting your e-mail on your phone? Then get a Treo or Blackberry. But if you're not ready to fork over the big buck's your friends at Google, Thursday, released a new version of its mobile Gmail application that makes it much easier to access e-mail on your phone. Google's new mobile Gmail software, once it has been downloaded, is relatively easy to use-archiving a message takes 11 clicks on the old version but only two clicks on the new version. People who own one of 300 different phone models will now be able to view PDFs, Microsoft Word documents and attached photos, Google says. Although getting e-mail on your phone isn't the easiest thing to do, at least it's a step in the right direction for non-PDA users.

14,888 Years of Marriage Knowledge

In Toledo, OH over the weekend, 344 couples met at a church to renew their vows. Among the couples attending some were celebrating 60 and 50-plus years of marriage. Among some of the knowledge they shared included: "It's all about family," John Grosswiler of Norwalk said. "That's been our life, the two of us and our children." That, he said, "and my wife putting up with me all these years."

Diane and Jerry Podgorski of Toledo, who have been married 50 years, have differing opinions on the secret to long marriages.
"You bite your tongue a lot. You walk out the door and take a walk," she said. He said: "You get hearing aids and you can shut them off."

Alice Bauer, said, "Never hold a grudge. If you have an argument, never go to sleep without kissing each other good night. You may not be talking, but at least you're still kissing."

For more words of wisdom, check out the article here.

Safest Cities

It's now gets dark earlier and it will be especially spooky tonight, but knowing that you're in a safe city should help ease the nerves. This year, Brick, NJ was ranked as the safest city in the nation, which is based on FBI data. Conversely St. Louis is ranked as the most dangerous. Hmm, good new, bad news for that town this month, huh. Click here to access the full list. We feel pretty good because our headquarters in Huntington Beach, CA is ranked 29th--not bad. Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone!

The "WAF" Factor

Listen up married men! There's a new buzz word in consumer electronics, and it might just be what gets you your next totally awesome gadget and/or TV. Known as the "Wife Acceptance Factor" or WAF for short, this phenomenon came to Cnet News.com blogger David Carnoy one day when a couple of junior editors on the electronics team commemorated his getting hitched by creating a mockup of a blog Carnoy had posted titled "Fully Equipped" to the apply named "Fully Whipped." According to Carnoy, the title read, "Honey, is it all right if I spend $50 at Best Buy?"

Carnoy hasn't discovered anything new, but perhaps just a simple marketing ploy by electronics manufactures to give women a nod and men a wink. We at hitchedmag.com offer our own nods in our "Money" section under "Budget" and "Splurge." It's sure to get the WAF factor of approval.

More Spooky Date Ideas

USA Today has a list of 10 places to visit that will send a shiver up your spine. These are spots from all over the country including the Exorcist steps in Washington DC, Edgar Allan Poe's grave in Baltimore, the Dawn of the Dead mall in Monroeville, PA, Friday the 13th's Camp Crystal Lake in Blairstown, N.J. and more. Each location is given a brief description and links to more information. If you don't like those ideas, you can always read April Pennington's ideas in her "Date Night" column. This week's column includes other Halloween-themed date ideas. Check it out here.

Still Paying At The Pump?

It's been a while since we've heard anything about crazy gas prices. Around here in California, gas is still regularly $2.50 a gallon, which by the standard of the $3+ a gallon seems like a deal. We wrote an article about it early in the summer (click here). Then Exxon released their quarterly profits that makes you think, well, maybe we are still paying too much. Exxon recorded the second highest quarterly profits ever at roughly $1.5 billion. We did a little math and that comes out to over $11,000 per minute! This article from the Washington Post has more information on the record profits. Our article concluded with the following: "...gas prices won't be coming down anytime soon; remember the outrage at $2 a gallon? So before you have to take out a second mortgage to fill your gas tank, do some research, plan ahead, and let the good times roll."

The Washington Post article brings up the question of how much is too much for gas? Did $3+ affect your driving habits? How about $2.50? With the holidays just around the corner, will your travel plans change? Rather than writing another article on the subject, we thought we'd just bring it up in the blog.

Fertility Gap

With the elections just around the corner, it might be pretty easy to determine which district is going to which party--just look at the number of children in the district. Republican districts generally have more kids where Democrat districts have less. Don't think that this fact is lost on the candidates either. This article from USA Today mentions candidates who talk kids, kids, kids in their speeches. Also mentioned in a previous post and also in this article, is the fact that Democrat disctricts also have less married couples. Why do you think this is?

Remote Control Battle

A book called How to Survive Your Marriage offers tips from real couples on just about everything, including how couples settle the remote control dispute. Advice cited on the Lansing State Journall website from this book includes: "Find what shows you both like to watch and put the clicker on the coffee table." -Christian, Montclair, N.J., married 5 years; "We don't share the remote. It is his." -D.N., Tampa, Fla., married 25 years; "Who cares about remotes? Get another TV! Besides, sedentary activities should be limited!" -Anonymous, Tampa, Fla., married 24 years; and "I'm a compulsive muter, and I'm lucky that my wife allows me to control the clicker at all times." -Geoff, Ann Arbor, married 2 years. What's your secret to resolving your remote battles?

To go to the book's website, click here.

Zombie Walks

Okay, so we know we're inundating you with Halloween stuff, but we just can't help it. So here's another one. Have you ever heard of Zombie Walks? Basically, it's where people get together dressed as zombies and walk through a mall or park or some public arena in character. This website, www.zombiewalks.com has forums where people schedule their next zombie walk in various cities throughout the U.S. and world. Please tell us that someone is doing a documentary on this. If not, someone should be. Go to the site and find some pictures, pretty creepy. Then again, it could be one of the more interested dates you and your dead spouse can go on.

Gift Card Laws

Gift card season is just around the corner and ConsumersUnion.org has a great list of gift card laws by state. Pretty good thing to know if you're the recipient or purchaser of a gift card. For example, in Connecticut their are no expirations and no inactivity fees; in Kentucky it's no expiration for one year; in Massachusetts it's no expiration for 7 years. In some states, the law varies on the dollar amount on the gift card while others it's based on percentages. Check out the full list here.

Decaf = Liars!

That's right, a study by the University of Florida shows that almost all decaffeinated coffees contain some caffeine. That's just wrong. The study suggests that if someone drinks 10 cups of decaf a day, it could equal the caffeine amount of a regular coffee. We want to know who's drinking 10 cups a day outside of truck drivers and college students during finals week? The bottom line they say, is that decaffeinated coffee is not the same as caffeine free. So now you know, you're welcome. Click here for the full article.

Renew Your Vows At Sea

USA Today has a regularly updated Cruise Log offering news and tips pertaining to the cruise industry. Today's tip highlights the trend of couples' renewing their marriage vows while out to sea. Celebrity, Carnival, Princess and other lines offer vow renewal programs that include everything you need including the ceremony, after-party and even breakfast in bed the next morning. Ceremonies start as cheap as $385 and get more expensive with the added options. Click here to access the Cruise Log.

Diagnosed As A Shopoholic

Compulsive buying is not just a habit, but it could be a psychological disorder. New research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry says as many or more than 10 million people have a problem of purchasing items they don't need, can't afford and ultimately put themselves and family in financial ruin. The Washington Post has an article that offers true accounts of individuals who drop $10k on jewelry while they're channel surfing. Also mentioned in the study is that men are just as likely as women to be compulsive shoppers. Read the whole article here.

Married Couples Are Minority

For the first time, this country is now made up of more single folks than married households, according to the US Census Bureau. This doesn't mean that marriage is dead, however, as this article points out, the actual number of married households has never been higher. So what does this mean? Well, that people are weighing their options before getting married or living together before marrying. Also, many of these households were once married households...the stats show that they will marry again too. One thing's for sure, the face of this country is definitely changing.

Calorie-Burning Beverage

Coca-Cola and Nestle are partnering to release a drink they claim will help you burn calories. It's a carbonated drink called Enviga, and includes a blend of green-tea extracts known for boosting metabolism called Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). They say the drink includes no more caffeine than an average cup of coffee and 20% of the daily value of calcium for men and women ages 19 to 50. Imagine looking on the label and seeing a minus sign next to the calorie stats! The drink is being launched in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia on Nov. 6th. If anyone tries it, let us know what you think.

U.S. Rolls 300 Million Deep

The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the U.S. population will hit 300 million on Oct. 17th. Click here to view Census Bureau population clock. As the nation grows in numbers, many things have changed, from home ownership numbers to the education level of the country. Also, and not surprising, the statistics surrounding marriage have changed. Click here to view our country by the numbers over the years. That's how we roll.

Fast Food Calorie Counter

The Washington Post has a nifty fast food calorie counter that's definitely worth checking out. Their list of fast food chains is a little limited, but it does include the really big names. Being that we're on the West Coast, we were a little disappointed that In-N-Out wasn't included on their list. But then again, who counts calories when they're ordering a double-double! Users pick a menu and then add items from that menu and watch the calorie counter add up like the nation's deficit. The only problem is that when you switch restaurant menus, the counter resets. Happy counting.

Small Charges

It's not uncommon to whip out the plastic and charge a $3 cup of coffee. Nor is it out of the ordinary to pay for movie tickets with a credit card. Because of this new trend of small purchases made with credit cards, more card companies are no longer requiring consumers to sign for items less than $25. Their reason? To increase the speed and convenience for consumers to make purchases with their plastic. Some experts are concerned, however, that many consumers will wind up paying more or find themselves in deeper debt by virtue of charging more. If you don't immediately pay off that $3 coffee, the interest could wind up charging you a whole bag of beans. Click here for more details.

Married Women Not Happy With GOP

It seems that the Grand Ole Party is loosing its hold on married female voters according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted this month. The poll found that support for a Republican candidate is now evenly divided between the two parties among married women with children in the house. The news is something GOP leaders will need to consider during a nearing election year as married women constituted 18 percentage points in 2002 and 14 percentage points in 2004 in favor of the Republican party. Married moms have become a volatile swing group just as Democrats need to gain 15 GOP-held House seats and six in the Senate to win control of Capitol Hill. With other GOP scandals blanketing the Washington-based party, 2008 should shape up to be one unpredictable year. Click here to read the article.

Couples' Halloween Photo Contest

On Monday, we're going to launch our first annual couples Halloween photo contest. All you'll need to do is submit a picture of you and your spouse decked out in your best/favorite Halloween costumes. Once all the entries have been received, we'll post the eligible pictures for visitors to vote on. The winners will be decided by popular vote at the end of the month and will receive a really cool gift, plus an opportunity to be our featured couple in the "10 Thing I've Learned From Marriage" column. Full details will be revealed on Monday. In the meantime, dig through your old pictures over the weekend or create new ones with fresh new costumes. Happy Friday and have a great weekend!

Pirates Are Popular

If you wanna stand out this Halloween season, don't be a pirate. Apparently, pirate costumes are flying off the shelves for kids and adults. Maybe this article from USA Today has skewed stats because they didn't take into account Talk Like a Pirate Day. Who knows, but to be safe stay away from the Jack Sparrow look-a-like this year.

Also, we wanted to give you a heads up on our Couples Halloween Costume Contest coming up. More details will follow soon, so check back and start digging through your pictures to submit a winner. We're even offering treasure!

Mullets and Frozen Pucks

It can only be one thing--hockey season drops the puck tonight! Granted, most major sports media are talking about the baseball playoffs and how great the Manning brothers are, but just because the NHL no longer gets the primetime treatment doesn't mean it should be forgotten. Want to hear a little secret? Hockey games are a cheap date! And they're about as exciting as any live sporting event gets. You can even get tickets for under $20. Just as we warned wives when the soccer World Cup neared, this is your warning. The sports world is picking up steam with basketball just around the corner. Men, keep this in mind as your days fill with sports-related commitments and your mullets grow--remember that while your team needs your support, your wife needs you too. Well, maybe after the shoot-out. Click here for the NHL homepage.

Take a Trip to Africa

Wanna take a trip to Africa to see all the wild life, but can't afford it? No problem. The National Geographic website has a live streaming webcam pumping in images from Botswana. The camera zooms and pans to give you a variety of looks. You might find yourself reaching for some bug spray however, after seeing all the critters zipping around at night. Gotta love all the noises too. Click here to check it out.

Onion Goggles

It's Monday and you're probably preparing for a week's worth of dinners. You see several items with onions on the menu and your eyes begin to water, even before your knife ever cracks one open. Well, worry not. With these Onion Goggles you can get ready to prep your onion soup without feeling the burn. We don't usually blog about products, but we thought this one was too out-there to pass up. Do you have onion-cutting secrets. Let us know. Oh, click here to order your own Onion Goggles.

GeoGaming?

April Pennington wrote about GeoCaching a few weeks back as a date idea (http://www.hitchedmag.com/article.php?id=56) and now we've come across this GeoGame. It's called Crossroads (click here) where players play in city streets and try to capture intersections. The website has a gameplay grid set up in NYC, again see the website for the details. The game lasts 30 minutes. If anyone tries this, let us know how it goes.

Wine & Hamburger Helper

Why wait until the weekend for you and your honey to pop the cork on a bottle of vino? Oh, you don't have time to make an appropriate meal? Forget that...the OC Register has an article that offers some helpful parings. They tell you what wine to share with tuna casserole, hamburger helper, meatloaf, a Hungry Man turkey dinner, pot pies and other quick dishes. Click here to check it out.