He Told You So

Hitchedmag.com's own Brian Brogan of The Brogan Group of H.G. Wellington and company, Inc. hit a bulls eye with this January column titled "Bring on '07." According to Brogan, the VIX (volatility index) hit an all time low and now has spiked, while the AGG (Lehman Aggregate Bond I-Share) is hitting all time highs. "This is the correction I have been calling for with our clients," said Brogan. "People need to get defensive because this economy is going to slow quicker than most portfolio managers are calling for." In a rather ecstatic e-mail today Brogan professed, "Your readers are making money from my call if they followed the article." Hopefully they did Brian. Keep up the good work. Mr. Brogan can be reached at bdb@signalreport.com or 610-896-8823.

Geocaching

A while back, we wrote an article about geocaching as a Date Night. This article in the OC Register highlights a couple who seemed to have taken our advice. The article says, "For both of them, the pastime is a couples-bonding adventure". If you're not familiar with geocaching, it's discovering treasure by using a GPS navigation device and coordinates usually found on websites. Typical protocol says once you find something, you are to leave something behind for the next person. To get more information, read our article by clicking Date Night above.

Taking Your Wife's Name

A man in Los Angeles is petitioning a federal judge so that he can take his wife's name. His father has not been much of a figure in his life and his new father-in-law has. Also, it's the only way to preserve the family name from his wife's side. This article states, "A woman can choose her husband's name or her maiden name on a California marriage-license form after the couple pays a county application fee that ranges from $50 to $97. California and 43 other states provide no place on a marriage-license application for the groom to choose the bride's surname. What do you think? Should this be a special form scenario or is this something that should be on a standard application? We would love to hear from you if you are a husband who took your wife's name.

Chew Gum For Your Health

Need extra calcium in your diet, have a stick of gum. Not getting enough Vitamin C, have a stick of gum. Don't like your dietary suppliment pills, have a stick of gum. According to this post on SlashFood, Americans chew about two pounds of gum every year. Scientists are now thinking of gum as the delivery vehicle of the future because the absorption of chemicals through the mouth is so fast. Gums in Europe and Asia already offer gums with added tea extract and other dietary suppliments laced in. So what do you think? Are you willing to replace your Flinstone vitamins with Wrigley's Centrum?

Trans Fat Increase Infertility

Dr. Jorge E. Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and colleagues found that the infertility risk for a woman who eats trans fat was dose dependent, that is, the more trans fat a woman eats, the higher her risk of becoming infertile. Their findings were published in the January issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Foodconsumer.org says...

In the study, the researchers analyzed data from 18,555 healthy women participating in the Nurses' Health Study to see if there was any association between intake of tarns fat and infertility. The participants were married and trying to get pregnant between 1991 and 1999.

A women's risk of infertility increased by 73 percent for every 2 percent of energy she took from trans fat instead of carbohydrates, the researchers found.

Similarly, the risk of infertility increased by 79 percent for every 2 percent of energy from trans fats instead of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. The risk more than doubled for every 2 percent of energy from trans fat instead of monounsaturated fat.

Two percent of energy is equivalent to 4 grams of trans fat for a woman who consumes 1800 calories per day. According to the Food and Drug Administration, an average American eats 6 grams of trans fat a day. This means that the effect of trans fat on infertility can be substantial.

Another Week To Save Your Marriage

TLC has brought back Dr. Robi Ludwig and the show "One Week to Save Your Marriage". If you don't recall, this show videotapes a couple in their home on the brink of divorce. Dr. Ludwig then has one week to try and get the couple to recommit to their marriage. After last season, Dr. Ludwig chatted with hitched about her own marriage and what she learned from the show. You can read the full article here. For more details about the upcoming season go to TLC.com or click here for a release synopsis.

What Isn't Happening On 7/7/07

As if inventing the Internet wasn't enough, the number one supporter of earth has now invented the festival to end all festivals. Yes, Al Gore will be bringing some of the music industries biggest names together this summer in a massive one-day, world-wide event called "Live Earth". Slated for July 7, the concert to fight climate change will take place in London, Shanghai, Johannesburg, Sydney and locations to be announced in Japan, Brazil and America. But it wouldn't be a true world-wide event until you added a show in Antartica. That's right, some lucky bands will be playing on an ice sheet. "This is all about getting people's attention" said Gore, "and then asking them to answer the call to save ourselves and give solutions for communities, families and for nations."

"The Whole Substance To My Rap"

Marriage isn't easy. Trust us, we give couples advice everyday on a broad range of subjects that never ends. But imagine how difficult marriage would be if you had half a catalog of dark, depressing rap songs with your name and likeliness associated with them. (We haven't had our experts answer that... yet). For Eminem's twice on and twice off again wife, Kim Mathers, the lyrics became too much and admits she tried to kill herself one night after her, then, husband's concert. "He was singing a song that was about me and he had a blow-up doll up on stage that looked like me and he was physically beating it and kicking it," says Kim, "Seeing the crowd response and everybody cheering, singing the words and laughing... I knew that it was about me, and that night I went home and I tried to commit suicide." The interview, on "The Dr. Keith Ablow" show, airs tomorrow.

Valentine's Spending

On average, men and women will shell out $120 on Valentine's day. What may be surprising is that men spend an average of $70 more than women. When BIGresearh crunched the numbers, men spend an average of $156, while women spend $85. So what are they dropping the coin on? 63% purchase cards, 48% buy candy and 45% spend a their money on a night out. Unless it's an expensive card or candy, that sounds like a great night out! We hope you're having a great Valentine's Day.

Not So Husband-and-Chief

Over the past seven or so odd years, President George W. Bush has convinced a lot of people that he isn't the sharpest tool in the shed. And, now, he probably just sealed the deal with the person closest to him: his wife, Laura. In a recent interview with daytime talk-show host Rachael Ray, the First Lady confessed that the husband-and-chief wasn't to keen on remembering Valentine's Day. "There's a White House florist, so they always send up flowers and he signs the card," she said. As for this year, Mrs. Bush said the two will probably share a romantic dinner together. Hey Laura, if your reading this, get him a subscription to the greatest marriage magazine on the planet here

FDA Approves Diet Pill

Is this the holy grail of pills? Oh yeah, Viagra already won that title. Is this the silver grail? For the first time ever, the FDA has approved an over-the-counter diet pill. The drug is called Xenical and is sold by GlaxoSmithKline PLC. It's said to only work in conjunction with diet and exercise. We know, this is probably a deal breaker for a lot of you. If you're still reading this, you may like to know that it's said to help lose an extra 2-3 pounds for every 5 pounds lost through diet and exersice. How? Xenical blocks about a quarter of fat you consume and passes it through the body. Side effect: about 50% of all patients who tested Xenical had loose stool. Not everyone is excited about this approval either. In this Washington Post article, Dr. Sidney M. Wolfe, director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group called the approval "the height of recklessness."

We're curious, would you try Xenical? E-mail us here and let us know.

Aguilera's Naughty Sunday's

It's not the most religious way to celebrate your Sunday's, but Christina Aguilera and her husband Jordan Bratman have found a way to keep their marriage of just over one year spicy--by getting naked. Not so far-fetched to believe for the once aptly named Xtina, during her "Dirty" days, Aguilera admitted on the Ellen DeGeneres show that even after one year, "You have to keep marriage alive, spice it up." Ellen gave her cautionary reply to the saucy songbird saying, "Not with grease--that could splatter," which Aguilera replied, "Well, unless you want the grease." Hot...
For a continuing first hand account on marriage, read April Yayoi Johnson's online entries regarding her first year of marriage beginning this Sunday night. You might learn something.

Valentine's Idea for Every State

Are you still searching for the perfect Valentine's date idea? USA Today just posted a piece on "50 Dates in 50 States". Since it's the largest national newspaper in the country, these things may be crowded now, but you never know. So what do they suggest? For residents of North Carolina they suggest a private picnic on the grounds of the VanLandingham Estate. In South Carolina they suggest a cooking class for two at Charleston Cooks! In Washington they recommend a sunset kayak tour from Orcas Island in the San Juan archipelago to nearby Obstruction Island. And in California an early morning hot-air balloon ride over Napa Valley wine country. To check out their recommendations for your area or for more details about the above mentioned ideas, click here.

Dr. Scott Haltzman on Today Show

If you're not a regular viewer of the Today Show, they've been running a series on the state of marriage. Our very own Dr. Scott Haltzman was on to offer his expert advice. If you missed it, don't worry, you can view it here Also, if you haven't noticed, we have a box on our homepage for Dr. Haltzman. He's seeking couples for a new book he's writing and would love to hear from you, our readers. Lastly, if you'd like to hear what advice Dr. Haltzman has offered our readers, click here. He writes every other Why Do I... column for us.

Romeo and Juliet Unearthed?

The AP is reporting that archaeologists have unearthed what could be humanities oldest story of doomed love or Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." In a town 25 miles south of Verona, where the love story took place, the two skeletons were found locked in a romantic embrace. Lead archaeologist Elena Menotti says the two are believed to be a man and a woman and are thought to have died at a young age. Although the Romeo and Juliet possibility is far fetched, experts will study the skeletons to determine the age of the two. Details of whether the two will be considered for a future cover of Hitched magazine is also up for debate. E-mail us with your thoughts. Here's a link to the full article.

Jackass Takes The Plunge

Still a little bit shocking, but one female was able to turn a jackass into a husband. Missy Rothstein, 26, became Mrs. Bam Margera Sunday in a wedding ceremony that included a performance by rocker Iggy Pop, appearances by skateboard legend Tony Hawk, former Smashing Pumpkin guitarist James Iha and an MTV camera crew filming the final installment of Margera's MTV reality show "Bam's Unholy Union," which will be shown in early April. The "Viva La Bam" star married his former childhood friend in front of 350 friends and family members. Hitchedmag.com is always looking to hear from you. Tell us your story of marriage and we just might feature you as a "10 Things" couple.

Final Potter Book Out July 21

I guess if you're a true Harry Potter fan you've probably already heard that the final installment of the Harry Potter series is taking over the world midnight July 21, 2007. So I guess this is just a warning to spouses who are married to Potter fanatics. Then again, we're sure you've already heard from your significant other how the book has already been pre-ordered, or how you're going to be at the bookstore at midnight when it comes out (sorry, you don't get a choice). What's remarkable is that book seven, titled "Deathly Hallows", almost instantly topped Amazon.com's best-seller list, beating out an Oprah book when the date was released. That's some kind of magic. Click here for more details.

Super Bowl Worthy Nachos

In case you've been living under a rock for the past two weeks, this Sunday is Super Sunday. The Bears and Colts will battle it out for football supremacy. To become a champion, however, you must bring your A-game. That goes for hosts too. So don't try and pawn off your wimpy cheese and chips nachos. Go for something bigger, er Super! This article offers several recipes for the ultimate nacho experience. We've pasted one of the more interesting recipes below. Click here for the full article with all the recipes.

CREAMY CRAB NACHOS
Yield:6 servings
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
4 ounces asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/4 cup sour cream
1 pickled jalapeño, minced, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons pickling liquid from jar of pickled jalapeños; see cook's notes
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and ground
8 ounces cooked frozen crab, picked over well to removed any shell
Optional: 1/2 cup sliced artichoke hearts
5 ounces tortilla chips, about 3 dozen chips
1 pickled jalapeño, thinly sliced
Garnish: minced green onion tops
Cook's notes: Use caution when working with fresh chilies; wash work surface and hands thoroughly upon completion and do NOT touch face or eyes.

Procedure:
1.Heat oven to 400 degrees.
2.In bowl, mix cheeses, sour cream, jalapeño and pickling liquid, garlic and cumin. Add crab and artichokes, if desired, and stir to combine. Mixture can be prepared several hours ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before assembly.
3.Spread each chip with layer of crab mixture. Place chips on heatproof baking dish or platter. Sprinkle with sliced jalapeño. Bake 5 minutes in preheated oven, or until cheese melts and is bubbly.
4.Garnish with green onion tops and serve immediately.
Nutritional information (per serving): Calories 568 (68 percent from fat), protein 10.1 g, carbohydrates 39.9 g, fat 42.9 g (saturated 11 g), cholesterol 56 mg, sodium 781 mg, fiber 2.4 g
Source: adapted from "The Border Cookbook" by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison (Harvard Common Press, $21.95)

Change in Food Portions

In the last 20 years, a lot has changed. Heck, in the last 2 years we've experienced changes in our world. For starters, Toyota is entering NASCAR and how did we ever survive online boredom before YouTube? Well, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute have put together a slide show illustrating how food portions have changed over the last 20 years. If you've ever seen Super Size Me you know where this is going. In a nutshell, our servings are way bigger than they used to be and we tend to eat what we're served. Click here to view the slide show