Living Separately

According to 2006 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 3.8 million married couples who don’t reside under the same roof. This article from Self and featured on MSNBC, profiles a couple who have been married for 14 years, but not in the same home--ever. We interviewed a couple a while back where the wife Julie Harrington lives in California and her husband Ahmed Mohammed lives in the United Arab Emirates. You can read their article here. What do you think? Would you ever live separately from your spouse?

Processed Meat Boosts Cancer Risk

A five year report by the American Institute for Cancer Research and the World Cancer Research Fund conducted by an international panel of experts reviewing more than 7,000 subjects found that excess body fat increases the risk of cancer of the colon, kidney, pancreas, esophagus and uterus as well as postmenopausal breast cancer. Moreover, the report linked processed meat to cancer. Particularly, every 1.7 ounces of processed meat consumed a day increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21%. The article from USA Today suggests there could be several reasons why processed meats may increase cancer risk. Carcinogens have been linked to smoked meat and the nitrates and excess salt in processed meats. Basically they recommend that you don't eat hot dogs or pepperoni pizza every day, but that the occasional steak won't kill you. The full report can be found at www.dietandcancerreport.org

The Five Year Itch

This website (TopNews.in) says that scientists in the U.S., Russia and Scandinavia have determined that the honeymoon period in relationships lasts less than five years. They say that if a married couple makes it to their fifth wedding anniversary then they're much more likely to make it over the long haul. Though this article doesn't offer references, it does give reasoning to this timeframe. They say it's because couples are typically going through life changes in the first five years of marriage, such as finishing education, bearing children or establishing a career. It also makes sense, then, that the article says couples who marry later also have a better survival rate.

Will Your Marriage Last?

We've quoted this statistic before (click here), but it's worth repeating. Dr. John Gottman, University of Washington emeritus psychology professor says that 69 percent of couples are not compatible. That's astounding. Perhaps a credit to the institution of marriage is that divorce rates aren't that high, which means there are many, many couples out there who are making it work.

With that said, Dr. Gottman has developed a calculus equation that is able to tell within a 94 percent accuracy if a relationship will survive. Again, this isn't a new study, but it's worth putting out there. Furthermore, the equation will also calculate when the relationship will fail if it's heading that way. Dr. Gottman monitored 700 couples for 14 years and was able to run his calculation after watching only a 15-minute video tape of the couple's interactions. What was important was not what was said, but how it was said. This article (click here) breaks down how the study is scored goes into greater detail.

Wanna i-SOBOT?

It could be the hottest toy this holiday season, or it could fail miserably. One thing is for sure - the i-SOBOT looks pretty cool. The 6.5-inch, bipedal mechanical creature has attracted the eyes of many internet websites, blogs and popular gadget sites like Gizmodo and Engadget. The Robot even has a Myspace page with more than 160 friends. If Junior or - I'm guessing - the the men of the house want one, it's going to set you back around $300. The i-SOBOT can perform 200 actions, with some you can view here. Tomy Corp. sells the robot at amazon.com, e-toys and in Sharper Image stores. However, we're still not guaranteeing you will be the cool one on the block, though you will own 6.5-inches of expensive plastic.

What's Your Halloween Candy Personality?

We've probably gone a little overboard with all this Halloween coverage. But since we've already gone overboard, one more story can't hurt, right? The Washington Post has put together a personality sheet based on the candy you purchase. Here's a breakdown of some candy personality descriptions.

3 Musketeers: Does well in groups but is somewhat pompous. Prone to fancy costumes and arcane weapons. Wears hats in public that are ill-advised.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups: Generous souls. Those who understand the salty in life, as well as the sweet.

Twizzlers: Sickos. Truly demented. Plastic people living plastic lives.

Twix: Both brittle and supple in social situations; sort of trapped between personality types.

For the full rundown click here.

Marriage Makes You Fat

Obesity researcher, Penny Gordon-Larsen says that recently married men and women in their late teens and early 20s gain more weight on average over five years than their single counterparts in the same age group. A typical married man packs on 30 pounds during that period, compared to the 24 pounds by non-marrieds. Married women add 24 pounds, compared to the 15 pounds of their single counterparts. Nearly 8,000 married couples were surveyed. Experts in Canada's Times Colonist say that the reason for the added pounds is because of changed routines--bigger meals, less time to exercise, etc. It also says that we typically bond with others who have similar habits, so we you plump up, you can bet your spouse will too.

First Wives Club

California's "Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger may be a big guy and make big movies, but it's his wife Maria Shriver who was behind a record-setting conference on women this past Tuesday in Long Beach, California. Fourteen thousand women, and a few men, gathered to discuss the environment, the economy, volunteerism, family and soul. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman interviewed the likes of former Prime Minister Tony Blair and Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to name a few. Friedman remarked that his wife asked him to please not embarrass her. The highlight of the conference came when Shriver interviewed the wives of the presidential candidates (Bill Clinton could not make the conference). During the question and answer, Shriver asked the women if they think there husbands would put their lives on hold as they had. Both the Republican and Democratic wives in an uncommon state of agreement responded with no answer at all. Guess there's a first for everything.

Right Brain or Left Brain

Which way is she spinning? If you think she's spinning clockwise, your right brained, if you see her spinning counter clockwise, then you're left brained, according to the Herald Sun in Australia. This might be fun to do with your spouse and compare your results. Here's what left and right brain mean:

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic
detail oriented
facts rule
words and language
present and past
math and science
can comprehend
knowing
acknowledges
order/pattern perception
knows object name
reality based
forms strategies
practical
safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

The Trials of Same Sport Couples

The outcome of a marriage for career oriented couples is somewhere in the middle; if you have the same goals and outlook, the marriage will flourish, but if one wants kids and the other doesn't, for instance, the marriage could take a turn for the worst. The same scenarios ring true for athletic couples who compete in the same sport. On November 3 in New York, some wives will be biting their nails as they watch their husbands run in the United States men's marathon trials for a spot on the US Olympic Team.
New York Times reporter Aimee Berg has written a wonderful story showing you the trials and tribulations of just a few of the couples who have competitive careers. Check it out here