Why women walk out

Why do a small but significant number of mature women choose to leave a boring and unsatisfying marriage, despite the upheaval, anger and upset
this causes amongst their family and friends? This report from Mary Ryllis Clark examines the emotions behind this growing phenomenon.

Charlie bit me!

Do you want to pick a fight?

Do you like a good debate? If you do, the people that brought us Squidoo have now provided you with a site where you can have your say on a whole range of subjects from 'Why don't abused women just leave?' to 'Cell phones are the root of all evil'.

Either roll up your sleeves and join in somebody else's argument or start one of your own at HeyMonkeybrain!

Has feminism turned men into second-class citizens?

For the first time in history a majority of American women are not living with a spouse. In Britain, the Office of National Statistics recently revealed that the number of marriages taking place in the UK had fallen to an all-time low and a survey carried out at the end of 2007 revealed that 39 per cent of women who work full-time earn more than their partner. And, apparently, this has left millions of men believing that they are undervalued, that their voices and opinions go unheard and that feminism has turned them into second-class citizens. Read more here.

Warning!

Don't swallow your bubble gum... Look what happens:

7 ways to get over an ex for good

Get productive by throwing yourself into your work, focus on all the horrible things he said and did and throw away all existing reminders of your ex that he left behind...

These are just three of the seven ways to get over an ex for good suggested by Caitlin Ascolese in this article for MSN and Match.com.

Cancer-proof your life

Piles of steamed broccoli, 15 minutes of sunshine per day and keeping your house clean (well, strictly speaking, it's the exercise involved in keeping your house clean). These are just three of the thirty tricks, tips and strategies to help you cancer-proof yourself in Cancer Proof Your Life, an MSN Health article.

The 10 richest women under 30

Just who are the 10 richest self-made women under 30 years of age? Unlike Paris and Nicole, there's no daddy's money here - they did it all themselves using their talents... (although I think Coleen McLoughlin may have had a bit of help getting started from Wayne Rooney.)
Check out this slide show from MSN Money.

What's your cappuccino factor?

Do you wonder whether the small savings you would make by giving up your daily cappuccino or latte (or packet of cigs, or magazine, or lottery scratch cards...) would really make a difference?

Check out the Cappuccino Factor Calculator and discover exactly what investing those small, daily savings would do for you and your finances in a few years' time... If you're reading in the US, just double the amount shown in pounds.

Where do hair extensions come from?

Ever wondered where the hair for hair extensions comes from? Check out this video. You may be surprised...

Calling all fashionistas

Think you can come up with a fabulous, original dress design?

Find out if you've got what it takes by entering the MSN/Glam 'Design a Dress Contest'. The organisers are looking for a sundress, evening dress or something in between. The initial judging will be carried out by Glam.com readers who will vote online for their favourites and the resulting top 8 finalists will then create their dress.

The winner will be chosen by a panel of judges and flown to New York, where they will have the opportunity to apprentice in the studio of Adam + Eve designer, Adam Lippes.

Everything you need to know to enter the competition is here

'Feel Happy Now' book launch

I've mentioned Michael Neill several times on this blog in the past - posting articles that he's written or telling you about his excellent weekly radio programme on Hay House Radio. Michael is an internationally renowned and very well-respected success coach, licensed Master Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and the best-selling author of You Can Have What You Want.

In You Can Have What You Want, Michael revealed the practical benefits of cultivating inner happiness for creating tangible real-world success. Now, in Feel Happy Now, his new book which is launched on Amazon this week, he reveals the “how” of happiness — simple, effective ways to make immediate and lasting changes to your moods, your outlook, and your life. Inside the book, you'll find key formulas, experiments, and techniques to help you experience your capacity to choose and to change, including:

• The Myths of Happiness — I'll be happy when..., it's not possible to be happy in certain situations, and unhappiness is good for us
  
  
• The Happy Formula — give yourself better feelings, tell yourself better stories, and act on your inner knowing
  
  
• The Permission Principle — the reason people aren't happier more of the time isn't because they can't be — it's because they think they shouldn't be
  
  
• Three-Step Recipe for Happiness and Well-Being — on demand, anytime you want
  
  
• Behavioral Prozac™ — ten small changes in the way you think and what you do that will have a profound effect on your well-being

If you order your copy of Feel Happy Now! and send Michael and his team your receipt, they''ll send you a link to a collection of 'Happy' downloads. If you order 5 or more copies, they'll send you a signed copy of Michael's new 6-CD set Effortless Success absolutely free!

Ski insurance cover could leave you out in the cold!

If you're heading for the ski slopes this holiday season, make sure that you don't leave yourself short of insurance cover. Apparently many of the popular, additional activities that skiers like to engage in, such as tobogganing and ice diving, aren't covered by the standard travel cover policy.

In addition, as one in ten skiing injuries is caused by a collision with another person, nowadays you need to make sure that you have some kind of personal liability cover - at least £1 million is recommended - in case things turn litigious. For more information, read this article by Damian Clarkson.

The Evolution of a Dream

Dream is implanted into brain.

Dreamer becomes thrilled.

Dreamer becomes terrified.

If no action is taken, terrifying thoughts grow into flesh-eating monsters. Dream is considered unrealistic.

If action is taken, terrifying thoughts are revealed to be paper tigers. Confidence soars, miracles unfold, and dreamer begins to saunter.

Either way, nothing remains the same.

(by Mike Dooley of Totally Unique Thoughts)

How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?

According to skin care product manufacturer, Dove, 67% of all women aged 15 to 64 withdraw from life-engaging activities due to
feeling badly about their looks (among them things like giving an opinion, going to school, going to the doctor).

Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty asks the question: 'How did our idea of beauty become so distorted?' and then goes on to answer it with this short film which shows what's really involved in producing the images of perfection we see around us on a daily basis. If you have young daughters, grand-daughters or nieces you may want to spend some time with them looking around the Dove site over the holidays.

Bill Gates' advice to High School Kids

Thanks to Nicola Cairncross at The Money Gym Club and the Wealth Strategy Secrets blog for the following:

Gerard O'Donovan from Noble Manhattan Coaching shared this and I loved it. I'm going to print out two copies and pin them to my kid's doors!

Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about eleven things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3 : You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4 : If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5 : Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parent's fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Study shows that heavy cell phone use boosts tumour risk

According to an Israeli study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, regularly using a cell phone for more than 22 hours a month increases a person's risk of developing a parotid gland (located near the ear) tumour by about 50 percent. Get more details here.

I believe I can fly...

Are you looking for a new hobby?  Try this on for size:

8 secret scores that lenders keep

Most of us know by now that we each have a credit score - a 3-digit number that lenders use to gauge our creditworthiness and predict how likely we are to default on a loan or credit agreement. But did you know that your credit score is only one way that a financial institution will evaluate you? Discover the others in this eye-opening article by Liz Pulliam Weston for MSN Money.

How to succeed at on-line dating

Why would match.com consult a photographer, a management consultant, a career counsellor and a motivational speaker for tips on how to succeed at online dating?  Because 'great advice often comes from the unlikeliest of sources'.  Discover their dating success strategies here...