Can mood swings be set to a clock?

You might not be able to set your watch to it, but if you're into winning an argument, or getting an extra benefit - or raise - from your boss, this survey could come in handy.

A poll by pharmaceuticals and contraceptives manufacturer Bayer Schering reports mood swings are a fact of life, but it also marks times of day when each gender is most vulnerable. And the long-held stereotype that women have sharper mood swings is understandably overplayed, according to this poll. The scientific explanation points to hormones and biorhythms that give way to natural mood swings in everyone.

The story in the Daily Mail about the poll said, "some 86 percent of the 1,019 men and women polled said they were aware of regular peaks and troughs in their mood. But, perhaps not surprisingly, less than half of these had even thought of capitalising on the phenomenon."

Perhaps the most hot button part of this poll, and one you might have heard on your favorite morning radio show, was that 6 p.m. is when men are most likely to grant a loved one's wish. And women are most likely to win at argument at 3 p.m. (Plus, any story that refers to "rubbish" or a statement like "steer clear of having a row mid-afternoon" is good by me.)

The 6 p.m. thing is directly related to the end of the work day and guys wanting to relax, whatever the cost.

The most logical part of the study is asking something of your boss at 1 p.m. It's just after lunch, they're more relaxed, they've put out whatever crises happened in the morning, and before any big problems arise in the afternoon.

So test out these theories, and report back here.

Will Spanx for men really catch on?

For generations, women have used various garments to augment and conceal their physical strengths and weaknesses. Panty hose, push-up bras and body shapers to just name a few.

Now, the fashion industry has tapped the male market share as increasing numbers of men have become a little vainer recently.

Spanx, which was awarded a patent for panty hose in 1998, has largely kept its attention on female garments, from underwear, to tights, to swimming suits. But The New York Times recently reported that shaping products for men have hit store shelves and have enjoyed skyrocketing sales.

“We are selling them as quickly as Spanx can make them,” the Times’ quoted Nickelson Wooster, the men’s fashion director at Neiman Marcus as saying.

Neiman Marcus was the only department store to carry Spanx, until last month when it was sold at Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom.

While the main men’s products are T-shirts and golf shirts, Spanx also sells a more discreet product: “profile-enhancing underwear, which has been called 'the equivalent of a push-up bra' for men."

Before you dismiss these products as a dent to your ego, men, you should embrace technology much like our female counterparts have done for more than a century. Plus, Spanx could help on job interviews for an extra boost of confidence.

As the Times’ article suggests, men should use the Spanx products as an extension of the metrosexual look much like moisturizing lotion was 10 years ago.

The obvious problem with Spanx is trying to make a good first impression, particularly with the opposite sex. Things go well, and all of a sudden, when the form-fitting shirt is on the floor, the bulges you tried to hide have spilled out to their old places.

What would you do if you had a new boyfriend and when the lights are dimmed, he looks like Paunchy or Lumpy, a finalist for the Seven Dwarves? Should you take the advice of some women, who say just change in the other room?

Will women be OK with their man wearing Spanx, or will they expect him to hit the treadmill more often to prevent the soft belly?

Me? I’d work on the spare tire mid-section as much as possible, and take solace in the fact that your significant other probably has some kind of performance enhancer themselves. So relax, and enjoy each other’s love handles.

Man caves: Friends or foes?

To many, they are an escape to relax without the stress of smudging the coffee table. They come equipped with an easy access beer fridge. Fashion and décor are often traded for comfort and convenience. Not usually in the main living room, most are tucked away from regular guests.

Of course, we’re talking about man caves or mantuaries. One definition calls them, “a part of a home specifically reserved for adult male activities, such as drinking beer and watching TV; often a garage or den.”

Images of these usually are described by poor lighting, food stains, pizza boxes and general clutter. But not these at the DIY Network, some of the more sophisticated ones I’ve seen, which include poker tables, humidors and slot machines.

http://www.diynetwork.com/man-caves/show/index.html

The size and sophistication of a cave, though, should reveal plenty about the relationship. Mostly, those relationships fit in two categories.

One is the embarrassment category, which means the woman is so embarrassed to acknowledge the items that end up in the cave that she only allows them away from the main part of the home. She might recognize the importance of items – old newspapers chronicling sports championships, faded jerseys, or dust-filled trophies – but refuses to allow them into an area that would force her to explain their existence. Or they simply don’t complete the balance of a room aesthetically.

The other is the woman who enjoys sports, and might even help to decorate the cave (which could be a violation of the man code) but she likes it wrapped up in a cute little package. You can have your sports, she might say, but only in small doses on certain days of the week.

Then there’s the Kristi category. She balks at the typical definition of a cave and instead prefers to call them the “sports room” or “red and black room” substituting your favorite team’s colors. She also says the existence of a cave insinuates a man’s lack of comfort in the rest of the house. (This spins the discussion back to how decoration and arrangement of the rest of the house is divided and, well, we all know that general breakdown.)

My dream cave would consist of pictures or artwork of famous stadiums or fields, a collection of bobbleheads or other memorabilia and framed newspaper headlines.

My brother in law has turned his garage into a quasi man cave with a work bench, tools, radio, refrigerator, and at one point had a TV. My sister says he doesn’t spend much time out there, but, “it’s just the idea that he can.”

Put another way, my friend Brent said, “I think wives are probably OK with sacrificing a room in the house so they can send their husband there and get them out of the way.”

Check out the “official” man cave site here:
http://www.mancavesite.org/

When do you open a gift?

If you were given a gift a month before your birthday, would you open it? How about a week before? A Christmas present at Thanksgiving? How about wedding gifts weeks before The Big Day?
This very topic was discussed recently between Kristi and I when we (she) ordered a gift for friends getting married in early June. The gift wasn’t “perishable.” Or something they needed to use immediately. But in Kristi’s mind, and most women I informally polled agreed, the type of gift is an afterthought. It’s the opening that counts. From what I gathered, if a woman is given a gift, you better put on shoulder pads and duck, because paper, tape and elbows are about to fly.
The alibi, they say, is the sheer volume of wedding gifts, for example, that force the couple to get a head start on thank you notes. Of course, no one wants to tick off Aunt Esther if her thank you note doesn’t arrive in the allotted time of Etiquette 101. And depending on your living situation, and preference, you may need a set of plates and forks for a few weeks, even if only one person is moving into a new house.
Still, this raises the question of willpower. Is it possible, or reasonable, to stack gifts in a corner, or closet, until the big day? Much less open something, then set it aside? As my friend Megan said, that’s not even an option.
“It wouldn't be possible for me to either not open it, or open it and not use it.”
Put another way, my friend Emily said, “We girls love our presents! Especially when they are big and sparkly or spa-y and pamper-y!”
If opening at the first chance, why set aside the big day as an official holiday on the calendar? Why not have Christmas on Dec. 19? Again, most women subscribe to the theory that opening gifts simply prolongs the celebration period. In my mind, it dilutes the meaning of the holiday.
As I’ve come to learn, a happy woman is a powerful and valuable thing. And not something you can measure, or put a price tag on. So by all means, let her open her gifts precisely when she wants.