If you're a guy and you're listening right now this fact is probably going to tick you off: Recent statistics in the US show that 73% of divorces involve wives leaving their husbands. If anyone is going to leave the marriage, chances are it's going to be your woman. WHY DO YOU THINK WOMEN ARE MORE LIKELY TO LEAVE THAN MEN?

Men get a lot of flack for dragging their feet to the altar or being commitment-phobic...but it is women statistically that are less committed, apparently. WHY do you think that is?

Tracy called from St. Pete and says she's believes the statistic because she's doing the same thing! She has one child...she doesn't need to take care of another. She thinks women are tired of taking care of the man.

Jared in Brandon has seen a study online that says guys are actually more emotionally damaged by a breakup. He's not married but in a long-term relationship. He thinks women are more likely to leave because guys have more separation anxiety than the girls do.

Andressa in Zepherhills says from what she's seeing fidelity isn't the problem. From the woman's perspective they are just professionals and independent and getting distractions at work and from there it leads to other things which eventually lead them to leave their husbands. They may have married too young and had kids and they want to be single.

Hope called from Pasco County and thinks that women -more than likely - leave their significant others because they've already put in the time and commitment and effort to make the relationship work and at some point we get tired of it because the man doesn't put in the same effort. She put in 11 years with her marriage and after 11 years of nothing changing she just got tired and had to go! She's talked to her girlfriends and they all agree that they've put in so much effort and their husbands didn't put in the same effort.

David called from I-275 and he thinks that you also need to look at things from the other perspective of WHY men don't leave their wives. One thing that hasn't come up is financial matters and children. In many cases the law still favors women in terms of custody and financial arrangements. When women can't take it any more they tend to do something about it and men would rather tend to deal with it the way that it is....whether that means sitting in their easy chair and ignoring their wife or finding a woman on the side. For whatever reason men aren't as willing to make the big break so readily.

Stephanie called us from Winterhaven and she can remember when she first started dating her husband and they went to a party where he didn't know anybody...she didn't even see him! He just went out on his own to make new friends. Before then when she'd do that with boyfriends they just clung to her. The way her then-boyfriend responded to the situation made her realize he was the right guy for her. He's got his own life and personality. The signs are there when you're dating...you just have to pay attention to those red flags!

Melanie in Zepherhills thinks more women are leaving than men because the men are cheating on the women! Women are tired of putting up with the man's crap!

A recent poll of British parents found that 30% of them are BORED by their kids!!!

I'm not a parent so the closest I can come is my nieces and nephews...but they don't bore me. Sometimes kids I'm not related to bore me but I generally think kids are often more interesting in adults because they're so curious and usually pretty cute.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/08/31/awful-parents-30-of-you-think-your-kids-are-boring/?iid=moreonnf

A clinical psychologist conducted the study, which surveyed 2000 parents and 2000 children between the ages of five to 15. Housework, careers and an over-reliance on videogames as entertainment were all listed as reasons why parents were not engaging with their children through play.

What was most heartbreaking about the study was that one in 10 children sensed their parents' apathy towards playtime. Poor kids!

Are your kids boring you???

Pat called from Hwy 60 and said if your kids are bored and you're bored with them it's because you didn't raise them right! If their whole life is wrapped around video games and computers and you don't spend time with your kids won't have a personality of their own. He has a 14 and 16 year old and they do play video games but they all go fishing and have great conversations. Pat takes the time and it makes a difference. What kids want out of their parents the absolute most is TIME!

Sharon from St. Pete says this study appalls her!!! She is a school teacher as well as a mother of a 7 year old and 16 year old step-daughter. Knowing that there are people that would love to have kids whether they're their own or foster kids and would love to spend time with them...the thought that someone would make the statement that they're "boring" is a direct reflection on their own life. She's worked with kids aged 5 - 22 and worked within the juvenile justice system and has met so many kids that would love nothing more than to have someone in their life to give them guidance. People sign on for their own situation. The fact is that you reap what you sow in many situations.

Jennifer called from and doesn't understand how anybody could think their kids are boring!?!? She has a 5-year-old who goes on 10-minute rants about the most ridiculous, interesting, impossible things and she keeps Jennifer entertained. Boring is the last word she'd use to describe her daughter. Having children is difficult but the most enjoyable thing ever.

Theresa in Tampa has 3 children and they are her greatest joy and her greatest accomplishment and boring is the last thing you would think of when you're talking about kids! They're always into something and they the darndest things...not to say it's not the most difficult job you've ever done because they are challenging and can be frustrating but never EVER boring!

What do you make of the "PUBLIC PROPOSAL?" The sky-writing, jumbo-tron, in front of everybody public marriage proposal?

I don't know what that's really about? Why would you PUBLICLY propose to someone??? I consider myself a hopeless romantic but I'm pretty skeptical when it comes to that stunt.

Two fairly public marriage proposals came to light yesterday. The boyfriend of Jersey Shore reality TV star, Snooki, is proposing to her on the cover of the September issue of Steppin' Out magazine. Jeff Miranda, the Iraq war veteran, and the man who was accused of threatening an ex-girlfriend's life while he aimed a gun at her head says he is not interested in fame. Uh huh. For him it is all about the love and he loves Snooki and wants to be with her....all of about 2 weeks after dating.

Also yesterday the 33 trapped miners were able to have brief conversations with their loved ones. One of the miners told his girlfriend that when he gets out they'll get married. http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38914901/ns/today-today_people/?GT1=43001 That guy I'm giving a break because he's trapped. But apparently he's been with this woman for 25 years, raised 3 kids and are even grandparents!!! I don't think he's using the situation to put himself in the spotlight....and that's what I think a public proposal is all about: making yourself the star...that's why I think it's lacking in the romance department.

So what do you make of the PUBLIC PROPOSAL? Do you think it's romantic or an attempt to make yourself the center of attention?

Duke in Sarasota says as a guy there's always a chance she'll say NO! He wouldn't do it! There's always that chance she'll look at you and say "What are you doing?" Even if he knew she'd say yes to his proposal he thinks that's the kind of thing that should happen between two people. If she says yes then go ahead and tell the world!

Saedra called from New Port Richey says I might be cynical because most of the people that will see the proposal don't know you anyway! Maybe the miner was just used by the media...

Joel in Tampa thinks there's people like him that are old and jaded and over the whole romance thing but some of his friends still have puppy dog eyes! For those people, some of them are really sincere and they're feeling the love and romance...but for him all he can say is "Really?" He hates to be a pessimist or cynical but God bless the people that are still feeling love. In ten years when they're alcoholics and things aren't working out he'll be there to comfort them. Some people just have a different sense of public vs. private.

Hope had to call in from Pinellas County because her husband did this to her!! They were on a work trip, paid for by her Law Firm, and her husband decided to propose to her in front of all of her coworkers on the dinner cruise!!! She was so mad at him she barely talked to him for 3 days! She felt like it put her on the spot...and he did it that way because he thought she wouldn't say NO if he did it publicly. She loved him but at the time she thought "Are you kidding me?" A few days later she made him get down on one knee on a rickety bridge in Puerta Vallarta and propose. There were a few strangers nearby but she wanted him to do it the "right" way.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/work-matters/201008/how-tell-if-the-boss-is-lying

This has been a stressful year for you even if you have a job...and A FASCINATING NEW STUDY REVEALS THE MANY WAYS YOU CAN TELL IF YOUR BOSS IS LYING TO YOU!! IN THE STUDY, RESEARCHERS STUDIED TRANSCRIPTS OF MORE THAN 30,000 CONFERENCE CALLS...AND THEN COMPARED THEM TO THE FACTS ON HOW THE COMPANY WAS DOING. HERE'S WHAT THEY FOUND WHEN THE CEO WAS LYING!!!

1. They used more general words and fewer specific words.

2. Referred less to shareholder value (perhaps to minimize lawsuits).

3. Used more extreme superlatives, for example, saying "fantastic" instead of "good" (apparently in an attempt to b.s. more effectively).

4. They used "I" less and the third person more -- to distance themselves from the deception, it appears.

5. They say "um" and "ah" more -- because, the authors hypothesize, they have rehearsed their lies.

6. They swear more -- in fact, case in point-- the famous case where Enron's Jeff Skilling called an investor an "asshole" after he challenged Skilling's positive assessment of Enron's financial conditions.

Not sure why the liars swore more...one could guess that people who are lying are more emotionally stressed and the emotional overload spills out?

If you've ever asked yourself "How could I NOT have known they were cheating on me?" I want to hear from you today. I want to know what answer you came up with to that question.

Elin Nordegren, now divorced from Tiger Woods, says she had NO CLUE that he was cheating on her!!! In the only interview she says she'll grant, she told People Magazine (which has upped the price and distribution of the upcoming issue btw) that she's been through HELL!

I think the one revelation in the interview is that she says she had no clue. She felt stupid finding out that so much cheating was going on behind her back and has asked herself how could she be so blind? I wonder that too...Especially when you factor in that she's studied Psychology I would think she'd be watching Tiger's body language. If they won't look you in the eye they're lying about something!! And if they're friends with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley...two notorious playboys...you've got to suspect something, right? Charles Barkley once famously said "I'm not married but my wife is."

What I've discovered in my personal life is that when someone cheats or isn't honest with you chances are they're not honest or sincere with anyone. I knew one dirt-bag that uses everyone from single moms (with which he had a one-night stand and child!!!!) to chicks he picked up in bars. He never grew up and never changed...and it caught up with him.

If you've ever been blind-sided by someone cheating on you and asked yourself the question "How could I NOT have known?" What was the answer to your own question?

Brenda is in the process of asking herself that question and much more because she's discovered her husband is bisexual and cheating on her with men AND women! Even when presenting him with evidence he denied, denied, denied! Even with counseling, after 12 years, she's come to the conclusion that she just can't do this anymore. All counseling did was make her more blind because she wanted her relationship to last...she believes THAT'S why she didn't see the signs. She doesn't deserve this and he doesn't deserve a good woman like her because she's never cheated on him. Any time she misses him she just remembers some of the cruel things he did to her and she changes her mind quickly. She knows it's going to be a nasty divorce but she's ready for it.

A female caller says, not to offend anybody, but if you're so wrapped up in your own thing it allows the other person to do their own thing. And sometimes "their own thing" is a lot different than yours!!! He thinks Elin may have known but overlooked certain things because of her culture. If she'd been American she would've put an end to it right away!

Jennifer in Bradenton says the best way to get over one is to get under another one! It clears your mind and gets all the baloney out. No trust? No nothing!

Randy from Hillsborough County says that it happens to guys too! His wife, after 7 years, he came home early from work and caught her having sex with a mutual friend!!! He was blind-sided and devastated. One day he was perfectly fine in a committed relationship the next day he was selling his house, his business, and starting life again on his own. In his case he thinks he may not have seen it coming because they had a business and he wanted to make extra money so he was working a lot more instead of hiring someone else. He just allowed himself to get wrapped up in the business. He believes she was determined to keep it from him and he may not have discovered it if he hadn't come home early. They were still sexually active so he's still not sure what went wrong. You can't blame yourself though - you just move on.

This morning's NIQ revealed that people that wear fake or counterfeit goods are more likely to cheat and lie...by a shocking margin!

For anyone who's ever considered counterfeit luxury products harmless-after all Scientific American has a study in its new September issue that may make you reconsider.

Researchers at UNC Chapel Hill, Harvard Business School, and Duke conducted a series of experiments that showed that people who wear (or believe they are wearing) counterfeit goods (like the fake Louis', Gucci or Prada you find at the flea market) are also significantly more likely to cheat and lie. The scientists concluded that: "'Faking it' makes us feel like phonies and cheaters on the inside, and this alienated, counterfeit 'self' leads to cheating and cynicism in the real world."]

http://gawker.com/5620803/if-you-carry-a-knockoff-bag-youre-probably-also-a-liar

Do you think buying and wearing fake luxury goods makes you a cheat and a liar. Why would you want to own the fake stuff if it's not about deceiving people about who you are?

Carolyn in Spring Hill admits she bought a really pretty fake for her niece for her birthday and she told her straight up, "It's genuine imitation!" She never thought that buying one made you a liar...she just bought what she could afford. It makes no sense to spend $300 on a Coach wallet to her!

Mike C. from Zepherhills thinks the opposite is true - people have the opinion that material things make the person better. He thinks it's just the opposite. First of all the luxury goods are way over-priced and it doesn't make the person any better than they are already. Confidence and character come from within and so does beauty. Everything else is really superficial.

Kelly from Winterhaven thinks it's crap! Anyone that wears makeup is artificially enhancing themselves so whether it's fake books or a fake purse or whatever...if you want to enhance yourself do it! This study would mean that anyone that wears makeup is a liar and a cheat and she really thinks that's crap. It's all in how you want to feel and whether you have fake boobs or not that's a personal choice and doesn't make you dishonest. There's dishonesty out there whether you wear makeup or not! It's all about the person.

Wanda called in from Spring Hill and she's seen people with the fakes and to her she's not very impressed. To Wanda they're like a pretender, like you're not in the real world and you think you're better than other people. They're shallow people and have no depth if they're carrying around "fakes." She does look to see what people are wearing but she's never gone out and wanted to fake it. Her philosophy is that if you flaunt and show too much there's nothing left to the imagination!

Another caller says he works hard for his money and no one does him any favors. If he wants to go out and spend $100 on a wallet he's going to do it! He thinks people that buy the fake stuff have self-esteem issues. They're trying to decorate their lives in a fake way.

Kids are all back to school today...and I'm wondering with the economy in the dumper are you still paying your kids for good grades? What's the going rate for an "A" anyway?

I was never paid for grades. Not with six kids in the family. Hard work was just expected of me and frankly, I just wanted to be the best I could be. And I'm not so sure it's a good idea to teach your kids that money is the only motivator in life. I don't do what I do for a living because I knew I could make a good living at it....I just followed my passion, worked hard, and put my energy into something I loved to do and got better at it.

I'm not a parent though...so what do you believe? Should you be paying your kids to get good grades?

Adam in Tampa says NO WAY! His kids are still young but grades are earned and their life depends on what their grades are. If they don't do well in school then they don't do other things. The problem with kids these days is that they expect something for everything they do. There are no "entitled" kids in his house!

A female caller has a daughter in the third grade and she does pay her for good grades! She gets $5 for an A, $3 for a B cuz she tells her that her job is to go to school just like mommy's job is to go to work. Our mom says she doesn't do her job strictly for a paycheck but she's trying to set an example. The little s#!@ is making straight A's every time! She's learning to save her money to buy things she wants. She lost her DS so she saved up her report card money to get a new one! Mom figures she's helping her with budgeting as well.

Kris in Palm Harbor just dropped her son off for his first day of High School! She does not pay him for good grades. She agrees that sometimes in the workplace when she's working with younger people - even in their 20s - there seems to be no taking pride in a job well done anymore. No personal satisfaction. She says that mentality that there's no competition and everybody's a winner, etc has really made the decline of personal pride really prevalent.

Lashley drives from Homosassa to Clearwater to go to St. Petersburg College, best sign language program in the state! When she was younger her parents paid her to get good grades: A's earner her $10 on her mom's eBay account so she bought the entire Black Stallion series thanks to that! B's were $5 and C and under was a lecture. Now A's and B's are common in her house so they'd better stay that way...if she brings home C's she has to buy her own school books for the next semester. She thinks having money as a motivator helps her tow the line. She thinks it helped her motivate to read because they didn't have a library in the area...if she didn't have these books she may have found other unproductive things to do! Beyond that, she doesn't think it matters (if you pay for grades or not) if the parent makes it known that they want their child to do their best.

Kim called in from Tampa to tell us that she does pay and she looks at it as an incentive program. Like when we do our jobs, if we do well we get a raise. Not only do her girls get paid for their good grades, they get money taken away for bad grades as well. For every A they get $4. Every B earns them $3 and C's earn $2. But if they get D's or F's they have $2 or $3 of that money taken back! Kim says it's working for them! Her 13 year old was getting bad grades but she's turned her grades around since she started the program. She even saved up her money to get a DS or a new game.

William says he has kids and he pays them for grades: $5 for an A. The kids are 17 and 13 and he even gives them something for a B. He believes the door swings both ways because if they get bad grades they know they get grounded! Just like work he rewards them for hard work and a job well-done. He grew up getting money for good grades and making the honor roll so he figures his kids deserve the same thing.

We're always talking about the latest and greatest studies because I think it's infinitely more interesting to hear what you think and what your experience has been vs. what some guy in a lab coat has determined.

That brings me to this: We've talked about Cougars in the dating jungle for years now...but a noted psychology researcher in the UK has just released the results of a new study and he says the Cougar craze is all a media created myth...they don't exist! He analyzed dating profiles and preferences of some 22,000 women and found no sizeable group of women who are seeking younger men. He also said there aren't a ton of guys, sometimes referred to as "cubs," that are on the make for older women. The author of the study says men still prefer younger women...and women prefer older men....there may be an exception but there is certainly no Cougar phenomenon going on!

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2011796,00.html

There are Cougar books on the market, Cougar celebrities like Madonna and Demi Moore, Cougar cruises...and even a Cougar Convention coming up next month in the UK and a TV show called Cougar Town!!! But this psychologist says they don't really exist.

What do you think? Do you think there are really increasing numbers of women on the prowl specifically for younger men? Does the Cougar reeeallllly exist?

Jim from Clearwater says he thinks it's more accepted by society now that women can date younger men. He thinks it DOES exist and it just used to be stigmatized when a "women went after a younger boy." Society has changed a little bit.

Mia in Tampa called to let us know that she believes they DO exist and she personally works with one! This woman has a son that's less than half her age and she says "if they're older than her son she doesn't want anything to do with them!" She actually dated one of her son's good friends!

Nicole from Ruskin thinks the Cougar is a media creation. You do see the couple with the older woman/younger man occasionally...but these older women who are divorced and/or established are not going to want to stoop down to some guy who's 25 and start their life over again with someone who doesn't have a career or established life! She works in the public health industry and she rarely comes across an older woman/younger man couple. However, she was out with her 49 year-old mom recently at a bar and she had to peel her off of a 20-something year old guy!!!

Jeff in Port Charlotte doesn't know if they prefer younger men all the time but his ex of 9 years...she was 9 years older than him! But now she's with a man who is older than her. When a woman is with a younger man it's mostly a sexual thing.

Everybody wants to call something a phenomenon, says a female listener...but it's not her fault that younger men come up to her and want to be with her because they're tired of the games and shenanigans of the younger females! They'd rather have a more mature woman. She's in her peak, sexually speaking...what can you say? ;)

Mark in Pinellas County says they do exist because he was snatched up by one of them! He was in his 30s and dated a woman that was 23 years older than him!!! It was GREAT! He was taught never to put an age limit on things...

Chris from Lakeland says that Cougars absolutely exist in the dating wild! You seem them out every Friday and Saturday night! Chris just questions this researcher...was he studying UK women or American women. They're a little more proper in the UK....

Heidi called in from Brandon believes that there are a lot of Cougars out there...she's one! She'll be 40 this year and her current boyfriend is 31. And her relationship before this one there was a 7 year age difference. She's not sure if it's because she feels young at heart and guys her age aren't as adventurous. She's very active and she finds that younger guys - who are also mature for their age- are a better fit for her. She thinks things are changing...and as it becomes more acceptable women are making better choices for themselves, vs. what society wants for them.

FORBES Magazine has just listed TAMPA as the #4 MOST STRESSED-OUT CITY. What would you say is the number one thing that stresses you out...and how do you fight back?

We're apparently more stressed than Miami...more stressed out than Detroit...even more stressed out than New Yorkers!?!?

In February the magazine named Tampa as the worst commute in the country compared to 60 other cities. This time they measured not just traffic, but the number of hours you work, unemployment and physical health. We're not doing so hot, apparently!

I would say that people are always the #1 thing that stress me out...more than finances or the value of my house...it's always the guy who can't do their job that drives me to the brink. I combat the stress by working out...and cleaning. My house is never more organized than when I'm ticked off or stressed out. And I'd say I've put in about 5 hours in the yard already this week! How about YOU?

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/aug/18/181620/forbes-ranks-tampa-no-4-most-stressed-out-city/news-breaking/

Jim called from Tampa and he says TRAFFIC is the #1 stressor for him. He drives from Palm Harbor into Tampa each weekday for work and he says there are some people that should NOT be driving! To combat the issue he leaves early for work so that way if traffic is bad he still shows up on time. And when he gets home he tries to decompress and doesn't talk to anyone for about a ½ hour!

A former New Yorker says New York stresses him out....even though he moved to Florida years ago! LOL It's the MOST stressful thing in the whole world.

Erica called from Tampa and says though she sounds bubbly and happy she's actually pretty stressed out. She's figured out what it is though - it's all the things she knows she should be doing that she's NOT doing. Everything piles up and she doesn't know where to start! She makes to-do lists but then she has so many lists going that she doesn't know which to pick first!

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 BEST WAYS TO RELIEVE YOUR STRESS: http://stress.about.com/od/generaltechniques/tp/toptensionacts.htm#

Is it OK to FAKE IT?

The Today Show says 80% of women are FAKING the BIG O! In a new study women reported using certain vocalizations to "speed up" their partner due to boredom, fatigue, discomfort and time limitations. Even make reported faking it, though not as much. 36% of men who admitted they faked it said they also used some "vocal acting" whereas 61% of women who faked it were likely to use some "vocal acting."

I just don't think it's a good idea to fake it. If it's not working for you there are nice ways to get it right...RIGHT?

80% of women and some 36% of men are admitting that they're FAKING IT...and you know what I'm talking about. Do you think it's OK to fake it or is it deceptive and manipulative?? What do you think???

George in Lakeland actually thought the numbers would by higher! He fakes it because of the timing of it. Her timing is always off and when he found out that faking it was easier he just started to fake it. After getting married the spark has just fizzled out. If it was someone different he probably wouldn't fake it but....

Jasmine called from Tampa says NO, it's not alright! It's deceptive to fake it. She's done it a couple of times but she tries to work with her man to do something different. Under extreme circumstances you may have to but it's a rare thing and not something she'd do on purpose. She'd rather be honest and get things right so they're both enjoying themselves!

Steve from Lakeland wonders if we've all lost our minds?!?! He considers himself a "cook" and he knows how to work a "stove." He's been married for 33 years and he measures his success by how many kisses he gets on the cheek after they're done! If you're faking it, have you ever heard of self-gratification? There's something wrong...something ain't clickin'.

Melissa from Tampa doesn't think it *should* be OK but depending on the partner you may have to. Some guys feel like if you don't have the Big O they won't stop and you don't always have an hour or more to make love. You shouldn't have to fake it but sometimes it depends on the situation.