Information is Wealth.

Know the facts. "If anything is truly equal opportunity, it is battering. Domestic violence crosses all socioeconomic, ethnic, racial, educational, age and religious lines." — K. J. Wilson, author of When Violence Begins At Home. Sadly, a US Department of Justice study indicates that approximately one million violent crimes are committed by former spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends each year, with 85 percent of the victims being women. For domestic violence to be defeated, it must begin with information. Here are eleven myths and facts about domestic violence. Myth #1: Domestic violence is only physical. Fact: Abusive actions against another person can be verbal, emotional, sexual, and physical. There are four basic types of domestic violence: Physical: shoving, slapping, punching, pushing, hitting, kicking and restraining Sexual: when one partner forces unwanted, unwelcome, uninvited sexual acts upon another Psychological: verbal and emotional abuse, threats, intimidation,

It's a blessing in disguise. We've all been there. You're conversing over cocktails after ending your relationship with Mr. So Very Wrong, and boom — your bestie puts down her mojito and hits you with the painful line no one ever wants to hear. "There were signs when you were dating," she says. Annoying? Yes. True? Well, yes. So, in honor of both your love life and your friendships, I'm laying out twenty early signs that it's time to say goodbye. Consider it the ultimate tear sheet for Tinder. 1. He acts like a pen pal. Whether fueled by a busy schedule, a need to collect admirer or general laziness, if you have texted 150 times and met up 0, it's time to set a date (and keep it) or delete his number. 2. He's Mr. Critical. This is the guy who really likes you, but would like you so much better if you made this tweak, and that tweak, oh, and that one, too. Bye! 3. He's a self-confessed playboy. When a man tells you he is only in it for "fun

Raising kids isn't a mom's work — it's family work. I've never been one to talk much about the dads on my blog because honestly, they aren't my focus on this lovely little space of mine on the Internet world but lately, I've found myself increasingly more and more aggravated with people and commercials that make men, specifically fathers, out to be complete imbeciles who can barely take care of themselves let alone their children (Lysol is the *worst* offender of this for which they will probably lose my business). You know, enough already. I know that for companies like Lysol, their target is the moms because supposedly, moms rule the roost. I get it. However, what I'll never understand for the life of me is why they feel the need to make the dads out to be fumbling, goofy, idiots. You know the commercials I'm talking about. Mom comes home from a leisurely afternoon of shopping only to find the house destroyed, dinner bubbling over on the stove and expl

"Seriously, there are way too many one-minute men out there." When it comes to speaking up about the things that are bothering you in the bedroom, most women would rather endure a less than stellar shag session than to kill the spirit of the guy who's trying his best to get it right. So to help all the men out there who aren't aware of their bedroom faux pas (and to help the ladies being subjected to them) we asked 13 honest women to share their take on the things that guys are getting wrong in the sack. Their answers ranged from lack of foreplay (no, blow jobs do not count) to not caring if she got off or not (seriously). There is a silver lining, however. These women are willing to work around your needs, as long as you cater to theirs first. As Sally, 28 put it: "If you're the kind of guy who passes out seconds after he finishes, make it your mission to get me off first."

Every person comes into relationships with some sort of expectations. Expectations around how they want to be loved. Expectations around how frequently they will communicate with each other. Expectations around what their sex lives will look like. Truly, the potential number of expectations is endless. There are reasonable expectations, and unreasonable expectations when it comes to relationships (and what is reasonable for one couple might be different for another). Examples of reasonable expectations would be: I expect my partner to remain faithful to me, since we agreed to a monogamous partnership. I expect my partner to not physically strike me in any context, unless it has been mutually agreed upon in a sexual play scenario. I expect my partner to voice any concerns they have when it comes to the emotional health and overall connection in our relationship. As for unreasonable expectations … I have heard hundreds, if not thousands, of unreasonable relationship expectations over the

If you want her to desire you ... NEVER do these things: I have long considered physical intimacy between men and women as a very unfunny cosmic joke. Men get physical as a way to open up and emotionally connect to their partner. Women need to feel emotionally connected to their partners before opening up physically. I mean, who designed this system? Bridging this gap in approaches is often very difficult and exhausting for even the most committed couples. Left on their own, couples can end up in destructive patterns and eventually succumb to the often devastating outcome that is a sexless marriage — each partner feeling turned off by the other. But this sexless outcome is not inevitable. When approached well, sex in marriage is usually more frequent and better than that of single lovers. Which means many married couples keep their sex lives hot! How do those husbands do it? The secret to turning your wife on, gentlemen, is also knowing (and avoiding) what seriously turns her OFF. So,

Don't waste your time wondering. At the top of nearly every survey about what singles want in a partner is a person who is faithful, loyal, and trustworthy. In other words, singles in a committed relationship want someone who will not cheat on them. Unfortunately, the reality of that desire often comes to a painful end as time goes on. Accurate statistics are hard to come by (because lots of people don't want to admit to cheating), but researchers agree that 30 to 50 percent of men and 20 to 40 percent of women are unfaithful. Can you ever know for sure that your partner won't cheat? No, because people and circumstances change over time. But you can look for specific personal qualities that offer a strong predisposition for faithfulness instead of unfaithfulness: 1. Your partner keeps his/her word in other areas. Reliability and trustworthiness across many aspects of life is a good indicator of faithfulness in your relationship. 2. The person likes your friends but keeps a

I was 11 years old when I was invited to an elderly neighbor's house for tea. My mother dressed me in the nicest outfit I had for the occasion and made sure I knew enough etiquette to get through the event without embarrassing myself (or her). As she buttoned the collar of my crisp white shirt I asked her, "How do I tell Mrs. Kinsey if I don't want any more tea? My mother smiled and smoothed the ribbon in my hair. "Honey, when you don't want any more, just lay your hand gently over your cup and tell her you've had enough." Twenty-five years later, I sat in my car and sobbed into my cell phone, "Mom, I'm done. I've had enough. We're getting a divorce." If you're reading this, chances are you're going through a crisis in your own relationship or marriage that makes you question if you, too have had 'enough.' But if you're like most women, you're also wondering when 'enough is … enough'. Millions of thou

Hopefully, your relationship is one of them. How do you define secure, functioning relationships? Is it one where both partners remain faithful? Is it one built on trust and honesty? Or, is it one with mind-blowing intimacy? A relationship with those qualities is great, as all are vital for keeping the bond with your partner strong. But what about the true dynamic between couples? How do you and your partner communicate? Perhaps you and your partner have constant marital disagreements about small things, like the type of wine you want the waiter to bring you for your dinner conversation at a nice restaurant. Or, maybe you pick at each other while shopping together for patio furniture. You hear what the other person has to say about his or her preferences, but are you really listening? You want red wine, and your wife wants red, but you insist that you hate the taste of white. Or, your husband has his eye on a patio set, but you prefer a different wood pattern, which you make clear to h

There are so, so many other options for a good raunchy insult. I love a good, trashy one-word insult as much as the next person. But sometimes, it reaches a point where the line between an intended generic insult actually carries undertones of sexism and a preservation of negative gender norms, and I find myself cringing at how diminishing these words are when there are so, so many other options for a raunchy insult. If you hear someone say "you're being a pussy" or something similar to that, what is your interpretation of that phrase? Pussy is used as a synonym for "weak," someone who isn't a daredevil, someone who is too shy to do something, someone who is all over failing to meet an expectation that the person uttering the word has set for them. It's also a word I use in an endearing way to refer to my own genitals, and gee, it's kind of upsetting to hear a word for my favorite body part used so negatively. The fact of the matter is that "pus

Relationships are an interesting rollercoaster ride but being in an interracial relationship really throws you for some curves. We live in a time where there's certainly more acceptance of interracial couples in the media, and as a whole, but there are still awkward moments we encounter. Especially from (ignorant) people who have never experienced interracial dating. Here's a few struggle we deal with on a weekly basis: 1. When you first start dating, each other's race is all anyone can talk about. 2. People say weird, sexual things as if your relationship is just a "fetish". 3. People assume you're not dating — and you constantly have to correct them. 4. People always say your mixed- race babies are going to be "soooooo cute!" 5. Or worse, people say, "But you know your kids will be half white/ black/Hispanic/etc" like it's a bad thing! 6. You pronounce things differently. Or you call things by different na

Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, Joseph Baena, donned a cap and gown Thursday as he graduated Frontier High School in Bakersfield, California ... but dear ol' dad was MIA. Mildred -- Baena's mother/Arnie's former maid -- posed for pics with her son, who proudly displayed his diploma. Arnie is probably busy promoting the new "Terminator" movie, and even if he isn't ... him not showing up is a smart move -- it almost certainly would have taken the spotlight off his son. Congrats, kid!

What men think about your lingerie and tips for choosing sexy styles men love. Want a guy's opinion on your lingerie drawer, pushup bras, Bridget Jones panties and all? We asked dating blogger Abraham Lloyd for a man's take on our undergarments and how to choose lingerie that men love. Here's his advice: 1. He Says: Keep the colors simple. Black, white, with a hint of color to accentuate curves and shape is hot, elegant, and feeds the mood. Bright or skin-toned colors, are not. We want to see what you're wearing and follow the curves of your body with our eyes. Anything that distracts from this is, well, less than ideal. We Say: We were skeptical of this skin- toned undie ban…until we pictured our man in beige boxer briefs. Oh. Got it. When in doubt, basic black will always look chic and sexy without trying too hard. 4 Sexy Eco-Friendly Lingerie Picks 2. He Says: Make sure it fits well, and don't force sizes. It's important that you feel great in your outfit, a

You're not justing show some skin, you're showing some personality, too. What do the undies you are wearing right now say about you? Are you feeling shy? Naughty? Ready to play? Wearing sexy underwear can mean the difference between feeling blah and adding that extra umph, that extra skip in your step that we all could use to feel sexier and more comfortable in our bodies, says Jenny Block, author of O Wow: Discovering Your Ultimate Orgasm . "There is nothing like getting dressed in the morning and feeling that satin and lace or that super soft cotton with the cute cut and pattern and thinking, "I look pretty damn good. And I feel pretty damn good too." Same goes for at night. After a long day, it's a great ego boost to slip out of your clothes and catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and think, "Not too shabby!" says Block. Not to mention seeing that look in the eyes of your partner in crime that says, "Yes, pleas

She's a handful, but she's so worth it. So you've met a loud and assertive woman and you've fallen in love with her, have you? Or perhaps you want to fall for her, but she intimidates you. Here's what you need to know about your loud, spunky, assertive lady ... as written by one! 1. She can't help but draw attention to herself. Even when I'm just mellow, I seem to call attention to myself. Actually, I don't notice that anyone is paying attention to me, but old partners of mine have pointed out: "Hey, people are insert X (looking, reacting, etc.) to you." Assertive women own the space they walk in, and if they're loud or spunky to boot — even if they're just saying hi — someone might notice. It's not necessarily intentional. When I step onto a train or head into a Starbucks I don't consider it a defining moment to "work the runway." Nope, I'm just your average short girl who is moving forward with her day, but I do

In my private practice I often see affluent families struggling with wanting to raise "grateful and unspoiled children" despite being wealthy, going on lavish vacations, having beautiful homes and owning the latest gadgets, toys and luxury cars. They ask me if it is really possible and my answer is "Yes, but you are going to have to work hard at it." I call it intentional parenting and it takes a lot of discipline to pull it off. So, here is my list of the top 10 things around which you and your support group need to have clarity and consistent follow through in order to raise unspoiled children. And at the end of the day, if you have a spoiled child—one who relentlessly nags, cries and throws a huge fit when they do not get what they want—you only have yourself to blame! Stop giving in and start applying most if not all of these values and approaches. Start being a great example. You will have greater enjoyment in being a parent, your child

No girl starts life thinking, "I'm going to be a lesbian mom when I grow up!" As a child, if you're thinking about having kids, the phrase you use in your head is, "I want to be a mother!" or "I want to have children of my own someday!" As girls growing up, many of us simply embrace the images of motherhood that our culture shows us in movies, television, magazines, and within our own families and daily life. Until a few years ago, there were no lesbian mom role model images for us to embrace. That's changed as being a lesbian mom has become decidely cool. I'm not sure I ever use the phrase "I'm going to be a lesbian mom!" in my own girlhood, but as the founder of Gay Girl Dating Coach, a service designed to help lesbians conquer their dating struggles, I often work with women who have come out later in life, after being married and having children. That's my story too. Not one of us, as a young girl, is thinking about our

Fifty years or more ago, "parenting styles" were hardly a topic of conversation, let alone all of the articles and books written on the subject. It was simply expected that you raise your children the same way your parents raised you, and the way their parents raised them. Not a lot of thought was given to "What kind of parent do I want to be? What parenting style fits our lifestyle and family?" But as our society has become more psychologically and socially aware, we are more conscious of how particular methods may affect children. Additionally, our cultural conversation now frequently turns to parenting styles and how they affects the big picture. There are many different parenting styles. You'll likely find that you are a blend of a couple of them. Some parents are strict and rigid, others very lenient and laissez- faire, and some fall somewhere in the middle. It's important not to go to the extreme in one direction or the other. That creates an out-of-ba

When I see young couples on their wedding day staring at each other and swearing they've never been more in love, I want to pull them aside and say, "Just you wait." There have been moments in my relationship with my husband where I have fallen in love with him all over again. All those butterflies come fluttering back, and I'm suddenly a twitterpated teenager with googly eyes and cartoon hearts floating above my head. The first time I was blindsided by love, Cody was in the basement playing bears with our three-year-old nephew, he smiled up the stairs at me and continued roaring and pawing his way around the basement like a little kid. Swoon! And just last week I woke up to him bathing our two little squealing girls in the tub. As he came out of the bathroom holding a freshly bathed, towel-wrapped toddler, I gave him a look that said "That right there is better than a cocktail, baby." It seems that what's really swoon-worthy is

Scary. Women give birth every day, so OB-GYNs have come up with a pretty standard routine. But not all everything in that routine is what's best for mother and baby. Luckily, things are changing with more research, but some studies have found that the normal practice of clamping and cutting the umbilical cord as fast as 60 seconds after birth is harmful. Isn't that parenting advice you wish you knew before giving birth? Babble's Chaunie Bruise, a midwife, argues against clamping and cutting the umbilical cord so soon after birth, and with good reason. Babies get oxygen from the umbilical cord, so by cutting it soon after the baby is born, the baby's lungs struggle to match the pace of blood that's rushing into them to get the first breath of air. Waiting to cut the cord also leads to higher birth weights, reduces risk of hemorrhaging, higher hemoglobin levels, an increase in iron, and lowers risk of anemia later in life. Although it's

Is he a keeper? The size of his family jewels may reveal the answer. For men, having big balls is just as important as having a big penis. If you have big balls you're, well, ballsy, and being ballsy means being fearless, a real man who can take on the world, and a force with which only fools would mess! You've never heard a man say, "Gee whiz, I really wish I had some small balls. That would be nice." Well, ladies and gents, bigger is hardly always better, and if you're looking to procure a dude who's sensitive, loyal and a great father, a man with small balls is the way to go. A group of scientists decided to get together and study balls. (I mean, someone has to do it if we're to uncover the secrets of the testes.) The 70 men, between the ages of 21 and 55 of varying ethnicities, and all fathers of toddler-aged kids, were subjected to ball sizing and nurturing tendencies. What the scientists found was that there is a definite correlation between the two,

Being in love is an amazing feeling. It's something that can't be described when you're in it, and something you also feel as though, once you've known it, you can never live without. But the thing about love is that it's more about actions, than words. Saying "I love you," is far easier than showing I love you. Sure, the thought of saying the words out loud might be scary, but what's even scarier is showing love and risking the chance that you might not get the emotional response for which you had hoped. We spoke to an expert on the matter, YourTango expert Julia Flood, LCSW, of New Start Therapy in San Francisco, and she shared some things that both men and women do — and don't do — when they're in love. 1. You DO put your best foot forward. Love brings out the positive thinking. As Flood explains, "When we're in love, we tend to put our best foot forward, and our thinking about our partner's differences range somewhere between &

New York-born actress and comedian Anne Meara, known for her opposites-attract comedy routine with husband Jerry Stiller, died over the weekend, her family said on Sunday. She was 85. Meara, the mother of actor Ben Stiller, died on Saturday, her family said in a statement through a representative, but provided no details about the circumstances of her death. "She is survived by her husband and partner in life Jerry Stiller," the statement said. "The two were married for 61 years and worked together almost as long." Meara was born on Sept. 20, 1929 and started her career in so-called summer stock theater. In 1954 she joined the cast of short-lived NBC soap opera The Greatest Gift, according to a profile on MTV.com. Meara and Stiller, who met in 1953 at an agent's office and married a few months later, worked together in the Compass Players comedy troupe, a precursor to the Second City organization, before forming their own duo. By the 1960s, they h

Whether you've already started dating after divorce, or you're about to take the plunge, chances are good you're going to be tempted to give in to three behaviors that will sabotage either your ability to move on from your marriage, or seriously reduce the chance you'll find a wonderful new man. Here are three post-divorce dating dangers and how you can avoid them: 1. Thinking all guys are like your ex. Trusting a new man once you've been hurt by your ex-husband is difficult. Yet, if you don't get rid of this distrust toward men it will destroy your chance of finding someone new. This distrust often shows up in online dating profiles when you say things like "no head games," or "no dishonest men." When you write those things in your profile, you're broadcasting on a billboard that you've been hurt and that you're distrustful. You'll scare away the men who have it together because they'll recognize your distrust immediately

Match.com's latest survey reveals new dating rules for today's modern single. Bad news bears, singles: Match.com has released the results of a new survey that shows the dating rules and habits have changed. Again. But even though the playing field has become a bit of uncharted territory, some traditional dating dos and dont's still apply. Bad Habits That Are Actually Good For You "It's important for singles to know that the dating rules have changed," says Whitney Casey, Relationship Expert for Match.com. "This study finds that dating behaviors drastically differ between the ages. Younger singles are more likely to friend their date on Facebook, communicate by text after a date, and be evasive about their availability if they're not interested in a second date. Whereas older singles are more cautious when it comes to dating in the digital era." That said, here are the eight dating habits —new and old—you need to know about. 1. He asks, she pays.