3 Tips to Getting a Phone Number

Some men meet lots of women througout the day, but when the times comes for them to get a phone number or email, or taking them on an instant date, they tend to hesitate. Sometimes they might even completely shut down and become speechless. So for all of those guys out there who may feel anxiety when the time comes to get a phone number, this is for you.
A quick way you can get over this is to have something prepared. Always have something on the tip of your tongue for the end of a conversation. Here’s 3 tips from those in the know to help you get that contact info if you feel the conversation coming to a close (or if you need to take off).
The first one is to just be casual. Say, “It was great meeting you, but I’ve got to go. My friends are waiting for me, but we should definitely catch up some time.” Then you get our your phone and put it physically in her hands and say, “Enter your number/digits here and I’ll text you the details.” So after she does that and gives you back the phone, you call the number right there in front of her while she’s still standing there. Sometimes they’ll be like,”What, you don’t trust me?” to which you would respond, “No, no I don’t trust you.” Be sure to say it playfully while laughing a bit.
The second way to get a number is for if she has to go somewhere. Most of the time if you, say, stop women on the street they tend to be on their way somewhere. They might be on their way to work or heading out to lunch for their break, or doing one of a million other things. So you want to make sure you’re very brief; short and sweet as the term goes. Anyway, getting the number can be quite easy. She’ll say something like, “I’ve gotta take off now.” To which you respond, “Alright, cool, no problem, but you seem like an interesting person; I think we can definitely catch up sometime and hang out.” Then you get out your phone and ask how they spell their name. THen you just wait, while looking at the phone and her as though you’re expecting her to tell you how she spells her name (because you are). And that’s it; its just that easy. YOu’ll enter their name in and then ask for their digits while saying something along the lines of, “cool, I’ll instant message you/text you” or something to that effect. And, again, you’ll call them right there in front of them to check the number. After you check the number just say, “It was great meeting you, we’ll definitely catch up sometime.” And then you walk away.
The 3rd and final tip is a bit…well, its a bit sneaky. You’ll often get some pretty mixed reactions, so be sure you’re prepared for the results if you try this next one. THis is often done around college campuses, and what you do is you walk up to a girl with their cell in their hand, and you say,”Thats a really cool phone, do you mind if I take a look at it?” And then you flip it open and act as though you’re checking it out, and while you’re doing this you enter your number into the phone and call yourself. So thats an interesting way of getting a number sort of “under the radar,” but remember that its sort of hit and miss. You could get slapped, or you could get a much more pleasant reaction, so be prepared for anything if you decide to try it.

World’s Most Expensive Polo Shirts

While dress shirts get the luxury treatment most often, you’ll find gems even among the simple polo shirt. Check out some of the most expensive polo shirts in the world.

Dior Homme Striped Polo, Red ‘Bee’ – $305

This made-in-Italy black cotton polo has stylish red and white stripes and features Dior’s bee emblem embroidered in red. Really, that’s all it takes to make this a $300 shirt.

Brioni Contrast Check Polo – $385

Also made in Italy, Brioni’s expensive polo is made of soft, beige cotton with a navy check pattern on the collar and sleeves. The machine washable polo features an “ideal fit,” apparently regardless of how oddly shaped the wearer might be.

Miguel Caballero Bulletproof Men’s Polo Shirt – $4,000-$6,000

Colombian designer Miguel Caballero designed this polo for his Black Label Collection of high-security fashion. The removable panels between the shirt’s insulating microfiber interior and 100% cotton exterior come in three grades of anti-ballistic protection, certified by the US Department of Justice against anything from a 9mm (IIA) to an Uzi submachine gun (II) or MP5 submachine gun (IIIA). The highest grade is even stab-proof. These shirts are dry clean only and come in blue, white, black or red.

World’s Most Expensive Cleats

The most expensive pairs of cleats in the world are going up for auction in London. Worn by English footballers, these three pairs of shoes are worth over $624,000 altogether.

The pair worn by John Terry, captain of the Chelsea Football Club and England’s national football team, is the most expensive of the three. The Umbro shoes feature a total of 2,374 jewels—including over 27 carats of white diamonds, over 10 carats of sapphires and eighty-four black diamonds set in white gold on the tips of the cleats’ studs. White gold shields bearing Terry’s No. 6 adorn the toes and the tongues feature the names of Terry’s children, Summer and Georgie, as well as the cross of St. George. This pair of shoes is valued at just under $220,000.

The other two pairs are Nikes worn by Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney—embellished with 2,576 gems and rose gold—and center back Rio Ferdinand—decorated with 2,494 gems, rose gold and artwork by film producer and former musician Goldie. Each is valued over $202,000.

The most expensive cleats are the brainchildren of former model and dancer Luisa Di Marco.

Relationship Advice: When Mercury Goes Retrograde

Something weird is in the air. Have you noticed it? Nothing seems to be going right. Important e-mails have been bounced. Your laptop or cell phone has gone kaput. Your love life seems to have taken a turn for the worst. You may have even been dumped. That thing you've been avoiding? Well, it's come back to haunt you, hasn't it?

Blame it on Mercury in retrograde. It began August 20 and will continue its terrible reign until September 12th.
In astrology, the planet Mercury represents the mythological messenger and rules over all things having to do with communication. And when it goes into retrograde (a three-week period that happens four times a year when the planet appears to slow down, stop, and move backwards) you can be sure to expect chaos, delays and confusion on all fronts.

Don't worry. Everything will be OK. And besides, it isn't all bad. There's a time and place for everything in life, and that includes Mercury's retrograde phase. About.com provides four good rules of thumb for coping during this time period (take a time-out and deal with things from your past, be non-committal and avoid making set plans, repeat and review everything, reflect on your soul), but we wonder: how does this translate into your love life?

Unfortunately, be prepared for a few curve balls to be thrown your way, as what was committed to, promised, expected or planned will surely go awry during a retrograde period. Below are some pointers for navigating this difficult time period no matter what love stage you are currently in.

Single: There is no better time to be single. Take this time to reflect on who you are and get in touch with your feelings, goals and aspirations. What's your life plan, and what do you need to do or change to get things going? Reflect, don't act. Mercury in retrograde is a period where you should be looking back—not forward. Do not go on a first date. You just aren't yourself and will have difficulty communicating clearly. What's more, you may have ghosts of relationships past on your mind. One or two of them might even reappear in your life. If they do, now's a good time to reconcile and move on. Hold off on any new romance until Mercury goes direct on September 12th.

It's Complicated: For whatever this means to you, make sure to wait until this period is over to make up, break up or otherwise decide on a new direction in your relationship. If things have yet to be defined, hold off on the WUWU (What's Up With Us) talk. Never fear if things have taken a turn for the worst, at the end of the month the two of you could pick up just where things left off. Until then, it's better to just let things be and go with the flow. In addition, Mercury's reversal provides for a wonderful opportunity to correct past mistakes and should be a time where you work to correct problematic relationship habits.

Taken: No matter if you've been dating for a few months or a few years, you may find yourself questioning your commitment to or interest in your sweetie, and communication snafus will be sure to cause arguments. Be patient. If things "get weird," blame it on Mercury and forget about it. While waiting for things to simmer down, revisit some of your old haunts and good memories as a couple, which will help keep things in perspective.

Engaged: Now is not the time to set a date or finalize any important plans, as they will probably end up having to be changed. If you do have to go forward signing the contract for that fabulous wedding singer, or placing a deposit on your nuptial venue, make sure to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb. This will save you both time and money in the long haul.

Married: Unlike other love stages, those who are married will find this Mercurial phase can actually strengthen a relationship. Because this period is characterized by a deepening in appreciation for the good old things, and since you already know each other and don't need to worry about making a bad impression, just sit back in silence and enjoy each other's company. Now is the perfect time to renew your vows or take a second honeymoon.

Starting Over: If you are in the middle of a divorce, take time to make sure the terms of your split are crystal clear. You don't want to bungle any important legal issues, and if you are not paying attention your divorce can take longer than expected to be finalized. Bitter about how things turned out? Now's the time to bury the proverbial hatchet and release deep resentments for good. It's also a good time to set about reorganizing your life without your partner. Take all reminders of your ex to a thrift shop or re-gift them to friends.

New Study: Fatter Men Last ... Longer?

This week, I was reading one of my favorite sites — The Daily Beast (which, full disclosure, I've written for) — when I came across a startling headline: "Fat Men Last Longer in Bed."
I was immediately suspicious.
Title notwithstanding, the story is not exclusively about fat men, but is rather a compilation of fun facts about which kinds of people last longest, and why. But The Beast introduces it by saying: "Researchers in Turkey have finished a yearlong study that correlated body mass index with male sexual performance. Their findings may surprise you: Heavier men were able to make love for an average of 7.3 minutes, while slender men lasted an average of 108 seconds. The study, published in Nature, showed overweight men had higher levels of the female estradiol hormone, which blocks male hormones and delays the climax."
Slender men only last 108 seconds, on average? Whaaa? Not in my experience.
But then I read the fine print — and looked at the study The Beast referenced. I found that it was comparing obese men to a group of dudes who had problems with premature ejaculation, rather than comparing them to the male population at large. So, as far as I can tell, it's not that fatties last longer than all other guys — but rather that they last longer than premature ejaculators.
The rest of the piece was similarly disappointing; I was suspicious of nearly all the stats they listed. For instance, when I read, "Sixteen-to-24-year-olds last twice as long as people aged 55 and up," I thought, Nice! Scientific data that will help me to defend my perhaps unfortunate proclivity for dudes fresh out of college. (Even though — I know, I know — I have promised to swear off the Junior Mints.)
But after The Beast writer noted that she got the young-versus-old lovers stat from a Durex condom study, she went on to say, "Granted, the trouble with researching the durations of sexual encounters is that nearly all of the data is self-reported, which creates built-in problems with its accuracy." Isn't that the problem with just about ALL of the stats they mention? Because I can't imagine there are too many studies that involve volunteer lovers who allow researchers to tape sensors all over their bodies before observing them as they have laboratory sex.
So ... You tell me: Based on your observations, which lovers last longest?
I'll wager that it's the younger men ... and the ones who work out a lot. (Then again, I've never had sex with anyone who didn't fit into at least one of those two categories, if not both. So what do I know?)