The key to a successful approach can be summed up in one word… CONFIDENCE. Women aren’t unlike predators in the sense that they can smell fear on their victims. And if you show fear, that’s exactly what you’ll be… a victim. Although they sound vicious, women just aren’t as scary as they sound. Approaching women with proper technique is something that is learned… nobody is born with it. So next time you approach that gorgeous blonde at the bar, keep this lesson in mind.

Confidence

First and foremost, I’d like to touch on this subject, as it holds your key to ultimate success or failure. If you aren’t confident in yourself, what makes you think that she’s going to be confident in you? Dating & Relationships are as primal an art as anything that exists today. Understanding the primal needs and reactions of women when put in particular situations is the key to understanding how to approach them. Just like in the natural world, women want a mate that is able to flaunt himself. It’s not unlike any creature in the wild. You have to show that you are the best match for her by allowing her to see that you are the alpha male… you are the best and brightest prospect in a room full of douchebags. This may, or may not be true… but it’s all in the presentation.

If you truly want a chance at success in the area of dating, you’ll need to put your best foot forward. When approaching your target, there are a few things that she’ll notice before you ever say a word. These are what I call “dealbreakers” and they can send you home alone before you ever open your mouth. So make sure and follow these tips like a checklist before you even consider approaching a woman.

• Smile
• Make eye contact
• Good posture (head up, shoulders back, no slouching)
• Look sharp (clean and pressed clothing, matching, clean, smell nice)

That’s it… these four things will allow you to approach a woman without fear. This part is more crucial to your dating success than just about anything else. Ever wonder why women don’t look interested when all you are trying to do is introduce yourself? This is why. You have to present yourself as the best and brightest guy in the room, before ever uttering a word. Take this advice and it will open the door for you to have a chance at success with just about anyone.

Popularity: 9% [?]

There are a few style essentials that every man should own. Without these your are building a house without foundation. These are items you must have in order to be a stylish male.

A button-up white shirt - This staple of modern style is timeless, you never have to worry that it will be replaced or go “out of style”. It’s the one shirt that you must own in order to call yourself a man.

A designer pair of jeans - More than one pair would be nice, but you can start with one (as long as you wash them regularly). And when I say designer jeans, I don’t mean a pair of Wrangler’s that you bought at Jc Penny with a designer look. Spend the money, this is another item that you’ll never have to worry about going out of style.

A black belt - Another staple of the stylish male. You must ALWAYS wear a belt when you go out. Like it or not, this is just how it goes. Even if you can’t see the belt… wear one!

A brown belt - Like it or not guys, you can’t get by with one belt. I know most of you are under the impression that black matches everything, but you are sadly mistaken when it comes to fashion. Spend the money, get yourself a second belt. Or buy a reversible one that has black on one side, and brown on the other.

Black shoes - I’m not talking tennis shoes here either fellas. You need a nice pair of black loafers or oxfords to wear with your new ensemble.

Brown shoes - Much like belts, shoes don’t match every outfit. And you certainly shouldn’t wear a black pair of shoes with a brown belt. Women will notice 10 out of 10 times. I promise you this.

A 2-Button Suit Jacket - If you don’t have a suit, go buy one. The suit itself will be worth it when it comes to formal or semi-formal events. But the real prize is the jacket. You can wear this just about anywhere as it has become a staple of outerwear in our society. Whether you are going to the nightclub, a theatrical presentation, or your friends birthday party at that trendy restaurant… the jacket will create a classy, yet casual look for you.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Occasionally it appears that civilization has arrived ahead of time. Time saving gimmicks often don’t and quick fix solutions oftentimes aren’t. The United States government expended hundreds of thousands of dollars formulating a pen that would write in space. The Russians employed a pencil. Recently I purchased a fancy leaf blower/vacuum for the terrace. Before long my mitts smelled similar to gasoline, I no longer can fit my automobile in the garage and the cat bears a permanent noise hang-up. Therefore I sold it to my neighbor for $50.00 (Orig. $300.) and purchased a broom. It works fine.

The interior vacuum cleaner came with a hard floor attachment that demands a Massachusetts Institute of Technology mastermind to assemble. Whirlpools of fizz spewed forth like Niagra Falls, blending with the cat hairs, dust balls and splattered food. It required two hours to disassemble, clean it, and re-install it upon the garage ledge where it belongs. Then I placed a rag on a stick and tidied up in ten minutes. The flooring seems great and I get to use the rag again and again - free of charge.

One day my wife could not resist purchasing a food chopper for $29.95. The images depict heaps of colorful veggies sliced and available for cooking. Trying it out, an onion vanished into its hole, and was promptly reduced to a mass of nasty goo with a ragged ball in the center. Next, a potato, as if by magic, transformed into liquid accompanied by an apple entwined with unpalatable seeds and mutilated peel.

After one gash on a digit of each hand ( I vow I simply bumped the blade gently), I somehow got it into the unconventional box and returned it the same day. Keeping an eye on this debacle was my grandmother who snidely advised I use the paring knife she gave us twenty years ago. She was correct.

Have you ever succumb to the siren song of the seed catalogue and the images on the seed bundles at the store? Once you add up the price of seed, plant food, chicken wire fencing material, tools and bribe money to your children for weeding, the number is distributing. Then again, twelve gigantic tomatoes, ten green peppers, ten pounds of onions and a big bagful of green beans cost merely $30.00. I know you can’t buy time, but it certainly is easy to waste it.

One modernistic invention used by millions of folks is the computer printer. In five years the cost for a high-end printer has gone down from $400. To $60. What they don’t tell you that a week’s printing will consume the original ink cartridges. A new set will be over $90. Every week. It’s like purchasing a car for $10,000 and spending $15,000 a week on gas to get to work.

Every car owner is confronted each day by advertisements for magic scratch removers, fancy car wash formulas and brushes, wheel cleansers, and dash panel renewers. None of these products function as well as a pail of H2O with an ounce of dish soap and a rag. I own a heap of rags.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Each of these systems has it’s own bad-ass attributes. There isn’t a clear-cut winner, so instead of being sheep… decide for yourself!

PlayStation 3 40GB Spider-Man Movie Pack - The reason I started with the PS3 is because I think it has the most growth to make in the next couple of years. Because of the awesome hardware built into the PS3, I don’t think the games out now adequately utilize it. As soon as developers create the games that do this, the PS3 will fly off the shelves. You also may be wondering why I chose the Spider-Man movie pack, but there is a method to my madness. Right now, the PS3 is the cheapest Blue-Ray player on the market at $399. That, to me, is the real selling point for the PS3 right now.

Xbox 360 Elite System Console Includes 120GB Hard Drive - Now the XBOX 360 is the hardcore gaming console of this Holiday Season. Anyone wanting to get into serious gaming is hankering for the XBOX 360 Elite. Providing the best overall experience, Microsoft has truly tapped the XBOX 360 hardware and is making sure the best games are coming out on their system. On top of that, the XBOX Live interface is raising the standard for the user experience. And as if that wasn’t enough, the 360 is also a media extender. That means the videos, music, and pictures on your Windows computer are available on your big screen TV.

Sports Starter Bundle for Nintendo Wii - I chose the Wii last because it is definitely the best family-friendly system out there. While researching this one, I was surprised to see how expensive the Wii is. The bundle I chose is actually $479 but I chose it because it comes with Madden ‘08 and two remotes. No matter what you think, you will ultimately want to play the Wii with friends and if you only have one wiimote, you aren’t ready. Nintendo really outdid themselves with the innovative gameplay they designed. Just be careful because the Wii is addictive.

Popularity: 2% [?]

For a lot of people, vacations and family meetings are a time for jubilation. These festivities often contain foods that have extra fat, sugar and calories and are short on nutrients. With a little change, though, party foods can be both tasty and healthful.

Dairy Products

Most holiday meals involve dairy items. Get pleasure from these nutrients throughout your festivities, but use skimmed milk (from which cream has been skimmed) and other low or no fat dairy products in your items whenever feasible. Search the growing variety of low fat cheeses, cheese slices and cheese spreads that are now offered in your supermarket. For instance, purchase light or ultra-light cream cheese or cheddar cheese, as these are just 7 percent fat. If you use the items that are high in fat, for example butter, mayonnaise, sour cream, spread them very lightly or take just a small quantity.

Meat

Pick thinner cuts of meat for your holiday get-together. Turkey is one of the leanest kinds of meat, so it’s always a good choice. In general, white meat is leaner than red - so select the breast meat of a chicken or turkey in spite of the drumstick.

-Other Ideas -

• Get rid of skin from poultry.
• Select fish. Cold water fatty fish such as tuna and salmon have ‘heart healthy’ types of fat in them.
• Prepare meats in manners that lower the fat amount, such as grilling and boiling.
• Drain the extra fat off of meats after preparing.
• Cook meats on a stand so that extra fat can drip away.
• Cool soups, gravies, stews, and so on before offering them… and then take out the hardened fat that has gathered at the top.
• When making a roast, cover with low fat stock rather than the drippings from the pan.

Vegetables

Luckily, nearly all vegetables have little or no fat. It is what we include to the vegetables that add to their fat content.

Stay away from smothering your vegetables with solid buttery sauces or butter. Potatoes, for instance, have no fat. They also has very little salt, and are excellent origins of Vitamins B & C and Potassium. Potato peelings are a good origin of fiber (it helps in lowering cholesterol levels, and also lowers the danger of colon cancer). If you choose to mash your potatoes, instead of butter or soured cream, whip the potatoes with cream or 1 percent milk or sour cream having low fat or with a yogurt.

Also, add plenty of vegetables to your food. Extra flavor can be obtained by using flavorings like spices and herbs. Deep green vegetables (for example broccoli) and bright orange vegetables (for example carrots and potatoes) contain high antioxidant vitamins, folic acid and fiber. Antioxidants (such as Vitamins A, C, and E) are the defensive agents for the heart disease and cancer. When selecting vegetables use those, which are the deepest in color, for they offer greater health benefits.

Salads are also a great item. Select a low fat dressing.

Cooking Tip: To stop loss of taste and vitamins during cooking vegetables, steam vegetables in water or make use of a steaming stand. If you boil vegetables in water, it doesn’t waste water and you can use it for the gravy?

Stuffing

If you have stuffing with your meat dish, use dried fruits - like berries, dried grapes or apricots. This makes a tasty recipe and a colorful seasonal dish.

Cooking Tip: Instead of cooking stuffing in fowl or a roast, cook the stuffing in a casserole in the microwave oven, this will lessen the amount of fat present in the stuffing. Stuffing acts as a natural sponge, so if you don’t cook it outside the bird or roast, it naturally catches all the fat drippings.

Gravy

Preparing gravy from a low fat stock instead of the drippings from fowl or a roast is a perfect method to reduce fat. If the gravy recipe includes milk, then use skimmed milk.

Cooking Tip: If you opted to use drippings for the preparation of the gravy, remove fat from the top before preparing the gravy. Let the drippings cool and when the fat becomes hard, remove it with a spoon.

Cranberry Sauce

Cranberries are no doubt the perfect source of Vitamin C. Unfortunately most of the Vitamin C is lost during the canning process. Using home-made cranberry sauce is an easy and more nutritious way to enjoy this holiday favorite. For a really healthy alternative, use fresh cranberry sauce on your turkey instead of gravy.

Cooking Tip: While preparing the cranberry sauce, put sugar on after cooking the cranberries to sustain the gentleness of the skin.

Dessert

Dinner might be very heavy, but what is a holiday food without all of the lavish desserts? These tips can help your waistline, while leaving you to enjoy your favorites.

• Angel food cake has little or no fat. It can be a great sweet dish when offered with fruits like strawberries, raspberries or peaches.
• When preparing pumpkin pie – Always use skimmed milk and top with low fat or fat free ice-cream, frozen yogurt, or whipped topping.
• Try some holiday trail mix by mixing dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips. A great holiday choice for the fruits would be dried cranberries.

Popularity: 6% [?]

More often than not, guys struggle with the fundamentals of dating. Any jackass can get a date, it’s how well you perform on this date that sets you up for any future encounters. Thinking of how her bedroom looks? Don’t blow it on the first date. These simple tips should decrease the possibility of you becoming a one-hit-wonder.

Be Confident
This is and always will be the number one key to successful dating. Now, this is going to be easier for some than others, and you may be reading this thinking “but, I could never have the confidence to approach a girl”. If you think that way, you may have already lost the battle. The old saying is always correct - “Confidence is key”. Most men aren’t born with a lot of confidence, but there is hope… through repetition, confidence can become a learned behavior.

Be Considerate (but not too considerate)
Being considerate is the easiest way to a womans heart. However, if you are too considerate, you may get stuck in the dreaded “friends zone”. The easiest way to avoid the friends zone is to make your intentions known early on. If you come across as a friend, that’s all you will ever be thought of.

Take Care of Yourself
I don’t mean you need to get down the gym and get yourself a six-pack. Although that is never a bad thing, it’s not easy, and we’re just looking for the easy ways to get the girl. I’m just talking about the real basic stuff here - brush your teeth, wash your hair, get a haircut, wear clean clothes. And most importantly, always read the “style” section of Atom Magazine. Stick to our guidelines and we won’t allow you to look like a chimp in a cheap suit.

Have Something To Say
This should be the easy part. I understand that some men truly struggle in the field of communication, but just relax, take a deep breath, and try to be pleasant. Just memorize a few bits of information (even better if it’s something amusing) and bring them up in conversation. Don’t reel them off in a list and make it look like you’ve swallowed a periodical!

Be Funny
I don’t mean you have to be a comedian, but you need the ability to laugh at yourself and not be too serious. Humor always comes out on top when women list their favorite traits in men. Note - sarcasm is generally a poor sense of humor and will not make you look attractive, so avoid at all costs.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Today men’s hair styles can be either long and textured or super short and tight and still be considered trendy and at the height of fashion. Some men’s hair styles require gel, mousse or pomade while others don’t even need to be combed. The truth is that now more than ever there are numerous ways to achieve a stylish and trendy man hair cut. That means that there are a lot of different styles for men who are looking for the perfect man hair style to choose from.

While the man’s hair style is less rigid than it was in the 80s and requires a lot less goo to accomplish, the modern man hair cut is still best served by a little styling. No, you do not need to spend hours in front of the mirror coaxing every strand into place, but a little gel never hurt any man’s hair style that I know of.

Here are just a few of the latest trends in men’s hair styles and how to style them:

Super short man’s hair style. High and Tight, Fade, Spike, Clipper Cut and Crew Cut are just a few of the names given to the short man’s hair cut. By far the most popular man’s hair style is the High and Tight or Fade. Characterized by a closely cropped clipper cut around the sides and back of the head with just enough hair on top of the head to comb, this man’s hair style with its many variations accounts for about 75 percent of all popular styles today. With just a little bit of gel to spike up the top, mess it up a little or finger into place, this man’s hair style will only take you seconds to achieve. While you may have to get it cut more often, about every three weeks or so, the ease of styling this man hair cut is what makes it a favorite among busy men today.

Medium length, textured men’s hair style. Today’s styles for men have a lot of texture and the same is true for medium-length styles (about 3 to 4 inches). These styles resemble the classic man hair cut of the past, but step it up a notch by using extreme texture and color to bring it all together. Most styles use a great deal of razoring and texturizing with notching scissors. To style this man’s hair style pomade usually works best. Work product through dry hair and finger into place.

Long man’s hair style. While most men do not wear their hair down their back anymore, the long man’s hair style has made a somewhat shorter comeback. Perhaps the most recognizable example that I can give of this men’s hair style is Ashton Kutcher. Long, textured and disheveled, this man hair cut is gaining widespread popularity. Again, this man’s hair cut requires a lot of texture and works best with pomade.

As you can see from these few examples, the man’s hair style is far from boring. Gone are the days of cookie-cutter barber shop man hair cut. Here to stay is the trendy and styled cuts of today.

Popularity: 100% [?]

We’ve all been hit hard by gas prices recently. Well I think it’s time to fight back. I’ve come up with four things that anyone can do to save gas. Give ‘em a try… think of all the money you’ll save!

1. Buy Stuff From Infomercials

I myself am a night person. I sit up until the sun rises and I ponder the meaning of life… or I write meaningless blog posts similar to this one. Anywho, one of my favorite parts of staying up late is infomercials. It’s amazing to watch the crap that they peddle on tv these days.

How does watching infomercials help me save money on gas? Well… watching infomercials doesn’t help you save money on gas… buying stuff from infomercials does. How does this work? It’s an easy concept. If you spend all of your money buying products guaranteed to make you millions then one of two things will happen.

• You’ll make millions. If this happens, then you no longer have to worry about gas prices taking a chunk out of your wallet.
• You’ll be too broke to afford your mortgage and you’ll have to sell your car. This option isn’t the greatest, but it’s an effective way to save money on gas.

2. Don’t Drive Your Car

This is the most obvious solution. If you never have to take your Pinto out of the driveway, not only are you saving yourself embarrassment, but you’ll also save money on gas.

Of course, I know what you’re going to say. “But Bryan, I need to go to work. And the kids have school and soccer practice. And then there’s grocery shopping and yoga lesssons and dinner at the Thompson’s and blah blah blah and….” Ok, I get the point. Not everyone can sit around the house writing not-so-funny articles and searching the Internet for Scarlett Johansson photos like me. I fully understand that some of you have a life. But just because you don’t drive your own car doesn’t mean you can’t get around. You can’t tell me that it would kill your fat-ass to jump on a bike and peddle aimlessly around town. You live 30 miles from work? Oh… here is another solution. I’m full of ideas.

3. Carpool

It seems so simple. Instead of using your gas, use someone else’s! Have someone else pay $5.50 a gallon for gas to take your kids to school. Use your connections. You should never have to buy a tank of gas if you plan correctly. You should be in the business of finding friends just to carpool with, and then as soon as it’s your turn… quit returning their phone calls. Move on to the next helpless sucker you found on Craigslist that wants to save the environment. Make someone else take out a second mortgage on their house so that they can fill up their Ford Expedition and take your happy ass to work.

If this doesn’t work and you simply must take your turn in the carpool carousel… try these tips to be absolutely certain that nobody will ever want to ride with you again.

• Never wash your car. This may sound obvious but it’s harder than it sounds when you factor in natural precipitation. Just get your car as dirty as possible and then make sure it is parked in a garage or under an awning so that it stays that way. If you can keep the inside dirty as well, then you are almost assured success. And when I say keep the inside dirty… I mean so dirty that someone would rather punch themselves in the face than ask you for a ride to the emergency room when they have on other means of transportation.
• Make sure your neighbors child is hopped up on Red Bull and put them in the back seat with a wiffle-ball bat. No explanation needed.
• Refuse to discuss anything in your car except your spouses bad bathing habits, bodily fluids, hang nails, chest hair, etc.
• Only play recorded versions of your favorite romance novels on cd. Loud!

You shouldn’t have to worry about anyone wanting to ride with you ever again.

4. Ride the Bus/Subway

Many cities have a mass transit system that is an alternative to driving your own vehicle. If you live in a city that doesn’t have one don’t worry-you can always move. Of course, riding public transportation does have a few drawbacks, but these can be easily overcome if you follow these simple guidelines:

• No matter what happens never, ever make eye contact with anyone. Making eye contact is an invitation for someone to mug you.
• No matter what happens never, ever give up your seat to anyone. This is seen as weakness, and will be taken as an invitation to mug you.
• No matter how tempted you are never, ever strike up a conversation with the person sitting next or across from you. This is very annoying and can be taken as an invitation for someone to mug you. Or worse, for someone to talk back.
• Always make sure you are alert to get on and off at the right stop. Getting off at the wrong stop can lead to immediate mugging.
• Never, ever take children with you on public transportation. Fellow passengers hate children. Children make you definite mug victim material.

Hopefully this helpful article will keep you from paying an arm and a leg for gas. And all I ask in return as a simple thank you next time you see me. Just make sure we’re not on the bus. I’d hate to have to mug you…

Popularity: 2% [?]

Do you have someone in your life who seems to have everything? And I bet you came across this guide begging to see something not currently in their house. You could also be the person who dreams of having everything but stopped by to drool. Enjoy!

TVs and Home Theater

I know we have already done a post about the Ultimate Home Theater, but that is if you are wanting to max out your wallet. This list is the more affordable components that will work just as well.

Samsung LNT3253H 32″ LCD HDTV - Samsung has always produced decent products for a good value and a price tag of $800 is actually REALLY good. For the picture quality and features you get, this is one hell of a deal. Sure, the 32″ screen isn’t the biggest screen, but really, who needs a TV that will cover your whole wall. For that, you would need a projector…

Mitsubishi HD1000U High Definition DLP Theater Projector - Speaking of Projectors, here is one to salivate over but won’t break the bank. Coming in at just under $900, this projector is perfect for most users. Really, unless you are in the hottest technology and the best of the best, this projector is all you need. The only thing to think about with projectors though is that any other source of light will detract from your viewing pleasure so you might want to buy some blinds for that gigantic picture window you put in your living room this summer.

RCA RTD209 250 Watts 5-Disc DVD/CD Home Theater System - For your audio experience, you can purchase this beaut. Not only is it a complete home theater sound system (complete with speakers and receiver) but it is also a 5 - Disc DVD/CD player. So that means you won’t have to have another box sitting there. And when you feel like watching the whole season of Gilmore Girls WWE Wrestling, you can set it all up and enjoy the next 6 hours of entertainment. Oh, and did I mention that it is only $115? Wow am I slipping!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Getting RIPPED ABS fast is easier than you think. Instead of focusing on dated ab exercises such as sit-ups, leg lifts, and crunches, why not try these three killer ab exercises? The key for ripped abs is a high-intensity, metabolism boosting ab workout that will show you results almost immediately.

• Renegade Dumbbell Rows
• Front Squats with Barbell
• Mountain Climbers on Floor

A good repetition scheme to employ here could be 3-4 sets of 8 reps for each exercise, or more sets for less repetitions, such as 5 sets of 5 repetitions of each exercise. Mountain climbers can be done for a time interval (such as 30 seconds) instead of reps.

Exercise Descriptions:

1. Ripped Abs Mountain Climbers on Floor
Mountain climbers are done by starting in a push-up position and pulling your legs into your chest, almost like you are running in place. If you want an advanced version, you can also shuffle your hands 8-10 inches forward and backward in addition to the leg movements. Mountain Climbers should be done with a time limit rather than a rep. For example, 1-2 minutes of these should be just about enough for you to cry for your momma.

2. Ripped Abs Front Squats with Barbell

For another great exercise to really get those abs ripped and looking nice, here goes. Front squats are similar to regular squats, however with this exercise, the barbell goes in front and rests on your shoulders. You stabilize the barbell on your shoulders by crossing your arms and pushing your fists into the bar against your shoulders while keeping your elbows out in front of the body.

Front squats require extreme stabilization strength from the abs due to the barbell weight being shifted to the front of the body instead of the back. Even though this is mostly a leg exercise, you’ll feel this one in the abs big time all the time, giving that perfect ripped abs effect overtime. You might want to try this one with a buddy or a trainer, it’s pretty intense.

3. Ripped Abs Renegade Dumbbell Rows

These are done starting in a push-up position with your hands on 2 dumbbells. You then row one dumbbell up while stabilizing your body with the other arm. Bring the dumbbell back to the ground and alternate the rowing arm while stabilizing with the opposite arm. This stabilizing effect during the rows creates incredible work for your entire midsection, trunk, and core area, thereby working those muscles incredibly hard. Step 1 of 3 for ripped abs. Ready to move on?

After finishing each exercise, rest about 30 seconds before starting the next exercise. Rest about 1-2 minutes before switching to the next ripped ab exercise. It’s unwise to do these with no rest in between as you aren’t improving your results… just your chances for injury.

These three exercises should put you well on your way towards ripped abs. As with any exercise program, proper diet should also be a concern.

Popularity: 2% [?]