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As you probably know, men either love or hate Valentines Day. Think about how much pressure they must feel to meet our expectations! At the end of the day, is it really about the cost of something? I'm a woman and I think not. I just posted Valentines Day - how to make her happy without breaking the bank for the men. I told them a bit about my experience with what women really want. To be fair and balanced (as I always try to be when working with couples) I want to share with you some advice about your man - and Valentines Day: * Lower the bar - society and the media has put so much emphasis on the gift giving and money spending aspect of Valentines Day that many of our poor men are just plain stressed out by it all. Remind yourself of what the holiday is really about. Any acts of thoughtfulness deserve big points. * Do something for him - the focus is more often on what men should be doing for women. How about surprise your guy with something thoughtful. The more ...

Valentine's Day events in Atlanta Celebrate Valentine's Day in Atlanta with the one you love. There are plenty of romantic things to do for the holiday, whether you're planning dining out at a restaurant, seeing a movie, attending a concert or other event, finding a cheap activity, or splurging on a travel getaway. We have gift ideas as well, for every price point, whether cheap, free or expensive. So grab a date and let AccessAtlanta and ajc.com be your cupid. DINING • Find a romantic restaurant • Our reviewer's top five romantic restaurants • AJC's picks for romantic restaurants • Valentine's Day recipes • Table Talk: What's your idea of romantic dining? EVENTS • Find a romantic event • AJC's picks for Valentine's Day events • Free Valentine's Day events • Valentine's Day dances • Valentine's Day concerts • Valentine's Day theater events GIFTS • Gift-giving 101 for guys • Gifts under $30 ...

Sweep your loved one off their feet by whispering those 3 magic words in one of these romantic languages! Ngo oi ney (Cantonese) Jeg elsker dig (Danish) Ik hou van jou (Dutch) I love you (English) Minä rakastan sinua (Finnish) Je t'aime (French) Ich liebe Dich (German) S'agapo (Greek) Aloha au ia'oe (Hawaiian) Ti amo/Ti voglio bene (Italian) Aishiteru (Japanese) Sarang Ham-nida (Korean) Bahibak (Lebanese) Myliu tave (Lithuanian) Saya kasih awak (Malay) Wo ai ni (Mandarin) Kocham cie (Polish) Eu te amo (Portuguese) Ya tyebya lyublyu (Russian) Lubim ta (Slovak) Yo te amo (Spanish) te quiero (Spanish) Jag älskar dig (Swedish) Khao raak thoe (Thai) Seni seviyorum (Turkish)

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2009 guidebook offers a list of 10 places to steal a kiss. Some places on the list are renowned for romance or a sexy vibe — like New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris. Others earned a place on the list for a specific kiss-related reason, such as Hershey, Pa., home of Hershey's Kisses chocolate candy; Blarney Castle in Ireland, where visitors kiss the Blarney Stone to be rewarded with the gift of gab; Venice, where lovers might kiss on a gondola passing beneath the Bridge of Sighs; and Casablanca, Morocco, the setting for the famed movie in which Ingrid Bergman implored Humphrey Bogart to kiss her "as if it were the last time." Kissimmee, Fla., and Kissing, Germany, deserve a spot on the list by virtue of their smoochy names alone. Also on the list: Kiribati, a nation of island atolls just west of the international dateline in the South Pacific. If you happen to be there on New Year's Eve with your special someone, you co...

Every February 14th we celebrate St. Valentine's Day by sending flowers, cards and gifts to loved ones. But who is St. Valentine and why do we celebrate the holiday named for him? Legend has it that Valentine was a priest in Rome, under the reign of Emperor Claudius II . Claudius ordered young, single Roman soldiers not to become engaged or get married. He believed that wives and families served as distractions to his soldiers and would not fight as well as unmarried men. Valentine defied the decree and secretly performed marriage rituals for young couples. Valentine was eventually arrested, imprisoned and ordered to be put to death. While in prison in Rome, legend has it that Valentine wrote a letter to his sweetheart, which he signed "From your Valentine," an expression still in use today. Valentine was beheaded on February 14th . The actual holiday of Valentine's Day derives its origins from the ancient Roman feast of Lupercalia -- a spring fertili...

By JENELLE CLEARY Scanning the classifieds is done but once a year for me - Valentine's Day. It has become a habit that involves streaming up and down columns of mushy ads trying to find out if my name is there. Then checking the variations to my name and then the nicknames that my name may equate to. Quite tragic yes, but surely I'm not the only one with my head floating in the clouds among one too many helium love heart balloons! Yes, that day is upon us again where Hallmark up their sales of red envelopes and we all check our e-mail and snail mail for the hope of one message of undying love. We leave our desk at lunchtime hoping for some miraculous bunch of roses to appear instantaneously and think about making a restaurant reservation "for two" just in case. Valentine's Day has turned into one of emotional torture. And every year it seems the same! Well, Val Day 2001 doesn't have to be one that leaves you in bed at 7.30 exhausted from check...

By Jay Williams Valentine's Day is a traditionally romantic day on which lovers express their desire for one another by giving one another chocolates, flowers, cards - generally anything meaningful. Lovers from all around the world celebrate Valentine's Day, Dïa del Amor y la Amistad, Valentinsdag, Dia dos Namorados, giri-choko, which all translates to a lot of chocolate and a lot of love. The day is closely associated with love, cupid, roses and the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Originally it was a religious celebration, but today it's more of a marketing exercise, not unlike Easter, when people spend big bucks on showing their affection - sometimes to the whole world! A century ago, hand written love notes and some flowers would suffice, enough to charm the object of your desire, or your "valentine". But handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards, and in some cases newspaper mess...

Hazardous Chemicals in Cosmetics and Personal Care Productd Some of the ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products are chemicals that may be hazardous to your health. Take a look at some of the ingredients to watch for and the health concerns raised by these chemicals. Antibacterials (e.g., Triclosan) are found in many products, such as hand soaps, deodorants, toothpastes and body washes. Health Hazards: Some antibacterial agents are absorbed through the skin. Triclosan has been shown to be secreted in breast milk. These chemicals may be toxic or carcinogenic. One study has found antibacterials may interfere with the functioning of testosterone in cells. Antibacterials can kill the 'good' protective bacteria as well as pathogens, actually increasing susceptibility to infection. The products may increase the rate of development of resistant strains of bacteria. butyl acetate Butyl acetate is found in nail strengtheners and nail polishes. Health Hazar...

February 9th is the birthday of the United States Weather Bureau. Professor Lapham of Milwaukee was instrumental in raising awareness for a need for the government to pay attention to weather. He frequently forwarded clippings of newspaper articles outlining the deaths of sailors due to severe Great Lake storms. Congress passed the legislation and President Ulysses S. Grant established the Bureau in 1870. The official name for this agency was "The Division of Telegrams and Reports for the Benefit of Commerce". The agency granted the Secretary of War to maintain meteorological observations and data and to warn citizens of approaching storms. The task was assigned to the War Department because it was believed military discipline would allow the "greatest promptness, regularity, and accuracy" needed to maintain the service. Every day, personnel from the Signal Service Corps would report weather information to Washington DC. The Weather Bureau would evolve over tim...

If you've ever poured hydrogen peroxide solution onto a cut and didn't experience the expected fizz, it's likely your bottle of hydrogen peroxide has become a bottle of plain water. The 3% hydrogen peroxide solution you can buy for use as a disinfectant typically has a shelf life of at least a year if the bottle is unopened, but only lasts 30-45 days once the seal has been broken. As soon as you expose the peroxide solution to air, it starts to react to form water. Also, if you contaminate the bottle (e.g., by dipping a swab or finger into the bottle), you can expect the effectiveness of the remaining liquid to be compromised. So, if you have a bottle of hydrogen peroxide that has been sitting in your medicine cabinet for a few years, it would be a good idea to replace it. If you've opened the bottle at any point, its activity is long-gone. If you feel like testing the solution. Solvay Chemicals describes a test you can perform to assess the remaining activity.

Want to use a design that’s subtler than a big red heart? Try the understated “Happy Valentine’s Day” templates for an easy-on-the eyes look and calls-to-action that pop.

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and like many holidays it's an occasion for businesses to make more sales via email marketing. We know you're always looking for ways to build your list and deliver relevant, valuable messages, so we thought we'd play Cupid and help you and your customers get together Just in time for the upcoming holiday, we've rolled out new HTML email templates and matching web form ones, themed for February 14th.

There are a lot of reasons why you might want to make your own shampoo from scratch. The big two probably are wanting to avoid the chemicals in commercial shampoos and just simply wanting to make shampoo yourself. Back in ye olden days, shampoo was soap, except with additional moisturizers so that it didn't strip the natural oils from your scalp and hair. Although a shampoo can be solid, it is easier to use if there is enough water to make a gel or liquid. Shampoos tend to be acidic because if the pH gets too high (alkaline) the sulfur bridges in the hair keratin can break, damaging your hair. This recipe for making your own gentle shampoo is chemically a liquid soap, except vegetable-based (many soaps use animal fat) and with alcohol and glycerine added during the process. Make it in a well-ventilated room or outdoors and be sure to read all of the safety precautions on the ingredients. Shampoo Ingredients 2 lb 10 oz olive oil 1 lb 7 oz of solid-type vegetable shortening...

February 8th is Dmitri Mendeleev's birthday. Most people associate Mendeleev the first accepted periodic table of the elements. His table ordered the elements by increasing atomic weight where columns of elements had similar chemical properties and is the immediate forerunner of the modern periodic table. Mendeleev was also the man responsible for making Russia "metric". As Director of Russia's Bureau of Weights and Measures, he was instrumental in bringing the metric system to Russia. In his personal life, he was famous for his "grooming". Mendeleev was widely known for his long hair and wild beard. He would only cut his hair or trim his beard once a year. He had one minor scandal where he was labeled a bigamist for a legal technicality for not waiting the required seven years after a divorce before marrying his second wife. Find more about Mendeleev and what else occurred on this day in science history.

You breathe oxygen, yet air is mostly nitrogen. You need nitrogen to live and encounter it in the foods you eat and in many common chemicals. Here are some quick facts about this element. You can find detailed information about nitrogen on the nitrogen facts page. Nitrogen is odorless, tasteless, and colorles Nitrogen gas (N2) makes up 78.1% of the volume of the Earth's air. Nitrogen is a nonmetal. Nitrogen gas is relatively inert, but soil bacteria can 'fix' nitrogen into a form that plants and animals can use to make amino acids and proteins. The French chemist Antoine Laurent Lavoisier named nitrogen azote, meaning without life. Nitrogen was sometimes referred to as 'burnt' or 'dephlogisticated' air, since air that no longer contains oxygen is almost all nitrogen. The other gases in air are present in much lower concentrations. Nitrogen compounds are found in foods, fertilizers, poisons, and explosives. Your body is 3% nitrogen by weight. Ni...

Here's a look at some types of dates that might be perfect if your sweetie is a scientist or is interested in science. Dinner and movie is still a good plan, especially with the right movie, but I here are some additional dating ideas. Science Date Ideas Sharing an ice cream cone is always romantic. For science-types, try making the ice cream using liquid nitrogen! Nicolas George

Question: Is There Really a Chemistry of Love? Answer: I don't think there are any magic love potions that you can use to make someone fall in love, but chemistry does play an important role in how a relationship progresses. First, there's attraction. Nonverbal communication plays a big part in initial attraction and some of this communication may involve pheromones, a form of chemical communication. Did you know that raw lust is characterized by high levels of testosterone? The sweaty palms and pounding heart of infatuation are caused by higher than normal levels of norepinepherine. Meanwhile, the 'high' of being in love is due to a rush of phenylethylamine and dopamine. All is not lost once the honeymoon is over. Lasting love confers chemical benefits in the form of stabilized production of serotonin and oxytocin. Can infidelity be blamed on chemistry? Perhaps in part. Researchers have found that suppression of vasopressin can cause males (voles, anyway) to abandon...