Jay M

I'm 26 years old and decided to try growing a beard. I'm about 4 weeks into it and it's come to a point where it itches ME when I kiss my girlfriend. Usually it's the girl who deals with itchiness, but my girlfriend seems to have no complaints. Is this just a small phase in the beard-growing process and it'll go away as it grows longer? I've gotten a lot of compliments on how it looks, and I like it too, but if I can't kiss my girlfriend without my upper lip getting itchy, it's coming off.

Sometimes I see PT Cruisers with what looks like a spare tire holder on the back hatch, and a large chrome accent resembling a hubcap with the Chrysler symbol on the back. What is this option called. I'm trying to search for a Cruiser with this feature, but can't find one.

Two people (let's call them "Jeff" and "Diane") work at the same company doing the same job. They both get the same amount of taxes withheld from their income each pay period. On their W-4, neither claims exempt and each claims only 1 allowance. Come tax time, however, Jeff only gets a refund of around $150 or so, while Diane gets a much larger refund of around $900. Jeff lives with his parents, pays no rent, but still files as an independent. Diane lives with her boyfriend and pays rent on an apartment. Neither is claiming any other form of income. Being a college student hasn't appeared to alter the result. Any other reasons why Jeff could be getting a much smaller return than Diane?

I was at a bar last weekend and ended up grinding with one of the girls there. I don't have that much experience with this as I'm newly single. I've always been told when dancing, the man is supposed to take the lead, but in this case, this girl seemed to know exactly what she wanted and was very dominant with her moves. Didn't bother me much. I just followed her lead and kept going, but at times I almost felt like I was being dragged around! Is grinding the exception where the man will follow the woman's lead, or are there things/moves I can do to remain in control as the man?

I just saw the most beautiful girl working at my optical shop while I was shopping for a pair of prescription sunglasses. The girl who waited on me was angelic!! So beautiful, and very sweet and friendly. I don't see many women who catch my eye like this one. I tried using humor to innocently flirt (joking about the slow computer and how we hate how we both have dry eyes with our contacts, etc) ANYWAY, how do you go about getting a girl's number or even gauging if she's interested while she's working and you're her customer. For all I know, she was only being friendly with me because it's good customer service. She still remained very professional. Should I ask for it when I go back next week? Should I pop my head in a few times a month first and make small talk? What strategies work best for this type of situation?

I've always had issues being the "nice guy" and always being seen as just a friend to girls, especially ones I like. I've never felt like I was masculine enough to be attractive. I have since improved my flirting skills with girls, and there are women who are attracted to me, but I still do enjoy spending time with women, even just as friends. I have one or two good guy friends, but several female friends, many of which are very attractive. I'm completely straight. I just know how to respect women and treat them platonic when I know there's no chance of romance. How does this come off to other people though? I know, I know, I shouldn't care what others think, but I'm just curious. It sometimes bothers me that I'm usually the only guy hanging out with a group of girls. I think I have this little fear that people think I'm gay or just not masculine. Is it really perfectly normal for straight guys to hang with attractive girls platonic?

I have a friend at work. She's a gorgeous blonde. Short, petite, great curves, bright blue eyes. I thought she was snobby at first until I got to know her. She's really a big dork. Anyway, she's always had a tendency to be shallow when it comes to her selection of men. She likes them hard-bodied with six pack abs and really clean cut, but they always end up being jerks. Go figure. As for me, I've always had a girlfriend since I've known her so I never tried to hit on her, but rather developed a brother-like relationship with her. I'm always giving her advice and telling her she deserves better than the loser boyfriend she's dating. I figured acting like that, she'd never be interested in me, but lately she's been calling me "lovey" and casually saying "I love you" when we part, and saying she'd give her life for me. I've also noticed more physical compliments, like my eyes or my shirt. She also recently commented on how she'd be much happier with her boyfriend if he had a personality like mine, and asked if I'd room with her if she and her boyfriend broke up. I'm just shocked because not only am I not pursuing her, I'm also not her physical type (not fat, but not her usual supermodel catch). Is this just how girls act with a close guy friend, or is there a chance she's developing feelings for me?

I'm a 25 year old male. I usually get 6-7 hours of sleep every night. My bed time is relatively stable, usually around 11-12. For a guy my age, I shouldn't feel as tired as I do on a regular basis. I'm always yawning, even in mid afternoon. It's embarrassing more than anything else, especially in social situations. I've had a sleep study done already and they said they saw nothing unusual. I do not have apnea. I've been taking Melatonin for the last week or so, which has helped me feel like I sleep deeper, but I still feel tired and worn out during the day, and I'm still yawning a lot. Help!!

I often see the hairstyle I want on many celebrities but whenever I've tried to describe it to my barber, it always comes out looking crappy. When I look up men's hairstyles online, many of the ones I like are described as "layered" hairstyles. If I ask for a layered hairstyle vs. just asking for "shorter on the sides and back, longer on top," what's the difference?

It's just a stereotype that gets thrown around and I've always wondered why that is... Even if the woman cheated or is at fault for the divorce, you usually hear about her making off with her man's money, estate, car, whatever. What makes that so? How is it determined?

Is it ever frowned upon in the Catholic church if you marry someone who doesn't share your faith? If not, is it also a sin to not have a Catholic/Christian wedding if my partner decides that's not what she wants? I've always found myself seeking out a Catholic partner simply to avoid these problems, but there are so few of them out there. Even finding a decent Christian is hard. In my opinion alone, I wouldn't mind if she didn't share my faith, as long as I was still free to practice it and I wasn't criticized or questioned for it. I'm newly single, and promised myself I'd find someone who shares my faith, but now I'm falling hard for a girl who's "New Age/Spiritual" and I don't want to rule her out because she's not Christian...

This is a question for LADIES. I want to know your take on the "friend zone." It's a term men use a lot to describe when a man is just friends with a girl and has no chance of becoming more. Quote from the movie Just Friends "You become a complete non-sexual entity in her eyes, like a brother, or a lamp." I've always found myself stuck in this "friend zone" more often than I'd like to. I've been told I'm good looking, charming, sweet, hilarious. My problem is, unless I feel I'm ready to commit to her then and there, I'm afraid to make a move (like kiss her), because that's gotten me in trouble before, because she expects more. I'm always at the two extremes: If I don't make a move, I'm just a friend. If I do, I feel obligated to commit right then and there. Is there a fine line? I just hate always feeling awkward around girls I'm interested in because I feel like I'm playing a balancing game, and if I fall in either direction, I'll be screwed. I just want some insight into women's logic when it comes to assessing a man's dating potential. Also bare in mind, I'm not a sleaze who's just looking to sleep with women, but I would like to "test the waters" before diving in head first. I just want to be able to date women and find right girl, but I feel like unless I'm willing to commit to her I shouldn't make any moves, and then I'm stuck in the "friend zone." Someone open my eyes!

I need ideas for very casual Valentine's Day plans as I am not very romantic by nature. I am recently single and have a friend who's also recently single. We've always liked each other and we flirt a lot. We decided, since we both have no one else, we're spending V-Day together. I'm not looking to get serious with this girl, but I'd still like to be a gentleman and impress her with something sweet. Any ideas on fun activities or types of restaurants for a casual, fun day out? I know she loves chocolate, so I'll get something like that for her, but would roses/flowers send the wrong signals or would that be appropriate?

My goal is to impress/flatter her but not give her the wrong idea that I want something too serious. Just looking to have fun with it.

Trying to think of a good topic for my sociology paper. "Write an in depth sociological paper looking at one of the areas of marriage and family that we have discussed or not discussed in class." Need FIVE "scholarly references." 5-7 pages double spaced. This is 20% of my grade. Can anyone think of a good topic in the area of Marriage and Family that I could develop a paper about? It's due the 23rd. Thanks in advance for all the suggestions!

I have AT&T service. Is there any way for me to send a text message through email or some other way through the computer to someone's phone? Sometimes I'm on the comp and want to chat with someone on text, but I don't feel like hitting all the buttons on the phone. It'd be nice to be able to type one on the comp. Any way I can do that?

I have a friend who's always getting herself into trouble with guys she associates with. She always seems to hang out with "dangerous" guys and enjoys flirting with them and teasing them, and once in awhile, it's bit her back and she's gotten raped or just hurt by these guys (emotionally hurt, not physically). Point is, I tell her to stay away from these guys, but she chooses not to listen because she's "too trusting." And she won't simply break contact for fear of "pissing them off." This girl and I are very close and I care deeply for her, but I just can't feel sorry for her anymore if she gets hurt by these guys. When I told her I wouldn't be sorry for her and wouldn't come running to console her, she got very offended that I "wouldn't care" if she were raped. Of course I would care, but I also don't believe in helping people who won't help themselves. Am I wrong to think this way or should I still be there for her, no matter what?

In the following examples, which usage of the verb is correct? EXAMPLE 1: A) The couple is going to the party. B) The couple are going to the party. EXAMPLE 2: A) The group of four people is going to the party. B) The group of four people are going to the party. Please give your take on each example. I am 99% positive that option A is correct for both examples, but my writing class disagreed with me for both.

I've heard mixed views. Some think it's perfectly okay. After all, what has the other person to hide? However, some get irate at the idea. Reason I ask is because I've suspected my girlfriend of cheating on me and there have been many times I've snooped to dig up dirt. In the past, I've found things, though not cheating, but that have been inappropriate. When I confront her, I'm made to feel like I'm just as bad a person for snooping and therefor have no right to be angry at what I found. Me personally, I don't care if my s/o looks through my phone or email. I know I have nothing to hide and it doesn't bother me one bit if she goes through it. Can I assume if my s/o is bothered by it, that she's definitely hiding something? Thoughts on the subject...

I'd like opinions on this. If a guy greets a girl with whom he's somewhat acquainted, with "Hey, beautiful," is this attractive or flattering to girls, or would most take offense and think "Umm I have a name!" Just want opinions.

I have a 32" mitsubishi box TV about 10-15 years old. Not a flat screen, not LCD. Just a standard TV. I have problems with a small bit of static on the bottom of the screen that's just distracting enough. I've been able to temporarily fix it by hitting it, but it keeps coming back, and now it's just not going away. Sadly, I'm not a handyman and cannot afford another TV right now. (I bought this one off craigslist about a month ago) I've heard some TVs are made to never be taken apart. Is this one of those TVs or would it be harmless to simply undo the screws on the back of the set to open it up and see if anything looks loose? Does anyone have experience working with TVs of this type and age? Any better advice on how to fix it?