Valentine’s Notes

Not being an excessively mushy person, we often do very little for Valentine’s Day around here. Besides, it’s one of those holidays I really don’t know what to make of–part ancient Roman fertility festival, part Christian syncretism, part Hallmark holiday–it’s sort of cheesy. I mean, not EVERY relationship is going great around Valentine’s Day. Just statistically, there have to be some that are in the dumps.

xkcd.com (my favorite cartoons, ever)

xkcd.com (my favorite cartoons, ever)

Perhaps this explains the Valentine’s Day ad by a local dollar store, complete with the big heart on the top and pink paper, pointing out their low, low prices on pregnancy tests, adult underpads, and anti-fungal cream. More useful items for the actual holiday itself? Condoms, douche, and deodorant. Oh, and gas relief pills.

Romantic, huh?

If you just can’t bring yourself to make passionate love to your valentine, you can blame your parents. Wired magazine has pointed out that social skills may be largely inherited (DUH!). The quoted study was focused on facial recognition skills (absolutely essential to preventing you from going home with your best friend’s date), but, since introversion and extroversion are also known to be hereditary, it seems some of us are just screwed. Pick your parents better next time.

For those of you with solid valentines who might have a touch of a cold–take heart! Chances are you won’t catch it from casual saliva swapping. This study did not look at sex, so I cannot wax brilliant on that score. Presumably, though, the risk would be higher from oral fluids, so you’re probably safe.

If you’re trying to enhance your valentine’s arousal, there’s a guy who is working on a product line of edibles meant to increase vaginal and penile blood flow through scent and taste. Apparently, doughnut is a great aphrodisiac.

On the edibles score–should you eat the chocolates your sweetie brings home? Waistline-wise, it’s a concern. But two studies out this week suggest that chocolate may make up for that in other ways. It decreases your risk of stroke and cancer (purportedly). Red wine, too. So enjoy.

If the calories are still too disconcerting, you can whiff your chocolate. Aerosol delivery makes you think you’re enjoying the taste of chocolate, without harming your waistline. No word yet on whether you can whiff the health benefits.

Perhaps, though, the whiffing is enough to invoke the chocolate aphrodisiac effect, which seems to be fairly strong, at least in young women who eat chocolate. Feel free to think of all the things that might be wrong with this study…

Even nanoparticles seem to be getting into the act. It was reported this week that palladium atoms have spontaneously arranged themselves into a heart shape, just in time for Valentines’s Day. I’m thinking I know some geeks who would love this.

Image lovingly swiped from Phys.org

Image lovingly swiped from Phys.org

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Related posts:

  1. You Say Tomato…
  2. The End of Civilization
  3. Father’s Day, 2010
  4. Food Wars, Part 5,349
  5. What’s the Opposite of Seeing the Virgin in a Cheese Sandwich?

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Add to Technorati Favorites

53 Comments

I find cinnamon rolls to be quite satisfying…

I am one of those excessively mushy people… but not b/c of chocolates, cards, flowers, etc. Gifts mean far less than time spent, a listening ear, and a good, lotiony foot rub.

[Reply]

I'm also not a Valentine's-Day-Kinda-Girl, but that sign outside of the dollar store near you? That makes me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

[Reply]

Since my diet consist of predominantly red wine and chocolate I should be incredibly healthy. Now if I could just get out of this chair.

Happy Valentines Day.

[Reply]

I'm off to enjoy some guilt-free chocolate now! Thanks.

[Reply]

My husband is no good on a day to day romantic basis, never even remembering to say I look nice on date night, so for us it's critical to have officially sanctioned days of the year he has to go all out. If he didn't get the smack in the face reminders of valentines, anniversaries, birthdays and christmas I'd never get told he thinks about me at all. Sometimes it's necessary with the slower ones…..they just don't have that gene. Otherwise I wouldn't be too upset if the holiday went by without notice.

[Reply]

I'm not big on Valentine's day either. Hub got me some chocolates. I love milk chocolate. He got an assorted box with 4 milk, 6 dark and 6 coconut. I don't like coconut either… very thoughtful, no?

[Reply]

My husband and I have not celebrated a Valentine's Day since a year after we were married, when, as poor college students, we drove from our small rural Idaho town seventy-five miles to Spokane, WA, to wait two hours for our splurge dinner at Olive Garden, where the food was cold and the service was "how fast can we get these people out of here to make room for the next people," and then had to drive home. Instead of being romantic, the whole thing seemed pointless. I'd much rather have a good time when we want to rather than some holiday where it's expected and every single person in America is doing the same thing…which means large crowds, inflated prices for unnecessary gifts, etc.

Although I did shop at the Dollar Store on Thursday, but that was for cheap decorations for my six-year-old's classroom party. They didn't need condoms, douche, or gas relief pills. One of the assistant teachers could have used the deodorant though. Oh,well.

[Reply]

Valentine's doesn't get a big reception at our house. Just another day. We actually spent the majority of the day at a kid's birthday party. I suppose there are worse ways to have spent it than with coffee and cupcakes.

The social skills study? My kids are so screwed.

[Reply]

Круто, что тут еще можно сказать.

[Reply]

Очень интересно… если бы еще и правда была))

[Reply]

“Перенесу этот пост к себе в блог, с позволения автора конечно”

[Reply]

имхо, автор не прав

[Reply]

Шикарно, возьму в дневник

[Reply]

“Прямо даже не верится”

[Reply]

Я лучше статьи не видел.

[Reply]

“Интересная заметка”

[Reply]

Мне нравятся Ваши посты

[Reply]

“подробней пожалуйста”

[Reply]

Интересно и позновательно, а будет еще что-то по этой теме?

[Reply]

Спасибо! Буду теперь заходить на этот блог каждый день! :)

[Reply]

Я отметила отлично :) нацепила на голову тыкву и бегала по улице.

[Reply]

Вы знаете редко сейчас кто пишет по данной тематике, очень приятно читать, я бы советовала картинок добавить еще!

[Reply]

“Работай с умом, а не до ночи”

[Reply]

хорошая подборка)

[Reply]

“Пост хорош”

[Reply]

А будет продолжение новости? Очень было бы интересно почитать

[Reply]

потрясающие идеи…нам перенять бы …великолепно.

[Reply]

круто..взяла почти все))

[Reply]

Огромное вам человеческое спасибо, очень актуальная заметка.

[Reply]

“Мне нравятся Ваши посты” Пишите побольше!

[Reply]

Хороший пост, прочитав пару книг на тему всё таки не взглянул со стороны, а пост как-то задел.

[Reply]

Блог отличный, побольше бы подобных!

[Reply]

Спасибо! а еще посты на эту тему будут?

[Reply]

Огромное количество информации о производственном потенциале РФ: введение соискателя в должность, динамика дохода, переоценка фонда собственности и человеческие ресурсы, а также эффективность экономики.

[Reply]

Но наступает время отрезвленья,

[Reply]

“Полезного много нашла для себя”

[Reply]

спасибо! хороший пост! занесу ваш блог к себе в ридер :)

[Reply]

было очень интересно!

[Reply]

ммм)) так клёво))

[Reply]

Да, всё точно написано.

[Reply]

видели видели)

[Reply]

Хорошего без плохого не бывает – даже школьнику на каникулы дают задание. – Ч. Лэм

[Reply]

Спасибки)))))) в цитатник!

[Reply]

Огромное человеческое спасбо!

[Reply]

Все просто и понятно…что ничего не понятно.

[Reply]

Я от них безума!

[Reply]

Хм… Очень даже ничего.

[Reply]

Очень рада, что возникло желание взять этот пост в цитатник!

[Reply]

Leave a Comment