Men love women. The way they look, smell, walk and talk are just some of the reasons why we consider them a divine species. Yet we can't live with them, and we certainly can't live without them...

...for the most part anyway, because perfect, they are not. And upon serious analysis, I've discovered the top 10 things women do that drive men to the brink of insanity.

10. Pretend to be virtuous

A recurring theme among many women is that they try to place themselves under a "holier than thou" light, never admitting that they fooled around or dividing their number of boyfriends by five. Now, we applaud those ladies who truly are innocent and pure, but the rest should stop trying to water down their past. Women are allowed to have just as much fun as guys, and they should find a man who can appreciate that.

9. Criticize other women

Why is it that many women can't make a simple compliment toward another woman? They love to nitpick about everything from weight to hairstyle and everything in between. Only a woman will notice if another woman's shoes don't match her purse and turn it into a calamity.

Granted there are some women who are readily willing to admit when another woman is hot (and hopefully invite her over for a ménage à trois), but most don't want to distract their men with any competition. Nevertheless, we spot the hot ones anyway.

8. Act jealous

Oftentimes, just mentioning another woman's name can spell the end of your existence. Imagine, then, the warfare you'll have to endure if she finds out you were at a gentleman's club.

Call it what you will, but a lot of women have this thing that causes them to second-guess everything, especially their man's loyalty. That's why when another female enters the equation in any way, shape or form, she tenses up. If you've given her reason to doubt you, then her paranoia is likely justified. Otherwise, you shouldn't have to pay the price because she's feeling insecure.

7. Become needy

Some women have some serious security issues. They need their men to hold them, rub them and tell them how special they are. They turn men into their emotional crutch and look to us for moral, mental and emotional support.

There's a real irony here when you think of all the women who go out of their way to show us how independent they are. These are usually the same women who become extremely insecure once they finally fall in love. Of course, as tempting as it may be to use this to our advantage, I think most men would prefer the tougher version. This way, they'd at least retain some peace of mind.

6. Speak in code

The old "What are you thinking?" question is a timeless example of how women love to test their men and search for our true feelings about them. They hurtle obscure, theoretical questions at us that, according to them, we're supposed to know the answers to if we're really their soul mates.

What a pitiful sight it is, seeing a guy tense up as his mind goes into overdrive, looking for the right answer, while his lady looks on from a distance with her arms folded and foot tapping. At this point, there's nothing left to do except throw an answer out there and hope we don't end up in the doghouse.

5. Invade our personal space

Women have this instinctive tic that makes them want to groom us anytime they want and make our personal belongings theirs.

In other words, when they're not adjusting our tie for the umpteenth time, they're rummaging through our drawers, looking for a sweatshirt to change into. Am I the only one who sees a problem here? We all know that there would be hell to pay if we so much as thought about giving them a haircut or sorting through their stuff, so why is it that our turf is fair game?

4. Become too emotional

They cry over anything: a sad movie (or even a happy one), a broken nail or a haircut gone awry. What's worse, they expect us to clean up the emotional mess. And if there's one thing we suck at, it's dealing with a crying woman on our shoulder.

It's not that we're insensitive, but aside from saying, "There there, sweetie," we don't know the first thing about comforting a woman. The fact that women are usually more delicate and vulnerable is great; we just don't want the steady stream of tears for every minor setback.

3. Shop till they drop

When it comes to shopping, there just aren't enough hours in the day for most women. Whether it's browsing, window-shopping or an all-out spending spree, they can spend hours on end in a shoe store, among others, without even thinking about food, water or any of their responsibilities.

But what's worse is that they have to take us along for the ride. So there we go, from store to store, wandering aimlessly back and forth while they inspect every article of clothing by its respective price tag.

2. Talk incessantly

Chris Rock nailed it when he said that asking how her day went renders a 45-minute conversation. Most women love to talk, and if you give them the ammo, they won't stop. It's not that we don't care about what they have to say; it's just that we don't need to hear every minute detail.

1. Use sex as a weapon

In the war of the sexes, it's all about who wears the pants in the relationship. Oftentimes most women, in an effort to show their superiority, will attack men's universal weak spot: sex.

And while I applaud them for this gutsy tactic, they really should leave the basic human needs alone, don't you think?

Learn to Tolerate

In the grand scheme of things, women's annoying habits aren't that bad. Chances are you'll adapt to them in time, as will she when it comes to your annoying tendencies. Nobody's perfect, and I think that's something we can all agree on.

The Skinny on Full Figures

by Patrizia Diluccio

Truth: most men like women with flesh, not just bones. That said, it's hard to stay oblivious to the message that thin is in. It's trumpeted at us from every makeup ad, movie screen and televised awards ceremony, where waif-thin models and actresses cavort for the cameras in backless gowns that show off every vertebra. Are skeletons sexy? Is Halloween Valentine's Day?

Most of the men I know prefer a woman with some meat on her bones. Calista Flockhart? She could use a piece of chicken. What man doesn't find her buxom roommate Renee sexier?

My suggestion: Learn to feel good about yourself. March right down to the local lingerie emporium and buy the slinkiest, silkiest, sassiest teddy, in bright hot scarlet, you can possibly lay your hands on. But remember, it's all about the delivery. He might find your curves attractive, but if you act like he shouldn't -- he'll start to believe you.

So, if you got it -- flaunt it. And candlelight is not cheating.

AND A MAN'S PT OF VIEW

Do men really prefer dating skinny women?

Take it from me -- skinny has got nothing to do with it. In fact, a large part of the allure women hold for men is about the places where they're not skinny. (My favorite example is the pooch. You look down and grimace at it while you work out on the Stairmaster, but all day long your man is thinking about the time when he gets to come home and rest his head on it.)

Men want to date women who are fun and attractive. Attraction, as you well know, is a chemical kind of thing -- it just happens, and good luck avoiding it when it does. And fun, frankly, is an attitude, an ever vigilant determination to find the element of play in any given situation -- certainly something you could cultivate, but not a physical attribute. Best of all, if you and a guy are having fun together, chances are the attraction thing is happening too.

Dear son,


     * The day that you see me old and i am alrdy weak, have patience
     and try to understand me.


     * If I get dirty when eating, if I can not dress, have patience.
     Remember the hours I spent teaching it to you.


     * If, when I speak to you, I repeat the same things thousand and one
     times - do not interrupt me - listen to me.
     When you were small, I had to read to you thousand and one times the
     same story until you get to sleep.


     * When I do not want to have a shower, neither shame me nor scold me.
     Remember when I had to chase you with thousand excuses I invented, in
     order that (to get you) to bathe.


     * When you see my ignorance on new technologies - give me the
     necessary time and not look at me with your mocking smile.
     I taught you how many things - to eat good, to dress well - to
     confront life.


     * When at some moment I lose the memory or the thread of our
     conversation, let me have the necessary time to remember, and if I
     cannot do it, do not become nervous, as the most important thing is
     not my conversation but surely to be with you and to have you
     listening to me.


     * If ever I do not want to eat, do not force me. I know well when I
     need to and when not.


     * When my tired legs do not allow me walk, give me your hand the same
     way I did when you made your first steps.


     * And when someday I say to you that I do not want to live any more,
     that I want to die, do not get angry - some day you will understand.
     Try to understand that my age is not lived but survived.


     * Some day you will discover that, despite my mistakes, I always
     wanted the best thing for you and that I tried to prepare the way for
     you..


     * You must not feel sad, angry ... at seeing me near you. You must be
     next to me, try to understand me and to help me as I did you when you
     started living.


     * Help me to walk, help me to end my way (life) with love and
     patience. I will pay you with a smile and the immense love I have
     always had for you.


     I love you son!
     Your father.