A new study has found that college students are more self-involved and narcissistic than the students that came before them. Ah, shocking. Yeah, right.

Considering we're in the age of horribly unrealistic Reality TV and still suffering through daily photos and gossip about Paris Hilton (the princess of narcissism), what else can we expect?

Those behind the study, which was based in the U.S., suggest that the narcissistic trend is worrisome.

In an Associated Press article, the study's head author, Professor Jean Twenge, is quoted as saying, "We need to stop endlessly repeating 'You're special' and having children repeat that back. Kids are self-centered enough already."

The study's findings came from the responses of 16,475 college students who took part in an evaluation called the Narcissistic Personality Inventory.

Since the narcissistic test was first conducted in 1982, rates of narcissism among students have climbed steadily (which at least explains all of the American Idol contestants who can't hold a note).

The study’s authors suggest that such extreme rates of narcissism could damage the potential for building close relationships with others. Well, yeah. When it's all about you, there isn't much of a relationship to be had, now is there?

Narcissists, according to the conductors, "are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors."

But hey, without narcissism, where the heck would MySpace and YouTube be?
Then again, there's enough crappy content on both sides to suggest that maybe we're not all so special after all.

Listen up all hair-lovin' gals ... this may be the chance to get your locks noticed!

Dove is on the hunt for Canuck gals to feature in an online gallery. A few of the selected dames will also get the opportunity to be in the spotlight for a professional photo shoot for Shine Magazine.

The cool thing about this casting call is that it's open to regular gals, which, in a nutshell means you needn't be a string bean model type ... yippee!

The contest closes Friday. To enter, you'll be required to send in a recent photo along with a few notes explaining how your hair contributes to your beauty.
For full info and rules CLICK HERE:
Good luck to your tresses!

ACTOR RYAN GLOSLING VOTED SEXIEST OSCAR NOMINEE OF '07

I don't give a crud about the Oscars, but, because I am the exception and not the norm, I'll at least acknowledge that the ego-stroking event is happening tonight.

So, lights, cameras, action ... I bring you the sexiest nominees at the Oscars. A poll by OkCupid.com has found that Canuck cutie, Ryan Gosling, and classic leading lady, Kate Winslet, are the sexiest '07 nominees.

Okay, that's about all the Oscar talk I can handle. One lonely statistic - sorry folks!

The entire night makes me queasy - all that Hollywood-style ass-kissing and elbow rubbing, the hordes of actresses who crash diet weeks before the big night just so they can squeeze into their silly dresses, that women actually tape their boobs so they don't "accidentally" slip out of their dresses, and the hours of self-important speeches that are delivered with false humility.

Bah. I am boycotting. Walking my doggie and heading out with a friend for some Vietnamese grub.

ARE YOU A PETER? DISGRUNTLED EMPLOYEE, PETER, CHATS WITH EVERYBODY'S LEAST FAVORITE BOSS, BILL LUMBERGH, IN THE CULT CLASSIC FLICK, OFFICE SPACE

Have you guys seen Office Space? It's one of my favorite movies ever. In it the lead character Peter admits to "The Bobs" (two guys brought in to handle company layoffs) that he's basically a useless flake at work.

To recap one classic Office Space scene ...

PETER:"Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me ... after that I just sorta space out for about an hour."

BOB:"Da-uh? Space out?"

PETER:"Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work."

Ah, Peter. Gotta love him. CHECK OUT OFFICE SPACE CLIPS HERE:

So, for all you time wasters out there (a group I am proud to be a member of), check out just how many of us are out there.

A new survey of office workers has found that employees waste an average of 36 minutes a day on personal stuff. Man, that's nothing. Just 36 minutes? Seriously??

That works out to about three hours a week, which considering all the overtime hours workers pitch in, it all works out in the wash if you ask me.

Women snag an average of 29 minutes on their personal checklists, whereas men waste about 44 minutes on the clock doing their own stuff. Hmmm ... I don't know if that makes females better employees or just suckers.

My age 18-34 bracket wastes the most time on the job (surprise, surprise) and those at retirement age who still find themselves punching the clock only allot themselves a meager 17 minutes for personal time.

If you get in hot water overseas, will Canada have your back?

Well, according to a newly released Angus Reid national opinion poll, you shouldn't hold your breath.

Only half of all Canucks believe the Canadian government would come to their aid if they were arrested in a foreign country.

Hmmm. Guess our tax dollars aren't really worth all the trouble. I mean it is kind of mucky work dealing with international laws and leaders and all that hoopla.

Anyway, back to the study, which found that 27 per cent said they weren't sure if the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) would help them out.

While the poll found that most regions feel that DFAIT would offer no help, some areas take the skepticism to new levels. Turns out 62 per cent of Albertans and 65 per cent of Atlantic Canadians believe there isn't a chance the Canuck government would provide assistance.

Ah, isn't it nice to feel so secure? Backed by a country that loves us?

No wonder countries around the world describe us as such nice people ... it's not that we're nice, we're just too damn afraid to piss anybody off in case we wind up in the slammer of some foreign country and get left there to rot.
I don't know about you but I feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

THE WORD SCROTUM IS USED IN THIS CHILDREN'S BOOK ... GASP!

Children’s stories are no innocent matter. Cinderella is enslaved by an evil step mother.

Little Red Riding Hood heads off into the woods alone (which never really is a good idea) where she meets a wolf.
That wolf then goes on to devour the little girl’s grandma before topping off his ravenous appetite by wolfing down Little Red Riding Hood.

Then there’s Alice in Wonderland which plays out like an wildly extensive acid trip.

And who can forget Rumpelstiltskin?
It tells the story of a poor girl who’s taken to the king’s palace where she’s locked in a room alone.
The king tells her she’ll die the next day if she hasn’t spun a pile of straw into gold.

Nice. Pleasant dreams there, children.

So why am I writing about this?

Seems award-winning author Susan Patron has stirred the controversial pot by using the word scrotum in her recent book, The Higher Power of Lucky.
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BRITNEY'S NEW BALD LOOK

The trainwreck that is Britney Spears worsens by the day.

I’d love to think that by shaving her head bare that the pop-princess is making a statement - a different kind of stripping down than she’s used to, perhaps.

Or that after flashing her down-below naughty bits all around town over the past few months she’s seeking some sort of authenticity beyond the artificial with her new bald look. But it’s hard to believe that Britney’s river of destructive emotions run that deep, isn’t it?

Whatever the reason, Britney has splatted on the scene with yet another ‘oops, I did it again’ move.

The plummeting pop star appeared in a tattoo parlour in San Fernando Valley with her head completely shaved.

According to People Magazine, this was one day after she checked into rehab so I am guessing that either the treatment worked at record speed or that Britney’s just being typical trainwreck Britney.

Reports suggest the singer had a temper tantrum and buzzed off her own blonde tresses after the owner of an L.A. hair salon refused to do it for her Friday night for fears of being sued.

Man, that girl just goes from bad to worst. Be thankful you’re not the filthy rich outcome of child stardom people! Now, let's hear those sighs of relief ...

SOMETHING TACKIER THAN JERRY SPRINGER? QUITE POSSIBLY

A kind reader sent me an e-mail about an evil website called PlayerSnitch.

Basically the site allows online daters to report their bad dates and goes so far as to run photographs of the men and women who've wrong them!

If that isn't bad enough, the site also posts where the so-called "bad dater" lives, the website their profile is on, and the handle they use!

Can you believe this crap? How can this be legal?

In the "Gallery of Shame," one woman accuses a guy she dated of having a "claim of sexual interference by a child," against him. She also alleges he's a moody control freak who lies about his financial status.

Other daters are accused of being drug addicts, committing fraud, stealing, violence and stalking.

Then there are those who are outed for allegedly lying about having kids, their marital and financial status, of having STDs - you name it, and it's posted right their beside the unsuspecting person's picture.

Come on singles! Seriously, this is beyond Jerry Springer tacky.

Lives will be ruined over sites like this one. A person's entire reputation destroyed because of an Internet posting based on one person's biased review! And that from a person who is likely very scorned, who is seeking revenge, who is angry.

Defamation is one sick way to handle a bad date. Man, if the lawsuits aren't already flying, it's just a matter of time.

So I am looking around the office thinking to myself, who's shag-able here? I am coming up with nothing.

That sounds harsh I realize, so, before my male co-workers get their knickers in a knot, let me clarify.

See, there aren't a ton of apples to pick from because most of them are happily spoken for, and unless I am the type of gal to go crashing into someone's relationship and bust it up (which is about the lowest thing a gal could do), the pickings will remain as such - slim.

But, it seems some of you out there are doing a whole lot of apple picking at the workplace.

According to a Workopolis Survey released for Valentine's Day, one in five of you have had a relationship with a co-worker. What I want to know is this: Where the heck do you work? And, are they hiring?

Nearly half of those involved in office trysts said they tried to keep it under the radar (Seriously, EVERYONE knows about your steamy sex life anyway. In fact, your co-workers are probably chatting about your "secret" relationship at the watercooler at this very moment, but hey, we'll still turn a blind eye anyway).

Okay, so what else can we learn from this study?

Well it seems the workplace is a mighty fine spot to meet your match.

Fifteen per cent of Canucks said they met their current partner at work. The findings also suggest that men are more likely to "play" in the workplace than women if the opportunity arose, at 31 per cent and 23 per cent respectively. Meanwhile 22 per cent of those aged 25 to 34 admitted to feeling spark at work.

Hmmm ... with so many sparks flying and so much inter-office action happening, makes you wonder why we need nightclubs at all, doesn't it?

I just got off the phone from interviewing Dr. Neil Clark Warren, founder of the dating site eHarmony.

As someone who has fallen madly in love several times and come crashing down from that giddy pedestal just as often, I am skeptical when Warren tells me that there's scientifically proven set of principals that will make (or break) a relationship.

It's a fitting topic for my Thursday column, one day after V-Day, but thought I'd jot down some thoughts here before Valentine's Day rolls in.

So I logged on to the dating site where I saw tons of photos of happy couples who've made their way down the aisle, but as anyone who has struggled through relationship woes will tell you - coupledom is not easy.
Still, according to Warren, it isn't exactly magic either.

He tells me that when it comes to the big stuff, compatibility is a must for achieving a grounded relationship. For instance, if you're spiritually in line, have similar levels of energy and ambition, you're off to a good start.

Still, I've witnessed many relationships bust up despite their compatibility, so what gives?

"Arrogance," he says, pointing to a characteristic he says is a relationship killer. Next, he tells me, an inability to listen will absolutely quash the foundation, no matter how compatible a couple may seem.

Like so many of you out there, I want to believe in happy-ever-after, but damn, it's complicated. I've interviewed a ton of relationship experts over the years and just about every one of them has their own take on how to make a relationship work. With so many experts, so much advice and so many theories, who the heck do you believe?

Admittedly I am not in an overly romantic mood at the moment, but if relationships were meant to work, why are they so bloody hard?

First came the newspaper ads. Then online dating. Some time after that speed dating popped up and lunches for singles, hikes for those on the hunt, and just about every other orchestrated event you can image.

I don't know why it's so bloody hard to meet people, but it is, and because it is, the match-making biz is making a ton of entrepreneurs a ton of cash.

So, joining the huge roster of dating companies out there are two new companies.

The first is called Admit an Attraction.

According to its website, the goal is to get singles to hand out "Attraction Tickets" when they come across someone they like. That, of course means you have to be ballsy enough to go up to someone you've never before met and give them the ticket.

"Attraction Tickets are like business cards for dating. However, Attraction Tickets contain no personal information. They are printed with an Access Code that allows the Responder to view the Member’s profile online, create a profile and send a message,"says the company.

I don't know about you guys, but I, for one am not that bold!

The next newcomer is a website called CHECK TONIGHT and it's kinda twisted but nonetheless fitting for our modern world.

It caters to finding your Mr. or Miss right with all the typical helpings such as career, likes and dislikes, ambitions ... but, there's a hook - this is a matchmaking site for disease-free singles only.

That means if you've got chlamydia or gonorrhea, you best be baiting your fishing hook elsewhere. To get on the site you have to get your doctor to send over a time-stamped copy of your test results.

The world just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

SEX OR NEW CLOTHES? WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

Truly disturbing news, gents. Now, brace yourselves for this one.

According to a new Unilever poll conducted in the U.S., women would choose clothing over sex.

I know! It's shocking, right? Sad but true, but when asked, the dames said they'd choose a closet full of new clothing even if that meant hanging up their sex lives for more than a year! (I am guessing that doesn't include putting their beloved Rabbits in storage!)

The findings also reveal that 61 per cent would skip sex with their partners for a month rather than give up their favorite pair of shoes or garment. But, it makes sense if you consider these next statistics:

The average woman reported hanging onto her favourite fashion piece for more than 12 years - and that, my friends, is longer-lasting than most modern-day relationships.

Meanwhile 8 per cent said their best-dressed items made them feel more confident and sexy than their significant other!

Either the designers are doing something incredibly right, or man, do the guys have a lot to learn.

I wonder how Canuck gals would do on this poll ... tell me, sex or clothes, ladies?

AL GORE, THE ROCKSTAR OF ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM


The man who should've been prez, Mr. Al Gore, has generated a kind of rockstar following.

Gore's the hottest ticket in Hogtown for the young and hip (finding an audience beyond the greying political suits) because of his amazing documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth."

Get this - in the span of three minutes, the former vice-president had 23,000 hits on a ticket website for fans wanting in on his upcoming talk at the University of Toronto.

Gore, once considered a bore by many, is like the Mick Jagger of environmental activism in his fight against global warming.

On the U of T website, Gore's Inconvenient Truth lecture happening Feb. 21 is already posted as sold out, but, if you ask me, there could be some serious scalper action happening.

Astronaut Lisa Nowak is charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly driving from Houston to Orlando (about 1,450 km) wearing a trench coat, a wig and diapers to confront her rival.

Talk about a fall from grace.

This is a crazy story that popped up in the news today chronicling a bizarre love triangle that allegedly drove a NASA astronaut to the brink of insanity - or at least to the brink of wearing diapers. Seriously.

Lisa Nowak, a 43-year-old astronaut who was in the news for her prestigious mission to the International Space Station last July aboard space shuttle Discovery, is making more ink. This time, though, the coverage isn't quite so flattering.

Nowak is facing charges of attempted kidnapping and attempted first-degree murder after allegedly driving from Houston to Orlando (about 1,450 km) wearing a trench coat, a wig and diapers to try and kidnap a woman named Colleen Shipman, whom she believed was competing for the attentions of Cmdr. William Oefelein, an unmarried fellow astronaut.

For the trip, Nowak also reportedly packed along some interesting items - a steel mallet, knife, BB gun, pepper spray, rubber tubing and large garbage bags.

But why the diapers? you ask. Well, it seems the astronaut didn't want to have to make a pitstop to the golden throne en route (when on a mission to confront your rival, every second counts, you know!)

Talk about love gone wrong. None of the charges against Nowak have been proven in court but it’s a scary story nonetheless.
beady
Read related story

Susan Sarandon, left, and pal Sean Penn wait to speak to protesters opposing the war in Iraq in Washington last month.

This could just be a rumour but a teeny tiny story running on MediaBistro suggests actress Susan Sarandon may be running for the Libertarian Party’s 2008 presidential nomination. Hmmm. Not sure I believe that one. Then again, Arnie did make California governor and he can’t even act.

The rumour-ville tidbit originally surfaced on the libertarian blog,
Knappster, which also suggests hubby Tim Robbins or pal Sean Penn as potential sidekicks in the role of VP.

Normally I think Hollywood should just shut the hell up and hop off their trendy bandwagons, but Susan, unlike her glitterati peers - who pick up causes and dump ‘em as quickly as they do the latest Fendi bag - is the real deal. She jumped on the liberal leftist wagon years ago and has stayed put.

2007, so far, has been a deplorable year.

In just one month, I've been knocked down with what was seriously the worst cold of my life, suffered through the most disgusting vacation ever with cockroaches big enough to carry luggage, and my home life is in the relationship pooper.

Now, just to make sure I am in agony even during my sleeping hours, last night I woke up at four a.m. Then again at 5 a.m. Fell back to sleep at about 7 a.m. at which point I had a nightmare about a knife-wielding man chasing after me.

If I believed in Karma, it goes without saying that I've done something horribly wrong to get my ass kicked this badly.

Now, on the bright side (and every story ought to have a bright side) Maggie-the-dog is doing great. She's a little bundle of joy. I doubt she knows how comforting she is but, just by being her, she endlessly makes me smile (although I am somewhat jealous she doesn't have the ability to sit around and analyze life, but, I forgive her.)

Good year or bad year, get exercising that frontal cortex of yours! Sure Maggie-the-dog may be happy most of the time, but she can't take fun online tests now can she? So there. If you've ever proclaimed never to forget a face, this handy dandy test might just prove you wrong.

Welcome to Monday's time killer ...

CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE TEST

(You don't need to fill in the password info, just click the "Test My Face Recognition" link and it'll take you straight there.

Someone call in the troops ... the scary Bridezilla video that caught the eyes of millions of YouTube users is a flat-out hoax. That this fact is surprising is what surprises me most.

Shocking, this just in, YouTube has fake content on it.

The only thing that's actually surprising about the video titled Bride Has Massive Hair Wig Out (featuring a nightmare bride with a too-screechy voice that is downright inexcusable) is the amount of attention it's receiving.

More than 2.1 million viewers have already subjected themselves to the bridal wave meltdown.

In a nutshell, the video is about a scary lady bride who gets a bad hair cut and goes postal.

WARNING: DO NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO IF ...

1. You're a guy getting ready to walk down the aisle
2. You're at high risk of gouging out your eyes at the sight of a hysterical woman
3. You're at high risk for piercing your ears with a sharp metal object at the sound of a hysterical woman
4. You've recently been asked to be a bride's maid
5. You've recently said yes to a marriage proposal and have booked a hairstylist for your big day