Lemondrop

With all the focus on job cuts at big companies, it's easy to forget about another segment of the working public directly affected when professionals get canned: housekeepers and nannies. So-called trickle-down downsizing is having a profound impact on domestic helpers, the majority of whom are female.

We know it's hard to sympathize with people who can afford hired help when you're on your 37th straight night of Ramen. But consider the struggle of the many domestic workers who depend on middle class and wealthy families to earn a living.

Michelle, a nanny from Guyana was recently laid off by her employer. "They came to me one evening and said to me they can't afford to pay me anymore. I said, how long are you going to give me? And they said just the following week ...This is a very bad time."

By the Numbers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 915,890 maids in America, and their average wage is $9.40 an hour, though some make as little as $6.53 an hour. Nearly all of them are female, most are not U.S. citizens, and about two-thirds are black or Hispanic, according to a survey by advocacy group Domestic Workers United. Many maids use their wages to support children and family members in other countries -- and when they lose their jobs, their families suffer, too.

Click here to read why some domestic workers feel their jobs are safe.

We hear it all the time: Marry for love, not money.

That's easy to nod your head at when your significant other has, among all his other wonderful attributes, a decent job. But take employment out of the equation and you might just be scratching your head wondering, Why am I with him, again?

You're not a major jerk if you've felt this way. Money is a big deal for many, and if your lifestyle is impacted by financial setbacks, you're going to whine a little.

"If a woman marries a man expecting him to be the primary financial provider and he agrees to attempt to fulfill this role -- however they define that together -- then it's reasonable for her to assume he will make efforts toward fulfilling this bargain," says Debra Mandel, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of "Dump That Chump!"

(That's not to say breaking up is the instant answer -- for many, the economy's downturn makes it harder to end a marriage.)

Recession-Proof Your Relationship
If you and your partner are struggling, it's best to try to view your crappy cash circumstances as temporary and not something that will impact you for the rest of your life, Dr. Mandel says. And make sure you don't have unrealistic expectations. The current economy might not allow you to be a trophy wife.

When should you consider jumping ship? If your partner has little ambition or your financial visions start to drift far apart you should probably reconsider the relationship. If you want to get your Ph.D., work at an Ivy League university and own two homes while your significant other is content to work retail and rent an apartment for the rest of his life, you may need to find someone more suitable.

How else can you keep your relationship in the right gear in a recession? Duh -- have sex, says Ian Kerner, Ph.D. sex therapist and relationship counselor. As crappy as things might seem, extra emphasis on lovin' will keep you two close. And besides, sex is free.

Tell us: Would a change in finances change your feelings about your partner?

While it's never a good idea for teen girls to be careless about birth control, it's a little less hazardous for lesbians -- right? Not according to a new study from the University of British Columbia, which found that bisexual teen girls are about 10 times more likely to get pregnant than their heterosexual peers, and lesbians are about six and a half times as likely.

Why are so many young gay girls getting pregnant? Turns out, it's often not an accident. "Even though teen parenthood isn't very valued and it's not all that respected, per se, it is a more positive identity in some places than being gay, lesbian or bisexual," says study author Elizabeth Saewyc. "For some, it may be that they've been told that this is abnormal and wrong, and they may think: 'Well, if I just have sex with enough opposite-gender people, that will cure me.'"

Click here to read about one lesbian blogger's personal experience.

It appears Joe ain't the only one with a six pack.

President-elect Barack Obama recently revealed his chiseled chest in shirtless shots snapped during his Hawaii vacation. Media outlets immediately gobbled them up -- The Huffington Post devoted its homepage to the photos last Monday, and blogs like Gawker and Just Jared quickly followed suit.

America drools over Obama
"Comments have been 95 percent positive, everything from 'helllooo president' to a 65-year-old lady who said she had to wait this long to find a president who she finds attractive," said Frank Griffin, owner of the agency that took the shots.

Other Obamaphiles are a little more forward. On TMZ, comments ranged from the appreciative ("Finally a president that takes care of his mind AND body") to the completely unhinged ("Obama is HOT!!!! woo hoo!!! love the hairless look. yummy.").

Lemondrop reader Megan B. agrees that the pics are cause for appreciation. "How great is it that we have a president-elect who is brilliant and hot? Seriously, looks do matter. I think the picture of a buff Obama is what America needs right now -- someone we can depend on, someone ready to tackle a challenge."

The negative side of sexy
To some, though, the photos (and ensuing media frenzy) are more of a cause for trepidation than admiration. A columnist at the Chico Enterprise Record, worried about the celebritization of Obama, has put out a general plea to "love Obama for his mind."

Reader Colleen B. has similar concerns. "I think it's great that Obama is getting this kind of exposure, and it's the first time I've ever seen this kind of excitement over a president," she says. "That said, I think people may be inclined to take him less seriously if they see the shirtless pics. He's the president-elect, not a model/actor, and regardless of how good-looking a president is, I don't think it's appropriate."

Steamy leaders in history
While there's certainly a historical precedent for steamy presidential pictures -- JFK, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan are just a few of the top dogs who've been snapped shirtless -- today's online culture makes things a little different. David Greenberg, a journalism professor at Rutgers University, doesn't think the photos and public reaction will necessarily hurt Obama's serious, presidential image. "In some ways we're entering a more casual international environment," he says. "But if he's sitting down with Putin, he has to project gravitas."

We're a little mixed over the national salivation over our country's next leader. On one hand, it's certainly getting more people interested in politics. (Or at least, our president.) On the other, will the rest of the world take seriously a heartthrob who is as much a celebrity as Brangelina or Madonna?

Tell us: Are the shirtless pics and public infatuation good or bad for Obama and our country?

What motivates you to work out? Is it the thrill of fitting into a smaller size, or the ability to eat more of what you want? If you're like many of the participants in a new fitness study, a few extra bucks will help get you off the couch and onto the elliptical machine.

A study from researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that people who got cash for working out cut more chub than those who didn't. Those not financially rewarded during the 16-week study lost just four pounds, while participants in the other groups, which received money through a lottery or deposit, lost 13 and 14 pounds respectively.

Both deposit contract and lottery incentive participants weighed themselves each morning and called in their weight to the project staff. In turn, they were told about their progress and earnings. Those who didn't make their weight loss goals were told about the amount of money they could have made.

Researchers said the method kept participants engaged and nixed the need for a costly weight loss program. Also, the individuals who didn't lose enough weight felt more regretful than if there hadn't have been money on the table. The researchers think this factor can get people back on the weight loss wagon.

Not surprisingly, once the cash stopped flowing, most of the participants gained the weight back. So is the solution to keep diet dollars coming their way? For women, it might be. Studies have already shown that overweight women give in to instant gratification more than men when it comes to things like eating.

Tell us: What incentives would help you lose -- and keep off -- weight?

At the bar Saturday night, you had four martinis, took three shots of Bacardi and then threw up. But when rehashing your bender to your roommate the next morning, you tell her you were merely "tipsy," not so intoxicated you would have blown a .3 on a breathalyzer.

Women regularly understate their drinking, while drunk men use more accurate terms like sloshed and hammered, according to a new study from the University of Missouri. Researchers also found that both sexes describe their drinking differently than experts who study alcohol.

So what, they're just words, right? Actually, the experts suspect talking down one's drinking can contribute to a drinking problem. If you regularly convince yourself you haven't had too much to drink when you have, the lines between social sipping and binge boozing can become blurred.

While women's drinking vocabulary lags behind men's, their actual drinking certainly doesn't. Recent research has shown women's drinking habits are starting to mirror men's. Excessive imbibing -- considered at least four drinks in a row for women -- seems to affect women more harshly than men, causing mood swings and greater impairment of cognitive ability. A September study also shows binge drinking increases risky sexual behaviors among women.

Women say the study fairly accurately described how they refer to their level of inebriation.

"It's very sad, but true!" says Brooke R. "If you're fuzzy enough to notice you're 'tipsy,' you're bombed -- and I've never thought about it after the fact!"

Tell us: What's your term of choice to describe how much you've drank? Do you think it's accurate?

While posting marginally naughty photos online certainly isn't smart or safe, at least most young women abandon the behavior once they enter the professional world ... right? Not according to a new survey from CosmoGirl.com and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

Almost 40 percent of women age 20 to 26 have sent or posted nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves online -- that's 14 percent more than the number of teen girls who said the same. While about two thirds of the saucy snapshots are intended for significant others, almost half of all young men say it's common for the pics to be shared with someone other than the intended recipient. Why do women send these photos in the first place? For 72 percent, it's simple to be "fun or flirtatious."

Click here to see what experts and readers say about the phenomenon.

Think it's the winter blahs making you lonely? It may actually be your genes.

Scientists now think some lucky individuals are more prone to sadness in solitude than others. About 60 million people in the U.S. feel so isolated that it's a major source of unhappiness, according to John Cacioppo, director of the University of Chicago 's Center for Cognitive and Social Neuroscience and co-author of the book "Loneliness."

Cacioppo and friends found a supposed genetic predisposition to loneliness after studying more than 8,000 people in twin and sibling studies in the Netherlands. So, curl up in a ball on the couch and cry to mom, because it's all her fault!

The study also found that men and women deal with disconnection differently. Women are more apt to stop the slide into seclusion by having pals or pets. Men, on the other hand, watch sports or surf the Web.

You may be thinking, "So what?" The big deal is that living with limited social interaction can be as detrimental to your health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, Cacioppo said. It affects your sleep, diet and aging process. So make friends -- or die!

All personality traits can be attributed to nature or nurture, meaning that we're born with some and learn others from the environment around us. Some psychologists say it's impossible to tell which really determines something like loneliness.

But whether you have your parents or living in a van down by the river to thank, you can lessen loneliness by simply remembering a time when you had friends. Other researchers found that nostalgia increases individuals' senses of social support, making them feel less isolated. If that mental trick doesn't work, form real friendships (your 5,000 fans on MySpace don't count), volunteer, or say "hi" to your hot neighbor.

Or, stay alone and sing the blues with the puppet Kim Jong-il from "Team America."

Tell us: How do you stop feeling lonely?