(Written By Natalie Martin)

I have to admit that my biggest guilty pleasure is “America’s Next Top Model,” clearly a standout in the reality television niche if only for its impenitent appreciation of unattainable beauty (at least for a few of us) and, of course, the requisite schadenfreude when a particularly bitchy model receives her walking papers. Something about “Top Model” delivers this sensation better than any other reality program currently on TV.

It doesn’t take me long to size up a man. Within ten minutes my mind places him in a category either “friend,” “make out buddy,” or “boyfriend/husband material.” However, I have often wondered if men put women into the same categories.

(Written by Jessica Mouser)

For more than 20 years, the month of October has been dedicated to building awareness and sharing information on the most common type of cancer that affects women across the world. There are over 2 million women in the United States alone that have been treated for cancer. Last year over 40,000 women and 300 plus men had their lives taken by this horrible disease.

(Written by Shannon Haggard)

(Written By Natalie Martin)

So this is how the so-called “socially responsible” public unites against a controversial government sanction? Critics of the death penalty maintain a special place in my heart because I am forever locked in a love/hate relationship with them. While I appreciate their concern for the disparate numbers of African American death row inmates, compared with non-black prisoners on the “Green Mile,” I can’t help but believe that they never seem to seriously think about the poster child they choose to use for their latest “anti-capital punishment” campaign.

(Written By Jessica Mouser)

While our little ones are sniffing one another’s bums and romping in the pond, we watch from the sidelines. We discuss the best doggie daycares, schools, the healthiest dog food, the best bark parks, and of course potty training. Some parents are very competitive, spouting out “AKC this” and “breeding that,” but I’m not one of those “show dog” moms.

What Is Protein, and What’s in It for Me?

This issue we are taking Agenda readers on a revealing tour of protein as we delve into what protein is, why you need it, the buzz behind protein diets, and how they really work.

2009 has been a bittersweet year for a lot of people. Not only did our economy take a dive, but also some very famous people left this world. As life goes on, we continue to fight and win and lose our battles. It’s pretty well known that October has been deemed Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And I am happy to celebrate those women who have fought the battle and won. Statistically, if detected early, breast cancer has a very high cure rate. And those women who’ve fought the fight and won are told if they are cancer-free for five years, their chances of recurrence are slim.

More than a million people are victims of work-at-home scams each year. Some, I’m sorry to say, had it coming. They went in with their hearts instead of their heads. Others, however, couldn’t have dodged the bullet even if they tried. The work-at-home scam was just too sophisticated for the average searcher.

You may question how the way your parents loved you as a child could dictate your love life today. After all, most of us have a hard time remembering what we did last month, including the name of that guy we found on http://Match.com, then met for coffee . . . once. But, your first step in making sense of the nonsense of 21st Century dating is to understand that your earliest family relationships programmed your brain for grown-up intimacy.

Gift cards will be the most requested gift this year, with nearly 55 percent of consumers reporting they would like to receive a gift card this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Each year, 70 percent of consumers purchase a gift card as a holiday gift and for the fifth year in a row, gift cards are expected to lead holiday purchases.