SUPER BOWL -- DIFFERENT DURING A RECESSION

On Sunday, Tampa, Florida will be the center of the universe. All eyes will be on the stadium and the parties being thrown in the city.

But because of the lousy economy, things are different this year. Many of the bashes that are usually huge have been scaled back -- or even canceled.

• For example, the annual Playboy Super Bowl party has been canceled. Just last year, a ticket to this very party ran around $2,000.

• The Brooks & Dunn Golf Classic celebrity golf tournament has also been cancelled. It couldn't get enough sponsors or stars to attend.

• Even the Sports Illustrated party has been canceled.

More Effects of the Recession ...

• Even the National Football League is feeling the hard times. Prices of some Super Bowl tickets have been cut 25%. And, the league is about to lay off 150 employees.

• According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, this year's Super Bowl will bring Tampa around $150 million in direct spending -- but that's $45 million less than the previous two Super Bowls.

• According to reports, tickets to the game can be had for $150. In years past, tickets have cost thousands of dollars.

LOTS OF MOMS ANGRY AT DADS

According to a recent survey reported in Parenting magazine, lots of moms are mad at dads.

In the February issue of Parenting magazine, columnist Martha Brockenbrough writes about just how much anger is brewing with American moms and why.

It turns out, moms feel overworked, overstressed, overtired and overwhelmed on a daily basis -- and feel like they're getting no help from their husband.

By the Numbers ...

• 46% of moms get mad at their husbands once a week or more.

• Moms with kids younger than one year old are even more likely to be mad that often (54%).

• 44% of moms are angry that dads often don't notice what needs to be done around the house or with the kids.

• This number jumps to 54% for moms with three or more children.

• 40% are angry that their husbands seem clueless about the best way to take care of kids.

• 40% of moms are mad that dad can't multi-task.

• 31% of moms say their husbands don't help with the chores -- and, in fact, create more work.

• 32% complain that parenthood has changed their lives more than their husbands' lives.

• 50% of moms say their husbands get more time for themselves.

• Over 60% of the moms who get mad weekly -- and almost three-quarters of those who are angry every day -- feel the lack of time off is a huge issue.

TOILET SEAT SCALE

How many times have you dropped a deuce in the bathroom and felt ten pounds lighter? Sometimes after stinking up the bathroom you can fit into jeans that are a size smaller than the ones you're wearing.

Humans (especially guys) love to keep score. Knowing this, wouldn't it be great if you knew just how heavy a load you just let off into the toilet?

Now you CAN know. A toilet seat is now out there with a built-in scale.

Check It Out: A picture of the toilet seat scale can be found here.

Keeping Score ...

Having running tallies between friends to see who took the biggest crap would be fun. There could be awards for single sessions -- and long-term running tallies.

HABITS THAT DESTROY A RELATIONSHIP

With the New Year finally here, many people are making resolutions to improve themselves. This is also a great time to make resolutions to improve relationships with boyfriends and girlfriends (or husbands and wives).

A lot of progress can be made if we simply try to minimize annoying little habits. Here's a rundown of some habits that can really wear down a relationship:

1. "Where are you?" -- Asking this question can get on anyone's nerves. It should never be the first thing you say when your boyfriend/husband answers his phone.

2. "Who were you talking to?" -- It's rude and annoying to keep a running inventory of everyone your guy speaks to.

3. Nagging -- Being a pest about small things often results in them not getting done anyway, so lighten up.

4. Holding a grudge -- Recycling old arguments when new ones arise make them worse. Argue, make up and move on.

Room to breathe -- Not allowing your boyfriend/husband time with his friends and family will suffocate him. It shows respect to allow him to have an independent life.

Guys Also Guilty...

Here are some things that guys should let go of this year:

1. No answer -- Men who don't answer their phone when a woman calls only raises suspicion.

2. Walk your talk -- If you say you are going to call back in five minutes, do it.

3. Learn to say, "I don't know." -- Acting like you know everything is annoying. It's okay to not know it all.

4. Hogging the remote -- It's the 21^st Century. Remote controls are equal opportunity devices these days.

5. Bringing up weight -- Constantly nagging a woman about her weight does no good. All it does is cause aggravation.