I scolded a male friend of mine recently for making a stereotypical remark about women: That they all take forever to get ready, whether for work or any social occasion.  To support his argument, he added that all his girlfriends have made a habit of telling him they won't take that long but wind up taking an hour, if not more. I responded that it says more about the women he's dating than about the female population as a whole. Not all women are this high maintenance. Take my wife, for example. Even if she's dressing up for a wedding, party, or other social event, she's usually done getting ready in under an hour. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with women who like to take their time. But to say all women are this way just isn't accurate. It's like saying that all men get ready in a flash. I know some guys who spend a good amount of time applying spray/gel to and combing their hair until they're satisfied. They can also be finick...

It's just one of countless stereotypes that never seem to go away: that men are purely rational creatures who don't show emotion. I am a man and not ashamed to admit that I show a healthy dose of emotion. I can't bear to see a dead animal, or one in any sort of pain. I had a cat for 25 years that I found dead in my yard in 2005. I had another cat who vanished on a cool December night, never to be seen again. I found my third cat -- only about a year and a half at the time -- lying lifeless across the street from my home. I cried all three times as if i had lost a member of the family. I also cry whenever I see sad stories involving animals in movies or TV shows. I have also cried when I have confronted challenging moments, like when I was laid off in the throes of the financial crisis and felt like I'd never find a half-decent job. So, if there was any doubt in your mind as to whether men have shows of affection, there's your answer. Now, for women, is there...