On  V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls, founded by Tony Award-winning playwright and activist, Eve Ensler, announced the launch of a new global campaign: One Billion Rising.

This year-long campaign, V-Day’s most ambitious yet, will culminate on February 14, 2013, V-Day’s 15th anniversary, when women, activists and concerned citizens across the world will organize community gatherings to express their outrage, demand change, strike, and dance in defiance of the injustices they have suffered.

Beginning on V-Day, activists launched the campaign at over 5,800 colleges and community events across the world.  From Zambia to Poland to Malaysia, local V-Day activists will have ignited and spread the message of One Billion Rising.

“More than 1 out of every 3 women on this planet will experience violence during her lifetime. With 7 billion people on the planet, that’s one billion women.  Stopping this violence is as crucial as addressing the issues of disease, hunger, and climate change,” said Eve Ensler.

“One Billion Rising is a global strike, a call to refuse to participate until rape and rape culture ends.  It’s a solidarity reach, a new refusal, and a new way of being.” Over the past 14 years V-Day has mobilized activists from more than 140 countries and worked tirelessly on a grassroots level to demand an end to all forms of violence against women and girls.

In the face of resistance V-Day activists have raised consciousness, changed laws, funded rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters (often keeping the doors open), educated their communities, and raised over $85 million for groups doing the essential work of ending violence and serving survivors. Still, violence against women and girls persists and takes atrocious new forms. One Billion Rising is an ultimate protest, a battle cry, an inspiration, and a global call to action.

One Billion Rising activists are encouraged to focus on local issues affecting women and girls including work places, home life, laws and legislators, media that supports violence against women and girls, and governments or religious institutions that have not done enough to stop it.  Some may even decide to stop working or participating until the violence culture ends.

As part of this outreach, V-Day will provide a monologue called “Over It,” written by Eve Ensler, to be read at productions of The Vagina Monologues and other V-Day events.  They will challenge its college and community organizers to mobilize their friends, families, and networks to commit to rising up on February 14, 2013 to express their outrage about what they are “over” in relation to the prevalence of violence against women and girls.

Activists are also encouraged to write their own Over It monologues to give voice to their outrage.  V-Girls activists will also play a vital role in the “Over It” campaign. The announcement of One Billion Rising kicks off V-Day’s 2012 season of events and campaigns.  Over 1,850 colleges and communities will host V-Day benefit events raising funds and awareness locally, spotlighting the women and girls of Haiti, and beginning their One Billion Rising initiatives.

Events center around Ensler’s seminal play The Vagina Monologues, but include readings of V-Day’s anthology A Memory, Monologue, A Rant, and a Prayer and Any One of Us: Words from Prison, documentary film screenings of V-Day: Until The Violence Stops and What I Want My Words To Do To You, and Congo and Haiti Campaign teach-ins and house parties.

For the second year in a row, each event will highlight Haiti, shining a global spotlight on the issues facing women and girls in the region post-earthquake, and V-Day’s campaign to end the violence.

On February 14, 2013, together V-Day activists will move the earth, activating women and men to dance across every country. The celebration of One Billion Rising will be a worldwide happening.

The article Global Call to Challenge and Shatter Violence Against Women appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

‘This Means War’, starring Chris Pine and Tom Hardy and directed by McG, is an action romantic comedy about two CIA agents who accidentally start dating the same girl. Despite having a contrived coincidence plot, the film itself, released early for Valentine’s Day and set for wide release February 17^th, is actually a shining beacon in the dying genre of romantic comedies.

The film kicks off with the two agents, Tuck (Tom Hardy) and FDR (Chris Pine) scouting out a party for a target. This introduces us to the two main characters and their dynamic, which is a typical but adorable pair of good friends. Tuck is more polite and sweet while FDR is roguish and impulsive. Their targets are two brothers and when a fiery shootout hits, one of the brothers is accidentally killed, causing the other, Heinrich (Til Schweiger), to swear revenge on the two friends.

Meanwhile, a lonely woman named Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) has gotten tired of the single life and her best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler), makes her a profile on a dating site. Similarly, Tuck has had little luck in love as he is divorced and has a child to take care of and so he decides to try the same dating site. He and Lauren meet up on a blind date and hit it off while FDR hangs out in a video store nearby just in case the date goes south and Tuck needs an escape.

However, Lauren goes to the video store and FDR, clueless that it’s the same girl Tuck had just gone out with, becomes interested in her as well. Tuck and FDR meet up later at their office only to discover they are dating the same girl. Both men offer to break it off with her because they are friends and do not want to lose their friendship over a girl, but their pride gets the better of them and it becomes a competition to see who Lauren chooses.

As their tempers flare, their friendship starts to fall apart while they aggressively try to get Lauren to fall in love with one of them. The casting is what truly sets this romantic action comedy apart from other movies in its genre. Pine and Hardy are believable best friends and work incredibly well together.

Both are genuinely funny, charming, and perform fantastic in both the comedy scenes and the action sequences. This is no surprise as both actors have backgrounds in both genres: Chris Pine started his career in romantic comedies like ‘Just My Luck‘ (2006) and ‘The Princess Diaries 2’ (2004) before getting his big break with J.J. Abram’s ‘Star Trek’ (2009), and Tom Hardy starred in Guy Ritchie’s hit action comedy ‘RocknRolla’ (2008) before landing the big job with Christopher Nolan in ‘Inception‘ (2010).

However, casting is also one of the big problems of the film: namely Reese Witherspoon. Her character is generic because the film focuses more on the boys than her and she is woefully miscast in this role because at the end of the day, she is not the kind of girl that these two handsome and incredibly talented fellows would fight over.

Her character is largely undefined and mostly uninteresting throughout the film, which may be a result of her best friend being the boisterous and crude Chelsea Handler. Handler easily outshines Witherspoon in every scene they share, which unfortunately makes one wonder if Witherspoon was only chosen as a second choice or because she is lovely eye candy.

Another detractor from the film is the tacked on villain role for the menacing actor Til Schweiger, who most know from his chilling role in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’ (2009). He is little more than an afterthought to the main conflict of the best friends’ fighting and is ultimately taken out in an insultingly simple fashion. His character has almost no lines and only serves to give the best friends a big scene to finish on, rather than being a legitimate threat.

Furthermore, while the best friends work perfectly together, they do have a lack of development by the film’s finish. FDR does grow out of his lecherous nature, but not much time is spent showing that he is a new man. There are also underlying, and probably unintentional, unfortunate implications that occur after Lauren’s choice. Overall, the ending is abrupt and the last line of the film feels forced, though it is enjoyable.

This Means War is honest about what it is: a popcorn flick with the buttery taste of a romantic comedy and the salty flavor of an action movie. Women can enjoy its thoroughly handsome main protagonists, men can enjoy the action, and both will enjoy the humor.

OVERALL GRADE: 3/5

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/thismeanswar

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Valentine’s Day 2012, the National Gun Victims Action Council (NGAC) is launching Brew Not Bullets: Say No To Starbucks…Until Starbucks Says No To Guns, a national boycott of Starbucks and its related products.

NGAC announced today’s calls for the Starbucks boycott on Jan. 23 only after exhaustive efforts to avoid a boycott were rejected All efforts to avoid this boycott  “The boycott will end only when Starbucks rejects the NRA’s Pro-Gun agenda by 1) banning all guns from their stores and 2) committing to be an Aggressive Corporate Advocate for sane gun laws,” says Elliot Fineman, CEO of the National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC).

Starbucks rationale is contained in their official Starbucks response —”In the end, we determined that following local laws is the best approach for us.  Were we to adopt a policy different from local laws allowing open carry, we would be forced to require our partners to ask law abiding customers to leave our stores.”

“As local laws also allow them to ban guns, they expose their real position which has nothing to do with local laws; the fact is that Starbucks supports the NRA’s lethal Pro-Gun Agenda,” says Fineman.

What Does Supporting The NRA’S Lethal Pro-Gun Agenda mean?  It means supporting the man-made epidemic of gun violence we have in the US.  If we had England’s gun laws, which are based on public safety, adjusting for population, we would expect 5 times their 75 gun homicides per year, or 375.

But because U.S. gun laws are based on maximizing sales for the gun industry (not public safety), we have 12,000 gun homicides per year, 17,000 gun suicides and 1,000 accidental gun deaths.  And this is what Starbucks chooses to support. Guns go off accidentally, as one did in Starbucks in January.  The bullet missed a customer’s head by 12 inches with not a word from Starbucks about this; this is acceptable Pro-Gun Agenda risk.

Why doesn’t Starbucks admit they support the NRA’S lethal pro-gun agenda? “While Starbucks has the legal right to allow guns (or not) in their stores (openly carried in 43 states, concealed and carried in 49 states), why do they try to ‘tap dance” asks Fineman,  “Why not be direct and say “As per local laws, we can ban guns or allow them and we have chosen to allow them?”

Because by doing so they betray their claim to be a socially responsible company.  No socially responsible company would ever allow guns like these —one that shoots 13 bullets per second—to be brought into their stores: Types of Guns

“They surely know the threat to safety people carrying guns pose,” says Reverend Jackie Lynn, Executive Director of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship.  “Why else would Starbucks ban guns from its corporate headquarters, Starbucks shareholder meetings and have a company policy forbidding employees (partners) from bringing guns to work?”

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/souwar/

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The DDB Life Style Study, the nation’s largest and longest-running annual consumer survey, has revealed insights on the differences between men and women’s perspectives about the significance of Valentine’s Day.

When asked ‘what would upset you more on Valentine’s Day? from a list of choices ranging from receiving a gift you didn’t like, receiving the same gift as last year, receiving a gift card, or receiving just a card, women were far more likely than men to say they would be upset if their spouse or romantic partner did not do anything to acknowledge the day.  Women were almost twice as likely to dwell on this as 51% of female respondents said they would be dismayed compared to only 26% of male respondents.

Moreover, the Life Style Study reveals that this gender difference in attitude also prevails regardless of marital or dating status. However, it appears that if you are married, acknowledging the day is not nearly as tantamount as it is if you are dating someone.

22% of married men vs. 32% of men living with someone in a relationship vs. 39% of men dating somebody but not living with them would be upset if their partner did not acknowledge the day at all.

47% of married women vs. 63% of women living with someone in a relationship vs. 66% of women dating somebody but not living with them would be upset if their partner did not acknowledge the day at all.

These statistics not only corroborate the finding that women place a greater emphasis on the significance of acknowledging Valentine’s day than men, but also that both genders view acknowledging the day as an important barometer of how their romantic partner feels about them.  Therefore, people in committed, long-term relationships view the holiday differently than those in newer, more casual relationships.

The Life Style Study also confirms that a similar sentiment holds true even for women who are not currently dating someone.  51% of non-dating women vs. 28% of non-dating men still feel that they would be upset if their future spouse or romantic partner didn’t do anything to acknowledge the day.

The article How do Men and Women View Valentine’s Day? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

This Valentine’s Day, love struck Britons will boost the economy by GBP880 million on romantic gifts.

For decades, British men have suffered a bad rap for being less romantic than women but new research released on February 13 has revealed a new movement in the British male species. Findings from a study of 5,000 adults has identified in modern Britain, men are more romantic than women. Today’s British man is happy to lose some of his macho-ness for a more, softer, romantic approach when wooing women.

The study undertaken by UK budget hotel brand Travelodge [http://www.travelodge.co.uk ] to seek the nation’s views on love and romance found more men than women love the notion of Valentine’s Day. Over a third (36%) of British men think Valentine’s Day is romantic, whilst only 24% of women buy into it.

Research findings also revealed that despite the current strains on Britons’ finances, loved up Brits will be boosting the economy by GBP880 million[1] this Valentine’s Day on romantic themed purchases.

British men will be splashing more cash this year compared to 2011 on wooing their other half with romantic gifts. On average, males across the country will be spending twice the amount of money on presents than women this Valentine’s Day.

When questioned as to why men are spending more on a gift this Valentine’s day, 42% of respondents stated the last 12 months have been difficult financially as well as emotionally and Valentine’s Day offers the ideal opportunity for them to showcase their love for their partner.

On average 68% of men will be splashing GBP39.99 on Valentine’s gifts this year which is GBP4.41 more than the amount they spent in 2011. In comparison 45% of women on average will only be spending GBP20.25 on a gift for their partner which is GBP1.96 less than the amount they spent last year. (In total men will be spending approximately GBP611 million[2] and women will be spending approximately GBP269 million[3] in total)

The top ten gifts men and women will be purchasing for their Valentine this year are listed in the table below:

Ranking     Valentine gifts purchased by men          Valentine gifts purchased by women

1                  Flowers                                                         Chocolates

2                Chocolates                                                     A romantic meal

3              A romantic meal                                            Aftershave

4                  Perfume                                                         Bottle of Champagne / spirit

5               A cuddly toy                                                    Whisking partner to a hotel

6        Whisking partner to a hotel                              A game for console

7                 Lingerie                                                          Book / DVD

8      Whisking partner on a UK short break          A cuddly toy

9           A piece of jewellery                                          Underwear

10             Beauty treatment                                           Flowers

Further research findings revealed over a third (36%) of British men think it’s important to buy flowers for their other half on Valentine’s Day – as it’s the expected thing to do. Seventy eight per cent of male respondents did state in the research that they get annoyed that flower prices suddenly increase in the lead up to Valentine’s Day.

A fifth of male respondents reported this year they will purchase flowers well before Valentine’s Day to avoid the price increase and hide the flowers in their garage or in the boot of their car. Interestingly, nearly half of the women (48%) surveyed stated they are bored of receiving the same old tiresome Valentines gifts of flowers, champagne, chocolate and lingerie.

Four out of ten females said they would like to be whisked away on a short break and spend some quality time with their partner. One in ten women would like their lover to write them a love letter or poem declaring their love whilst 12% of females would like their other half to cook them a romantic meal from scratch and to wash up afterwards.

Relationship Psychologist, Corinne Sweet, said: “The high cost of romance is not surprising in today’s ‘easy buy/time poor’ culture. Many people, especially men, spend money to please or appease, when their partners would simply like to have more time, thought and appreciation from them.

It’s easy to click a button or flash a card to buy love, in comparison to spending some quality time together; cooking a meal, giving a massage or making a card. However, the personal touch, the little thoughtful gesture, is often more a sign of true love and commitment than extravagant, OTT romantic gestures.”

Shakila Ahmed, Travelodge Spokeswoman said: “Our research highlights love may be priceless but romance doesn’t have to cost the earth. British men are certainly taking the lead in the game of love but they do need to be a bit more creative and thoughtful to really win over their beloved.

Most women want to be romanced and spend quality time with their man. Don’t be predictable with flowers and chocolates this year, for the same amount of money you could whisk your partner away for a romantic break and create some new magical memories.”

“We have seen a growing trend of cost conscious consumers choosing a Travelodge hotel as a romantic getaway in the last couple of years; as it helps their money go further. The pounds they save on accommodation, they can spend on eating out in a top restaurant or have fun visiting the local attractions.”

“In our recent GBP10 sale, rooms for February 14th were selling like hot cakes. Top destinations included coastal locations such as Brighton, Scarborough, Torquay and Blackpool. Rural hotspots, such as The Lake District, Cotswold, Yorkshire Dales; as well as historic cities which included: London, Edinburgh, Bath, Cambridge and Oxford.”

Further research findings revealed over two thirds of men reported they would like more romance in their lives. Seventy two per cent of males stated they take romantic inspiration from films and movies and one in ten men admitted to stealing ideas from their mates’ relationships. Male respondents voted Casablanca as their top all time most romantic movie.

The research identified the one thing both men and women both agree on is their most inspiring romantic couple ever is Romeo and Juliet. Further research findings are listed below:

On average a fifth of British men will tell their partner they love them five times during the day. A third of men will say the magic three words to their partner I love you every morning and evening. A fifth of British men feel disappointed by the effort their partner puts into making Valentine’s Day special for them

With 2012 also being a leap year 26% of single men would like their girlfriend to ask them to marry her whilst 36% of British men think it is a man’s job to propose to a woman.

The top ten all time most romantic couples as voted by Britons are:

1) Romeo & Juliet

2) Elizabeth & Darcy

3) Queen Victoria & Prince Albert

4) Prince William & Duchess of Cambridge

5) Heathcliff & Catherine

6) Jane Eyre & Mr Rochester

7) Anthony & Cleopatra

8) Shrek & Princess Fiona

9) Cinderella & Prince Charming

10) Homer & Marge Simpson

The survey was conducted in February 2012 with 5,000 British adults.

The article Valentine’s Day, British Men More Romantic Than Women appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Mob Museum, the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and VEGAS.com, the most comprehensive Las Vegas travel website visited by more than 2.5 million visitors monthly, announce the winners of a promotion to award seven lucky couples the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to marry, renew their vows or formally commit to one another at The Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2012.

The couples include Carl Medeiros and Lorie Lesieur of Pawtucket, RI (wedding); Cynthia and Troy Weekley of Upland, CA (vow renewal); Jeffrey and Lori Widener of Auburn, WA (vow renewal); William and Elizabeth Bradley of Harrisburg, PA (vow renewal); Thomas and Victoria Luginbill of San Luis Obispo, CA(vow renewal); Paul and Joanna Harwood of Las Vegas, NV (vow renewal); and Fred and Ivy Pellerito of Belton, MO (vow renewal).

The seven couples are being flown to Las Vegas courtesy of the LVCVA; and they will enjoy a two-night stay at the historic El Cortez Hotel once owned by Bugsy Siegel.  Following an early morning wedding ceremony inside The Mob Museum that includes flowers by Gaia and a photo package, the couples will enjoy a champagne brunch at MOB BAR and a $250 shopping spree at Fashion Show mall on the Las Vegas Strip.

The promotion, MARRIED AT THE MOB MUSEUM, features a special marriage ceremony conducted by former Las Vegas Mayor and former “go-to” mob defense attorney, Oscar B. Goodman, inside The Museum’s historic courtroom.  In 1950, the courtroom was the site of one of 14 nationwide Kefauver hearings to expose organized crime.

It is the only building in Las Vegas to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Goodman, who served three terms as Las Vegas Mayor from 1999 to 2011, is currently retained by the LVCVA as Chairman of the Host Committee, welcoming groups to Las Vegas.

The Mob Museum opens to the public at 2 p.m. on February 14, following the Mass Wedding and an official grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m.

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Cupid’s arrows are ready to fly this Valentine’s Day, but a new survey reveals that some daters would benefit from dating etiquette classes. The survey, conducted by coupon site CouponCabin.com,reveals the biggest dating deal breakers, with poor hygiene, (e.g. body odor, bad teeth, and dirty hair) topping the list.

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of CouponCabin from January 17th -19th, 2012 among 2,415 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.

While poor hygiene is the biggest dating deal breaker with 84 percent of U.S. adults, a variety of other dating missteps made the list:

• Using their mobile phone too much; constantly texting, checking email – 75 percent
• Being rude to a server or host/hostess – 73 percent
• Talking too much about an ex – 70 percent
• Flirting with the server or host/hostess – 61 percent
• Date drinking too much alcohol – 60 percent
• Aggressive driving – 49 percent
• Not offering to pay for the whole date, or at least to pay for their share – 33 percent
• Being too expensive of a date (e.g. ordering the most costly food and drink) – 31 percent
• Talking about a potential long-term future together – 30 percent
• Using websites or social media (e.g. Facebook) to find out information before the date – 26 percent

Women were significantly more likely than men to consider dating offenses deal breakers, in every case aside from being too expensive of a date, wherein men were significantly more likely (34 percent) to say that it was a deal breaker than women (28 percent).

The biggest discrepancies in opinion on what constitutes a deal breaker between women and men were for using a mobile phone too much during a date, at 82 percent and 68 percent, respectively, and being rude to a server or host/hostess, at 80 percent and 65 percent, respectively.

“Dating can have many hurdles, but don’t let the money issues get in the way of a potential love connection,” said Jackie Warrick, President and Chief Savings Officer at CouponCabin.com. “Many modern daters often offer to at least pay part of their share, and if not, are cognizant and order moderately priced items.

No matter what the situation, though, daters should strive for politeness and tact, especially when making that critical first impression.” First impressions aren’t the only difficult part of dating. Selecting the right Valentine’s Day gift can also be challenging ground in the land of courtship. When asked what was the worst Valentine’s Day gifts they’ve ever received, U.S. adults said the following:

• Bathroom scale
• Birthday card. Valentine’s Day is not my birthday.
• Pooper-scooper
• Dead butterfly mounted in a plastic case. It was our second date.
• Break-up text
• Card stating a donation was made in my name for a charity I don’t support.
• Laundry basket
• Pair of silk boxers that had someone else’s name on the gift tag.
• Stuffed animal that looked like it was won out of one of those claw games.
• Electric can opener
• Lottery tickets
• Tupperware
• Snowshoes

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Did you know that February is American Heart month? In addition to Valentine’s Day festivities, Lady Foot Locker wants you to celebrate your heart by making sure you take care of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women alike in the United States.

The best way to reduce your risk of heart disease is through a healthy diet and active lifestyle. The American Heart Association suggests at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of both). That’s just 30 minutes a day, five times a week! Lady Foot Locker wants you to be prepared with the right shoes and clothing to get you moving:

• Physical activity is anything that will get your body moving and burn calories, which, in turn, will get your heart pumping. If you are looking for a training shoe that is made for everything from dancing to kickboxing, try the Nike Free TR Twist. The flexible sole will work with any activity you choose.
• Taking your daily walk or run outdoors is a great way to diversify your workout. If you are looking to start running, the right footwear is essential in order to protect your feet. The Asics Kayano 18 is a reliable sneaker choice by runners, known for its fit and function. The American Heart Association also recommends spending time outdoors as sunlight on your skin helps your body produce vitamin D, resulting in additional health benefits.
• Proper support and confidence in your apparel are key to a successful workout. Finding the right sports bra, one that provides comfort and mobility, is the foundation for any physical activity.
• If you’re looking for a fun way to express yourself even while working out, own it with exclusive graphic tees . They will be extra motivation to help you stay on the right track while making a statement about who you are.

Lady Foot Locker knows that looking good means feeling good, so start working towards a healthier you this February.

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In advance of one of the busiest dining holidays of the year, a new survey by OpenTable, a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, reveals that diners are planning to fill seats at romantic restaurant hot spots early this year, with 53 percent of respondents saying they plan to make reservations more than a week before this Valentine’s Day.

An infographic from OpenTable that showcases additional 2012 Valentine’s Day trends may be viewed by clicking here. ”With this Valentine’s Day falling on a Tuesday, we are going to see two spikes in restaurant reservations,” said Caroline Potter, Chief Dining Officer for OpenTable.

“About half of diners surveyed anticipate booking a romantic evening on the 14th, while another 26 percent are choosing to celebrate on Saturday night, February 11. Regardless of which night diners plan to celebrate, Valentine’s Day promises to be a bustling day for romantic hot spots.”

The economy doesn’t seem to be a factor as OpenTable diners are looking to enjoy an evening out with 93 percent planning to match last year’s tab or step up the spending, which is 3 percent more than spending plans in 2011. Additionally, 54 percent of OpenTable diners plan to spend $101 to $200, while 10 percent expect to shell out more than $200 on dining.

One city famous for its high rollers is preparing to up the ante this year with 20 percent of diners in Las Vegas planning to spend more than $200, a claim to spend they share only with the sandy, sunny city of Miami. Not surprisingly, New York City dwellers follow closely behind as 19 percent also will be dropping the big bucks with their sweetheart.

The love-driven lavishness when dining, however, stops just short of gifts with 86 percent of respondents admitting that they do not exchange gifts at the table. In fact, 15 percent of OpenTable diners believe a gift exchange is much better suited for a private venue, finding swapping gifts in a restaurant to be inappropriate and bordering on obnoxious.

A few cupid-happy cities firmly stand by the age old idiom that money can’t buy love and hope to scale down spending entirely this year. Seattle respondents lead the pack on shifting Valentine’s Day spending down a notch with 16 percent of diners saying they will drop fewer dollars celebrating this year, with Atlanta (15 percent) and Los Angeles (10 percent) diners following this trend close behind.

One item the OpenTable survey respondents couldn’t quite agree on was what type of restaurant they find most romantic in dining with that special someone. While 35 percent of diners find it most amorous to stick to a traditional Italian cuisine for Valentine’s Day, other diners seek a different type of taste for a romantic rendezvous:

• 25 percent find French cuisine to be the most romantic
• 11 percent find American cuisine to be the most romantic
• 8 percent find fondue to be the most romantic
• 7 percent find tapas to be the most romantic

Even if there is no special someone this year, OpenTable diners still are committed to dining out. Three out of 4 survey respondents said they have dined out with friends on Valentine’s Day or if they have not yet, they certainly would.

For diners still searching for the right restaurant, OpenTable.com provides Diners’ Choice Top Ten Most Romantic Restaurants lists for each metro region and access to specials and menu details for February 14. For more information, please visit www.opentable.com/valentines. Diners can also find more tips and trends regarding Valentine’s Day on OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter’s “Dining Check” blog at OpenTable.

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