Technology is nosing its way into our love lives.  With Valentine’s Day around the corner, romance is pulsing through cyberspace. Two love-related tech innovations are worth taking a look at.

“Heartbroker”
This online match service claims that your friends know you better than you know yourself.  As a user, you choose a friend to be your “Heartbroker.”  This person creates a profile for you, and rates you on attractiveness, intellect, humor, kindness and “outgoingness.”  The idea is that friends will be honest, so the danger of ending up with someone who doesn’t fit their profile, is less likely. The idea is to move away from “self-promotional” language found on other dating sites, and put the social aspect back in dating, according to Social Times.

According to the article: “Once you approve the testimonial from your Heartbroker, it is displayed on your public profile, which can then be viewed by other Heartbroker users...The attribute ratings, on the other hand, remain confidential to encourage honest feedback, and are used to determine compatibility with others. Friends can also try their hand at playing Cupid with Heartbroker by suggesting matches to their single friends.”  The site is currently exclusive to Facebook. 

Google for Weddings
Google has released a site to help you plan your wedding.  Wedding planner Michelle Rago helped design the site and the templates that are available. 

With the tools on the site, you can create invitations, engagement announcements, and photo albums.  In addition, there are Google Doc spreadsheets that allow you to budget your spending, your time, and the responsibilities. There is also a sweepstakes to win $25,000 and the wedding of your dreams, planned with the assistance of Michelle Rago. 

By Rayana Godfrey

It’s almost Valentine’s Day again; time to buy cards, bears, and candies for the one you call your own. That is what Valentine’s Day is about, right? Well, that’s what stores like Target make us believe.

I think Valentine’s Day is becoming too much of a “ money thing,” meaning people have forgotten the true value of the holiday and are starting to believe it’s about what you can buy. Valentine’s Day has become another holiday lost in the market along with other victims such as Christmas and Easter. Instead of people genuinely expressing their love for someone, they let their money do it for them. It’s as if they’re saying, “Hey babe, I don’t know how else to say I love you, so I spent all my money on gifts. Happy Valentine’s Day!” It’s nice and all, but do people understand WHY they’re actually doing it? The Beatles said, “Money can’t buy me love.” I guess nobody else got the memo.

Another thing that bothers me about Valentine’s Day is the expectations people have. My friend said, “People always want you to buy them stuff and that’s not what it's all about.” She’s right. Valentine’s Day is beginning to seem like the day where couples reach their hands out and ask the other, “So…where’s my gift?” What happened to the kisses and hugs and long walks on the beach? Why is it so hard for people to say, “I love you” and go on with their day? Whenever you walk into ANY store during late January or early February, you are instantly greeted by flowers, stuffed animals, candy, and cards. You find yourself bombarded with things you think you have to by to meet your partner’s expectations. And the worst part is…most of these things go unappreciated.

Honestly, if I had a Valentine, I wouldn’t expect anything from them except a simple, “I love you. Happy Valentine’s Day.” A gift would be nice, but unlike a lot of people, I would actually appreciate the gift instead of seeing it as something I deserve. I don’t want to eliminate the holiday as a whole, but what’s the point of celebrating anything if you aren’t doing it for the right reason?

Here are my top Valentine's Day songs that I have chosen to play for you this year. ENJOY!!!

First up is 112's Cupid. This is a good Valentine's song because Cupid is one of the characters we think of when we think Valentine's.

More after the break... Read more...

Yes folks, it’s that time of the year where love is in the air. It’s time to start thinking about what gifts to give to your significant other. This Valentine’s Day it could be hard for you to use creative ways to show your affection towards that girl or guy you’ve been with. For example, my boyfriend loves the show King of Queens. He tells me all the time that it reminds him of us. So for this Valentine's Day I plan on getting him a season of the show and writing him a card to go along with it. This shows that I pay attention to what he likes and care about his interests. It’s also not an expensive buy. Wal-Mart has some good sales!

Typically for Valentines Day, it’s always been the same gifts: roses, candy, or a nice dinner. To stay away from this kind of tradition, here are some creative ideas to give your loved one.

Gifts/Gestures for Him or Her

1. Sing a Song- Oh I hear the groaning now. Let me tell you, it is OKAY if you do not know how to sing. The fact that you even tried to sing a love song with meaningful lyrics is just enough.

2. Make a romantic love CD- Show that special person how deeply you care about them by playing them some heart-melting love tunes. If you know your significant other's favorite artist, put a whole CD with some of their most romantic love songs. They’ll be sure to love this.

3. Love Notes- Buy pink post-it notes and on each one write a reason for why you love or care about him/her. You can stick it on his/her car or locker. This is a cute, romantic way to show specific reasons why you care about that person so much.

Three more tips, after the jump...

Valentine's Day is almost upon us: rejoice!

Valentine's Day is almost upon us: break out the pitchforks!

There's really no middle ground on the battlefield of love, since everyone knows the opposite of love isn't hate, it's indifference. Which would normally be the superior, hip position to take. Whatever.

We invite you to declare your allegiance: when it comes to Valentine's Day which side are you on? Are you a lover or a fighter? A lover and a fighter?

Drop us a line, hit us up on twitter, or jump in at Facebook and let us know where you stand.

To help you figure it out, check out some of our recent posts about love, lust, and other complications of the heart: