Men, be prepared to brush, floss, and kiss for the ladies:

Research highlighted in The Science of Kissing: What Our Lips Are Telling Us shows a big gender divide in how kissing is perceived.

• It matters a lot more to women than men.

• Women were very focused on men’s teeth and hygiene.

Read more: http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/08/how-to-be-a-good-kisser/

that is so true.  i don't know any woman who wants to kiss a yuck-mouth!  (even the bristle on the guy in this photo is pretty unappealing... that stuff hurts!)

but the whole article is interesting: 

"A ten-year psychology study undertaken in Germany during the 1980s found that men who kissed their wives before leaving for work lived, on average, five years longer, earning 20 to 30 percent more than peers who left without a peck good-bye."

then it goes on to elaborate on how men put less value on kissing than women do, tending to see it as merely a step toward sex.  which makes sense: if women value kissing more, then kissing a REAL kiss goodbye each morning is like saying, "i love you, even when we're not having sex."  and that means all the world to the woman.  so he's likely to live 5 years longer and earn more money because his wife feels loved and therefore treats him well, making his life easier.

looks like kissing is the gift that keeps on giving!

Would you kiss a diatom?

haha!  that is awesome.

i always pictured a diatom like a closed petri dish.  i had no idea they were so luscious!

now here's the question: how many diatoms could we kiss at once?

I don't know but when I searched for diatom kiss I found this:

I do like the fact that men who kissed their wives lived five years longer.

someone has already made a painting of a diatom kiss?!?  looks like our hive mind is very real!

but i think the moral to the story is this:

smooch often, live longer!

That's the first painting of a diatom kiss, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

And "kissing is longevity" is a good lesson!

I do love the idea of Hive Mind: http://pandawhale.com/ifindkarma/hive-mind

me too!  especially if we can choose our hive.

If we go up a level, aren't all the hives interconnected?

oooh yes!  of course!

Gaia?

are you talking about symbiosis on a giant scale?

Yes I am! The global mind that is increasingly interconnected no matter what hive you're in.

i love it!  have you written an article about this?

Not yet. Still figuring out how to say it.

oh, you'll figure it out!!  it reminds me of the hub & spoke images in your article about networking (but i can't find them now to post here!).

That's a good point: interconnected hives do form a giant network of networks.