Jockstrip: The world as we know it

Women prefer macho over metrosexual men

ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 17 (UPI) -- The metrosexual is out -- women prefer low-maintenance, easy-going macho men, who spend their spare time working on the house, a U.S. survey finds.

A Harris interactive survey of 1,128 U.S. women for Dodge Trucks found 47 percent said their ideal man spends his money on electrical gadgets rather than cosmetics, while 41 percent said their Mr. Right was a sports fan.

Only nine percent wanted their man to spend his money on designer clothes, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

In short, the women preferred the charms of masculine, rough-and-ready men such as actors Clive Owen, Daniel Craig and Colin Farrell, over the metrosexual man who cares about clothes and grooming, such as Jude Law, Orlando Bloom and Hugh Grant.

However, British actress Isla Blair, who is married to actor Julian Glover, believes people should look below the surface.

"No matter how macho and tough you look on the outside, on the inside you need someone who is kind and funny," she said. "A man is only macho if he is gentle too. Insensitive and boorish -- that's not macho at all."

New Zealand teen texts 8,000 times a month

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand, April 17 (UPI) -- A New Zealand teenager has revealed his text messaging routine -- using the cell phone service 8,000 times a month, the New Zealand Herald reported.

The total monthly texts sent by Christchurch's mobile messenger Robert Vavey, 17, average out to one every four minutes of every waking hour.

The sales assistant said his friends complain that he uses his cell phone too much, but he rejects the idea, saying text messaging is "the way of the future."

Vavey said his monthly text output is nothing compared to last year, when he sent more than 15,000 texts a month.

"If you're out and about in town you can just text your mate and meet up with them. Text the girlfriend, all that sort of carry on," he said. "It's better than talking on the phone. It's a lot easier."

Zoo bear-name promos cause confusion

SAN FRANCISCO, April 17 (UPI) -- A contest to name two new grizzlies at the San Francisco Zoo was canceled when organizors discovered conflicting plans to auction the naming rights.

"There was a lack of communication between our marketing and development people," zoo director Manuel Mollinedo told the San Francisco Chronicle.

The Chronicle reported that the contest attracted 750 entries after being heavily promoted on radio and television. The names were supposed to be Native American, with Pocohontas and Sacajawea popular favorites, although Abeargail and Bearnice were also submitted.

The bears, two female cubs found orphaned in Montana, went on exhibit late last year.

When the conflict was discovered, the auction won out. Zoo officials said they hope to get as much as $30,000 for the naming rights at its annual ZooFest fundraiser, scheduled for April 29. Contestants will get free tickets to the zoo and stationary with the bears' paw prints.