Women are always talking, always analyzing, always thinking. Not that men aren't, it just seems like women do it more - all the time to be exact. A woman's brain is wired a bit differently and frankly, not to be insulting, she uses more of it than her male companions do. Studies have shown that, on average, women speak about 20,000 words per day whereas men use 7,000 to 10,000 words per day. Many men will simply just grunt their approval or disapproval. "Ugh, ugh."

Simply put, a mans brain is designed to focus on the ways that objects move through space. (Ever hear a man say, "I love the way she moves. . . ") A females brain is designed to focus on language and establishing and maintaining connections. (Ever hear a woman say, "He doesn't talk to me . . . " or "I wonder why he hasn't called today . . .") This type of brain mapping suited our ancient ancestors quite nicely. It's the old "hunter gatherer" versus "nesting" thing at play.

Studies of the male and female brain during a state of "rest" revealed that there is just as much neural activity going on inside the female brain during a state of rest - as there is going on in the male brain while solving problems. The female brain doesn't really ever go into a state of rest state. Female blood flow during brain rest is very active while male blood flow during a rest state is not. In images taken of the female and male brain at rest, the female brain was lit up like a Christmas tree compared to the image of the male brain, which showed only a few of it's tinier portions fired up. Las Vegas versus Boise, Idaho?

This brings to mind a phrase that I used to use to refer to my ex at times, "the single cell amoeba." It was our little joke, we both had a sense of humor about it, and he had his observations about me, too. But his thinking was more "reactionary" than "proactive." If you poked him, he reacted. If you didn't, he could be stationary for days. If you asked him to think about something, he would react - and think. If you didn't, there was no need to be proactive about the matter and think about it before being instructed to do so. If I wanted something out of him, I was forced to resort to poking around and pushing buttons. (Sound familiar, ladies?)

Men are mechanical thinkers and singular problem solvers. Women are analytical thinkers who can multi-task. It is what it is, no disrespect intended. It's only my sarcastic sense of humor leaking through. I think, by far, women are the more spiritual of the species, which could have something to do with childbirth. But that's for another article . . .

Having said that, apparently millions of women are feeding their 24/7 brains by consulting the stars daily and tapping into astrological insights. Why? If I had to guess, I'd say it's so that they can think more - more than they already do. Just what all you men wanted to hear, right?

In a recent study conducted by iVillage, it appears that one third of women between the age range of 18-54 years:

• read their horoscope at least once a month;
• check their horoscope before spending money;
• check their horoscope prior to job interviews;
• check their horoscope before entering relationships;
• and even before buying lottery tickets.

Additionally, the study revealed:

• 37% check horoscopes as they research personal health information on a monthly basis;
• 41%, two out of every five women, share their horoscopes with their friends;
• 28%, more than one out of every four women, say their horoscope can change their mood depending on what it says;
• 29% chalk up others’ shortcomings to traits of their zodiac signs;
• 59% say they have a lucky number (7 tops the list, followed by 13);
• 21% of moms believe that people of certain zodiac signs have better sex lives;
• 40% check their husband’s horoscope;
• 25% check their child’s horoscope;
• 22% check other family members.

“Whether they are hard core astrology believers or just want to add some fun to their daily routine, millions of women on iVillage check their horoscopes every day and share them with friends online,” said Jodi Kahn, executive vice president, iVillage.

So for all of you men out there just wishing your woman would shut up for a tad, I hate to burst your bubble but, most likely, that will never happen. Mother Nature won't have it. Besides, you should be proud. Articulate speech is usually a sure sign of intelligence. If your woman is articulately babbling like the brook running through your backyard, congratulations; chances are you've landed yourself one smart cookie. If the babble flowing out of her mouth doesn't seem to be all that intelligent, at the very least you've scored yourself an independent thinker. No one's attracted to a pushover, right?

And by all means, don't mock her when she says to you, "Honey, I read your horoscope today and . . . . " Most likely, she's taking what she's about to tell you very seriously. Even though you may think it's "hooey," rest assured she doesn't. So put a smile on your face, act as if you're hanging on every word she's saying, tell her "that's interesting" and then make your move. Talking to her, taking a subject that she's interested in seriously, will get you major brownie points in the love department.

After all, it's written in the stars . . . .