Could This Be Love??

Quote about LiFe

2011-09-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

Life is like dancing. If we have big floor, many people will dance. Some will get angry when the rhythm changes. But life is changing all the time.

::: Miguel Angel Ruiz :::

love quote

2011-07-24T19:10:00.001-07:00

"If you love someone you say it, You say it right then, out loud, Or the moment just passes you by."

~ My Best Friend's Wedding (movie)

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LoVe Quote

2011-05-12T08:15:00.000-07:00

~Ursula K. LeGuin~

Love doesn't just sit there like a stone;
it has to be made -
like bread,
remade all the time,
made new.

Credit to : psychologythings's image

it takes two - seduction

2011-04-13T01:07:00.000-07:00

It Takes 2, It Takes 2, Me & You

It Takes 2 To Make A Thing Go Right
It Takes 2 To Make It Out Of Sight

From The Start It's Plain To See
You're Suffering From A Serious Broken Heart,
You Know That It's A Shame
But I'm Here To Ease Your Pain

There's No Need For You To Feel So All Alone
When You And I Could Seriously
Be A SureEnough Happening Thing

Do You Know That
It Takes 2 To Make A Thing Go Right
It Takes 2 To Make It Out Of Sight

I Can See It In Your Eyes
You Feel The Same Way I Feel About You
Some Call It Chemistry
I Call It You Should Be With Me

'Cause I Know Together We Can Really Turn
This Mother Out
In My Mind There Is No Doubt
That One & One Equals Me & You

Don't You Know That It Takes 2

Two To Make It Right

I Don't Believe In Fairy Tales
But I Believe Some Things Were Meant To Be
Why Should We Be Alone
When We Could Have Each Other's Arms To Hold

I Know Together We Could Really Turn
This Mother Out
In My Mind There Is No Doubt
That One & One Equals Me & You

Don't You Know That It Takes 2

How to Ignore Annoying People

2010-12-01T06:58:00.000-08:00

Get away and stay away. If an annoying person is in your space, remove yourself as quickly as possible. If the person annoying you is a stranger, you have no obligations for response.
Avoid discussions. If you work with an annoying person, use email rather than meetings or personal discussions to communicate.
Use space and distance to focus your thoughts. If you are in an office meeting, and an annoying person just cannot cease uninteresting conversation, excuse yourself and bolt for a restroom. Once inside, breathe deeply, and think of something funny before you return to the meeting.
Stay in control of any conversation. If an annoying person that you know or work with draws you in to unavoidable conversation, feign confusion, wait for the clarification, and then thank the person before you exit quickly.
Remain patient and professional. If the annoying person in your life is a co-worker, do not complain to other co-workers. Pretend the annoyance does not exist.
Stay focused on what you want to accomplish in life. Discipline your thoughts and direct them toward things that benefit you. Do not waste your time and energy on superfluous or imaginary dialogue with an annoying person.
Use you imagination to your benefit. Imagine that the annoying person is harmless and clueless. Realize that this person will not be in your life forever.

Read more: How to Ignore Annoying People | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2046294_ignore-annoying-people.html#ixzz17FXBnxun

How to Detect Lies

2010-07-13T23:19:00.000-07:00

Become a Lie Detector
Warning: sometimes ignorance is bliss; after gaining this knowledge, you may be hurt when it is obvious that someone is lying to you.

Introduction to Detecting Lies:
The following techniques to telling if someone is lying are often used by police and security experts. This knowledge is also useful for managers, employers, and for anyone to use in everyday situations where telling the truth from a lie can help prevent you from being a victim of fraud/scams and other deceptions.

Signs of Deception:
Body Language of Lies:
• Physical expression will be limited and stiff, with few arm and hand movements. Hand, arm and leg movement are toward their own body the liar takes up less space.

• A person who is lying to you will avoid making eye contact.

• Hands touching their face, throat & mouth. Touching or scratching the nose or behind their ear. Not likely to touch his chest/heart with an open hand.

Emotional Gestures & Contradiction
• Timing and duration of emotional gestures and emotions are off a normal pace. The display of emotion is delayed, stays longer it would naturally, then stops suddenly.

• Timing is off between emotions gestures/expressions and words. Example: Someone says "I love it!" when receiving a gift, and then smile after making that statement, rather then at the same time the statement is made.

• Gestures/expressions don’t match the verbal statement, such as frowning when saying “I love you.”

• Expressions are limited to mouth movements when someone is faking emotions (like happy, surprised, sad, awe, )instead of the whole face. For example; when someone smiles naturally their whole face is involved: jaw/cheek movement, eyes and forehead push down, etc.

Also see our article on micro expressions & lying.

Interactions and Reactions
• A guilty person gets defensive. An innocent person will often go on the offensive.

• A liar is uncomfortable facing his questioner/accuser and may turn his head or body away.

• A liar might unconsciously place objects (book, coffee cup, etc.) between themselves and you.

Verbal Context and Content
• A liar will use your words to make answer a question. When asked, “Did you eat the last cookie?” The liar answers, “No, I did not eat the last cookie.”

•A statement with a contraction is more likely to be truthful: “ I didn't do it” instead of “I did not do it”

• Liars sometimes avoid "lying" by not making direct statements. They imply answers instead of denying something directly.

• The guilty person may speak more than natural, adding unnecessary details to convince you... they are not comfortable with silence or pauses in the conversation.

• A liar may leave out pronouns and speak in a monotonous tone. When a truthful statement is made the pronoun is emphasized as much or more than the rest of the words in a statement.

• Words may be garbled and spoken softly, and syntax and grammar may be off. In other
words, his sentences will likely be muddled rather than emphasized.

• The use of distancing language.

Body Language

Other signs of a lie:
• If you believe someone is lying, then change subject of a conversation quickly, a liar follows along willingly and becomes more relaxed. The guilty wants the subject changed; an innocent person may be confused by the sudden change in topics and will want to back to the previous subject.

• Using humor or sarcasm to avoid a subject.

Final Notes:
Obviously, just because someone exhibits one or more of these signs does not make them a liar. The above behaviors should be compared to a persons base (normal) behavior whenever possible.

Most lie detecting experts agree that a combination of body language and other cues must be used to make an educated guess on whether someone is telling the truth or a lie.

Almond is Healthy

2010-02-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

* Vitamin E - Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that has been shown to decrease the risk for certain forms of cancer, heart disease and cataracts. Vitamin E is also needed for healthy blood cells and tissues.

* Folic Acid - Almonds, like other fruits and vegetables, make an important contribution to a diet adequate in folic acid, or folate. This important B-vitamin can reduce the risk for neural tube defects (birth defects) and is necessary for making red blood cells. It may also protect against heart disease and stroke.

* Protein - almonds contain protein which is necessary for healthy muscles, blood and organs, and it can also be used for energy.

* Fiber - almonds are a good source of dietary fiber - the part of the plant foods that is not digested in the human body. Fiber appears to play a protective role against heart disease and diabetes, an d aids in the prevention of constipation, diverticulosis, and some forms of cancer, such as colon and rectal.

* Iron - An ounce of almonds contains 6% of the recommended daily requirements of iron. This essential mineral helps carry oxygen to all of the body's cells and organs.
* Zinc - An ounce of almonds contains 6% of the recommended daily requirements of zinc, which aids in wound healing and is involved in protein metabolism. Zinc is also important in the development of the reproductive system.

* Copper - Almonds are a good source of copper. This mineral helps carry oxygen throughout the body and helps keep bones, blood vessels and nerves healthy. It may also protect against heart disease.

* Magnesium - Almonds are an excellent source of magnesium, a mineral used in building bones, making protein, releasing energy from muscles and regulating body temperature. It's also needed for calcium and potassium balance in the body.

* Phosphorous - Almonds are a good source of phosphorous - the second most abundant mineral in the body. This important mineral is needed for strong bones and teeth, and helps the body use protein, fat and carbohydrates.

* Pytochemicals - Almonds, like all other plant foods contain phytochemicals. These plant chemicals may have protective effects against heart disease, cancer and other chronic diseases

Click here for more : http://www.formerfatguy.com

7 Easy Ways to Lose Weight Without Starving or Breaking a Sweat

2010-02-01T05:14:00.000-08:00

By Liz Vaccariello, Editor-in-Chief, Prevention

Weight loss requires two things: burning calories through exercise and cutting them through smart food choices and portion control. In theory, you could create a calorie deficit by spending hours at the gym, but that's not realistic-or much fun. And who wants to live on lettuce leaves? Instead, try these seven everyday moves to drop pounds effortlessly.

1. Fidget
James Levine, MD, of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, has spent a decade studying the role that everyday movement, or NEAT (nonexercise activity thermogenesis), plays in metabolism. His discovery: People who tap their feet, prefer standing to sitting, and generally move around a lot burn up to 350 more calories a day than those who sit still. That adds up to nearly 37 pounds a year!

2. Keep most meals under 400 calories
Study after study recommends spacing out your meals at regular intervals and keeping them all about the same size. Eating meals at regular intervals has been linked to greater calorie burning after eating, better response to insulin, and lower fasting blood cholesterol levels. When you eat regular meals throughout the day, you're less likely to become ravenous and overeat.

3. Take yourself off cruise control
Increase the intensity of your everyday tasks, from vacuuming to walking the dog, recommends Douglas Brooks, an exercise physiologist and personal trainer in Northern California. "Turn on some music, add in some vigorous bursts, and enjoy the movement," he says.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day
Water is not just a thirst quencher--it may speed the body's metabolism. Researchers in Germany found that drinking two 8-ounce glasses of cold water increased their subjects' metabolic rate by 30%, and the effect persisted for 90 minutes. One-third of the boost came from the body's efforts to warm the water, but the rest was due to the work the body did to absorb it. "When drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used, unlike when drinking sodas, where additional calories are ingested and possibly stored," explains the lead researcher, Michael Boschmann, MD, of University Medicine Berlin. Increasing water consumption to eight glasses per day may help you lose about 8 pounds in a year, he says, so try drinking a glass before meals and snacks and before consuming sweetened drinks or juices.

5. Step it up--and down
Climbing stairs is a great leg strengthener, because you're lifting your body weight against gravity. In addition to taking the stairs at every opportunity, try stepping up and down on the curb while you're waiting for the bus or filling your gas tank, says Brooks.

6. Use grocery bags as dumbbells
Letting someone else load your groceries or carry your suitcase is an opportunity missed for strengthening and calorie burning, says certified coach Beth Rothenberg, who teaches a class for fitness professionals at UCLA. "Carry your groceries, balanced with a bag in each hand, even if you have to make several trips," she says. "And pack two smaller suitcases instead of one big one, so you can carry them yourself."

7. Eat 4 g of fiber at every meal
A high-fiber diet can lower your caloric intake without making you feel deprived. In a Tufts University study, women who ate 13 g of fiber or less per day were five times as likely to be overweight as those who ate more fiber. Experts see a number of mechanisms through which fiber promotes weight loss: It may slow down eating because it requires more chewing, speed the passage of food through the digestive tract, and boost satiety hormones. To get 25 g of fiber a day, make sure you eat six meals or snacks, each of which contains about 4 g of fiber. For to-go snacks, buy fruit; it's handier than vegetables, so it's an easy way to up your fiber intake. One large apple has just as much fiber (5 g) as a cup of raw broccoli.

Smoking is Bad Habit

2009-12-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

Smoking is one of the worst things kids or adults can do to their bodies. Yet every single day about 4,000 kids between the ages 12 and 17 start smoking. Most middle school students don't smoke — only about 1 in 10 does. And most high school students don't smoke either — about 1 in 4 does (that means 3 out of 4 don't).

But why do those who smoke ever begin?

There's more than just one simple answer. Some kids may start smoking just because they're curious. Others may like the idea of doing something dangerous — something grownups don't want them to do. Still others might know lots of people who smoke and they might think it's a way to act or look like an adult. Fortunately, fewer people are starting smoking than a few years ago.

Maybe that's because more and more people have learned that smoking and tobacco use can cause cancer and heart disease. But sometimes kids can't really think that far into the future to worry about an illness they might not get for many years.

So let's talk about the problems that might affect kids more quickly:

bad breath
yellow teeth
smelly clothes
more colds and coughs
difficulty keeping up with friends when playing sports
empty wallet — cigarettes and tobacco products are very expensive!

Let's find out more about cigarettes and tobacco.

What Are Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco?
Tobacco (say: tuh-ba-ko) is a plant that can be smoked in cigarettes, pipes, or cigars. It's the same plant that's in smokeless tobacco, known as dip, chew, snuff, spit, or chewing tobacco. Smokeless tobacco is not lit or inhaled like tobacco in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Instead, smokeless tobacco is put between the lip and gum and sucked on inside the mouth.

Tobacco contains nicotine (say: nih-kuh-teen), a chemical that causes a tingly or pleasant feeling — but that feeling only lasts for a little while. Nicotine is also addictive (say: uh-dik-tiv). That means that if you start to use nicotine, your body and mind will become so used to it that you'll need to have it just to feel OK.

Anyone who starts smoking could become addicted to it. If you're addicted to something, it's very hard to stop doing it, even if you want to. Some kids get addicted right away. And adults are often addicted, which is why so many of them have a hard time quitting smoking.

Why Is It So Bad for You?
Cigarettes and smokeless tobacco kill hundreds of thousands of Americans every year. You know those rubber bracelets that were created to bring attention to different causes? The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids created a red one with the number 1,200 on it. Why 1,200? That's the number of people who die each day due to smoking.

The nicotine and other poisonous chemicals in tobacco cause lots of diseases, like heart problems and some kinds of cancer. If you smoke, you hurt your lungs and heart each time you light up. It also can make it more difficult for blood to move around in the body, so smokers may feel tired and cranky. The longer you smoke, the worse the damage becomes.

The Other Cost of Smoking
Using tobacco eats up a lot of money, too. A pack of cigarettes costs $4.50, on average. That means, even if you buy just one pack a week, you'll spend $234 in a year. Some people smoke a pack a day, which adds up to $1,642! That's a lot of CDs, computer games, and clothes you could buy instead.

What's It Like?
Usually, people don't like smoking or chewing tobacco at first. Your body is smart, and it knows when it's being poisoned. When people try smoking for the first time, they often cough a lot and feel pain or burning in their throat and lungs. This is your lungs' way of trying to protect you and tell you to keep them smoke free. Also, many people say that they feel sick to their stomachs or even throw up. If someone accidentally swallows chewing tobacco, they may be sick for hours. Yuck.

What if My Friend Smokes?
If you have friends who smoke or use tobacco, you can help them by encouraging them to quit. Here are some reasons you can mention:

•It will hurt their health.
•It will make their breath stinky.
•It will turn their teeth yellow.
•It will give them less endurance when running or playing sports.
•It's expensive.
•It's illegal to buy cigarettes when you're underage.
If you think it will help, you could print out articles like this one to give to a friend who smokes. He or she may be interested in learning more about the dangers of smoking. But people don't like to hear that they're doing something wrong, so your pal also could be a little angry. If that happens, don't push it too much. In time, your friend may realize you are right.

In the meantime, it could help to talk with a parent or a school counselor if you're worried about your friend. When your friend is ready, a grown-up can help him or her quit for good. If your friend decides to quit, lend your support. You might say it's time to kick some butts!

Reviewed by: Neil Izenberg, MD
Date reviewed: August 2007

Asthma Causes

2009-11-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

The exact cause of asthma is not known.

•What all people with asthma have in common is chronic airway inflammation and excessive airway sensitivity to various triggers.
•Research has focused on why some people develop asthma while others do not.
•Some people are born with the tendency to have asthma, while others are not. Scientists are trying to find the genes that cause this tendency.

•The environment you live in and the way you live partly determine whether you have asthma attacks.
An asthma attack is a reaction to a trigger. It is similar in many ways to an allergic reaction.
•An allergic reaction is a response by the body's immune system to an "invader."
•When the cells of the immune system sense an invader, they set off a series of reactions that help fight off the invader.
•It is this series of reactions that causes the production of mucus and bronchospasms. These responses cause the symptoms of an asthma attack.
•In asthma, the "invaders" are the triggers listed below. Triggers vary among individuals.
•Because asthma is a type of allergic reaction, it is sometimes called reactive airway disease.

Each person with asthma has his or her own unique set of triggers. Most triggers cause attacks in some people with asthma and not in others. Common triggers of asthma attacks are the following:

•exposure to tobacco or wood smoke,
•breathing polluted air,
•inhaling other respiratory irritants such as perfumes or cleaning products,
•exposure to airway irritants at the workplace,
•breathing in allergy-causing substances (allergens) such as molds, dust, or animal dander,
•an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold, flu, sinusitis, or bronchitis,
•exposure to cold, dry weather,
•emotional excitement or stress,
•physical exertion or exercise,
•reflux of stomach acid known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD,
•sulfites, an additive to some foods and wine, and
•menstruation: In some, not all, women, asthma symptoms are closely tied to the menstrual cycle.

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Sore throats anyone..?

2009-09-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Virtually every child and adult gets a sore throat once or twice a year. What should you do when this happens? Could it be strep throat? How can you tell? Should you go to the doctor? Should you just call your doctor and ask for medicine over the phone?
Here is the Dr. Sears guide to diagnosing and treating sore throats in children.

CAUSES OF SORE THROAT

Viruses : By far, the most common cause of sore throat is any one of a large number of viruses, none of which are treatable with antibiotics. These viruses can cause high fever and very painful sore throat. They can feel just as bad or worse as strep throat.

Colds and coughs : The common cold virus can cause a sore throat in addition to its many other symptoms. Coughing can also irritate the throat, and so can post-nasal drip from a cold.
Strep throat : This is caused by the strep bacteria, and is treated with antibiotics.

Coxsackie virus (hand, foot, and mouth disease) : This is a virus that causes high fever and painful canker sores on the throat, cheeks, gums, or lips. Click on mouth sores for more info on this.

Allergies : Allergies do not cause sudden sore, painful throats. They can, however, cause chronic mild throat irritation.

At-home treatments:

Pain reliever. Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen can help significantly. Click on them for dosing. Use both together for extreme pain.

Throat lozenges.

Gargle warm salt water : Mix 1/4 to 1 Tsp salt with 8 ounces warm water. If you can get your child to do this, it works great!

Anesthetic throat gargle : Chloraseptic can work well, but only if your child is old enough to not swallow it.

Tea : Some herbal teas with honey or lemon may help.

Acute Bronchitis

2009-08-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

What is acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis is an infection of the bronchial (say: “brawn-kee-ull”) tree. The bronchial tree is made up of the tubes that carry air into your lungs. When these tubes get infected, they swell and mucus (thick fluid) forms inside them. This makes it hard for you to breathe.

What are the symptoms of acute bronchitis?
The symptoms of acute bronchitis can include:
* Sore throat
* Fever
* A cough that may bring up yellow or green mucus
* Chest congestion
* Shortness of breath
* Wheezing

* Chills
* Body aches

What causes acute bronchitis?

Acute bronchitis is almost always caused by viruses that attack the lining of the bronchial tree and cause infection. As your body fights back against these viruses, more swelling occurs and more mucus is produced. It takes time for your body to kill the viruses and heal the damage to your bronchial tubes.

In most cases, the same viruses that cause colds cause acute bronchitis. Research has shown that bacterial infection is a much less common cause of bronchitis than we used to think. Very rarely, an infection caused by a fungus can cause acute bronchitis.

How do people get acute bronchitis?

The viruses that cause acute bronchitis are sprayed into the air or onto people’s hands when they cough. You can get acute bronchitis if you breathe in these viruses. You can also get it if you touch a hand that is coated with the viruses.

If you smoke or are around damaging fumes (such as those in certain kinds of factories), you are more likely to get acute bronchitis and to have it longer. This is because your bronchial tree is already damaged.

You should call your doctor if:

* You continue to wheeze and cough for more than 2 weeks, especially at night when you lie down or when you are active.
* You continue to cough for more than 2 weeks and sometimes have a bad-tasting fluid come up into your mouth. This may mean you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a condition in which stomach acid gets into your esophagus (windpipe).
* You have a cough that produces blood, you feel very sick and weak, you have a high fever that doesn’t go down and you are short of breath. You may have pneumonia.

How is acute bronchitis treated?

Most cases of acute bronchitis will go away on their own after a few days or a week. It's a good idea to get plenty of rest, drink lots of noncaffeinated fluids (for example, water and fruit juices) and increase the humidity in your environment.
You can also take an over-the-counter pain reliever (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen) to ease pain and lower fever. It is okay to take an over-the-counter cough suppressant if your cough is dry (not producing any mucus). It's best not to suppress a cough that brings up mucus because this type of cough helps clear the mucus from your bronchial tree faster.
Cough medicine is not recommended for children, especially those under 2 years of age.

Because acute bronchitis is usually caused by viruses, antibiotics usually do not help. Even if you cough up mucus that is colored or thick, antibiotics probably won’t help you get better any faster.
If you smoke, you should quit. This will help your bronchial tree heal faster.

Some people who have acute bronchitis need medicines that are usually used to treat asthma. If you hear yourself wheezing, this indicates you may need asthma medicines. These medicines can help open the bronchial tubes and clear out mucus. They are usually given with an inhaler. An inhaler sprays the medicine right into the bronchial tree. Your doctor will decide if this treatment is right for you.

How long will the cough from acute bronchitis last?
Sometimes the cough from acute bronchitis lasts for several weeks or months. Usually this happens because the bronchial tree is taking a long time to heal. However, a cough that doesn’t go away may be a sign of another problem, such as asthma or pneumonia.

How can I keep from getting acute bronchitis again?

One of the best ways to keep from getting acute bronchitis is to wash your hands often to get rid of any viruses.
If you smoke, the best defense against acute bronchitis is to quit. Smoking damages your bronchial tree and makes it easier for viruses to cause infection. Smoking also slows down the healing process, so it takes longer for you to get well.

Common Infections
* Sinusitis
* Cat and Dog Bites
* Earaches in Children
* Otitis Media with Effusion
* Pneumonia
* Sty

Source : Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.

American Academy of Family Physicians

How to Know When You Are Being Ignored

2009-07-11T21:24:00.000-07:00

No one likes to be ignored. Being ignored is not a nice experience. Although sometimes you may not be intentionally ignored, it is important to know the signs of being ignored, so that you can spare yourself from pain and disappointment.

Step 1
At some time in life each individual experiences hurt. Most times it is by someone who was thought to be a close friend. The first sign that something is not completely right, is when that person starts to ignore you. There may be various reasons why you are being ignored. The most common reasons are, guilt after betraying you, finding a new friend or planning to break off the friendship. Whatever the reason is, learning to discern the signs easily, can save you from getting hurt.

Step 2
You can know that you are being ignored, if you have a friend who you normally talk to frequently throughout the week, and when you call their phone, no one answers, instead you are sent to voice mail. You may think at first that your friend is busy, but when the next day come and you still don't get a reply, you starts to get worried. You heard from other people that your friend is doing fine, and your friend still hadn't returned your call. This is when you realize that you have been ignored all this time.

Step 3
Another way that you can tell that you are being ignored is if you are not invited to parties that you were usually invited. For example, you know that each year your friend keeps a party around a certain time of the year, and you are looking forward to going. You hear everyone talking about receiving invitation to the party, and suddenly realized that you were not invited.

Step 4
Sometimes things do happen, and people do forget to do things, but you can tell when you are being ignored. If things just keep happening, and there is no explanation for it, you may be on that person's ignore list

Step 5
If someone is ignoring you they will tell you a million excuses to avoid spending time with you. Some friends are only for a season. When they are bored with the friendship, they will move on to a new friend. In the process of doing this they hurt their friend's feelings without caring. They are not brave enough to tell the person to their face, so they ignore them, hoping that they will get the message. If you are being ignored, move on because you deserve better than to be ignored.

sources from : eHow website

How To Lose 'unwanted' Friends & Make 'true' Enemies

2009-07-05T00:35:00.000-07:00

1) Ignore people.

Don't return phone calls.
Never answer the phone.
Don't listen when people talk to you.
Talk on your cell phone when with others, especially in restaurants or other public places.
Don't acknowledge that others exist.
The greatest insult that you can give someone is to ignore the person.

*If you excel at this skill you can skip the next four paragraphs*

2) Show disrespect.

Make fun of others.
Assign stupid nicknames or deliberately mispronounce names.
Make people wait for you.
Laugh at other people's mistakes, struggles, and fears.
Use sarcasm and cynicism freely.
Treat people like idiots.

*Disrespect is powerful because it strips people of their dignity*

3) Criticize.

Find fault in everything.
Spread gossip.
Complain about anything and everything.
Remind people about mistakes they made, even if decades ago.
If possible, embellish your complaints with exaggerated descriptions of failure.
Keep a written log of faults, flaws, and fumbles so you can grind on them daily.
Develop a whining tone to your voice.

*Critics reduce everything to dirt*

4) Be negative.

Master pessimism.
Attack every change or new idea.
Always focus on failure.
Expect the worst to happen.
Never accept or approve anything.
Refuse to participate or cooperate in any endeavor.
If something appears to work despite your efforts, cause delays so you can prepare fresh arguments against it.

*Aggressive gloom creates perpetual hopelessness*

5) Get mad

Throw tantrums.
Scream.
Yell.
Shout.
Slam doors.
Hit walls.
Throw things.
Act violent.
Use accusations, insults, and threats to disrupt conversations.
Tolerate nothing.
Insist on retribution.
Always attack first.
Blame your anger on others.

*Unpredictable, insane behavior keeps other people off balance*

Caution: Application of these tactics guarantees that the need for lawyers will increase.

High Glucose VS Low Glucose (Low-Glycemic index foods)

2009-06-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Which foods are high-glucose foods (also called high-glycemic index foods) that will break down quickly in your body? [In other words., try to avoid foods/drinks stated below]:

•Soft drinks •Candy •Pasta •Potatoes •Pastries •Sweetened fruit juice

In short, high-glucose foods to avoid include those made with refined white flour or white sugar and not a whole lot else (although even potatoes fall into this category).

Meanwhile, the following foods are low-glucose (or low-glycemic index) foods that will give you a steady source of energy for the day:

•Beans •Nuts and seeds •Celery root •Rutabagas •Leafy green vegetables •Artichokes •Asparagus •Pumpkin •Cucumber •Broccoli •Cabbage •Leeks •Scallions

You can also indulge in foods high in protein and fiber, and those that contain healthy fats, as these foods will not cause your blood glucose to rise excessively.

Pancreatitis Diet

2009-05-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

A low-fat diet (with no more than 30 to 40% of calories from fat) is often recommended to help prevent the steatorrhea that often accompanies pancreatic insufficiency. In a controlled study of chronic pancreatitis patients, a very low-fat diet resulted in less than one-fourth as much steatorrhea compared to a more typical fat intake. Since a very low-fat diet may not be appropriate for a person with malnutrition, this recommendation should only be followed after consulting a healthcare professional.
A preliminary study of chronic pancreatitis patients reported that a high-fiber diet was associated with a small but significant increase in the amount of fat in the stool. The patients all complained of increased flatulence while using this diet, but an undesirable increase in the frequency of bowel movements did not occur. Increases in dietary fiber may not be well tolerated by people with pancreatitis, but more research is needed.
A few preliminary reports suggest that food allergy may cause some cases of acute pancreatitis. Food allergies identified in these cases included beef, milk, potato, eggs, fish and fish eggs, and kiwi fruit. No research has investigated the possible role of food allergy in other causes of pancreatic insufficiency.

Lost to Find My Lot

2009-05-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

Lost in a world, that scares me to death,

Lost in a crowd I’m losing my breath,
Lost as a kid, lost as an adult
I feel everything is falling apart and its my fault
Lost as a person, cant find my way
Lost in life every day, Lost in worry
Who am I?
I’ve lived a Lie
Lost to Kindness,

Lost to Love

Lost in the sky,
Like a lonely dove
Lost in thought which I shouldn’t do
It Winds me up,
I can’t get through
Lost to comfort all kind words
Lost to advice that isn’t heard
Lost to those who really care?

All these people always there
Lost in Me, I need a break
Lost in wonder which road should I take?
Lost in a place I don’t know well
Where are you now? There’s no one to tell
Lost here all alone To break these walls
Lost in mind

Lost in soul
Lost memories, there just a hole
Lost family, lost my place
Still yet I’m full of hate
Lost in boredom think I’ll leave
There’s a lot in life I need to achieve

Poem by : Olivia Braun

Eat This, Not That!!

2009-05-16T21:07:00.000-07:00

Do you want to make the right decisions in confusing times—Time to refinance? Explore a different career? Root for the singing spinster or the 12-year-old?—you need to pay special attention to what you eat. That’s right: Your grocery list can help with your to-do list. That’s because the right foods are a kind of clean-burning fuel for your body’s biggest energy hog: Your brain. A study in the Journal of Physiology makes the point that, though your brain represents only 2 percent of your body weight, it makes 20 percent of the energy demands on your resting metabolism. On our new Eat This, Not That! Web site, we rounded up the best foods to munch on when you need a mental boost—and found studies that show, in fact, that you can be up to 200 percent more productive if you make the right eating choices. Stock up on these items to halt mental decline, jog your memory, sharpen your senses, improve your performance, activate your feel-good hormones, and protect your quick-witted sharpness, whether you’re 15, 40—or not admitting to any age whatsoever!

FOR SHORT-TERM MEMORY
Drink This!: COFFEE

Fresh-brewed joe is the ultimate brain fuel. Caffeine has been shown to retard the aging process and enhance short-term memory performance. In one study, British researchers found that just one cup of coffee helps improve attention and problem-solving skills.

Not That!: ENERGY DRINKS/TOO MUCH COFFEE

Ever heard of the concept “too much of a good thing”? If you OD on caffeine—too many cups, a jolt of caf from the late afternoon onward, a Red Bull cocktail—it can mess with your shuteye schedule. Sleep is reboot time for your mental computer, and you don’t want to mess with it.

FOR LONG-TERM MEMORY
Eat This!: BLUEBERRIES

Antioxidants in blueberries help protect the brain from free-radical damage and cut your risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. They can also improve cognitive processing (translation: thinking). Wild blueberries, if you can find them, have even more brain-boosting antioxidants than the cultivated variety, so book that vacation in Maine now. The berries will ripen in July.

Not That!: THE UNRIPE AND UNREADY

Here’s a cool tip: if your favorite berries are out of season, buy them frozen. The freezer locks in peak flavor and nutrients, so the berries’ antioxidant capacity is maxed out. Those pale, tough, and expensive off-season berries usually ripen on a truck, rather than on the bush, so they’re nutritional imposters compared to the real thing.

For more smart shopping tips, point your grocery cart to THIS story and learn how to pick the most delicious and nutritious while controlling your waistline!

TO THINK FASTER
Eat This!: SALMON OR MACKEREL

If the Internal Revenue Service picks you for some up-close-and-personal auditing, you’ll want to be on your toes when they vet your deductions list. So put salmon or mackerel on the grocery list. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fishes are a primary building block of brain tissue, so they’ll amp up your thinking power. Salmon is also rich in niacin, which can help ward off Alzheimer’s disease and slow the rate of cognitive decline.

Not That!: FULL-FAT ICE CREAM

Not all fats are created equal: Beware foods high in saturated fats, which can clog blood vessels and prevent the flow of nutrients and blood to the brain. Ice cream is not a brain-health food.

TO ENERGIZE:
Eat This!: HIGH-PROTEIN SALAD WITH VINAIGRETTE

The oil in the dressing will help slow down digestion of protein and carbs in the salad, stabilizing blood-sugar levels and keeping energy levels high. Build your salad on a bed of romaine and spinach for an added boost in riboflavin, and add chicken and a hard-boiled egg for more energizing protein.

For other tips on how to build the perfect salad, check out the Eat This, Not That! ultimate salad selector.

Not That!: PANCAKES OR BAGELS

MIT researchers analyzed blood samples from a group of people who had eaten either a high-protein or a high-carbohydrate breakfast. Two hours after eating, the carb eaters had tryptophan levels four times higher than those of the people who had eaten protein. The tryptophan in turkey is one of the reasons you crawl off for an afternoon nap after Thanksgiving dinner. So watch what you gobble.

TO CALM DOWN
Eat This!: LOW-FAT YOGURT OR MIXED NUTS

Scientists in Slovakia gave people 3 grams each of two amino acids—lysine and arginine—or a placebo, and asked them to deliver a speech. Blood measurements of stress hormones revealed that the amino acid-fortified guys were half as anxious during and after the speech as those who took the placebo. Yogurt is one of the best food sources of lysine; nuts pack loads of arginine.

Not That!: SODA

A study from the American Journal of Public Health found that people who drink 2½ cans of soda daily are three times more likely to be depressed and anxious, compared with those who drink fewer. So Mountain Dew is a Mental Don’t.

TO CONCENTRATE
Eat This!: PEPPERMINT TEA

The scent of peppermint helps you focus and boosts performance, according to researchers. Need to reach Chicago before nightfall, and you’re stuck in traffic around Cleveland? One study found that peppermint makes drivers more alert and less anxious.

Not That!: CANDY

Sugary foods incite sudden surges of glucose that, in the long term, cause sugar highs and lows, leading to a fuzzy state of mind. So you’ll need to avoid all the attention-busting sugar bombs on this list of the 20 most sugar-packed foods in America.

FOR GOOD MOODS AND GRINS
Eat This! ARUGULA OR SPINACH SALAD

Leafy greens—arugula, chard, spinach—are rich sources of B vitamins, which are key components on the assembly line that manufactures feel-good hormones such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, a lack of B6 can cause nervousness, irritability, and even depression.

Not That!: WHITE CHOCOLATE

White chocolate isn’t chocolate at all, since it contains no cocoa solids. So it won’t stimulate the euphoria-inducing mood boosters like serotonin, as real chocolate does. Grab the real thing, the darker the better. More cacao means more happy chemicals and less sugar, which will eventually pull you down.

FOR SHARPER SENSES
Eat This!: 1 TBSP OF GROUND FLAXSEED DAILY

Flax is the best source of alphalinoleic, or ALA—a healthy fat that improves the workings of the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain that processes sensory information, including that of pleasure. To meet your quota, sprinkle it on salads or mix it into a smoothie or shake.

Not That!: ALCOHOL

This one’s obvious, but worth mentioning anyway. A drink or two can increase arousal signals, but more than that will actually depress your nervous system. This makes you sloppy, not sharp.

Want more of all of the best and worst foods in America? Click here for the complete list of drinks, snacks, drive-thru foods, burgers, salads and everything else under the sun!

Next American Idol - Season 9

2009-05-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

here he is... mr. goth damn bootiful..adam lambert! no matter what people says about him. he's the most talented guy and never let his fans down..!

American Idol - Coloured, both eliminated?

2009-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

2 'American Idol' finalists rolled off competition

Wrote By :DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer

"American Idol" finalists Lil Rounds and Anoop Desai aren't closer to becoming household names. Both singers were dismissed Wednesday after it was revealed they received the fewest number of viewer votes on the popular Fox singing competition.

"I'm so really disappointed," Desai said after his ouster. "I really am."

The third lowest vote-getter after this week's disco-themed performances was Allison Iraheta.
For the past several weeks, the judges have not been favorable to Rounds, the 24-year-old mother of three from Memphis, or Desai, the 22-year-old college student from Chapel Hill, N.C.
While the panel seemed to prefer Desai's rendition of Donna Summers' "Dim All the Lights," judge Simon Cowell called Rounds' performance of Chaka Khan's "I'm Every Woman" a "mess."
"I'm actually going to miss your family screaming at us every week," Cowell told after Rounds after she was eliminated.
The acerbic judge correctly predicted Rounds would be dismissed following her performance Tuesday. The once adored R&B crooner, who originally wowed the panel with Stevie Wonder's "All I Do" at her audition, had been dubbed a copycat by the judges for the past several weeks. Desai had also fallen from grace after being selected as the judges' final wild card pick.
Two finalists were sent packing Wednesday -- instead of the usual one -- because the judges' used their new one-time-only power to save Matt Giraud from elimination last week.

Before the double dismissal, the seven finalists donned bell bottoms and shades to perform a group number of The Jacksons' "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)," which was choreographed by Paula Abdul. The five singers remaining in the competition are Iraheta, Giraud, Kris Allen, Danny Goeky and Adam Lambert. Another finalist will be booted next week.

One of Vietnam's Seasonal Fruits

2009-04-18T23:56:00.000-07:00

Names: Dragon Fruit

Scientific: Hylocereus undatus (Haw) Brit. & Rose

Vernacular:

English: Dragon fruit
Malaysia: - Buah Naga
Thai: Kaeo Mangkon, Luk Mangkon
Vietnam: (Cay) Thanh Long

General: The fruits, having very attractive color and shape similar to the eyes of the imaginary animal, the dragon, have been quite popular in Vietnam under the name of ‘dragon’s eyes’ or ‘thanh long’. In addition to its attractive color and shape, the dragon fruits also have a high nutritional value including vitamin C, calcium, potassium and fiber. They are claimed to reduce cholesterol that is the cause of coronary heart disease. As it helps the digestive system and also prevents cancer, the fruit is considered by some as a health fruit. Until recently, Vietnam was the only country in Asia producing dragon fruits on a commercial scale, exporting to Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Japan and EU. Main production areas in Vietnam are: Binh Thuan, Lon An, Tien Giang.

Origin and distribution: Originating in Central America, the dragon fruit plants were brought to Vietnam about 50 years ago. It is commonly cultivated in Vietnam and a few other countries like Southern China and recently in Thailand, Australia and Taiwan.

Description: A plant belonging to the cactus family, resembles other cactus in being three sided, winged with a fragmented viny stem (similar to the fin of the dragon). The plant climbs on any type of support - other trees, walls, a trellis etc.. At each node, there is no leaf (like the other cactus plants), but instead, a group of 4 to 5 spines attached to the stem. The fruit is egg-shaped about 7 to 10 cm wide, 10 to 15 cm long and weighs 300 to 700 g. The skin is leathery, thin (2 to 3 cm), brilliant reddish color with several greenish, soft flat scales protruding out towards the end of the fruit. The flesh is pure white, soft, juicy with numerous small black seeds. Both the flesh and seeds are edible with a pleasant mild sweet/sour taste and characteristic aroma making it pleasant to eat especially during hot weather.

Ecology: Although dragon fruit grows in any soil types and is quite drought resistant, it prefers well-drained soils with pH of 6.3 to 6.8 and soils high in organic matter. It needs bright sunshine. Rainfall should not be more than 2500 mm per year.

Genetics and improvement: Other species of Hylocereus include: H. polyrhizus, H. costariciensis and another unidentified species, all of which produce edible fruits but smaller in size that H. undatus.

Major cultivars in Vietnam: Two cultivars, namely Binh Thuan and Cho Gao, are commonly grown in Vietnam. SOFRI has successfully bred the red-fleshed cultivar with the local ones, resulting in some outstanding clones of red-fleshed dragon fruit. It is expected this red-fleshed cultivar will be released for production within two years.

Propagation: Dragon-fruit plant can be propagated by seed but the most practical method is by cutting. The stem to be used for propagation should be more than one-year old. A cut stem section of 20 cm is inserted in the propagating medium - sand, burned rice husk, or potting soil. Rooting hormone is not necessary as the cutting develops roots easily in about 30 to 45 days and is ready for transplanting.

Planting: To obtain optimal yield and quality, the dragon plant should be grown in fertile soil with irrigation.. A trellis can be constructed in the following manner. Take a 2.5 m long cement post and embed one end 0.5m in the soil. On the top of the post, attach a wooden crosspiece to support the vines of the plant. Normally, four plants are grown at each post, one on each side of the post. Dig each hole for the plant 30 x 30 x 30cm add manure and compost to the soil and plant. Spacing between is 3 x 3 m. In lowland areas, good drainage should be provided during the rainy season since the root system of the dragon plant is susceptible to waterlogging. During the first year, water regularly (about once every five to seven days) but take care not to over-water. Control weeds and apply mulch. Chemical fertilizer at a rate of 15-15-15, 1 kg/post (of four plants), should be split into six applications, during the first year. In years 2 to 3, more manure and/or compost, and fertilizer (15-15-15, 8-24-24, or 19-20-26) should also be applied in order to provide enough nutrient for the growing dragon plants.

Pests and diseases: Dragon-fruit plants do not seem to be susceptible to pests and diseases. Only minor pests are encountered - aphid (Pentalonia nigronervosa), mealy bug (Pseducoccus brevipes) and ants (Solenopsis geminata, Iriidomyrmex humilis and Pheidole megacephala) which can be easily controlled by common insecticides. Collar rot (Phytopthora sp.) and root rots (Fusarium sp., Alternara sp.) are the two main diseases, which can be controlled by fungicides. Weeds are normally controlled manually, and the residue is to be left to cover the hole as mulch.

Fruiting season: Dragon fruit plants produce fruits almost all year round, especially if irrigation and fertilizer are provided. Timing of fruit ripening to satisfy the market demand at particular period can be done by providing additional light during the short-day period to induce flowering at the required period.

Harvesting and yield: Harvesting is done by manually picking each mature fruit. Dragon plant is a high yielder, with a yield of 50 to 80 t/ha, provided good cultural practices are adopted.

Post-harvest operations: Being a delicate fruit, care must be taken in handling the transport of fruits from the farm to the market. Special care is provided in the packing for the export market, where special cartons are used. The fruits keep well in the refrigerator, and in fact, the quality improves after storage. If consumed right after picking, the fruit is a little sour, but sweetens after keeping a few days.

Problems: The fruit is not well known in other countries so the export market is limited. At present, there is an improvement program to develop new cultivars of the dragon fruit as well as an international project for pest and disease identification on this crop. However, the existing dragon fruit cultivars are good, having high quality and accepted by the cosummers; thus this is not a major constraint..

Prospects: Having attractive color and shape, supplemented with high nutritional value and pleasant taste and aroma, dragon fruits have great potential as export commodity to countries like China. At present Vietnam exports dragon fruits to several nearby countries particularly Hong Kong and Singapore. It has great potential to be exported to European markets as its taste is liked by Europeans. It has less sugar content than most popular tropical fruits, and thus is more suitable to diabetics and high blood pressure patients. In very near future, the red-fleshed cultivars having high sweetness, hight vitamin A and self polination of flowering, will be released.

For more pics or photos of dragon fruits, you may get it here

Tips for 'MEN' ONLY

2009-04-03T01:33:00.000-07:00

Here are some tips to get rid of the old ball and chain

By: Shawn Croft

10. Break it off -- once and for all
It all begins with how you end things. If you break up only to get back together a week later, then you are setting a dangerous precedence. If you want out, be a man and end it. But you are truly a man if you resist the temptation of going back to her over and over again, unless of course, you change your mind and want to get her back for good.

9. Explain to her why you don't want her
Make sure that you clearly communicate to her why things are over and why you do not want to get back together. It is hard enough for a woman to get over you when she knows you no longer want her, imagine how much harder it is if she thinks that there's a chance. Tell it like it is: the truth hurts, but hey, no pain no gain.

8. Do not flirt with her
Same idea. Girls already feel that all men want them; okay, maybe not all, but most actually do. So why add fuel to the fire by giving her a look that would make icebergs melt? Keep your distance and don't even allow yourself to run into her, unless of course you

7. Date someone else
Don't get involved with someone else for the sake of dating, especially if you are sick of relationships as a whole and not particularly your ex. But if you want her to get the idea, you could always line up someone else to take your mind off things.

6. Have your new girl call your ex
Ruthless? Yes. Effective? Definitely. Have your new flame contact your old girlfriend. Have her ask about sexual preferences or what gifts she should get you. Of course, if your new girl would do this, then you have to ask yourself some questions. But hey, who cares?

If she still doesn't get it, pull out the big guns
5. Don't send mixed signals
If you do not want to be with her, then say so -- loud and clear. The last thing the poor girl needs is you wavering back and forth and toying with her emotions. Make sure that your friends know what page you are on as well; they should know in order to avoid mistakes. Loose lips sink ships.

4. Don't sleep with her
I cannot stress this one enough. So many men ask me, How can I tell her to leave me alone? but then add the minor detail, yeah so after we had sex... Hello! This is to be avoided at all costs. Resist the urge. Get over the temptation. Take a cold shower.

3. Show total disrespect for her
I hate offering this piece of advice, but while I would not wish any man to show any form of disrespect to any woman, sometimes, we might be pushed to the point of no return and say things like, your daddy should have stained the sheets, and not society.

2. Make it clear you are not playing hard to get
You know what? This is a lost cause because women get more interested the less you throw yourself at them. The more you do all of these previous advice, the more women are drawn to the challenge. Play hard to get and you will have the upper hand. This said, doing these 8 aforementioned tips could land you in more trouble. Use them at your discretion. But this next one will surely do the trick.

1. Sleep with her friends or even better, her sister
This one might put a bounty on your head, but I can almost guarantee it will resolve your situation, even if it creates another one.

Why do I find it so easy not to cheat?

2009-03-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

by Rich Santos, Marie Claire, on Mon Mar 16, 2009 8:05am PDT

Maybe I'm not very attractive, so my options are limited. Maybe I'm too jaded to go for the cheating opportunities. Maybe I still have some mental wounds lingering from when my dad temporarily moved out because he had met another woman. Maybe I'm too afraid that I've reached my sin quotient and one more big sin will keep me out of heaven.

Cheating is not a caught in the moment thing if you are really into your significant other, you miss them when you are not with them, you don't look for a way to hurt or deceive them.

I am just now patching up a friendship with someone I was seeing while they had a boyfriend (that may make me a cheater). At different points she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend, that they were back together, and that he was boring and I was fun. It was total confusion.

I told her she wasn't being fair to herself, me, or him.

Finally, she said, "you just don't understand, there are things you don't know." Thing is she's been cheating on him for a couple of years with different guys, and he keeps taking her back.

So, are cheaters born cheaters, or do certain situations cause people to cheat? Probably a little bit of both. Here are some situations that make people cheat:

1. Bored
I'd say this is the most common reason that people cheat.It's tough to keep that edge throughout a relationship. Things start off grand and then level off and then you both realize that it's still real life. When you meet someone else, that inaugural excitement of a new relationship kicks back in.

2. Dependence

At first glance, cheating seems like independent behavior. It could be interpreted as doing what you want, when you want. But I would argue that cheating is a dependent behavior. A cheater is dependent because they are not strong enough to break up with their significant other in order to get with the new person.

3. Confusion

Sometimes life or a particular situation can get to you. When the perfect storm of confusion is going on in your head, you make mistakes.

4. Because They Let You

If any girl ever cheated on me, I'd break up with her immediately. Forgiving a cheater is putting up with it, and starts a vicious cycle. That person who cheated may lose respect for you and might continue to cheat-because they know they can get away with it, because you'll continue to take them back.

5. Nurturing

If someone is mistreating you, then your first instinct is to get away from him or her. But sometimes it's not that simple-maybe you are raising kids together. If you feel trapped in a bad relationship, it's only natural that you will run to the open arms of a person who treats you well.

6. Revenge
This is quite simple- an eye for an eye. Cheat on them if they cheat on you. If they continuously hurt you or abuse you in some way, you do it to get them back.

7. Confirmation of Attractiveness

Sometimes when you're in a long relationship, or if your significant other is taking you for granted, you begin to wonder if you're still attractive. Perhaps, because you were out on the dating circuit, you felt more attractive when you were single. If you have an affair, you've proven that a new person can be attracted to you.

8. The Thrill

Some people just enjoy the thrill of cheating: running around secretly, risking getting caught, and creating thrilling moments with a forbidden romance.

9. They Don't Consider It Cheating, Even Though You Might
Relationships have that grey area, usually right before you become exclusive. He thinks date #4 is when you're "together," and you think date #2 is when you're "together." If you haven't talked about exclusivity, someone may think they are well within their rights to see other people, even though the other person in the relationship may not.

I don't understand why people don't break up as soon as they have an urge to cheat. Is it natural to have temptation, or is temptation a sign that the relationship is losing its fire? What reasons would you add to this list, and do you disagree with any? If you've ever cheated, why did you do it? Could you forgive a cheater? If you are single, but seeing a person who is in a committed relationship, does that make you a cheater?

Art Garfunkel - Break Away

2009-03-20T23:45:00.000-07:00

I watch the distant lights on the runway
Disappear into the evening sky
Oh you know I'm with you on your journey
Never could say goodbye

It's not the sun you're trying to find
Something else is on your mind
You need a little space and time
To break away
It's not the place you're going to
It's just a phase you're going through
Though I won't stop you I don't want you to

Break awa-a-a-a-ay
Fly across your ocean
Break awa-a-a-a-ay
Time has come for you
Break awa-a-a-a-ay
Fly across your ocean
Break awa-a-a-a-ay
Time has come

For you to awaken in another country
Greet the morning under foreign skies
Leaving me to face another Monday
It's not easy to get by

(Instrumental)

It's not the sun you're trying to find
Something else is on your mind
You need a little space and time
To break away
It's not the place you're going to
It's just a phase you're going through
Though I won't stop you I don't want you to

Break awa-a-a-a-ay
Fly across your ocean
Break awa-(breakaway)-a-ay
Time has come for you
Break awa-(breakaway)-a-ay
Fly across your ocean
Break awa-(breakaway)-a-ay
Time has come for you

4 Things to Get Rid of Toxic Relationships

2009-03-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

For starting a new and healthy relationship, you need to first create a space for it by getting rid and throwing the toxic relationship out of your life. In this world we build so many relationships with different people. These relationships we have can directly affect our life in every possible way.

First, here are the positive impacts of a balanced relationship. Dopamine is a chemical fluid which is released in our brain when we are stimulated by emotional bonding with somebody. This fluid is responsible for the elated feeling of being in love with somebody. When we are in a balanced relationship, we grow a lot as an individual. True love has the potential of bringing out the best human being out of you.

In toxic relationships, when one person tries to come closer, the other person tries to pull hand away. This is called push/pull effect. If you are in a toxic relationships it make you feel emotionally and mentally exhausted. These relationships are often known as silent killers. The people involved in these relationships may end up getting depression, fatigue and immunity problems.

Usually, people involved in toxic relationship would feel a spiritual and energetic bondage between them. This bonding would not let you get rid of the relationship even if you know that the relationship is turning out to be bad for your overall life.

In these types of situations when you want to get rid of a toxic relationship but are not able to do that, you can try out following things such as:

(1) Meditation
Meditation helps a lot to control your mind and soul for different things. Qi Gong is one such practice which helps people get rid of the toxic in their minds. Most of the exercises and yoga as well help you fight the physical problems of the body. But Qi Gong is one such practice which not only helps you in physical ailments but also makes you emotionally and mentally strong to fight such situations. This practice can be done being in any posture, sitting, lying or standing.

You can even do this practice while doing your daily routine work such as studying or working. Thus it can easily fit in your daily schedule and you do not need to separately find time to practice it. It also helps you in maintaining constancy in your life which is really important to fight toxic relationships.

(2) Music
Music is a form of brain stimulant. Good music can have very positive effects on your state of mind. It can cause major biochemical shifts in your brain. Thus you can start hearing good music which can make you enlightened whenever you feel depressed or dopamine secretion starts in your brain. Music can also make you get rid of feeling of loneliness.

For selecting the music to listen to, you should not ask others as each person has his or her own choice. You should listen to that music which enlightens your spirits.

(3) Sunlight
In these times of toxic relationship which can get yourself in depression, you should not let yourself sitting in the dark. Make sure you have lots of sunlight around you.

Fight the problems of a toxic relationship in a biochemical and not in an emotional way. And bright lights have the capability of bringing out all the good chemicals of your brain and making them active.

(4) Healthy Diet
When you're in toxic relationships it can make your spleen and stomach go low in energy. Keep a check on your daily diet as well. Eat healthy and fully nutritious food. Try out soups with low-fat and lots of orange and yellow vegetables for they are good for your health and they help a lot in healing the bad state of your heart and mind as well.

You may feel in your situation it is difficult to get rid of the toxic relationships but you really need to put in good fight for this. No matter what life brings, the choice lies in YOU, you should choose to make that decisions that is best for your future.

Forget Your Ex
You can forget your ex in 24hrs is your best solution to stop struggling with memories of your ex and move on with your life. You won't want to miss this information to learn how to get rid of your toxic relationships by visiting http://www.ForgetEx.com

Glucosamine and Chondroitin

2009-02-14T02:54:00.000-08:00

Will Glucosamine cure it? Or at least be helpful?

It’s controversial if glucosamine works or not for runners’ knee pain or more importantly, if it’s a good idea for runners to take glucosamine. There were medical studies about this, but it’s hard to tell how accurate and objective they were because most of them were funded by the supplement manufacturers and criticized due to shortage of participants, and short duration. Some doctors even ask a question if knee pain (osteoarthritis) is caused by running.
Despite this uncertainty, I’ve decided to give it a shot, mainly because the overall opinion is positive among runners.
The regulation in the US over the glucosamine supplements is weak. It’s recommended to go with big-brand names and well-reviewed companies. I’m sure there are many products that are reliable, but I’ve found these three products trustworthy to try.

Food that are good for joints and bones
Both glucosamine and chondroitin are naturally produced in the human body and extensively found in joint cartilage. I believe the natural glucosamine and chondroitin produced in the body must beabsorbed into the body much better than supplements.

So I will do my best to include these foods into my daily diet. They are known to be good for :

Soybean

Rich in calcium, Vitamin E. Have lots of tofu or add soybeans when you make brown rice.

Pepper

Rich in vitamin C and B6

Banana

Rich in potassium and folic acid

Shrimp

Rich in vitamin D, C, B12, and omega-3 fatty acids

Green Tea

Rich in vitamin C, and anti-oxidants to ease joint pains

Carp

Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, and calcium

Cheese

Rich in calcium, vitamin B6, and folic acid

http://www.mykoreandiet.com

5 Delicious Tips For Acne-Free, Beautiful Skin

2009-02-03T00:33:00.000-08:00

With these 5 delicious tips getting healthier and younger looking skin is as easy as making instant coffee. Get clear, radiating and younger looking skin with these 5 simple dietary tips.

EAT FRUITS FOR BREAKFAST
Did you know that while you sleep your body is detoxifying and cleansing out the waste material from previous day? This is very important for healthy skin as these toxins and waste material can cause acne and other skin problems.

Eating heavy breakfast in the morning forces your body to stop this cleansing process and to start digesting food.

Fresh, ripe fruits on the other hand require very little digestion. So eating a fruits in the morning gives your body few more hours to do the detox and repair work.

AVOID PROBLEMATIC FOOD COMBINATIONS
Different foods require different digestive juices and enzymes. For example, carbohydrates require alkaline digestive juices, while proteins require highly acidic juices.

When you eat proteins and carbohydrates at the same meal alkaline and acid neutralize each other and neither gets digested properly. Food just sits in the stomach for hours. The ever-present bacteria putrefy it and create more toxins and pollutants.

To keep things simple avoid eating two concentrated foods at the same meal. Concentrated foods are foods that have low water content. Concentrated foods are pretty much anything besides fresh fruits and vegetables.

An easy way to avoid wrong food combinations is to replace one concentrated food with salad or steamed/stir-fried vegetables. Try it, and your skin will thank you for it.

Fruits should always be eaten alone as they move through the stomach very quickly. But, if you eat them after concentrated foods, fruits can’t move through the stomach. They just sit in the stomach, and ferment rapidly.

EAT YOGHURT
Yogurt is the only dairy product that is good for your skin. During the fermentation process the probiotic bacteria make it easily digestible. The probiotic bacteria in yogurt are also very important for healthy, radiant skin because they improve the immune system and kill bacteria that cause acne and other skin problems.

Avoid any yogurts sold at supermarkets. In most cases they contain no live bacteria and are practically useless. Make sure that the yogurt you eat is made of organic milk and is pasteurized before the probiotic bacteria is cultivated. Ask your local health store for recommendations.

GREEN SMOOTHIES
Green smoothies are amazing skin food. Green smoothies come loaded with antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and other micro-nutrients that your skin requires to be healthy and look young.

Green smoothies are nothing but fruit smoothies with some green, leafy vegetables blended in. I understand that this may not be the most appealing combination, but here’s the trick. Always use at least 60% fruits and green smoothies taste as good as fruit smoothies do. Here’s one combination to try; bananas, frozen blueberries and spinach or kale with little water.

REPLACE GRAINS WITH SPROUTED GRAINS
Did you know that grains (like wheat) are extremely difficult for humans to digest? Eating too many grain products causes constipation, which is directly linked to acne and other skin and health problems.

The healthiest solution would be to stop eating anything made of grains. The next best option is to use sprouted grains. Sprouting makes grains much easier to digest and negates many of the health problems. Ask your local health store for bread and pasta made of sprouted grains.

BEAUTIFUL SKIN IS NOT JUST SKIN DEEP
Beautiful skin is a reflection of a healthy and well functioning body. Practically all skin problems, like acne, eczema, rashes, dryness, etc..., have their roots at imbalances in the body. By eating and living healthy you begin to correct the imbalances and your skin regains the healthy, beautiful glow.

However if you have moderate to severe acne or other difficult skin problems simple dietary treatment may not be enough. Persistent or severe skin problems usually require more complete treatment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ex-‘Acne Victim’ Takes Dermatologists Up On Acne—And Gets Better Results ***Says, acne can be cured with cheap (often FREE), but effective natural methods. FREE eBook shows you how. http://www.natural-acne-solution.com/book.htm

Throw away your Drumstick

2009-01-31T00:17:00.000-08:00

Wii Drum High - If it kills me from Zhao He on Vimeo.

Abdominal Pain & Symptoms Chart

2009-01-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

Abdominal pain -- a dull ache, a burning sensation, or a sharp, stabbing pain -- is one of the most common complaints in all of medicine. Most people can blame abdominal pain on their stomachs, but the stomach is just one potential trouble spot. Any organ in your midsection can cause pain, including your appendix, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, and intestines.

Whenever abdominal pain strikes, it shouldn't be ignored. By heeding symptoms early, you can spot the difference between a minor problem and a medical emergency.

Here's one simple guideline: If the pain is intense, get help right away.

You should also call your doctor or get to a hospital immediately if your abdominal pain is accompanied by bloody diarrhea, bloody vomit, black stools, or a fever above 101 degrees F.

Even when it doesn't signal an emergency, abdominal pain definitely sends a message. It could be telling you to make a change in your lifestyle or to schedule an appointment with your doctor. Either way, it could be a blessing in disguise.

What message is your body sending? Here's a chart to help you break the code. Remember: Only a doctor can diagnose the source of abdominal pain. If you have any questions, be sure to make that appointment.

Symptoms	Possible Cause	Action to Take
Intense pain in the lower right side of the abdomen, possibly starting as a vague, uncomfortable feeling around the navel. You may also have nausea, vomiting, or a slight fever.	Appendicitis	Go to an emergency room now
Severe pain that starts in the upper abdomen and often spreads to the sides and the back. The pain may flare up soon after a large meal, or six to 12 hours after an episode of heavy drinking. You may also have nausea, vomiting, fever, yellowish skin, and a racing heartbeat.	Pancreatitis	Call 911 or go to an emergency room right away. Acute pancreatitis can cause shock, which may result in death if not treated quickly.
Extremely sharp abdominal pain, perhaps with other acute symptoms.	Pelvic inflammatory disease Heart attack Perforated stomach ulcer Shock, from allergy Diabetic emergency Poisoning	Call 911 or go to an emergency room right away.
Pain in upper right side of abdomen; may spread to right upper back, chest, or right shoulder; nausea; vomiting; or gas.	Gallstones	If this is your first attack, call a doctor for emergency advice. If you can't reach one, go to an emergency room. Don't eat or drink anything.
In a woman who might be pregnant: severe pain that arises suddenly in the lower right or lower left abdomen, usually without vomiting or fever.	Ectopic pregnancy	Call the doctor for a prompt appointment. If you experience severe abdominal pain or bleeding, call 911 or go to the emergency room right away.
Moderate to severe cramps that wax and wane, or occasional cramps that flare up after meals, and vomiting, especially if the vomit smells like stool. Other possible signs include watery or ribbon-like stools, or no stools at all.	Intestinal obstruction	Go to the emergency room right away.
Pain or tenderness in the lower left side of the abdomen, along with fever. You may also have nausea, vomiting, chills, stomach cramps, and either diarrhea or constipation.	Diverticulitis	See a doctor immediately. If you have sharp abdominal pain along with fever, chills, swelling, or nausea and vomiting, call 911 or go to an emergency room right away. You may have peritonitis, a life-threatening infection of the abdominal cavity.
Chronic abdominal pain along with dark urine and yellowish skin and eyes.	Viral hepatitis	See a doctor promptly.
Pain in the back that usually spreads under the rib cage, around the front, and into the groin.	Kidney stones	See a doctor promptly
Searing, stabbing pain in the upper abdomen; pain in the back between the shoulder blades; pain under the right shoulder; nausea, vomiting, and indigestion.	Gallstones or an infection of the gallbladder.	See your doctor promptly. If you also experience sweating, chills, and fever, see a doctor right away
Chronic abdominal pain in the upper right quadrant, along with a fever, sore throat, and extreme fatigue.	Mononucleosis or other viral infection	See a doctor promptly. In addition to taking medications, you'll need to get plenty of rest.
Bloody stools or bleeding from the rectum. In some cases, abdominal pain.	Bleeding hemorrhoids, colon polyps, or (rarely) colorectal cancer. (Hemorrhoids and polyps rarely cause abdominal pain.)	See a doctor promptly.
In a woman: dull, constant pain in the lower abdomen along with vaginal discharge and fever.	Pelvic inflammatory disease.	See a doctor promptly.
Dull, gnawing stomach pain that comes and goes. The pain is often worse when the stomach is empty and goes away after eating. You may also have indigestion, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, gas, and dark stools.	Stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer) Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)	Take an antacid or acetaminophen if necessary, but avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Don't drink alcohol or smoke. If pain persists or quickly comes back, see your doctor. Call 911 or go an emergency room right away if you throw up blood or anything that looks like coffee grounds; if you feel faint, chilly, or sweaty; if you have black or bloody stools, or if you feel lightheadedness, as if you would faint. See a doctor right away if you have sharp back pain with ulcer symptoms.
Frequent burning pain in the upper abdomen or chest, possibly accompanied by a sour taste in the mouth, a lump in the throat, or trouble swallowing.	Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)	Suck on an antacid lozenge at the first sign of pain. Over-the-counter acid blockers can help prevent future attacks. If pain persists or quickly comes back, see your doctor. See your doctor promptly if you have trouble swallowing, especially if solid food gets stuck.
Vague, widespread, cramp-like pain, accompanied by bloating, tiredness, gas, and occasional nausea. You may also have diarrhea, constipation, or bouts of both.	Irritable bowel syndrome	Try cutting back on stress. Reducing fat in your diet may also help. If you have constipation, try eating more fiber and drinking more water. If problems persist, see your doctor.
Pain in the lower abdomen. You may also have blood or mucus in your stools, fever, unexplained weight loss, skin rashes, tiredness, or joint pain.	Crohn's disease (pain in the right side) or ulcerative colitis (with pain in the left side). Dysentery is also a possibility.	See your doctor promptly. Be sure to tell your doctor if you may be at risk for dysentery, or diarrhea containing blood, which is often caused by exposure to water contaminated by bacteria or protozoa. If diagnosed with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, you should eat nutritious meals, get plenty of rest, and cut back on stress. Avoid alcohol and aspirin.
Pressure in your upper abdomen, especially associated with heartburn.	Hiatal hernia	Make an appointment with your doctor. You can also help yourself by avoiding large meals (especially within three hours of bedtime), raising the head of your bed by 4 to 6 inches, and not lying down for three hours after eating.
Pain in the lower abdomen, often combined with burning or stinging when urinating; yellow discharge; difficulty urinating; strong-smelling, murky, or bloody urine; and in women, pain during intercourse	Urinary tract infection	See your doctor promptly. You can help yourself by drinking at least eight to 10 glasses of water or clear liquids a day. Some physicians advise avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods. Don't have intercourse until you're cured.
Stomach discomfort or bloating after drinking or eating dairy products, such as cow's milk and ice cream.	Lactose intolerance	Avoid dairy products or take medicine to help you digest lactose.
Bloating along with fewer than three bowel movements a week, abdominal pain, or hard, dry stools that are difficult to pass.	Constipation	Eat a high-fiber diet, drink plenty of liquids, and walk or exercise each day if possible. If problems persist, call your doctor for advice.

References:

American Academy of Family Physicians. Self-care on Familydoctor.org. Abdominal pain.
Kelso LA and M Kugelmas. Nontraumatic abdominal pain. AACN Clinical Issues. 1997. 8(3): 437-448.

Best Career for Your Zodiac Sign - By: Natalie Josef

2009-01-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

Aries
Aries is the youngest sign in the zodiac. There is a reason the sign is represented by a ram—Aries are strong (and strong-willed), vibrant, enthusiastic, and competitive. They thrive in commission-based jobs, especially if there is a bonus involved. Due to their bravery (and their impulsivity), they are the heroes of our lives—the police officers and firefighters. They are excellent promoters and may find the world of advertising and public relations appeals to their outgoing nature. Best jobs: entrepreneur, soldier, rescue worker; work well in the fields of government and politics, television, and recreation.

Taurus
One of the things a Taurus enjoys most is stability. They will work very hard for certain guarantees—good benefits, vacation time, salary, job security. Determined, patient, honest, and methodical, they are excellent team members and extremely dependable. Taurians have a fondness for beautiful things and love working with flowers, food, jewelry, and luxury items. They are also known for their clear, strong voices and do well as an announcer, public speaker, or receptionist. Best jobs: accountant, educator, engineer, lawyer, designer, landscaper, chef.

Gemini
Want to make a Gemini happy? Give her plenty to do and make it intellectually stimulating. Remember that Geminis are twins, which means you have to engage two people, so they need to have a lot going on and like fast-paced, pressured environments. They won’t survive long doing tedious or repetitive work. Jobs that require travel are perfect, as are jobs that require social networking. Geminis are optimistic and full of energy—they should be encouraged to let go and express themselves rather than be confined to traditional rules. Best jobs: stockbroker, switchboard operator, technical support, teacher, architect, machine operator, rescue worker.

Cancer
Cancer is the mother of the zodiac (Capricorn is the father), so these sensitive types do well in jobs that require nurturing or taking care of things. However, this isn’t just about working with children or puppies; Cancerians make excellent executives, much like a multi-tasking mom who’s in charge. Cancerians give great advice and are very protective. They handle responsibility with ease and are imaginative problem solvers. Best jobs: gardener, social worker, childcare, human resources, lawyer, teacher, CEO, soldier.

Leo
Nothing like a mighty lion to lead your company into success and high profits. Fearless, inspiring, and independent, Leos work best when they are in the spotlight and love jobs that bring status and power. They can be high-maintenance and disruptive to a team environment, but their charm usually wins everyone over in the end. Not to be micro-managed, Leos possess spontaneity and ingenuity and do well when encouraged to lead instead of follow. Best jobs: CEO, performer, tour guide, real estate agent, interior decorator, fashion designer, government, saleperson.

Virgo
Virgos are known for their perfectionism and do very well in detailed-oriented professions. They remember things, excel at abstract thinking, and are very tidy and neat. Many Virgos do well in service-type jobs—you would be very happy with a Virgo manicurist or server (plus Virgos tend to make more money when working for tips). Writing, research, and statistics come easy to the meticulous Virgo brain. They are also easy to get along with as they are generally very cheerful. Many Virgos have a knack for languages. Best jobs: editor/writer, teacher, critic, technician, translator, detective, statistician.

Libra
Libras—what would we do without them? They are good-looking and charming, gracious and entertaining. Their cooperative nature makes them excellent ambassadors and team leaders. If you ever have to deal with customer service over the phone, it will go much smoother if the operator is a Libra. More so than any sign, Libras are people people. They are not the type to slave away in some dark room; they thrive in buzzing, social environments. Many Libras gravitate toward the arts and will most likely be the lead singer of a band, interacting with the audience, rather than a brooding songwriter. Best jobs: diplomat, dancer, salesperson, host, negotiator, travel agent, supervisor.

Scorpio
Intense—that’s what they are. Need a bomb diffused? How about complicated brain surgery? Trust me, you want a Scorpio for the job. Scorpios are able to block out distractions, concentrate, and focus like a laser beam. They are curious and are often drawn to mysteries—you would never want to be cross-examined or interrogated by a Scoripo for they are not only intimidating, but also very intuitive. Scorpios are also drawn to the abnormal and they like to know what makes things tick. (Think Fox Mulder on The X-Files.) Just don’t hover around them—they need their independence and their employer’s trust. Best jobs: detective, lawyer, educator, scientist, surgeon, physicist.

Sagittarius
Sagittarians are ethical, full of energy, and rather philosophical. They are excellent decision-makers and make fair and easygoing bosses. Many Sagittarians are spiritual, which can translate well into careers involving the environment, animals, and counseling, as well as religion. They also love to travel and be outdoors. Outgoing and fun-loving, they are likable and witty coworkers who can defuse tense situations with humor and tact. They will not be tied down or bothered with the little details. Routine kills their spirit. Best jobs: minister, animal trainer, editor, public relations, coach, and anything having to do with travel.

Capricorn
Capricorns are very ambitious and need challenges to be happy. Just like the mountain goat climbs on the tiniest crags to get to the top, Capricorns are determined and persistent—they will do what whatever it takes. Most are responsible and conscientious; many enjoy power. They run a tight ship—they will enforce rules and keep everyone on schedule. If you need something done right (and to exact standards), look no further than a Capricorn. They also tend to be workaholics. Best jobs: manager, administrator, editor, banker, IT, and anything science-related.

Aquarius
The quality that sets Aquarians apart from everyone else is their humanitarian nature (it’s also why they are flighty in matters of the heart, but that’s another story). They love to explore avant-garde ideas and have a curious and adventurous nature. They are the most likely to have an unconventional job, maybe even one of their making. They will rebel against corporate environments, needing freedom of thought and movement. They will not be satisfied doing things the same way they have always been done. If you need a fresh approach, an Aquarius will not let you down. Best jobs: scientist (if they can explore new theories), inventor, organic farmer, aviator, designer, musician.

Pisces
Pisces is the oldest sign in the zodiac and many Pisceans have that “old soul” feel about them. The key words here are creative and passionate. They excel in the traditional arts (music, dance, photography). Pisceans are also highly intuitive. If your stylist is a Pisces, she will not only give you a modern and unique haircut; she will also give you the haircut that fits you best. Many astrologers and tarot practitioners are Pisces. Their intuition also helps in fields that require compassion. Best jobs: artist, nurse, physical therapist, philanthropist, veterinarian, psychologist.

If you are just starting out in the working work or looking to change careers, you don’t need to take a test or consult a career professional—just look to the stars

Think Positive

2009-01-16T07:56:00.000-08:00

Keep your thoughts positive,
because your thoughts become your words.

Keep your words positive,
because your words become your actions.

Keep your actions positive,
because your actions become your habits.

Keep your habits positive,
because your habits become your lifestyle.

Keep your lifestyle positive,
because your lifestyle becomes your destiny

Sexual Astrology

2009-01-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

Monthly Horoscope Capricorn:

A disharmonious aspect of transiting Mars to Pluto greatly increases your vital and sensuous energies. Your desires, feelings and even passions can be quite high, which makes it necessary to control, moderate and soften these forces.

Speaking about the daily problems from a constructive and positive view without a doubt generates a better vibratory and psychic atmosphere in the relationship.

By the very end of the month of January your ego could be somewhat inflated and may affect your love relationship. You could become quite egocentric and expect your loved one to submit to your wishes. Learn to relinquish your points of view a little and you will find that this results in revitalization for you as well as for your partner.

Top Downloads

2009-01-10T04:58:00.000-08:00

1 Beyonce - If I Were A Boy
2 Akon - Right Now (na Na Na)
3 The Trashman - Surfin'Bird
4 T.i. Feat. Rihanna - Live Your Life
5 Britney Spears - Womanizer
6 The Pussycat Dolls - I Hate This Part
7 Beyonce - Single Ladies
8 Lady Gaga - Just Dance
9 Britney Spears - Circus
10 Lady Gaga - Poker Face
11 The Killers - Human
12 Rihanna Ft Chris Brown - Bad Girl
13 Katy Perry - Hot N' Cold
14 Kanye West - Heartless
15 Pink - So What
16 Kanye West - Love Lockdown
17 Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
19 Rihanna - Rehab
20 Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
21 Taylor Swift - Love Story
22 Kevin Rudolf Feat Lil Wayne - Let It Rock
23 Rihanna - Disturbia
24 Guru Josh - Infinity 2008
25 Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody
26 Alicia Keys Ft Jack White - Another Way To Die
27 James Morrison Ft Nelly Furtado - Broken Strings
28 Ne-yo - Miss Independent
29 Akon - Right Now (na Na Na)
30 Coldplay - Viva La Vida
31 Alesha Dixon - The Boy Does Nothing
32 One-t - The Magic Key
33 Paramore - Decode
34 Chris Brown - Superhuman (ft. Keri Hilson)
35 Craig David - Insomnia
36 Pink - Sober
37 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music
38 The All American Rejects - Gives You Hell
39 Blink 182 - I Miss You
40 50 Cent - Get It In
41 Leona Lewis - Forgive Me
42 T.i. - Whatever You Like
43 The Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
44 David Archuleta - Crush
45 Daughtry - Over You
46 The Fray - You Found Me
47 Eminem - Crack A Bottle
48 Coldplay - Lovers In Japan
49 Vasco Rossi - Vivere
50 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me
51 Usher - Love Looks Good
52 Ciara - Never Ever
53 Ludacris Ft T-pain - One More Drink
54 Kings Of Leon - Use Somebody
55 Ne-yo - Can't Stop The Rain
56 Pussycat Dolls - Top Of The World
57 Madcon - Beggin
58 50 Cent - Get Up
59 Timbaland Ft. One Republic - Apologize
60 Akon - Beautiful
61 Lil Wayne - I'm Me
62 Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
63 Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good
64 Kanye West - Heartless
65 The Script - The Man Who Can't Be Moved
66 Ronan Keating - When You Say Nothing At All
67 David Cook - Light On
68 Lil Wayne - Mrs. Officer
69 Akon Feat Kardinal Offishall - Dangerous
70 Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire
71 Lily Allen - The Fear
72 Paramore - Decode
73 Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care
74 Linkin Park - Leave Out All The Rest
75 Ne-yo - So Gone In The Head
76 Avril Lavigne - Girlfriend
77 Mariah Carey - Without you
78 Soulja Boy Ft. Arab & J Bar - Straight Like That
79 T-pain Featuring Lil Wayne - Can't Believe It
80 Leona Lewis - Run
81 Beyonce - If I Were A Boy
82 Jonas Brothers - Burnin' Up
83 Maroon 5 - Pleasure F*cker
84 The Veronicas - Untouched
85 Estelle Feat Kanye West - American Boy
86 Enrique Iglesias - Away
87 Chris Brown - Time To Love
88 Bow Wow Ft Jermaine Dupri - Roc Da Mic
89 The Calling - Wherever you will go
90 Jonas Brothers - Lovebug
91 Akon - I'm So Paid (feat. Young Jeezy & Lil Wayne)
92 Take That - Greatest Day
93 Chris Brown - With You
94 Rihanna - Unfaithful
95 Madonna - 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
96 Pink - Sober
97 Jim Jones And Ron Browz Featuring Juelz - Pop Champagne
98 Booty Luv - Dance Dance
99 Basshunter - Now You're Gone
100 Rihanna - Take A Bow
101 Brandy - Right Here
102 Gym Class Heroes Ft The Dream - Cookie Jar
103 Elisa - Rainbow
104 The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go
105 Leona Lewis - Run
106 Rihanna - Umbrella
107 Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
108 Lamb - Gabriel
109 Blondie - Maria
110 The Game Feat. Neyo - Camera Phone
111 Chris Brown Feat. Jordin Sparks - No Air
112 Chris Brown - Forever
113 Leona Lewis - Better In Time
114 M.i.a. - Paper Planes
115 Akon Feat. Taye Digg - Dream Girl
116 Eiffel 65 - Blue (Da Ba Dee)
117 J.holiday - Holding You
118 Ne-yo - What You Do
119 Iglu & Hartley - In This City
120 Soulja Boy - Crank That (soulja Boy)
121 Laurent Wolf - No Stress
122 Linkin Park - What I've Done
123 Kardinal Offishall - Numba 1 (tige Is High) Feat. Keri Hilson
124 Trademark - Only Love
125 Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah
126 Akon - I'm So Paid
127 Yves Larock - Rise Up
128 David Archuleta - A Little Too Not Over You
129 Jordin Sparks - One Step At A Time
130 Shakira - Hips Dont Lie
131 Soulja Boy Ft Pitbull - Kiss Me Thru The Phone
132 Soulja Boy - Kiss Me Thru The Phone (feat. Sammie)
133 Lady Gaga Feat. Akon And Colby O'donis - Just Dance
134 Nicole Scherzinger - Save Me From Myself
135 Timbaland - The Way I Are
136 The Ting Tings - That's Not My Name
137 Taylor Swift - White Horse
138 Jonas Brothers - S.O.S.
139 Enrique Iglesias - Can You Hear Me
140 Timbaland - Apologize (feat. One Republic)
141 Eagles - Hotel California
142 Akon - I'm So Paid
143 Lady Gaga - Just Disturbia (mash-up) (vs. Rihanna)
144 Demi Lovato - This Is Me
145 Paramore - I Caught Myself
146 Al Pachino - Scent Of A Woman Speech
147 Rihanna - Rehab
148 Shontelle - T-shirt
149 Linkin Park - What I've Done
150 Cannibal Ox - Iron Galaxy
151 Enrique Iglesias - Do You Know
152 Wham - Last Christmas
153 John Legend Ft. Andre 3000 - Green Light
154 Saving Abel - Addicted
155 T.i Ft Justin Timberlake - Dead And Gone
156 T-pain Feat. Chris Brown - Freeze
157 50 Cent Ft. Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology
158 Star Wars - Imperial March
159 Flo Rida (feat T-pain) - Low
160 Akon Ft. Snoop Dogg - I Wanna Love You
161 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
162 Britney Spears - Gimme More
163 My Chemical Romance - Teenagers
164 Miley Cyrus - 7 Things
165 Aviation - You Were My Everything
166 Shontelle Ft Akon - Stuck With Each Other
167 Taylor Swift - Love Story
168 Busta Rhymes - Arab Money (feat. Ron Browz)
169 Nightwish - Sleeping Sun
170 Sara Bareilles - Love Song
171 Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around Comes Around
172 Akon - Sorry, Blame It On Me
173 Usher - Love In This Club (feat Young Jeezy)
174 Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight
175 50 Cent - In God We Trust
176 Ne-yo - Closer
177 Kanye West - Love Lockdown
178 Haddaway - What Is Love
179 Plies - Put It On Ya (feat. Chris J)
180 Lil Wayne - A Milli
181 The Red Jumpsuit Appartus - Pen And Paper
182 Flo Rida - In The Ayer (feat. Will.i.am)
183 Duffy - Mercy
184 Enrique Iglesias - Somebody's Me
185 Vanessa Carlton - A Thousand Miles
186 Christina Aguilera - Hurt
187 Beyonce Ft. Shakira - Beautiful Liar
188 Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape (feat. Akon)
189 Christina Aguilera - Falling In Love Again
190 Patrick Swayze - She`s Like The Wind
191 Ne-yo - Closer
192 Rihanna Featuring Ne-yo - Hate That I Love You
193 Jon Bon Jovi - It's My Life
194 Evanescence - Bring Me to Life
195 T-pain - Freeze (featuring Chris Brown)
196 Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You
197 Queen - We are the champions
198 Lady Gaga - Love Games
199 Kat Deluna - In The End
200 Sean Paul - Temperature
201 Kelly Clarkson - Because Of You
202 Scorpions - Wind Of Change
203 September - Cry For You
204 Paramore - That's What You Get
205 Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
206 Kanye West - Stronger
207 Enya - Only time
208 Christina Aguilera - Keeps Gettin Better
209 T-pain Ft Ludacris - Chopped N Skrewed
210 Cranberries - Zombie
211 Rocky - Theme Song
212 Duffy - Rain On Your Parade
213 Hilary Duff - Stranger
214 Day 26 - So Good
215 Teairra Marie - Holla
216 Enrique Iglesias - Ring My Bells
217 Keri Hilson Ft Lil Wayne - Turning Me On
218 Nelly - Party People (feat. Fergie)
219 Daddy Yankee - Gasolina
220 Miley Cyrus - See You Again
221 Pussycat Dolls - Sway
222 Varsity Fanclub - When You Were Mine
223 Rihanna - Sexuality 463
224 Armin Van Buuren - In & Out Of Love
225 Girls Aloud - The Promise
226 Eminem - Lose Yourself
227 N'Sync - Bye Bye Bye
228 T.i. - Livin My Life (feat. Rihanna)
229 Gary Jules - Mad World
230 Harry Potter Soundtrack - Hedwigs Theme
231 Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
232 Lady Gaga - Starstruck (feat. Space Cowboy & Flo Rida)
233 Bon Jovi - Living On A Prayer
234 Lil' Wayne - Lollipop (feat. Static Major)
235 Brick And Lace - Love Is Wicked
236 R. Kelly - I Believe I Can Fly
237 Usher - Trading Places
238 Vangelis - Chariots Of Fire (main theme)
239 Planet Funk - Chase The Sun
240 Dido - Don't Believe In Love
241 Ne-yo - Don't Call Here Anymore
242 Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
243 Enrique Iglesias - Tired Of Being Sorry
244 Enrique Iglesias - Takin Back My Love (feat Ciara)
245 Akon Ft Eminem - Smack That
246 Linkin Park - Numb
247 Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
248 Britney Spears - Break The Ice
249 Flo Rida Feat. Timbaland - Elevator
250 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love

January Horoscope 2009

2009-01-01T04:32:00.000-08:00

January 2009 Horoscope for Aries (march 20 ,april 20) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Aries : At the Lunar Eclipse,your ruler,Mars,is not in Waterman and aspected! Uranus,the ruler of Waterman is however conjunct the Sun against the Moon! Brilliant remarks increase your fortune round mental and technical obstacles. With Mercurius retrograde,hold back,plain fizzy drink plan available! On the sun darkening,your ruler against Saturn retrograde. Authorities can become sceptically over your ideas and slowly to change. Documentation and demonstration will become desired!

January 2009 Horoscope for Taurus (April 20 ,May 21) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Taurus : Your ruler,Venus,is in Ram and the formation of a sweet sextile to Chiron and trines Jupiter this moon darkening! Progress to post with new ideas and fresh enthousiasm has been seen. The passions of the spring can surface in the beginning of your heart! Your philosophies are positive,but the truth can become stump! On the sun darkening,your ruler has to Bull and is in trine to Pluto. Obviously your power over your health and your employment in this cycle. Your conviction brings large reward.

January 2009 Horoscope for Gemini (May 21 ,June 21) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Gemini : Take heart! Mercury will not back for always! At the Lunar Eclipse,your ruler,retrograded has back in Waterman. Although your thoughts can fast,your memory can become short. Downs compete write! On the sun darkening,Mercury is direct and has Fish just. There becomes to all parts of the place for something in plain view! You will self remind shows easier than conversations. Pace yourself and double verify details month till the end!

January 2009 Horoscope for Cancer (June 22 ,July 22) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Cancer : Yes,you state on the point complete darkened! Lay down all your difficulties,see to and resentments on this moment. Even as you only an or two ,you will self much lightlyer. Uranus against the Moon give your little choice! It is an excellent time to see that the PIGLET photograph! On the sun darkening,your ruler,the Moon,the Sun and kiss in square Pluto! Hold there bill with that you these gifts and all possibilities along! You report here at for the dream viewpoint or will dance in your ruby slippers!

January 2009 Horoscope for Leo (July 23 ,August 23) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Leo : Your ruler,the Sun conjunct Uranus this moon darkening. Expects the unexpected and see self via new eyes now. Just on for your temper affakkelen do at the flaw at optimism you off. Do not give the doubts of other belief on this moment. At the sun darkening,your ruler is square to Pluto. Enjoys your unlimited possibilities and are very gratefully for each occasion that geplaveid is your way to success. Life is PIGLET now. A holiday,trips afar take. Take your Light on the way!

January 2009 Horoscope for Virgo (August 23 ,September 23) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Virgo : Yes,the Moon is in your plate at the moon darkening. This is a good time for you to go in. Most of your remarks and solutions will fall in dovemansoren. Salad your breath. Read,write and organize re,. These only you can turn in the right place for a large rest of annoyance! By the sun darkening,you are described with us more clear your needs versus your wishes. Voorzeker,set both. Breath deep and accept that the administration and the persons that you cannot change. Rock the World when you!

January 2009 Horoscope for Libra (September 23 ,October 23) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Libra : Venus,your ruler,is in Ram and in trine to Jupiter on this moon darkening. Passion and enthousiasm for the future bill hold with this cycle. All trip plan affirm this month as it many planets in square round Jupiter and they can an impediment form for the progress. You of the luxury of time and distraction as your luck let aim for. On the sun darkening,your ruler has moves to stable Taurus. Concrete targets make with relation till property and financing. Upgrade your wardrobe and your office!

January 2009 Horoscope for Scorpio (October 23 ,November 22) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Scorpio : By the Lunar Eclipse,neither Mars,neither Pluto a strong aspects form! Pluto form to think a sweet sextile to Mercurius retrograde in Waterman back some of the ideas that you to implement its sense in your life. On the sun darkening,Mars is against Saturn and Pluto is trine to Venus and square the Light! Expect that all hell breaks loose! The some what you can count on now is the one who love you mostly! Parents,children and stay problems are large! Point!

January 2009 Horoscope for Sagittarius (November 22 ,December 21) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Sagittarius : Your ruler,Jupiter,is in a volatiele T,square with the Enlightenment and Uranus,but trine Saturn and Venus! Unexpected chances and setbacks can self almost simultaneously in your life. Trips can treacherous and avoid of food or drink of that raises your restlessness in this cycle. By the sun darkening,choices will become clarifies and to lower has been increased your fortune by means of the bureaucracy. Promotions have been promised. Families surprises are seen. Praise gleams. Task care around electricity!

January 2009 Horoscope for Capricorn (December 21 ,January 20) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Capricorn : Your ruler,Saturn,is still back in all Leo month. On the Lunar Eclipse,Saturn and Neptune is opposite trine to Jupiter. In short ,see your dream and go for the inner caution even already exists! The making of strategies progress to post have been increased in this period. On the sun darkening,TASK ACTION! March moves to resist in against Saturn. Just Thu it! Becomes leery of losses SELF via your duty. Normally because you mean not that you must! Respect must have mutually!

January 2009 Horoscope for Aquarius (January 20 ,February 19) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Aquarius : Your ruler,Uranus is in Fish and in the square Jupiter on all month! The Lunar Eclipse appeared that it perhaps too much fingers in the cake ,and you can to go decide on your own manner! Ups and downs carefully with the Mercurius retrograde,Consider him through. On the sun darkening,you a very clear image of what it have gratefully for and what the mean fixed for the future to put. This formatieve stages its awesome for you as your creative power is quickened. Your thoughts all options consider let.

January 2009 Horoscope for Pisces (February 19 ,March 20) / January 2009 Astrology Prediction for Pisces : Your ruler,Neptune,is in all Aquarius month and in contrast till Saturn. You find learned is yourself rebelling inherently against what you true or desirable. Very little time make for that small and mean in their think. By the sun darkening,you,the quickening conviction feels as a Mars approaches your ruler. You will evaluate closely again your roles with friends and family. Are you live the dream or nightmare? You choose live you script now!

Kissing Styles by Sign - Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo

2008-08-30T07:18:00.000-07:00

Aries (March 21 to April 19)

Assertive, forceful, energetic and powerful … each word carries the same growling 'R' that turns up both in the name of this sign and in its ruling planet, Mars. If there's one thing Mars knows, it's how to turn up the heat. And speaking of heat, Aries can channel all of that fiery red energy into one red-hot physical experience. This sign approaches kissing the way it approaches everything else -- delightfully impulsive. If there's anything left to be said, it's this: brace yourself. [never been there...har..! har..! har..!]

Taurus (April 20 to May 20)

Slow, sensuous and solid as a rock … that's Taurus, and that's why their relationships tend to last a lot longer than those of other signs. The other reason is their sense of touch -- the way they have of brushing their hand against yours in such a way that by the time you're back at the car or standing at the front door, you know the kiss will occur. And if it's everything the Bull thought it would be and more, you won't ever be apart again for longer than eight hours. Unless one of you tends to sleep late, that is. [yup!!... they're great kisser]

Gemini (May 21 to June 20)

If you're interesting, colorful, move quickly and keep them guessing, Gemini won't stray. First, though, you'll have to capture their attention. The process goes like so: First, the glance. Then the wink and/or smile, followed by the first few words (yours better be amazingly glib and charming). The first date comes next, during which they'll be watching to see if you're capable of keeping the conversation going for hours instead of just moments. Finally, (drum roll, please) the kiss. If the liplock is quick, sexy and playful, and leaves more to their imagination, they'll be back for more, possibly as early as tomorrow. If they pull away before you do, toss their number. You blew it. [once bitten, twice shy... arghhh!! sloppy kisser]

Cancer (June 21 to July 22)

Take a look around your home, or ask someone to be brutally honest about how it feels to be there. If they tell you that it's homey, comfy and they just feel good when they're sitting in your kitchen, great. If not, invest in some paisley appliance covers, a whole bunch of knick-knacks and a welcome mat for the front door. Then, invite your Cancer sweetheart over for dinner. Cook (or order in) something absolutely delicious. Once they're comfortable and fed, prepare yourself. They'll be ready to initiate the kiss -- which will be just as warm and wonderful. In fact, you probably won't want to stop at just one. [ooooooohweeee... yummy! tasty]

Leo (July 23 to Aug. 22)

Pretend you're a contestant on 'The Bachelor' or 'The Bachelorette.' Can you imagine waiting in line to see if you're the one who'll get the rose? That's what it's going to be like to try to woo a Leo. If you've got one of these romantic creatures in your sights, keep in mind that you are most definitely not alone on your quest for a kiss and that the 'M' word (Monogamy) really begins with that kiss, which will put you two on the map. Or not. Relax. Just put everything you feel for them into it. Everything. [erkk... don't wanna be kissed by them... run! boo-boo.. run..!!]

Virgo (Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)

They're turned off by dirt, disorganization or chaotic surroundings. Does that mean all conditions must be absolutely perfect before they'll be able to relax and enjoy your first kiss? Sure does. Your mission is to get them to that point. Whether you're hailing a cab, snuggled up under a quilt on the beach or just finishing up dinner at your place, you can make it perfect by what you say and do. (In other words, load up the dishwasher before you make your move!) Now, let's review. They don't like things sloppy, sweaty, unrefined or clumsy. That said, trust your antennae to help choose the moment and your sense of discretion to help with your technique. [u can sing trallalla.. shaaalllalaa song]

Kissing Styles by Sign - Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces

2008-08-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Libra (Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)

Libras are the romance-makers of the zodiac. They live to please their significant other. The catch is that they also want their mate to live to please them. If you're after one of these partner-oriented creatures, the best thing you can do is to let them know that you're ready to settle down. Then, make the time you spend with them perfect -- and every kiss you share the most passionate, romantic experience they've ever had. The good news is that they'll do the same for you -- and that the kiss you share at bedtime 35 years from now will be just as exciting as the first one by the lake tonight. [they're wild...& kickin']

Scorpio (Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)

There's really only one word that can be used to sum up Scorpios -- and it goes for any Scorpio in any place at any moment of any day: passion. They're passionate about anything and everything they do. So you can only imagine how passionate they might be when they're face to face with someone they're attracted to, enough to actually want to kiss them. If that's you and you've been aiming all your energy in that direction, there's only one thing to do: forget about everything else in the world and focus on the kiss. Of course, with the way they kiss, that really won't be much of a challenge. [hmmm.... i got easily attracted ...! coz they're good kisser]

Sagittarius (Nov. 22 to Dec. 21)

When it comes down to what's good, any Sagittarian will express the same sentiment: More. If it feels good and arrives via another person, that same Sag will want many, many more -- and keep 'em comin'. So if you're after a kiss from a Sag, it may not be tough to come by, but think of what you're up against to make it memorable: a myriad of competitors. Your best bet is to hit them with what they love most: lots of what they like, which you'll figure out because you'll pay attention. Right? [have i ? ... nahhhhh...]

Capricorn (Dec. 22 to Jan. 19)

This is not a sign that's fond of spoiling itself -- or of spoiling anyone else. In general and nicely said, Capricorns can be rather tough to romance at all. That doesn't mean your mission is impossible, however -- only that it will most definitely take a bit longer to accomplish. That will make your first kiss, and every one that follows, even more worth the trouble. Keep that in mind as you lean toward them in the backseat of a limo (that you've saved for a month to afford so that this moment would be possible). And the actual kiss? Refined, elegant and definitely not complete. Leave them wanting more. [ssshhhh....!! ]

Aquarius (Jan. 20 to Feb. 18)

In most ways, Aquarians are different, and (of course) proud of it. They tend to be most unremarkable, however, when it comes to romantic entanglements. It's the one aspect that links them to the rest of humanity. While they'd never admit it, immediately after they're finally free of someone they've just dismissed, like most of us, they start looking for them again. They usually find them, too -- unless 'The Real Thing' arrives. That could be you, depending on how you kiss them. They prefer sudden, startling and as amazingly different as they are. If you're up for the challenge, approach them with a very determined look in your eyes -- or don't bother. [sloppy...laalallallala...daaddadadaaa.didaaa]

Pisces (Feb. 19 to March 20)

In the Pisces mind, the first step toward deciding whether or not to let you close is whether or not they feel comfortable with physical closeness, which starts with the way you smell -- no kidding. Be sure to wear cologne, then, but nothing too overpowering. What you're after is that all-important first kiss, and while mistletoe season is over, kissing season isn't. It's still capable of making or breaking that tricky, tender trip toward intimacy with this equally tender, sensitive sign. [so-so... love kissing them rather than makin' love]

Ellen DeGeneres marries Portia de Rossi

2008-08-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi have wed. The wedding was not a big affair. All told, only 30 guests attended.

According to E! Online, the wedding happened at the $29 million home that DeGeneres and DeRossi share on Saturday evening at around 6:30 p.m. PT.

Portia de Rossi and DeGeneres have been an item since 2004. They haven't been able to get married in California, which didn't legally sanction same sex marriages until May of this year.

Portia de Rossi and Ellen DeGeneres are thought to be the highest profile example of a couple married under the new California statute.

DeGeneres expressed her desire to wed de Rossi in a recent interview.

"I can't wait to be married. I feel like it is long overdue. And I think someday people will look back on this like women not having the right to vote and segregation and anything else that seems ridiculous like we all don't have the same rights," she said.

And now she has. Congrats to the Honeymooners!

Published: Sunday 17th of August 2008 10:04:33 AM

He is Yours... mmmmmmMM..

2008-07-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Don't get Jason Mraz talking about his avocado farm. You'll never get around to speaking about his music.

Jason Mraz isn't just a singer and songwriter -- he's also a proud avocado farmer.

When the San Diego singer-songwriter was in Los Angeles promoting his new album, "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things," he couldn't hide his excitement about his five-acre orchard.

"I do sell my avocados," he told CNN. "I mean, they don't have a sticker on them that say that these are from the Mraz Farms, but I moved into an area that all of us are avocado farmers. My trees are 25-30 years old and, two or three times a year, [workers] come through and they pick 'em all. Believe me, our kitchen is just like decked out with them. We're constantly washing them, we're eating them and we're giving them to all our friends."

Mraz says he makes a great guacamole. But he's even prouder of his "Chocomole" -- a healthy chocolate mousse made with avocados. Watch why Mraz is happy if you steal his music »

He says the creamy texture of the avocados will trick your tastebuds into thinking it's a traditional dessert.

"You will freak when you try this chocolate mousse. There's no sugar in it, there's no soy products in it, there's no tofu. You're just eating a raw chocolate mousse," he said.

All around the world, vegans are salivating. Here's the recipe -- straight from the secret recipe file in Jason's avocado-shaped noggin.

Mraz's Chocomole Recipe:

Note: This will make a huge bowl big enough for a family of four. You'll want to share this with friends.

Mash up 5 ripened avocados

Add 1 - 2 cups of chopped or blended dates

1 soft cup of raw cacao

1 easy cup of raw carob powder

1 tbsp. vanilla

Add a few long pours of agave nectar to sweeten to liking

Then add half cups of cocoa and keep adding until chocolate taste is right. Careful not to overdo it -- if you add too much, it can get bitter.

Judge halts release of Verne Troyer sex tape

2008-06-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Verne Troyer successfully shut down the distribution of a sex tape featuring the "Austin Powers" actor and a former girlfriend — for now.

The celebrity Web site TMZ posted a 25-second snipped of the video Wednesday, but pulled the clips down Friday evening after a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order requested by Troyer's attorneys.

The ruling also prevents any attempt by a porn distributor from taking orders for the full 50-minute video, and keeps TMZ from broadcasting any more clips. Troyer's lawsuit also seeks $20 million in damages and the return of all copies of the tape.

U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez wrote that Troyer's motion "demonstrated that he will suffer irreparable harm to his reputation" if the tape is distributed.

Troyer's attorney, Tracy Rane, said she, Troyer and others are "very pleased" by Gutierrez's ruling.

"Mr. Troyer is extremely distraught by the recent exploitation of his private life," Troyer's publicist, Melissa Bergera, wrote in a statement released to the AP.

TMZ did not return calls seeking comment on the case Friday. Although the video excerpt showing Troyer kissing his then-girlfriend was removed, another post describing the actor's lawsuit remained active.

Troyer, most famous for his role as "Mini Me" in two of the "Austin Powers" movies, claims the sex tape he made with a former girlfriend, which he never intended to become public, was stolen from his home some months ago.

TMZ reported that the video could fetch $100,000 from a porn distributor. SugarDVD wrote in a statement on its Web site that hoped to reach a deal with Troyer to distribute the full, 50-minute version. That statement was also removed by late Friday afternoon.

Kevin Blatt, a producer who promoted a sex tape featuring Paris Hilton, is also named as a defendant. Reached on his cell phone Friday, Blatt said he had not been served with the lawsuit yet, but called it "baseless."

Blatt said he never had the tape and only helped try to broker a deal.

The judge also indicated he may issue a more binding preliminary injunction in the case unless TMZ and other parties demonstrate why it should be released. His temporary order expires July 7.

Troyer is only the latest celebrity whose sex tape surfaced without consent, a phenomenon that began with the release of the infamous Pamela Anderson-Tommy Lee honeymoon video. Since then, several others have surfaced, including Hilton, Colin Farrell, and rapper Ray-J with Kim Kardashian — the daughter of a prominent attorney who parlayed at least some of her newfound notoriety into reality-star status.

In Anderson and Lee's case, the couple actually agreed to have the tape distributed, which resulted in a federal judge tossing out their lawsuit after the video was widely distributed on the Internet, in adult video stores, and even in hotel rooms.

Legal experts differed on Troyer's chances of long-term success keeping the video under wraps.

"I think distributing the tape is going to be very problematic," said Jack Lerner, a professor at the University of Southern California's Gould School of Law.

"Any time you record something that has even a very small bit of original expression in it, that's going to be copyrighted," he said, noting that a videotape would apply.

David Gringas, a Phoenix attorney who specializes in Internet, intellectual property and First Amendment issues, wrote in an e-mail that the fact that Troyer hadn't yet applied for copyright protection could harm his case.

Troyer's suit states he intends to register the tape's copyright.

Gringas wrote that courts generally try to protect celebrities from "any conduct that's really offensive," but are also aware that the release of some tapes actually benefits the celebrity.

"However, when a private tape is truly stolen from the owner, most times courts will do all they can to protect the rights of the celebrity to control their name or image," Gringas wrote.

Both Lerner and Gringas said they doubted injunctions against TMZ would remain, since the site may argue it was simply reporting the news.

If past cases are any indication, Troyer's legal battle could be extremely swift or protracted: Anderson and Lee spent two years battling distributors over their sex tape; Kardashian's lawsuit was settled less than three months later for undisclosed terms.

sources frm : google news

Mini Me Who Shagged Me - By Chris Beanland

2008-06-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

HE'S not quite PARIS HILTON or PAMELA ANDERSON - but a sordid video of MINI ME is the latest sex tape to hit the net.
The pint-sized actor - real name VERNE TROYER - stars in the vid with his ex-girlfriend.
Tiny Troyer made his name as Mini Me in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, and Austin Powers In Goldmember.
Stills and a short segment of pretty harmless video showing the couple kissing have turned up on the internet.
But the stomach-churning full version has reportedly been bought by a distributor who will want to make as much money out of the cheeky film as possible by selling copies of it on DVD. At 2 feet 8 inches tall, Troyer at least shows that size isn't everything in the bedroom.

Hulk's New Girlfriend

2008-06-11T13:01:00.001-07:00

Terry Bollea is very happy and very well influenced by a new woman he met in November last year. Hulk Hogan the renowned film star and wrestling sensational Hulk Hogan has found himself a new girl friend. This week in Miami Beach Hogan (Terry Gene Bollea) was splashing around with new girlfriend Jennifer McDaniel. Hogan who made a great star in the movie ‘Assault in the devils Island’ and who is a strong role model in modern wrestling videos was spotted shopping at a Wal-Mart with Jennifer in Clearwater, Florida.
Hogan has no hard feelings about Linda’s new 19-year old boyfriend. Hogan is married to Linda Bollea and has some great kid’s together. The couple has since along time lived in Florida. Hogan is a successful wrestler and has starred gallantly in various wrestling and movies. Hogan and Jennifer are very happy and are planning to move in together.

sources frm: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal

Gmail Labs offers experimental features for Gmail users

2008-06-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Gmail has announced that it’s offering up a chance for its users to play around with some experimental features, not yet ready for prime time. The features come courtesy of Gmail engineers who have new features that they’d like you to try out and give feedback on.

If you’re interested in playing around, go to your Settings area and click on the new Labs tab. From there you’ll see a a bunch of new features that you can enable and play around with. Keep in mind that they could “change, break or disappear at any time”, according to Google. Also, if you ever experience something that appears unrecoverable, Google has built in an escape hatch at this URL, which will temporarily disable Labs on your account.

I think this is a brilliant idea. I’m all for trying out new features and the fact that I can enable or disable at will is key. Also, I initially was wondering why they didn’t call this part of a “beta” but then I remembered that Gmail is technically still in “beta”, so I guess the only options were “alpha” or “labs”–Labs is definitely the right decision

sources frm : geek.com
by Joel Evans posted on June 6, 2008 3:12 pm

10 Foods That Build Bones

2008-06-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

Alaskan King Crab
High in protein and low in fat, the sweet flesh of the king crab is spiked with zinc — a whopping 7 milligrams per 3.5-ounce serving. "Zinc is an antioxidant, but more important, it helps support healthy bone mass and immune function," says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles."Several studies have linked adequate zinc intake to increased immunity and decreased incidences of respiratory infection." And you can reap all these benefits by swapping one of your weekly fish meals for a six-ounce serving of crab

Dried Plums
Also known as prunes, these dark shrivelers are rich in copper and boron, both of which can help prevent osteoporosis. "They also contain a fiber called inulin, which, when broken down by intestinal bacteria, makes for a more acidic environment in the digestive tract," says Bowerman. "That, in turn, facilitates calcium absorption." Enjoy four or five a day to strengthen your bones and boost your energy.

Bok Choy
This crunchy cruciferous vegetable is more than the filler that goes with shrimp in brown sauce. "Bok choy is rich in bone-building calcium, as well as vitamins A and C, folic acid, iron, beta-carotene, and potassium," says celebrity trainer Teddy Bass. Potassium keeps your muscles and nerves in check while lowering your blood pressure, and research suggests that beta-carotene can reduce the risk of both lung and bladder cancers, as well as macular degeneration. Shoot for a cup a day.

Oysters
Shellfish, in general, is an excellent source of zinc, calcium, copper, iodine, iron, potassium, and selenium. "But the creamy flesh of oysters stands apart for its ability to elevate testosterone levels and protect against prostate cancer," says Bass. "They aren't a food most people will eat regularly, but getting five into your diet twice a week will make your weekends more fun."

Bananas

Athletes and performers are familiar with the calming effect of bananas — a result of the fruit's high concentration of tryptophan, a building block of serotonin. But their real benefit comes from potassium, an electrolyte that helps prevent the loss of calcium from the body.
"Bananas also bolster the nervous system, boost immune function, and help the body metabolize protein," says Bass. "One banana packs a day's worth of potassium, and its carbohydrate content speeds recovery after strenuous exercise

Kiwis
Like bananas, this fuzzy fruit is high in bone-protecting potassium. "They're also rich in vitamin C and lutein, a carotenoid that can help reduce the risk of heart disease," says Bowerman. "I try to eat at least one or two a week after exercising." Freeze them for a refreshing energy kick, but don't peel the skin: It's edible and packed with nutrients.

Broccoli
Our president's dad may hate this cruciferous all-star, but one cup of broccoli contains a hearty dose of calcium, as well as manganese, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. And that's in addition to its high concentration of vitamins — including A, C, and K — and the phytonutrient sulforaphane, which studies at Johns Hopkins University suggest has powerful anticancer properties."One cup a day will do the trick," says Bowerman. Try cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, or cabbage for variation, as all possess many of the same nutritional qualities. "Broccoli may also help reduce excess estrogen levels in the body, thanks to its indole 3-carbinol content," says celebrity trainer Gunnar Petersen.

Spinach

A renowned muscle builder, spinach is also rich in vitamin K, which has been shown to bolster bone-mineral density (thus protecting against osteoporosis) and reduce fracture rates. Spinach is also high in calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and even selenium, which may help protect the liver and ward off Alzheimer's.One more reason to add it to your diet: A study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that the carotenoid neoxanthin in spinach can kill prostate cancer cells, while the beta-carotene fights colon cancer. "Popeye was on to something," says Bowerman. "Eat one cup of cooked spinach, or two cups raw, four times a week."

Leeks
These scallion-like cousins of garlic and onions are packed with bone-bolstering thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, and potassium. Leeks are also rich in folic acid, a B vitamin that studies have shown to lower levels of the artery-damaging amino acid homocystein in the blood.What's more, "Leeks can support sexual functioning and reduce the risk of prostate cancer," says Michael Dansinger, MD, an assistant professor of medicine and an obesity researcher at Tufts-New England Medical Center, in Boston. "Chop the green part of a medium leek into thin ribbons and add it to soups, sautés, and salads as often as possible."

Artichokes
Lauded for centuries as an aphrodisiac, this fiber-rich plant contains more bone-building magnesium and potassium than any other vegetable. Its leaves are also rich in flavonoids and polyphenols — antioxidants that can cut the risk of stroke — and vitamin C, which helps maintain the immune system. "Eat them as often as you can," says Bowerman. Ripe ones feel heavy for their size and squeak when squeezed.

MT-579 Wireless Headset

2008-04-29T17:18:00.000-07:00

It’s like: A hands-free kit to pick up your land line calls

Price: RM1,599Availability: MT Mircrotel Technology Sdn Bhd.
www.microteltechnology.com

Q: What’s that paraphernalia on your desk?

A: It’s the MT-579 Wireless Headset. It helps me pick up my phone calls without lifting the hand set. All I have to do is press the button on my headset.

Q: A hands-free kit for a land line, huh? Sounds amusing. Tell me how it works.

A: Well, all you have to do is attach your phone line to the base of the headset. This connects calls to the headset. You’ve also got to attach the “lifter” (a little contraption that literally pushes the hand set of your phone up) just as you would when picking up a call. That connects the call to the headset.

Q: Ok, why would you need to have a wireless headset to pick up calls from your desk phone? Don’t you sit at your desk where your phone is?

A: Good question. This is a good solution for those who walk around the office as it enables them to pick up their calls away from their desks. Plus, there’s a microphone mute function which enables you to have a private discussion with a colleague before you continue your conversation with the caller.

Q: But if you’re walking around, wouldn’t it be out of range?

A: This one can pick up calls up to 90 metres away from your desk. If you’re bound to a desk job and have to multi-task, like inputting data into the PC, this wireless headset will do wonders for you as you’ll have both hands free.

Q: Does this gadget require charging?

A: Yes. After the initial charge, the battery is expected to last seven hours, with a standby time of 300 hours. Just plug it into the power socket to recharge.

Q: What else does it do?

A: It works as a Skype phone too. Just connect to Skype on the PC, press the Audio button and you’re ready to make international calls. So you can also use this headset at home.

Q: What’s the downside of this gadget?

A: Wearing it will make you look like a person from a call centre, which is who it’s also mainly targeted at!

Pocket Digital Photo Album

2008-04-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Keep your favorite memories handy with a portable digital photo album!
Think of the Brookstone PictureBook portable digital picture frame as the photo album you take with you. Our portable photo storage device holds hundreds of photos without the bulky pages of a traditional album. And the 3.5" TFT LCD screen displays photos in vibrant, crystal-clear color.

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USB connectivity
Lets you easily transfer photos from your computer (compatible with Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP and MAC).

Rechargeable battery

Battery provides over 3 hours of power

Get with a pro and start shooting

2008-04-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

......."Photographing the Stream," offered in collaboration with Vermont's Center for Photographic Studies in Barre.
"By varying the camera's shutter speed, the photographer can interpret the water as static shapes or feathery mist, or anywhere in between," says Edward Pierce, the workshop's instructor. "My hope is that my students feel the same sense of calm yet elevated awareness that I find in the contemplating and composing of photographs with water."......

......Digital is the preferred medium here: Participants are encouraged to bring laptops, which they will use to edit, print, and frame images taken during the day. In the evenings, Middleton and Kenna show slides and discuss their work.
"Traditional photography is a marvelous craft," says Barlow, who admits he is wedded to black-and-white despite digital advances. He also emphasizes the necessity of hard work.
"My favorite photographer-philosopher, Ted Orland, believes that it's better to be hard-working than to have talent," Barlow says. (Orland, based in Santa Cruz, Calif., was a student of and assistant to Adams.) "I agree. And if hard-working means photographing a lot, isn't that what we're supposed to love doing anyway?".....
Diane Foulds, a freelance writer in Burlington, Vt., can be reached at dianefoulds@burlingtontelecom.net

Harvard Goes Halal

2008-04-18T01:06:00.000-07:00

source frm INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Islamofascism: Separate gym hours for Muslim coeds. Calls to prayer. Lectures on Shariah finance. A campus in the Mideast? Nope. It's all happening at America's pre-eminent college.

Over the past few years, Harvard University has received millions in endowments from rich Saudi and Emirate sheiks. Now it's returning the favor by Islamizing its campus and promoting the Shariah agenda of its new Arab masters.
Recently, the Ivy League school has made special accommodations for the religious needs of Muslim students, including, and rescheduling of exams to observe Islamic holidays.
And this weekend it hosted a $400-per-person conference on Shariah finance led by officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The goal of the forum — sponsored by Harvard's Islamic Finance Project — is to "integrate" Islamic finance into the mainstream economy.
That's a tough fit, because Islamic, or Shariah, finance forbids investment in major Western industries, including those that derive substantial income from interest.
Banking and insurance, as well as alcohol, tobacco or pork-related industries, are not considered "halal," or allowable, under Islam. Entertainment is also unlawful.
Shariah-compliant investments are monitored by paid Shariah law advisers who must "purify" certain returns by donating them to Islamic charities — including some that promote jihad and support suicide bombings.
With $800 billion already in Shariah assets — and $1 trillion to $2 trillion in Arab petrodollars annually looking for an investment home — the potential for billions being siphoned off for terrorism is real.
This, of course, would be a serious criminal violation of U.S. law. Yet Western bankers, including many on Wall Street who are jumping into the Shariah finance market, don't know this.
One prominent Shariah adviser is Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi. He's a paid adviser to Arcapita (formerly Crescent Capital), which happens to sponsor Harvard's Islamic Finance Project along with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank.
Al-Qaradawi is an Egyptian who has advocated suicide bombings and described Shariah finance as nothing less than "jihad with money."
He heads the Islamic American University and is a proposed trustee of the Islamic Society of Boston. The director of Harvard's Islamic Finance Project, S. Nazim Ali, is active in both the university and the Islamic Society. Ali is neither an economist nor a scholar. His background is in computers.
Another paid Shariah adviser is Sheik Muhammad Usmani, a Pakistani cleric who ran a madrassa that trained thousands of Taliban and who recently wrote a book supporting jihad and Islamic domination. He, too, has links to Harvard, according to the Center for Security Policy, a vanguard against so-called Shariah creep.
Roger Ferguson, president-elect of the university's board of overseers, joined Swiss RE in August 2006. Two months later, Usmani was named chairman of Swiss RE's Shariah advisory board.
Until recently, Usmani was listed as chief adviser to the Dow Jones Islamic Fund, which is run by the North American Islamic Trust, a recently named co-conspirator in a federal terror-financing case.
Usmani's name — along with the entire section covering the fund's "Shariah supervisory board" — mysteriously disappeared from the Islamic Trust's Web site after we exposed the fund's extremist ties in a Feb. 28 editorial ("The Risky Business of Islamic Finance"). Other key information on Shariah also has been purged. In addition, the Islamic Trust renamed its Dow fund the "Iman Fund" and amended several paragraphs in its prospectus.
It appears Islamists are trying to use such Shariah-compliant financial products as tools to get Islamic law through the back door into Western countries, including the U.S. They're enlisting our finest colleges in the project.
If Arab sheiks think they can buy American colleges and use our campuses to spread Wahhabism, Harvard only has encouraged them

Rob Lowe Accuses of Extortion

2008-04-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

7-Apr-2008
Written by: Louise Robina Happe

Lowe hits back against misconduct claims. Rob Lowe is accusing his former employee of extortion. According to People magazine, the actor claimed in a blog posted on Monday that his former babysitter is claiming “false terribles” in order to receive a $1.5 million payout. In an article on the Huffington Post entitled “Household Betrayal,” Lowe wrote, “My family is devastated at this betrayal; this woman worked in our home and traveled with us off and on for seven years, without complaint. It is an attempt to damage and humiliate not only my wife and me, but our two young sons as well.” Lowe posted text messages he claimed were sent by the babysitter in an attempt to prove his family’s innocence. “I have nothing bad 2 say about your family and really am thankful for what you guys have done for me over the years,” she allegedly wrote. “I did not leave out of spite or anger, it was just time for my heart to let go... It had nothing to do with you or rob either, this was me.” Lowe added, “Does that sound like someone who has been treated badly?” Apparently, Lowe claims that his wife “tried to mentor this young woman,” and “never saw this coming.” According to UsMagazine.com, the former employee had a secret crush on the actor, but despite the “inappropriate conduct” accusations, Lowe is not shaken, stating, “No one intimidates my family... We will defend ourselves with vigor and without fear.”

Charlton Heston Dies At 84

2008-04-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles — Charlton Heston, the Oscar-winning actor who achieved stardom playing larger-than-life figures including Moses, Michelangelo and Andrew Jackson and went on to become an unapologetic gun advocate and darling of conservative causes, has died. He was 84.
Heston died Saturday at his Beverly Hills home, said family spokesman Bill Powers. In 2002, he had been diagnosed with symptoms similar to those of Alzheimer's disease.
With a booming baritone voice, the tall, ruggedly handsome actor delivered his signature role as the prophet Moses in Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 Biblical extravaganza “The Ten Commandments,” raising a rod over his head as God miraculously parts the Red Sea.
Heston won the Academy Award for best actor in another religious blockbuster in 1959's “Ben-Hur,” racing four white horses at top speed in one of the cinema's legendary action sequences — the 15-minute chariot race in which his character, a proud and noble Jew, competes against his childhood Roman friend.
Heston stunned the entertainment world in August 2002 when he made a poignant and moving videotaped address announcing his illness.

source from : TheDay.Com

£130-an-hour - Shilpa Lee aka Sufiah

2008-04-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

SHE was a child maths genius who won a place at Oxford University aged just 13—but now the only sums Sufiah Yusof is interested in are the ones she earns as a HOOKER.

For sad Sufiah the daily equation she has to solve is simply sex equals £130 as she sells her body to punters over the internet.

The gifted girl with the winning smile had the world at her feet ten years ago and should be a rich woman by now—but last week she was busy subtracting her underwear for our undercover reporter in her dingy back street flat.

“Would you like to start your half hour now?” said Sufiah, 23, as she danced on the bed, displaying her body for examination.

Then she listed all the sleazy plus points she would throw in for our man if he took up her offer.

Calling herself Shilpa Lee, the former child prodigy still juggles with figures on a hookers’ website, describing herself as a “very pretty size 8, 32D bust and 5′5″ tall—available for booking every day from 11am to 8pm.”

She says she is a “sexy, smart student” who prefers “older gentlemen”— but a former pal who has witnessed her downfall told us: “It is all desperately heartbreaking.

“With her amazing brain she should be able to make money any way she wants. But instead her life has spiralled completely out of control.”

Life has never quite added up for Sufiah. Her descent into prostitution in Salford, Manchester, is the latest in a long line of tragedies to have engulfed her since the sunny day when she posed with her university mortar board for the world’s press outside prestigious St Hilda’s College.

Our shock revelations today come in the week her domineering dad Farooq was jailed for sexually assaulting two 15-year-old girls as he home-tutored them in maths.

And he was always at the root of all her troubles— even as she passed the further maths A-Level she needed for entry to Oxford at the age of 12. In those days Sufia was a strict Muslim child who prayed five times a day and was subjected to her father’s famous Accelerated Learning Technique.

Her days involved stretching and breathing exercises in freezing rooms to keep her brain attentive.

Sufiah would then study hard and be forced to play tennis with just as much intensity as fanatical Farooq drove her on. The routine was so effective Sufiah was seeded number eight in the country for under 21s.

But three years into Oxford, the 15-year-old sparked a massive police hunt after running away.

Abuse

At the time her father bizarrely claimed Sufiah had been kidnapped and brainwashed by an organisation seeking the key to her intelligence.

But Sufiah sent an email to her family describing her life under her father as a “living hell”.

One message to her sister read: “I’ve finally had enough of 15 years of physical and emotional abuse. You know what I am talking about.”

Sufiah was missing for two weeks before being found in an internet café in Bournemouth where she had been working as a hotel waitress.

She refused to go back to her parents and instead was taken into the care of social services.

It was then revealed that Farooq had been jailed for three years in 1992 for his part in a £1.5m mortgage swindle. Before that—at the age of 19—he had been sent to borstal for his role in a conspiracy involving £100,000.

Free from the spell of her father, Sufiah returned to Oxford to complete the final year of her Masters in Maths.

But she was now more concerned with enjoying herself—and failed to finish the course after meeting trainee lawyer Jonathan Marshall.

They were married in 2004 when Sufiah was just 19 and Jonathan 24. But the strains with her family were still there.

Despite being invited, Sufiah’s parents and four brothers and sisters failed to turn up to the wedding.

Her dreams of a happy life with Jonathan were shattered when the couple divorced just a year later.

Now, in her sad little flat, she uses her body to pay the rent. Sufiah met our man, posing as a punter, at the entrance to her building wearing a tiny skirt, leather boots and a tight t-shirt. She was carrying three mobile phones.

She laughed and joked as she led him to her small apartment where a bed was already set out in the lounge.

She told him it was £130 an hour and offered him a glass of water before putting some music on to a cheap portable stereo and nervously stripping down to her red lace bra and knickers.

Sufiah then peeled off her underwear and danced on the bed. She told him she did full sex with a condom and oral sex without protection.

After our man had made his excuses, Sufiah kept him talking by telling him how she was studying for a Masters degree in Economics on a part-time two year course in London.

The former prodigy added: “I’ve got exams coming up and I’m thinking ‘Oh my God!’”

Once described by her parents as “naïve and unstreetwise”, she works alone from her flat without any obvious physical security or protection.

She even admitted to our reporter: “It’s always a surprise who you are going to meet.”

Cheerful Sufiah gave no indication of any sadness at the jailing of her father the previous day. On Wednesday Farooq, 50, was sentenced to 18 months at Coventry Crown Court for touching two 15-year-old girls when he was home tutoring them at maths.

The court heard how in May last year Farooq arrived at one of the victim’s home for a maths lesson.

He started whispering in her ear and kissing her hair and cheek. He also touched her breast and told her she was a genius and pretty before putting her hand on his upper thigh.

Destroyed

Farooq’s defence lawyer Tim Hannam said: “He’s been back in prison for over five months and knows there’ll be no more teaching and any hope he had of gaining an income from the teaching method he had developed to a high degree of success is lost to him. His reputation is destroyed.”

Now it’s clear the daughter who fled his strict regime has almost been destroyed too.

Her friend said last night: “Sufiah has suffered so many knocks in her life. I just hope she can drag herself out this life she has got herself into.

“She is a good person and deserves a much better life than this. Her gift really has been a curse.”
source from : newsoftheworld By Keith Gladdis

Facebook Founder

2008-03-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

Mark Zuckerberg, U.S.
Age 23

$1.5 billion, self-made Tech's newest golden boy founded addictive social-networking site Facebook in February 2004 from his Harvard dorm room. He left school for Silicon Valley that year. Microsoft paid $240 million last October for a 1.6% stake, giving the company an implied valuation of $15 billion. Some analysts and a few Facebook investors think that's high. We think Zuckerberg's stake is worth $1.5 billion. Regardless, Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire on earth and possibly the youngest self-made billionaire ever.

Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi

2008-02-28T03:36:00.000-08:00

Last month Canon has announced a new compact digital SLR, the twelve megapixel EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi). On the surface a very similar camera to the EOS 400D, however there are a range of significant improvements; twelve megapixel CMOS sensor, 3.0" LCD monitor, Live View with both AF modes (contrast-detect and passive), 14-bit processing and RAW, spot metering, improved AF, 3.5 fps continuous shooting, a larger viewfinder, SD/SDHC storage and a new higher capacity battery. All in all a fairly impressive range of usage oriented improvements and refinements.

The EOS 450D employs features already proven in Canon’s professional EOS-1 series cameras, including the DIGIC III image processor and a redesigned menu system that enables features such as direct control of Speedlite flash units from the camera LCD. A choice of 13 custom functions allows the photographer to customise the camera to their shooting style.

“The EOS 450D bears the fruits of more than 20 years of ongoing investment into EOS,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “This camera continues Canon’s policy of taking technologies proven in the professional arena and putting them within reach of a wider market of amateur photographers.”

The EOS 450D features:

12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System
3.5 frames per second
3.0” LCD with Live View shooting
9-point wide-area AF system with f/2.8 cross-type centre point
Picture Style image processing parameters
DIGIC III image processor
Digital Photo Professional RAW processing software1
Compact and Lightweight body
Fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites

The EOS quality advantage

With all key components developed and manufactured in-house, EOS offers photographers a unique quality advantage. The EOS 450D’s specially designed 12.2 Megapixel sensor employs Canon’s high-sensitivity, low-noise CMOS technology to produce richly detailed images with minimal grain. The DIGIC III processor ensures superior image rendering and rapid response times, with an almost instant 0.1 start up. Image data is processed at 14 bits for Delivering a burst rate of 3.5 frames per second, the DIGIC III processor works with the image buffer to handle up to 53 JPEGs (6 in RAW) without interruption.

Built for better photos

The EOS 450D is designed to make photography a fluid experience for photographers of all levels and experience. Housed in a compact body that weighs less than 475 grams, the camera features an improved grip design that provides a natural, ergonomic fit with the user’s hands. A large, bright viewfinder makes image composition clearer and more comfortable. The menu system inherited from professional EOS cameras uses a simplified tab structure that does away with scrolling. It includes a user-defined My Menu tab for instant access to frequently used settings.

Several custom functions are available to optimise the quality of photos captured in a range of situations. Highlight Tone Priority boosts the dynamic range at the highlight end, providing better tonal detail from wedding dresses, cloudy skies and other bright objects. The new Auto Lighting Optimiser corrects brightness and contrast during image processing, while improving skin tones in portraits by ensuring correct exposure for faces. Photographers can also enable additional noise reduction for shots captured at high ISO speeds.

Live View

Available for the first time on a Canon consumer D-SLR, Live View mode makes it easier to shoot from awkward angles, such as ground-level macro shots or when shooting from a tripod. The image from the Live View mode is displayed as a smooth, 30fps video feed on the 3.0” LCD, which is 50% brighter than the screen of the EOS 400D. A grid line display and live histogram can be selected to help with shot composition and exposure. While focusing, the photographer can zoom in on specific details with up to 10x magnification of the image displayed on the LCD screen. Two types of auto focus are available: Quick AF flips the camera mirror momentarily to engage the AF sensor; Live AF uses the image contrast data to focus - a method familiar to anyone upgrading from a compact digital camera.

For studio environments, remote Live View lets the photographer compose, adjust settings and capture the shot from a PC using the supplied EOS utility software.

Other improvements

The EOS 450D complements its headline features with a host of smaller improvements that enhance the photographic experience. The viewfinder now displays all key exposure information including ISO speed. The addition of spot metering (4% of viewfinder) allows for greater control over exposure in tricky lighting conditions. PictBridge functionality has been expanded so that photographers can correct horizons and add picture effects before printing. A new high capacity battery extends shooting time on a single charge to a maximum of 500 shots.

Software

The EOS 450D is supplied with a comprehensive software suite that provides everything the photograph needs to manage and process images. This includes Digital Photo Professional (DPP), a powerful RAW converter that provides complete RAW image processing control. DPP also integrates with camera features such as Dust Delete Data and Picture Styles. The supplied Picture Style Editor software can be used to create custom Picture Styles for fine control over colour display. The camera also comes with EOS Utility, Image/Zoom Browser and Photostitch.

CMOS

Canon’s CMOS technology is one of the company’s key competitive advantages, with noise reduction circuitry at each pixel site delivering virtually noise-free images. In comparison with CCD technology, the lower power consumption characteristics of Canon’s CMOS sensors also contribute to longer battery life.
Signal conversion in Canon’s CMOS sensors is handled by individual amplifiers at each pixel site. Unnecessary charge transfer operations are avoided, vastly speeding up the process of getting signal to the image processor. Noise generation is reduced, power consumption is limited and faster frame rate potential is increased.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System

The EOS Integrated Cleaning System combats sensor dust in three important ways: Reduce, Repel and Remove.

Reduce - Internal camera mechanisms are designed to minimise dust generation. The redesigned body cap prevents dust generation through wear on the cap itself.
Repel - Anti-static technologies are applied to the low-pass filter covering the front of the sensor so as not to attract dust.
Remove - A Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses hi-frequency vibrations to shake dust from the infrared filter for a period of approximately one second after each start up. For instant shooting after power up, this feature is disabled immediately the shutter release is depressed.

Canon has also developed an internal Dust Delete Data system, which can map the position of visible dust on the sensor. This can then be deleted automatically after the shoot with the latest Digital Photo Professional software.

Picture Style

Picture Style pre-sets simplify in-camera control over image qualities. Picture Style pre-sets can be likened to different film types – each one offering a different colour response. Within each selectable pre-set, photographers have control over sharpness, contrast, colour tone and saturation. The camera’s factory default configuration is set to deliver immediately-usable JPEG images without need for additional menu settings. Picture Style presets applied to a RAW image can be revised with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software.

The six pre-sets include:

Standard – for crisp, vivid images that don’t require post-processing
Portrait – optimises colour tone and saturation and weakens sharpening to achieve attractive skin tones
Landscape – for punchier greens and blues with stronger sharpening to give a crisp edge to mountain, tree and building outlines
Neutral – ideal for post-processing
Faithful – adjusts colour to match the subject colour when shot under a colour temperature of 5200K
Monochrome – for black and white shooting with a range of filter effects (yellow, orange, red and green) and toning effects (sepia, blue, purple and green).

The User Defined Picture Style can be used to store up to three customised pre-sets, or any of the pre-sets available for download from Canon’s web site.

Software

Digital Photo Professional Software

Digital Photo Professional software provides high speed, high quality processing of lossless RAW images. Processing with Digital Photo Professional allows real-time display and immediate application of image adjustments, giving control over RAW image variables such as white balance, dynamic range, exposure compensation and colour tone. Images can be recorded in camera with sRGB or Adobe RGB colour space. Digital Photo Professional supports sRGB, Adobe RGB, ColorMatch RGB, Apple RGB and Wide Gamut RGB colour spaces.

ICC (International Colour Consortium) profiles can be attached to TIFF or JPEG images when converted from RAW. This allows faithful reproduction of colours in software applications that support ICC profiles, such as Adobe Photoshop. For improved efficiency, a set of image adjustments can be saved as a recipe and applied.

EOS Utility

The latest version of EOS Utility provides essential support for Live View remote shooting, camera configuration and image transfers. Tightly integrated with Digital Photo Professional, EOS Utility can be configured to monitor ‘hot’ folders, automatically renaming and moving incoming images to a structured file system.

How do Birds Learn How to Fly?

2008-02-27T03:25:00.000-08:00

Birds learn how to fly much like a human toddler learns to walk - a combination of instinct and practice. Not all birds are instinctive flyers, however. Flightless birds such as penguins and ostriches no longer have the instinct to imitate their flying cousins. Newborns of bird species which do fly, such as pigeons or hummingbirds, have an innate sense that flying is a natural act. Compare this to an human baby who instinctively understands that standing upright is a natural goal to achieve.

Most birds cannot fly until their muscle structure has had time to develop. In the meantime, the nest becomes their entire world. Baby birds are not responsible for food gathering or protection of the nest, so they generally develop a psychological dependence which must be overcome. Parent birds begin to teach their fledglings the importance of flying by remaining a short distance away from the nest during feeding. If the young birds are to survive, they must step away from the nest. Frequently, this means a few hard falls to the ground followed a long trip back to the safety of the nest.

All of this practice time, awkward as it may seem, does teach the fledgling about the mechanics of flight. Falls to the ground become more controlled as the young bird stretches out his or her wings. Short hops back to the nest become longer flights. Bird parents continue to encourage their brood to leave the nest for longer periods of time. Some species actually adopt a tough love policy, leaving the fledglings alone to develop their own flying instincts.

After a few weeks of practice and imitation, young birds learn more advanced flying techniques - how to use the wind for lift, how to spot rising thermals and how to make controlled landings. Eventually, all of these elements become instinctive and young birds can start families of their own. The teaching process begins anew as these birds teach their own young how to fly.

For birds, flying is an incredibly taxing exercise. Some bird experts compare it to human jogging times ten. Fortunately, many birds have air sacs which act as auxiliary lungs. Each breath a bird takes is much more concentrated than an equivalent human breath. Birds also have very well-developed pectoral muscles for constant wing motion and an exceptionally strong heart for endurance. Hollow bones reduce drag and the natural curve of the wings creates significant lift. Most birds are literally swimming through the air, using the weight of the air beneath them to keep them aloft.

weekly slang : WUSS

2008-02-26T20:53:00.000-08:00

Definition: A coward; an ineffectual, timid person.

Example: 1) Don't be a wuss, Stephan. It's just a little spider!
2) You're afraid of the dark? What are you, some kind of wuss?

Etymology: This word has been popular with teenage boys since the 1960's.

Synonyms: wimp, sissy

The World's Dirtiest Cities

2008-02-23T17:24:00.000-08:00

Unless you're in the oil business, there's little reason to brave the choking pollution of Baku, Azerbaijan. Fetid water, oil ponds and life-threatening levels of air pollution emitted from drilling and shipping land the former Soviet manufacturing center at the bottom of this year's list as the world's dirtiest city.

Baku is bad, but far from alone. For residents of the 25 cities on this year's list, black plumes of smoke, acid rain and free-flowing sewage are part of everyday life. Not as immediately visible: the impact on the population's health and life expectancy.

To see which cities in the world were dirtiest, we turned to Mercer Human Resource Consulting's 2007 Health and Sanitation Rankings. As part of their 2007 Quality of Life Report, they ranked 215 cities worldwide based on levels of air pollution, waste management, water potability, hospital services, medical supplies and the presence of infectious disease

For the Health and Sanitation Rankings, the index scores range from the worst on the list--

1. Baku, Azerbaijan, with a score of 27.6--to the best on the list--Calgary, Canada, with a score of 131.7.

2. Lead-poisoned air lands Dhaka, Bangladesh. Traffic congestion in the capital continues to worsen with vehicles emitting fatal amounts of air pollutants daily, including lead. The World Bank-funded Air Quality Management Project aims to help. "In fact, the biggest pathway for lead poisoning is particulates in the air. So in areas with a lot of air pollution, shutting down the worst forces of these types of pollution really does make a difference."

3. The capital cities of Madagascar, Antananarivo; is facing the challenge of a rapidly growing urban population and the ever-growing need for efficient water and waste management.

4. The capital city of Haiti Port Au Prince, similar to the top 3 which rapidly growing urban population and the ever-growing need for efficient water and waste management.

5. Mexico City, Mexico. Residents can thank industrial and automobile emissions for air quality so bad that city ozone levels fail to meet World Health Organization standards an estimated 300 days of the year. But things could be worse. "Mexico City has actually seen great improvement recently in terms of air pollution," says Dave Calkins, founder of the Sierra Nevada Air Quality Group and former chief of the Air Planning Branch of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in San Francisco. "So much so that the government actually has to campaign to let everyone know that pollution is still a problem."

source from : forbes

Jumper 2008

2008-02-22T21:10:00.000-08:00

David Rice (Hayden Christensen) has grown up with a mysterious power of which many have dreamed. He is completely and utterly mobile, able to zap through wormholes in the space-time fabric to any city, any building, any place at all that his mind desires. In the blink of an eye, he can "jump" from one side of the earth to the other and back again -- he can tour twenty different sunsets in one night, he can have breakfast on the Egyptian Sphinx, spend the day surfing in Australia, then pop over to Paris for dinner and enjoy dessert in Japan. He can pass through walls and locked bank safes and enter the most forbidden chambers. So far, he has used his powers to run away from his past, to take advantage of unlimited wealth, to remain fiercely independent. He's never known limits or boundaries or consequences. Or true connection. Until now.

But when David discovers another young man like himself, a fiery, globetrotting rebel named Griffin (Jamie Bell), the truth of his existence begins to dawn. He is not just a lone freak of nature, but part of a long line of genetic anomalies known as Jumpers, none of whom are safe. Now, David has now been identified by the secret organization sworn to kill him and all Jumpers. And he is about to be relentlessly pursued in a chase that will literally bound around the planet -- as he becomes a key player in an unseen battle that has been raging, invisible to most of humanity, through the ages.

Isn't she lovely

2008-02-21T00:29:00.000-08:00

Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderfull
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old
I never thought through love we'd be
Making one as lovely as she
But isn't she lovely made from love

Isn't she pretty
Truly the angel's best
Boy, I'm so happy
We have been heaven blessed
I can't believe what God has done
through us he's given life to one
But isn't she lovely made from love

Isn't she lovely
Life and love are the same
Life is Aisha
The meaning of her name
Londie, it could have not been done
Without you who conceived the one
That's so very lovely made from love

weekly slang : DA BOMB

2008-02-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

Definition: Excellent, the best. Example: 1) Michael Jordan was da bomb -- he was the greatest basketball player ever!
2) The new Hudson Jazz CD is da bomb. I listen to it every day!
Etymology: 'Da bomb' is African-American slang that became popular in the 1990s.
'Da' is an informal way to say 'the',
and 'bomb' refers to something very powerful and explosive.
Synonyms: phat

K.I.T.T - Knight Rider

2008-02-15T04:57:00.000-08:00

KITT is the analog name for the fictional scifi advanture series Knight Rider character artificial intelligence mounted in a highly advanced very mobile weapons platform disguised as a sleek contemporary automobile, and that series' subsequent spin-offs and continuations.

The original full name stood for Knight Industries Two Thousand, whereas the updated 2008 movie refers to the successive AI unit designated as the Knight Industries Three Thousand.

KITT's features

KITT is loaded with special features such as the commonly-used Turbo Boost, which allows quick bursts of speed or jumping over obstacles. KITT could also drive himself, but perhaps his most distinct and recognizable aspect was his front mounted scan bar which, among other things, allowed KITT to "see". KITT's body panels were coated with an advanced "molecular bonded shell" armor coating which would resist conventional weapon fire as well as most artillery and explosive blasts although a strong direct hit by those attacks could cause severe damage. KITT underwent a major modification during a refit in 1985 which included the addition of "Super Pursuit Mode" and a convertible top.

KITT had many features, most of which had an activation button associated with them that were on panels mounted on either side of the steering wheel or on a console mounted on the ceiling of the interior. Many of these button functions seem to change around, appearing and disappearing, or rearranging from episode to episode. Some were used once and never seen again.

~~to be continued~~

SHANON PRICE..marrying GARY COLEMAN

2008-02-13T13:51:00.000-08:00

FROM SUN-TIMES WIRES - February 12, 2008

Gary Coleman revealed today that he’s tied the knot, and it’s not just his first marriage — it’s his first time ever being in love. The 40-year-old former child actor told “Inside Edition” that he secretly wed Shannon Price, 22, on Aug. 28 after the couple met on a movie set. “I never got the opportunity to be romantic or feel romantic with anyone,” the “Diff’rent Strokes” star said. “I wasn’t saving myself; she just happened to be the one.” Price, who’s about 5œ feet tall, said neither their height nor their age difference deterred her from falling for the 4-foot-8 actor. “He was 10 feet tall to me because he was sweet and I really liked his personality,” she said.Price, who now sells Coleman memorabilia on the Internet, said she hopes to be known for more than her household name of a husband. “She’s a great eBayer,” Coleman said. She’s a fabulous eBayer. I hope she gets famous for that.”

weekly slang : JUMPY

2008-02-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

Definition:	Nervous or apprehensive; afraid that something bad will happen.
Example:	1) I'm always a little bit jumpy when I walk by the graveyard at night. 2) Rachel sure is jumpy today. I said 'hello' and she nearly hit the ceiling!
Etymology:	To 'jump' means to move into the air by springing or leaping up, so someone who is 'jumpy' is on the edge of leaping into the air in surprise or fear.
Synonyms:	jittery

Atonement : Awesome!!

2008-02-11T09:15:00.000-08:00

A mischievous girl accuses her older sister's lover of a crime he did not commit, only to find that her words have irrevocably and permanently changed the lives of all involved in a film that re-teams the filmmakers behind Pride & Prejudice to adapt the best-selling 2002 novel by author Ian McEwan. The year is 1935, and as the summer heat takes hold, 13-year-old fledgling writer Briony Tallis watches her older sister, Cecilia (Keira Knightley), get undressed and go frolicking in the garden fountain on her family's country estate. The housekeeper's son, Robbie (James McAvoy), a childhood friend and recent Cambridge graduate, also witnesses the innocent act. When Robbie and Cecilia subsequently cross a particularly sensitive boundary and the scheming Briony accuses Robbie of an unspeakable transgression for which the boy is wholly innocent, the repercussions of her unfounded claim threaten to affect all three for decades to come.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Juno : A Must Watch Movie!!

2008-02-08T05:19:00.000-08:00

Juno is a whip-smart teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy by her classmate Bleeker. With the help of her hot best friend Leah, Juno finds her unborn child a "perfect" set of parents: an affluent suburban couple, Mark and Vanessa, longing to adopt. Luckily, Juno has the total support of her parents as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood and ultimately figures out where she belongs.

Cast & Crews:

Starring :

Ellen Page
Michael Cera
Jennifer Garner
Olivia Thirlby
Jason Bateman
Director : Jason Reitman
Producers : Lianne Halfon
John Malkovich
Mason Novick
Russell Smith
Screenwriters : Diablo Cody

weekly slang : BLOW OFF STEAM

2008-02-05T05:48:00.000-08:00

Definition: To release stress or anger.

Example: 1) Rob screams and yells a lot. He should find some other way to blow off steam.

2) Playing sports after school helps students blow off steam.

Etymology: The idea is that anger and stress can build up inside a person and needs to be released, like an engine releasing pressurized steam.
Synonyms: vent

I'm Yellow

2008-02-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

The color of brightness and sunshine - you sure know how to add color to someones life! A primary color, the color of sun, life and happiness - you sure do live a wonderful life and possess the unique ability to brighten anyones day with a mere touch.

The color of royalty, smileys and happiness - be proud of being Yellow!

Exxon Mobil

2008-02-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

Exxon Mobil Corp. has posted the largest yearly profit by a U.S. company in the country's history.

On Friday, Irving-based Exxon Mobil showed a yearly profit of $40.6 billion, numbers largely derived from soaring crude oil prices. The previous yearly record for a publicly traded U.S. company was set in 2005 by Exxon Mobile, when it posted a $39.5 billion profit

The company also set a new record for largest quarterly profits, posting net income at $11.6 billion for the three months ending December 2007, up 14 percent over 2006's fourth quarter profits of 10.2 billion. The figures represent a gain of $2.13 per share, versus $1.76 per share in 2006.

Exxon Mobil Corp. produces 3 percent of the world's oil.

Facebook is for Anti-Myspace?

2008-01-30T19:06:00.000-08:00

Facebook is holding a massive press/developer event today in San Francisco to officially launch Facebook Platform. 750 or so people are here.

A number of third party applications will also be announced, including Microsoft, Amazon, Slide, RockYou, Box.net, Red Bull, Washington Post, Project Agape, Prosper, Snapvine, iLike, PicksPal, Digg, Plum and others. Seventy companies in total are currently developing applicaitons. Mark Zuckerberg goes on stage at 3 pm to make the official announcement, and I’ll be blogging live from here.

Facebook is giving an unprecedented amount of access to developers. The API would allow, for example, a third party to recreate Facebook Photos, the most used photo application on the web. Users could then remove the default Facebook Photos and install the third party version instead.

Applications can serve their own ads and/or conduct transactions with users. Ads can basically be shown anywhere that Microsoft ads are not currently shown.

There will be a special applications area on Facebook where users can browse and add third party apps. But there is also a crucial viral component - when a friend adds an application, it is noted in their news stream on their profile. Clicking on the item brings you to the app, where you can add and/or interact with it yourself.

Users will also be adding applications to their site, where others can click and add it to their own profile. The apps will essentially look like any other Facebook application.

The payoff is two way. Not only do developers get deep access to Facebook’s twenty million users, Facebook also becomes a rich platform for third party applications.

Facebook’s strategy is almost the polar opposite from MySpace. While MySpace frets over third party widgets, alternatively shutting them down or acquiring them, Facebook is now opening up its core functions to all outside developers.

Giant Spider Crab

2008-01-29T07:33:00.000-08:00

The Japanese spider crab has 8 legs and 2 big feeding arms and generally lives under water but has been found on land. Years and years ago when one of these were initially found inland in the Jungles of Japan, naturally they caused quite a stir in the local community.

The Giant Japanese spider crab can generally be found in the Pacific Ocean around Japan. They can live at depths of 50-300m or 150-1000 feet.

They generally have a dark orange body, with white spots on its legs. In male specimens, the limbs on which the claws are located on become more extended than its legs.

Its eyes are situated on the front, and two thorns stick out between them. Younger specimens feature hair and thorns on the body, and their frontal horns are longer, but these get shorter as they grow older.

The giant spider crab is one of the largest arthropods know to man. They measure up to 3.7 m from the tip of one claw to another. The width of their body usually grows to about 37cm (15inches) They are covered with little nodules called tubercles and most of their size is taken up by their long legs.

Not quite the nicest thing to see crawling up your wall at home though. Below a 12 foot one has been made into an interesting mural !

Giant spider crabs are omnivorous and scavenge for food. They can eat algae, plants, mollusks and small fish. Catching and tearing the meat up in their powerful pincers. Their long legs enable them to move quite quickly and stalk their prey.

They move along the Ocean floor very slowly and subsequently are easy targets for hungry predators that are big enough to attack it. As some form of protection they attach sponges and smaller animals to their shells to divert predators.

The Spider Crab tends to live in Ocean vents or holes that are big enough to take it. They are now hunted by fisherman as their meat is apparently quiet delicious. The spider crab is caught using trawling nets, and is often eaten salted and steamed. It is caught in the Sagami, Tosa and Suruga bays and also around the Izu Islands. During the spring when the crab lays its eggs, the hunting of them is prohibited and most fishermen thankfully obey these rules and the spider crab will not be served as a nice dish until its extinct.

" I'm coming to get ya ! "

I for one won't be swimming inshore in Japanese waters, unless I have one of the bigger varieties of harpoon-gun with me !

Or a big pair of rubber gloves, to hold a baby one, like this guy....

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is it a spider or is it a crab ?

An ecology student has recently indicated via e-mail that it is indeed from the crab family as it has 10 legs, Decapoda (dec as in 10). The feeding arms presumably have been included in this number, but it doesn't use these 'arms' for walking//crawling on, so the original count of eight legs still holds. As I said in my reply " If I was to crawl on all fours would my arms be counted as legs ? "

A Mr J Harker writes,

As a recent student in the zoology of invertebrates:

"The Japanese Giant Spider Crab is indeed a crab. Spiders are characterised by poisonous fangs (chelicerates) and spinnerets for silk weaving. They also have what are called 'book gills' (folds of tracheae for respiration) and their epicuticle has become waxy. Crabs, however have aquatic gills and even land crabs have to keep these moist to keep breathing. They also require water to breed. Crabs also have a larval stage, whereas spiders do not. the taka-ashi-gani fits more criteria for decapoda ( crabs) than the arachnidan.
Furthermore, the DNA sequence for the giant spider crab is distinctly Crustacean."

Crab Families

Scientists have divided crabs into several families. I have listed them below, along with several examples of each.

Edible Crab (Deliciousidae)

Dungeness Crab
Snow Crab
Edible Crab³

Crabs Large Enough To Be Truly Fearsome And Which Are Therefore Best Avoided (Crabzilladae)

Coconut crab
Japanese Spider Crab

Crabs Which Are Too Small To Eat⁴ (Diminuitividae)

Thumbnail Crab
Peekytoe Crab

Crabs Which Are Often More Trouble To Eat Than They Are Worth And Yet Are Widely Touted As The Best Tasting Crabs In The World In A Way That Smacks Of East Coast Elitism (Orientosnobidae)

"Maryland" Blue Crab

Seasonal And Holiday Crabs (Festivusidae)

Christmas Island Red Crab
Halloween Crab

Other Types Of Animals Which Are Not Crabs, But Which Masquerade As Crabs, Often To The Point Of Placing "Crab" In Their Name With Intent To Deceive (Doppelcrabidae)

Hermit Crab
King Crab, e.g., Alaskan King Crab
[Hairy] Stone Crab
Crab Louse
Krab

Have been to Paris for 2 Days?

2008-01-28T19:15:00.000-08:00

Engenue Julie Delpy does triple-duty as writer, director and star of this romantic comedy. French photographer Marion (Delpy) and American interior designer Jack (Adam Goldberg) are returning from a vacation in Venice. Despite the fact that it was supposed to be the ultimate romantic getaway, disagreements and misunderstandings seemed to drive them farther apart rather than bringing them closer together. Before they return to the United States, Marion and Jack have a quick two-day stop in Paris to visit Marion's parents and pick up the cat that they had been pet-setting for their daughter.

Unfortunately for Jack, Paris proves to be quite a culture shock. Not only are Marion's parents a pair of eccentric former "revolutionaries" who make no qualms about having knock-down-drag-out arguments regardless of who's present, but they also appear to have a particular distaste for Americans. Add to this the fact that Marion's friends hold nothing back when it comes to discussing their sexual lives, seem fixated on food rituals, and that Marion seems to run into former lovers on every street corner, and Jack quickly begins to suspect that he doesn't know his girlfriend half as well as he thought he did when they were living the simple life back in New York.

~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
i've watched this movie and it is entertaining and i would give 4 stars. laters, will be watching Atonement..

weekly slang : PUMP IRON

2008-01-26T22:08:00.000-08:00

Definition: To lift weights; exercising to build muscle mass.

Example:
1) On Saturday mornings, Tom is usually down at the YMCA pumping iron.
2) Let's go to the gym and pump some iron.

Etymology: The weights that a bodybuilder lifts are made of iron or some other heavy material. A 'pump' is a device that moves water through repetitive motion. So the phrase 'pump iron' describes the act of lifting weights again and again.

How Are You Feeling Today?

2008-01-24T23:03:00.000-08:00

Brain tumors may have a variety of symptoms ranging from headache to stroke. They are great mimics of other neurological disorders. It is sometimes hard to know whether a CT scan or MRI should be done if someone you know has some of the symptoms and signs noted below, but it is important to know that these studies will usually establish whether a brain tumor is behind them. The following symptoms immediately raise the question of a brain tumor:

* A new seizure in an adult.
* Gradual loss of movement or sensation in an arm or leg.
* Unsteadiness or imbalance, especially if it is associated with headache.
* Loss of vision in one or both eyes, especially if it is more peripheral vision loss.
* An eating disorder as a child.
* Double vision, especially if it is associated with headache.
* Hearing loss with or without dizziness.
* Speech difficulty of gradual onset.

The following symptoms are usually not the result of a brain tumor, but may sometimes be:

* Headache is probably the most common symptom of a brain tumor. Most people with headache, even persistent or severe headaches, do not have a tumor. However, some kinds of headache are particularly worrisome. A steady headache that is worse in the morning than the afternoon, a persistent headache that is associated with nausea or vomiting, or a headache accompanied by double vision, weakness, or numbness all suggest a possible tumor.

* A change in behavior may also be caused by a brain tumor. The development of an "I don't care" attitude, memory loss, loss of concentration, and general confusion may all be subtle signs: here, an evaluation by a neurologist may be an important step, but a CT or MRI will also help.

* Infertility or amenorrhea (abnormal cessation of menstruation).

* Some troubles which seem to be other diseases may in fact be a tumor: a stroke, even when it looks like one on a CT, may turn out to be the result of a tumor. Sometimes a fall can come from a seizure caused by a tumor. A pituitary tumor can present like a subarachnoid hemorrhage, a kind of stroke.

As you can see, the ways a brain tumor can show up are varied. If you are concerned, call a doctor who is familiar with these tumors. Early detection and treatment may increase survival - if symptoms persist, sometimes gentle urging for an MRI is important to assure that everything is all right.

Peter McL. Black, M.D., Ph.D.
Neurosurgeon-in-Chief
Brigham and Women's Hospital

and Children's Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

Thaipusam Day

2008-01-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

Thai Poosam Kavady) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (Jan/Feb). Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (also Subramaniam), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.The origin of Lord Skanda, the purpose of His avatara and its significance are of much importance to all seekers after Truth. During the battle between the Asuras and the Devas, the latter were defeated several times by the former. The Devas were unable to resist the onslaught of the Asuric forces. In despair, they approached Lord Siva and entreated to give them an able leader under whose heroic leadership they might obtain victory over the Asuras.
They surrendered themselves completely and prayed to Lord Siva sincerely. The gracious Lord granted their request by creating mighty divine warrior, Lord Skanda, out of his own power or Achintya Sakti. This great son of Lord Siva at once assumed leadership of the celestial forces, originated them, inspired them and attacked the asuric forces. The asuras were routed and a glorious victory was gained by the Devas.

Generally people take a vow to offer a kavadi to the Lord for purpose of tiding over or averting a great calamity. For instance, if the devotee's son is laid up with a fatal disease, he would pray to Shanmuga to grant the boy a lease of life in return for which the devotee would take a vow to dedicate a kavadi to Him. Though this might on the face of it appear mercenary, a moment's reflection will reveal that it contains in it the seed of love for God. The worldly object is achieved: and the devotee offers the kavadi. After the ceremony is over, he gets so much intoxicated with love of God that his inner spiritual chamber is opened. This too ultimately leads to Para Bhakti -Supreme devotion.

weekly slang : LOVE HANDLES

2008-01-20T23:16:00.000-08:00

Definition: Unsightly fat that shows from the sides at the waist, usually on men.

Example: 1) I need to exercise more -- my love handles are growing!

Etymology: Fat at the waist sometimes forms 'handles' or grips that a lover could grab and hold onto.

Allan Melvin Dies

2008-01-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

Allan Melvin, a popular character actor who played Cpl. Henshaw on the classic 1950s sitcom “The Phil Silvers Show” and later portrayed Archie Bunker’s neighbor and friend Barney on “All in the Family,” has died. He was 84.

Melvin, who was in the original Broadway cast of “Stalag 17″ in the early 1950s, died of cancer Thursday at his home in Brentwood, said his wife of 64 years, Amalia.

During his five-decade career, Melvin made guest appearances on numerous TV shows, including playing different roles on at least eight episodes of “The Andy Griffith Show” and playing Dick Van Dyke’s old Army buddy on “The Dick Van Dyke Show.”

He also played Sgt. Charlie Hacker on “Gomer Pyle: U.S.M.C.”; portrayed butcher Sam Franklin — Alice the housekeeper’s boyfriend — on “The Brady Bunch”; and continued playing Barney when the hit “All in the Family” became “Archie Bunker’s Place.”

Melvin, who appeared in only one movie — the 1968 Doris Day comedy “With Six You Get Eggroll” — also did voice-over work in cartoons, including providing the voices of Magilla Gorilla and Bluto on “Popeye.”

He worked on numerous TV commercials as well, including playing Al the Plumber in the Liquid-Plumr commercials for 15 years.

After launching his show business career in the sound effects department of NBC radio in New York in 1944, Melvin began acting on radio soap operas and then moved into live television.

At the same time, he did movie star impressions in Manhattan in a nightclub act written by his friend Richard Condon, who later wrote “The Manchurian Candidate.”

Melvin’s stand-up act led to his winning “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts” radio show in the late 1940s.

He was playing Reed in “Stalag 17,” the hit 1951-52 Broadway play set in a German POW camp during World War II, when he first caught Silvers’ attention.

“The Phil Silvers Show,” originally titled “You’ll Never Get Rich,” was set on an Army base in Kansas and ran from 1955 to 1959.

As Cpl. Henshaw, Melvin was the right-hand man to Silvers’ con-man extraordinaire, Sgt. Ernie Bilko.

“He was brilliant” as Henshaw, Mickey Freeman, who played Pvt. Zimmerman on the show, told The Times on Friday.

In recent years, when fans would ask Freeman how many surviving cast members were left, he would reply, “Allan Melvin and me — that’s a high mortality rate for a noncombatant unit.”

Noting that Melvin “was a great mimic of voices,” Freeman recalled an episode in which an officer arrived at Ft. Baxter to stop the men from gambling. One of the ways the officer did that, Freeman said, was to make them listen to his wife lecture on art.

But the woman had an unusual twitch — pulling on her skirt — and Bilko and the other soldiers placed bets on how many times she would do that during her lecture.

Freeman recalled that Melvin, as Henshaw, was positioned outside the lecture hall with a microphone, broadcasting to the other soldiers on the base — ” ‘She’s up to 42 now . . . 43 . . . 44, and she’s not even breathing heavy.’ He made a whole racetrack thing out of it,” Freeman said. “He was wonderful.”

Melvin was born Feb. 18, 1923, in Kansas City, Mo. His family soon moved to New York City, where he graduated from Columbia University as a journalism major.

Melvin retired from acting about 10 years ago — long after becoming a household face who was used to people spotting him in public and saying, “Hey, Henshaw” or “Hey, Sam the Butcher.”

“I’ve enjoyed the stuff I’ve done,” he told People magazine in 1996, “but the one you’re getting paid for, that’s what you enjoy most.”

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Hanson; and a grandson.

Services will be private.

Former Steelers DT Holmes dies

2008-01-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

PA SportsTicker

Published: Friday, January 18, 2008

Ernie Holmes, a star defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers' famed "Steel Curtain" defense, died in a car crash. He was 59.

Holmes died late Thursday night on Highway 69 just outside of Lumberton in southeast Texas when his car left the roadway and rolled over several times.

Holmes, who was driving alone and was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the car, according to a Texas Department of Public Safety spokesperson. His death was first reported by television station KFDM 6 in Beaumont.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Holmes spent six seasons with the Steelers from 1972-1977 and helped Pittsburgh to Super Bowl titles in 1974 and 1975. He was a key member of a star-studded defensive which included "Mean" Joe Greene, L.C. Greenwood, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham and Mel Blount.

"Ernie was one of the toughest players to ever wear a Steelers uniform," Steelers chairman Dan Rooney said Friday in a statement. "He was a key member of our famous Steel Curtain defense, and many people who played against him considered Ernie almost impossible to block.

"At his best, he was an intimidating player who even the toughest opponents did not want to play against."

Holmes spent part of the 1978 season with the New England Patriots before retiring. A Jamestown, Texas native, he was an ordained minister and was living in Wiergate, Texas at the time of his death.

"Ernie seemed to be doing well in recent years and was always one of our most popular players whenever he returned to Pittsburgh for team events," Rooney said. "Our prayers go out to Ernie's family and loved ones. He will be missed by the entire Steelers family."

Are You Coming Home?

2008-01-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

weekly slang : BEHIND BARS

2008-01-13T07:18:00.000-08:00

Definition: In prison or jail; incarcerated.

Example:
1) My brother Charlie tried to rob a bank, but the cops caught him and now he's behind bars.
2) I can't wait until they catch the killer and put him behind bars.

Etymology: Prison inmates are locked behind metal bars which prevent their escape.

Synonyms: up the river, in the slammer, under glass

Sony 8GB Walkman Video MP3 Player

2008-01-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

Description: Slim and stylish, the NWZ-S618FBLK Walkman Video MP3 player combines a powerful digital music player with a 1.8" QVGA LCD screen for hours of multimedia entertainment. Listen to your favorite songs, view videos and photographs or listen to your favorite radio stations. Weighing less than 2 ounces but with the capacity to store up to 4,500 songs, 8 hours of video or hundreds of photographs, the 8GB NWZ-S618FBLK Walkman Video MP3 player delivers everything you need to take your favorite entertainment with you.

The Creative Zen V Plus

2008-01-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

The good: The Creative Zen V Plus offers a cute, pocket-friendly design without sacrificing screen real estate, and the vivid OLED display is viewable from any angle. The player is packed to the gills with features, including an FM radio, voice and line-in recording, photo and video playback, and compatibility with subscription WMA tracks. It's the first flash player to be offered with up to 16GB of memory. Oh, and the sound quality and battery life are great too.

The bad: The Creative Zen V Plus's joystick is really small and has a cheap feel to it, and we wish Creative had included all the buttons found on the Vision:M. The screen is difficult to see in bright sunlight, and there's no UMS support.

The bottom line: The Creative Zen V Plus is a superb choice for anyone looking for a compact and feature-filled flash MP3 player with great sound quality. If you're looking for a more sophisticated design (or have large thumbs), check out the iRiver Clix instead.

Prevention - Lung Cancer

2008-01-09T03:08:00.000-08:00

Doctors cannot always explain why one person gets cancer and another does not. However, scientists have studied general patterns of cancer in the population to learn what things around us and what things we do in our lives may increase our chance of developing cancer.

Anything that increases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a risk factor; anything that decreases a person’s chance of developing a disease is called a protective factor. Some of the risk factors for cancer can be avoided, but many cannot. For example, although you can choose to quit smoking, you cannot choose which genes you have inherited from your parents. Both smoking and inheriting specific genes could be considered risk factors for certain kinds of cancer, but only smoking can be avoided. Prevention means avoiding the risk factors and increasing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the chance of developing cancer decreases.

Although many risk factors can be avoided, it is important to keep in mind that avoiding risk factors does not guarantee that you will not get cancer. Also, most people with a particular risk factor for cancer do not actually get the disease. Some people are more sensitive than others are to factors that can cause cancer. Talk to your doctor about methods of preventing cancer that might be effective for you.

Purposes of this summary

The purposes of this summary on lung cancer prevention are to:

Give information on lung cancer and how often it occurs.
Describe lung cancer prevention methods.
Give current facts about which people or groups of people would most likely be helped by following lung cancer prevention methods.

is Nokia On Air??

2008-01-08T00:55:00.000-08:00

bUy cheap mobile phones online...

Pirate Online

2008-01-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

weekly slang : WIG OUT

2008-01-06T23:13:00.000-08:00

Definition: To go crazy; to lose your mind.

Example:
1) Maria wigged out when she found her husband in bed with her best friend.
2) I hope Tom doesn't wig out when we tell him we lost his dog.
Etymology: The idea behind the term is that so much activity is going on in your brain that your hair (a 'wig' is artificial hair) might jump off your head. The term can be positive too - you might 'wig out' when you hear really good music, for example.

Synonyms: lose your cool, flip your wig

all FREE

2008-01-05T11:07:00.000-08:00

Free-Reading is an “open source” instructional program that helps teachers teach early reading. Because it's open source, it represents the collective wisdom of a wide community of teachers and researchers. It's designed to contain a scope and sequence of activities that can support and supplement a typical “core” or “basal” program.

zodiac sex

2008-01-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

Add Zodiac Sex to your profile!

LOve Zodiac

2008-01-03T22:48:00.000-08:00

***Astro*Love***

A Quick Guide to your Romantic Style and Compatibility

ARIES

Your Romantic Style: Extremely passionate, sexual fulfilment is very important to you. Adventurous and energetic in love, your enthusiasm is catching. You can be rather selfish, though, and a partner needs to be able to deal with your quick temper and impulsive tantrums.

Ideal Partners: Leo shares your fiery outlook on life and is big-headed enough to survive your temper too. Sagittarius shares your sense of adventure and has a laid-back attitude towards your impulsive streak.

Not So Good: Libra, whose placid nature is no match for your energetic demands, and Aries – too much of a good thing can only end in fireworks.

TAURUS

Your Romantic Style: You value peace, harmony and stability and look toward the long-term rather than short-lived excitement. You like someone who makes you feel emotionally secure, and you give plenty of affection and generosity in return. Beware of jealousy and possessiveness though.

Ideal Partners: Virgo’s modest nature appeals to you and you enjoy their hidden sensuality. Capricorn values security as highly as you do and is sensible enough to deal with your jealousy.

Not So Good: Aquarius is far too avant-garde for your liking, and also doesn’t pay you enough emotional attention. Scorpio’s inner turmoil and soul-searching disturbs your tranquillity and worries you a great deal.

GEMINI

Your Romantic Style: Flirtatious, flirtatious, flirtatious! Your are lively and fun to be with, and enjoy intellectual rapport just as much as physical attraction. Not entirely at home with your emotions, however, you tend to over-rationalise your romantic feelings, so you need a partner who’s not going to insist on roses and sweet nothings.

Ideal Partners: Aquarius can debate with you until the early hours and is not frightened by your lack of touchy-feely romance, or threatened by your flirts. Gemini – twin souls! The two of you are ideally matched, just make sure that you remember to flirt with each other sometimes too!

Not So Good: Pisces needs more traditional romance than you can offer, and their bubbling emotions can irritate you. Cancer loves home too much to be the life and soul of the party, and your flirting hurts this sensitive soul deeply.

CANCER

Your Romantic Style: You long to look after your partner, and are wonderfully caring and sentimental. However, your own emotional tensions often result in a bit of a sulky attitude, and you partners can find your affections a little bit suffocating.

Ideal Partners: Deep and meaningful Scorpio intrigues you and shares your watery depths, as does Pisces, who’s dreamy nature is the perfect foil for your compassion.

Not So Good: Another Cancer is likely to result in both of you outdoing the other in the sentimentality stakes. Sagittarius likes their freedom too much for your liking and can be rather cutting when brushing aside your help.

LEO

Your Romantic Style: Generous and warm-hearted you like to shower your loved one with affection and are very demonstrative and affectionate. You like to be seduced in luxury and generally enjoy the more refined pleasures of love. You can also be quite domineering, though, so you need a partner who is prepared to stand up to you.

Ideal Partners: Aries can give as good as they get and will enjoy your natural exuberance whilst also inspiring you to greater things. Taurus loves luxury almost as much as you do and won’t take any nonsense either.

Not So Good: Libra, although sharing your refined tastes, will not really provide the balance you need, and Virgo is likely to be very submissive – not at all healthy in an on-going relationship.

VIRGO

Your Romantic Style: Your genuine modesty can be truly charming and you seem to play hard to get, even if not deliberately so. You are kind and devoted to your loved one, but you must watch your tendency to nag. Setting oh-so-high standards for yourself and for others can mean that you are permanently disappointed.

Ideal Partners: Sagittarius enjoys the chase and is attracted to your ethereal demeanour, whilst broadening your horizons in every sense. Capricorn appreciates your intellectual abilities and shares the same values as you, and you each bring out the earthy sensuality in the other.

Not So Good: Gemini and you will probably irritate the socks off each other, or not be able to stop talking long enough to allow romance to develop! Cancer is just on a different wavelength, really, you have very little in common.

LIBRA

Your Romantic Style: Very much a ‘partnership’ person, often you don’t feel complete unless in a relationship. That’s fine, but take care not to fall into trap of any old relationship being better than none! A pure romantic, you are also sociable and generally charming and easy-going.

Ideal Partners: Leo likes your style, especially if their career requires a diplomatic, charming spouse! Aquarius is a good match too, as you complement one another – together you can be very progressive, and a great team, and you are self-sufficient enough to provide your own romance without waiting for Aquarius to do it for you!

Not So Good: Cancer is a bad influence on you, and vice versa – you would live on the edge of a fantasy world, which, whilst fun for a while, would soon take it’s toll on both of you. Aries has too much energy for your taste, and they would be irritated with your laid back approach to life.

SCORPIO

Your Romantic Style: Powerful and passionate, you are a real emotional force. People often find something magnetic about you which they can’t quite explain, and a Scorpio’s sex drive is legendary! You can be very jealous and resentful, however, and you need a partner who can respond to you at a deep level – superficial matches are not for you.

Ideal Partners: Aries matches your power, and you spark their protective instincts. Virgo is also a surprisingly good match for you – you can stir their depths of passion and their deep-thinking brand of common sense can bring order to your chaotic emotions.

Not So Good: With Pisces both of your risk emotional suffocation, and Leo is far too wrapped up in themselves to be bothered with your dramas. Another Scorpio is also probably far too much emotional intensity for one relationship to handle.

SAGITTARIUS

Your Romantic Style: Personal freedom is of paramount importance to you, and you will not tolerate a partner who tries to restrict you in any way. Sexually exuberant, physical attraction is important to you, but you also have an intellectual streak and love a partner who can keep up with you mentally. Sometimes irresponsible, however, you need to take care with joint responsibilities.

Ideal Partners: Sagittarius – you are the perfect foil for one another, inspiring one another to ever greater heights of achievement and adventure – but watch the purse strings. Aquarius respects your freedom and demands freedoms of their own, whilst also enjoying physical and sexual experimentation.

Not So Good: Cancer would try to keep you tied to the home hearth, and Gemini, whilst superficially a good match, will bore you with their ‘jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none’ attitude.

CAPRICORN

Your Romantic Style: Quite careful and cautious in romance, as in everything else, it takes a long time for you to give away your heart. When you do, you are faithful, loyal and responsible, and you value these qualities in your partner too. One of your most appealing qualities is your delightfully wry sense of humour, but you need to be wary of being too rigid in your expectations.

Ideal Partners: Cancer shares your sense of responsibility and can also help you to express your emotions more openly. Virgo will be as fiercely loyal to you as you are to them, and together you can explore new territory in adventure and romance.

Not So Good: Aries rather frightens you with their impulsive and reckless behaviour, whilst Pisces is a mystery to you with their deep depth emotional charges.

AQUARIUS

Your Romantic Style: Independence is so important to you that you may find it difficult to settle into a long-term relationship – your partner therefore needs to be very aware of this and careful not to restrict you. There is a strong romantic streak within you once you have found your partner, but whilst you are still looking you often come across as rather aloof. Very loyal once committed, value intellect more than looks.

Ideal Partners: Gemini enjoys your avant-garde views and brings out the romantic in you, and you are immune to their flirting. Another Aquarius can be an ideal match as you understand one another perfectly and give each other plenty of space.

Not So Good: Cancer and Virgo would both find it hard to cope with your aloofness, whilst Aries would quickly bore you once the superficial attraction had passed.

PISCES

Your Romantic Style: Romantic, dreamy, compassionate and sensitive, you tend to put your loved ones on a pedestal. Very emotional, even little things can trigger tears in your love affairs, and your partners may feel that you need to get a grip on reality. Not overly passionate, you view sex as an extension of romance and therefore are incredibly hurt by infidelities.

Ideal Partners: Libra shares your love of romance and is kind and thoughtful enough not to hurt you. Virgo loves your dreamy nature and, whilst you inspire them, they can help you to cope with the harsher realities of life too.

Not So Good: Aries is too thoughtless in word and deed, whilst Scorpio has enough problems of their own, thank you very much, without bothering with yours! Taurus too does not really have much time for your emotions, whilst you find them over-materialistic and stubborn.

Counting Sheep too often?

2008-01-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

Most women have bouts of insomnia-the failure to fall asleep or stay asleep or both-at some point in their lives. I recall the experience of one woman I knew: Several weeks before her wedding, she began a nightly ritual of lying awake for hours, followed by hours of tossing and turning until at last she would become exhausted and fall asleep. This pattern left her little time for restful sleep.

Fortunately, my friend was able to return to her normal sleeping pattern after the big day. This type of anxiety-induced sleeplessness is a classic and straightforward case of short-term insomnia, and so an ideal candidate for those well advertised sleeping pills.
Many women, however, have prolonged difficulties achieving good sleep. As mothers, students, caretakers, and professionals, many of us lead hectic lives, filled with both obvious and subtler stressors that are on our minds as we attempt to settle into sleep. The sheer numbers of over-the-counter and prescription sleep aids give you an idea of how widespread insomnia is today.

But the problem with these sleep aids is that even though they induce drowsiness, they do not promote real sleep - deep, lasting, and refreshing. And some of these agents, if taken over the course of months may lead to dependency or stop working altogether. Don't be surprised if your physician is not inclined to prescribe them.

Fortunately, there are many measures besides popping pills that you can use to improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep. Here are a few:

----- Acknowledge your stressors. Consider transferring that list of items swirling around in your head at night onto a sheet of paper. This will help you feel as if you've gotten started with your tasks and let you get some rest.

---- Exercise regularly. It may seem counterintuitive, but upping your level of activity during the evening, when you think you're wiped out, will help you to gain a second wind and probably to sleep better when you do retire.

----- Avoid caffeine after mid-day. Be wary, too, of sodas and teas, which often contain caffeine as well.

----- Go to bed when you're tired. Don't spend time staring at the ceiling and worrying about how you simply must get some sleep. Get up, do something relaxing in another room, and return to bed when you're ready.

---- Learn relaxation techniques. Consciously attend to your breathing; imagine being in your favorite place; relax your muscles, scanning your body from head to toe - Pilates and yoga classes often teach these skills.

---- Maintain a routine. Changing your sleep schedule dramatically on Friday and Saturday nights can lead to a shift in your circadian rhythm that carries into the following week.

---- Consider melatonin. This hormone is a natural sleep aid. It appears to work particularly well for those who have trouble staying asleep, even though they may easily fall asleep. A dose of 0.3 mg nightly is recommended.

Talk with your doctor about your sleep troubles if they persist. Pain, snoring, frequent nighttime urination, or symptoms of anxiety or depression should be further assessed and may respond to other treatments.

(Source: health.yahoo.com)