How To Pick Up A Smokin' Hot Chick In 5 Easy Steps!!!

So you want to pick up smoking hot chicks like a bad ass? Then follow this easy five step guide for guaranteed success.

Things you'll need:

* Knee length leather jacket
* Some spare change
* A cell phone
* balls

Step #1. "Grandpa's loose change"
Women run in herds to avoid having the weak ones picked off. This is easily overcome by employing the "Grandpa's loose change" attack. Essentially, all "small brains" (as they are referred by scientists) are simple money whores. They are easily distracted by money and shiny, noisy objects so take some coins and toss them on the floor near the herd. You're in.




Step 2: The Jacket
You now have their attention. Say something subtle to get them to notice your bad ass knee length leather jacket. Try going with this:





Step 3: The Magician
It is a scientific fact, nothing gets a chick hotter than a kick ass magician. Tell her you are one and you would like to show her a trick. Put your left hand straight up in the air and wiggle your fingers. Say something sexy like a magician would say. I like to go with this:



Step 4. She Never Had A Chance.

When that dullard looks up, and she will look up, punch her in the gut with all your might.



Step 5: Close The Deal
As she's doubled over in pain you should laugh at her and mock her. (Whatever you do, do not help her up, you will appear weak.) When she stops throwing up, ask for her number. (You should play it cool and act like you really don't even want it.) You might thump her in the head with your boot just to make sure she knows you are in charge. (note* Do not forget to pick up your change. If she threw up on your coins, dig in her purse to get fresh coins.)

16 Things it took me over 50+ years to learn

By: Dave Barry, Nationally Syndicated Columnist

1. Never, under any circumstances, take a sleeping pill and a laxative the same night.

2. If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be “meetings.”

3. There is a very fine line between “hobby” and “mental illness.”

4. People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.

5. You should not confuse your career with your life.

6. Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance. (This one is very important.)

7. Never lick a steak knife.

8. The most destructive force in the universe is gossip.

9. You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and compelling reason why we observe daylight savings time.

10. You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she’s pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.

11. There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to make a big deal about your birthday. That time is age 11.

12. The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age, gender, religion, economic status or ethnic background, is that, deep inside, we ALL believe that we are above average drivers.

13. A person, who is nice to you, but rude to a waiter, is not a nice person. (This is very important. Pay attention. It never fails.)

14. Your friends love you anyway.

15. Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic.

16. Thought for the day: Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes; and it’s up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

The ABC’s Of Ex-Wives

A is for Alimony … the gift that keeps on giving.

B is for Balls … which are now ours again.

C is for Court … where you finally find out the meaning of a good screw.

D is for Divorce … the alternative to ax murder.

E is for Equitable Distribution … another oxymoron.

F is for Flatulence … finally we can let loose without being criticized for causing the flowers to wilt.

G is for Gandhi…someone you could actually say had lost weight without having to lie.

H is for House … which the bitch also got.

I is for Inmate … where you also get to room with Bubba when the child support is late.

J is for Jewelry … the former great equalizer.

K is for Kids … the best of everything.

L is for Lawyer … whose most recent vacation you just paid for.

M is for Mother … and Oh what a Mother Fucker!!

N is for Not tonight, I have a headache.

O is for Overdrawn … what your checking account always was.

P is for PMS … what we say: “No, honey, you don’t look like you’re retaining water.” …what we mean, “No wonder there’s a citywide drought.”

Q is for Quarter … what YOU get for each dollar SHE gets.

R is for Rehearsal Dinner … should never have stayed for dessert.

S is for Sex … thank goodness she rolled in her sleep.

T is for Throat … the anatomic area she goes for in the settlement.

U is for UPS … the delivery guy you are on a first name basis with, and who spent more time at your house than you did.

V is for Visa … one of several cards she maxed out.

W is for Wrong … which you always were.

X is for X chromosome … I swear some women have more than two!

Y is for Yacht … maybe the next guy will have one.

Z is for Zirconium … I wonder if she ever figured out that all her diamonds were Cubic Zirconium.

Top 50 Things To Do To Stop Global Warming

Global warming is a dramatically urgent and serious problem. We don't need to wait for governments to solve this problem: each one of us can bring an important help adopting a more responsible lifestyle: starting from little, everyday things. It's the only reasonable way to save our planet, before it is too late.

Here is a list of 50 simple things that everyone can do in order to fight against and reduce the Global Warming phenomenon: some of them are at no cost, some other require a little investment but can help you save a lot of money, in the middle-long term!

1. Replace a regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (cfl)
   CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

2. Install a programmable thermostat
   Programmable thermostats will automatically lower the heat or air conditioning at night and raise them again in the morning. They can save you $100 a year on your energy bill.

3. Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer
   Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.

4. Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner
   Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.

5. Choose energy efficient appliances when making new purchases
   Look for the Energy Star label on new appliances to choose the most efficient models available.

6. Do not leave appliances on standby
   Use the "on/off" function on the machine itself. A TV set that's switched on for 3 hours a day (the average time Europeans spend watching TV) and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode.

7. Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket
   You’ll save 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple action. You can save another 550 pounds per year by setting the thermostat no higher than 50°C.

8. Move your fridge and freezer
   Placing them next to the cooker or boiler consumes much more energy than if they were standing on their own. For example, if you put them in a hot cellar room where the room temperature is 30-35ºC, energy use is almost double and causes an extra 160kg of CO2 emissions for fridges per year and 320kg for freezers.

9. Defrost old fridges and freezers regularly
   Even better is to replace them with newer models, which all have automatic defrost cycles and are generally up to two times more energy-efficient than their predecessors.

10. Don't let heat escape from your house over a long period
    When airing your house, open the windows for only a few minutes. If you leave a small opening all day long, the energy needed to keep it warm inside during six cold months (10ºC or less outside temperature) would result in almost 1 ton of CO2 emissions.

11. Replace your old single-glazed windows with double-glazing
    This requires a bit of upfront investment, but will halve the energy lost through windows and pay off in the long term. If you go for the best the market has to offer (wooden-framed double-glazed units with low-emission glass and filled with argon gas), you can even save more than 70% of the energy lost.

12. Get a home energy audit
    Many utilities offer free home energy audits to find where your home is poorly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.

13. Cover your pots while cooking
    Doing so can save a lot of the energy needed for preparing the dish. Even better are pressure cookers and steamers: they can save around 70%!

14. Use the washing machine or dishwasher only when they are full
    If you need to use it when it is half full, then use the half-load or economy setting. There is also no need to set the temperatures high. Nowadays detergents are so efficient that they get your clothes and dishes clean at low temperatures.

15. Take a shower instead of a bath
    A shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath. To maximise the energy saving, avoid power showers and use low-flow showerheads, which are cheap and provide the same comfort.

16. Use less hot water
    It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.

17. Use a clothesline instead of a dryer whenever possible
    You can save 700 pounds of carbon dioxide when you air dry your clothes for 6 months out of the year.

18. Insulate and weatherize your home
    Properly insulating your walls and ceilings can save 25% of your home heating bill and 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Caulking and weather-stripping can save another 1,700 pounds per year. Energy Efficient has more information on how to better insulate your home.

19. Be sure you’re recycling at home
    You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.

20. Recycle your organic waste
    Around 3% of the greenhouse gas emissions through the methane is released by decomposing bio-degradable waste. By recycling organic waste or composting it if you have a garden, you can help eliminate this problem! Just make sure that you compost it properly, so it decomposes with sufficient oxygen, otherwise your compost will cause methane emissions and smell foul.

21. Buy intelligently
    One bottle of 1.5l requires less energy and produces less waste than three bottles of 0.5l. As well, buy recycled paper products: it takes less 70 to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide.

22. Choose products that come with little packaging and buy refills when you can
    You will also cut down on waste production and energy use!

23. Reuse your shopping bag
    When shopping, it saves energy and waste to use a reusable bag instead of accepting a disposable one in each shop. Waste not only discharges CO2 and methane into the atmosphere, it can also pollute the air, groundwater and soil.

24. Reduce waste
    Most products we buy cause greenhouse gas emissions in one or another way, e.g. during production and distribution. By taking your lunch in a reusable lunch box instead of a disposable one, you save the energy needed to produce new lunch boxes.

25. Plant a tree
    A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. The Arbor Day Foundation has information on planting and provides trees you can plant with membership.

26. Switch to green power
    In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what’s available in your area.

27. Buy locally grown and produced foods
    The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Buying locally will save fuel and keep money in your community.

28. Buy fresh foods instead of frozen
    Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce.

29. Seek out and support local farmers markets
    They reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by one fifth. You can find a farmer’s market in your area at the USDA website.

30. Buy organic foods as much as possible
    Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If we grew all of our corn and soybeans organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere!

31. Eat less meat
    Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath.

32. Reduce the number of miles you drive by walking, biking, carpooling or taking mass transit wherever possible
    Avoiding just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate about 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year! Look for transit options in your area.

33. Start a carpool with your coworkers or classmates
    Sharing a ride with someone just 2 days a week will reduce your carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. eRideShare.com runs a free national service connecting commuters and travelers.

34. Don't leave an empty roof rack on your car
    This can increase fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 10% due to wind resistance and the extra weight - removing it is a better idea.

35. Keep your car tuned up
    Regular maintenance helps improve fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. When just 1% of car owners properly maintain their cars, nearly a billion pounds of carbon dioxide are kept out of the atmosphere.

36. Drive carefully and do not waste fuel
    You can reduce CO2 emissions by readjusting your driving style. Choose proper gears, do not abuse the gas pedal, use the engine brake instead of the pedal brake when possible and turn off your engine when your vehicle is motionless for more than one minute. By readjusting your driving style you can save money on both fuel and car mantainance.

37. Check your tires weekly to make sure they’re properly inflated
    Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by more than 3%. Since every gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, every increase in fuel efficiency makes a difference!

38. When it is time for a new car, choose a more fuel efficient vehicle
    You can save 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year if your new car gets only 3 miles per gallon more than your current one. You can get up to 60 miles per gallon with a hybrid! You can find information on fuel efficiency on FuelEconomy and on GreenCars websites.

39. Try car sharing
    Need a car but don’t want to buy one? Community car sharing organizations provide access to a car and your membership fee covers gas, maintenance and insurance. Many companies – such as Flexcar - offer low emission or hybrid cars too! Also, see ZipCar.

40. Try telecommuting from home
    Telecommuting can help you drastically reduce the number of miles you drive every week. For more information, check out the Telework Coalition.

41. Fly less
    Air travel produces large amounts of emissions so reducing how much you fly by even one or two trips a year can reduce your emissions significantly. You can also offset your air travel by investing in renewable energy projects.

42. Encourage your school or business to reduce emissions
    You can extend your positive influence on global warming well beyond your home by actively encouraging other to take action.

43. Join the virtual march
    The Stop Global Warming Virtual March is a non-political effort to bring people concerned about global warming together in one place. Add your voice to the hundreds of thousands of other people urging action on this issue.

44. Encourage the switch to renewable energy
    Successfully combating global warming requires a national transition to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass. These technologies are ready to be deployed more widely but there are regulatory barriers impeding them. Take action to break down those barriers with Vote Solar.

45. Protect and conserve forest worldwide
    Forests play a critial role in global warming: they store carbon. When forests are burned or cut down, their stored carbon is release into the atmosphere - deforestation now accounts for about 20% of carbon dioxide emissions each year. Conservation International has more information on forests and global warming.

46. Consider the impact of your investments
    If you invest your money, you should consider the impact that your investments and savings will have on global warming. Check out SocialInvest and Ceres to can learn more about how to ensure your money is being invested in companies, products and projects that address issues related to climate change.

47. Make your city cool
    Cities and states around the country have taken action to stop global warming by passing innovative transportation and energy saving legislation. 194 cities nationwide representing over 40 million people have made this pledge as part of the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Find out how to make your city a cool city.

48. Tell Congress to act
    The McCain Lieberman Climate Stewardship and Innovation Act would set a firm limit on carbon dioxide emissions and then use free market incentives to lower costs, promote efficiency and spur innovation. Tell your representative to support it.

49. Make sure your voice is heard!
    Americans must have a stronger commitment from their government in order to stop global warming and implement solutions and such a commitment won’t come without a dramatic increase in citizen lobbying for new laws with teeth. Get the facts about U.S. politicians and candidates at Project Vote Smart and The League of Conservation Voters. Make sure your voice is heard by voting!

50. Share this list!
    Send this page via e-mail to your buddies, digg it, add it to your favourite bookmark site (like del.icio.us); and if you're a blogger, blog it: the more people you will manage to enlighten, the greater YOUR help to save the planet will be (but please take action on first person too)!

What Credit Card Applications really mean!

So you have received a credit card application? You know what it says, but do know what it really means?

What it says: “You have demonstrated financial responsibility…”
What it means: You’re breathing!

What it says: “Our membership is difficult to obtain…”
What it means: Death row prisoners are not eligible… in most states!

What it says: “We have shortened the application process…”
What it means: “We need lots of new members fast or we’ll go out of business!”

What it says: “You have no predetermined credit limit…”
What it means: “We’re not worried, we employ the Break Your Legs collection agency.”

What it says: “Exceptional Customer Service…”
What it means: Except when you need it!

What it says: “Trained customer representatives await your call…”
What it means: “This is the part you talk into, and this is where you listen. Any questions?”

What it says: “To apply for membership, fill out this short form…”
What it means: You’ll get the long form later.

What it says: “You may direct us not to share this information with anyone else…”
What it means: “Catch us, if you can!”

What it says: “We look forward to receiving your completed application…”
What it means: “We baited the hook, let’s see if anyone bites!”

What it says: “You’ve been pre-approved…”
What it means: “You’ve been pre-approved to be Rejected!” or “We’ve already prepared your letter of denial.”

8 Ways to Avoid Germs

Germs — bacteria and viruses — not only threaten us, they can kill.

New scientific evidence is emerging that germs have been linked to heart disease and even cancer.

Do you have a program for limiting and reducing the number of germs that touch your body?

The winter cold and flu season may be upon us, but fighting germs is a yearlong effort.

Recently, WebMD magazine offered some helpful tips for minimizing your chances of picking up a bad bug. Some of their findings are most surprising!

Here are some ways to stop germs:

1. Don't Touch the First Floor Elevator Button!

In an elevator, the first-floor button harbors the most germs because more people touch it than any other button. If you can, let someone else push it so you don't have to touch it, said Charles Gerba, Ph.D., professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona.

If you're alone, use your elbow instead of your finger to press the button. [Use your elbow even if others are there. Who cares if they think you're a little strange!]

2. Dangerous Shopping Cart Handles

Shopping cart handles are prime culprits in the spread of germs. Some supermarkets now offer germ-killing towelette dispensers in the cart area. Bring your own if they don't. Use them to sanitize the cart handle — and never put fresh produce in the cart seat, where diaper-aged children often sit.

3. Watch Those Escalator Handrails

Escalator handrails are loaded with germs. Don't touch them if you can manage without it, Gerba advises.

4. Use the First Toilet

Research shows that most people use the middle stall in public bathrooms, so avoid those. More use means they're the dirtiest and have the most germs.

5. Office Coffee Pots Dripping With Disease

Your office coffee pot and mug may have been cleaned with a sponge dripping with germs (more on these later). Hang on to your own mug, and use a dishwasher when it's time to clean it. Another trick: Keep apple cider vinegar in the office and pour a water-cider solution through the coffee machine weekly. It will help kill bacteria.

6. Kitchen Woes

Be aware that kitchen sponges, dishcloths, the kitchen and bathroom sinks, cutting boards, and even the bathroom floor carry more germs than the toilet seat.

New research suggests that if you want to sterilize your sponge, put it in the microwave for two minutes.

A team of engineering researchers at the University of Florida found that two minutes of microwaving on full power killed or inactivated more than 99 percent of bacteria, viruses, or parasites, as well as spores, on a kitchen sponge.

7. Your Desk Is Dirtier Than the Toilet

Get this: the typical office desk area has 400 times the amount of bacteria than the average toilet seat. Worst offenders: first, the office phone. Then the desk. Finally, the keyboard. Use a disinfectant wipe to clean the desktop, computer keyboard, and phone.

8. Avoid Hand Shaking, Kissing

This may be an impossibility for some. But try to avoid shaking hands or kissing during the flu season.

While there are many steps in preventing disease, perhaps the most important is to wash your hands frequently.

Scrub your hands with warm water and soap for at least 15 to 20 seconds after using the bathroom; eating, working, or playing outdoors; playing with pets; or coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose. Anything less than 15 seconds won't do the job.

Incredibly, 95 percent of people say they wash their hands after using the bathroom, but only 67 percent really do it. Worse, only 33 percent bother to use soap, and only 16 percent wash their hands long enough to remove germs.

One last caveat: Everyone is doing the "antibacterial craze" — getting soaps and wipes that kill germs. Dr. Russell Blaylock suggests occasional use of these products is fine, but frequent use may be bad.

Why?

The antibacterials also kill the good bacteria on your skin that your body needs to defend against the bad bacteria.

Source

Grandma's advice to virgin grand-daughter

There was a virgin that was going out on a date for the first time and she told her grandmother about it.

Her grandmother says, "Sit here and let me tell you about those young boys. He is going to try to kiss you; you are going to like that, but don't let him do that."

She continued, "He is going to try to feel your breast; you are going to like that, but don't let him do that. He is going to try to put his hand between your legs; you are going to like that, but don't let him do that.

Then the grandmother said, "But, most importantly, he is going to try to get on top of you and have his way with you. You are going to like that, but don't let him do that. It will disgrace the family."

With that bit of advice in mind, the granddaughter went on her date and could not wait to tell her grandmother about it.

The next day she told her grandmother that her date went just as the old lady said. She said, "Grandmother, I didn't let him disgrace the family. When he tried, I turned him over, got on top of him and disgraced his family."

Women Gets Prison for Sex with nephew

A 45-year-old New Hudson mother of two was sentenced Tuesday to at least 18 months in prison for having sex with her then-15-year-old nephew at a family gathering.

Edwina Marie Madeja, who was 43 at the time of the June 2005 graduation party at her home, showed no emotion when Oakland County Circuit Judge Rae Lee Chabot sentenced her to 18 months to 15 years in prison.

Initially charged with firstdegree criminal sexual conduct, which carries a potential life sentence, Madeja pleaded no contest to a charge of second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Assistant Oakland County Prosecutor Charles Snell said the boy, now 17, did not have to testify at either a preliminary examination or a trial.

"It's just as devastating for a boy as it is for a girl to be a victim of a sexual assault," Snell said after the sentencing.

Madeja, a financial analyst for an automotive company, told investigators she was intoxicated at the party and did not remember anything.

According to police files, the incident occurred after she had given beer to the boy.

He reported she climbed on top of him after everyone had gone to bed.

The boy, who is from Ohio, did not report the incident until his parents put him in counseling late in 2006, after he showed signs of being suicidal, Snell said.

When the counselor reported the allegations, police in Ohio recorded a conversation between her and the boy, in which she admitted she was the responsible party and she knew it was against the law.

The boy's father read to Chabot a statement written by him and his wife, saying they knew something was wrong with their son but could not immediately figure it out.

A single trip to a counselor opened the boy up.

"His heart was breaking in half, and so was mine. What he told me you had done was the worst thing I could imagine. (My son) is such a caring person that he would rather have died than tell an awful secret that would certainly tear up his family."

Outside court, the father said his son has given up football and hockey, having lost his confidence and ability to trust.

"He is coming along," the father said.

"He just doesn't have the confidence anymore. Now, he won't even look at his (hockey) pads or touch them. It is the saddest thing in the world."

He said watching Detroit Red Wings hockey is lost because it reminds the son of his times in Michigan with family. Days vary, and some are good, but panic attacks creep up at any time, as one did this past Fourth of July during a drive.

The parents' statement included strong words for Madeja.

"I never thought I had to protect my children from my own sister," the father read. "You are so selfish and sick-minded that you were willing to give up your only blood sibling to get away with this heinous crime. I have no use for you anymore.

"You put (my son) in his own prison. Now you deserve your prison."
Source

Woman does handstand-falls from balcony

Orlando, Florida - Authorities say a 20-year-old woman who tried to do a handstand on an apartment balcony plummeted 15 feet to the ground and died of her injuries.

The incident happened Thursday evening near the University of Central Florida Campus in Orlando.

Authorities say Jessica Ashley Hawkins of Alabama was visiting her boyfriend and friends before starting classes at the University of Alabama later this summer.

She had apparently been teased about wearing pajamas before she walked out on a balcony and tried to do a handstand.

Authorities say Hawkins had been drinking earlier in the evening, but it was not clear if alcohol was a factor in her death.

Source

Man Says He Ran Nude To Spice Up Life

DETROIT (AP) - July 14, 2007 - A man who was sentenced to 30 days in jail for taking his daily run while wearing only a stocking cap, gloves and reflective tape said that the nude jogging made him "feel alive," according to police.

Russell Rotta, 49, told police that he had been running naked since he was a teenager and that he generally woke up each day around 4 a.m. to conceal the activity from his wife.

Rotta reported running in the nude six miles a day every day, weather permitting.

"That is the one wild, crazy thing that I do that makes me feel alive," police quoted him as saying.

Rotta pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent exposure May 22 in Jackson County district court. Judge Joseph Filip sentenced him Tuesday to 24 months probation and $1,500 in fines and court costs.

Rotta was arrested early April 4 after a caller reported seeing a naked man running in the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 127 in Blackman Township, about 70 miles west of Detroit.

In the police report, the responding officer wrote that he recalled several reports over the years of a naked man running in the area. The officer said he spotted Rotta by his shoe reflectors as he attempted to cross a road.

Rotta told police he didn't indulge his habit to disturb anyone or receive sexual gratification. He said he generally confined his running to open fields and wooded areas away from roads.

He wore reflective tape around his arms, ankles, waist and thighs to avoid being hit when he crossed roads, the police report said.

Source

Woman turns penny into a $318,000 jackpot

Who says a penny isn't worth anything?

One Delaware woman just might disagree.

Her penny won her the mega jackpot at a penny slots machine.

It happened this week at Dover Downs in Delaware.

"My heart was pounding, pounding all the time," said Ingrid Karas.

Karas was playing the penny slot machine called "King of The Pharaohs" when she became queen of the slots.

The grandmother of three and great grandmother of one had never played the game before, but won the big prize.

"All of a sudden the picture disappears and it says you won $318,000 dollars and all hell breaks loose, you know, and the bells go off and everything," said Karas.

At first Karas thought it had to be a mistake, but she quickly realized she hit the jackpot in the multi-state game called "Cashola."

Karas had been at the casino a couple of hours and was about to call it a day when she decided to give the machine a try because she liked the name.

She and her husband retired to Dover five years ago.

She says she plans to pay off some bills with her winnings and then take some trips.

"We're having a ball thinking all what we are gonna do and where we are gonna go," said Karas
Source

Tips For Enhancing Your Sexual Enjoyment

There are many things you can to do make sex more enjoyable and fun. As always, only use what feels comfortable for you:

Become more present in your body, and feel your body’s sensations.
You can do this by doing body awareness exercises, breathing awareness exercises, meditation, relaxing, walking, dancing, massage, etc. The more present you are overall, the more present you will be during sex.

Let your body move the way it wants to.
There is no right or wrong way to move. In allowing yourself to move freely, you will find yourself feeling more pleasure. Your body knows what it wants and enjoys.

Pay attention to your breathing while making love.
Learn to stay with or focus on the natural rhythm of your breath. Try letting your breath all the way out of your body. On your out-breath, let out a sound. Practice deep belly breathing.

Make love to yourself without rushing or being mechanical.
Discover what is pleasurable to your whole body. Then ask for that when you make love.

Focus on the feelings of pleasure in your body while you make love.

Let go of any expectations you have about sex.
Just let yourself (and your partner) be. You don’t have to act or be any way. Just be the way that feels most right to you.

Accept yourself where you are at — there are no “shoulds”
Pushing yourself to be where you're not won't get you there any quicker -- and may even make things harder for you.

Touch each other in non-sexual ways:

Explore each others' bodies.
With your partner, spend time touching each other all over except for explicitly sexual areas, only touch each other where you feel comfortable touching or being touched.

Give and receive slow and luxurious massages with your partner.

Hug each other, full body to body.
Close your eyes and really feel your partner against you. Feel their breath, the movement of their stomach. Smell their hair, their skin.


Take the focus off your genitals or an orgasm when you make love; your whole body is an erogenous zone.

Concentrate on the emotional connection you have with your partner when you make love.
Hold eye contact, talk lovingly with each other, talk sex-talk, stroke each others’ face and hair — do all the things that help you to feel safe and grounded with your lover.

Take sex slowly, don’t rush it. Just enjoy yourself.

Stop making love whenever you need to.
Stop when you feel scared, uncomfortable, spaced out, or numb. Talk about it. Start again if you want to and stop if it happens again. Stopping and starting not only help you to feel safe or in control, it can help you to increase your comfort with different levels of sexual arousal and pleasure.

Talk about sex outside the bedroom.
Talk about what you enjoy, want, and fantasize about. Learn to make clear and direct sexual requests.

Incorporate anything that helps you to feel good about yourself and your body, or that increases your sensual/sexual feelings, into sex.
Play music, wear comfortable clothes, dim the lighting, light candles, put on perfume, use massage oils, etc.

Show your partner what makes you feel good.

Guide your partner’s hand to areas of your body and show your partner the way you like to be touched.

Pleasure your own body while your partner holds you or touches you elsewhere.


Be emotionally and physically affectionate with each other in and outside the bedroom.

Be playful with your partner.

Read erotica together.

Try sex toys on your own and with your partner.

Laugh together. Sex doesn't have to be serious.

Maintain an open and curious approach to sex.
Be willing to try new things -- as far as you're comfortable.

Maintain open and honest communication in your relationship.
You'd be surprised at how much this can enhance your pleasure together.

Take turns pleasuring each other the way you like to be pleasured.

Try not to overreact to unsatisfying sexual experiences. Try laughing it off.

Try to let go of thoughts that interfere with your sexual enjoyment.
Focus on the present moment.

Ask for what you want.
Practice taking up space, asking for what you want, saying how you feel, asserting yourself, saying what feels uncomfortable to you, making sounds, dancing, and moving your body.

Be gentle and compassionate with yourself and your lover.
If you're having a hard time with any aspect of sex, the best thing you can do for yourself is to be patient and understanding with where you are. The enjoyment will come.

Signs of Pregnancy

A missed period
This might be one of the first signs of pregnancy you actually notice. If you have regular cycles you may be able to detect that you are pregnant when you miss your period. This is one of the most reliable signs of being pregnant.

Scientific basis: A period occurs when the body stops producing progesterone (a hormone that plays a special role in the female menstrual cycle and in pregnancy) temporarily. This causes the uterus to shed its lining. When you become pregnant your body starts producing a lot of progesterone to sustain the baby. There is no progesterone withdrawal and no period. Period.

Abdominal bloating and breast tenderness
If your periods are not very regular it might be a little tough to notice a missed period. Abdominal bloating is another sign to look out for. Dr Anjali Rajurkar, an obstetrician from Mumbai, offers this tip, "If you have been trying to get pregnant and your jeans suddenly feel snug check if you are exhibiting other signs of pregnancy".
Further, you might notice that your breasts have suddenly turned sore and sensitive.

Scientific basis: Both abdominal bloating and breast tenderness result from the high levels of hormones your body starts producing when you become pregnant.

Fatigue and sleepiness
You just woke up and had a cup of coffee. But you can't wait to go back to bed again. You feel tired all the time. Well, most pregnant women experience a high degree of fatigue and sleepiness in their first trimester.

Scientific basis: No one knows for sure why this happens. But experts believe that the high levels of progesterone in your body might be responsible for this feeling of exhaustion.

Nausea and vomiting
Finally! And you thought we would never mention it.
For some women nausea is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. They start feeling unusually queasy and certain odours become very repulsive. Though the nausea and vomiting you experience in the first trimester of pregnancy is called morning sickness, it could occur at any time of the day. It is often triggered by meals. But if you do not have any nausea during the first trimester, do not panic. You might be one of the lucky few who escapes this ordeal entirely.

Scientific basis: Again, blame it on your hormones. Experts believe that high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, a hormone vital for the sustenance of pregnancy, causes morning sickness.

Bleeding
Some women experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding when they become pregnant. When the fetus implants itself on the wall of the uterus this can happen. The bleeding is extremely light and might last a couple of days. In any case, if you spot vaginal bleeding, contact your obstetrician to rule out other causes.

Should you take a test?
The five signs detailed above are physical signs or symptoms. It is important to remember that some women might not experience many of the early symptoms of pregnancy, except for the missed period. You need not wait to experience all these symptoms before you take a pregnancy test. If you have been trying to conceive and you feel a couple of the above symptoms you could try taking a pregnancy test.

A word of caution: Over eagerness to get pregnant might make you take the tests too often leading to frequent disappointments if they turn out negative. It is natural to be curious but try and wait for a few signs before you turn to the test.

The pregnancy test
A home pregnancy test is one of the easier ways to test if you are pregnant. These kits are available over the counter at most medical stores. The directions are clear and easy to follow. The test takes two minutes and is pretty reliable too. All it requires is a drop of urine. If your test is positive it might be a good idea to repeat the test with your nearest lab and then schedule an appointment with your obstetrician.
If it is negative, remember that the test is not highly sensitive and might become positive only a week after the missed period. So if you have not had a missed period perform the test after you do.

Why Breakfast Is so Important?

Why breakfast is important

Nutrients

A proper breakfast should provide us with about a quarter of our daily intake of energy and nutrients. Skip breakfast and you risk missing out on vitamins and minerals that are not always made up for in later meals and snacks.

Some people miss breakfast because they don't feel hungry or because they think they have no time. Whereas others mistakenly believe that cutting out breakfast will help them to lose weight. In reality, the opposite is true. Evidence shows that avoiding breakfast actually makes it harder to lose weight. Breakfast eaters also tend to have lower fat diets and be slimmer than breakfast skippers!

Breakfast for brilliant minds

High carbohydrate foods are great brain foods as they supply the brain with its essential fuel, glucose. Glucose is the primary fuel for the brain. Studies have shown that children who miss breakfast often have a shorter attention span and may struggle to concentrate in the morning than if they have eaten breakfast. In fact, children who eat breakfast that includes a cereal high in complex carbohydrate have been shown to be more creative and have a better memory.

It's not just the type of food you eat which keeps the brain working at its best, timing is also important. A mid-morning high carbohydrate snack may also help to improve mental performance and memory before lunch. Perhaps if more people realised that eating breakfast not only can help to improve their performance during the day but also adds to the nutritional value of their total daily diet, they would think again.

Why Exercise Gets Harder With Age.

There is a reason why people feel they have to exercise harder as they age to get the same results, scientists say.
A US team found a system that boosts muscles fails with age, leading to the need for increased efforts, the paper in Cell Metabolism reported.

The finding could also help foster an understanding of type 2 diabetes, which is linked to ageing, the study said.

But a UK expert said there was little point in people exercising harder, as muscle function could not be regained.


Loss of skeletal muscle mass and function as we age is a major problem
Dr Anne McArdle, University of Liverpool

It is known that even the fittest 70-year-old has more fat in their muscles and livers than a 20-year-old.

These fat cells have been linked to the rise in insulin resistance - where the hormone is not processed properly - and type 2 diabetes, which is connected to ageing.

Elite athletes

The team from the Howard Hughes Medical School at Yale University School of Medicine, compared the skeletal muscle of three-month-old rats and two-year-olds.

They found that a process called AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) slowed down in the older animals.

AMPK's role in skeletal muscle is to stimulate the body to burn off fat and to fuel cells, via the production of mitochondria - cells' power sources.

The skeletal muscles of marathon runners has been found to have a much greater mitochondrial content and a greater capacity to burn fat, which the scientists say is probably linked to high levels of AMPK activity.

The animals were exposed to a chemicals which stimulates AMPK and were also fed more food, which also stimulates the process.

They found that the older rats had lower AMPK activity than the younger animals.

In addition, the muscle of young rats who did more exercise had double the normal AMPK activity - up to 38% - while in older rats, this effect was "severely blunted."

Quality of life

Dr Gerald Shulman, who led the research, said: "The message is that, with ageing, the AMPK pathway has reduced activity."

He said this meant a person would have to work harder when trying to maintain the same benefits from exercise as they did when they were young.

"AMPK activity in our skeletal muscle is probably a good thing because it activation stimulates glucose uptake, increases fat oxidation [fat burning], and promotes mitochondrial biogenesis [production]," he said.

Dr Shulman added that the reduction could be a contributing factor to the development of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes because of its effect on fat burning and mitochondria production.

Dr Anne McArdle, an ageing specialist at the University of Liverpool, said: "Loss of skeletal muscle mass and function as we age is a major problem which has a significant effect on quality of life of older people.

"Studies which examine the mechanisms by which muscle function is lost are crucial to the development of interventions aimed at maintenance of muscle mass and function in later life."

Dr McArdle said this study supported other work which had suggested the response of skeletal muscles and other tissues was affected by stresses, including exercise.

But she added: "The data suggest that the ability to increase AMPK activity is completely abolished and so there is little evidence to suggest that 'working harder' would overcome these deficiencies."

10 Tips For Healthy And Permanent Weight Loss

Your weight reflects your total calorie consumption, how much you exercise,
and your metabolic rate, but the composition of the food you eat is also important.
Here are some tips.

1. Reduce carbs.Eating a low-carbohydrate, low-GL diet will help you control your appetite
and decrease cravings. You'll feel full sooner, you'll find it far easier to stop eating once
you're satisfied, and you'll find yourself less hungry between meals. If you are trying to
lose weight, we recommend you keep total carbohydrates under one-sixth of your calories
and eliminate all high-GL carbohydrates such as sugary foods, pastas, and breads.

2.Reduce fats. Reducing fat in the diet aids weight loss because high-fat foods are more
calorically dense.

3.Go for veggies.The ideal category: low-starch vegetables

4.Eat fiber. Consume at least 25 grams per day

5.Don't switch foods radically. While you are losing weight, we strongly recommend against diets
that involve eating in a significantly different way from how you intend to eat when not "dieting."

6.Make health, not weight loss, your goal

7.A major reason people get discouraged and drop out of weight-loss programs is weight plateaus.
Gained muscle mass and blood-vessel expansion due to exercise may temporarily halt weight loss
or cause a small gain, but these are actually very desirable phenomena. Since muscle weighs
more than fat, you can lose body fat and inches without dropping pounds if you are building
muscles at the same time. Changes in medication, menstruation, constipation, water retention,
and other factors may also cause weight loss to slow down or even reverse. Remember that
your goal is to lose body fat. None of these factors causes an increase in body fat, so do not be
discouraged by minor shifts of weight in the wrong direction. Be patient.

8.Don't rush weight reduction.Setting your daily caloric level to match your target weight's maintenance
level is the best way to lose weight once and to keep it off.

9.Get exercise. Physical activity is very important for burning calories

10.Raise your metabolic rate.

Boost Your Brain Power..

Have you ever noticed that some people effortlessly learn new concepts and materials while others struggle? Napoleon Bonaparte learned the names of thousands of his loyal soldiers. World champion chess players can replay games in their mind from years ago. I have often wondered how these intellectual marvels have accomplished such great feats.

Some were born with extraordinarily high IQ’s, but certainly not all.

Fortunately, there are a number of techniques that will help you to learn faster, study better, and begin absorbing information like a sponge.

Here are 7 tips to get you started.

1. Teach Someone Else.

If there’s something you want to learn, try teaching it to someone else.

Traditional studying helps you to memorize ideas but teaching it to someone else forces you to truly ‘get’ all of the concepts and apply them to a number of solutions. To teach others you must anticipate any potential questions and explore the topic from all angles. Teaching others will dramatically increase your own understanding.

2. Write an Article.

It’s easy to learn about something in a book. However, it’s a completely different story to write an article or even a book about a particular topic. If you want to become an expert in the topic of your choice, write a book about it. This will allow you to explore every aspect of what you are learning. By writing about it you will soon begin connecting new ideas with things you already know, creating an interlinking web of knowledge.

3. Start a Blog.

Start a blog that talks about your experiences with a subject in order to increase your learning. I have found that starting my own blog has been the greatest learning experience of my entire life.

Writing a blog requires you to learn information backwards and forwards and then explain it in plain English to others. If you are looking to take your brain power to the next level, then I would highly suggest that you start your own blog.

It is sure to be one of the most intellectually stimulating activities you ever do.

4. Treat Your Body Well.

When you’re trying to increase your learning speed, you need to make sure you are feeding your brain – quite literally. The brain is a part of your body that requires plenty of fuel and oxygen in order to work efficiently. In the task of learning, you need to be feeding and treating your body well to maximize this process. This means that you should:

* Eat every few hours to keep your blood sugar levels up.
* Exercise on a daily basis.
* Try to relax a few minutes each day.
* Sleep at least seven hours each night.
* Stay hydrated with water.
* Eat a light lunch. Heavy lunches tend to make people drowsy. Instead, recharge with a light lunch and a power walk.


5. Learn with All Five Senses.

While everyone learns in different ways, we all began the learning process by seeing pictures and then translating them into ideas. From the earliest picture books, we were learning how to learn through our visual senses.

When you’re trying to learn something quickly, it can help to create a visual picture of the topic in your mind.

Draw it out on paper as well. It can be a picture, a graph, a chart, or just a timeline.

Keep adding to your mental picture as you learn more and recreate the picture in your head whenever you think of it.

However, don’t limit yourself to just visual pictures. Learn with all five senses.

For example, if you want to learn about Buenos Aires, the best thing for you to do is to book a trip, explore the city, take some tango lessons, enjoy the local cuisine, and talk with the locals. You haven’t learned anything until you have put it into practice in your own life. Engage in learning through touch, sight, sound, hearing, and smell.

6. Increase Your Motivation.

Motivation is the greatest memory enhancer. Think about all of the college students who pull an all-nighter to cram for a test. They have incredible motivation because they have done little studying before hand and now must absorb all of the information in one night. They can master the material because they want to. Actually, they have to. And this motivation kicks their learning into high gear. Unfortunately, cramming produces poor long-term retention.

If you’re not a procrastinating college student but still want to motivate yourself, then nothing beats a good reward. If you create a reward system that you actually look forward to, you will be able to learn faster in anticipation of that reward.

For example, if you study or work to learn a subject for so many hours or for so many pages, you might reward yourself with a trip to the store, some video game time, or perhaps your favorite TV show. Create whatever type of motivation works for you.

7. Learn While You Sleep.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to spend your sleep hours learning your studies simply by pressing play on the CD player? Yes, it does sound nice. Unfortunately, university studies have shown that you cannot during deep sleep or dream sleep, which makes
up most of your sleeping time.

However, evidence has shown that you can learn in the very light sleep that precedes deep sleep.

Keep in mind that this material must be limited to facts, dates, vocabulary and other objective material. You can not learn complex material during the first stages of sleep.

More recently, German researchers have found that by using electrical stimulation during a particular phase of the sleep cycle, they can improve a person’s ability toremember facts.

So, who knows what kind of new learning technologies we will see in the future.

Weak in maths? Blame your sleep pattern

Parents whose children are weak at mathematics, reading and writing better watch out for symptoms of sleep disorders in their kids. Research suggests that such symptoms may cause students to have more trouble academically than their peers.


Authored by Alyssa Bachmann of Chappaqua Public Schools in New York, USA, the study was focused on the parents of 218 second and third graders, who completed Sleep Disorders Inventory for Students -- Child Form, a brief screening tool validated for use in schools.


The results showed that students with reported symptoms of sleep disorders received significantly worse grades, specifically in maths, reading and writing, than students without symptoms of sleep disorders.


"This study, which identified the relationship between the prevalence of symptoms of sleep disorders and academic performance in second and third graders, found that screening students at school with a validated school-based instrument may identify students to be referred for appropriate medical and/ or behavioural treatment," said Bachmann.


Experts recommend that children in pre-school sleep between 11-13 hours a night, and school-aged children between 10-11 hours a night.


They suggest that parents who suspect their child might be suffering from a sleep disorder must consult with their child's paediatrician, who will then refer them to a sleep specialist.


The study was presented at SLEEP 2007, the 21st Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.


According to experts, children should follow following steps to get a good night's sleep:


1. Follow a consistent bedtime routine.


2. Establish a relaxing setting at bedtime.


3. Get a full night's sleep every night.


4. Avoid foods or drinks that contain caffeine, as well as any medicine that has a stimulant, prior to bedtime.


5. Do not go to bed hungry, but don't eat a big meal before bedtime either.


6. The bedroom should be quiet, dark and cool.


7. Get up at the same time every morning.

10 Useless or Even Dangerous First Aid Myths

1. Sucking Venom From a Snakebite

Cutting the skin of a snakebite victim to suck out the poison
may be a classic first-aid technique, but doctors now say
it’s useless and even dangerous. “Cutting and sucking, or
applying a tourniquet or ice does nothing to help,” says Dr.
Robert Barish, an emergency physician at the University of
Maryland. The outdated measures “may do more harm than
good by delaying prompt medical care, contaminating the
wound or by damaging nerves and blood vessels,” Barish
says in an article released by the university’s School of
Medicine and the Rocky Mountain Poison Center.

“The victim should be moved out of harm’s way and
transported to the nearest medical facility as soon as
possible,” Barish advises. So the best cure for snakebite: a
cell phone and a helicopter.

2. Peeing on a Jellyfish Sting

You’re far more likely to suffer a jellyfish sting than a shark
bite, so here’s what you need to know:

First, don’t believe the rumors. Peeing on a stung bit of skin
won’t do much to relieve suffering, and you’ll suffer some
odd stares, too, doctors say.

“Urine has not been scientifically proven to help in jellyfish
stings”, said Dr. Paul Auerbach, an emergency physician at
Stanford University Hospital and an expert on jellyfish stings.

“Instead, vinegar is the best first treatment,” he said, when
treating stings from North American jellyfish.

But the question still lingers, if no vinegar is in sight is urine
better than nothing? While studies haven’t proven it,
Auerbach admits he’s known a few people who said urine
worked for them.

3. Drinking Booze to Ease a Toothache

“A shot of whiskey is not going to kill the pain of a
toothache,” says Charles Wakefield, D.D.S., director of
advanced education in general dentistry at Baylor University
medical school. Instead of a whiskey on the rocks, just
order the rocks: A Canadian study found that rubbing an ice
cube on people’s hands killed tooth pain in 50 percent of
them. Wrap the cube and rub it on the V-shaped soft spot
of your hand, where the bones of your thumb and index
finger meet. The cold, rubbing sensation travels on the same
pathway to the brain as tooth pain, and by icing your hand,
you override the signals from your mouth. When you’re
finished, call a dentist. And pour yourself that whiskey.

4. Slathering Butter on a Burn

Putting butter, Crisco, or any other kind of grease on a burn
can trap heat, cause scarring, and lead to infection. “When
you’ve burned yourself, you’ve damaged the integrity of the
skin, and butter is not the cleanest thing in the world,” says
Ben Wedro, M.D., an emergency-room doctor at the
Gundersen Clinic in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Your impulse to
douse the burn in ice water is off base as well; the drastic
temperature change can cause more pain. Instead, use cool
water to soothe and clean the area.

5. Slapping a Raw Steak on a Black Eye

In the movies, you always see someone put a raw steak
over their black eye. While it may feel good, the grease from
the steak might get into the eye, causing more
inflammation.

“The only medical merit this has is if it’s a cold steak,” says
Flip Homansky, M.D., who’s seen his share of shiners in his
work for the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which
regulates Las Vegas’s boxing bouts. “The cold will decrease
swelling, but there is no enzyme or anything else in a raw
steak that will help otherwise.” The fact that the steak,
compared with blocks of ice or ice cubes, can be formed to
fit over the eye is another benefit, but a cheaper and less
bacteria-prone solution is a bag of frozen peas, or crushed
ice in a plastic bag wrapped in a towel. And remember, you
will still end up with bruising.

6. Apply Peroxide to Cuts and Scrapes and Leave Open to Air

“I am not a fan of peroxide,” Richard O’Brien, MD, says.
Some authorities even think it can kill the body’s cells that
are rushing to fend off intruding bacteria and germs trying to
enter the wound. O’Brien prefers soap and water - or just
clean water - to flush out bits of dirt and irrigate the
wound. Even hose water will do.

“We go by clean, treat, and protect,” he says. Clean a cut
or scrape, apply antibiotic ointment, and bandage it. “Some
people like to let wounds air, but I find they heal faster if
they are protected. More importantly, if they are
bandaged, the person, especially a child, will protect them
better. You can’t imagine how many times people will
reinjure the same place! I see it all the time. Bandaging
makes it less likely the wound will be reopened.”

Any cut that goes beyond the top layer of skin might need
stitches. Generally, the sooner stitches are put in, the lower
risk of infection.

7. People May Swallow Their Tongues During a Seizure

It’s commonplace in movies. Someone has a seizure and a
passerby sticks something in the patient’s mouth so they
don’t swallow their tongue and block their airway. “People
can control their own airway,” Richard O’Brien, MD, says.
“Don’t stick anything in there.” If the person is outside, let
him or her roll around on the ground. It’s OK.

When a person is having a seizure, don’t hold the person
down as this can result in injury. Just remove sharp objects
- glasses, furniture etc. - from around the person to prevent
injury.

8. If You Get a Bee Sting, You Must Squeeze Out the Stinger

Never do this! Squeezing the stinger may allow venom still in
the sac to get into your system. “Scrape the stinger out
with a credit card,” Richard O’Brien, MD, says. “Even those
acrylic nails work, if they are clean.” If the person is getting
red or having trouble breathing, dial 911. This can be serious
or even fatal.

Another bee sting remedy is putting baking soda on it. This
one actually works. Mix baking soda with water to form a
thick paste and slap it on ASAP. “The sting is produced by
an acid, and if you put baking soda on as soon as you can,
it neutralizes that acid,” says Stephen Purcell, D.O.,
chairman of the division of dermatology at the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic Medicine. If you don’t have baking
soda, wet the affected area and rub it with an uncoated
aspirin; the aspirin will help control swelling, pain, and
inflammation.

9. Throw Your Head Back to Stop a Nosebleed

“Don’t put your head between your knees or tip your head
back,” Richard O’Brien, MD, says. The latter is especially bad
because you can breathe the blood into your lungs or get it
in your stomach and vomit.

“Press the fleshy part of your nose,” O’Brien says, “and not
the part where your glasses sit - lower than that - as if you
are trying to stop a bad smell.” Now - and this is the
important part - press firmly for a complete 10 minutes by
the clock. “People don’t do that, they let up every three
seconds to see if it stopped,” he says. Ten minutes! O’Brien
says there are also medications and little nostril plugs for
people who get frequent nosebleeds.

If a nosebleed lasts for more than 15 minutes, occurs
following a serious injury, or is accompanied by severe blood
loss, you should call your doctor or go to the emergency
room.

10. If You Get Shin Splints, Running More Will Ease Them

Anyone who has run or hiked too much without conditioning
has probably experienced shin pain. “This is really called
medial tibial stress syndrome,” says Jim Thornton, MA, a
certified athletic trainer and head trainer at Clarion
University of Pennsylvania. Basically the muscle attached to
the shinbone is tearing loose. The inflammation - or pain - is
a response on the way to healing.

“If you continue to pound the tears,” Thornton tells WebMD,
“it will not heal. The key is to have it evaluated because it
means your muscles are out of balance. If you run again
when the pain lets up, dial back the mileage, because shin
splints can end up in a stress fracture.”

26 Diet Mistakes !

STOP right there! Before you start any weight loss program, do yourself a favour and read over these 26 common diet mistakes.

1. Unrealistic, impatient goals
Studies show that people who lose weight slowly keep it off longer. No one solves a weight problem overnight. A healthy, realistic weight loss plan means losing 1-2 pounds a week.

2. Skipping breakfast
Eating a good breakfast is critical for providing you with energy to make it through the morning without reaching for high-fat/high-sugar snacks.

3. Not tracking food intake
You may not keep an official "diet diary," but you should keep track of what you eat in order to control the quality and quantity of food intake

4. Not drinking enough water
For weight control and optimal health, drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.

5. Choosing juice over fresh fruit
Not only is juice packed with calories compared to its fresh counterpart, but it offers none of the fibre found in whole fruit.

6. Other high-calorie liquids
The calories you drink count; even when they come from nutritious beverages like low-fat milk. Be especially cautious with sports drinks and power shakes.

7. Not reading labels properly
When reading labels, be sure to note portion size, fat, calories, etc. And make concessions for larger portions.

8. Overindulgence of “fat-free” snacks
Many low and no-fat snacks are loaded with sugar to compensate for the lack of fat; therefore they often contain more calories per serving than the original version.

9. Swearing off favourite treats
Putting specific favourite foods on the forbidden list just makes them more desirable, leading to a deprived feeling. Indulging occasionally is okay; live a little!

10. Always opting for vegetarian dishes
Although vegetables are low in calories and fat, they're often cooked in large amounts of oil. To avoid those extra calories, grill or steam your veggies (or ask the chef to).

11. Only eating salads
Beware of high-calorie, high-fat toppings like cheese, croutons, bacon bits and dressing.

12. Nibbling
Sampling, licking fingers or simply popping a bite-sized leftover into your mouth are all common kitchen practices, but they will pack on unwanted pounds without you even realizing it.

13. Pigging out while dining out
The average Canadian eats out more than 200 times a year. Ask about ingredients and preparation, request sauces and dressings on the side, and order à-la-carte. Take half home. Share a dessert. Budget (reduce) calories in advance, so you can enjoy it without the guilt.

14. Making assumptions or uninformed choices
Some seemingly "healthy" options can be diet nightmares. i.e. A fish sandwich is a safe choice. Wrong! The fish is usually breaded, fried and covered in tartar sauce with more fat and calories than a hamburger. And wraps: A tortilla, even without toppings, can contain up to 400 calories.

15. Avoiding snacks
The best way to cut back on calories is to stop eating between meals. WRONG! You'll just be hungrier and more likely to binge at mealtime. Just be sure to make healthy snack choices.


16. Never having dessert
While the key to weight loss is changing bad eating habits, it's not good to ban desserts completely. Allow yourself to indulge in small portions, and you're less likely to binge later.

17. Starving yourself
When you severely restrict caloric intake, for example, eating just less than 1,000 calories a day, your metabolism slows. Plus, when you increase calories, the pounds come back twice as fast.

18. Avoiding fat
As well as being important for nutrient absorption, fat makes you feel satisfied and full. Total fat intake should not exceed 30% of daily caloric intake (saturated fat should not exceed 10%).

19. Eating carbohydrates
Like fat, carbohydrates can't be avoided altogether; they are the body's main source of energy and should make up about 55 to 60% of daily food intake.

20. Obsessive weighing in
Since daily weight fluctuations are mostly due to water and chemistry changes, depending on constant weigh-ins as a measure of success can put you on an emotional roller coaster.

21. Pigging out because you work out
I’m guessing you're not working out to be able to eat more, but rather to shed pounds and improve overall health. Monitor food intake, even on days when you exercise.

22. Eating too quickly
It takes 20 minutes for you to feel full; therefore you'll probably overeat if you stuff your face before the signal has time to make its way from your stomach to your brain.

23. Eating large meals
Eating several small meals a day prevents intense binging and stabilizes blood sugar.

24. Drinking too much coffee
While it's true that coffee may give you a temporary jolt, this isn't a healthy way to lose weight. Drinking too much caffeine can cause dehydration and disturb sleep patterns.

25. “Diet is enough” mentality
When we start a diet program our body slows down in order to conserve energy, which causes weight loss to slow down, too. Exercise will burn calories, boost energy and help reduce body fat.

26. Not rewarding yourself
Positive reinforcement in the form of non-food rewards will help keep your motivation high: a movie, a massage, or perhaps new earrings, whenever you meet a 1, 2 or 5 pound goal. Just think about it: If you can rectify (and maintain) one of these mistakes per week, you’ll be a happy, healthier you in one year and on your way to a thinner, healthier future.

Why do we Yawn?

Latest research shows that yawning helps in keeping the brain cool, contradicting the popular belief that yawning promotes sleep and is a sign of tiredness.

Yawning involves opening the mouth involuntarily while taking a long, deep breath of air. It is commonly believed that people yawn as a result of drowsiness or weariness because they need oxygen.

However, researchers at the University of Albany in New York said their experiments on 44 students showed that drawing in air helps cool the brain and helps it work more effectively.





They said that their experiments showed that raising or lowering oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood did not produce that reaction.

Study participants were shown videos of people laughing, being neutral and yawning, and researchers counted how many times the volunteers responded to their own "contagious yawns," reported the online edition of BBC News.

The researchers found that those who breathed through the nose rather than the mouth were less likely to yawn when watching a video of other people yawning. This was because vessels in the nasal cavity sent cool blood to the brain.







The same effect was found among those who held a cool pack to their forehead, whereas those who held a warm or room-temperature pack yawned while watching the video.

"Since yawning occurs when brain temperature rises, sending cool blood to the brain serves to maintain optimal levels of mental efficiency," the authors wrote in the journal Evolutionary Psychology.

Is Soya Good for You?

You may or may not like tofu, soya nuggets and soya milk, but you might have definitely heard that it is good for you.
In fact, some people mix soya flour with wheat to add that 'extra' protein in their diet.
However, some forms of soya can actually be bad for your health.


…But First

If you don't know exactly what soya is, here's a low down. Soya bean is actually a legume like your dals (lentils), beans and peas.
It contains nutrients and minerals that are great for health. And the best thing about soya is that its protein levels are really high and carbohydrate levels are really low.


So if you are worried about not getting enough protein because you are vegetarian, or if you are allergic to lactose in milk, then soya could be the answer to your prayers.
According to Dr. Anjali Mukerjee, Health Total, medical researches have shown strong connection between consumption of soy foods and prevention of heart diseases by lowering blood cholesterol levels, osteoporosis, cancer, kidney diseases and relief of menopausal symptoms.

What Is Good, What Is Bad?

Dr. Mukerjee says, "Yes, soy is definitely good for your health. It is however, important to note that soybean, apart from very good nutrition, contain certain anti-nutritional properties. These need to be inactivated to safe level prior to food use. You should therefore use processed soybean for food use."
Also, Dr. Mukerjee says that people who suffer from Irritable bowel syndrome or are allergic to soybean should avoid taking soy products.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), much of the research to date has examined dietary soya in the form of whole foods such as tofu, soya milk, or as soya protein added to foods. Some chemicals present in commercial soya these days have a drug-like effect in your body. This effect may be increased if you are postmenopausal.
In fact, high consumptions of soya might even increase the risk of cancer, particularly breast cancer.
Mumbai-based Nutritionist Naini Setalvad says, "Excess soya is very bad. This is simply because soya contains too much protein. That is why it is okay to eat soya in the fermented form i.e. as tofu or soya sauce."
According to Naini, nowadays, due to the popularity of soya and so much of health awareness, soya is being grown commercially. This just means that there are a whole lot of chemicals that are being added to soya, which is taking away its entire nutrient content, thus soya is no longer organic anymore.
"In fact," she continues, "Even though soya was considered non-allergenic, now it is one of the top 10 allergic products in the world."
According to Naini, we must understand that soya is not ideal for the Indian diet. She says, "In India, we have a huge range of pulses and legumes that are ideal for the Indian palate. We really don't need to incorporate other ideas thinking they will be suitable for us."


Naini recommends that it's best to stay away from soya flour or atta and soya bean. Soya is best in the fermented form. So you can have tofu and soya sauce, but in reasonable amounts.

You can buy soya as processed food or it is natural form. Here are some forms of soya that are good for you, provided you have it in moderation.

Soya Bean Curd

Soya bean curd, or tofu, is the coagulated form of soya bean milk. Tofu is a rather bland version of paneer.
You may not like it because of its unflavoured taste, but its tender and delicate texture can be extremely nutritious.
Nowadays, tofu is becoming popular as a health freak's staple diet and more often than not, if you start on a diet, then tofu will definitely be on your must-haves foods-to-eat list.
The best thing about tofu is that since it is so delicate, you don't have to cook it much. Therefore, a little tofu stir fry with veggies, using minimalist oil, certainly turns out to be an overall healthy meal.

Soya Nuggets

This is the pure unprocessed form of soya. These are readily available in all grocery stores and bazaars. The best thing about these soya nuggets is that if you cook it like any other curry, it tastes very much like meat.
So, in effect, you are eating something that is vegetarian, and yet getting the taste and nutrients of non-vegetarian foods.
Here's how you can compare the nutritional values of soya to meat:


Per (100gms) Soybean nuggets---- Meat (lamb)
Calories___________ 432 kcal ----194kcal
Protein ____________43 gm---- 18.5gm
Fat _______________19.5 gm ----13.3gm
Carbohydrate _______20.9 gm--- nil



Soya Milk

Soya milk is also fast becoming a health freak's staple drink.
It is made from soya bean crushed with water and made into a milky liquid. Known to have good protein quantities, soya milk also contains added nutrients like Vitamin B.
Apart from that, soya milk does not contain lactose from milk, and is great for those who are lactose intolerant.
Here's a comparison of soya milk to cow's milk:


Foods ____Soya milk (240 ml)---- Cow milk (240 ml)

Calories (Kcal)___ 79_________ 121
Protein (gm) ______7 _____________8
Fat (gm) __________5_____________ 5
Carbohydrate (gm) _4 __________12
Fibre (gm) _______3___________ 0


Soya Bean Oil

Soya bean oil is the oil that is extracted from soya beans. Known popularly as vegetable oil, this oil does not contain much saturated fat, which increases cholesterol and is a risk for cardiac problems.
Apart from that, soya bean oil also contains natural anti-oxidants that are healthy for your body and hence is much safer than any animal fat.

Soya Flour

Soya flour is simply soya bean crushed into a powder. Rich in proteins and other minerals, this flour can be used for sauces and soups, as well as for bakery items, and is even packaged as baby food.
According to Dr. Mukerjee, soya flour is a great source of protein and contains fibre, B vitamins, and antioxidants.


How Much To Have?
Dr. Mukerjee says, "Soya and soya products are good enough to be consumed on a daily basis. Approximately 100 gms of soyabean taken on a daily basis will help your body avoid menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, delay bone degeneration, and also reduce risk to heart diseases."
Hence, it is advisable to add 50-100 gms of soya and soya products in form of tofu, soya flour, soya milk, soya oil, etc into our daily menu, at least 4-5 times in a week.

Shy people more likely to have heart disease

People who are shy face a higher risk of dying from a heart disease or stroke than those who are sociable, according to a latest study conducted in the US.

Shyness is the feeling of apprehension or lack of confidence experienced by a person with regard to social association with others.

The results of the study showed that sociable men have been found to have healthier hearts than their more reserved friends. It found that the shrinking violets are 50 percent more likely to die from a heart disease or stroke, reported the online edition of Daily Mail.

Researchers from Chicago's Northwestern University tracked the health of more than 2,000 men over three decades. At the start of the study, the men, who were aged between 40 and 55, filled in questionnaires designed to set their levels of sociability.

By the end of the study, 60 percent had died and the analysts went to work. Comparing the questionnaire results with death certificate details revealed a clear link between shyness and heart disease, the researchers said.

The shyest men were 50 percent more likely to have died of a heart attack or stroke than the most outgoing men, the study said.

This was true even when factors more commonly linked to heart disease such as smoking, high levels of cholesterol and obesity were taken into account. There was, however, no link between sociability and other ailments.

The researchers admitted, in the journal Annals of Epidemiology, that it was not clear why unsociable men should have more heart problems.

Why call center people are paid more...

PEOPLE WONDER WHY THE CALL CENTRE GUYS R PAID SO MUCH......FOR JUST BEING ON THE PHONE.
TAKE A LOOK:
1 ) Tech Support : "I need you to right-click on the Open Desktop."
Customer : "Ok."
Tech Support : "Did you get a pop-up menu?"
Customer : "No."
Tech Support : "Ok. Right click again. Do you see a pop-up menu?"
Customer : "No."
Tech Support : "Ok, sir. Can you tell me what you have done up until this point?"
Customer : "Sure, you told me to write 'click' and I wrote 'click'."
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2) Customer : "I received the software update you sent, but I am still getting the same error message."
Tech Support : "Did you install the update?"
Customer: "No. Oh, am I supposed to install it to get it to work?"
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3)Customer : "I'm having trouble installing Microsoft Word."
Tech Support : "Tell me what you've done."
Customer : "I typed 'A: SETUP'."
Tech Support : "Ma'am, remove the disk and tell me what it says."
Customer : "It says '[PC manufacturer] Restore and Recovery disk'."
Tech Support : "Insert the MS Word setup disk."
Customer : "What?"
Tech Support: "Did you buy MS word?"
Customer: "No..."
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4). Customer : "Do I need a computer to use your software?"
Tech Support : ?!%#$ (welll pretend to smile)
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5). Tech Support : "Ok, in the bottom left hand side of the screen, can you see the 'OK' button displayed?"
Customer : "Wow. How can you see my screen from there?"
Tech support : ##### ***
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6) Tech Support : "What type of computer do you have?"
Customer : "A white one."
Tech support : ******_____####
--------------------------------------------------
7) Tech Support : "What operating system are you running?"
Customer : "Pentium."
Tech support : ////-----+++
--------------------------------------------------
8). Customer : "My computer's telling me I performed an illegal abortion."
Tech support : ??????
--------------------------------------------------
9).Cus tomer : "I have Microsoft Exploder."
Tech Support : ?!%#$
--------------------------------------------------
10). Customer : "How do I print my voicemail?"
Tech support : ??????
--------------------------------------------------
11). Customer : "You've got to fix my computer. I urgently need to print document, but the computer won't boot properly."
Tech Support : "What does it say?"
Customer : "Something about an error and non-system disk."
Tech Support : "Look at your machine. Is there a floppy inside?"
Customer : "No, but there's a sticker saying there's an Intel inside."
Tech support : @@@@@
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12). Tech Support: "Just call us back if there's a problem. We're open
24 hours."
Customer: "Is that Eastern time?"
--------------------------------------------------
13). Tech Support : "What does the screen say now?"
Customer : "It says, 'Hit ENTER when ready'."
Tech Support : "Well?"
Customer : "How do I know when it's ready?"
Tech support : *** ---- ++++
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The best of the lot
14). A plain computer illiterate guy rings tech support to report that his computer is faulty.
Tech: What's the problem?
User: There is smoke coming out of the power supply.
Tech: (keep quite)
Tech: You'll need a new power supply.
User: No, I don't! I just need to change the startup files.
Tech: Sir, the power supply is faulty. You'll need to replace it.
User: No way! Someone told me that I just needed to change the startup and it will fix the problem! All I need is for you to tell me the command.
Tech support::
10 minutes later, the User is still adamant that he is right. The tech is frustrated and fed up.
Tech support hush hush)
Tech: Sorry, Sir. We don't normally tell our customers this, but there is an undocumented DOS command that will fix the problem.
User: I knew it!
Tech : Just add the line LOAD NOSMOKE.COM at the end of the CONFIG.SYS. Let me know how it goes.
10 minutes later.
User : It didn't work. The power supply is still smoking.
Tech : Well, what version of DOS are you using?
User : MS-DOS 6.22.
Tech : That's your problem there. That version of DOS didn't come with NOSMOKE. Contact Microsoft and ask them for a patch that will give you the file. Let me know how it goes.
1 hour later.
User : I need a new power supply.p
Tech support : How did you come to that conclusion?
Tech support : (hush hush)
User : Well, I rang Microsoft and told him about what you said, and he started asking questions about the make of power supply.
Tech: Then what did he say?
User: He told me that my power supply isn't compatible with NOSMOKE.
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Hight Of all (Too Good)
15) customer care officer: I need a product identification number right now and may I help u in finding it out?
Cust: sure
CCO: could u left click on start and do u find 'My Computer'?
Cust: I did left click but how the hell do I find your computer?