Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
10 February 2011

Join Social Networking Sites And Live Longer

Would people still do drugs, get depressed and commit suicide if they had a strong friends' network? Ever wondered what keeps some people happy all the time?

Join social networking sites and live longer

An underlining factor in every happy person's life is that they tend to have supportive relationships. American author Lois Wyse said, "A good friend is a connection to life -- a tie to the past, a road to the future, the key to sanity in a totally insane world."

Social networking sites are one of the best ways to stay connected with friends and family. They have changed the way people socialise. Rahul Kulkarni, product manager, Google India says, "Being socially connected has a definite positive effect on your well-being." Namrata Aswani, PR consultant, says, "I feel connected to the world -- it's so far, yet so near. You can share photos and videos with a click. Chat with your old friends and the happiness just flows. It is a relief from a boring day."

A recent study shows that social media is now our favourite online pastime, beating e-mail by a wide margin. According to research, if you have a supportive social network, you may add years to your life. Says Dr Harish Shetty, Mumbai-based psychiatrist, "Friends provide emotional nourishment and tangible social support. The feeling of having access to someone during those dark hours accelerates hope. Hopelessness leads to loss of confidence."

Join social networking sites and live longer

Many who blame the world for not having friends are those who don't trust anyone with their feelings or confidences. Good emotional contact causes networks to be built. Even studies suggest that we need close relationships that involve understanding and caring.

Prahasitha, senior faculty at One World Academy, Chennai, feels, "Our work and the way we live is so structured that it isolates people from each other. Social networking sites fulfil a primal need in all of us."

Social networks seem to be the same as conventional networks but bigger and more casual. They may not match up to the physical presence of a friend, but are reliable during those dark, depressing times.

Source: Circle2Corner.com

08 February 2011

Egyptian Protesters' Makeshift Helmets

Brave protesters on the streets of Cairo face many challenges. Among them, flying rocks and projectiles are likely to cause serious injuries. With limited resources at the scene, we take a look at how people are creatively improvising to protect themselves. It's amazing to see what people will do when they have to adapt to survive.

28 January 2011

Don't Become A Porn Addict

Couple kissing.jpg

Don't become a porn addict (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images)

While a little indulgence doesn't harm anyone, constantly giving into your craving for graphic visual stimuli may do more long-term damage than you can imagine

A man married for 10 years, and father of two, approached a doctor due to his sudden and peculiar inability to get an erection. While all tests proved normal, psychotherapy revealed an age-old fetish. As a teenager, the man had been accidentally exposed to his older cousin changing clothes. The visual stimulated him to such a degree that he masturbated to the memory of that image throughout his life, including when he was with his wife. After many years, when he met his cousin again, post two children she had put on weight and become 'unattractive' in his words.

The sight of the new unflattering figure of his cousin ruined his memory thereby incapacitating him to get an erection. His treatment required a lot of counselling and therapy and he had to be retaught the art of stimulation.

Behind closed doors; on dimly lit computer screens in seedy cyber cafes; in hostel dorm rooms under heavy bedding; and in computer folder's aptly named 'system files', usually lie pages and pages and countless gigabytes of pornography. It's not the highest grossing industry in the world for nothing. It has takers across generations, nationalities and kink quotients.

While most wives and girlfriends either accept it, relish it or chose to ignore it, porn in some form can be found lurking around most homes.

Studies reveal a condition called Sexual Attention D e f i c i t Disorder or S A D D, where over exposure or over indulgence to visual stimuli such as pornography, makes it difficult for a man to have a healthy sexual relationship with his partner. His stimulus is triggered by visual or graphic images instead of an actual woman, making it impossible to sustain intercourse. Dr Rajan Bhonsle, the HOD of sexual medicine at KEM hospital elaborates on the condition and describes the impact that pornography and the like, have on mature adult relationships.

Kink express
SADD can be traced back to three basic sources, the first being a burn-out.

Throughout a man's teenage years, over-exposure to porn and its explicit forms such as pedophilia, multiple orgies, voyeurism, etc. develop acute insensitivity towards the act of making love. The initial reaction to perverse material, which is what most pornography constitutes, is of shock. But over time, it turns to acceptance and enjoyment. This develops into a need for more deviant variety to keep the stimulus sustained.

Gratification through usually masturbation based on visual stimuli, make it difficult for a man to be aroused or stimulated by his partner in bed. This plays havoc in most marriages or relationships since even a very responsive woman is unable to replicate the mood or manoeuvres of what the man is usually attuned to.

While it is not difficult to recover from any addiction, a sexual burn-out is particularly tricky. It takes a lot of time and energy to stay away from sex and channel your sexual energy elsewhere. This is also the primary reason why boys should be dissuaded from over-exposing themselves to pornographic material at a young age.

Multiplicity
Another common cause for SADD between couples is due to the multiple partners the man has before he commits to a monogamous relationship. The multiple variety of partners give them a been there-done-that attitude towards sex which makes it very difficult for a woman with a normal sex drive to stimulate her partner. The man's premarital activity supersedes all sexual expectations he may have from his current partner thereby making it very difficult to sustain or enjoy a healthy physical relationship.

It's a fix
Peculiar fetishes and fixations, like the one mentioned earlier, are another reason why men are unable to perform in bed. Many a times, the visual image of what sort of woman or what specifications of a figure stimulate a man may not exactly match that of their partner.
This leads to disappointment and an inability to find them sexually attractive. While therapy is a common cure, counselling and exercises with your partner through communication greatly aid in rebuilding the idea of sexual attraction for.

How to cut back
- Give yourself a break. Save the sexual excitement for your partner and decrease the frequency of masturbation. When you do self-service, try using your nondominant hand. Since you wont apply the same level of physical intensity, you wont be as easily numbed to the sensations of intercourse.

- Back off the porn. When you masturbate, use your own memory of sex and your own erotic history to stimulate yourself instead of relying on other visual images.

- Connect with your partner. Share fantasies, experiment with role play and involve her in your thought process. Get yourself and her to a point of physical and mental arousal by sharing your thoughts with her. Step away from the computer.

17 January 2011

Your Zodiac Sign is Wrong?

ZodiacThe 'real' signs after alteration

Washington, Jan 17 : Astronomers suggest an overhaul in the process of defining horoscope on the basis of one's birth date as the earth's position vis-a-vis the sun and other stars has changed since the astrological signs were determined over 2,000 years ago.

Apart from the existing 12 astrological signs, the experts include a 13th sign Ophiuchus, a formation which the ancient Babylonians discarded because they wanted 12 star signs.

According to astronomers, the 'real' dates of all the 12 astrological signs will be altered for about a period of 30 days.

Here are the 'real' dates of astrological signs:

Capricorn: Jan 20 to Feb 16.

Aquarius: Feb 16 to March 11.

Pisces: March 11 to April 18.

Aries: April 18 to May 13.

Taurus: May 13 to June 21.

Gemini: June 21 to July 20.

Cancer: July 20 to Aug 10.

Leo: Aug 10 to Sep 16.

Virgo: Sep 16 to Oct 30.

Libra: Oct 30 to Nov 23.

Scorpio: Nov 23 to 29.

Ophiuchus: Nov 29 to Dec 17.

Sagittarius: Dec 17 to Jan 20.

07 January 2011

Viral Video Changes Homeless Man's Life

homeless-voice_60Before this week, the name "Ted Williams" most likely brought to mind the phrase "Teddy Ballgame." Now, the name has become synonymous with "Golden-voiced," as a homeless man with that moniker has shot to stardom as a result of his breathtaking vocal chords.

Recently, videographer Doral Chenoweth III filmed a brief interview with the Brooklyn-born Williams, who -- until recently -- panhandled on the corner of a highway.

Yesterday, the video went viral, and has (at the time of this posting) racked up more than 5 million views on YouTube. This ascent is most likely due in no small part to the , which took up the cause after Reddit user and Columbus-dweller "shiggiddie" posted the video to the site after hearing about the interview on a local radio show.

"I had already seen the immense good the Reddit community is capable of doing," shiggiddie says. "I hoped that maybe through the community I might find out who this Ted Williams character is, and how we might be able to help him get on his feet with some work other redditors might want/need for their businesses, etc."

The results were overwhelming: "I received anywhere from 70 to 80 job offers for Ted in my personal messages alone over the past day and a half, some coming from people claiming to represent the interests of nationwide radio programs, television shows, businesses looking for someone to do their voice systems, ads, ads and more ads, musicians wanting Ted to contribute his voice to their tracks, and even radio hosts wanting him to join their shows as a full-time jockey," shiggiddie says.

"I haven't even gotten to the news sources asking me for more information, of which I'd guess I received personal messages from at least 20 to 25."

The video spread from boards like Reddit to viral culture blogs, leading to appearances on major news outlets -- from print to to television.

In fact, the awestruck Williams recently appeared on , where he he tearfully told viewers that he's on his way back to Brooklyn to reconnect with his 92-year-old mother. From the side of the highway to television to New York -- that's a pretty rapid and drastic progression.

But the trip back to BK isn't the biggest opportunity that this turn of events has presented for Williams -- his lightning-fast ascent to the viral video firmament has also garnered him job offers from the likes of the and the Cleveland Cavaliers (and, by proxy, Quicken Loans). The Cavs also offered him a house.

Quicken Loans President Jay Farner heard about Williams's great talent last night. "We're working on a lot of marketing over here at the company, voiceover work, commercials and websites and all kinds of things for Quicken Loans and a variety of our companies who would need that. People heard the voice and thought that might be a great fit. And when I saw that he was in Ohio, I thought that was excellent because the Cavaliers are right there and we've got a Quicken Loans web center down there. We're kind of partial to helping folks in the Midwest."

Dan Gilbert, the principal owner of Cleveland Cavaliers, is also the founder and chairman of Quicken Loans, so the companies tend to work together rather closely. Still, the job would mostly entail doing voiceovers for the Cavs's arena.

When asked about the housing offer, Farner replied: "Heck, we're in the mortgage business, we're one of the largest lenders in America. Houses are something we know and do pretty well, we figured that it would make sense to find a home for him -- a place he could get established, get on his feet. Hard to start a new job if you don't have a place to call home."

Williams hasn't accepted the offer yet, but Farner says that the talented man seems excited by the prospect -- and the feeling is mutual.

"When you're looking for voice talent or someone to go out there and represent your brand, you could do all the focus groups in the world, you're never going to get 4.5 million people to tell you someone has a great voice," Farner says. "If 4.5 million people think a voice is great, that's about the best focus group you could ever get."

16 December 2010

World's Best Flirting Lines: Badoo Compliment Success Index

Single men needing a little help in the romance department might want to try praising a woman on her lips, a new survey has found.

In a new poll that seems to have been lifted out of a Sex and the City episode, online dating site Badoo claims to have found what they call "the Holy Grail" of international dating. And the poll found that complimenting a woman on her lips was the world's best pick-up line, working astonishingly well on women from all of the surveyed backgrounds.

The site, which has 87 million registered users, reportedly analyzed the success rates of opening lines from nearly 200,000 online flirtations in 11 languages for the Compliment Success Index. Users were invited to use one of 12 different ice-breakers, each complimenting a woman on an aspect of her body or appearance. Success was determined by the woman's response and whether or not a subsequent conversation was launched.

Next time you're on a date with a Portuguese woman, compliment her on her ears. Though if your next love interest is German or Canadian, concentrate on her skin.

View the results of the Compliment Survey Index here:

Lips

Complimenting a woman on her lips was named "the Holy Grail of flirting," according to Director of Marketing Lloyd Price, and worked well across all surveyed cultures.

Skin

German and Canadian women responded particularly well to being complimented on their skin.

Ears

Concentrate on the ears if your date is Dutch or Portuguese, the survey found.

Legs

British women responded well to being complimented on their legs.

How She Dresses

If you're on a date in America, Australia or Brazil, complimenting a woman on how she dresses will get you far.

Hair

For Spanish women, it's all about the hair.

09 December 2010

Go Goa! The Sunburn Festival is Back

Are you a music buff? Block your dates as India's biggest musical event Sunburn is back and promises to keep up your spirits high on the sun-kissed beach of Candolim with electrifying music, renowned DJs and other activities.

Go Goa! The Sunburn festival is back

The three-day festival was launched in 2007 with an aim to do something "different" in the country.

The popularity of the festival, starting Dec 27, can be gauged from the fact that it is ranked by the CNN as the 9th best in the world. Some of the popular musical festivals all around the globe are "Bonnaroo" in Tennessee, US; "Glastonbury" in Somerset, Britain; and "Roskilde" in Denmark.

"When we started off, all we knew was that it was an interesting idea and nothing of this sort had ever been done here. So we went ahead with the aim of doing something different. Fortunately, we knew that electronic music is going to be the next big thing and today you can see that," Devraj Sanyal, Group CEO of Percept Sports and Entertainment, told IANS over the phone from Mumbai.

"And when you think of an event like this, Goa was the logical choice. People from all over the world come here during New Year and music is one platform where everyone binds together. You won't believe we have around 6,000 people from all parts of Europe participating in the festival," he added.

Go Goa! The Sunburn festival is back

Earlier, the fest saw heavyweight international DJs like Armin Van Burren, Ferry Corsten, Axwell and BT and this year too a lot of national and international DJs and rock bands are expected to perform live.

"This time we have as many as 60 artistes performing and a lot many activities like volleyball, rock climbing, mechanical bull, dress-up lounge, flea market and a lot may things. As a lot of people believe Sunburn is only about music, no, this is wrong," he said.

"We want people to have an experience here. I want them to enjoy the electrifying music, good company, indulge in activities and listen to some really good music," he added.

Goa's New Year parties are often criticised for being "rave" parties, but Sanyal claims their festival is very clean.

Go Goa! The Sunburn festival is back

"We can proudly say that ours is a completely clean party zone as we have various CCTV monitors keeping an eye on the visitors and they are frisked well before they enter the venue."

"But in case we caught someone taking drugs at the venue, he is barred from the festival and can never be a part of it again. We are very strict and hence we have got great support from the ministry here as well," he said.

The ticket for the festival is priced at Rs.4,500, excluding taxes.

Source: IANS

07 December 2010

When a Man Loves An Older Woman

By Shilpa Raina

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New Delhi, Dec 7
: Somebody has very rightly said love knows no age. At a time when the dynamics of marriage are changing rapidly and youngsters are experimenting with their lives, 'cougar' relationship is a new phrase catching up among them.

The term cougar refers to a relationship where a woman is romantically involved with a much younger man and it was the theme of the 2009 superhit film 'Wake Up Sid'. Audiences loved watching Ranbir Kapoor falling in love with the older Konkona Sen Sharma and even thronged the theatres for it.

'This trend is not so uncommon in India. It has been around for some time now. And, yes, Indian sensibilities are not in conflict with such relationships,' psychiatrist Sanjay Chugh told IANS.

'The phenomenon, whether people like it or not, is increasingly coming out in the open. In the past too, such relationships existed but were not talked about too much,' he added.

Way back in 1967, Hollywood came out with its well-known classic 'The Graduate', where Anne Bancroft, an older woman, seduces a much younger man, played by Dustin Hoffman.

And such experiments were not restricted to the celluloid.

Quite a few Hollywood celebrities have had successful 'cougar' marriages and the recent example is Demi Moore who has enjoyed marital bliss with 15-year younger actor Ashton Kutcher.

Other such couples are Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins (12-year age gap), Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon (10-year age gap).

Even pop diva Madonna, known for her experimental looks, tried it when she tied the knot with 10-year younger Guy Ritchie. But they separated two years ago.

In India, the most publicised cougar couple was Saif Ali Khan who married Amrita Singh way back in 1991. She was 12 years older to him. Their marriage had raised a lot of eyebrows, with people questioning the compatibility and the big age-gap, but it lasted a good 12 years. In 2004 they got divorced.

Samir Parikh, a consultant psychiatrist at Max Healthcare, says anything unusual is bound to get attention.

'Anything which is slightly different raises eyebrows for a while. This happens more so with celebrities because they are so much in the public glare and the reactions are all the more manifest,' Parikh told IANS.

Even master blaster Sachin Tendulkar's wife Anjali Tendulkar is five years older to him whereas Bollywood actress Manisha Koirala has married seven years younger Samrat Dahal and choreographer-turned-director Farah Khan exchanged vows with eight-year younger Shirish Kunder.

According to Chugh, if one looks at the Indian value system closely, it emphasises on making a relationship work and not so much on the peripherals.

The age difference of a year or two doesn't even qualify for the term 'cougar', and there are many examples of such couples in the Hindi film industry - Bollywood actors like Aishwarya Rai and Shilpa Shetty have respectively married Abhishek Bachchan and Raj Kundra who are two years younger to them. Even legendary actress Nargis was a year older to her actor husband Sunil Dutt.

Sometimes such marriages are seen by society as an attempt by a woman to have some fun in her life or by someone who wants to tame her partner and can do so by marrying a younger man.

This psyche was beautifully portrayed by director Ajay Sinha in the popular television serial 'Astitva - Ek Prem Kahani', about a young photographer marrying a doctor who's 10 years older to him.

Chugh said: 'Just as a woman would look for a father figure or fulfil her needs for protection in an older man, a man would look for a mother figure or fulfil his needs for tender care and love in an older woman.'

Moreover, a drastic shift in the financial status has made today's women independent and they enjoy the power to pick and choose their partners without worrying about age, money and caste.

'Women today, just like the men, are experimenting and are also sure enough of themselves to take such chances. In this whole discussion, we must not make it a feminist thing as it is as much a woman's choice as a man's. The younger man is also, at the same time, taking the decision to marry an older woman,' said Chugh.

06 December 2010

Honey: Nature's Troubleshooter

Honey has been in news for the wrong reasons lately. Antibiotic residues have been found in leading brands of honey – but it is a reflection on the way we produce our food.

Honey: Nature's troubleshooter

Honey, a syrupy, sweet liquid is obtained from plant nectar by honey bees. About 80 per cent of honey is simple sugars, mostly fructose and glucose with small quantities of other sugars like maltose, sucrose and other complex carbohydrates.

Although honey is a high carbohydrate food, its glycaemic index varies within a wide range from 32 to 85, depending on the botanical source.

Honey, nature's original sweetener, is being rediscovered as a natural source of energy that also offers a unique combination of nutritional benefits. In addition to being a concentrated energy source, honey contains a wide array of vitamins (vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid) and minerals (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and zinc).

Honey also contains several compounds that function as antioxidants, one of which is unique to honey, called pinocembrin.

Honey: Nature's troubleshooter

Although relatively low in nutrients, honey contains more nutrients than refined sugars. As a rule, darker honeys contain higher amounts of minerals and are strongly flavoured than lighter honeys.

Honey is sweeter than table sugar as it contains more calories - one tablespoon of honey provides nearly 65 cals compared to only 46 cals provided by the same amount of table sugar.

The use of honey as medicine is mentioned in most ancient written records but even today scientists and doctors are rediscovering its effectiveness in therapeutic nutrition.

Its unique composition makes it useful for treating several ailments, minor burns and scrapes including aiding the treatment of sore throats and other bacterial infections.

Honey: Nature's troubleshooter

The viscosity and the hygroscopic qualities of honey permits its even spread on a wound bed, creating a favourable environment for healing. With these properties, honey has been used as an efficient treatment of chronic wounds of the lower leg and abdomen.

Thus, honey can be stated a treasure due to its following usages:

- Honey being a rich source of carbohydrates provides a quick source of energy. The sugars in honey are primarily glucose and fructose both of which provide the body with quick energy.

- Recent studies suggest that this unique mixture of sugars which occurs naturally in honey, also works best in preventing fatigue and enhancing athletic performance.

Honey: Nature's troubleshooter

- Another study states that a spoonful of honey right before a workout is a good energy booster. A study presented at the annual Experimental Biology meeting indicated that using honey as a carbohydrate source during exercise significantly improved performance and power during endurance cycling trials. It was also reported that honey reduced time to complete a 64 km time trial by over 3 minutes (compared to placebo); honey produced over 6% greater cycling power during the time trial (compared to placebo); equal performance to glucose; and it was well tolerated by all subjects

- Honey consumption along with supplemental calcium enhanced calcium absorption.

- Honey is an anti-carcinogen. Honey-containing marinades effectively limit the production of potential cancer-causing compounds called heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) when marinated steak and chicken were fried. HAAs are formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures and the begins to char or blacken. Marinating meat for four hours in marinades containing 30 per cent honey significantly reduced HAA formation.

Honey: Nature's troubleshooter

- Honey exhibits resistance to microbial spoilage.

- Most micro-organisms do not grow in honey because of its low water activity.

- Honey is a natural antiseptic, it helps in wounds healing, swelling goes down, and tissue grow back. Even burns heal better with honey.

- Honey contains appreciable amounts of plaque-fighting antioxidants and so reduces dental plaque. It also has an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide, which is believed to be the main reason for the antimicrobial activity of honey.

Source: Ishi Khosla/Indian Express
Image credits: Reuters

How The Banana Goes to Heaven

And other food fables

Food was once a good word. It symbolised fulfilment, nutrition and well-being. But when did it all change? When did we become such guilt-ridden unhappy eaters? Food writer Ratna Rajaiah explores many such questions in her new book "How the Banana Goes to Heaven".

"How the banana goes to heaven" and other food fables

The cover of Ratna Rajaiah's book "How the banana goes to Heaven"

"As our cells are nourished and replenished, rejuvenated, our noses should exult in the embrace of a hundred aromas. Our taste buds should laugh joyously at being tickled by all the six tastes," Rajaiah said.

Published by Tranquebar, her book explores the history of "old buddy foods" to discover the nutritional and medicinal value that common foods have.

Rice comes first. Rajaiah explores the unusual history of the country's staple grain - also known as the grain of tranquillity.

"The ancestor of rice that we eat today was a wild grass that possibly grew in the super-continent of Gondwana at least 130 million years ago. From this ancient grass, two mother species evolved and they parented the approximately 120,000 varieties of rice that grow all over the world today, staple for more than half the world's population.

Bananas - "happiness in a peel".

Bananas - "happiness in a peel".

"An astonishing 20,000 of these varieties come from India. In fact, the Shunyapurana, written by the 13th century Bengali poet, Ramai Pandit, mentions that more than 13 varieties of rice were grown in Bengal," Rajaiah said.

Then come bananas, which Rajaiah describes as "happiness in a peel". Many believe it originated around 4,000 years ago, somewhere in the jungles between Malaysia and India.

"In 1999, scientists at the Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, Karnataka conducted a study of six popular varieties of south Indian bananas and found that people who consumed a couple of bananas a day for a week recorded an amazing 10 per cent fall in blood pressure," Rajaiah said.

According to Rajaiah, the Bengal gram is the pulse of health - a complete food. It was baptised as the Bengal gram by the British because they first discovered it there.

Lentil - an excellent source of B vitamins.

Lentil - an excellent source of B vitamins.

The high-energy gram finds a place in the ancient texts Markandeya Purana and Vishnu Purana, apart from many 16th century works, Rajaiah says.

"It is a complete food, the healer and the fixer. Both the unani and ayurvedic systems of medicines hold the Bengal gram in high esteem," she said.

The mung was born in India at least 5,000 years ago. The Sanskrit name for the bright yellow lentil was "mudga". In the Rig Veda, the three 'm's of health that get repeated mention are 'mudga', 'masha' and 'masura' - or mung (lentil), urad (black gram) and masura (lentils), Rajaiah writes in her book.

In the Mahabharata, when Bhishma lies dying on his bed and imparts profound wisdom to Yudhishthir, he says an insensate man is one who through stupefaction steals paddy, barley, peas and mung.

Image credit: Reuters

Potatoes originated in the Lake Titicaca region of Peru and Bolivia between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Potatoes originated in the Lake Titicaca region of Peru and Bolivia between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.

"Mung (lentil) is an excellent source of B vitamins, many of which play and important role in preventing and managing heart diseases," she said.

Potato, the much misunderstood tuber, too has a fascinating past. It originated in the Lake Titicaca region of Peru and Bolivia between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago. The Incas cultivated at least 200 varieties of it.

"The potatoes' journey to Europe began hundreds of years later when Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizzaro arrived on the Peruvian coast in 1524. It came to India in the 17th century - and was cultivated in Surat by the Portuguese," Rajaiah said.

Every food has a story. For example, British writer-philosopher George Bernard Shaw was a brinjal-loving vegetarian.

Turmeric and ginger - "the Gemini of health".

Turmeric and ginger - "the Gemini of health".

And there are interesting descriptions of the foods like pigeon peas - "the protein power", arvi - "the nature's raincoat", fenugreek - "the girl's best friend", chillies - "the good little demons", white pumpkin - "the goddess gourd", turmeric and ginger - "the Gemini of health".

For those accustomed to alternating between sinful gorging and pious dieting, the book could surely be food for thought!

Source: Madhusree Chatterjee/IANS

Image credit:
www.westlandbooks.in

21 November 2010

Homeopathy Tricks You Into Feeling Better

Homeopathy tricks you into feeling better, says new studyHomeopathy tricks you into feeling better, even if a tincture prescribed is not genuine, new research says.

Sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis who approached a homeopath experienced significant easing of joint pain, inflammation and other key markers of the disease. Yet, it made no difference whether the solution they received was a genuine homeo tincture prescribed to treat rheumatism, or a placebo, according to the journal Rheumatology.

Sarah Brien of Southampton University, who led the study, said it provided the first scientific evidence to show such benefits were "specifically due to its unique consultation process".

Homoeopathy is based on a theory that substances which cause symptoms in a healthy person can, when vastly diluted, cure the same problems in a sick person.

Homeopathy tricks you into feeling better, says new study

The research compared different groups of patients, who were already being given conventional medication for the disease, reports the Telegraph.

Those who had a series of five consultations with a homeopathic doctor experienced "significant clinical benefits", whether the tincture they received was a specially prepared "homeopathic" remedy used to treat rheumatism, or a placebo.

Patients given exactly the same remedies without the consultations did not improve.

The findings suggested that simply "talking and listening" to patients could dramatically assist their health.

George Lewith, professor of health research from the university, said: "This research asked the question: 'Is homeopathy about the talking, or is it about the medicine?' We found it was about the talking, and indeed about the listening."

Source: IANS

19 November 2010

Woman's Tale: Escaping Rape

How One Woman Escaped Her Rapist

By Khristinarape

Let me warn you; this is a spine-chilling tale of a woman escaping rape.

A little excerpt:

I walked into the apartment, placed the glass on the table, and told Marco I needed to head home. He had a small cigar box in his hand and offered me a hand-rolled cigarette from inside, presumably marijuana. “No. No, thank you,” I said. Then he came around the table and stood in front of me. Mumbling something I didn’t understand, he pulled me toward him and kissed my face hard, biting my lips. It hurt, and I tried to push away, but he held the back of my neck with his left hand, pressing my face to his. At the same time, he shoved his right hand down the front of my jeans, undoing my button in the process. I jerked back, but he put both hands on my lower back, pressing me into him. He shoved his hands inside my underwear, scraping me with his fingernails.

I couldn’t believe what was happening. “No! No! No!” I shouted. I stumbled and said again that I needed to go. I grabbed my purse and walked toward the door. “It’s locked. The door is locked,” Marco said. I pulled on the handle and it didn’t budge. Starting to panic, I grabbed a set of his keys off the kitchen table and fumbled through them, but Marco stepped toward me. “Those don’t open the door,” he said, an inch from my face. He had another set of keys that he dangled in front of me then threw toward the bed. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said. He grabbed the scarf off my neck and put it around his own. I reached for it, but he swatted me back. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said again. “I’m not joking.” Trying to appear calm, I told him Lynn would be waiting for me back at the hotel. “This is ridiculous,” I said. “Please open the door.”

The more I tried to reason with him, the angrier he grew. He stood in front of the open patio door and reached for the shutters. It was clear he was going to lock them. A surge of adrenaline flooded my body — it felt like I was going to wet my pants — and I thought, Oh, my God, I am going to be raped tonight. No one can help me. Oh, my God, this is what it feels like.

Read her incredible tale here.

18 November 2010

'Buy a Truck, Get a Free AK-47'

That's an unusual promotion launched by a used auto dealership in the US.

Nations Trucks in Florida has introduced the scheme of a complimentary Soviet-style AK-47 assualt rifle with every purchase to help it through the sluggish US economic recovery,'The Daily Telegraph' online reported.

The dealership has more than doubled sales since the offer was announced last week, according to Nick Ginetta, the general sales manager.
'Buy a truck, get a free AK-47'

'Buy a truck, get a free AK-47'

A poster in Nations' office window proclaims "FREE AK-47" above a large illustration of the gun, which is by far the biggest-selling assault rifle of all time.

Ginetta said rather than handing out the guns itself, the firm has been giving truck buyers a US dollars 400 voucher which could be redeemed for an assault AK-47 rifle at a nearby firearms shop.

'Buy a truck, get a free AK-47'

"I don't think it sends the wrong message," said Ginetta, who insisted the dealership was merely allowing customers to assert their rights under the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

"You don't need to buy a truck to go and buy an AK-47. You have the right to do that as long as you meet all state and federal laws. So it's just a promotion," he was quoted as telling a local television.

Ginetta claimed that under the scheme, which runs until the end of November, all customers would be subjected to background checks before being able to obtain a firearm.

Source: Agencies

Beauty Pageants Ban Bikinis

Miss_UniAre they meant for men's eyes only?

Women's clothes have always managed to be in the news for some reason or the other. If the French are fighting tooth and nail against the burqa, just across the Channel, the English have started campaigning against the bikini.

Two pageants, Miss England and Miss Great Britain made some radical changes to get rid of the bikini. While earlier this year, Miss England axed its swimwear round and replaced it with a sports activity round, Miss Great Britain recently banned the two-piece bikini in their pageant. The reason? The pageant is all about a good all-round person rather than a flawless pin-up, says Former Miss England, lance corporal Katrina Hodge (aka Combat Barbie).

And at Miss Great Britain, a spokesperson reportedly said, "The contest used to be run by men wanting to see young virginal girls they could fantasise about." Now with a new owner, things seem to be changing. They have even allowed single mothers to participate.

THE FITNESS ISSUE

BACK HOME in India, we got some mixed reactions. Former beauty queens have welcomed the single mother move, but aren't against the swimwear round. "I don't think the round is meant for men. Fitness is an important factor in all such pageants and you can't really judge a woman's fitness while she is wearing a gown. Yes, if they have a sports activity round, they can judge the contestants. You can't somehow rule out the fitness factor in a beauty pageant," says former Miss India Gul Panag.

But even if they have a sports activity round for fitness, the contestants might be at a loss when they have to compete in another international pageant such as Miss World. "It would be a disadvantage for girls who have qualified for Miss World, says former Miss World, Diana Hayden. The swimsuit round is more about being classy than vulgar. "Everything boils down to one thing - and that is the way a woman is projected. Women are projected in a very classy manner in these pageants and it doesn't look cheap at all," she says. A skimpily dressed woman will look obscene in a badly made movie, and beautiful in a classy film, she argues. "These contests are not for satiating male appetite for skimpily dressed girls - we have come a long way from that. These pageants are run by respected families and are watched by families, she says. It was a family show enjoyed by all - not just dads, uncles and grandpas. Moms, aunties and grandmas too were hooked to their seats when high-heeled girls walked the ramp and talked about feeding poor children in Africa.

But over the years, beauty pageants seem to have become just a stepping stone for girls to get into showbiz, complains Ira Trivedi.

HAPPY TO SEE IT GO

TRIVEDI, who participated in Femina Miss India in 2004 but didn't make it and wrote the book, What Would You Do to Save the World?: Confessions of a Could-Have-Been Beauty Queen, is quite happy with the move. "Beauty pageants have been designed for male eyes only. Instead of creating goodwill ambassadors they are creating sex symbols," says Trivedi.

The past decade has certainly seen almost all beauty queens entering showbiz - even the ones who managed an entry into Bollywood talked about "world peace" and role models such as Mother Teresa at the pageants. Trivedi, however, feels they could have been the "breeding ground for goodwill ambassadors" instead. "I think it is a good step and the rest of the world should follow suit," she says.

For Ira, who did not have a modelling or acting background, the swimsuit round was quite nerve-wracking. "Getting judged by people while you're so skimpily dressed can be pretty uncomfortable," she says. The argument is unlikely to die down very easily.

11 November 2010

‘Killer High Heels’ Have Injured 3 Million Women

The next time you wear those stilettos, better be careful. Here's why.

A new study has suggested that more than three million women have had to seek medical attention for injuries caused by their high heels.

Half either tore a tendon or twisted an ankle, while thousands of others smashed their teeth or broke wrists by falling flat.

But 60 per cent of women said whatever agony a pair of heels caused, they would keep wearing them if they won compliments.

The poll of 3,000 women aged 18 to 65 also found a whopping 89 per cent said uncomfortable shoes have ruined a night out.

"Killer high heels" have injured 3 million women

More than a third have had to be helped or even carried home because of pain from shoes that are too tight.

And 61 per cent have spent a whole evening sitting down.

But 80 per cent have bought a trendy pair despite knowing they do not fit.

Only two per cent of the women polled by Hotter Shoes never wear heels.

"Women tend to buy shoes that look good, and then worry about the pain later," the Sun quoted spokeswoman Lisa McCarten, as saying.

"It's incredible to imagine the pain and discomfort women endure for a pair of killer heels," she added.

Source: ANI

Hear This! Your Cell Number Can Harm You

Hear this! Your cell number can harm youA wrong mobile number combination is capable of spelling doom. If a numerologist of repute is to be believed, three successive owners of the number 888 888 888 died in mysterious accidents.

Just as you hear out your astrologer before fixing dates for auspicious occasions such as wedding, housewarming et al, you might be better off by checking with your numerologist for your mobile number too. And by carefully choosing these significant ten digits, you can balance the excess or depletion of energies that define you. The energies may be positive or negative.

Delhi-based numerologist and tarot card reader, Dr Seema Midha helps you decode your mobile number. Here are a few priceless tips:

Avoid your birth date number
It is crucial to balance the digits from 1-9, missing from your birth date by making them part of your mobile number. The digits already featuring in your birth date more than once, should be avoided when selecting a mobile number. So, if your birth date is 2 April 1987, it would mean that the number four should not exist twice in your mobile combination.

Hear this! Your cell number can harm you

Excess of 1s: A person whose mobile number has an excess of the digit 1,will be overly talkative, to the extent of undermining his relationship with his boss and derailing his career.

Excess of 2s: Excess of number 2 will make a person expect too much from relationships, making them vulnerable to a lot of hurtful people.

Excess of 3s: Too many 3s in your mobile number will make you creative to the point of neglecting your family.
Excess of 4s: Excess of the digit four will make you an over-analytic person.

Hear this! Your cell number can harm you

Excess of 5s: If you have too many 5s in your mobile combination, you will fail to find balance in whatever field you choose as your vocation.

Excess of 6s: Six is the number of planet Venus, so excess of six brings you many opportunities, however you will find yourself unable to convert any of these.

Excess of 7s: Repetition of number seven will leave you with unstable romantic relationships.

Excess of 8s: Excess of number eights will make you too judgmental.

Excess of 9s: The only positive effects are to be found in the excess of the 'good' nine, which makes you an altruistic person. However this comes at the cost of neglect of self.

Hear this! Your cell number can harm you

Climb the career ladder

Selecting the right mobile number combination, can also make you a success in your chosen career. If you crave for academic achievement, include 4,9, and 2 in your number. And if seeking to enhance your creative output, make it a point to have the digits 1, 3, and 9. Those aiming for a stint politics, ensure your number features 4, 3 and 8. Seema suggests sportsmen seeking to win medals in the upcoming Commonwealth Games add 2, 7 and 6 to their numbers.

So, with a bit of number juggling, you can make everything from, health, wealth to career success, fall in line.

Source: Circle2Corner.com

09 November 2010

The Bleakest Town in The World

Siberian "Ghost" Cities Scare

Siberian Nearly-Abandoned & "Ghost" Cities Could Be the Worst Halloween Scare Ever

We'd like to call them "ghost towns", but they are clearly not abandoned. Amazingly, people still live in them, go to work in the harshest possible conditions (paradoxically making it the richest and mightiest industrial area in Russia) and then come "home" to relax in inhuman weather, non-existing infrastructure, in dangerously dilapidated buildings...

Truly, this is an "abandoned, terrifying, ruined environment", multiplied to the N-th degree! Judge for yourself:




(Norilsk, Siberia - images credit: Schegloff)

Just in time for Halloween: no skeletons, witches, or giant spiders - instead, something real and more terrifying - witness the life in Cherepovetz City (the name loosely translates as "City of Skulls"), the center of the Russian North-West SeveroStal industrial zone:


(image credit: Elena Chinarina)
Welcome to Norilsk - the Very Definition of Cold Hell
Norilsk is a true "Wild East" Siberian town, the quintessence of tough living, tough conditions and tough-as-nails people.


(images via 1, 2)
The average life expectancy in Norilsk is 46-48 years... Here is why (this is not a complete list, by any means):
- minus 10 degrees Celsius is considered "warm weather"
- this city is built on permafrost, so buildings deteriorate quickly and most are in crumbling conditions
- the city was originally built by prisoners (untold numbers of them died), so it is very probably haunted... (no, of course not, just kidding)
- the industrial pollution is on par with the worst towns in China - it's officially one of the ten most polluted cities in the world
- there are no homeless people, because nobody can survive minus 56 degrees Celsius.
- they have literally 45 days of night - the depressing, miserable Arctic night
- the city often endures severe punishing winds, up to 25 meters per second
The ecology around Norilsk is so atrocious that trees can spontaneously ignite from industrial chemicals in the ground - and so only burned sticks are left:

(images credit: Schegloff)
The local forest:

The local grocery store:

People spend their lives (and murderously cold winters!) in these apartments -




(images via 1, 2)
Some apartments still stand, while others have already fallen apart, their basements plundered for concrete by locals to build garages and more shaky housing:


Santa Claus lives here?... I think not -

(image credit: Vladimir Maltsev)
Those on the bottom floors fare the worst during the brutal winter:





(images credit: Evgeny Bugaev)
Mysterious ruins:



(images via 1, 2)
Permafrost:

This permafrost makes any building's foundation unstable, which presents huge problems for long-term construction. In time, some areas begin to look like an earthquake disaster zone:

(image via)
Note the broken pipe leaking poisonous gases (right image):

"Welcome to Norilsk" is written in bizarre block letters, indicating the harsh realities ahead. A visitor is also greeted by strange do-it-yourself SUVs:


When winter comes, people are shuttled to work in buses... but it gets even more surreal inside:





(images by V. Makushkin, via)
Missing the bus could be a life-threatening situation:


Help does not come quickly:

This statue of Lenin points to a bright future, and a gaudy billboard proclaims a "Peace to All Children on Earth", but... happiness is a rare commodity in this terrifying place. See more pictures of Norilsk on GoogleMaps here.

(images via 1, 2)
When the power lines fail, this town seems to become a perfect setting for a "30 Days of Night" movie sequel:

Leaving Norilsk, we finally encounter a pleasing sight: the picture of a beautiful girl on a billboard. Which only reminds us of another billboard - a travel destination from The Truman Show - another surreal town "of no escape"...

Kadykchan: The City of Broken Dreams (and a glorious Soviet past?)
Only 300 citizens remain in this city, once a powerful resource center and a thriving coal mining community. Here is how it looked during the Soviet times:

And here is how it looks today (most buildings were abandoned in 1983, but there are still people who live in this ghastly environment):



Approaching the city, the atmosphere of abandonment and decay is palpable:






(original unknown)