The trend is no different in Germany, according to a new study. AFP reports that a Reader's Digest survey found only 5% of participants would choose sex over watching a German World Cup final game. Approximately 20% said that even an emergency wouldn't get in the way of their World Cup viewing.
While fans might prefer soccer to sex, it seems the two may go hand in hand. According to the article, Germany saw "a flood" of new babies nine months after the 2006 World Cup.
Asus Eee Pad, iPad Competitor, Unveiled
AsusTek is among several Taiwanese computer makers to display tablet PCs at the five-day Computex Show in Taipei that opens Tuesday.
Acer Inc., the world's second largest PC vendor, unveiled last week a 7-inch touchscreen tablet that like many other coming models runs on Android, the operating system that Google is distributing for free for mobile devices.
AsusTek's touchscreen tablet, with the name of Eee Pad, comes in 10- and 12-inch sizes and is set to go on sale in the first quarter of 2011.
In addition to full Windows support, Company Chairman Jonney Shih said Eee Pad is equipped with a Web camera and runs Flash by Adobe Systems which will allow users to view YouTube and other video programs on the Internet.
The 10-inch Eee Pad will sell for $399 to $449. No price tag was given for the 12-inch model.
By contrast, Apple's iPads cost $499, $599 or $699 depending on the data storage capacity. But iPads use the HTML5 standard and its lack of Flash support has alienated some users.
AsusTek also unveiled on Monday an e-notepad that serves as both an electronic-reader and note-taking device, with a built-in camera that will let the user grab screenshots of lecture slides.
Shih said the notepad – with a price tag of $199 to $299 – turns pages at a faster speed and does not cause as much eye-fatigue during lengthy reading as other e-readers.
By Max Fisher
Sean Gardner/Getty The much-vaunted "top kill" attempt to stop the worst oil spill in U.S. history has failed, adding yet another failure to the joint BP and U.S. mission to curb the oil that is already destroying the Gulf of Mexico's chemical balance, marine and bird populations, and delicate coastlines. Why are we struggling so to stop and contain the oil leak?
[ via theatlanticwire ]
A 33-year-old single mother has filed a lawsuit against Citigroup, after Citibank allegedly fired her for being too attractive.
Debrahlee Lorenzana claims that she was let go from the New York branch of the bank after being told that her choice of clothes made her 'too distracting' in the largely male-dominated office.
Ms Lorenzana's lawsuit alleges that her bosses told her 'as a result of the shape of her figure, such clothes were purportedly 'too distracting' for her male colleagues and supervisors to bear'.
Debrahlee Lorenzana has filed a lawsuit against Citigroup for allegedly firing her because she was 'too attractive'
The Puerto Rican banker says she was given a list of clothes she would no longer be able to wear - including pencil skirts, fitted suits and polo necks.
But Ms Lorenzana told New York newspaper The Village Voice it is her right to dress as she wishes, as long as it is a professionally-appropriate outfit.
She said: 'I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I said, "You gotta be kidding me! I was like, Too distracting? For who? For you? My clients don't seem to have any problem."
'Where I'm from, women dress up - like put on makeup and do their nails - to go to the supermarket..
'I was raised very Latin. We're feminine. A woman in Puerto Rico takes care of herself.'
Ms Lorenzana's lawyer Jack Tuckner said he believes the case is self-explanatory.
He explained: 'It's like saying that we can't think anymore because our penises are standing up - and we cannot think about you except in a sexual manner - and we can't look at you without wanting to have sexual intercourse with you.
'And it's up to you, gorgeous woman, to lessen your appeal so that we can focus!'
Ms Lorenzana claims she was given a list of clothes she wasn't allowed to wear in the office
As well as some 'conservative' photos taken by Mr Tuckner, Ms Lorezana's lawsuit includes evidence of a meeting when she was told by her two managers that her trousers were too tight, and photos of other employees dressed in provocative clothes.
She added: 'I could have worn a paper bag, and it would not have mattered. If it wasn't my shirt, it was my pants.
'If it wasn't my pants, it was my shoes. They picked on me every single day.'
The fitted clothes and flattering suits favoured by Ms Lorenzana have made a comeback recently thanks to hit U.S. TV show Mad Men.
But, judging from this lawsuit, women such as Christina Hendricks' character Joan Holloway would cause a bit of a stir in today's society.
However, because Ms Lorenzana was required to sign a mandatory-arbitration clause before she began her job at Citibank, the case will never end up in front of a jury or a judge.
An arbirtrator will decide the result of the lawsuit.
A statement from Citigroup read: 'We believe this lawsuit is without merit and we will defend against it vigorously.
'We respect the privacy of all of our employees and therefore cannot comment more specifically on this litigation, this former employee's overall performance, or the reasons for her termination - which an arbitration panel must resolve.
'Citi is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and providing a respectful environment in the workplace. We have a strong commitment to diversity and we do not condone, or tolerate, discrimination within our business for any reason.'
[ via Dailymail ]
Six volunteers will today be locked up together in a windowless, mock spaceship for 520 days.
The 'astronauts' will be trapped inside the capsule for a simulated flight to Mars, and are expected to live and work as if they are on the 43-million mile journey for real.
The all-male crew will not endure weightlessness, but from today they will follow a harsh regimen of experiments and exercise.
The main task of the Mars-500 experiment is to study the effects of long isolation to help a real space crew of the future cope better with stress and fatigue.
'When everybody interacts with the same people in the same space, habits and behavior become apparent very quickly.
'These habits may irritate and cause indignation - and even fits of aggression,' psychotherapist Mikhail Baryshev said.
Chinese astronauts Wang Yue and Diego Urbina of Italy wave before their 520-day isolation
Two researchers test spacesuits on a simulated Mars surface during a training session at Moscow's Institute for Medical and Biological Problems ahead of their incarceration
The experiment, conducted by the Moscow-based Institute for Medical and Biological Problems in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Chinese space authorities, will simulate a 250-day journey to Mars, a 30-day surface exploration phase and 240 days return trip.
But the choice of an all-male crew has provoked criticism for 'inflicting sexual discrimination on Mars before man has even set foot there'.
There is even a threat of a legal challenge over the absence of women, while the experiment faces criticism for failing to address the real issue of sexual dynamics which future crews to Mars may have to face.
'The absence of women in Mars-500 Project yet again proves the presence on old-fashioned earthly gender stereotypes,' complained Mikhail Salkin of the Moscow Human Rights Protection Centre.
'The organisers were likely set on choosing men from the start. We suspect the endurance tests they set were more suitable to men than women, and the results will be a biased judgement because it will only apply to males, so will not five the full picture.
'Women should have equal access to any job so we are ready to apply to the Russian General Prosecutor on this and ask him to investigate.
'The organisers have also forgotten the social tension they can face among six men which might have been softened by having a woman on board.'.
The facility built for the experiment comprises several interconnected modules with a total volume of 20,000 cubic feet and a separate built-in imitator of Mars surface for the mock landing.
The researchers will communicate with the outside world via internet, delayed and occasionally disrupted to imitate the effects of space travel.
The six participants attend a news conference before entering a confinement module
No women: The module for the Mars-500 Experience, which will not leave the ground but in all other respects will emulate what cosmonauts will face on the first manned flight to the Red Planet
They will eat canned food similar to that currently offered on the International Space Station and take a shower once every 10 days - mimicking space conditions. The crew will have two days off in a week, except when emergencies are simulated.
ESA said the crew will also regularly play video games as part of the agency's project to develop personalized software to interact with crews on future space missions.
French crewmember Romain Charles said the experiments will keep the team busy in isolation.
'It's not a jail, it's a program, an experiment,' he said. 'It will be hard I'm sure, but we have a target to stay here 520 days and we will achieve it.'
Both Charles, 31, and Italian-Colombian Diego Urbina, 27, are engineers by training. China's Wang Yue, 26, is an employee at China's space training center.
The 38-year old Russian captain, Alexey Sitev, has worked at the Russian cosmonaut training center and the two other Russians, Sukhrob Kamolov, 32 and Alexander Smoleyevsky, 33 are doctors.
The European crewmembers will earn the equivalent of about $97,000 for their participation in the experiment; he declined to cite a figure for Wang.
A similar experiment in 1999-2000 at the same Moscow institute went awry when a Canadian woman complained of being forcibly kissed by a Russian team captain and said that two Russian crew members had a fist fight that left blood splattered on the walls.
Russian officials downplayed the incidents, attributing it to cultural gaps and stress.
A 2009 experiment that had four Russians, a German and Frenchman spending three months in isolation went smoothly.
We did it: A team of researchers celebrate ending their three-month stay in July last year
Martin Zell, an official with the ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight, said the 2009 experiment helped study stress linked with cardiovascular problems and effects on the immune system.
While the isolation experiment may give scientists ample material to analyse the problems faced by a future Mars exploration crew, technological challenges make a real mission a distant prospect.
One of the biggest is designing a compact and efficient shield against deadly space radiation.
Both the US and Russia are working on spacecraft which could be used for a mission to Mars, but design works are still in an early stage.
Last month, President Barack Obama told NASA workers in Cape Canaveral that he was committed to manned space flight and foresaw sending astronauts to orbit Mars by the mid-2030s.
[ via Dailymail ]
Forget Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. The founders of Facebook, YouTube, and other upstart companies are shaking up the business world -- and making millions along the way.
By Geoff Williams
For many, the American dream isn't just to become a millionaire -- it's to become a young millionaire. There's something to be said for coming up with a million-dollar idea relatively early in the game of life.
With original whiz kids like Bill Gates and Steve Jobs paving the way, a new generation of entrepreneurs is putting their own spin on success -- and making a lot of money along the way. How did they do it? While they may have taken slightly different paths, these young millionaires all found a way to turn unique ideas into lucrative ventures. Here's a closer look.
Young millionaire: Mark Zuckerberg, 26
His claim to fame: Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook, which this year will bring in anywhere from $710 million to $1 billion in revenue, according to various reports. Zuckerberg's own wealth is believed to be $4 billion -- at least on paper.
His blueprint for success: Zuckerberg started Facebook from his dorm room on February 4, 2004. The Harvard student didn't intend for his page to go beyond Harvard, but he soon recognized the appeal of being able to connect with college friends. He brought aboard his roommate Dustin Moskovitz and later classmates Eduardo Saverin and Chris Hughes, as they began expanding Facebook to other universities like Stanford, Dartmouth, Columbia and Yale. Facebook took off, first with college kids then high school students, and in June 2006, many corporations were allowed to join. In September 2006, Facebook opened the floodgates to the general public. Today, the site claims more than 400 million active users worldwide.
Young millionaire: Stacey Bendet, 32
Her claim to fame: She founded alice + olivia, a wildly successful women's clothing line, which brings in a reported $50 million a year.
Her blueprint for success: Bendet started her business with University of Pennsylvania classmate Rebecca Matchett (alice + olivia is named after the founders' mothers), and the collection is now sold in more than 800 stores around the world. Why the company became successful may simply be traced to Bendet's creativity. New York once reported that while in college, Bendet Rollerbladed to a job interview dressed in orange pants and a fur bomber jacket. Today, her collections are known for being sophisticated but always adorned in a sense of fun and a little quirkiness. And what happened to Matchett? The two parted ways pretty early in their partnership, but Matchett isn't doing so badly either -- she is the co-founder of another clothing company called Rebecca & Drew.
Young millionaires: Dennis Crowley, 33, and Naveen Selvadurai, 28
Their claim to fame: They founded Foursquare, which has been valued at $80 million.
Their blueprint for success: Foursquare allows users to alert their Facebook friends and Twitter followers where they are at any given time, encouraging everyone to check out cool places they've discovered. Selvadurai is a software developer and Crowley knows something about social media (he sold Dodgeball, a location-based social network, to Google in 2005). Foursquare, a combination of software and social networking, is based on a very human desire: to get out and see things and share experiences with people. Selvadurai created it simply because, as he told BusinessWeek, "I live in the East Village, which has so much rich history and so much to do, and I realized that I'd seen maybe 5 percent of it. I was looking for a way to get me and my friends to go out and do more things."
Young millionaire: Aaron Patzer, 30
His claim to fame: He created Mint.com, a money-management site. Last year, Intuit bought it for $170 million.
His blueprint for success: Patzer has always been something of an overachiever. As an undergrad at Duke University, he earned degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, and computer engineering. He later started a Ph.D. program, decided that it wasn't practical, and got his MSEE (Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering) at Princeton instead. So maybe it isn't a shock that he was only 25 when he created Mint.com. Still, you don't need to have an advanced degree to understand why Patzer was successful. Everyone has money -- or wants it -- and Patzer created an easy-to-use site that helps people keep more of it.
Young millionaire: Andrew Mason, 29
His claim to fame: He created Groupon, a coupon site like no other. Revenue is estimated to hit $350 million in 2010, and the company has been valued at $1.2 billion.
His blueprint for success: Mason harnessed the power of collective buying action. Groupon, available in cities nationwide, offers discounts from local businesses -- generally significant discounts, like 59 percent off admission to a laser-tag arcade or 67 percent off a week at a daycare center. If enough consumers respond that they'll take a particular deal, it goes forward. If not enough respond, the business can pull the deal. It's a win-win situation for everyone, since customers save a ton of money, businesses gets an influx of customers, and Groupon takes up to 50 percent of the cut.
Young millionaire: David Chang, 32
His claim to fame: Back in 2004, he created Momofuku, a noodle bar in New York City, which has since spawned a mini empire of line-out-the-door restaurants across the Big Apple.
His blueprint for success: Since opening his original noodle bar, Chang has expanded to several other locations, including Momofuku Ko, a 12-seat restaurant that takes reservations six days in advance, online only, and on a first-come first-served basis -- infuriating some fine-dining folks who want to eat there sooner and more frequently. Nonetheless, the restaurant is always packed. Chang has also authored a cookbook, and for his creative-yet-affordable culinary creations, earned himself a spot on the 2010 Time 100 list.
Young millionaires: Chad Hurley, 34; Steve Chen, 32; Jawed Karim, 31
Their claim to fame: If you've ever watched a video of a cat playing the piano or Susan Boyle singing her heart out, you know these guys. Yep, they co-founded YouTube.
Their blueprint for success: Hurley worked at PayPal and talked up the idea of a video-sharing site with two coworkers, Chen and Karim. When they were given a bonus after eBay bought PayPal, they used that -- along with some venture capital -- to build an office in a garage. It was there, in February 2005, that they started YouTube. While Hurley, Chen, and Karim's exact net worth is unknown, but you can do the math: Google bought YouTube in November 2006 for $1.65 billion.
Young millionaire: Kevin Rose, 33
His claim to fame: He created Digg, a content-sharing site with estimated revenue of $31 million.
His blueprint for success: Like a lot of these young millionaires, Rose tapped into the wisdom and acceptance of crowds. Rose's business depends on people from all walks of life around the globe. In a nutshell, Digg asks people to vote on a story, asking them if they "Digg" it. Rose was featured on the cover of BusinessWeek in 2006 with the cover line: "How This Kid Made $60 Million in 18 Months." Despite plenty of critics who question whether the site has a solid business model, BusinessInsider.com recently suggested that the company could be worth $250 million.
Among the probables, three are from Punjab including goalkeepers Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and Jagroop Singh and Inderpreet, who is a defender.
Two trainees of state-run Chandigarh Football Academy - midfielder Bikramjit Singh and defender Deepak Devrani - are students of former India captain Tejinder Kumar, who is a senior coach in the Chandigarh Sports Department.
Probables: Defenders: Vishal Kumar, Ravinder Kumar (Karnataka), Abhishek Das (West Bengal), Inderpreet Singh (Punjab), Deepak Devrani (Chandigarh), Raju Eknath Gaikwad (WIFA), Souvik Ghosh (West Bengal), Lalrozama Fanai (Mizoram), Prathmesh Premnath Maulingkar (Goa).
Midfielders: Akshay Vimal Kumar Mall (Gujarat), Subodh Kumar (Jharkhand), O Milan Singh (Jharkhand), Shilton D'Silva (WIFA), Jewel Raja Sheikh (IFA), Bikramjit Singh (Chandigarh), Lalrindika Ralte (Mizoram), Tirthankar Sarkar (West Bengal), Kh Jibon Singh (Manipur).
Forwards: Mandeep (Haryana), Jagtar Singh (Punjab), Malsawmfela (Mizoram).
Goalkeepers: Ravi Kumar (TFA), Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (Punjab) and Jagroop Singh (Punjab).
American actress Ashley Greene is the smiling face on the cover page of fashion magazine Seventeen US for the month of July 2010. Magazine featured a complete photo shoot of Ashley, she spills gossip from the set of Eclipse while talking to magazine. 
