Please be careful at ATMs

2010-08-10T04:09:00.000-07:00

Fraudsters use nail cutters, screwdrivers to withdraw money from ATMs

Beware if the ATM screen goes blank after you swipe your card. It could be a mischief by fraudsters to withdraw cash from your account after you leave the ATM in a huff. A bit of adhesive and a screwdriver are all that’s needed to outwit hi-tech safety gadgets. These swindlers are part of a powerful inter-state network spread across the country. Assam Police and Kolkata Police have recently rounded up three swindlers who have mastered the tampering of ATMs.

The trick applies only to ATM machines that need a customer to insert and extract the card to start operations (as opposed to ATMs where the card pops out after the transaction is complete). Many nationalised banks, including SBI and Bank of Baroda, use this system at their ATMs, most of which are unmanned. So, what is this low-tech, highly effective modus operandi?

Fraudsters, who generally strike in pairs, enter the ATM by swiping a valid debit card at the gate, press down a key on the keyboard and stick it with adhesive so that it does not return to its original position. This switches on the machine. They then walk out and wait for a victim to step into the trap. When a customer enters the ATM and swipes the card, he does not realise that the machine is already on. A message flashes for him to key his PIN, which he does. But since the machine has been switched on in an improper way, the screen goes blank automatically as a security feature to stop fraudulent withdrawals.

The customer thinks it is a system fault and gives it a second try. He has no clue that the two ‘customers’ getting impatient outside are actually criminals waiting to steal his money. They start abusing him for taking too much time and force him to leave in a huff. Exit customer, enter fraudster. They simply use a screwdriver to ‘release’ the key. The ATM restarts automatically. What it has in store is the PIN of the last customer who swiped his card. The gang simply enters the amount and walks out with cash. The SBI has been receiving several such complaints from its unmanned ATMs. “We were at a loss to locate the fraud because the CCTVs showed the customer swiping his card. But customers complained that they couldn’t withdraw money,” an SBI official said.

Later, banks found out that the actual transaction happened long after the customer had swiped his card and left. And, the CCTV footage always showed two or more suspicious people enter the cubicle soon after the customer left. “What struck us is that the transaction was completed only after the group of people left the counter,” the bank official said. Banks then complained to the police. One such complaint was lodged at Entally police station in June this year. CCTV footage came handy for investigators from the anti-bank fraud wing of Kolkata Police. One of the kingpins, Adid Khan, was caught in the act as he tried out the same stunt at an ATM in a shopping district. Police seized adhesives, screwdrivers and nail cutters from his associates, simple tools that helped them carry out a near-perfect crime. Three ATM cards, a debit card, a car and Rs 2 lakh in cash were seized. Probe revealed the trio is part of a large gang operating from Gaya in Bihar. When they confessed, police were stunned by the simplicity of the operation.

50 THINGS EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

2010-08-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

1. The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.

2. Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

3. Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions!

4. What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

5. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

6. "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.

7. In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child

8. A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off!

9. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

10.You can't kill yourself by holding your breath

11.There is a city called Rome on every continent.

12.It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland!

13.Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day!

14.Horatio Nelson, one of England's most illustrious admirals was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness.

15.The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is present at all important meetings of the University of London

16.Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

17.Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, everytime you breathe!

18.The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

19.One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet!

20.Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

21.The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667, when Jean-Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man

22.Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!

23.Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin!

24.The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080.

25.Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

26.Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle.

27.Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

28.Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."
Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

29.On average a hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute.

30.More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

31.The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

32.More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food.

33.Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

34.The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

35.The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

36.Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

37.It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.

38.You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

39.Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food!

40.Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

41.It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

42.The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

43.The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds

44.Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not

45.Slugs have 4 noses.

46.Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

47.A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years!

48.A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

49.The average person laughs 10 times a day!

50.An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

THE ONE PAISA REVOLUTION

2010-08-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to a commercial SMS costing less than a paisa, every advertiser—from builders, insurance and investment companies, vaastu and fitness experts to sauna belt and geyser manufacturers—has turned to bulk text messages, taking the daily junk SMS count across the country past 100 million. In fact, the only thing that the paisa can buy today is mobile talk time. You can even get paid one paisa for an SMS you send to your friends, which can be used as referrals by the mobile advertising companies for their promotion campaigns. We call this phenomenon the ‘one paisa revolution’.

The purchasing power of the paisa has eroded considerably, taking into account inflation. Once we agree that the paisa has lost the value of what it could potentially buy, with the exception of talk time, we need to understand the characteristics of a revolution to enable us to call the positive changes brought about by the telecom ‘one-paisa revolution’.

Revolution represents radical change. Even in its astronomical application, the word is used to describe a change in position. While all revolutions involve change, not all changes can be described as a revolution. Changes that may be called a revolution must have characteristics that a mere change lacks. That which is particular to the class of change which warrants the different name revolution is, either the great speed, the great extent of change, the great number of people affected and/or the great degree to which people and their lives are affected by change.

In India, the telecom revolution has taken place since 1995, primarily due to the unleashing of policy and regulatory shackles. During this period, the mobile subscriber base grew from nothing to more than 600 million, connecting the largest number of people conceivably possible anywhere on the globe, with the exception of China. The resultant network effect has increased the demand for services, thus making it attractive for operators, equipment makers and content providers alike.

There is also evidence that the phone is powerful enough to replace face-to-face interaction in several instances. With every decrement in mobile airtime rates, the usage has been increasing and is now at an all-time high of about 411 minutes per user per month, considerably higher than that witnessed in most countries. There is also reason to believe that the marginal utility of making a mobile phone call for people at the bottom of the pyramid is much more than for richer subscribers. The dual causality between economic development and mobile density is one of the reasons for the rapid increase in India's rural subscriber base. With people at all strata of the society, ranging from the fishermen of Kerala to women self- help groups in the hinterlands of Tamil Nadu, getting notable benefits from the use of mobile services, there is support to believe that the changes brought about by telecom represent a revolution.

Another important concept that is making this one paisa revolution possible is the 'price point pack' (PPP), an innovative marketing and packaging concept that is designed to sell a small portion or a single-use portion of the product at an affordable price. The first PPP ever introduced was some 60 years ago! Brooke Bond and then Lipton, the leading tea companies in India, launched what was called the 'paisa pack', which was a paper envelope that contained tea worth one paisa (then 1/64th of the Indian rupee) that could make 1 or 2 cups of the beverage. Followed diligently by Pan Masala and, then later on, by the FMCG companies to sell shampoos in sachets, PPP has been successfully adopted by our telecom operators to sell the perishable often referred to as 'erlangs' of network capacity.

Thus, the one paisa revolution has made growth more inclusive. However, the telecom industry in India continues to be much dogged by regulatory and policy uncertainties. At the minimum, subscribers and operators who have contributed to this revolution, expect that the regulator and policymakers rise to the occasion in formulating appropriate and predictable policies for the country's development in an inclusive manner.

(Kala Seetharam Sridhar is senior research fellow, Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore . This article is coauthored with V Sridhar, research fellow, Sasken Communication Technologies. Views are personal)

Source: The Financial Express

i FOUND THIS ON : NEWS.MSN.COM

How to Manage Domain Names Like A Pro

2010-08-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

Domain names are your prized real estate on the web and securing and protecting your valuable domain name is essential. As the number of your owned domain name increases, managing domain names requires extra effort and advanced skills. Here are some simple tips to keep your domains fine tuned.
1. Activate autorenew – I always thought this was a smart marketing gimmick, but its actually useful as it ensures your domain names never expires unless really you want to let it go. What if you forget to renew, the reminder email goes in the spam folder and your domain transfers to a domain shark. I tie up renewals with a Paypal account and never worry again.
2. Consolidate renewal dates - If you own a few hundred domain names, over time they end up with variable expiry and renewal dates. Many domain name registrars provide an option to consolidate these dates together, by charging the balance fee of the remaining months. Now it is easier to renew these domains in bulk and you never miss out.
3. Protect your privacy – Your registrant name, address, email and telephone numbers are visible to anyone on the web. The domain registrars share this information with whois services by default, displaying contact details of administrative and technical contacts too. Try a whois search on any domain. Private domain registration services (like Domains By Proxy) ensure that your personal details are hidden and your privacy is secured. There are too many examples of how your personal information can be misused on the internet. Better safe than sorry.
4. Register long term - You want to keep your site running for the next five years, don’t you? Then why do you want to register your domain name for one year and keep renewing every year. Note that a domain name registered for 5 years displays more trust as a long term site with more weightage in search engine algorithms (godd for SEO) compared to spammy one year cybersquatted domain names.
5. Keep contact details fresh – when you shift your residence, change your phone number or email - you immediately intimate credit cards companies and banks, so why not inform your domain name registrar too. It takes a minute to update your contact details on you domain management screen, but is worthwhile. How will information reach you about reminders for domain name renewal, or prospective domain name buyers. Domain tasters are everywhere.
6. Monetize parked domains - You bought multiple precious domains in the hope of selling them later at a huge premium – till that day arrives, earn money easily using a variety of parked domain monetization programs like Cashparking, Chitika for domains, Adsense for domains etc. and earn money while saving your domain for the final day.
7. Lock Up Domain Names - Locking your domain name prevents changes to the contact details and the nameservers and protects you from unauthorized third parties who might try to misdirect your name servers or transfer your domain. Always keep all domains locked. You can always unlock it in minutes when you need to transfer the domain yourself.
8. Test Domain Auctions – Why keep storing multiple domains when you can make lots of money selling it. If your domain is worth its value, you can test its market value. Set up a domain auction with a reserve price and maybe you can get much more from selling it than nurturing it over the years.
9. Solid Passwords - Your entire domain security is protected by a login password to your domain account. Chose a tough password difficult to break by simple password generators. Keep changing your password periodically. Login from trusted computers only and stay safe from keyloggers. Keep your eyes open for password phishing emails. Do not tell your password to anyone, and remember to logout.
10. Network your Domains – Have you bought multiple domain names with different TLDs like .com, .org etc to secure your brand presence. Utilize them all by setting up options like permanent 301/302 redirects, forwarding, masking, cloaking etc such that these domains finally make the visitor reach your target domain. Beware that overdoing and misusing these techniques for SEO with multiple domains can be penalized by search engines.
11. Consolidate Registrars - Its dangerous to keep all your eggs in one basket, but managing a few hundred domain names is easier if they are on one (or a few) domain management panels. If you constantly find yourself troubled with multiple domain registrars and renewal dates, consolidating your domain names will surely bring some peace of mind.
12. Look for Discounts - Never renew or buy domain names without looking for a promo code or coupon code, which will give you cool discounts. Simply search the web or coupon code sites like Retailmenotand you can get a much cheaper deal.
13. Earn affiliate income – Most domain registrars have an affiliate referral program where you can earn some extra money by referring more users to try their service and earn commissions, and if someone ends up buying hosting from them, the commissions are a good bonus. Even better is to become a domain name reseller or domainer for bigger bucks .
14. Bulk is Better - Remember that renewing or buying multiple domain names in bulk will get you advantage of special pricing and many coupon codes usually work at higher baseline cut offs - so you might save a lot of dollars. I renew domain names in bulk, even if they are not expiring to get a better deal.
15. Value your domain – If you are sitting on multiple domains, get a professional domain name appraisal to find your domain worth. Premium domain names with a clean history can attract serious buyers and earn some huge money if done the right way. Free domain name worth estimation tools use your Google PR, backlinks, Alexa rank, Technorati to give you a quick general idea only.
16. Backorder domain names – You will be surprised how frequently people miss renewal deadlines (especially if they missed this article) and your favorite domain owner might just forget to renew and heed the reminders. If you backorder the domain, it will be snatched for you the moment it expires and you might get your prize catch.
17. Hire domain brokers – Sometimes your wanted domain is parked and with no signs of missing renewal deadlines or you cannot wait for 10 months to backorder. Hire a domain broker (most registrars would do it), who will negotiate with the domain owner and try to get your desired domain name for you. It does not come cheap, but at times is worth the value.
18. Buy Premium Services - Though most owners will not need them, its worthwhile to check if you need business registration, SSL certificates, etc to establish your brand dominance, online security and reliability. Its worth the value if you are running an online business and need that extra trust to drive sales.
Follow these tips and manage your domain like a professional domainer. Your domain names are valuable, and you need to maintain them the right way to reap the benefits. i use GoDaddy to buy our domain names and recommend them. Share your domain secrets in comments.

Computers & internet: affecting brain, personality, identity?

2010-08-06T11:29:00.000-07:00

Is computer use shaping children's personalities in a new way? In afascinating article from a recent New Scientist, neurophysiologistBaroness Susan Greenfield set out the thesis of her new book, which I plan to read: ID: The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century.

To summarise her ideas:
1. The mammalian brain, including ours, is "plastic" - human neuronal circuits are malleable, sensitive, easily shaped by external influences and by one's activities (witness the famed research showing that memorising street navigation had enlarged the hippocampus of London's licensed black taxi cab drivers).

2. She suggests the human mind isn't a mere abstraction, but is "the personalisation of the brain, a set of neuronal connections peculiar to each individual, driven in turn by that person's particular experience and interaction with the outside world".

3.Of course, the outside world now includes technology. (She also discussed biotechnology etc but I'll skip over that here.)

4. Might living effectively in 2 dimensions via a computer screen affect neuronal connectivity? (It's been estimated that western children spend about 6 hours a day in front of a computer screen currently.)

5. More specifically, would "continued interaction with a fast-paced, sensory-laden, multimedia environment predispose a brain to shorter attention spans?" Is it just coincidence that prescriptions ofmethylphenidate (Ritalin) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have trebled these last 10 years?

6. She also suggests that "the strongly visual, literal world of the screen" could affect our ability to develop the imagination and form the kind of abstract concepts that have hitherto come from first hearing stories, then reading oneself. "Will future generations prefer the here-and-now, opting for a strongly sensory experience over a more personalised cognitive narrative? When you play a computer game to rescue the princess, it is the experience that counts: you don't care about the feelings or thoughts of the heroine. When you read a book, the princess's welfare and fate is the whole point."

7. Following on from that, could "here-and-now, fast-paced sensory experiences" change how future generations see themselves and construct their identity? Could they choose to stay in a "more infantile world of passive reactivity to sensations", perhaps even "a world where there is no personal narrative at all, no meaning, no context, just the experience of the thrill of the moment?"
8. In her book ID: The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century, she suggests 4 scenarios for identity:
a. "Nobody" - an abrogation of the sense of self, hedonism, blowing our minds, letting ourselves go. She posits "that the newer technologies may predispose future generations to seek just this sort of condition."
b. "Someone" - the persona that prospers under liberal western consumerism.
c. "Anyone" - the persona of the collective identity in fundamentalist or communist cultures.
d. "Eureka" - "where the experience of creativity enables you to feel both fulfilled and to have a sense of individual identity (none of the first 3 scenarios seems satisfactory when taken alone). But she notes that some might object that the Eureka scenario could produce "a dysfunctional society of egocentric, eccentric individuals".

9. She theorises that newer technologies may predispose future generations to seek the "Nobody" scenario: "Twenty-first-century technology is giving us, for the first time and en masse, more time each day and the chance to live to an active old age, and this brings with it greater options for creating or experiencing a dystopia or a utopia than at any previous time."

10. While the dystopia is a risk, she also suggests: "Perhaps one answer would be to promote a mixed portfolio in which future generations flip from "let yourself go" (Nobody), to selfless, collective working (Anyone), to an occasional sense of personalised achievement (Someone), based not on superiority of status or possessions but on that internal glow that comes with insight and creativity (Eureka). Now that might even be fun."

I think what she says makes a lot of sense. Much of it also applies to the TV generation too, of course, not just the gaming / computer kids. I had the chance to hear her on just these issues at a session at the Dana Centre some time ago (a proper event, for a change, where they actually let the expert say what she had to say, followed by questions from the floor - instead of making attendees scull around listening to opinionated know-nothings spout off in unfacilitated free for alls or trying desperately to catch the experts in time slots that were too short because of the time-wasting involved in shunting people around different rooms in lieu of a proper panel with Q&A in one large room. /rant about Dana Centre's "interactive" approach).

Anyway, back on topic, I really identify with the "Eureka" scenario - but in a much broader sense. It made me think about how much I live for those Eureka moments, to exaggerate only slightly. I've always had an enquiring mind, always wanted to know, I love learning new things, and that high when I suddenly get something, finally understand something, is hard to match - I suspect the buzz is addictive, in a way. (And no, I'm not trying to find excuses for my eccentricity!)
I also think she has a point about kids being unconsciously "conditioned" into passive, experiential, me me me consumption. I use computers and the internet as a participatory medium more than anything - for me it's very "lean forward". I do my share of leaning back, but that's usually in front of the TV, or with a book or magazine. However, I was brought up more with print than computers (though I did watch TV), so maybe that's just a reflection of how my brain's been shaped by my own childhood experiences.

What do you think, do you feel she has a point, or do you disagree?

20 Tips for Reducing Foot Odor

2009-12-17T00:33:00.000-08:00

Everyone is familiar with the smell of stinky feet and I’d venture to say that most of us don’t like it. People who regularly suffer from bad foot odor may be embarrassed about the smell, self-conscious taking their shoes off around others and concerned about why they are having this problem. Luckily there are lots of things that you can do to try to eliminate the smelly odor from your feet and shoes so that you can once again be comfortable baring your toes to the world.

Here’s a look at twenty different ways to reduce foot odor:

1. Air out your feet to keep them dry. The single most common reason that feet smell is that they get wet (usually with sweat). Air out your feet regularly by removing your shoes and socks when you don’t need them

2. Wear moisture-smart socks. There are socks out there that are designed specifically to help keep your feet dry. If you wear socks and shoes all throughout the day and can’t be airing your feet out regularly then it may be smart to invest in these moisture-control socks.

3. Wash with salt. Salt water can dry out your skin so if you wash your feet in it then you can reduce the moisture of your feet and that will reduce their tendency to get stinky fast. When you are done with your shower, soak your feet in a solution of warm salt water. Don’t rinse it off; merely wipe it off with a towel and let your feet dry fully before putting socks on.

4. Wash with vinegar. You can also soak your feet in vinegar once or twice a week to reduce the problem. Of course, vinegar stinks too so you’ll want to do this one at the end of the day when you’re not going anywhere. Wash your feet, dry them thoroughly, stick them in a pair of socks and go to bed.

5. Wash with green tea or black tea. If you can’t stand the idea of washing your feet in vinegar but you do want to try a foot soak then a good alternative is to soak your feet in tea. Black tea is best although green tea works as well.

6. Use a foot scrub. In addition to soaking your feet, you can scrub them to reduce the problem of foot odor. This is best done with natural home remedy products that have a strong smell. Ginger, radish and lemon are all good products for creating a foot scrub that will truly cleanse your feet. Do this once or twice a week.

7. Dry out your shoes as well. If you dry out your feet but then stick them inside of sweaty shoes then you’re just going to get smelly feet again right away. Air out your shoes (preferably outside so you don’t stink up the house) before wearing them again.

8. Try to find shoes that breathe. You’ll reduce a lot of the foot odor problem if you’re wearing shoes that breathe well instead of shoes that hold all of that moisture in.

9. Change out your shoes regularly. Don’t wear the same pair every day because this worsens the problem. Rotate the shoes that you wear regularly so that you can dry them out naturally between each wearing.

10. Wear socks with your shoes. Wearing running shoes and heels without socks causes them to retain their sweat which increases the stink of the shoe and affects your feet. Women who wear nylons may want to wear socks underneath with some shoes to further reduce the problem. The exception here is with open-toed shoes and sandals that may be better off socks-free for maximum aeration of the foot.

11. Apply a foot deodorizer product to your feet. The problem is often taken care of when you purchase an over-the-counter foot deodorizer to apply regularly to your feet.

12. In a pinch, use deodorant. Yes, take the deodorant / anti-perspirant that you wear under your arms and apply it to your feet. The odor should diminish. This is a great quick-fix solution for times when you’re embarrassed about the smell of your feet and want to take care of the issue immediately.

13. Use a deodorizer inside of your shoes. In addition to products that are for your feet, there are deodorizers meant to go into your shoe (powders are the most common type of this product). Corn starch and baking soda are home remedy products that can be used instead. Use these products as needed.

14. Use a benzoyl peroxide gel on your feet daily. This can reduce the bacteria that is causing the problem.

15. Determine what causes you to sweat and take care of the problem. If you sweat because of stress, do relaxation techniques. If you sweat because of heat, get a personal fan. If you sweat when working out, take a clean pair of socks and shoes to the gym with you.

16. Consider your diet and the rest of your body odor. If you notice that it’s not just your feet that smell but the rest of you as well then the problem may be a dietary one. Ask yourself what you’re eating and whether it could be exacerbating the smell of your stinky feet.

17. Get enough zinc. This is one common dietary problem among people with foot odor – they aren’t getting enough zinc in their diets. Check to make sure that you are and start adding to your zinc intake if you’re not. The smell could go away.

18. Wash your feet at least once per day with anti-bacterial soap. The main thing that you need to do is to keep your feet clean. Some people need to wash their feet two or three times a day to keep the problem under control. Take just a few minutes to do this washing and the problem should clear up.

19. Make sure there isn’t a more serious problem. If you’ve done all of these things and you still have a problem with foot odor then you may have some type of foot disease. See a podiatrist to get it checked out.

20. Serious doctor-prescribed solutions. You may find that you don’t have any other foot problem but that your particular situation is bad enough to warrant medical solutions. Solutions to foot order that can be prescribed by a doctor include prescription-strength antibiotics, aluminum chloride with ethyl alcohol, Botox and even surgery. This should, of course, be a last resort.

Prevention and Treatment of Foot Odor
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How To Prevent Foot Odor
Believe it or not, I have found the way to prevent foot odor by daily using a very inexpensive and common product readily available in discount stores, supermarkets, and pharmacies. By using this method, I...
Cure Bad Foot Odor
Do you suffer from bad foot odor? There is nothing worse than having smelly feet. It can be embarrassing too. There are steps you can take to help get rid of bad foot odor. This hub has some great tips. 1....
When You Have Smelly Feet
Ever been to a place where you have to remove your shoes? How did it smell like? When we were at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, I had wanted to go into one of the temples there. However, when I saw the so...
Natural Ingredients for Smelly Feet
Ahhh...no stinky here! There are so many home and health remedies that can be made at home with simple and healthful ingredients. One such remedy is for stinky. If your feet have a terrible odor, this can...
The effective way to remove foot odor
This is a terrible problem to most men who are having a disgusting odor in their feet, especially once the socks are removed. There are many credible solutions on this problem as suggested by many doctors...

i found this on:

http://hubpages.com/hub/20-Tips-for-Reducing-Foot-Odor

nice website .. look for more interesting content...

Google Browser Size Helps Keep Your Content Above The Fold

2009-12-17T00:29:00.000-08:00

Most of us take them for granted, but web designers have to deal with a myriad of frustrating problems on a daily basis. From browsers that ignore standards to different screen resolutions, there’s a lot for them to grapple with. Today, Google has launched a new addition to its collection of Labs tools calledBrowser Size that’s meant to help alleivate one of these headaches.

One issue web designers face is ensuring that they keep their important content “above the fold” — you don’t want users to have to scroll down to see the hottest story or a call to action. Browser Size helps with this, by visualizing just what percentage of the Internet-browsing population can see a certain part of your page. This is related not only to screen resolution, but also how large people keep their browser windows.

Using the tool is simple: type a URL in at the top of the screen, and the site will load your webpage in the background. It will then overlay a semi-transparent graphic depicting how much of the web’s population can view each section of your page without scrolling. The results aren’t particularly exciting — the further down or to the side you go, the fewer people can see it. But this will certainly be helpful for web designers.

The data is generated based on the browser size of users who visit Google.com. Google says that it found that the install rate for Google Earth increased by a whopping 10% simply by moving it 100 pixels higher on the page

I found this on:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/16/google-browser-size/

check this page for more details and keep coming back for more stuff daily....

Beejive for BlackBerry 2.0 Released

2009-12-17T00:17:00.000-08:00

If you’re a BlackBerry owner who’s looking for something small to get themselves this holiday season, this might help. Earlier this morning, Beejive released version 2.0 of their BlackBerry IM application – and just in time for the season of ~~getting~~.. ~~awkward family dinners~~.. giving, they’ve lopped 50% off the price tag.

The new features:

* Facebook chat: Chat with your Facebook friends while on the go, and see a record of your chats on facebook.com.
* Clickable Twitter usernames: Click on a Twitter username in a chat to launch Twitter.
* Refined and responsive UI: Take advantage of BeejiveIM’s custom-written user interface, offering speedy and responsive controls and a modern look-and-feel.
* Voice notes: Instantly record and send voice messages to your IM contacts. Voice notes are perfect for on-the-go chatting, such as when you are walking down the street or need to get information to someone quickly and don’t have time to type.
* GPS location: Send your current GPS location with a link to Google Maps, taking advantage of your BlackBerry’s location features and adding a new location-aware element to your chats.
* More chat styles: Customize your chat styles and colors and set different backgrounds and wallpapers.
* File transfers with all IM services: Easily send, receive, and review file attachments, and see previews of images right inside your chat.
* Push notifications: Whether running in the foreground or the background, BeejiveIM will always notify you of new instant messages.
* Improved Battery Life: Staying in touch with all your friends is now far gentler on your battery.
* Support for the 5.0 OS and Storm: BeejiveIM supports all BlackBerrys running 4.2.1+ and 5.X operating systems, including the Storm and Storm 2.

From today until January 1st, a one-device license will set you back $9.95 (usually $19.95), while a swappable license will come in at $14.95 (usually $30). If you’re not ready to jump in just yet, there’s always the 30-day trial.

i found this on:

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/12/16/beejive-for-blackberry-2-0/#more-24096

cacth more about mobile on this page... mean wile keep smiling & surfing

Bar-code Scanning RedLaser iPhone App Reaches 750K downloads, over $1M in revenue

2009-12-17T00:11:00.000-08:00

Yep, it’s still happening. You can still become a millionaire on the iPhone without a marketing budget and a brand name.Occipital, the company behind RedLaser [iTunes Link], has struck gold with its barcode-scanning iPhone app. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s much harder to be an indie developer on the iPhone these days. The App Store is riddled with brands and much of the Top 50 selling apps are backed by marketing/PR budgets or legacy users (meaning they’ve been on the store since the beginning, and have an install base that can boost future app sales via cross-promotion). In fact, almost every developer I talk to nowadays says the App Store has become increasingly difficult, and that it would be “impossible to get noticed” if you just stuck your app in the store. Well, if you create a good enough product on the App Store, people will come, and they came to buy RedLaser – in droves.

RedLaser has been in the top 5 of the App Store paid apps for 3 months now, and got there without any advertising or marketing whatsoever. Co-Founder Jeff Powers says that though the app hit the market in May, it wasn’t getting any traction. After releasing an update to the app which made it “actually work”, according to Jeff, they saw a dramatic increase in sales. This was despite the fact that they did nothing different upon the re-launch and got almost zero press pickup when they updated the app. The hypothesis is that this came entirely from word-of-mouth sales, which is probably a good bet. Who wouldn’t want to show off to their friends the cool new barcode-scanning price-checking app on their phone? The chart below shows exactly how sales ramped up upon release of the update.

The staggering sales RedLaser was getting didn’t stop anytime soon – they rolled through October, November and now half of December without ever leaving the top 5 apps on the store. It’s common for apps to hit the top 10 and stay there for a bit, but 3 months is an extremely long run. We’ll see if they can keep it up through the post-Holiday app frenzy. Regardless, TechStars startup and indie developer Occipital has shown that if you make a great product, users will still buy it.

With just two employees, Occipital has managed to rake in well over $1M for their $2 app, and are selling roughly 6,000 units a day. They are also getting strong press pickup due to the holiday buying season, with a feature on Martha Stewart Living earlier this week and as part of a front-page article on WSJ.com. They’ve seen more than a 1,000 sale bump recently, which they attribute to the Martha Stewart TV show.

RedLaser does a fantastic job of scanning barcodes on curved surfaces and in poorly-lit areas. I had a bit of trouble taking a picture of some barcodes because I have an awfully unsteady hand, but that was fixed by putting my elbow against my chest. RedLaser provides product search data from a products database called TheFind and nutritional facts from DailyBurn. The product database scans the stores near you (along with any online stores) to help you compare prices between what you’re buying online and what is available locally. It works well, though it sucks that the database has no mom and pop stores because they often don’t link to the product search companies’ databases.

On top of RedLaser, there are 12 apps on the store that are powered by the barcode scanning technologies, including Good Guide, GroceryIQ, Corks and others. They get around $0.10 per download of those apps as well, which is a nice recurring revenue stream as more apps integrate their barcode scanning technology.

Jeff stressed that Occipital is a mobile computer vision company and that we would see even cooler things from them in the future. In the meantime, take a look at RedLaser on the App Store and make sure you’re getting the best price on your holiday purchases.

I found This on:

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/12/15/bar-code-scanning-redlaser-iphone-app-reaches-750k-downloads-over-1m-in-revenue/#more-24078

catch this page for more detsils on this ...... mean wile happy surfing

World Wide Wreck

2008-10-18T04:12:00.001-07:00

A digital doomsday may be round the corner. In exactly 1,273 days there will be web confusion in the world as we run out of Internet addresses.

More than 85 per cent of the available addresses have already been allocated and the rest will run out by 2011, according to a prediction by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

These are not the normal web addresses that you type into your browser's window. These are the numerical Internet protocol (IP) addresses that denote individual devices connected to the Internet. They form the foundation for all online communications, from e-mail and web pages to voice chat and streaming video.

IP addresses are so basic to the success of the Internet that you really do not need to know a website's domain name if you know their IP. In fact, domain names are only a convenience for people who have better luck remembering to type, say, www.google.com, than they would have trying to remember Google's IP address of 216.239.39.99.

Whenever you type http://www.google.com into your browser, the browser sends a query off to a big telephone book in the sky and asks "Hey, what's the IP address for google.com?". This big telephone book, more commonly called a "Domain Name Server" or DNS for short, returns 216.239.39.99 to your browser.

Your browser then heads off to Google's website using the IP address as a map.

When the current IP address scheme, called Internet Protocol Version 4 (Ipv4), was introduced in 1981, there were hardly 500 computers connected to the Internet. The address makers at that time allowed for four billion addresses, thinking they would last forever. They have been nearly gobbled up in just under 30 years!

As addresses run dry we will all feel the pinch: Internet speeds will drop and new connections and services (such as Internet phone calling) will either be expensive or simply impossible to obtain.

The solution to the shortage is to upgrade to a new address protocol.

The Internet protocols are prepared by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers working for the smooth operation of the Internet.

The IETF is an organised activity of the Internet Society (ISOC), a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education and policy. The Society's south and southeast Asian Bureau was established this January. The India chapter is headquartered in Chennai.

The IETF is already prepared for the doomsday. It has devised a replacement system, called IPv6, more than a decade ago, providing enough addresses for billions upon billions of devices as well as improving Internet phone and video calls, and possibly even helping to end e-mail spam.
Then why the doomsday predictions? The problem is that the new system is not really compatible with the Internet of today. If, for example, Google wants to support IPv6, it will need to build a whole new IPv6 web service, complete with new domain names, servers and bandwidth. The costs run into billions.

The OECD notes that "immediate costs are associated with deployment of IPv6, whereas many benefits are long-term and depend on a critical mass adopting it", according to The Sunday Times.

World Wide Wreck

2008-10-18T04:12:00.000-07:00

A digital doomsday may be round the corner. In exactly 1,273 days there will be web confusion in the world as we run out of Internet addresses.
More than 85 per cent of the available addresses have already been allocated and the rest will run out by 2011, according to a prediction by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
These are not the normal web addresses that you type into your browser's window. These are the numerical Internet protocol (IP) addresses that denote individual devices connected to the Internet. They form the foundation for all online communications, from e-mail and web pages to voice chat and streaming video.
IP addresses are so basic to the success of the Internet that you really do not need to know a website's domain name if you know their IP. In fact, domain names are only a convenience for people who have better luck remembering to type, say, www.google.com, than they would have trying to remember Google's IP address of 216.239.39.99.
Whenever you type http://www.google.com into your browser, the browser sends a query off to a big telephone book in the sky and asks "Hey, what's the IP address for google.com?". This big telephone book, more commonly called a "Domain Name Server" or DNS for short, returns 216.239.39.99 to your browser. Your browser then heads off to Google's website using the IP address as a map.
When the current IP address scheme, called Internet Protocol Version 4 (Ipv4), was introduced in 1981, there were hardly 500 computers connected to the Internet. The address makers at that time allowed for four billion addresses, thinking they would last forever. They have been nearly gobbled up in just under 30 years!
As addresses run dry we will all feel the pinch: Internet speeds will drop and new connections and services (such as Internet phone calling) will either be expensive or simply impossible to obtain.
The solution to the shortage is to upgrade to a new address protocol.
The Internet protocols are prepared by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), a large open international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers working for the smooth operation of the Internet.
The IETF is an organised activity of the Internet Society (ISOC), a not-for-profit organisation founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related standards, education and policy. The Society's south and southeast Asian Bureau was established this January. The India chapter is headquartered in Chennai.
The IETF is already prepared for the doomsday. It has devised a replacement system, called IPv6, more than a decade ago, providing enough addresses for billions upon billions of devices as well as improving Internet phone and video calls, and possibly even helping to end e-mail spam.
Then why the doomsday predictions? The problem is that the new system is not really compatible with the Internet of today. If, for example, Google wants to support IPv6, it will need to build a whole new IPv6 web service, complete with new domain names, servers and bandwidth. The costs run into billions.
The OECD notes that "immediate costs are associated with deployment of IPv6, whereas many benefits are long-term and depend on a critical mass adopting it", according to The Sunday Times.

cool smoking pic

2008-10-18T04:04:00.000-07:00

Smoking Can Boost Your Memory

2008-10-18T03:56:00.000-07:00

Scientists attempting to create a nicotine pill to treat Alzheimer's disease have suggested that smoking can help boost memory and concentration. Nicotine has long been known to have a stimulating effect on the brain.

However, the deadly side effects of cancer, stroke and heart disease, mean its benefits have been largely set aside by medical research.

Now researchers, who hope to develop drugs which copy the active ingredients in tobacco without causing heart disease, cancer, stroke or addiction, discovered that nicotine can boost the intelligence and recall ability of animals in laboratory experiments.

The researchers, who plan to present their latest findings at the Forum of European Neuroscience in Geneva, hope that the new drugs, which will be available in five years, may have fewer side effects than existing medicines for dementia.

However, the scientists stressed the new treatment at best will only give patients a few extra months of independent life instead of fully freeing them of Alzheimer's disease. "The substances that we call drugs have, in the majority of cases, do have a mixture of beneficial and harmful effects and nicotine no exception to this," Professor Ian Stoleman of Britain's King's College was quoted as saying by the Mail online.

Researchers led by Prof Stolerman studied how nicotine alters the brain's circuitry to boost concentration and memory. In his study, he showed that the concentration power in rats went up by 5 per cent when injected with nicotine, the report said.

Why Did Your Flight Got Cancelled ???

2008-10-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

No, it’s not because the airline hates you

Last year, U.S. airlines canceled 21,000 flights. Or rather, a small cadre of guys canceled 21,000 flights. Every gate agent reports up the ladder at a given airline to a set of command-center managers. We spoke with a few of the people who make the big decisions to learn what factors influence whether they cancel a flight.

Number one is no surprise: The Weather

No 2. : Repairs

One warning light is all it takes to ground a plane. Age-related corrosion is often the culprit. Airplanes also have mileage-based maintenance checks, so if a plane has just passed the mark (or will very soon), an airline may cancel its next flight to be safe.

No 3. : Crew Hours

Flight crews can work for only 30 hours every seven days and 100 hours a month. If delays have tacked on too many in-flight hours (idling on the tarmac counts) and crews will exceed their quotas during the next flight, the airline will cancel it.

No 4. : Full or Empty

Contrary to popular belief, it’s usually better to fly in the evening, since the airlines will work furiously to get the planes where they’re supposed to be for the next day’s schedule. It’s the early-morning flights that are more likely to be canceled.

I found this On:

http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-%2526-space/article/2008-09/why-your-flight-got-canceled

New Life for Your Old iPhone

2008-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Buying a 3G iPhone doesn’t have to mean that your first-generation model is now just a paperweight

Here’s a secret they didn’t tell you when you bought a 3G iPhone: One of its best features—the ability to run new applications found on iTunes—is also possible on the old iPhone with an easy software upgrade. Plus, you can hack your first-gen to run unofficial apps alongside the sanctioned ones (known as “jailbreaking” the phone). And remember that your deactivated iPhone still has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well. With all this at your disposal, there are lots of ways to give a first-gen a second life.

Remote Control
Apple’s free Remote application is the slickest way to control your AppleTV or Mac’s iTunes with an iPhone, but there are other free apps for controlling your TiVo (code.google.com/p/tivoremote), your MythTV home-theater PC (trac2.assembla.com/mymote/wiki) or any computer (code.google.com/p/telekinesis).

GPS Device

xGPS ($75; xgps.xwaves.net) uses a small GPS receiver that plugs into your phone, along with software to give you turn-by-turn directions (you must have a jailbroken phone to use xGPS). Coming in January, LocoGPS (gomite.com) will do the same thing with a GPS receiver that connects to your iPhone over Wi-Fi.

VoIP phone

Although your cell number is now on the 3G, your old phone can still make calls over the Internet using Wi-Fi. Truphone is found in the app store; calls cost between 6 and 30 cents a minute. Fring (fring.com) lets you use your Skype account, including SkypeIn, so you can receive calls too.

Media Center

With Apple’s Universal Dock ($50; apple.com), you can play video and music from your iPhone through a connected TV and stereo. Download movies and TV from iTunes or transfer them from your Mac, and install applications like Pandora and Last.FM for customized Internet radio.

Music Studio

From vinyl scratching (MixMeister Scratch; free) to more cowbell (More Cowbell; free), the iPhone can provide just about any sound you’re craving. One of the most versatile apps is MooCow Music:Band ($1.99), which gives you simulated piano, drums, bass, blues guitar, metronome and, of course, crowd noise. To get a little more utility out of your actual instruments, use any number of tuning applications, including Stay in Tuen ($4.99) and Tunic Guitar Free (free).

Shop Assistant
Our pal Chuck over at Toolmonger has put together a list of five uses for your iPhone around the shop including the rather analog straight edge, and a digital level using the phone’s built-in accelerometer and an app like Bubble Level ($.99). We’d add “calculator” to that list with the handy ShopCalc ($1.99), which can add fractional and decimal measurements interchangeably, and a more comprehensive unit-conversion app like Units (free), which handles everything from pressure to power

I found This on:

http://www.popsci.com/oldiphone

Video: Why Artificial Intelligence Threatens Actual Intelligence

2008-10-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

Spooked? In our first episode of The Science of YouTube, we take a ride down into the Uncanny Valley and explore why this robot might freak you out

Have a look around intresting stuff

Watch Your Wallet: Phishers on the Prowl

2008-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

Scammers take advantage of banking turmoil, incidents of fraud increasing as market falls

In the worst of times, don't expect the best in everyone. Scammers are reveling in the financial turmoil by taking advantage of consumers' fears, especially those who are customers of banks most affected by the Wall Street crisis. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which issued a warning this week, cautioned that people should watch out for e-mails or pop-ups, even if from their own banks, asking for any sensitive personal or financial information. People should double-check their bank and credit card statements for fraudulent activity, the report added.

Banks making the news like JP Morgan Chase, which bought out Washington Mutual in September, or Citigroup, which as of this week backed out of settlement talks with Wachovia and Wells Fargo, are prime targets for phishing. The report said that fraudsters may not necessarily be taking information to get credit using someone else's identity, but could be going a step further and breaking into accounts that already exist. Spammers are apparently also creating fake Web sites and malicious software to get information.

To learn more about scams, check out the FTC's site.

some facts

2008-10-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

1. Coca-Cola was originally green.
2. The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
3. The name of all the continents ends with the same letter that they start with .
4. The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
5. There are two credit cards for every person in theUnited States
6. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
7. Women blink nearly twice as much as men!
8. You can't kill yourself by holding your breath ..
9. It is impossible to lick your elbow.
10. People say "Bless you" when you sneeze because when you sneeze, your heart stops for a millisecond.
11. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
12. The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
13. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
14. Each king in a deck of playing cards represents great king from history.Spades - King DavidClubs - Alexander the Great,Hearts - CharlemagneDiamonds - Julius Caesar.
15. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
16. If a statue of a person in the park on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air, the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.
17. What do bullet proof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers and laser printers all have in common?Ans. - All invented by women.
18. Honey is the only food that doesn't spoil.
19. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
20. A snail can sleep for three years.
21. All polar bears are left handed .
22. American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
23. Butterflies taste with their feet .
24. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
25. In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
26. On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
27. Shakespeare invented the word 'assassination' and 'bump'.
28. Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
29. The ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
30. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
31. The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
32. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over million descendants.
33. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
34. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match .
35. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
36. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different

Microsoft Crazy facts

2008-10-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Microsoft crazy facts

1 :
Nobody can create a FOLDER anywhere on the computer named as "CON".
This is something pretty cool...and unbelievable. ..

Explanation for 1:

In windows the folder name and the special system variables share the same interface, so
when you create a folder with a system variable name it will consider that folder already
exist!!
these special system variables are available irrespective of path
You cannot create a folder with these names also:
CON, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3,COM1 to COM9 and LPT1 to LPT9....
CON means console, COM1 means serial port 1, LPT1 means parallel port 1

2:
This is something pretty cool and unbelievable. ..
At Microsoft the whole Team, including Bill Gates, couldn't answer why this happened!
Try it out yourself...
Open Microsoft Word and type
=rand (200, 99)
and then press ENTER

3:
For those of you using Windows, do the following:
1. Open an empty notepad file
2. Type "Bush hid the facts" (without the quotes)
3. Save it as whatever you want.
4. Close it, and re-open it.
is it just a really weird bug?

You can try the same thing above with another sentence "this app can break"

COKE -- No wonder coke tastes soooo good

2008-09-30T04:40:00.000-07:00

In many states (in the USA) the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of coke and it will be gone in two days.

To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and......Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

To clean corrosion from car battery terminals. Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, Remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, And run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FYI:

The active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. Its Ph is 2.8. It will dissolve a nail in about 4 days.

To carry Coca-Cola syrup (the concentrate) the commercial truck must use the Hazardous material place cards reserved for Highly corrosive materials.

The distributors of coke have been using it to clean the engines of their trucks for about 20 years

Still Want To Drink Up?????????

We all know that water is important but . . .

2008-09-30T04:37:00.000-07:00

We all know that water is important but . . .

75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world pop.)

Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as much as 3%.

One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a U-Washington study.

Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Are you drinking the amount of water you should every day?

Totally useless facts

2008-09-30T04:36:00.000-07:00

Totally useless facts that someone actually took the time to organize! (part 1)

Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.

The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma.

American car horns beep in the tone of F.

No piece of paper can be folded more than 7 times.

Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.

1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.

The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.

The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.

A Boeing 747s wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.

The 57 on the Heinz ketchup bottle represents the number of Varieties of pickles the company once had.

The plastic things on the end of shoelaces are called aglets.

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

The first owner of the Marlboro company died of lung cancer.

Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.

Betsy Ross is the only real person to ever have been the head on a Pez dispenser.

Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.

Marilyn Monroe had six toes.

All US Presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.

Walt Disney was afraid of mice.

It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.

Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.

The three most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

Average life span of a major league baseball: seven pitches.

A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.

Richard Milhouse Nixon was the first US president whose name contains all the letters from the word "criminal." The second? William Jefferson Clinton

"Is it better to be a jock or a nerd?"

2008-09-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

The answer to the eternal question "Is it better to be a jock or a nerd?":

Michael Jordan having "retired," with $40 million in endorsements, he makes $178,100 a day, working or not.

If he sleeps 7 hours a night, he makes $52,000 every night while visions of sugarplums dance in his head.

If he goes to see a movie, it'll cost him $7.00, but he'll make $18,550 while he's there.

If he decides to have a 5 minute egg, he'll make $618 while boiling it.

He makes $7,415/hr more than minimum wage.

He'll make $3,710 while watching each episode of Friends.

If he wanted to save up for a new Acura NSX ($90,000) it would take him a whole 12 hours.

If someone were to hand him his salary and endorsement money, they would have to do it at the rate of $2.00 every second.

He'll probably pay around $200 for a nice round of golf, but will be reimbursed $33,390 for that round.

Assuming he puts the federal maximum of 15% of his income into a tax deferred account (401k), his contributions will hit the federal cap of $9500 at 8:30 a.m. on January 1st.

If you were given a penny for every 10 dollars he made, you 'd be living comfortably at $65,000 a year.

He'll make about $19.60 while watching the 100 meter dash in the Olympics, and about $15,600 during the Boston Marathon.

While the common person is spending about $20 for a meal in his trendy Chicago restaurant, he'll pull in about $5600.

This year, he'll make more than twice as much as all U.S. past presidents for all of their terms combined.

Amazing isn't it? However...

If Jordan saves 100% of his income for the next 450 years, he'll still have less than Bill Gates has today.

Game over. Nerd wins.

The History of the Christmas Carol

2008-09-30T04:27:00.000-07:00

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially that partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not allowed to practice their faith openly.? Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.? It has two levels of meaning; the surface meaning, plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.? Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
The Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.
Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history lesson for today and now you know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol!

You v/s the World

2008-09-30T04:25:00.000-07:00

If we could shrink the earth's population to a village of 100 people, with all the existing human ratios remaining the same, it would look something like this:

There would be:

57 Asians
21 Europeans (14 from the Western Hemisphere, both north & south)
8 Africans
52 people would be female
48 would be male
70 would be non-white
30 would be white
70 would be non-Christian
30 would be Christian
6 would possess 59% of the entire world's wealth (and all 6
would be from the U.S.
80 would live in substandard housing
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be near death;
1 would be near birth
1 (yes, only 1) would have a college education
1 would own a computer

A TAD MORE . . .

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 500 million people in the world. If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death, you are more blessed that three billion people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If your parents are still alive and still married, you are very rare, even in the U.S. and Canada.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed, because most of us can, but few do. If you can hold someone's hand, hug them, or even touch them on the shoulder, you offer healing, and are therefore blessed. If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing because someone is thinking of you, and because two billion people in the world cannot read at all.

More totally useless facts for you to know

2008-09-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

The citrus soda 7-UP was created in 1929. "7" was selected because the original containers were 7 ounces. "UP" indicated the direction of the bubbles.
Mosquito repellents don't repel, they hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito sensors so they don't know you're there.
Dentists have recommended that toothbrushes be kept at least 8 feet away from toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush.
The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as substitute for blood plasma.
American car horns beep in the tone of F.
No piece of paper can be folded more than 7 times.
Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes.
1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.
You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.
Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are 50 years of age or older.
The 1st product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum.
The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.
A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's 1st flight.
Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.
The 1st CD pressed in the U S was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA".
Apples, not caffeine, are more efficient at waking you up in the morning.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
The 1st owner of the Marlboro Company died of lung cancer.
Barbie's full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts.
Betsy Ross is the only real person to ever have been the head on a PEZ dispenser.
Michael Jordan makes more money from NIKE annually than all the NIKE factory workers in Malaysia combined.
Adolph Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.
Marilyn Monroe had 6 toes.
All US presidents have worn glasses. Some just didn't like being seen wearing them in public.
Walt Disney was afraid of mice.
The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing her hands in jelly.

Dog & Cat owners have different personalities

2008-09-30T04:21:00.000-07:00

Dog owners and cat owners are as different as night and day, says an expert--who reveals the distinctive personality traits of each. People are like their pets, said Dr. Vinsey, Professor of Anthropology at Pace University in New York City, who made a six-year study of pets and their owners.

Dr. Vinsey characterizes dog owners this way:

They tend to be more outgoing and sociable and they're more apt to be openly affectionate.
Dog owners are more generous and helpful. They are more ambitious and assertive and more apt to take risks to reach their goals.
Dog owners are more "outdoorsy" -- they love to tramp the hills, go camping and participate in active, energetic sports.

Cat owners are a different type says Dr. Vinsey:

They tend to be well-read, articulate and cultured and more imaginative, creative and curious than dog owners.
They're more apt to be loners. They enjoy privacy and tend to be aloof until they know someone well.
Cat lovers are comfort lovers and tend to pamper themselves. They're more finicky and choosy, have exotic tastes and are nonconformists. They also tend to be more opinionated and independent.
Cat owners are indoor people. Their greatest joy is to curl up in front of a fire with a good book or a TV miniseries to view.

But both cat and dog owners are far more flexible than people who don't own pets, said the doctor. They take a less rigid approach to life and adjust more easily to changes in plans or circumstances, she said.

The meaning of the symbols on the Dollar Bill

2008-09-30T04:20:00.000-07:00

Take out a one dollar bill and look at it. The one dollar bill you're looking at first came off the presses in 1957 in its present design. This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. It's not paper money at all...its fabric money. We've all washed it without it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used, the contents we will never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look.

If you look on the front of the bill, you will see the United States Treasury Seal. On the top you will see the scales for the balance-a balanced budget. In the center you have a carpenter's T-square, a tool used for an even cut. Underneath is the Key to the United States Treasury.

That's all pretty easy to figure out, but what is on the back of that dollar bill is something we should all know. If you turn the bill over, you will see two circles. Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two years to get it approved.

If you look at the left hand circle, you will see a Pyramid. Notice the face is lighted and the western side is dark. This country was just beginning. We had not begun to explore the West or decided what we could do for Western Civilization. The Pyramid is uncapped, again signifying that we were not even close to being finished. Inside the capstone you have the all-seeing eye, and ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin's belief that one man couldn't do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God could do anything. "IN GOD WE TRUST" is on this currency. The Latin above the pyramid, ANNUIT COEPTIS, means "God has favored our undertaking." The Latin below the pyramid, NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM, means "a new order has begun." At the base of the pyramid is the Roman Numeral for 1776.

If you look at the right-hand circle, and check it carefully, you will learn that it is on every National Cemetery in the United States. It is also on the Parade of Flags Walkway at the Bushnell, Florida National Cemetery and is the centerpiece of most hero's monuments. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President of the United States and it is always visible whenever he speaks, yet no one knows what the symbols mean.

The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons first, he is not afraid of a storm; he is strong and he is smart enough to soar above it. Secondly, he wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England. Also, notice the shield is unsupported. This country can now stand on its own. At the top of that shield you have a white bar signifying congress, a unifying factor. We were coming together as one nation.

In the Eagle's beak you will read, "E PLURIBUS UNUM", meaning "one nation from many people." Above the Eagle you have thirteen stars representing the thirteen original colonies, and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Again, we were coming together as one. Notice what the Eagle holds in his talons. He holds an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve peace. The Eagle always wants to face the olive branch, but in time of war, his gaze turns toward the arrows.

They say that the number 13 is an unlucky number. This is almost a worldwide belief. You will usually never see a room numbered 13, or any hotels or motels with a 13th floor. But think about this: 13 original colonies, 13 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 13 stripes on our flag, 13 steps on the Pyramid, 13 letters in the Latin above, 13 letters in "E Pluribus Unum", 13 stars above the Eagle, 13 plumes of feathers on each span of the Eagle's wing, 13 bars on that shield, 13 leaves on the olive branch, 13 fruits, and if you look closely, 13 arrows. And for minorities: the 13th Amendment.

Why didn't we know this? You probably don't know it and your children don't know it because no one ever felt it important enough to tell us about it. Too many veterans have given up too much to ever let that meaning fade. Many veterans remember coming home to an America that doesn't care. Too many veterans never came home at all.

Tell your kids and grandkids what a dollar bill really stands for. Because if you don't, nobody else will.

31 facts you really don't need to know

2008-09-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
In the 1940s, the FCC assigned television's Channel 1 to mobile services (two-way radios in taxicabs, for instance) but did not re-number the other channel assignments. That is why your TV set has channels 2 and up, but no channel 1.
The "save" icon on Microsoft Word shows a floppy disk, with the shutter on backwards.
The combination "ough" can be pronounced in nine different ways. The following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed."
The verb "cleave" is the only English word with two synonyms which are antonyms of each other: adhere and separate.
The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating a letter is uncopyrightable.
Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in the correct order, as does arsenious, meaning "containing arsenic."
Emus and kangaroos cannot walk backwards, and are on the Australian coat of arms for that reason.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, while dogs only have about ten.
The word "Checkmate" in chess comes from the Persian phrase "Shah Mat," which means "the king is dead".
Pinocchio is Italian for "pine head."
Camel's milk does not curdle.
In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
An animal epidemic is called an epizootic.
Murphy's Oil Soap is the chemical most commonly used to clean elephants.
The United States has never lost a war in which mules were used.
Blueberry Jelly Bellies were created especially for Ronald Reagan.
All porcupines float in water.
Hang On Sloopy by the McCoys is the official rock song of Ohio.
Did you know that there are coffee flavored PEZ?
Lorne Greene had one of his nipples bitten off by an alligator while he was host of "Lorne Greene's Wild Kingdom."
Cat's urine glows under a blacklight.
If you bring a raccoon's head to the Henniker, New Hampshire town hall, you are entitled to receive $.10 from the town.
The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
Non-dairy creamer is flammable.
The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)
Texas is also the only state that is allowed to fly its state flag at the same height as the U.S. flag.28. The only nation who's name begins with an "A", but doesn't end in an "A" is Afghanistan.
Pamela Anderson Lee is Canada's Centennial Baby, being the first baby born on the centennial anniversary of Canada's independence.
When opossums are playing 'possum, they are not "playing." They actually pass out from sheer terror.
The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

More totally useless things to know

2008-09-30T04:18:00.001-07:00

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses. No one in Greece has memorized all 158 verses.
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
The average secretary's left hand does 56% of the typing.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched."
All of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are members of the peach family.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
There are only five words in the English language which end in "-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, Timidous, and hazardous.
Los Angeles's full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula". And can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size, "L.A."
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than it's brain.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
In most advertisements, including newspapers, the time displayed on a watch is 10:10.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
The only real person to be a Pez head was Betsy Ross.
When the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers play football at home, the stadium becomes the state's third largest city.
The characters Bert and Ernie on Sesame Street were named after Bert the cop and Ernie the taxi driver in Frank Capra's "Its A Wonderful Life".
A dragonfly has a lifespan of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
On an American one-dollar bill, there is an owl in the upper left-hand corner of the "1" encased in the "shield" and a spider hidden in the front upper right-hand corner.
It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
The giant squid has the largest eyes in the world.
Who's that playing the piano on the "Mad About You" theme? Paul Reiser himself.
In England, the Speaker of the House is not allowed to speak.
The name for Oz in the "Wizard of Oz" was thought up when the creator,
Frank Baum, looked at his filing cabinet and saw A-N and O-Z, hence "Oz."
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
Mr. Rogers is an ordained minister.
John Lennon's first girlfriend was named Thelma Pickles.
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes.
There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
Stewardesses' is the longest word that is typed with only the left hand.
Typewriter is the only ten letter word you can type on the top row of your keyboard.

Which tree are you?

2008-09-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

Which tree does your birthday fall under?

December 23 to January 1 Apple Tree
January 2 to January 11 Fir Tree
January 12 to January 24 Elm Tree
January 25 to February 3 Cypress Tree
February 4 to February 8 Poplar Tree
February 9 to February 18 Cedar Tree
February 19 to February 28 Pine Tree
March 1 to March 10 Weeping Willow Tree
March 11 to March 20 Lime Tree
March 21 Oak Tree
March 22 to March 31 Hazelnut Tree
April 1 to April 10 Rowan Tree
April 11 to April 20 Maple Tree
April 21 to April 30 Walnut Tree
May 1 to May 14 Poplar Tree
May 15 to May 24 Chestnut Tree
May 25 to June 3 Ash Tree
June 4 to June 13 Hornbeam Tree
June 14 to June 23 Fig Tree
June 24 Birch Tree
June 25 to July 4 Apple Tree
July 5 to July 14 Fir Tree
July 15 to July 25 Elm Tree
July 26 to August 4 Cypress Tree
August 5 to August 13 Poplar Tree
August 14 to August 23 Cedar Tree
August 24 to September 2 Pine Tree
September 3 to September 12 Weeping Willow Tree
September 13 to September 22 Lime Tree
September 23 Olive Tree
September 24 to October 3 Hazelnut Tree
October 4 to October 13 Rowan Tree
October 14 to October 23 Maple Tree
October 24 to November 11 Walnut Tree
November 12 to November 21 Chestnut Tree
November 22 to December 1 Ash Tree
December 2 to December 11 Hornbeam Tree
December 12 to December 21 Fig Tree
December 22 Beech Tree

Apple Tree, the Love Of slight build. Lots of charm, appeal and attraction, pleasant aura, flirtatious, adventurous, sensitive, always in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, scientific talents, lives for today, a carefree philosopher with imagination

Fir Tree, the Mysterious Extraordinary taste, dignity, cultivated airs, loves anything beautiful, moody, stubborn, tends to egoism but cares for those close to it, rather modest, very ambitious, talented, industrious uncounted lover, many friends, many foes, very reliable.

Elm Tree, the Noble-Minuteness. Pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends to not forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, tends to a know-all-attitude and making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Cypress, the Faithfulness Strong. Muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, happy content, optimistic, needs enough money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered, unruly, pedantic and careless.

Popular, the Uncertainty Looks very decorative, no self-confident behavior, only courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, artistic nature, good organizer, tends to philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership serious.

Cedar, the Confidence of rare beauty. Knows how to adapt, likes luxury, of good health not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, determined, impatient, wants to impress others, many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waiting for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Pine Tree, the Particularity Loves agreeable company, very robust, knows how to make life comfortable, very active, natural, good companion, but seldom friendly, falls easily in love but its passion burns out quickly, gives up easily, many disappointments till it finds its ideal, trustworthy, practical.

Weeping Willow, the Melancholy. Beautiful but full of melancholy, attractive, very empathic, loves anything beautiful and tasteful, loves to travel, dreamer, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with, demanding, good intuition, suffers in love but finds sometimes an anchoring partner.

Lime Tree, the Doubt Accepts what life dishes out in a composed way, hates fighting, stress and labor, tends to laziness and idleness, soft and relenting, makes sacrifices for friends, many talents but not tenacious enough to make them blossom, often wailing and complaining, very jealous, loyal.

Hazelnut Tree, the Extraordinary. Charming, undermining, very understanding, knows how to make an impression, active fighter for social cause, popular, moody and capricious lover, honest and tolerant partner, precise sense of judgment.

Rowan, the Sensitivity Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Maple, Independence of Mind. No ordinary person, full imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-respect, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, many complexes, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Walnut Tree, the Passion. Unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egoistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromises.

Chestnut Tree, the Honesty of unusual beauty. Does not want to impress, well-developed sense of justice, vivacious, interested, a born diplomat, but irritate and sensitive in company, often due to a lack of self-confidence, acts sometimes superior, feels not understood loves only once, has difficulties in finding a partner.

Ash Tree, the Ambition. Uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with its fate, can be egoistic, very reliable and trust-worthy, faithful and prudent l over, sometimes brains rule over heart, but takes partnership very serious.

Hornbeam, the good taste of cool beauty. Cares for its looks and condition, good taste. Tends to egoism, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads reasonable, disciplined life, looks for kindness, an emotional partner and acknowledgment, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom
happy with his/her feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very consciences.
Fig Tree, the Sensibility. Very strong, a bit self-willed, independent, does not allow contradiction or arguments, loves life, its family, children and animals, a bit of a butterfly, good sense of humor, likes idleness and laziness, of practical talent and intelligence.

Oak, robust nature. Courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not love changes, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Birch, the Inspiration. Vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does Not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Olive Tree, the Wisdom. Loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids Aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Totally useless stuff for you to know

2008-09-30T04:12:00.000-07:00

Debra Winger was the voice of E.T.
Pearls melt in vinegar.
It takes 3,000 cows to supply the NFL with enough leather for a year's supply of footballs.
Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
The 3 most valuable brand names on earth: Marlboro, Coca-Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
Humans are the only primates that don't have pigment in the palms of their hands.
Ten percent of the Russian government's income comes from the sale of vodka.
The sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." uses every letter in the alphabet. (Developed by Western Union to Test telex/two communications)
Average life span of a major league baseball: 7 pitches.
A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
The reason firehouses have circular stairways is from the days of yore when the engines were pulled by horses. The horses were stabled on the ground floor and figured out how to walk up straight staircases.
The airplane Buddy Holly died in was the "American Pie." (Thus the name of the Don McLean song.)
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history. Spades-King David; Clubs-Alexander the Great; Hearts-Charlemagne; and Diamonds-Julius Caesar.
111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321
Clans of long ago that wanted to get rid of their unwanted people without killing them used to burn their houses down - hence the expression, "to get fired."
Hershey's Kisses are called that because the machine that makes them looks like it's kissing the conveyor belt.
The name Jeep came from the abbreviation used in the army for the "General Purpose" vehicle, G.P.
The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colorado.
The only two days of the year in which there are no professional sports games (MLB, NBA,NHL, or NFL), are the day before and the day after the Major League All-Star Game.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
The mask used by Michael Myers in the original "Halloween" was actually a Captain Kirk mask painted white.
If you put a raisin in a glass of champagne, it will keep floating to the top and sinking to the bottom.
Snails can sleep for 3 years without eating.
Actor Tommy Lee Jones and vice-president Al Gore were freshman roommates at Harvard.
The fingerprints of Koala bears are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, so much so that they could be confused at a crime scene.
All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20.
James Doohan, who plays Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott on Star Trek, is missing the entire middle finger of his right hand.
The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

20 interesting things you might not know

2008-09-30T04:02:00.000-07:00

1. A zebra is white with black stripes.

2. All the planets in our solar system rotate anticlockwise, except Venus. It is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

3. Hummingbirds are the only animal that can also fly backwards.

4. Insects do not make noises with their voices. The noise of bees, mosquitoes and other buzzing insects is caused by rapidly moving their wings.

5. The cockroach is the fastest animal on 6 legs covering a meter a second.

6. The word "listen" contains the same letters as the word "silent".

7. The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning it's head are the rabbit and the parrot.

8. A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

9. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

10. The whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound.

11. A hippopotamus can run faster than a man.

12. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.

13. 'Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia' is the fear of long words.

14. Didaskaleinophobia is the fear of going to school.

15. A snail can sleep for 3 years.

16. The names of the continents all end with the same letter with which they start.

17. In 1883 the explosion of the volcano Krakatau put so much dust into the earth's atmosphere that sunsets appeared green and the moon appeared blue around the world for almost two years.

18. "Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

19. Twenty-Four-Karat Gold is not pure gold since there is a small amount of copper in it. Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.

20. Electricity doesn't move through a wire but through a field around the wire.

Tea, 10 Basic And Interesting Things To Know

2008-09-30T03:51:00.000-07:00

Tea, a beverage that is consumed in almost every culture and is enjoyed by millions. Whether you brew it naturally hot or cold, many benefits can be obtained by drinking several cups a day. Almost everyone at some point has had a cup of tea.

Below are ten interesting facts about tea providing folks a helpful insight and fun read about the beverage enjoyed by many. Make your favorite cup and enjoy!

1) Tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world! It is only beaten by water. Out of all the sports drinks, sodas, and even coffee, tea still holds (and probably will always hold) second place!

2) All tea, white, green, oolong (aka. wu long or brown tea), and black tea come from the same plant. Camellia sinensis is the mother of tea and gives us the leaves that can become those four main types. It is the processing the leaves go through that determines their classification or "color".

3) Tea is grown in many countries, but it is India that produces most of the world's exported tea! China produces the second, mostly green and white teas, and Sri Lanka comes in third for total world production. Japan produces a lot of green tea as well, but only around two percent is exported since Japan is a huge green tea drinking nation.

4) Even though there are only four main types of tea, literally thousands of varieties can be made from each! Many factors such as culture, climate, growing conditions, processing, and even time of day of harvesting all make that possible.

5) Tea is not graded by taste or color, but by leaf size and texture. There are eight main grading categories, with "Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe" (FTGFOP) as one of the highest to "Pekoe" (P) which is the lowest loose leaf grading. The common term "Orange Pekoe" is believed by many folks as being a variety of tea when in fact is just a grading of tea. The "orange" in orange pekoe has nothing to do with oranges or extracts from them either.

6) In America, over 90 percent of folks brew their tea by tea bag. The majority of the tea is black tea; green and white teas have only started to become popular, but continue to increase in sales every year.

7) There are many health benefits that can be obtained from drinking tea daily. Common benefits are help with certain tumor and cancer prevention, lowered cholesterol, and a healthier heart. But did you know that the properties in tea can also help your skin look younger by destroying free radicals which cause dark spots and wrinkles? Tea has shown to even fight cavities!

8) Black tea is the most common, most exported, and most consumed type of tea in the world, while white tea is the least. Black tea is also the most oxidized of all types, while white tea is the least.

9) Tea contains less caffeine than coffee. A cup of black tea has half the amount of caffeine compared to a cup of coffee, and green tea has less than half the amount of caffeine compared to a cup of black tea.

10) The most important yet basic of tea facts is that brewing tea loose leaf style over tea bags is the best way to obtain true tea flavor and benefits! There are also many more varieties of loose leaf tea which can provide folks a lifetime of drinking enjoyment.

Learn More Interesting Facts About Tea

David Carloni is the creator and webmaster of The Color Of Tea.com

10 Interesting Things You Can Do with YouTube or Google Videos

2008-09-30T03:40:00.000-07:00

Unless you are staying in an underground cave for more than a year without an internet connection, there's a healthy chance that you have at least watched, if not downloaded, an online video on Youtube or Google Videos.

The online video sharing space has exploded in the recent months with the entry of new players like Metacafe, Blip.tv, Revver, Yahoo Videos and so on. Millions of video clips, technology shows, music albums, movie trailers are available on these video sites for online viewing or they can also be downloaded to your hard drive for offline viewing.

The downloaded video files are generally in FLV format (Flash Video) which is an Adobe standard for video compression. It has fast becoming the web standard for delivering online video (replacing Apple QuickTime, AVI, Windows Media and Real rm formats) because Flash Video can be viewed inside Macromedia Flash Players which is shipped by default with most web browsers. [Flash Video Editing Guide]

A lot of us know how to download Google Videos or Youtube videos from the internet but what do we do next ? Can we make the FLV video files searchable ? How do you edit FLV files ? All your questions and concerns are answered here:

How do I download videos from Youtube or Google Videos or Metacafe ?

It's strange that none of the video sharing sites provide a simple one-click button to download videos. So we will have to take the help of easy workarounds to download the videos. Here are three different ways to download any video from the internet though internally, they employ the same hack (Right-click -> "Save Target As" OR copy the link into your download manager. but change the file extension to .flv)

Approach 1: The easiest way is to copy your video URL and paste it on KeepVid Lite. When you click submit, you will be provided with a link to save the video as an FLV file.

Approach 2: Bookmark this Link or drag it your browser links toolbar. When you want to download a certain video, open the link in your browser and click the KeepVid button.

Approach 3: For Firefox Users - Install the VideoDownloader Extension from Mozilla Addons website - It downloads all embedded objects on a webpage including the video clips.

What naming convention do I adopt for saving video files on my hard disk ?

With time, as the collection of FLV files on your computer grows in size, it may get impossible to keep a track of the video files. The drawback of flv files is that they are neither searchable nor indexed by media gallery software like Picasa or Apple iTunes. Hence, an intelligent approach would be save the files in such a manner that it becomes obvious even for a layman to understand what the video is all about.

Try to include a short context and duration of the video in the name. For instance, the Google Factory Tour video is 5hours, 39minutes and 41seconds long. You can save it as Google_Factory_Tour_053941.flv or GoogleFactoryTour_053941.flv.

Such files are easy to find later using desktop search programs. Alternatively, if you have the time and energy, the FLV Meta Data Injector can insert additional meta data into FLV files. It's a free command line utility. [Watch Video Tutorial]

How can I play FLV files on my computer - They don't open with Windows Media Player or Winamp or iTunes ?

You can download free FLV players to watch FLV files locally. My favorite FLV player has a simple and easy-to-remember name - FLV Player. Another nice alternative is the Riva FLV player.

I download a large 30 minute video from Youtube but I am only interested in the last 10 minutes of the clip. How do I split a large FLV file into smaller playable video clips?

This is the most common question among video enthusiasts - they want to split a large FLV video file into smaller chunks for editing or resharing only the interesting tidbits on the internet. To break an FLV file, get the free FLV Parser - a tiny command-line tool to split FLVs into pieces. Its intended use is to convert a large FLV into a series of shorter FLVs based on a series of millisecond-based timecodes. Using the -s switch will split the audio and video of the outputted files; the audio track will be extracted as a series of MP3 files, and the short FLVs produced will have no audio track at all.

How do I convert FLV videos to Flash SWF or Windows AVI or Apple Quicktime mov formats ?

The free Simplified Universal Player Encoder & Renderer software from Super can convert FLV files to practically any other video format including MP4, MOV H.264, AVI, ASF or Flash SWF animations. Download here.

How do I convert my AVI MPEG MOV 3GP movie clips back to FLV format ?

Say you complete editing your movie in Windows Movie Maker or Avid and now left with an MOV file that you want to convert to FLV. Just get the free Riva FLV encoder and relax. The Riva encoder even lets you select parts of the video that you want to convert to FLV and crop the rest.

I have three small video clips that I download from Google Videos and now want to join them into one single video - How do I merge FLV files ?

I am not aware of any free software that let you join FLV files other than the expensive Macromedia Flash Professional. However, here's a simple workaround to join several flv video file - convert individual flv files to avi using Super [as mentioned above], then join the multiple Avi files into a single avi file using free VirtualDub and finally convert this avi back to FLV using Riya FLV encoder.

How do I watch Youtube Video on my iPod, PSP or Television ?

Again we'll make use of the Super Video Encoder mentioned above. Just convert the FLV file into a corresponding format (like Apple iPod or Sony PSP or MPG) and transfer it to your gadget.

I want to add my own music and photos to a Youtube video clip but don't have the budget to buy Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro or Macromedia Flash. Can I still create my custom video for free ?

Chances are that your computer already has a full fledged video editing application installed by default - it's called Windows Movie Maker and should satisfy the needs of most hobbyist film makers. You can add titles, transitions and even certain video effects.

Here's how to edit a Youtube video inside Windows Movie Maker - First convert the FLV to AVI format using Super Encoding software, then add your own pictures, music or video clips and finally export the completed file into any video format of your choice. It's that simple.

I don't like the FLV Video Player provided by Google Video. Can I create my custom skin for embedding the video clip ?

The problem with official video players, like the ones provided by YouTube or Metacafe, is that they cannot be customized and the embedded video content is completely contolled by the video hosting site. You cannot personalize the layout of the FLV players like the color settings, logos, etc.

Hence the best solution is to get your creative juices flowing and design the skin of the FLV player yourself. Instructions are available at Adobe Website. You may have to have to download trial version of Macromedia Dreamweaver and Flash Professional software for this trick to work.

Google Videos are not available in my country yet - Can I set download them or view them online ?

Absolutely, you can still watch and download Google Video - read workaround.

Find this article at: http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/07/10-interesting-things-you-can-do-with.html

The Stinkiest Fuel on Earth

2008-09-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Will Brinton, the founder of Woods End Laboratories, a bioenergy consultancy, predicts a future without landfills. Instead we’ll use table scraps and sewage to power our homes. Just dump the waste into a household digester, and bacteria will break it down and release the natural gas methane. Farms could sell their copious poop-based energy supplies back to the grid. But how much energy do animals yield? We ran the numbers and found that you might want to consider a pet elephant.

MANURE MAKER	DAILY OUTPUT	METHANE YIELD	POOP POWER
Elephant	200 pounds	230 feet³/day	39 kilowatts^*
Cow	120	95	16
Llama	16	18	3
Pig	2.5	3	0.5
Dog	0.75	1	0.2
Chicken	0.2	0.3	0.05

^*The average U.S. household consumes 30 kilowatts a day.

i Found this on:

http://www.popsci.com/corey-binns/article/2008-09/stinkiest-fuel-earth

Will Cellphones Save the World?

2008-09-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

If you live in the United States it can be difficult to understand the role mobile phone technology plays across the globe. Here, you may use your phone for calls and messaging, perhaps for some computing lite, but likely little more. In Senegal, however, farmers are using phones to track crop prices, in Japan, writers are SMSing whole novels, and in Sweden, they're texting to apply for instant loans. An app that lets you kill time on the subway, this is not.

Within a year and a half, half the world will use cellphones, predict analysts, and with the bulk of new users emerging from developing nations, the question of what phones can do for their owners has never before had such potentially world-changing answers.

Enter Nokia and Dean Kamen.

Yesterday, a new partnership formed by the company (of largest cellphone maker fame) and the man (yep, the guy who invented the Segway) announced "Calling All Innovators." For the next three months developers can enter mobile apps with real-world value for a chance at a $25,000 purse (also, you know, the glory of helping to save the world). There are three categories the apps can fall into: ECO-Challenge calls for programs that help users make "sustainable choices," Emerging Markets is a catchall to encompass anything from microfinance to health care, and Technology Showcase lets developers strut their stuff. The apps will run on Nokia phones with the S60 platform.

Kamen has recently completed a field test of two inventions that he hopes will change the world. Both are based on Stirling engine technology: one is a water purifier, the other an electrical generator. "Cancer, diabetes, all those diseases, that's 50 percent," says Kamen. "The other 50 percent of all disease is caused by bad water. Getting clean water to people would knock out 50 percent of all disease."

Each purifier and generator provides enough power and water for a village; but, with one million villages in India alone, deployment is a challenge. In the past, Kamen has worked with multinational companies to launch his inventions, but the top-down approach of a big company doesn't mesh well with the million-village scale of this project.

The developing world has a high number of cell phones per capita -- the counterpoint to having very little in the way of landlines -- and the idea is that software running on Nokia's platform could be used to network and control a village's small-scale power and water supply.

Hence the contest. Kamen is hoping to tap the expertise of mobile software developers -- for instance, the three million of them enrolled in Nokia's "Forum Nokia" community -- to provide the infrastructural glue that will help get his inventions to the people who need them. Like Tim O'Reilly, Kamen hopes that developers, properly motivated, will pour some of their efforts into projects that help the world instead of endless widget toys and games.

It's an inspiring idea

i found this on:

http://www.popsci.com/gear-%2526-gadgets/article/2008-09/will-cellphones-save-world

Why is it So Hard to Wake Up in the Morning?

2008-07-25T06:31:00.000-07:00

It’s not necessarily laziness that makes people hit the “snooze” button in the morning. Most likely, your body clock is mismatched with the demands of your life.
Your clock is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a part of the brain that controls the body’s biological rhythms. But, says Jean Matheson, a sleep-disorders specialist at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, these preset natural rhythms often don’t align with daily realities—work or school start times cannot be adjusted to fit a person’s sleep schedule. People who have trouble crawling out of bed probably have an inner clock set to late wake-up and sleep times, a condition known as phase delay.
It is possible to adjust your phase-delayed body clock, Matheson says, but at a price: No sleeping in on the weekends. “When people sleep late on weekends, they revert to their natural phase-delayed rhythm,” she explains. This makes it harder to wake up early on weekdays. You can train yourself to wake up earlier, Matheson says, by setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier each day (and heeding its call).
Exposure to artificial light in the evening can also cause phase delay. The brain is very sensitive to light, and too much of it just before bed—from computer screens, televisions or bright reading lights—can trick the brain into thinking it’s daytime.
If you find it difficult to adjust your sleep habits, there’s some good news. Scientists at the University of California at Irvine recently discovered that a single amino acid regulates your internal clock. One day, says pharmacology professor Paolo Sassone-Corsi, this research could translate into a drug that controls the brain’s sleep cycle.

The Most Powerful Computer on Earth

2008-06-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

IBM's latest supercomputer crunches numbers at enormous speeds--and will soon be put to use for nuclear warfare.

IBM has broken its own record of computer processing speed by pushing its newest supercomputer past the petaflop barrier. The Roadrunner, a massive machine occupying 6,000 square feet of space, this week achieved a peak of 1.026 petaflops, or just over one million billion calculations per second. Just ten years ago, the fastest supercomputer in the world would have taken 20 years to finish a problem the Roadrunner is capable of finishing in a week.

[ Read Full Story ]

Let In The Right People !! intresting stuff

2008-06-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows you shouldn’t reveal your passwords. But what if you're out sick and your coworker needs to borrow your computer?

Carnegie Mellon University’s Grey project lets you give people temporary access to your PC without the risk that they could later use your password to break in. It replaces ordinary login methods with smartphone access, in which your phone uses Bluetooth to send a computer an unfakeable digital access ID. To allow a pal onto your PC, simply send a one-time pass to his phone.

The same system could also control office doors or file cabinets, so you could instantly revoke or grant entry whenever needed. A start-up company, GreenBack Systems, recently began developing Grey for possible use in workplaces in two to four years.

ece.cmu.edu/~grey

The Military's Mystery Machine !!

2008-06-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

The High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP, has been called a missile-defense tool and a mind-control device. The truth is a bit less ominous

Northern Exposure: With HAARP, an antenna array located 200 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska, scientists study the outer atmosphere by zapping it with radio waves generated by 3,600 kilowatts of electricity. Appropriately, it has a great view of the aurora borealis. Photo by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory.

Gold Mining - The second Look at it !!

2008-06-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

You probably don’t live anywhere near a gold mine, but chances are you own some gold jewelry or electronics that have bits of gold inside. Gold mining, which often takes place in developing nations often uses huge pools of cyanide to leach gold from the earth. Occasionally these pools burst, destroying rivers.

Illegal miners collect mercury-laced gold, separate the two, and leave the concentrated mercury to pollute rivers. What can you do? It’s difficult to know where your gold is coming from, but buying vintage jewelry—the ultimate in recycling—won’t increase demand for more mining

The Floating Nuclear Plant !!

2008-06-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

In 2010, Russia is expected to set afloat its first barge-mounted nuclear power plant, a $200-million plant the size of a football field that can be towed to energy-starved Arctic communities on the White Sea. Built by the energy company Rosenergoatom, the barge will carry its load of nuclear waste on board, offloading the stuff every 10 to 20 years, plenty of time to run into a perfect storm—or two.

Found this on:

http://www.popsci.com/environment/gallery/2008-06/looming-eco-disasters

The Giant Coal Plant In India !!

2008-06-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

Wind energy, tidal energy, solar—the world is embracing large-scale green power. Oh wait, maybe we spoke too soon. Tata Mundra, the largest coal-fired energy plant built in decades, is going up in India with the help of a $450-million loan from the World Bank. The 4,000-megawatt coal plant will use relatively modern, efficient technologies to produce enough juice to help out 16 million people, but in the end, coal is coal—at full capacity, the plant will emit only 13 percent less carbon than a conventional coal-fired facility.

On top of that, experts predict that up to 20 percent of the power generated will be lost to India’s poorly maintained electricity grid, negating any benefits of the plant’s technology and making it just another mammoth fossil-fuel incinerator.

I found This On:

http://www.popsci.com/environment/gallery/2008-06/looming-eco-disasters

T9 Nav – Find Anything in your Phone

2008-06-26T06:28:00.000-07:00

T9 Nav is solving one of the biggest painpoint for all ye mobile users - that of searching a menu/command/contact etc. using the default keypad.
Sometimes knowing where something is located on your phone is the hardest part!
But T9 Nav makes finding what you want as easy as A-B-C

The T9 Nav client is a mobile search application that provides a quick way to to open the menu,
applications and content you want without needing to navigate through menus and options. Similar to the predictive text function available with text messaging, T9Nav allows you to simply type the first few letters or numbers for your search, and then a list of potential matches will appear.

For e.g. to search for Bluetooth menu, type in B L U E (or 2 5 8 3) and Bluetooth shows up in your list of results.

T9 is currently under private beta and has been developed by Nuance Communications, leader in speech and image recognition solution.

It’s currently available for Symbian S60 3rd edition phones, i.e. N73, N72, N95 , N71, N80, N93, 5500 Sport 5700 and N76.
Do give T9Nav a spin and share your comments.

Stop Killing the Planet !!

2008-06-26T00:46:00.000-07:00

Leaving Your Computer On

Standby power, also known as vampire power, the juice used by all those DVD player clocks, coffeepot LEDs and cellphone chargers—accounts for more than 5 percent of all residential electricity use in the U.S., a tab that costs us an estimated $4 billion per year and pumps millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Solution? Turn off your computer at night, unplug your iPod when it’s done charging, or put those gadgets on a power strip for one-touch turn-off.

Upgrading Your iPhone

What happens when you toss your old cellphone or computer monitor in the Dumpster? First, you’re contributing toxins like mercury, lead and cadmium into the environment. By some estimates, there are 500 million discarded cellphones in the U.S. alone. Second, you’re wasting precious resources: Electronics contain small amounts of precious metals like gold, silver and coltan, all of which can be reclaimed to reduce often environmentally destructive mining operations. What can you do? Plan your electronics purchases wisely—think about a new phone every three or four years, instead of every six months—and always drop your e-waste off at a recycling center...

Buying Plastic Everything

It’s been said that in 1,000 years, when archaeologists dig down to the 20th and 21st centuries, they’ll deem our time the Plastic Age. The ubiquitous petroleum-based material will be our most prominent artifact, mainly because the stuff doesn’t biodegrade. Besides just making a mess that won’t go away, some plastics are known to leak hormone-disrupting chemicals and other toxins. Until bioplastics—made from vegetable starches and cellulose—become viable, opt for glass containers when you can, and take a reusable bag to the grocery store.

SecureMac warns of new OS X Trojan Horse called AppleScript

2008-06-20T07:07:00.000-07:00

SecureMac is reporting a new Trojan horse that threatens the Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 installation. AppleScript.THT, a new variant of the infamous Trojan Horse virus, is originating from a hacked website through iChat and Limewire.
The Trojan horse allows a malicious user to access a system remotely and transmit system and user passwords. It can also avoid detection through opening a port in a system’s firewall, as well as turning off system logging. AppleScript.THT can also log keystrokes, take pictures with Apple iSight camera, take screenshots and turn on file sharing.
SecureMac is also reporting that the Trojan horse is being distributed in two ways. As a compiled AppleScript known as ASthtv05, or as an application bundle called AStht_v06. When a user downloads and runs the script, the Trojan horse will then attack the system, and even moves itself into the /Library/Caches/ folder.
To protect your Mac OS X from getting infected by the virus, SecureMac is suggesting you run its MacScan 2.5.2 software.
i FOUND THIS ON:
[SecureMac]

LinkedIn makes the connection to more funding and publicity

2008-06-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

How ironic: LinkedIn - indeed any social network - is all about making a connection. Yet thanks to the blizzard of coverage generated by the professional-themed network’s new $53 million-dollar round of funding, all I saw when I first tried to get on LinkedIn were error messages saying “connection interrupted” (Firefox) or “the server unexpectedly dropped the connection, which sometimes occurs when the server is busy” (Safari).
Yep, a New York Times story and ton of links on top content aggregators like Techmeme will do that to you.
LinkedIn is currently the Social Network Media Darling of the Moment because of its willingness to carve a niche for itself with $100,000-a-year-plus professionals, and many in that income bracket who have found their job security threatened in a down economy have turned to the site for career information. Indeed, a lot of people in my former profession - television news - who were recently downsized or may see a layoff around the corner have sprouted LinkedIn profiles. I’ve also noticed a rise in LinkedIn Groups dedicated to TV/media work (full disclosure: I’m a LinkedIn member.)
While a lot of the coverage has focused on forthcoming company-centered applications for LinkedIn and how that will go over with its 23 million members, The broadcast newsguy in me is curious about when I will see more video/audio on the site, specifically on the front page. I’m not talking about turning LinkedIn into Facebook or MySpace; I’m thinking valuable resources for the executives, mid-level professionals and entry-level staffers who make up the core of the membership.
Take some of the member-generated questions-and-answers and expand on them in LinkedIn-produced “news” stories; take more of the company-produced video content seen on LinkedIn’s blog page and put it out front; set up audio podcasts and quiz select members on major business stories of the day. No doubt LinkedIn’s membership includes some knowledgeable experts; any cable business network booker would love to include them in their Rolodexes. Use them and watch the connections multiply in the LinkedIn News Network.
Read [LinkedIn Blog]

MP3 threatened by MT9

2008-06-20T06:53:00.000-07:00

Change is messy. Paradigm shifts, revolutions, restructures – any way you phrase it, widespread change entails considerable effort and uncomfortable periods. The same rings true with digital alterations. Challengers to the ubiquitous MP3 format face serious challenges despite their technical superiority to the old standard.
The foremost contender is the MT9 format. This upstart enables every user to split an audio file into six channels—vocals, guitar, bass, percussion and so on –- effectively making ordinary Joes into amateur recording producers. The format provides unprecedented widespread technical access to users as they isolate specific channels in their audio files.
Known commercially as Music 2.0, industry pundits are supportive of the MT9 format. The Motion Pictures Experts Group (MPEG) is even considering making it an international standard in their meeting this month.
But the road toward this goal is long, hard, and riddled with industry realities. Big and small labels would need to start using the new technology to sell their music –- not an easy thing, as the Blu-Ray/HD DVD war reminds us.
Another critical hurdle is to convince audio device manufacturers –- phones, portable players, etc.—to start making products that support the format and its capabilities. In short, replacing the old standard would require an unparalleled amount of collaboration among labels, digital retailers, and device manufacturers.
The movement requires a strong leader that could force the issue and pave the way for others to follow. Apple, for example, could use its iTunes/iPod clout to talk with major labels and start the revolution.

Is 8GB enough for the iPhone 3G ??

2008-06-20T05:49:00.000-07:00

As we ran our live blog of last Monday’s WWDC Keynote, I couldn’t help but get a little excited about all of the iPhone applications being demoed. This is a bit out of character for me, as I’m a Mac guy, not a gadget guy. In fact, before I finally broke down and bought an 8GB iPhone last autumn, the closest I’d come to a cell phone was using my wife’s Kyocera pay-as-you-go phone through Virgin Mobile.
Now, I’m happy with my iPhone. I’ve made some calls. I’ve even answered some. I’ve texted some friends, photographed some sunrises and followed my real time hockey scores. But, by and large, I get less use out of my iPhone in one week than many of you will in an hour. That’s all about to change, however, with iPhone 2.0 and the App Store. Now, there are programs to use. Information to store. Games to played.
Games.
This got me to thinking...will my 8GB iPhone be enough? When I upgrade, will I have pay for the 16GB model just to handle those glorious games? A quick check of my current iPhone reveals that I’m using less than 1GB in available space, and over 9/10ths of that is taken up by one movie (you probably don’t want to know which one). Obviously, I’ve got plenty of room to spare, but will that continue to be the case as I buy more games, utilities and productivity software? Apple has announced they’re restricting the iPhone app size to 2GB, but that’s only three applications away from filling up my drive. Hardly a restriction.
So, to get an idea on whether 8GB will be enough, I contacted a couple gaming companies to see what they’ll be delivering (I went with games only because they tend to demand more disk space). Pangea Software’s Brian Greenstone, who demoed Cro-Mag Rally and Enigmo for the iPhone at the Keynote, told me, “The app sizes are still in flux, but I can say that they’re not very large—smaller than the original games.” A quick check of their Mac counterparts reveals that Enigmo and Cro-Mag are 23MB and 130MB downloads, respectively. That’s certainly workable.

I also contacted our friends over at Freeverse regarding their iPhone games. Colin Lynch Smith replied, “Big Bang Sudoku will be around 4MG. Wingnuts Moto Racer will be in the vicinity of 10MG.” Colin also offered this tip; “Given that apps under 10MB will be downloadable over the cell networks, I think most devs will try to keep their apps under 10MG if at all possible.”

So, at least for now, it looks as if I’m safe with my 8GB model. We’ll see how long this lasts as more applications are released and developers continue to push the technology, but I have a feeling any disk space I sacrifice will be because I refuse to delete any games from my iPhone…
...and because I never know just when I’ll want to watch the greatest movie ever made!

i FOUND THIS ON:

http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/is-8gb-enough-for-the-iphone-3g/

CAN PLACTICS MAKE YOU SICK ????

2008-06-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

It seems like every week there's another news story linking common plastic products to dangerous chemicals. Many of these chemicals seem as hard to understand as they are to pronounce, so how are we to know if products with phthalates are really safe? Should you avoid bisphenol A, and where would you start?

Your product choices, simple as they may seem, can make a big difference for your family. While you may not need to get rid of everything made of plastic, a few small, careful decisions can go a long way.

WHATS THE TROUBLE ??

A host of recent studies have found associations between chemicals in countless widely used plastics to disorders including birth defects, diabetes and cancer. Here's a look at the products and health issues.

The plastics and the products

A. Bisphenol A (BPA). This compound has been used for half a century in hard polycarbonate plastics and in epoxy resins. BPA is found in the lining of food and beverage cans and in plastic goods including baby bottles, water bottles, food containers, eyeglasses, bike helmets, DVDs, electronics and car parts.

B. Orthophthalates. Better known as phthalates (pronounced tha-lates), this group of chemicals is used to soften vinyl and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Phthalates are found in products such as soaps, shampoos, deodorants, cosmetics, water pipes, shower curtains, toys, electrical wires, medical tubing and vinyl flooring.

Another place these chemicals can now be found: in human blood and urine. Critics say they can break down and leach out of products, especially if heated. We're exposed to them not just through plastics but also through the food we eat and even the air we breathe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says

Some researchers describe BPA and phthalates as environmental estrogens because they may act like female hormones. They are also sometimes called endocrine disruptors because of their effect on the endocrine system, which regulates reproduction and growth.

'Some concern'
The plastics and chemical industries say that BPA and phthalates have a proven record of safety. Many large-scale reviews and studies have not shown a health hazard.

The FDA says it "does not have compelling evidence" of health risks. But elsewhere in the federal government, the National Toxicology Program reported in 2008 that exposure to BPA posed certain risks to human development and reproduction.

"We express 'some concern' that current estimated exposures of BPA to fetuses, infants and children could cause neural and behavioral effects, effects on the prostate and mammary gland and an earlier age at which females attain puberty," testified John Bucher, associate director of the National Toxicology Program, at a congressional hearing in June 2008. "We express 'negligible concern' or 'minimal concern' that current exposures to BPA could cause adverse health effects in other segments of the population."

Also testifying at that hearing, FDA official Norris Alderson said "the current level of exposure to adults and children is safe."
Another federal agency, the National Institute of Environmental Health, has published dozens of studies indicating associations between phthalates or BPA and health concerns including:
- Breast, testicular and prostate cancer
- Obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes
- Allergies and asthma
- Early puberty in girls
- Decreased ovarian function in women
- Damage to DNA in sperm
- Potential disruption of boys' genital development
- Decreased levels of sex hormones in boys and men

Despite this list, there's still no proof that these chemicals cause disease. Many of the studies that identified these associations were performed on laboratory animals, which may or may not translate to humans. Additional research is under way. In the meantime, some consumers, agencies and businesses are taking precautionary actions.
Should you join them? With a lack of consensus from the experts, you need to decide for yourself whether it makes sense to avoid these products when possible. Get some tips on reducing your exposure to plastics.

I found this on:

http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/plastic-problems.html
What is your opinion on the potential health hazards of plastic products?

Retrain Your Brain - 20 memory tricks you’ll never forget.

2008-06-19T01:23:00.000-07:00

Give Your Brain a Boost

Can't remember where you put your glasses? Blanked on your new colleague's name? "Forgetting these types of things is a sign of how busy we are," says Zaldy S. Tan, MD, director of the Memory Disorders Clinic at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. "When we're not paying good attention, the memories we form aren't very robust, and we have a problem retrieving the information later."

The key, says Harry Lorayne, author of Ageless Memory: Simple Secrets for Keeping Your Brain Young, is to get your brain in shape. "We exercise our bodies, but what good is that great body if you don't have the mental capabilities to go with it?" Sure, you could write everything down, keep organized lists and leave electronic notes on your BlackBerry, cell phone or PDA. But when you don't have access to those aids, or if you want to strengthen your brain, try these expert-recommended strategies to help you remember.

Brain Freeze #1 "What the heck is his name?"
• Pay attention. When you're introduced to someone, really listen to the person's name. Then, to get a better grasp, picture the spelling. Ask, "Is that Kathy with a K or a C?" Make a remark about the name to help lock it in ("Oh, Carpenter -- that was my childhood best friend's last name"), and use the name a few times during the conversation and when you say goodbye.
• Visualize the name. For hard-to-remember monikers (Bentavegna, Wobbekind), make the name meaningful. For Bentavegna, maybe you think of a bent weather vane. Picture it. Then look at the person, choose an outstanding feature (bushy eyebrows, green eyes) and tie the name to the face. If Mr. Bentavegna has a big nose, picture a bent weather vane instead of his nose. The sillier the image, the better.
• Create memorable associations. Picture Joe Everett standing atop Mount Everest. If you want to remember that Erin Curtis is the CEO of an architectural firm, imagine her curtsying in front of a large building, suggests Gini Graham Scott, PhD, author of 30 Days to a More Powerful Memory.
• Cheat a little. Supplement these tips with some more concrete actions. When you get a business card, after the meeting, jot down a few notes on the back of the card ("red glasses, lives in Springfield, went to my alma mater") to help you out when you need a reminder.

Brain Freeze #2 "Where in the world did I leave my glasses?"
• Give a play-by-play. Pay attention to what you're doing as you place your glasses on the end table. Remind yourself, "I'm putting my keys in my coat pocket," so you have a clear memory of doing it, says Scott.
• Make it a habit. Put a small basket on a side table. Train yourself to put your keys, glasses, cell phone or any other object you frequently use (or misplace) in the basket -- every time.

Brain Freeze #3 "What else was I supposed to do today?"
• Start a ritual. To remind yourself of a chore (write a thank-you note, go to the dry cleaner), give yourself an unusual physical reminder. You expect to see your bills on your desk, so leaving them there won't necessarily remind you to pay them. But place a shoe or a piece of fruit on the stack of bills, and later, when you spot the out-of-place object, you'll remember to take care of them, says Carol Vorderman, author of Super Brain: 101 Easy Ways to a More Agile Mind.
• Sing it. To remember a small group of items (a grocery list, phone number, list of names, to-do list), adapt it to a well-known song, says Vorderman. Try "peanut butter, milk and eggs" to the tune of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," "Happy Birthday" or even nursery rhymes.
• Try mnemonic devices. Many of us learned "ROY G BIV" to remember the colors of the rainbow, or "Every Good Boy Deserves Favors" to learn musical notes. Make up your own device to memorize names (Suzanne's kids are Adam, Patrick and Elizabeth, or "APE"), lists (milk, eggs, tomatoes, soda, or "METS") or computer commands (to shut down your PC, hit Control+Alt+Delete, or "CAD").
• Use your body. When you have no pen or paper and are making a mental grocery or to-do list, remember it according to major body parts, says Scott. Start at your feet and work your way up. So if you have to buy glue, cat food, broccoli, chicken, grapes and toothpaste, you might picture your foot stuck in glue, a cat on your knee looking for food, a stalk of broccoli sticking out of your pants pocket, a chicken pecking at your belly button, a bunch of grapes hanging from your chest and a toothbrush in your mouth.
• Go Roman. With the Roman room technique, you associate your grocery, to-do or party-invite list with the rooms of your house or the layout of your office, garden or route to work. Again, the zanier the association, the more likely you'll remember it, says Scott. Imagine apples hanging from the chandelier in your foyer, spilled cereal all over the living room couch, shampoo bubbles overflowing in the kitchen sink and cheese on your bedspread.

Brain Freeze #4 "What's my password for this website?"
• Shape your numbers. Assign a shape to each number: 0 looks like a ball or ring; 1 is a pen; 2 is a swan; 3 looks like handcuffs; 4 is a sailboat; 5, a pregnant woman; 6, a pipe; 7, a boomerang; 8, a snowman; and 9, a tennis racket. To remember your ATM PIN (4298, say), imagine yourself on a sailboat (4), when a swan (2) tries to attack you. You hit it with a tennis racket (9), and it turns into a snowman (8). Try forgetting that image!
• Rhyme it. Think of words that rhyme with the numbers 1 through 9 (knee for 3, wine for 9, etc.). Then create a story using the rhyming words: A nun (1) in heaven (7) banged her knee (3), and it became sore (4).

Brain Freeze #5 "The word is on the tip of my tongue."
• Practice your ABCs. Say you just can't remember the name of that movie. Recite the alphabet (aloud or in your head). When you get to the letter R, it should trigger the name that's escaping you: Ratatouille. This trick works when taking tests too.

Brain Freeze #6 "I just can't memorize anything anymore!"
• Read it, type it, say it, hear it. To memorize a speech, toast or test material, read your notes, then type them into the computer. Next, read them aloud and tape-record them. Listen to the recording several times. As you work on memorizing, remember to turn off the TV, unplug your iPod and shut down your computer; you'll retain more.
• Use color. Give your notes some color with bolded headings and bulleted sections (it's easier to remember a red bullet than running text).
• Make a map. Imagine an intersection and mentally place a word, fact or number on each street corner

I FOUND IT ON :
http://www.rd.com/health/brain-and-nervous-system/retrain-your-brain/article53051.html
CHECK IT OUT

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2008-06-11T03:30:00.000-07:00

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intresting pics

2008-05-24T02:16:00.001-07:00

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Nice Ads i like them - some of them though

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It's Rather amazing to know that adolf hitler was a excellent painter..

It would be better if he was just a painter !!

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2008-05-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

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