Microsoft Launches Internet Explorer 9

SAN FRANCISCO: Software giant Microsoft has officially released Internet Explorer 9 to the public. Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) will be available for download in 30 languages at beautyoftheweb.com. "It's a really good day for the Web," Microsoft corporate vice president Dean Hachamovitch said.

IE9 is built to make the most of Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7, as well as graphics processing chips that can power videos, games, graphics and other stunning visuals.

The long list of partners that have adapted websites to IE9 includes Facebook, Twitter, Pandora, Hulu, and Yahoo!, according to Microsoft.

"We have worked with partners reaching a billion active Internet users," Hachamovitch said. "All of these partners are using IE9 to make a more beautiful Web, starting today."
More than 40 million copies of IE9 have already been downloaded as part of the process leading up to its official release, according to Microsoft.

Microsoft showed off a lean, muscular new Internet Explorer crafted to spotlight slick websites and beat back competition from Firefox and Google in the Web browser arena.
Microsoft director of web services strategy Ari Bixhorn booted up an Apple MacBook Pro laptop running the latest version of Firefox for a side-by-side comparison at a radio station website with rich interactive graphics.

A laptop powered by Windows and using IE9 smoothly zipped through cascading images illustrating top tunes while the opposition slowly worked its way along.

"The Web as we know it is taking a huge step forward today," Bixhorn said.
While Microsoft doesn't charge separately, the browser is included with Windows software and it is in the technology giant's interest to keep users happy and devoted to its products.

"A browser is important to Microsoft because browsing is the top activity people do on their PCs (personal computers)," Hachamovitch said. "We want browsing the Web to be a great experience so people keep choosing Windows to do it."

Windows operating systems are at a core of Microsoft's software empire. The Redmond, Washington-based technology colossus claims more than one billion Windows customers.
Microsoft seems to have hit the mark with IE9, according to analysts.

"The browser is the stage and the websites are the stars of the show," Hachamovitch told AFP during an earlier demonstration.

Once a website is reached, the browser seems to step out of the way and almost vanish to spotlight the content.

IE9 promised to be another hit release for Microsoft, which has seen market successes with Windows 7 operating system and a Kinect motion-sensing controller accessory for Xbox 360 video game consoles.

Open-source browser Firefox had been gnawing away at IE's dominance, but that eased as a new rival arrived in the form of Chrome by Internet titan Google.

How to Avoid Getting STDs

Do you want to know how you can avoid getting an STD while making love? Are you concerned or scared about getting transmitted diseases in one of those moments of delirious hanky-panky? Well, there’s one great way to avoid an STD and it’s by wearing that willy ring.

Realistically, the only way to completely avoid any type of infections down there is by abstaining from making love altogether. Let’s not be stupid here. I love making love, we love making love, and the world loves making love. You’ve only got to look at the booming population to figure how much bed-banging goes on each night.

STDs and STIs are infections that can be transferred from one person to another through intimate contact. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 15 million cases of STDs reported annually. Adolescents and young adults (15-24) are the age groups at the greatest risk for acquiring an STD, 3 million becoming infected each year.

Even though most STDs are treatable, even the once easily cured gonorrhea has become resistant to many of the older traditional antibiotics. Other STDs, such as herpes, AIDS, and genital warts, all of which are caused by viruses, have no cure.

Some of these infections are very uncomfortable, while others can be deadly. Syphilis, AIDS, genital warts, herpes, hepatitis, and even gonorrhea have all been known to cause death.

Unfortunately, for all you condom-haters out there, the only way to avoid this is by wearing that rubber thing around your wrench. Even if your partner has never made out before, not been adventurous or has only shared intimate moments with you, STDs are still contractible. This is why wearing a condom is so important.

Also, it’s not really fair if you continue to sniffle and shuffle between different partners without wearing a condom. You can easily pass bad karma onto others, while becoming infected yourself.

Regardless of whether it’s a one night stand, a random moment up against a wall, or you’re perching her over a park bench, just remember little Johnny Rubber, even if she doesn’t.

This piece might give you the heebie jeebies, or make you scoff and brag about how you’ve always been able to go the Yellowstone National Park route just before climaxing, all it takes is one in-shot to take all the steam off your confidence. But it’s alright, really, just as long as you’re careful.

You can skip frowning at all the little abbreviations like STD's, HIV and what not. Enjoy making love. God gave us willies and catties to do just that.

And he gave us the brains to figure out the perfect introduction between the two. But mark my words, if precautions are not taken, your little adventures will end up being a depressing memento in a transmitted disease awareness campaign, instead of a raunchy confession in Love panky Confessions.

You can have a thousand notches on your bedpost, but all you need is one incident to end it all. So before you get there, go to your nearest chemist and pick yourself up a bumper pack of rubbers. The geeky medic men know your latex problems, even if they haven’t had any action down there in a long time. These days, we get really thin and sensitive rubbers that can give rubber less intimacy a run for its money, so go find them. And use them.

Prevent your life from becoming a STD stat. So don’t be a fool, go wrap your tool.

Underwear Color

Three blondes passed every day through a street that led them from their room to their office. They noticed a parrot that stood at the entrance of a big residential house. Every time they passed in front of that house, the bird would pronounce three sequential colors.

One day, they heard, "Red, blue, black."

One of the blondes noticed that those colors perfectly matched the colors of their underwear. She mentioned her discovery to her friends, but both were reluctant to believe that could be possible.

The next day, they all wore black underwear and passed in front of the house, and very precisely the parrot spoke, "Black, black, black."

Hearing that, girls were astonished!! One of the blondes spoke up: "Girls, tomorrow we are going to trick that bird."

Saying that, she recommended that the next day, none of them should wear any underwear. So, next day they wore no underwear and proceeded to pass in front of the parrot's house.

They peeked at the bird. At the beginning, the parrot looked a bit puzzled. He swung back and forth on the cane he was perched on.

Then, after a while, the Parrot spoke, "Straight, Straight, Curly!"   

A Long Misunderstood Conversation

A Husband and Wife, Both were very happy over the twelve pound baby boy that was born to them. Mr. Brown who could not conceal his delight, called up the editor of a famous newspaper and reported that he became the proud owner of a twelve pound nugget of gold.

The editor upon hearing the seemingly extraordinary news was rather hesitant to accept it at its face value. So he sent his star reporter to interview Mr. Brown.

When the reporter came, Mr Brown was away and his wife was alone at home. The following interesting conversation took place between the reporter and Mrs. Brown

Reporter : Does Mr. Brown Live here?
Mrs. Brown : Oh! Yes.

Reporter : Is he in?
Mrs. Brown : Why no, he went somewhere.

Reporter : Is it true that he owns a twelve pound nugget of gold?
Mrs. Brown : (Seeing the joke) Yes, indeed.

Reporter : Can I see the place where he found it?
Mrs. Brown : I am afraid, not because Mr. Brown objects in as much as it is strictly private.

Reporter : Is the place far?
Mrs. Brown : No, it is quite near and convenient.

Reporter : How many years has Mr. Brown been digging the hole?
Mrs. Brown : Just for about ten months.

Reporter : Is the hole deep?
Mrs. Brown : Quite so...

Reporter : Has Mr. Brown reached the bottom of it?
Mrs. Brown : Not yet, but he is coming near...

Reporter : At about what time does Mr. Brown starts digging?
Mrs. Brown : Oh, he does his digging mostly at night.

Reporter : Does he work hard on it?
Mrs. Brown : You bet...........and how he perspires.

Reporter : Is Mr. Brown the first to dig?
Mrs. Brown : He thought he was...

Reporter : How do you know there was someone ahead of him?
Mrs. Brown : I am in a good position to say so, because I own the place.

Reporter : Oh, I see, but you sold the place to Mr. Brown?
Mrs. Brown : No, but for the present, he has the legal title to the site, with my consent.

Reporter : Has Mr. Brown any helper when he works on the claim?
Mrs. Brown : Yes, I work under him..

Reporter : When do you think Mr. Brown will sell the place?
Mrs. Brown : I think not because he enjoys working on it.

Reporter : Can I see the twelve pound nugget of gold?
Mrs. Brown : Yes, certainly (and she showed him the twelve pound baby boy).

P.S.: The reporter had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

Lateral Thinking

This puzzle is called Lateral Thinking.
Scroll down slowly and be honest to yourself.

Think like a wizard . . .
man

Q1. ---------
board






Ans. = man overboard
Okay, let's see if you've got the hang of it.





stand
Q2. ------------
i







Ans. = I understand



OK . . .
Got the drift ?

Let's try a few now and see how you fare ?



Q3. /r/e/a/d/i/n/ g/







Ans. = reading between the lines





Q4. r
road
a
d






Ans. = cross road


Not having a good day now, are you ? Redeem yourself.




Q5. cycle
cycle
cycle









Ans. = tricycle


Not easy to figure out ha!






0
Q6. ---------
M.D.
Ph.D.











Ans. = two degrees below zero



C'mon give it a little thought! !




knee
Q7. ------------
light










Ans. = neon light
( knee - on - light )



U can prove u r smart by getting this one.




ground
Q8. ------------ ---
feet feet feet feet feet feet













Ans. = six feet underground



Oh no, not again ! !






Q9. he's X himself







Ans. = he's by himself




Now u messing up big time.




Q10. ecnalg









Ans. = backward glance




Not even close! !





Q11. death ..... life








Ans. = life after death


Okay last chance ............ ......


Q12. THINK








Ans. = think big ! !







And the last one is real fundoo - - -




Q13. ababaaabbbbaaaabbbb ababaabbaaabbbb. ..






Ans. = long time no 'C'

Efficient Secretary

Santa comes home with his little daughter, whom he has just taken to work.

The little girl asks, "Daddy, I saw you in your office with your secretary. Why do you call her a doll?"

Feeling his wife, Jeeto's gaze upon him, Santa explains, "Well, honey, my secretary is a very hard-working girl. She types like you wouldn't believe, she knows the computer system, and is very efficient."

"Oh," says the little girl, "I thought it was because she closed her eyes when you lay her down on the couch."

Loneliness, A Killer That Threatens Obesity

Loneliness can affect all age groups but can be particularly harmful to the elderly, according to British campaigners.

A group of charities has warned that loneliness is a 'hidden killer' among older people that poses as great a health risk as obesity or smoking.

While people are aware of the emotional problems of loneliness, they said few recognized the physical damage.

The 'Campaign To End Loneliness' found that more than half of those over the age of 75 live alone and almost one in 10 elderly people suffers from 'intense' loneliness, reports the Daily Mail .

The campaigners warned that lonely older people are often at increased risk of depression, lack of exercise and poor eating habits.

They claimed that greater recognition was needed among health professionals of the links between poor health and loneliness.

The initiative was organised by Age UK Oxfordshire, Counsel and Care, Independent Age and WRVS and funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

In a report, the campaigners called for better awareness of the 'horror' of loneliness and its 'pernicious impact' on older people.

According to a poll of 2,200, fewer than one in five has ever seen or heard information about loneliness as a health risk.

The World Health Organization has rated loneliness as a higher risk to health than smoking and as great a risk as obesity.

Researchers also said lack of social interaction increases the chances of suffering degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.

9 Months Later

Jack decided to go skiing with his buddy, Bob. So they loaded up Jack's minivan and headed north.

After driving for a few hours, they got caught in a terrible blizzard. So they pulled into a nearby farm and asked the attractive lady who answered the door if they could spend the night.

'I realize it's terrible weather out there and I have this huge house all to myself, but I'm recently widowed,' she explained. 'I'm afraid the neighbors will talk if I let you stay in my house.'

'Don't worry,' Jack said. 'We'll be happy to sleep in the barn. And if the weather breaks, we'll be gone at first light.' The lady agreed, and the two men found their way to the barn and settled in for the night.

Come morning, the weather had cleared, and they got on their way.

They enjoyed a great weekend of skiing.

But about nine months later, Jack got an unexpected letter from an attorney. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but he finally determined that it was from the attorney of that attractive widow he had met on the ski weekend.

He dropped in on his friend Bob and asked, 'Bob, do you remember that good-looking widow from the farm we stayed at on our ski holiday up north about 9 months ago?'

'Yes, I do.' Said Bob.

'Did you, er, happen to get up in the middle of the night, go up to the house and pay her a visit?'

'Well, um, yes!,' Bob said, a little embarrassed about being found out,'I have to admit that I did.'

'And did you happen to give her my name instead of telling her your name?'

Bob's face turned beet red and he said,

'Yeah, look, I'm sorry, buddy. I'm afraid I did.' 'Why do you ask?'

'She just died and left me everything.'

(And you thought the ending would be different, didn't you?)

Earth Hour

A Bitter Truth

SOCIALISM-Simple analogy

but

a profound truth...worth reading

The meaning of Socialism is nicely put , its true,

Simple Analogy


An economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never failed a single student before but had once failed an entire class.

That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.

The professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism. All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A.

After the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B.

The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy.

As the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they studied little.

The second test average was a D! No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.

The scores never increased as bickering, blame and name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else.

All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great but when government takes the reward away, no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that.


What a profound short little paragraph that says it all.

Every Girl Has 22 Useless Items In Her Closet

Even if wardrobes of the fairer sex are bulging with loads of dresses, in every woman's closet there are 22 items she never wears.

Though most women across the world don't actually get to wear everything they own, they absolutely refuse to throw out their clothes, according to the Daily Mail .

In Britain, women spend more than 1.6 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) on more than 500 million items of clothing they will never wear.

Placed on a clothes rail, the unworn clothes would stretch to 25,000 km, equivalent to four-and-a-half times the distance between London and New York.

Millions of purchases that seemed to be a good idea in the shop - whether they were a bargain or a design worn by a celebrity - have now turned out to be a waste.

Rash buys are the main reason for the unworn clothing pile-up, according to 45 per cent of the women questioned.

Just one in eight women regularly clears out their wardrobes, while one in 50 delays the dreaded cleaning day for at least 10 years.

Jeans are the most common item of unworn clothes, with 88 percent saying they own at least one pair that they would never be seen out in.

One in five women hoard up to six pairs of shoes that will never be worn. And almost everyone owns at least one top they "would not be seen dead in".

More than half of the women say that guilt over wasting the money keeps them from throwing out unwanted clothes.

Some 17 per cent hoard particular styles in the hope of a fashion revival.

Men are not much better. They have 19 items of unworn clothing lurking in their wardrobes.

More than a third admit their unworn items are largely sales items.

Sue Leeson, a spokesman for shopping channel QVC - which carried out the survey - said: "Hoarding clothes is a form of nostalgia - but it's impractical."

"Finding out what you have already means that you can become a smart shopper and focus your wardrobe, buying key pieces that coordinate with each other properly."

Real Talent of an Auditor

Once upon a time there was a shepherd looking after his sheep on the side of a deserted road. Suddenly a brand new Porsche screeches to a halt. The
driver, a man dressed in an Armani suit, Cerutti shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, TAG-Heuer wrist-watch, and a Pierre Cardin tie gets out and asks the
shepherd, 'If I can tell you how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?' The shepherd looks at the young man, then looks at the large
flock of grazing sheep and replies, 'Okay.'

The young man parks the car, connects his laptop to the mobile-fax, enters a NASA Website, scans the ground using his GPS, opens a database and 60
Excel tables filled with algorithms and pivot tables. He then prints out a 150-page report on his high-tech mini-printer, turns to the shepherd and
says, ''You have exactly 1,586 sheep.'

The shepherd cheers, 'That's correct, you can have your sheep.'

The young man takes one of the animals from the flock and puts it in the back of his Porsche.

The shepherd looks at him and asks, 'If I guess your profession, will you return my animal to me?'

The young man answers, 'Yes, why not?'

The shepherd says, 'You are an auditor.'

'How did you know?' asks the young man.

'Very simple,' answers the shepherd. 'Firstly, you came here without being wanted. Secondly, you charged me a fee to tell me something I already knew. Thirdly, you don't understand anything about my business..... Now can I have my dog back?'

Appreciation

*Story of Appreciation**

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".
The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time. Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."
The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.
The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager. I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

The Pencil & Eraser

The conversation between the Pencil & Eraser
give us a big message:

Pencil: I'm sorry . . . I made a mistake again . . .

Eraser: Never mind, my dear . . . you didn't do anything so wrong that
it can not be corrected . . .

Pencil:I'm sorry . . . because you get hurt because of me. Whenever I
made a mistake, you're always there to erase it. In making my mistakes
vanish, you lose a part of yourself. You get smaller and smaller each
time.

Eraser:That's true. But I don't really mind. You see, I was made to do
this. I was made to help you whenever you do something wrong. I want
you to be correct . . . always.

Pencil:I am happy that you are always there to correct me. I do not
know how I will do without you . . .

Eraser:I know one day I'll be gone. But you'll replace me with a new
one or an alternative. I love to be with you and I'm actually happy
doing my job. So please, stop worrying. I hate seeing you sad. I wish,
eventually you will learn to do your job without the need for me.

I found this conversation between the Pencil and the Eraser very
inspiring. Parents are like the Eraser whereas their children are the
Pencil. They're always there for their children, cleaning up their
mistakes and encouraging them to correct themselves. Sometimes along
the way . . . they get hurt, become reduced, older, brittle and in the
end, pass on. The Parents are aware that the children will eventually
find someone new (spouse), yet they are always happy doing their bit
for their children. They hate to see their precious ones worrying or
sad; rather they wish their children do a good job and make a lasting
mark in this world.

This is for all those loving parents out there . . . and to their
lovely children who are striving hard (as never before) to make their
mark in this world. Hope someday my children will read this.

We never know the love of our parents for us till we have become parents."

Like-Minded Partners Make Better Parents

Researchers at the University of Exeter have revealed that couples with similar personalities make much better parents than those with different dispositions – at least in the world of zebra finches.

They found the birds expressing strong personality traits, such as aggressive behavior or a willingness to explore did a much better job of raising young if they had a like-minded partner.

Where couples were markedly different in personality, chicks didn't fare as well – being less well fed and in poorer condition.

"In the case of zebra finches, to be good parents you need to be able to coordinate your behavior so that while one parent is searching for food, the other is feeding the chick. It's a lot easier to co-ordinate your behavior if you're similar in the way you go about things," Sasha Dall, an author of the study said.

Researchers focused in on the ''personalities'' of a group of zebra finches. They were able to establish that some showed consistent patterns of behavior, normally either reflected in different levels of aggressiveness or willingness to explore.

Often the traits were combined, but some finches didn't demonstrate them at all.

Then couples were artificially paired together – with a selection of couples who were like-minded and some who had no common traits. When mated, eggs were swapped between nests in order to distinguish the advantages of genetic, as opposed to the behavioral compatibility of parents.

Experts then studied the animals while they were feeding their chicks, and monitored the progress of hatch lings to see which couples were doing the best job as parents.

"We found that if birds were highly exploratory and their partners shared that trait, their offspring were in really good condition. It was the same for highly aggressive birds. If only one parent showed the trait, the chicks fared less well," Nick Royle, another author on the study, said.

Tiny Particles in Shampoos Affect Lungs

A new study by the University of Edinburgh has shown that tiny particles used in a range of everyday products from computers to shampoo can adversely affect the lungs in very different ways.

Researchers suggest that industrial manufacturers using nano particles should be aware of the risks that different types of nano particles pose to workers who handle them.

Nano particles – which can be 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair – are potentially hazardous to workers handling the chemicals used to make products as they may be at risk of inhaling them.

The particles are not, however, thought to pose any substantial risk once they are incorporated in consumer goods used by the public.

The study showed that four different types of nano particles produced distinct patterns of lung injury in rats, some involving the immune system and found that some nano particles were more likely to trigger an asthmatic-style reaction while others led to a worsening severe lung injury.

The study highlights the need for animal models until there are improved cell-based tests to predict the effects of nano particles, since the use of cell cultures alone would not be able to pick up the extent of different diseases the nano particles are likely to cause.

"Nano particles are becoming more important in industry and are being used in ever-increasing amounts. This study shows that different types of nano particles may produce different diseases in those exposed to them in industry," said Ken Donaldson, Professor of Respiratory Toxicology at the University of Edinburgh.

"Therefore each kind of nano particle needs to be assessed and appropriate care taken to minimize exposure consistent with the risk they pose. This will ensure better health and safety for those working with these new materials," he added.

The study is published in Environmental Health Perspectives .

How Tomatoes Cut Prostate Cancer Risk

The University of Illinois scientists, who suggested that eating tomatoes reduces risk of prostate cancer, have developed a tool that may help trace the metabolism of tomato carotenoids in the human body.

"Scientists believe that carotenoids-the pigments that give the red, yellow, and orange colours to some fruits and vegetables-provide the cancer-preventive benefits in tomatoes, but we don't know exactly how it happens," said John W. Erdman, of the University of Illinois.

The researchers will use isotopic labeling of three tomato carotenoids with heavier carbon atoms than are commonly seen in nature, which will allow tracking of the tomato components' absorption and metabolism in the body, he said.

"We have two questions we'd like to answer. First, are the carotenoids themselves bio-active, or are their metabolic or oxidative products responsible for their benefits? Second, is lycopene alone responsible for the tomato's benefits, or are other carotenoids also important?" he said.

"Lycopene, which gives the fruit its red color, has received a lot of attention-it's even advertised as an ingredient in multivitamin supplements, but two little-known colorless carotenoids, phytoene and phytofluene, probably also have benefits," said Nancy Engelmann, of the Erdman's laboratory.

The scientists grew tomato cells with non-radioactive carbon-13 sugars, yielding carbon molecules that are heavier than the 12-carbon molecules that exist elsewhere, Erdman said.

"These heavy carbon molecules are then incorporated into the carotenoids in the tomato cell cultures. The result is that researchers will be able to track the activity of lycopene, phytoene, and phytofluene and their metabolites," he said.

10 Things A Woman Should Know

We list 10 things every woman should know

1. Calling you does not mean we are hitting on you
Most men are left wondering that why’s it that just because he called you, you assumed he wants you to fill in the post of his girlfriend. He may actually just want to hang out with you.

2. You are much prettier without all that makeup
Your basic foundation and kajal is fine, but layers upon layers of makeup only makes you unappealing to your guy. So keep it simple.

3. When you act giggly, it’s seriously embarrassing
When you spot your gang of girls while you are out with your boyfriend, don’t squeal and go giggly or jump up and down. Most men find it extremely childish.

4. Gossiping, whispering and writing notes makes you look shallow
When you pass notes or whisper when you and your friends are sitting at a table along with others makes it seem like you are still in your classroom.

5. Boys worry about what you think of their hair, skin, weight and clothes
Do tell your boyfriend if you think his new haircut makes him look cute or if his favourite T-shirt needs to be done away with.

6. PMS is no excuse to be mean
Yes, men do understand that every month you are likely to get crabby for a few days, but that’s not reason enough to be mean and cranky all the time.

7. Talking about your butt is boring
It’s a known fact that no boyfriend — who doesn’t want to be dumped — will ever tell his girfriend that she is looking fat. So no in point discussing, arguing and then discussing some more, about weight issues with your boyfriend.

8. Tight clothes make you look sort of desperate and insecure
You may be in shape but anything that amounts to too much skin show is not going to be appreciated by your boyfriend. Don’t keep showing how desperate you are. It can be a big put off if the guy is serious about you.

9. Most boys are looking for the right girl
It’s not just women who are looking for Mr Right, but boys are looking out for their Miss Perfect too. So don’t be scared to play the love game.

10. If you like him, just tell him
Don’t pretend to ignore him and then cry when he asks another girl out for dinner. If he’s interested in you, and if you feel the same way then respond. Don’t keep the guy waiting too long.

Figure out Your Sex-O-Scope

This year, the romantic Neptune is already ushering in change and the mighty Saturn's sitting in the sign of love. Is it time for you to get lucky?

Aries:
Existing relationships are in a year when there are more tests. Saturn shows a little coolness for the first part of the year but you can combat that by raising the temperature and refusing to get complacent. Singles, love might come your way through work and that suits you fine as you're looking for someone in authority. Just don't make things awkward when making a pass.

Taurus:
Later this year, there are chances for you and him/her to discover what really makes each other tick and there will be some surprises. If you're looking for love, it's attached to education, maybe a course your boss sends you on. Pluto is enhancing your bedroom aerobics, so burn some calories.

Gemini:
You've had a tough 2010 and those who made it this far in a relationship should congratulate themselves. Shocks may have rocked you but now things are settling down. You're one of the flirtiest signs and as your love planet Jupiter moves fast this year, you will be doing the same. You change from looking for someone older to looking for anyone with a pulse.

Cancer:
There's much focus on your love life. You're moving from negotiations into making it happen and that's your greatest clue to how to tackle the year. You're the traditional type and want the boys to be alpha and the girls to be making rotis but maybe some compromise is good. Early on this year love could be complicated and your willingness to adapt is what will get it through. Single Cancerians could find romance at a mate's party and don't be surprised if an ex is back.

Leo:
You're the 'love at first sight type'. It has to be like this or you just don't feel it. You may like things to be grand but you don't put up with anyone who plays the part but doesn't have the toys or wallet to back it up. Until June 4th, please book more weekend breaks and less weekend break ups.

Virgo:
Call the soap writers and let them have your story over the past years, it will give them new material! Things are calming down as the coalition of Jupiter and Uranus shift very early on. From April 4th until August 5th, things become more idealistic, spiritual perhaps and working as a team is easier. If you're single, you won't have to kiss too many frogs as Neptune also makes magic and magic happens only suddenly.

Libra:
Your love life looks busy this year but will this time be what you're really after? There are some changes likely and how you manage them is dependant on you. The Universe recognises your need for perfection and only wants what you want. Single Librans find romance where? Anywhere they want!

Scorpio:
Time to get serious and make a commitment; it's your year to do just that. If you're already married, look at second honeymoons. It may be better to simply be yourself and do that thing you do; your silence magically makes it happen. If you're single, someone you met could resurface in summer and set things to sizzle.

Sagittarius:
Things may not be as serious as you would like this year as your love life is all about fun and games. If you're single you get more chances than a coach load of supermodels on a day trip to Navy Days and all you have to do is make the effort to say 'Hello sailor'. The sporty type suit you best right now, they have the energy to keep up. In April, August and November, don't draw any unnecessary attention to yourself!

Capricorn:
If you're in a relationship, things are as they were last year, unless of course you decide to put more effort into making them more exciting. You often choose resilient partners, those who can stand up to you will attract you. If you're single, it's a good year for affairs and more so after June 4th. It may not be as serious as you would like but then it may just be the Universes way of getting you to settle down.

Aquarius:
There aren't too many dramas but the solar eclipse has added some interest to existing relationships. Much of your year is spent in changes in your partner's life so providing care to them is needed. For single Aquarians next year is probably better but this one. Your strength in love is your quirkiness, your individuality and as long as you remain true to that there will be many people wanting to know more!

Pisces:
If you're single, you don't seem to be in any hurry to change that. You're a refined creature and perhaps the way round this is to think about where your dream date would go on a day off and put yourself there rather than wait for him or her to walk into Marine Drive on a Saturday night? If you're attached, Neptune's visit could be a good time to pop the question or if you've done all that already perhaps cultivate the spiritual side to your relationship.

20 Ideas to Make Money Online

A cash cow for the enterprising, the Internet is littered with opportunities to make a fast buck. While it rarely qualifies as a solitary source of income, the Net can easily help you supplement it. However, the amount you earn depends on the time and effort invested. Go through these 20 options and find out which ones work for you.

Blogging
If you're a passionate closet writer who wants to be published but can't find a way to do so, make each keystroke your way to wealth by penning your own blog. Starting a blog doesn't require extensive technical skills but it's important that you have expertise in the field you are writing on. This will attract visitors to your site. Building a large following will enable you to earn profit by luring advertisers, writing paid reviews or getting commissions for promoting other people's products.

Paid Writing
If maintaining a blog is difficult for you but you still want to indulge your passion for writing, you can jot down articles for other blogs or sites such as Weblogs, Helium or PayPerPost. Writing an e-book can also be a good option. E-books are investment free, with no cost for printing and shipping. If you have a strong command over languages, you can become a copy editor, where Webmasters will pay you to read articles and correct grammatical errors, sentence fragments, etc.

e-tuitions/Webinars
The demand for tutors is high and growing. So, if you like helping others learn, e-teaching could be the earning ticket for you. All you need to become an online tutor is expertise in your subject and a few spare hours per week. TutorVista, e-tutor, SmartThinking and Tutor.com are some of the sites you can enroll with. If you gain a good reputation as a coach, you could even conduct Webinars-lectures or seminars transmitted over the Net. College and university students are willing to pay to gain entry to a well-respected Webinar.

Affilliate/Reseller
For those who have the knack of selling, one of the best ways to make money online is to become an affiliate/reseller. An affiliate is a person who gets a commission for selling every product that he promotes, whether on his Website or through any other avenue such as eBay. You don't have to own the product. You only need to sign up for an affiliate program with a company and start selling its products under your referral link. Firms such as Commission Junction or Click Bank have a large pool of products.

Buying/Selling domains
Buying and selling domain names is another way to make money from home and requires very little investment or time. You can buy domains at their registration prices or even cheaper and trade them at a profit. However, always research on sites such as sedo.co.uk, afternic.com, ebay.com or other domain auction sites to get an estimate of the hottest selling names. The best way to find good ones is to use terminated domain lists, which contain several expired names that are back in the pool.

Freelancing for Professionals
Freelancing is a great option for professionals who are experts in their respective trades and know how to ensure customer satisfaction. Various freelancing and project-oriented sites allow companies that need help to describe their projects. Freelancers and small businesses offer bids, ideas or proposals, from which the buyers can choose what they find most suitable. Websites such as Elance cover everything from programming and writing to data entry and design, while RentACoder focuses on software programming.

Advertising
You can sell space on your Website or blog for advertisements and you earn when these ads are clicked by visitors to your site. The sorting and placing of ads is free. The profitability of pay-per-click advertising depends on the traffic level of the Website and, most importantly, on the clickthrough rate and cost per click. Google AdSense is the most popular option, while others are BidVertiser, Text Link Ads and Blogads. Direct banner and RSS feed are some other forms of online advertising.

GPT Programme
GPT or Get-paid-to sites are becoming increasingly popular among teens. You get paid for signing up for free Websites, newsletters, playing games and filling out online surveys. These are suitable for people who don't have a skill set but want to earn extra money. Taking online surveys is simple- register with a few legitimate, paid survey sites and answer questions. The topics range from shopping to politics. This might not help you make a living, but you can earn good pocket money. Contests2win is one of the trusted GPT Websites.

Online Marketing
Once a Website is created and optimised for search engine (SEO), the SEM or Search Engine Marketing begins. A treasure trove lies hidden here. An SEO/SEM expert, who is responsible for marketing a Website, can promote it in various ways. These include article marketing, writing press releases, forum posting, blog posting, submitting your site to directories and search engines, social bookmarking, etc. Most companies don't do this in-house and pay you to conduct the SEM for them.

Making themes
As more and more people seek an online presence, the demand for Website templates and WordPress (Blog) themes will keep increasing. If you are good at Web designing and coding, you can earn a lot from designing Web themes. In this segment, there are mainstream Websites, such as TemplateMonster and ThemeForest, which act as a marketplace where you can sell your themes. Templates are sold and priced depending on the rights and features that are bundled with them.

Selling photos
If you enjoy photography and are good with a camera, you could be sitting on a huge reserve of revenue. There are people who will be interested in your collection of images. Nowadays, it's easy to take your photos to the public, providing a convenient way to build a secondary income stream. Many stock photo agencies, such as Fotolia, Dreamstime and Shutterstock, offer incentives for people to earn from their photos.

Support & service
Providing coding or fixing other Webmasters' issues is another great way to earn extra bucks. There are simple jobs ranging from adding a script to setting up sites, but knowledge of Web coding is essential. One can offer support for Web CMS (content management systems) like Drupal or Joomla. After you are comfortable with your own installation, you can help other people to set these up and configure them.

Stock/forex trading
Joining the stock/forex market may seem a bit risky. However, you can start small and continue researching till you gain experience in this area. Once you do, it will be easy to earn from exchanging foreign currencies and/or stocks. Their rates fluctuate depending on supply and demand, and economic and political influences in the world. The aim of any trader is to spot which currency/stock is likely to rise or fall in value against another. The more time you put in, the more you will earn.

Selling your own brand
If you have a flair for designing cool images, don't bother about creating your own inventory. As long as your design can be printed on a product, you can pocket some money. You can upload designs on various Websites such as Cafe Press, and if somebody orders these designs, the company will print them and distribute the products. It could be designs for T-shirts, hats, bags, books, posters, calendars, greeting cards, etc. You will receive a commission for each sale. Other such sites include Lulu and Zazzle.

Virtual Assistant
Small businesses always need help in running their processes, but may not be willing to hire a full-time employee. As a virtual assistant, you are expected to perform practically any administrative task that a traditional secretary or assistant would, such as make travel reservations, handle expense reimbursements or pay bills. You can do it from the comfort of your home, interacting with clients either online or by phone. Your expertise will decide how much moolah you rake in.

Inbound call center
Many companies, who are facing space constraints, especially those in metro cities, prefer to hire workers outside their offices or outsource certain processes. You can set up an inbound call center at home to handle such jobs. Research different companies that are outsourcing their work as they may have opportunities for inbound call center agents. You can work for more than one company. This can be either a part-time or full time engagement, depending on your need.

You Tube
If there's a dramatic performer hidden inside you who craves applause and adulation, upload yourself on YouTube. You can be a filmmaker, musician or comedian who wants a wider audience. Your earnings will come from ads displayed on your video page. This process is similar to the pay-per-click advertising program common to other Websites and blogs. Sites such as Flixya and Mediaflix can be helpful in this regard.

Researching for others
Don't be morose if you can't write, design or code. Lack of talent cannot stop you from making money online. If you're willing to work hard for a few hours a week, you can take up simple research jobs for other people who don't have the time to do it themselves. You could search for opportunities in organizations that provide funding for research and offer to assist them through online investigation.

Building Applications
With smartphones gaining popularity, the demand for their applications, or apps as they are popularly known, has also shot up. There are over 3 million apps for the iPhone and over a million apps in Google's Android market. Most of these are selling like hot cakes. Developing and selling your own smartphone app is becoming a lucrative way to make money on the Internet. Apps cost virtually nothing to develop and entail no storage or shipping costs. So they enjoy the best profit margins.

Transcription
Medical transcription involves making written copies of oral material dictated by doctors or other medical experts. These may include history and physical reports, clinical notes, consultation notes, reports, letters, psychiatric evaluation and so on. The dictated material needs to be transcribed swiftly and accurately, which is the most challenging aspect of the job. To become a medical transcriptionist, you need to have a good knowledge of medical terminology and a high typing speed along with accuracy.

Exposure to Smokers Causes Asthma in Kids

A survey has found that exposure to smokers is still a major cause of asthma attacks in children in the United States.

During Aug. and Sept. 2010, the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital poll asked 1,621 parents across the United States, whose children have asthma about factors that cause asthma attacks, and if their children spend time with tobacco smokers.

Among parents whose children have asthma, 73 per cent state that tobacco smoke causes asthma attacks in their children.

And nearly half of parents say their asthmatic child spends time with people who smoke.

Mostly the smoker is the asthmatic child's parent and less often it is another adult, sibling, or the asthmatic child's friend.

Father of Many

A little boy got on the bus, sat next to a man reading a book, and noticed he had his collar on backwards.
The little boy asked why he wore his collar backwards.

The man, who was a priest, said, 'I am a Father.'

The little boy replied, 'My Daddy doesn't wear his collar like that.'

The priest looked up from his book and answered, ''I am the Father of many.'

The boy said, ''My Dad has 4 boys, 4 girls and two grandchildren and he doesn't wear his collar that way!'

The priest, getting impatient, said. 'I am the Father of hundreds', and went back to reading his book.

The little boy sat quietly thinking for a while, then leaned over and said, "Maybe you should wear a condom, and put your pants on backwards instead of your collar.

Grounds for divorce

A judge was interviewing a woman regarding her pending divorce, and asked, "What are the grounds for your divorce?"

She replied, "About four acres and a nice little home in the middle of the property with a stream running by."

"No," he said, "I mean what is the foundation of this case?"
"It is made of concrete, brick and mortar,"
she responded."I mean," he continued, "What are your relations like?"
"I have an aunt and uncle living here in town, and so do my husband's parents."
He said, "Do you have a real grudge?"
"No," she replied,
"We have a two-car carport and have never really needed one."


"Please. . ." he tried again,
"is there any infidelity in your marriage?"
"Yes, both my son and daughter have stereo sets. We don't necessarily like the music, but the answer to your question is yes."

"Ma'am, does your husband ever beat you up?"
"Yes," she responded,
"about twice a week he gets up earlier than I do."

Finally, in frustration, the judge asked, "Lady, why do you want a divorce?"


"Oh, I don't want a divorce," she replied.
"I've never wanted a divorce. My husband does. He says he can't communicate with me !!"

What's Your Office Personality?

Suggesting that a person may actually find people surrounding him at work awful, a book author has highlighted various ways in which one may have to face bad office behavior.

"People actually get away with really bad behavior and they do it all the time," the Courier Mail quoted Michael Stanford, author of Inhuman Resources: A guide to the psychos, misfits and criminally incompetent in every office, as saying.

"They get away with it because human nature is that we sort of accept things after awhile.

"At first we’re shocked and then we start to accept it. Over time, companies and cultures start to accept this sort of behavior and even reward it," he added.

He believes that his book may help reassure ‘the nice people’ in the office that the bullies, crazies and lazies are actually as bad as they seem.

"I think it’s important that you give people the opportunity to look at behavior and think ‘that’s just not acceptable,’" he said.

But Stanford, who admits seeing himself in a few of the types, also suggests people not to be too harsh.

"We’ve all done things we probably shouldn’t have in the name of paying the mortgage or thinking ‘I should cover myself here,’" he says.

Here are some of the most common office types, and how to handle them:

1. ‘I’m disappointed in you’ person
"Those sorts of people like to patronize people who are younger, like to lecture them and tell you you’re doing it wrong. They actually do it for their own sake. I think it was like mental harassment, there was one point where I actually had to hide to avoid being mentored," says Stanford.

2. The ‘I’m actually really nice’ person
The author says that this is one the most common office misfits, but also the most toxic. "That’s the person who sort of does something really nasty, like they’ll send an email saying ‘this person didn’t’ do their job’ or ‘this person took a can of Coke from the fridge’ and they’ll blind copy in all of senior management. Then in the next minute they’ll organize a gluten free cake for this person," he says.

3. The ‘I’m just so sick, but I’m too important to go home’ person.
Stanford says that such people worry that "the world with stop, there will be tumbleweeds rolling down the office corridor, the office will shut down," if they call in sick. "They pride themselves on their work ethic but they cut the workforce participation by 20 per cent each year by leaving soggy tissues and coughing all over you," he said.

4. ‘I know stuff before you do’ person
According to Stanford, such people feed off misery, fear of job cuts, and love spreading bad news.
"They kind of love the idea that things aren’t working out, they love problems. They definitely thrive on a bad situation; they love the fact that hey might know a little bite more than anyone else," he said.

5. The ‘I, I ... I’ person.
Stanford says that such people step in at the last minute to swoop in, and claim all the credit, leaving shocked co-workers in their wake. People who claim all the success and cleverly distance themselves from any failure.

6. ‘Let’s have a meeting before the meeting’ person
The writer says that such persons thrive in big offices, where they can spend their days going to meetings instead of actually working.

How To Detect Lies Better

Remember how everyone keeps saying that trusting others easily is being very naive. Not anymore. A new study shows that trusting can make you a lot smarter.

The study asked participants to watch taped job interviews of 2nd year MBA students – who had either lied to better their chances, or told the truth.

Several days before the participants watched the tapes, they filled out a questionnaire that measured their trust in other people, with questions such as "Most people are basically honest," and "Most people are basically good-natures and kind."

People high in trust were more accurate at detecting the liars—the more people showed trust in others, the more able they were to distinguish a lie from the truth.

"Although people seem to believe that low trustees are better lie detectors and less gullible than high trustees, these results suggest that the reverse is true," write co-authors Nancy Carter and Mark Weber of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.

"People who trust others are not pie-in-the-sky Pollyannas, their interpersonal accuracy may make them particularly good at hiring, recruitment, and identifying good friends and worthy business partners," the researchers concluded.

The study is published in the current Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Tricks To Get Him Out of His Shell

Not all men are bold, or the kinds who can show the world they're macho. There are some men who are naturally shy and prefer being reserved. And some women tend to fall for exactly these men, solely because they're charming and never take that extra step to pretend being what they are not. But hold on, dating a shy man is not as easy as it looks like.

Considering their nature, it just might be extremely tough for shy guys to talk about their likes and dislikes or even for that matter, about intimate topics which are natural in a relationship. It needs extreme patience and understanding to deal with a shy man in a relationship. But, all's not a lost cause ladies, there are ways in which you can make your shy guy feel comfortable without making it overtly obvious that you're trying to get him out of his shell and become an integral part of both, your world and the relationship.

Be the initiator:
Since your man is shy, he just might not be the one to initiate a conversation, talk intimate or even kiss you unexpectedly. Hence, the onus lies on you. Be confident and initiate the kind of talk or action that you feel is relevant to your relationship. Keep up the effort and in some time, he will also get into the groove of things and start initiating all this by himself.

Tell him even if he doesn't ask:
If it's your first date and he's the shy type, he might not be the kind who'll ask you questions like about yourself. Hence, your best option is to just go ahead and do the honours yourself. But don't dish out all the dope on the first date itself, it may just make you seem desperate. Spread it out evenly over various dates. As you talk about yourself, get him to talk about himself on the same topics. You'll see how, in a while, he'll be very comfortable reversing roles.

Be considerate:
If his shyness makes him feel uncomfortable in large crowds, choose less crowded places for the initial date. Go to small cafes and restaurants that you know will not be overcrowded and try and avoid places like malls, theatres, pubs or shopping arenas. After a few dates, you can attempt to take him out with a group of friends, but not unless he is comfortable. When you both are out with friends, make sure that he knows at least two people in the group, so it's easy for him to communicate and open-up and he won't feel left out.

Be calm:
Don't let his shy nature irritate you and ruin your dates. Instead accept him for who he is. Don't get overexcited or react violently if he doesn't show the same enthusiasm as you do for certain things. Remember, he is shy by nature and this kind of behaviour will undoubtedly make him uncomfortable. Your main aim should be to gel with him, not scare him away. Also, try to be enthusiastic about his favourite things even if they bore you to death.

Stick to the right kind of questions:
While talking to him, never ask questions that need monosyllabic answers like 'yes' or 'no', your conversation will be nothing less than dialogues of a slow and boring movie. Instead, ask him subjective or open ended questions. This is an easy trick to get him to start talking.

There are many men out there who are shy and it's difficult for them to get talking. But that doesn't make them any different. If you are lucky and strike the right chord, you might just be in for a beautiful relationship with a gem of a man. But the trick of the trade is to know how to get your man to leave his shell and get into the comfort zone for good.