Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Cheating Wife

The Policeman had stopped the man for obvious drunken driving, but since the guy had a clean record, he made him park the car and took him home in the patrol car.

"Are you sure this is your house?" the cop asked as they drove into a rather fashionable neighborhood.

"Shertainly!" said the drunk, "and if you'll just open the door f'me, I can prove it to ya."


The police officer followed the man as he shakily negotiated the stairs to the second floor.

The drunk pushed open the first door they came to.

"Thish ish my bedroom," he announced. "Shee the bed there? Thast mine! Shee that woman lying in the bed? Thash my wife. An' see that guy lying next to her?

"Yeah?" the cop replied suspiciously. Beginning at this point to seriously doubt the man's story.

"Well, thash me!"

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Chrome OS

SAN FRANCISCO: What if nearly everything you usually keep on your computer — photos, documents, music and software — was stored online? Your machine would be speedier and perhaps less vital because you could simply use another machine to recoup your digital life should you lose your laptop.

This premise — somewhat scary, yet liberating — is behind Google Inc.'s upcoming Chrome OS, which will make notebook computers more like netbooks than most actual netbooks.

The software powering Chrome OS, which is based on the search giant's eponymously named browser, serves mainly as a tool for connecting your computer to the Web. That's where nearly everything you use is housed and linked to your Google username and password. It's a concept known as cloud computing.

A peek at the upcoming operating system and its vision of cloud computing shows a promising idea that could make computing faster and more convenient. But it still needs a lot of work.

Google expects the first computers powered by Chrome OS to be released this summer, and initially they'll be made by Acer Inc and Samsung Electronics Co.

For now, though, Google is operating a pilot for some individuals and companies to test an unbranded laptop that runs Chrome OS. The company lent The Associated Press one of these machines, which aren't going to be sold to the public.

The laptop itself, called the Cr-48, doesn't really deserve to be critiqued, because it is a stripped-down machine that is chiefly a frame for Google's OS oeuvre. The shell is entirely matte black plastic, without a hint of branding. It has a webcam, a screen that is about 12 inches diagonally and a full-sized keyboard with a search key in place of the caps lock key.

The machine also has 16 gigabytes of flash memory for storing files, if you feel absolutely compelled to download something. Downloads are obviously discouraged, though; my music collection alone would nearly fill this allotment.

Moving on to the main event, Chrome OS brings a few clear benefits: Starting up the notebook takes just seconds — roughly 13 of them, according to my stopwatch — and waking the closed notebook from "sleep" mode is as quick as opening it up (almost too quick, as the notebook couldn't regain its wireless service quite as fast). By contrast, my Windows machine at work takes more than two minutes to boot up.

After you sign in with your Google account, the same username and password you would use to access Gmail, you can pull up a home page showing all the apps you've installed from the Chrome Web Store. Assuming you're connected to the Web, you can just start using apps and surfing the Web right away.

There were plenty of free and paid Web apps and browser extensions available when I tested the notebook. Some are only for the Chrome OS; others also work with Google's Chrome Web browser for other computers.

I installed a range of the free ones, some of which seemed to be just links to existing Web pages. The apps I snagged included Web-based office suite Google Docs, the chatting service Google Talk, Aviary's Advanced Image Editor and balloon-popping puzzle game Poppit.

As with smart phones and tablets such as Apple Inc iPad, publications are also making Chrome apps. USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal are among them.

On my work computer, it can take ages to open up applications that are stored on my hard drive. With the Cr-48, I could immediately start editing a Google Docs spreadsheet or tweak the colors in a photo using Aviary because the programs are all running online. I only needed a strong Internet connection.

Surfing the Web was a pretty normal experience, with most websites loading speedily, though the Cr-48 was not that good at displaying Flash videos.

But I felt constrained because I had to use the lone browser that comes with the system and the Web-based apps I obtained. Apps loaded slowly when my Internet connection wasn't stellar. This wouldn't be a problem with programs stored on a regular computer's hard drive.

If a Chrome OS-based laptop becomes my primary computer, a data plan would be a must.

I feel anxious just thinking about the possibility that I couldn't access my documents at any time, and I don't even keep anything that important on my own laptop.

I mostly used the notebook with Wi-Fi at home and at the office, though I also tried out its 3G network service, which is provide by Verizon Wireless.

So what happens if you don't have any Internet access? The Cr-48 is pretty useless.

I could still write in an already-open Google Docs document, add notes in Scratchpad and look at photos I'd downloaded. But I couldn't use apps that are not yet opened because they're all connected to the Web.

If you lose your connection while using an app, you may be able to view some information that has been temporarily stored in memory, as I could when browsing The New York Times' app. But you'll need to get online as soon as possible to really use the machine. Faced with this situation, I'd probably just search frantically for an Internet connection or simply put away my laptop.

In its current state, the Chrome OS is far from ready to take over as my main computer, even if I were using it on a more powerful machine than the Cr-48.

Sure, I spend most of my time on the Web already, but I'm not quite ready to rely on having Internet access to do almost anything with my computer.

I can imagine getting comfortable with that in the not-so-distant future, though, and I'm curious to see if Google can make it happen.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Sex is good for your brain

A study on rats has suggested that sex apparently can help the brain grow.

The research also showed that sexually active rodents were less anxious than virgins.

The study by Princeton scientists was conducted to see if pleasant but stressful experiences could have an opposite effect, Live Science reported.

Scientists played matchmaker by giving adult male rats access to sexually receptive females either once daily for two weeks or just once in two weeks.

They also measured blood levels of stress hormones known as glucocorticoids, which researchers suspected might lie behind the detrimental effects that unpleasant experiences have on the brain.

A comparison with male virgins showed both groups of sexually active rats had cell proliferation, or an increase in the number of neurons, in the hippo campus.

The hippo campus is a part of the brain linked with memory whose cells are especially sensitive to unpleasant experiences.

The study found that the more sex the rats had the more their adult brain cells grew, and there was also as a rise in the number of connections between brain cells.

But where the rodents that only saw females once in two weeks were concerned, they had elevated levels of stress hormones, which was absent from rats that had regular access.

Sexually experienced rodents also proved less anxious than virgins, in that they were quicker to chomp down on food in unfamiliar environs.

These findings suggest that while stress hormones can be detrimental to the brain, these effects can be overridden if whatever experiences triggered them were pleasant.

The scientists have published their findings online in the journal PLoS ONE.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Legal and Logical Explained

After having failed his exam in "Logistics and Organization", a student goes and confronts his lecturer about it.

Student: "Sir, do you really understand anything about the subject?"

Professor: "Surely I must. Otherwise I would not be a professor!"

Student: "Great, well then I would like to ask you a question.

If you can give me the correct answer, I will accept my mark as is and go. If you however do not know the answer, I want you give me an "A" for the exam. "

Professor: "Okay, it's a deal. So what is the question?"

Student: "What is legal, but not logical, logical, but not legal, and neither logical, nor legal?"

Even after some long and hard consideration, the professor cannot give the student an answer, and therefore changes his exam mark into an "A", as agreed.

Later on the professor calls on his best student and asks him the same question.

He immediately answers: "Sir, you are 63 years old and married to a 35 year old woman, which is legal, but not logical. Your wife has a 25 year old lover, which is logical, but not legal. The fact that you have given your wife's lover an "A", although he really should have failed, is neither legal, nor logical."

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Best Pickup Line Ever

A Newfie walks into a Toronto pub and takes a seat next to a very attractive woman.
He gives her a quick glance then casually looks at his watch for a moment.
The woman notices this and asks, 'Is your date running late?'
'No', he replies,'I just got this state-of the-art watch, and I was just testing it..'

The intrigued woman says, 'a state-of-the-art watch?
'What's so special about it?'

The Newfie explains, 'It uses alpha waves to talk to me telepathically.'

The lady says, 'What's it telling you now?'
Well, it says you're not wearing any panties.'

The woman giggles and replies
'Well it must be broken because I am wearing panties!'

The Newfie smiles, taps his watch and says,
'Damn thing's an hour fast!'

Vit D May Not Reduce Frailty Risk

Lower and higher vitamin D levels are associated with an increased likelihood of frailty in older women, a new study has found.

Women with vitamin D levels between 20.0 and 29.9 ng/ml are at the lowest risk of frailty.

Vitamin D deficiency and frailty are common with aging. Dimensions of frailty, including weakness and slowness are potential outcomes of vitamin D deficiency and many experts have recommended measuring vitamin D levels in older adults and prescribing vitamin D supplementation if levels are less than 30 ng/ml to prevent adverse health outcomes.

This new study however found a U-shaped relationship between vitamin D levels and frailty.

"Vitamin D supplementation has grown in popularity, yet the association between vitamin D status and risk of adverse health outcomes in older adults is uncertain," said Kristine Ensrud, professor of medicine and epidemiology, Minneapolis VA Medical Center and the University of Minnesota and lead author of the study.

"Our study did not find that higher vitamin D status was associated with lower subsequent risks of frailty or death. In fact, higher levels of vitamin D were associated with increased likelihood of frailty."

In this study, researchers measured vitamin D levels and assessed frailty status in a cohort of 6,307 women aged 69 and older. To determine whether lower vitamin D levels were associated with an increased risk of greater frailty status at a later date, 4,551 women classified as non-frail at baseline had frailty status reassessed an average of 4.5 years later.

They found that older women with vitamin D levels less than 20 ng/ml and more than 30 ng/ml had higher odds of frailty at baseline. Lower vitamin D levels among non-frail women at baseline were associated with an increased risk of frailty or death at follow-up.

The study will be published in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

BlackBerry Torch Big Booster For RIM

TORONTO: Research In Motion likely sold as many Blackberry's in its last quarter as Apple sold iPhones, aided by a strong showing from its new Torch smartphone, as Google gathers steam and Microsoft enters the fray.

The Torch -- a touchscreen phone with a slide-out qwerty keyboard -- comes with an improved browser and revamped operating system. It shipped to dozens of carriers after an August launch with AT&T in the United States, and an AT&T half-price promotion from early November likely helped sales.

But as the smartphone market explodes, RIM faces a groundswell of skepticism, with even its long-dominant position in mobile corporate communication questioned as banks consider allowing employees to bring in other devices.

RIM has lost some 4 percentage points of global smartphone market share in a year, according to industry tracker IDC.

In the three months to November 27 the Canadian company is expected to have shipped 14.1 million Blackberry's, the mid-range of its own robust guidance, according to 23 analyst forecasts compiled by Reuters. That would tie it with the number of iPhones Apple shipped in its quarter ended September 25 -- a figure Apple chief Steve Jobs boasts as putting RIM firmly in Apple's rear view mirror.

Analysts expect RIM to earn $1.64 per share in the third quarter, according to Reuters data. Revenue is seen at $5.40 billion, with gross margin likely slipping to 42 per cent, in line with management guidance.

RIM has forecast earnings between $1.62 and $1.70 per share and revenue of between $5.3 billion and $5.55 billion. "The biggest concern is that they are just churning phones in their existing base," said Colin Gillis from BGC Partners.

That fear will be exacerbated if RIM misses on net subscriber additions, a metric that is unique to the Black Berry maker. RIM has said it will not report net subscriber additions -- the net change in customers using its network servers -- or average selling price after Thursday's results.

Net additions was the sole laggard last quarter, when RIM made bold forecasts for the quarter to November 27. Analysts expect RIM to record 5.1 million net subscriber additions and post an average selling price of $311, both at the low end of the company's forecast range. That would take its installed base above 55 million.

Rivals Apple and Google, which provides the Android operating system, have won fans with touchscreen devices filled with third-party applications, while Microsoft's return to mobile software also threatens.

The Torch, and a number of product refreshes, have not allayed long-term fears over RIM's competitive strength. "As the handset market goes through profound changes, the company's corporate business is at risk and we see current growth and profitability in the consumer market as an unsustainable combination," Bernstein analyst Pierre Ferragu, one of RIM's harshest critics, wrote in a recent note.

RIM's share price jumped 30 per cent in the three months to the end of November as it drip-fed details of its planned PlayBook tablet computer to investors and technophiles eager to judge the swelling field of competitors to Apple's iPad.

RIM is testing new ground with the PlayBook -- which will launch early next year -- and its QNX-based operating system, which will eventually power its smartphones too. But skepticism on RIM has spread to the tablet market.

"The iPad is now the early incumbent in the enterprise that RIM would need to one-up in its features or one-down in price," analyst Steven Fox from CLSA said in a note in which he shifted from a "buy" recommendation on RIM to "under perform".

He expects Apple will have sold around 17 million iPads by the time RIM sells its first Playbook.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

That Anti-Virus Update Can Crash Your PC!

LONDON: Computers running the 64-bit version of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system could be rendered unusable if users install the latest anti-virus software update from AVG. The company has now withdrawn the product.

The problem affects the most recent free update for AVG 2011, which was made available to users Dec 1.

AVG has acknowledged that the patch can send some 64-bit Windows 7 machines into a crash cycle, forcing a reboot of the computer from which it never restarts. The anti-virus company has withdrawn the update, reports the Telegraph.

The problem is caused by one particular virus database update, which automatically forces the computer to reboot in order to let the update take affect. Upon restarting, the computer will register an error and will not complete the boot cycle.

The software update is no longer available to users, but AVG has released a guide for those customers who have already installed the update and are experiencing problems.

The step-by-step instructions tell how the update can be disabled, by running an AVG "rescue CD".

AVG apologized to users for the software glitch. The company has also recommended an alternative recovery method for those users who no longer have, or cannot create, a "rescue CD".

Monday, December 20, 2010

7 Beauty Secrets You Must Know

We all have read thousands of beauty tips and tried hundreds of beauty products. Mind you, only few are worth following. We share some useful beauty tricks!

Secret 1
Drink water: Thinking it's no secret? Well, forget about the eight glass rule. Make sure you drink just enough that you don't feel thirsty.  Skin gets all flaky and dry if not well hydrated."

Secret 2
Sunscreen is a must: Sunscreen is a guarantee for youthful skin. UV rays is the most common source of skin cancer and aging. Be it rains or sunshine, make sure your skin is nicely smothered with sunscreen- and you know the rule- apply it 15 minutes prior to walking out so the body absorbs it properly.

Secret 3
Moisturize: Make sure you have a moisturizing body lotion that includes a self-tanner. It helps you hide spider veins on your legs and give a slimming effect all over.

Secret 4
Hands and neck are important too: Treat your hands and neck like your face. Wash, cleanse and moisturize. Apply suitable creams and rub it nicely on your neck and hands to make sure they glow as much as your facial skin.

Secret 5
Exercise! If you want glow on your face, facials are not the only option. Workouts help improve blood circulation and oxygen capacity. So hit the treadmill and enjoy the healthy glow!

Secret 6
Eat right: Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Stress a lot on vitamin A, C and E and they help deal with skin issues. Applying antioxidants on the skin also help...

Secret 7
Feel good: Do things that make you feel great about yourself. If you look happy you will automatically feel the glow. So smile and stay cheerful!

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Practice Safe Fax

Q. Do I have to be married to have safe fax?
A. Although married people fax often, there are many single people who fax complete strangers every day.

Q. How do I go about faxing a complete stranger?
A. Just ask them if they want to fax. If they do, they will give you their phone number.

Q. My parents say they never had fax when they were young, and were only allowed to write memo's to each other until they were 21. How old do you think someone should be before they can fax?
A. Faxing can be performed at any age once you learn the correct procedure.

Q. If I fax something to myself will I go blind?
A. Certainly not. As far as we can see.

Q. There is a place on our street where you can go and pay to fax. Is this legal?
A. Yes, many people have no other outlet for their fax drives and must pay a "professional" when their needs become too great.

Q. Should a cover always be used for faxing?
A. Unless you are really sure of the one you are faxing, a cover should always be used.

Q. What happens if I do the procedure incorrectly and fax prematurely?
A. Don't panic. Many people fax prematurely when they haven't faxed in a long time. Just start over, most people won't mind if you try again.

Q. I have a personal and a business fax. Can transmissions become mixed up?
A. Being bi-faxual can be confusing, but so long as you use a cover with each one you won't transmit anything you're not supposed to.

Q. Is getting faxed by one person the same as with another?
A. No. Even though many people (especially lawyers) would like you to believe that the longer they are faxing you the better you will like it. In reality the best fax is short, of high quality, and very graphic.

Q. There is a man I'd very much like to fax (I've tried several times) but he can't seem to keep his equipment up long enough. Is there any thing I can do to help him?
A. You could suggest that he contact a good fax therapist, such as Canon or Mitsubishi. If he refuses to take the suggestion, it would be best if you just wrote him off.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

What is The Ideal Weight?

What is the healthiest weight to be? People hoping for a little jiggle room may be disappointed -- it is the weight already identified by public health experts using body mass index or BMI.

There had been some suggestion that it may be healthier to be pleasantly plump, but the team at the U.S. National Cancer Institute crushed any such idea with a study of 1.5 million adults published on Wednesday.

The healthiest BMI is 22.5 to 24.9, they found -- at the upper end of where the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups have said people should be.

Body-mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. A BMI of between 25 and 30 is overweight and a BMI of 30 or over is obese.

A person 5 feet 5 inches tall (165 cm) is classified as overweight at 150 pounds (68 kg) and obese at 180 pounds (82 kg). A 5-foot-10 inch (1.8 meter) tall person who weighs 209 pounds (95 kg) has a BMI of 30 and is obese.

Being overweight or obese raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and arthritis. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, confirms that having a BMI of 25 or more also makes a person more likely to die than someone the same age who is slimmer.

"There is a small increased risk of all-cause mortality associated with being overweight -- about 10 percent compared to having a normal BMI," Amy Berrington de Gonzalez of the National Cancer Institute, who led the study, said in a telephone interview.

But the severely obese -- those with a BMI of 40 or more -- have 2.5 times the risk of dying than people of a healthy weight who are the same age.

The original BMI guidelines were set using some data on health, but Berrington said several recent studies had suggested that people considered overweight may be less likely to die of cancer and other conditions. So she and an international team of experts took another look at the data.

NOT TOO FAT, NOT TOO THIN

"We used 19 studies that had been conducted all over the world," Berrington said. One caveat -- they were all in mostly white, westernized populations in Europe, Australia and the United States.

Their studies included 1.46 million white adults and 160,087 deaths.

WHO guidelines say the lowest "normal" BMI is 18.5 but Berrington's team found it is not healthy to be too thin.

"What we found was that a low BMI -- below 20 -- was also associated with an increased risk of death," Berrington said. This could be because people that thin already have disease, she said, and added that her team will check.

The researchers took into account smoking and other factors that are known to raise the risk of death, and found the association between weight and death was consistent across age, sex and where people lived.

"Previous studies led some to imply that being a little bit overweight might actually be beneficial, with some headlines suggesting that 'putting a little meat on your bones' was good for you," Dr. Michael Thun, of the American Cancer Society, said in a statement.

"This study concludes it is not, if the meat on your bones happens to be fat."

Obesity and overweight are a growing problem for U.S. policymakers. Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, with 72 million U.S. adults, or 26.7 percent having a BMI of 30 or more.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Wedding Night

The Wedding Night


Fred and Mary get married but couldn’t afford a honeymoon, so they go back to Fred's Mom and Dad's house for their first night together.

In the morning, Johnny, Fred's little brother, gets up and has his breakfast.

As he is going out of the door to go to school, he asks his mom if Fred and Mary are up yet.

She replies, 'No'.

Johnny asks, 'Do you know what I think?'

His mom replies, 'I don't want to hear what you think!

Just go to school.'

Johnny comes home for lunch and asks his mom, 'Are Fred and Mary up yet?'

She replies, 'No.'

Johnny says, 'Do you know what I think?'

His mom replies, 'Never mind what you think!

Eat your lunch and go back to school.'

After school, Johnny comes home and asks again, 'Are Fred and Mary up yet?'

His mom says, 'No.'

He asks, 'Do you know what I think?'

His mom replies, 'Ok, now tell me what you think?'

He says: 'Last night Fred came to my room for the Vaseline and I think...

I gave him Fevicol Glue.!!!

Friday, December 3, 2010

That Sunshine Drug

HILLARY Swank may claim that her daily intake of 45 vitamin pills is what keeps her going, but those of us who are less famous are probably more moderate! We know that vitamins are essential to our health, but remain confused about which ones are the most important. Also, should we stick to natural sources or throw in a supplement or two? Here we share new research which lends more value to vitamins.

THE D COMPANY

FOR decades Vitamin D has been linked to bone health. Also known as the sunshine drug, it is famous for helping our bones absorb calcium. But recent research shows that D plays a far greater role in keeping us healthy than we imagined: this vitamin is now associated with a range of disparate diseases like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cancer, stroke and schizophrenia.

In fact, scientists have mapped over 200 genes that the vitamin directly influences. Published in the journal Genome Research, this study links the vitamin D receptor to a number of genes that increase our susceptibility to autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn's disease, lupus, and cancers such as leukaemia and colorectal cancer.

Vitamin D levels have also been related to diabetes and heart disease. Middle aged and elderly people with high levels of the vitamin can reduce their chances of developing heart disease or diabetes by 43 per cent, according to researchers at the University of Warwick.

They reviewed 28 studies across a variety of ethnic groups including men and women and concluded that there is a significant association between high levels of vitamin D and a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (33 per cent compared to low levels of vitamin D) and type 2 diabetes (55 per cent reduction).

Diabetics with severe D deficiency are also 95 per cent more likely to die of complications, says a research published in the journal Diabetes Care.

"Vitamin D is a growth factor which promotes generative ability of pancreas to produce insulin. Deficiency means the pancreas won't produce as much insulin leading to high blood sugar. General fatigue, pain in calves and shinbone or hair loss can indicate vitamin D deficiency in diabetics which can be confirmed through blood serum test," says Dr Dheeraj Kapoor, consultant endocrinologist, Artemis Health Institute.

Helps during pregnancy

TAKING the "sunshine drug" during pregnancy and the early years is also beneficial for a child's health in later life. Some countries such as France have instituted this as a routine public health measure. Deficiency of the vitamin leads to pelvic contraction resulting in increased risk of fatality of both mother and unborn child.

A study done at Queensland Brain Institute, Australia, found that those born with low vitamin D levels are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia later in life. Low levels of vitamin D are also associated with lower lung function and greater medication use in children with asthma.

They were found to respond to more allergens, could not inhale optimal amount of oxygen and had to take more medicines as compared to patients with adequate amount of the vitamin in their bodies, says the study published in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology. Adequate Vitamin D enhanced the activity of corticosteroids, the most effective controller medication for asthma. Another study conducted at the University of Massachusetts found a relationship between vitamin D and premenstrual syndrome.

The emotional and physical symptoms of PMS including aches, cramps, bloating, nausea, anxiety and irritability are 70 per cent less troublesome for women who have a high dietary intake of vitamin D. This can be a good option instead of birth control pills and antidepressants which are commonly prescribed to women to help treat these symptoms but also have serious side effects.

Counter the deficiency

THOUGH D is produced naturally in the body by exposure to sunlight, its deficiency is very common across the world and Indians, in particular, are at high risk. "We are genetically prone to vitamin D deficiency which is why we need to be out in the sun more often than the westerners who faces the problem only when they age," says Dr K K Aggarwal, general physician and cardiologist, Moolchand Medcity.

According to a study conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, more than 75 per cent of healthy people in northern India have vitamin D deficiency, irrespective of age or socio-economic status. "Our traditional set up was such that we were bound to spend time in sun playing outdoor games, working in the fields or knitting. The famous yoga sequence of surya namaskar is also meant to make you spend time in the sun. That, however, is not the case anymore with people working long hours in office, doing yoga postures in front of TV and children playing indoor video games," says Dr Aggarwal.

Those who are overweight have less Vitamin D circulating in their blood as the vitamin gets stored in the fat instead. Ironically, increasing their D levels can help fat people shed weight. However, just because you are not taking enough sun does not mean you can gulp down vitamin D supplements without any precaution.

"Don't try self medication. If you are living with a disease, ask your doctor if vitamin D supplementation can help. He will prescribe the amount you require. You can also go for annual test to check levels of vitamin D in your body," says Dr Ashutosh Shukla, head of internal medicine, Artemis Health Institute. An adult needs 600-800 IU of vitamin D daily. Try and include the few kinds of food that contain Vitamin D in your diet.

Natural food sources of vitamin D are limited and include oily fish like salmon, tuna, cod liver, herring and eggs. The best source obviously is sunlight and 20 minutes exposure can help you maintain the optimal levels.

When you ingest vitamin D supplements, only about 60 per cent of it is absorbed as compared to 100 per cent absorption when your body makes it through sun exposure. Morning sunshine is the best for synthesis of D in your body because its wavelength is most potent. So those who often wake up at noon are missing the right vitamin delivery.

E HELPS IN CANCER

WHILE all of us know that vitamin E benefits the skin and hair, less is known about its capacity to counter prostate cancer. In a recent study, researchers found that vitamin E can significantly reduce tumor regrowth. A particular constituent of vitamin E, known as tocotrienol (T3), is the main inhibitor against prostate tumors, says a study published in the International Journal of Cancer. The current treatments of chemotherapy and hormonal therapy are insufficient as well as risky as the tumor grows back in most cases. Natural vitamin E obtained from palm oil is rich in T3.

Another form of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol may be a useful additional treatment for asthma patients because of its antioxidant properties. Researchers at the University of North Carolina, Duke University, and Purdue University investigated the biological activity of a gamma-tocopherol supplement in asthma patients. They found that vitamin E prevented inflammation and decreased oxidative stress without any adverse health effects. Gamma-tocopherol is commonly found in food and is missing in artificial supplements.

Among the natural sources of Vitamin E are green leafy vegetables, soybeans, raw nuts and seeds, olive oil, peanuts, cornmeal and sweet potatoes.

C IS A MOOD ENHANCER

VITAMIN C is known to build immunity and stave off premature aging. It is now being touted as a mood enhancer too. A study published in the journal Nutrition found that treatment with vitamin C rapidly improved the emotional state of acutely hospitalized patients. Those with high vitamin C levels lower their risk of getting a stroke too: Published in the journal Stroke, the study found that the risk of stroke was 70 per cent higher among those with lowest levels of C as compared to those with the highest level. Higher concentrations of C in the blood also proved beneficial to patients with other risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high body mass index.

Those with low levels of Vitamin C are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, which leads to swelling and stiffness in the joints of the knees, wrists and ankles. Studies at Manchester and Cambridge Universities found that people who ate plenty of dietary sources of Vitamin C, such as fruit and vegetables, substantially reduced their risk of developing the disease.

C has also been found to help reduce risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, an American study found that a daily dose of 0.5mg of vitamin C can reduce the risk of a heart attack or stroke by 11 per cent. And if you have problem conceiving, C can be of great help. Studies have found that Vitamin C can also boost sperm count while reducing the number of abnormal sperm.

It is well known that citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, limes, and others contain vitamin C. Other good sources are tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, peppers, broccoli and asparagus.

B THWARTS DEMENTIA

A TWO-YEAR clinical trial in England has shown that B vitamins, including B-6, B-12 and folic acid, slow down mild cognitive impairment, a condition which is a major risk factor for Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

Patients who already exhibit signs of dementia and test positive for high levels of homo cysteine responded better than others to the large doses of B vitamins.

Another study says that people who have higher levels of vitamin B6 and certain essential proteins in their blood seem to be at a lower risk of getting lung cancer. Done by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the study found that high levels of Vitamin B6 and the amino acid methionine cut the risk of getting the disease by half. These essential nutrients can be obtained from nuts, fish, oats, barley, wheat bran, avocado and meat.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Google in EU Probe Over 'Abusing its Position'

BRUSSELS: The European Union's competition watchdog will investigate whether Google Inc has abused its dominant position in the online search market -- the first major probe into the online giant's business practices.

The formal investigation announced follows complaints from rival search engines that Google put them at a disadvantage in both its regular and sponsored search results, by listing links to their sites below references to its own services in an attempt to shut them out of the market.

The Commission will also probe whether Google prevented advertising partners from placing ads from competitors on their sites. Competitors allegedly shut out include computer and software vendors, the commission said.

The investigation does not imply any wrongdoing by Google, but shows that the antitrust watchdog is taking the complaints seriously enough to launch an in-depth examination of the company's practices.

Google has maintained that it hasn't done anything wrong. "Since we started Google we have worked hard to do the right thing by our users and our industry _ ensuring that ads are always clearly marked, making it easy for users and advertisers to take their data with them when they switch services, and investing heavily in open source projects,'' Google said in an emailed statement.

"But there's always going to be room for improvement, and so we'll be working with the Commission to address any concerns,'' the company said.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Why We Tell Stories

There was once a disciple of a great teacher. Day after day the disciple would sit at the feet of his teacher listening to his instruction. Many people would come to visit and inevitably the teacher would engage them by telling a story.

One day the disciple asked; "Guruji, why do you engage people by means of stories? Why don't you just give them your teaching straight out?"

The guru answered: "Bring me some water."

Now the disciple knew his teacher to be a very formal and disciplined man. He had never asked for water at this time of the day. Nevertheless, he went immediately to fetch it. Taking a clean brass water pot from the ashram kitchen, the disciple went to the well, filled the pot with water and returned. He offered it to his teacher.

"Why have you brought me a pot when I asked only for water?"

The moral of this story…

We share with others the lessons we have learned. We provide you with a banquet of various tastes and styles. It is up to you to choose that dish which you find most palatable.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Crab Dates Lobster

A crab and a lobster are secretly dating.

Pretty soon, the lobster tires of the lying and tells her father, who then forbids her to see the crab anymore.

"It'll never work, honey." he says to her. "Crabs walk side- ways and we walk straight."

"Please," she begs her father. "Just meet him once. I know you'll like him."

Her father finally relents and agrees to a one-time meeting, and she

runs off to share the good news with her crab sweetie.

The crab is so excited he decides to surprise his beloveds family.

He practices and practices until he can finally walk straight!

On the BIG day, he walks the entire way to the lobster's house as straight as he can.

Standing on the porch, and seeing the crab walking towards him, the lobster dad yells to his daughter....

"I knew it! Here comes that crab and he's really drunk!"

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Labor Pain.

A married couple went to have their baby delivered.

Upon their arrival, the doctor said he had invented a new machine that would transfer a portion of the mother's labor pain to the baby's father.

He asked if they were willing to try it out. They were both very much in favor of it. The doctor set the pain transfer to 10% for starters,
explaining that even 10% was probably more pain than the father had ever experienced before. However as the labor progressed, the husband felt

fine and asked the doctor to go ahead and kick it up a notch. The doctor then adjusted the machine to 20% pain transfer. The husband was still feeling fine. The doctor checked the husband's blood pressure and was amazed at how well he was doing. At this point, they decided to try for 50%. The Husband continued to feel quite well. Since the pain transfer was obviously helping out the wife considerably, the husband encouraged the doctor to transfer ALL the pain to him. The wife delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain !!

She and her husband were ecstatic. When they got in the car to get home,

they found the DRIVER dead in the car !!

Friday, November 26, 2010

How To Sanitize Your Hard Disk?

Some people say with the click of delete button your hard disk gets sanitize. However, do yourself think so … well then check the recycle bin and see the list of deleted items, which you have removed and can b e recovered as well. For secure deletion of data, it is necessary to sanitize the hard disk with the help of a professional. But if you want to do it your self then buy the right hard disk erasure software. There are many companies these days offering with Free Hard Drive Eraser Software. This was in general we have talked about.

Well if you are a customer care company, then it becomes necessary to keep the confidential data about the clients, like credit card numbers, customer’s information, important policies completely secured. If you go on for a hard drive erasure, then you need to use multi pass scrubbing technique.

Beside this, there are three other ways of sanitizing the hard disk:

i) Physical destruction

ii) Overwriting the disk's data

iii) Degaussing

Some people prefer physical destruction of disk. This includes smelting and pulverizing of disk. If you think that this is an expensive method, well then overwrite the disk data using hard disk shredder. This is the proper and an economical way of secure data removal.

These all methods are suggested to those who want to sell their old hard disk, junk it or junk it then using the above methods is important. However, if you want to use the same hard disk then simple basic sanitizing is more than enough. In this you need to delete all the unwanted data, unused programs and reformat the disk completely.

Hot-Wax Mask Wipes Years Off Your Face

Hot-wax mask 'that wipes years off your face' is the latest A-list craze

London, Nov 20 (ANI): A hot-wax mask is nowadays the latest rage in skin care - the paraffin wax facial is a thermal mask billed as the quickest way to a "non-surgical face lift".

Celebrity facial Emma Hardie came up with the idea of the mask, which is painted on to the skin and then kept warm under infrared light, after an hour's intensive massage.

During the massage, she uses moisturizing oils and massage to stimulate the skin cells and a 'deep-tissue' kneading technique to give softer, plumper skin. And then comes the mask, which helps the skin to absorb the moisturizing oils and soothes and relaxes the facial muscles to help release tension and leave the skin bright and glowing.

The treatment, which costs 160 pounds, is the quickest route to a non-surgical face lift and promises "instant and noticeable results after one session."

Sophie Dahl, Denise Van Outen and Anjelica Huston are amongst few of her celeb customers.

"This facial is a wonderful treat for a cold, winter's evening and the warm wax helps you feel like you're in the Tropics. The massage and wax helps to boost circulation in the skin and helps to relax the facial muscles," The Daily Mail quoted Hardie as saying.

She also claims that the treatment can help with migraine relief, sinus problems, head, neck and shoulder tension, depression, menopause, grief and insomnia.

"Wax is very softening and it's very good as a skin treatment.We use it a lot on dry hands and chapped skin. It helps to oxygenate and detoxify the skin," she said.

Alice Hart-Davis, a beauty journalist, said that wax was widely recognized for its skin-softening effects in the beauty world.

"It is usually used in manicures and pedicures, but there's no denying that it could also work very well as part of a facial," she said. (ANI)

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Google's Online Book to Demystify The Web

LONDON (IANS): Google has published an online book on "things you've always wanted to know about the web and browsers but may have been afraid to ask", a posting on the company blog said.

The search engine has commemorated the 20th anniversary of a paper crucial to the Web's development by producing the book.

Writing on Google Blog, Chrome Product Marketing Manager Min Li Chan explained that the book aimed to answer basic questions, the Telegraph reported.

"How do browsers and the Web actually work? What is HTML5 - or HTML , for that matter? What do terms like 'cookies' or 'cloud computing' even mean?" he wrote.

More practically, how can we keep ourselves safe from security threats like viruses when we're online?

"To help answer these questions, we collaborated with the wonderful illustrator Christoph Niemann to publish an online guidebook called "20 Things I Learned about Browsers and the Web."

"This handy guide is for those of us who'd like to better understand the technologies we use every day."

The book uses HTML5, the latest Web language, and can be downloaded.

"We built '20 Things' in HTML5 so that we could incorporate features that hearken back to what we love about books - feeling the heft of a book's cover, flipping a page or even reading under the covers with a flashlight," Min wrote.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

How to Clean Your Laptop

Is it possible to recharge alkaline batteries like Duracell and Energizer by using some special methods?

There are battery chargers in the market that claim to recharge alkaline batteries, but you should be wary of their claims. These batteries are not designed to be recharged and the manufacturers state this very clearly on the side of each battery.

Which it may technically be possible to recharge an alkaline with a trickle current, in reality, it can be quite dangerous. Apart from unstable behavior, an alkaline battery can heat up, leak, burst or even explode, causing serious injury. This happens mainly due to heat build up while charging and is also the reason why you should never throw batteries in a fire.

Is it advisable to remove each key and clean it, like a desktop keyboard when the dust gets trapped in between the keys?

Laptop keyboards are built differently as compared to standalone keyboards used with desktop PCs. Trying to remove each key to clean under it will most likely render the keyboard useless, as doing so will break the delicate plastic bits that hold the keys in place.

To clean it, use a narrow brush with soft bristles to dislodge any stubborn dirt and use a blower (or reverse mode in a vacuum cleaner) to blow it out. You can also use a commercially-available cleaner called Cyber Clean, which is designed to remove dirt and disinfect electronics.

Cyber Clean is like soft putty that you can squeeze in between the keys; all the debris will stick to it and it pulls out without leaving any residue. It can be reused a few times before the effectiveness wears out. You should be able to get it at any good stationary store.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Thanks to All

To all my friend who remember and greeted me yesterday, thank you very much.

Friday, November 12, 2010

5 questions for your man

Whether you're a successful professional or a homemaker, you always have questions that eternally mind boggle you, queries that the opposite sex can shed light on. Your wish is our demand, so we sat down 4 men and got them to actually answer our questions.

We have Sumanto Chattopadhyay - the Executive Creative Director of O & M, Vikram Bawa - an ace fashion and landscape photographer, Osh Bhabani the owner of the hip salon B:Blunt and Karsten Miranda whose currently a BMM student at St. Xavier's College. Karsten was also part of the Organising Committee of Malhar 2008.
Here's what they had to say

Whether it's family or work, why are women expected to make adjustments?

Sumanto Chattopadhyay: It doesn't have to be that way anymore. If you're financially independent, you can give him a copy of your own new-age rule book. And if that doesn't work, give him the boot!

Vikram Bawa: Traditionally men have been the bread-winners of the family. It's perceived that while men earn for the house, women take care of it.

Osh Bhabani: I am somebody brought up by women and they have made adjustments. But, I don't think it's necessary anymore-both men and women have to compromise.

Are women, unlike men, incapable of physical intimacy without an emotional attachment?

Vikram: Yes, I agree. For a man, physical independence is something coming from the animal era? where physical 'infidelity' is seen as a need or release of sexual energy, or sense of power. It is not necessarily connected with love. For men, love is about being emotionally attached, but not necessarily physically bound.

Sumanto: (cheekily) Most men having affairs aren't having them with single women, so clearly there are women having affairs too!

Karsten Miranda: A section of the male fraternity thinks bedding a woman as a conquest. Fidelity in a relationship cannot have two masters. Any man who feels he can compartmentalise emotions as per 'activity' in a relationship finds himself lonely.

What does 'commitment' mean to a man?

Osh: (smiling) Men generally feel they have to compromise all aspects of their life in order to be in a serious relationship. Jokes apart, commitment means complete dedication to your partner.

Vikram: Commitment does not come easy, but when it does come to a man, it would mean that he has agreed to 'take care' of the woman he loves in entirety.

Karsten: We, men, need space-do our own thing, whether it is going out with the boys or cultivate a hobby.

Can a man and woman be 'just good friends'?

Osh: Yes of course they can. Sex does not have to come in the way of everything.

Sumanto: A man and woman can enjoy a sweet, piquant relationship; a friendship with extra tenderness that comes from this bit of physical attraction. It can go on beautifully as long as both know in their hearts that taking it to another level might lead to fireworks.

Vikram: It is very difficult for a man and a woman to be just good friends. There will always be sexual undertones.

Are men and women really 'equal'? Is it true that the woman a man dates is usually different from the one he chooses to marry?

Osh: I don't think men and women are treated equally in India. And dating is a way of finding a type of person you would like to be with, the last person you date is the person you end up with.

Vikram: In today's world, men and women both will date someone more powerful than themselves, but will choose to dump them instead of marrying them.

Sumanto: Even among friends of the same gender, you usually find one who is dominant. It's human nature. And, in traditional couples, men have been the dominant ones. In the new era, it can work the other way too; a dominant career woman with an adjusting husband. But if both are the dominant alpha type, then God help the relationship!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

How to Handle Problems Coming your Way

A wealthy man decided to go on a safari in Africa. He took his faithful pet Dachshund dog along for company.

One day, the Dachshund starts chasing butterflies and before long the Dachshund discovers that he is lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the obvious intention of having lunch.

The Dachshund thinks, "I'm in deep trouble now! Then he noticed some bones on the ground close by and immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap, the Dachshund exclaims loudly, Boy, that was one delicious leopard. I wonder if there are any more around here."

Hearing this, the leopard halts his attack in mid-stride, as a look of terror comes over him, and slinks away into the trees. "Whew," says the leopard. "That was close. That Dachshund! Nearly had me."

Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So, off he goes. But the Dachshund sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up.

The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, here monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine.

Now the Dachshund sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks What am I going to do now?" But instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet... and just when they get close enough to hear, the Dachshund says,

Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off half an hour ago to bring me another leopard."


Moral: It doesn't matter what cards you hold but how you play them!!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Why Sleep on a Round Mattress?

A round mattress, like any other mattress, is just another way to get a good night sleep, isn't it? Or is a round mattress more? Is a round mattress in some way even better? The ancient Greek Philosopher Plato, might have said, "Sleeping on a round mattress would be the ideal mattress." Certainly Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the Geodesic Sphere would have preferred a round mattress to the conventional square. In fact, what better addition to a round house, than a round mattress?

A square mattress just wouldn't fit in a round house. But why round? What makes the circle so much more important to a philosopher, or a scientist? In one word; space… According to Plato, who was well versed in geometry, the sphere is the ideal structure of the universe. While Buckminster Fuller enjoyed the sphere's philosophical nature, he preferred to see it practically. Between the sphere and the tetrahedron, it is the sphere that occupies the smallest surface area in total, while containing the largest internal area, than any other solid. While the opposite is true for the tetrahedron, the same concept is used in analyzing the area of the circle and triangle. Geometrically, ROUND is bigger on the inside, and smaller on the outside. Paradoxal, but true; even if two triangles are fit together to make a square; the circle still has more space inside it.

To the sleeper, space is one of the most important characteristics of comfort, because it means having the freedom to move the body to its most preferred position, and still staying within the relaxing support zone of the bed. Space, is more than comfort, space is freedom. Not just freedom of movement for one single person, round mattresses, can be made to accommodate, couples as well.

The comfort zone however, for some, can be different, than for others. One of the nicest features of the round mattress is it's adaptability to individual needs. As there is a larger inner special area than in the conventional square or rectangular mattresses, the circle allows customized split mattresses to be far roomier than traditional split mattresses. So that if of the two people sleeping in the bed, one needs a totally different kind of mattress than the other, a split round mattress can provide the ideal mattress sleep requirements for both.

If a sleeper is to feel relaxed on a mattress, it is important that the mattress is one which abides to their sense of aesthetics. Many people prefer round mattresses, merely because of their aesthetic nature. Round mattresses just seem to be more pleasing to the human eye. To this, Plato would most agree. As the circle invoked in him such a spiritual side, that just isn't the case with most people. Most people just think it is a nice looking mattress, something different, something unique, to give life a little bit of taste. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so no really logical conclusion can be made as to why people seem to think a round mattress is aesthetic, the important thing is that the person feels better sleeping on it rather than a traditional one, the point is relaxation.

A round mattress is more spacious and offers more freedom of movement. Due to its unique design, its round nature, it becomes far more adaptable to individual needs as soft as a cloud to as firm as a mountain. You will feel like you are floating on the surface of a timid blue lake. You will relax.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Google Bars Data From Facebook as Rivalry Heats up

SAN FRANCISCO: Google Inc will begin blocking Facebook and other Web services from accessing its users' information , highlighting an intensifying rivalry between the two Internet giants.

Google will no longer let other services automatically import its users' email contact data for their own purposes, unless the information flows both ways. It accused Facebook in particular of siphoning up Google contact data, without allowing for the automatic import and export of Facebook users' information.

Facebook, with more than 500 million users, relies on email services such as Google's Gmail to help new users find friends already on the network. When a person joins, they are asked to import their Gmail contact list into the social network service. Facebook then tells the user which email contacts are also on the social network.

In a statement, Google said websites such as Facebook "leave users in a data dead end." Facebook did not immediately provide a comment on Friday.

While Google framed the move as an attempt to protect its users' ability to retain control of their personal data on the Internet, analysts said the move underscored the battle between Google, the world's largest search engine, and Facebook, the dominant Internet social network.

"The fundamental power dynamic on the Web today is this emerging conflict between Facebook and Google," said Gartner analyst Ray Valdes. "Google needs to evolve to become a big player in the social Web and it hasn't been able to do that."

"If people do search within Facebook, if they do email within Facebook, if they do instant messaging within Facebook, all of these will chip away at Google's properties."

RECIPROCITY

Google said that while it makes it easy for other Web services to automatically import a user's contact data, Facebook was not reciprocating.

"We have decided to change our approach slightly to reflect the fact that users often aren't aware that once they have imported their contacts into sites like Facebook, they are effectively trapped," Google said in an emailed statement.

"We will no longer allow websites to automate the import of users' Google Contacts (via our API) unless they allow similar export to other sites," Google said.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Not even for you

A man asked a waiter to take a bottle of Merlot ( wine) to an unusually attractive woman sitting alone at a table in a cozy little restaurant.

So the waiter took the Merlot to the woman and said, 'This is from the gentleman who is seated over there.' And indicated the sender with a nod of his head.

She stared at the wine coolly for a few seconds, not looking at the man, then decided to send a reply to him by a note.

The waiter, who was lingering nearby for a response, took the note from her and conveyed it to the gentleman.


The note read:

'For me to accept this bottle, you need to have a Mercedes in your garage, a million dollars in the bank and 7 inches in your pants'.

After reading the note, the man decided to compose one of his own.

He folded the note, handed it to the waiter and instructed him to deliver it to the lady.


It read:

'Just to let you know things aren't always what they appear to be, I have a Ferrari Maranello, BMW Z8, Mercedes CL600, and a Porsche Turbo in my several garages; I have beautiful homes in Aspen, Miami, and San Francisco, and a 10,000 acre ranch in Texas . There is over twenty million dollars in my bank account and portfolio. But, not even for a woman as beautiful as you, would I cut off three inches.

Just send the bottle back.'

Friday, November 5, 2010

Yahoo buys Dapper

SAN FRANCISCO: Yahoo is trying to spruce up its online advertising service by buying a startup called Dapper.

Dapper, started four years ago, offers tools that help advertisers create Internet campaigns that connect with the people most likely to be interested in their products or services. Like many other Internet companies, Yahoo Inc has been trying to target Internet ads by keeping tabs on what types of material individuals tend to click on.

Yahoo needs every competitive edge it can get these days. The company's financial performance has disappointed investors for years. The challenges are mounting as advertisers shift more of their budgets into Google and more fashionable online hangouts such as Facebook.

Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed. The Dapper acquisition is expected to close before the year ends.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Review: Internet Explorer 9

Of late, Internet Explorer has taken a beating from the younger, brasher browser crowd. But Microsoft hasn't given up yet, and the new IE9 Beta is out.

Available as a free download, IE9 Beta is clean, lean, fast and slick. Probably the most obvious change in IE9 is the minimalist interface. According to Microsoft execs, the browser should now take a backseat to the website.

Take a look at the features, and you'll see that IE has been learning from its competitors. Like Chrome, IE9 now features a unified search and address bar; the default search provider is Microsoft's Bing, but you can always add more (and make it the default too).

Like Chrome, Opera and Safari, IE9 Beta shows you a thumbnail view of recently visited sites, but adds a small indication of how actively you've been using that site. This feature can be turned off too. But the biggest change in IE9 is a new type of bookmarking. You can now open a website and drag the tab down to the taskbar to 'pin' it there. Then onwards, clicking on the icon in the taskbar brings up a new window to the website.

Right clicking on the icon will bring up a contextual menu, specific to that site (for example, links that can take you directly to sub sections in that site). IE9 also features better GPU acceleration. So if your PC has a dedicated graphics card, you'll notice speed improvements.

Unfortunately, IE9 Beta is only available to Windows 7 & Vista users. Why Microsoft chose to intentionally shut out the mass of Windows XP users is baffling, but reports suggest it could be because Windows XP does not support DirectX10 and hardware acceleration, some of the main features of IE9.

By that logic, the final version will never be available to Windows XP users. Microsoft also probably sees it as another way to push Windows XP users into upgrading to Windows 7. How kindly Windows XP users take to this tactic remains to be seen.


Tuesday, October 12, 2010

How to be Happy at Work

Every professional and an employee knows how bad the current economic condition is - no jobs, more pay cuts, layoffs, higher workload, no bonus, no appraisal and what is even worse is that every one's living in the fear of loosing their job any minute. One can totally understand how stressful all this is for working professionals and employees. Buy you need to cope with all these issues or you'll find it really hard to concentrate on your work and do a good job. Here is how you can divert your mind from this stressful situation and be happy at work.

When you are overloaded with personal issues, it's really difficult to concentrate on work and be happy at your workplace. So, learn to share your problems with a close colleague. Do not keep your problems to yourself or you will end up feeling depressed. Follow one simple rule and you will always be happy in life. Leave your personal worries at home and your professional issues at work and then see the change in you. In fact this will help you stay focused and productive at work.

Make yourself comfortable at work: You must be spending at least eight hours a day at work, which obviously means that you spend more time in office than at home. So, make your space your own, do all that you like at your desk put pictures of you and you friends on your wall board. You could decorate your area as much your company policy permits, and make yourself as comfortable and relaxed as you can be in your office.

Have an office support system: Being good friends with a colleague who shares a similar kind of lifestyle can take a lot of pressure off you at work, trust us. When you are able to share your feelings with a colleague who understands you really well, it helps minimize stress to a great extent.

Maintaining a good diet and drinking loads of water can really make a huge difference in your energy level and attitude. When we say good diet, we mean avoid eating too much of refined food such as sugar and bread.

Once you reach office, do not stick to your seat and keep working the whole day. Move around a little. Go out for a cup of Tea or coffee with your colleagues, chat with your teammates or read something interesting but do not be a workaholic.

Don't try to change others: You obviously can't change any one you can only bring about changes in yourself. Just figure out a way to resolve conflicts and avert uncomfortable situations and you will be much happier at work.

Treat yourself once in a while: Think of something that will really make you happy. We mean reward your self once in a while. Whether it be dinner with family or friends, a movie, or even a manicure, but treat yourself once in a while. Just like how stress from home can interfere with work, the positive aspects of your life can greatly influence your mood at work as well.

Focus on the positive: Identify all those things you like at work. It can be chatting with your friends on line from work in your free time or even a nice view from your office window. You create your own mind-set. If you stress the positives, you will make your job much more enjoyable but if you keep stressing on all your negatives, it may cause you to become overwhelmed.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Calling from Hell

One politician, One thief & One Programmer died & went straight to hell. Politician said "I miss my country. I want to call my country and see how everybody is doing there."

She called and talked for about 5 minutes, then she asked "Well, devil how much do I need to pay for the call????

The devil says "Five million dollars". The Politician wrote him a cheque and went to sit back on her chair.


Thief was so jealous! s, he starts screaming, "My turn! I wanna call the my group members, I want to see how everybody is doing there too"

He called and talked for about 2 minutes, then he asked "Well, devil how much do I need to pay for the call????

The devil says "Ten million dollars".

With a smug look on his face, he made a cheque and went to sit back on his chair.


Programmer was even more jealous & starts screaming, "I want to call my IT friends too", He called other IT person and he talked for twenty hours about various technologies and Project Managers, he talked & talked & talked, then he asked "Well, devil how much do I need to pay for the call????

The devil says "Twenty dollars".

Programmer is stunned & says "Twenty dollars??? Only ??"


Devil says


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scroll down


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"Calling hell to hell is local call!!!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Are Mobile Phones A Health Hazard?

Could mobile phones be giving us brain cancer? Academic and toxicologist Devra Davis, who was in the group that won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, says yes.

According to Davis, an eminent American scientist and one of the country's leading epidemiologists, the mobile phone industry spent years trying to bury scientific evidence -- that it harms -- to protect its $3 trillion, 4.6 billion-customer global business.

With mobile phone use soaring, especially among the young, Davis says a "global public health catastrophe" will be seen in as little as three years if the problem is ignored, the Daily Mail reported.

The most troubling research, she says, threatens male fertility. Research in seven countries, including the US, China and Australia, suggests that keeping a switched-on mobile phone in a trouser pocket can have a drastic effect on sperm count.

"All the research shows the same thing - if you take young men who are trying to become fathers, those who use mobile phones at least four hours a day have about half the sperm count of others," Davis says.

"Sperm exposed to mobile phone radiation in the lab is sicker, thinner and less capable of swimming," she adds.

Mobile phones are low-powered radio frequency transmitters which produce microwave radiation.

In a new book provocatively titled "Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What The Industry Has Done To Hide It And How To Protect Your Family," Davis says the threat from mobile phone radiation has been underplayed for too long.

"Is it possible that the pervasive use of mobile phones is causing a host of subtle, chronic health problems, damaging our ability to have healthy children and creating long-term risks to our brains and bodies," she asks.

Her work includes supporting research from studies in the US, Sweden, Greece, France and Russia.

For example, a team at the University Of Washington found that just two hours of mobile phone-level radiation splintered the DNA of brain cells in rats, making them similar to cells found in malignant tumours.

Davis, who is a grandmother, is worried about the effect on children, arguing that their thin, pliant skulls make them more vulnerable.

The Best Doctor

Now that's a Doctor. I love this Doctor.

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer ; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.

Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ....... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'

AND.....

For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.

1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

CONCLUSION

Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

PS. If someone meets this guy, stay away from him and keep your friends and family away from him, coz he will probably get you all killed.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Ban Those Dark Circles

Here are some tips to ban those horrid dark circles under your eyes...

- Remember that when you dehydrate your body, it shows on your skin. Drink at least eight to 10 glasses of water everyday.

- They don't call it beauty sleep for nothing. Make sure that you get adequate sleep for a minimum seven to eight hours of sleep daily.

- Follow a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables — junk and processed foods have artificial colours that are not exactly great for your skin. Fresh fruit juices also cleanse your body and reduce dark circles.

- Excessive smoking and drinking also cause dark circles, cut down on these habits.

- If you're under a lot of stress, it'll show on your face. Opt for breathing exercises or meditation.

- Herbal tea bags are great for your eyes as well as remove dark circles.

- A great home remedy to get rid of dark circles is to apply a paste of haldi and pineapple juice under your eyes.

- Massaging almond oil under your eyes is among the best ways to remove dark circles. Do it daily for about 15 to 20 minutes and you'll get to see quick results.

- Another effective remedy is to make a paste of equal amounts of lemon juice and tomato juice and apply it under your eyes for a few minutes.

- Have some rose water at home? Dab it with cotton to your eyes and bid adieu to dark circles.

- Pudina juice is another effective remedy because it cools your eyes as well as gets rid of dark circles.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

18 Holes of Golf

Harry, a golfing enthusiast if there ever was one, arrived home from the club to an irate, ranting wife.

"I'm leaving you, Harry," his wife announced bitterly. "You promised me faithfully that you'd be back before six and here it is almost nine. It just can't take that long to play 18 holes of golf."

"Honey, wait," said Harry. "Let me explain. I know what I promised you, but I have a very good reason for being late. Fred and I tee'd off right on time and everything was find for the first three holes. Then, on the fourth tee Fred had a stroke. I ran back to the clubhouse but couldn't find a doctor. And, by the time I got back to Fred, he was dead. So, for the next 15 holes, it was hit the ball, drag Fred, hit the ball, drag Fred...

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

5 Notebook Tools While On The Go

For many these days, a notebook computer is an essential travel companion. But the computer itself is usually just the first tech tool you'll need in order to get your work done or to stay connected while you're away. What else is essential? Read on for some answers.

Adapters and chargers
No matter how long your notebook's battery lasts, you'll have to charge it at some point. So don't forget your power cable. Beyond that, though, you'll need a power plug adapter if you're traveling to a country that uses a different power plug than the one you use at home.

Most power bricks that come with notebook computers can automatically sense the voltage necessary to run the machine, regardless of where you are in the world. But, if you're traveling abroad, you may still need a simple adapter to convert your plug into the one used in your destination.

If you're also taking along your smartphone, you'll need to charge it frequently, probably every day. You can probably charge it directly from your notebook by obtaining a simple USB cable that goes from your phone's power jack to a USB port in your notebook. Be sure to pack the cord -- it'll save you from having to take or purchase a more expensive power adapter for the phone.

Remote control account
If your notebook computer is not your main machine, chances are that you'll leave some essential file or email message at home. That's where a remote access service like Logmein.com can be a life-saver.

Logmein is free, and with it you can use your internet-connected notebook to access your main computer just as if you were sitting in front of it. Before you leave, use your main machine to create a Logmein account, install the unobtrusive client software, and practice accessing your machine from your notebook.

Once logged in, you'll be able to use your main machine's email program to send yourself a file or some other information you may have forgotten. Just remember to leave your main computer turned on. And if you live in an area that experiences power outages, buy an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) for your home machine to keep it running in case the power goes out briefly.

Communication tools
Don't forget to load your notebook up with any software you need to stay connected. For aggregating instant messaging and social networking accounts, you can't go wrong with Digsby (http://www.digsby.com), which will keep you connected with friends or colleagues through AIM, Yahoo Instant Messenger, Windows Live, Twitter, and many other social networking services -- all through one interface.

Skype can also be essential, especially if you find yourself unable or, because of cost, unwilling to use your mobile or smartphone in your destination. Get a Skype account that allows you to call conventional landline or cell phones as well as other users of Skype. The cost is minimal.

To use Skype, you will need a microphone -- and a webcam if you wish to perform video calls. Many notebook computers today have a microphone built in, and some have a webcam. If yours does not, you can purchase an inexpensive but adequate USB-based headset microphone from most electronics or computer stores.

Or, if you wish to be able to make video calls, get a webcam with a built-in microphone. Test Skype out before you leave. The service will often automatically detect any microphone or webcam on your notebook, so configuration is typically a snap.

Sending photos
If a digital camera is one of your travel accessories, be sure to take along any cable necessary to connect it to your notebook. With some cameras, that cable will also act as a charger, so with it you may be able to lighten up on extra batteries.

If you transfer your travel photos to your notebook, wouldn't it be nice to be able to send them to friends or family back home? There are a few ways to do this. One is to use a free blogging service like Blogger. Create your blog in a couple of clicks, upload photos as you create them, and simply share the link with friends and family.

Or you could create a photo gallery on a popular photo sharing site such as Flickr and, again, simply share the link to your gallery. If you'd rather share your photographs by email, consider a program that automates the the job of resizing and attractively displaying your photos in the body of your message. SendPhotos (http://www.sendphotos.com) is perfect for this.

External devices
An external USB stick or thumb drive -- or an external hard disk -- can be essential for a number of reasons. You might run out of space on your notebook, so you can use the external drive to offload files. You could -- and probably should -- also have an external drive to back up your computer each day. After all, on the road, your notebook is more susceptible to misfortune -- including theft. It's one thing to lose your notebook but quite another to lose the data on it.

If you're a music lover and want to use your notebook to play beautiful music as you enjoy a pleasant evening, a portable, USB-based external speaker such as Altec Lansing's Orbit will transform your machine into a decent-sounding stereo - just the thing to turn those nights away from home into something enjoyable and relaxing.

Monday, October 4, 2010

10 Things Women Do Better Than Men

I am amazed at the number of studies that have found women better than men in various skills. Here is a list of 10 skills where women seem to be doing better than men.

Women drive better than men.

Well this reverses a social myth – that women are bad drivers. Carnegie Mellon University researchers found after analyzing a lot of traffic data in 2007 that men are 77% more likely to die in a car accident than women, keeping the miles driven constant. So next time when your husband asks you to hand over the car keys, just give him this article.

Women remember appearances better than men.

Some would say, “Why not? Don’t women pay all their attention to appearances?” Well, say what you may, but only a loser complains about somebody for being better than him! Terrence Horgan, research fellow in psychology at Ohio State University, and her co-researchers found in a study that women are more accurate in describing appearances after seeing people once. The study was published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

Women cooperate better than men.

We can see this everywhere, but still if you want a citation, here it is. A study by Rolf Kuemmerli and other researchers at Edinburgh and Lausanne universities indicated that women cooperate better than men. In the research, based on games played by 100 Swiss students, women cooperated with others almost twice as much as men did.

Women eat better than men.

This is probably not so obvious, for rarely do we notice gender differences in eating habits. A survey involving 14000 Americans, conducted by University of Minnesota, revealed that men are more likely to eat frozen pizza and meat, whereas women are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables.

Women perform better than men in timed tests.

So if time is precious, women are better at preserving it than men. A study by Vanderbilt University researchers in 2006 found that women score better in timed intelligence tests than men. The study, published in the May-June issue of the journal Intelligence, didn’t find much difference in un-timed tests, which meant women had a quicker mind.

Women perceive their relationships better than men.

Talk about relationships and most men will frown. Now you know why – they know so little about their relationships! A Hebrew University of Jerusalem study, after surveying 97 couples in the United States, found that women are more perceptive than men in describing their relationships. The study, published in ScienceDaily, reported that women were much more accurate in describing the perception of their partners than men.

Women communicate better than men.

This is now scientifically proven and acknowledged. Louann Brizendine, neuro-psychiatrist at the University of California at San Francisco, found in a study that women can process 20000 words a day compared to men’s 7000 words (Louann Brizendine,The Female Brain, Morgan Road Books). This difference, as per Brizendine’s study, is more biological than social, which starts as early as the fetal stage.

Women learn better than men.

That is why girls get better grades in school on an average than boys in many parts of the world. Dr Simone Kruger of Edge Hill University, UK, found in her research based on remote learners that women learners were more successful in sharing ideas and experiences with each other, and hence learn t more efficiently than men.

Women invest better than men.

You don’t believe it, do you? We all know fewer women invest in stocks than men do, but the few women who invest in shares do better than their male counterparts. A study by the National Association of Investors Corporation (NAIC) for the University of California found that women earn on an average 1.4% more than men in their share portfolios.

Women cope with stress better than men.

A study at the University of California, Los Angeles, published in the July 2000 issue of Psychological Review, found some biological and behavioral differences in the ways men and women cope with stress. It found that women tend to seek contact with others and social support when they are under stress, which is a psychologically much better way of coping with stress than the “fight-or-flight” approach of men.

Of course, there are other studies which indicate men are better than women in various skills. The point I want to make is not that women are better than men in everything, but that men should stop underestimating women after being proven wrong time and again.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Bedtime Football

An old man and his wife had just gone to bed. After laying in bed for a few minutes the old man cut a fart and says, "Seven Points."

His wife rolls over and asks, "What in the world was that?"

The old man says, "Touchdown, I'm ahead 7 to nothing."

A few minutes later the wife lets one go and says, "Touchdown, Tie score."

After about ten minutes later the old man farts again and says, "Touchdown I'm ahead 14-7."

Now starting to get into this, the wife quickly farts again and says, "Touchdown tie score."

The old man strains really hard but to no avail; he can't fart, so not to be outdone by his wife, he gives it everything he has and poops in the bed.

The wife asks, "Now what in the world was that?"

The old man replies, "Half-Time, Switch-Sides"

Things You Wish You Could Say At Work

1.  Ahhh... I see the f--k-up fairy has visited us again...
   2. I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce.
   3. How about never? Is never good for you?
   4. I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
   5. I'm really easy to get along with once you people learn to worship me.
   6. I'll try being nicer if you'll try being smarter.
   7. I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...
   8. I don't work here. I'm a consultant.
   9. It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
  10. I can see your point, but I still think you're full of sh-t.
  11. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
  12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
  13. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn.
  14. I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
  15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
  16. Thank you. We're all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
  17. The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're an artist.
  18. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
  19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks!?
  20. I'm not being rude. You're just insignificant.
  21. It's a thankless job, but I've got a lot of Karma to burn off.
  22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
  23. No, my powers can only be used for good.
  24. You sound reasonable... Time to up the medication.
  25. Who me? I just wander from room to room.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

A Successful Relationship

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter. The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and fascinated by its color, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was stunned.

She was terrified how to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words.

QUESTIONS:

1. What were the four words?

2. What is the implication of this story?

Scroll down to read...

ANSWER:

The husband just said "I Love You Darling" The husband's totally unexpected reaction is proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought
back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not happen.

No one to be blamed. She had lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave
her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiving attitude, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

"A successful relationship requires falling in love many times... with the same person."

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

JPMorgan, UBS May Ban BlackBerry

NEW YORK: JPMorgan Chase & Co and UBS are considering allowing employees to access corporate email using Apple iPhones or other alternatives to their standard-issue Research in Motion BlackBerry.

A switch by these banks would be a further blow for Canada's RIM, whose shares have slumped recently after certain countries have threatened to ban the Blackberry whose design does not allow them to monitor phone traffic.

US bank JPMorgan is testing the security of iPhones and smartphones that use Google Inc's Android operating system, a person familiar with the tests said. It is not yet certain that the second-largest US bank by assets would allow employees to switch to other devices, that person added.

A UBS spokesman said the bank is considering allowing employees to use their iPhones for corporate email. JPMorgan declined to comment.

The banks are among major institutions considering a switch from the once-iconic BlackBerry.

The European Union Commission last month rejected the BlackBerry in favor of the iPhone and HTC smartphones amid concerns over BlackBerry security.

Unlike rivals Nokia and Apple, RIM controls its own networks, which handle encrypted messages through server centers in Canada and Britain.

British bank Standard Chartered said earlier this year it was giving its staff the option to replace the Blackberry with the iPhone, a move that could eventually result in thousands of bankers switching.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Treatment for the Old Man

A 87 year-old man went to the doctor to get a physical.

A few days later, the doctor saw the man walking down the street with a gorgeous young lady on his arm.

A couple of days later, when the old man had an appointment with the doctor again, the doctor said, "You're really doing great, aren't you?"

The man replied,
"Just doing what you said doctor,
"Get a hot mama and be cheerful."

The doctor said, "I didn't say that!...

I said you have got a heart murmur. Be careful!"

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Learning a Foreign Language

A Swiss guy, looking for directions, pulls up at a bus stop where two Americans are waiting. "Entschuldigung, koennen Sie Deutsch sprechen?" he asks.

The two Americans just stare at him.

"Excusez-moi, parlez vous Francais?" he tries. The two continue to stare. "Parlare Italiano?" No response. "Hablan ustedes Espanol?" Still nothing.

The Swiss guy drives off, extremely disgusted. The first American turns to the second and says, "Y'know, maybe we should learn a foreign language."

"Why?" says the other. "That guy knew four languages, and it didn't do him any good."

Facebook Planning Two Smartphones

Facebook is working with mobile phone maker INQ Mobile Ltd to create two smartphone devices that may have a network tie up with AT&T Inc, Bloomberg said, citing three people familiar with the matter.

The smartphones would carry the popular social networking website's services and were set to be unveiled in Europe in the first half of 2011 and the United States in the second half of the year, the report said.

Privately held Facebook said previously that it was not building its own phone. Jaime Schopflin, a spokesman for Facebook, said the company's current projects included "deeper integrations with some manufacturers."

AT&T, the No. 2 US mobile provider, is still thinking about whether it should be the network carrier for the Facebook smartphone and has not yet made a deal, Bloomberg said.

None of the companies could not immediately be reached for comment by Reuters outside of regular US business hours.

Facebook declined to comment to Bloomberg on plans for specific phones. The company, however, told the agency that it continues to work with INQ Mobile, which has previously sold phones with Facebook features, along with other companies.

INQ Mobile, which is based in London and is backed by Hong Kong telecoms firm Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, declined to comment to Bloomberg.
 
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