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.
 
My Blog Directory