The Blind Customer

A blind man walks into a restaurant and sits down. The waiter, who is also the owner, hands him a menu. "I'm sorry, Sir, but I am blind and can't read the menu. Just bring me a dirty fork from a previous customer, I'll smell it and order from there", says the customer.

A little curious, the owner walks over to a dirty pile and picks up a greasy fork.. He returns to the blind man's table and hands it to him.

The blind man puts the fork to his nose and takes in a deep breath. "Ah, yes, that's what I'll have, meatloaf and mashed potatoes."

"Unbelievable!" In the kitchen, the owner exclaims to his wife Theresa, who is also the cook, and tells her what has just happened.

A few days later the blind man returns, and the owner brings him a menu.

The customer says, "Sir, remember me? I'm the blind man."

"I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. I'll go get you a dirty fork." The owner again retrieves a dirty fork and brings it to the blind man.

After another deep breath, the blind man says, "That smells great, I'll take the macaroni and cheese with broccoli."

In disbelief, the owner tells his wife Theresa that the next time the blind man comes in he's going to test him..

The blind returns the following week, but this time the owner sees him coming and runs to the kitchen.

He tells his wife, "Theresa, rub this fork on your panties before I take it to the blind man." Theresa does it and hands her husband the fork..

As the blind man sits down, the owner is ready. "Good afternoon sir, this time I remembered you and I already have the fork ready for you."

The blind man puts the fork to his nose, takes a deep whiff and says,

"Hey, I didn't know that Theresa works here?

Romantic Love Really Can Last

A new research has supported the idea that long-term love is possible.

A new study, led by Bianca Acevedo and Arthur Aron of the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University and colleagues, compared the neural correlates of long-term married and in love individuals with individuals who had recently fallen in love.

They discovered highly similar brain activity in regions associated with reward, motivation and "wanting" in both sets of couples.

The research team used functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of 10 women and 7 men who reported that they were still intensely in love with their spouse after an average of 21 years of marriage.

"We found many very clear similarities between those who were in love long term and those who had just fallen madly in love," said Aron, referring to key reward and motivation regions of the brain, largely parts of the dopamine-rich ventral tegmental area (VTA).

"In this latest study, the VTA showed greater response to images of a long-term partner when compared with images of a close friend or any of the other facial images," he said.

Acevedo and Aron explained that the brain imaging data on the long-term couples suggested that reward-value associated with a long-term partner may be sustained, similar to new love.

Additionally, the results supported theories proposing that there might be specific brain mechanisms by which romantic love is sustained in some long-term relationships.

The findings were published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience .

Know Your Girlfriend By Her Sunsign

Gift your girl an exotic spa session if she's a Taurean, an-autobiography is good enough to impress your Libran boss, but an organizer for your Arian beau will only end in a boo-boo.

Be it pampering your beloved, expressing affection to a dear friend or impressing your boss, nothing beats the magic of a 'well selected' gift. If a right gift, presented at the right time can assurance entry into the receiver's heart, an ill suited surprise may just be a spoil sport.

If the receiver's personality, his interests and likings are considered while finding a present, taking into account his/her 'Sun sign' is another sure-shot way to find an ideal gift for a person.

So, here's an Astro-guide on gifts that perfectly pamper every zodiac sign. With this at hand, your gift will never be a dud:

Aries
Fire sign Arians are usually aggressive, fiery and impulsive.Anything that saves time is a huge a hit with them. Since Arians are also playful and active, gifts related to sports, athletics and adventure are ideal for them. Also, presents that suit their face and head work well for them. But, make sure you don't pick up anything that' s overtly practical or too challenging for an Arian's organizational abilities.
Gift Tip: A golf set, games like chess/ monopoly/ poker, an adventure sports session, a gadget like a 'Swiss knife' that saves them from time consuming hassles, a hat, cool cap, a classy bandana or make-up kit are the best choices.


Taurus
Taureans are luxury lovers who don't mind showing-off. Suckers for everything good in life, Taureans love being pampered with luxury and opulence. As they make a physical sign, Taureans also like gifts related to their bodies. Ruled by Venus, sensuality and sensitivity is their main quality, so pamper their senses and you'll be loved back with equal gusto. Anything that adds to their wealth is welcomed by them.
Gift Tip: An exotic massage session, lavish jewelery especially  for the neck, tickets to a theater or a visit to an art gallery, a plush silk scarf, a wallet or even financial stocks and bonds make great options.


Gemini
Intellectual to the core, Geminis appreciate gifts that stimulate their intellectual needs. Known as talkers, gift them anything related to communication and expression and they'll be all yours forever.Since, Geminis are versatile souls, doing a mix-n-match of two three gifts can please them immensely.
Gift Tip: A magazine subscription, informative videos or books,communication -related things like cell phones, address books, stylish letterheads or even a pen would suffice. Gloves, rings or watches too work for them.


Cancer
Ruled by home and home-related matters, gifting something that brings Cancerians closer to their family and home
is likely to be loved by them. Being touchy and
emotional they'll really appreciate your effort if you gift them something hand-made. As Cancer rules the stomach and the ruler Moon controls the digestive system, they may also like gifts related to cooking.
Gift Tip: Photo albums, photo frames, decorative artifacts for their home, hand-made cards or anything that you can put your creativity into, cook books or a cooking gadget.


Leo
Leos enjoy performing arts and creativity, so an easy way to win them is with an 'entertaining gift'. Gold and crystals are also high on their wish list. Dramatic and extravagant that Leos are, finding something well-suited to their core personality does the trick for them. They also love dressing up, so clothes are again a good option.They love to gamble so a casino trip is a viable option. Make them feel like a king or a queen and they will be the happiest people on Earth.
Gift Tip: A home theater, LCD TV, tickets for the movies or a dance performance, lottery tickets, a game of poker, a trip to a casino, a lavish lunch/dinner, attires in bold colors such as red,gold, purple are what their heart desires.


Virgo
Virgos are very hard-working and involved in day to day activities,so anything that helps them keeping pace with their routine will beloved by them. Usually business minded-people, they'll appreciate a gift that makes them wealthier. Gifts related to their health can also work for them. Pets also make a fine option for a Virgo.
Gift Tip: An organizer, calendar, personal digital assistant,briefcase , stocks and bonds, jewelery, health club membership, a pet pooch or gold fish are a few gift options to make a Virgo feel on top of the world.


Libra
Librans value relationships. So, anything that reminds them of your bonding with them is likely to score well. They are great appreciators  of beauty and sensuality, so beautiful and artistic things make good gift options for them. Being in the seventh house, which is governed by a 'reflection of self', Libran girls appreciate make-up related items.
Gift Tip: A photo of yourself with him/her, a self composed poem,biographies of famous people, beautiful paintings, flowers, make-up,mirrors are preferred choices.


Scorpio
Mystery loving Scorpions enjoy a suspense thriller book or a movie. They love to explore the unexplored, so they
love a telescope or a binocular. You can please them with a sporty gift and even jewelery. Last, but not the least, tease their sensual side with a personal gift and they're bound to love it.
Gift Tip: How about getting them the latest suspense book or a DVD of a thrilling movie, sports equipment, a membership at a sports club,cuff links, jewelery, since intimate and personal gifts also work for them, try playing naughty with your guy/girl.


Sagittarius
Born with a scholastic bent of mind, Sagittarians
Gift Tip: An impressive coffee-table book or a huge encyclopedia, anything that adds to the Sagittarian' s knowledge would be appreciated. A trip to a pilgrimage or a meditation session at a spiritual guru's abode impresses them, trips far and wide or a lunch or dinner voucher at a multi-cuisine hotel is a great options to impress Sagittarians


Capricorn
Capricorns are known to be ambitious and disciplined. A gift that helps them in their career and profession is loved by them. They also love to be pampered with luxury...so if you have the moolah, the sky is your limit.
Gift Tip: A self help book, business card holder, CD on personal grooming, a purse, bag, a classy wall clock, a stylish watch, and anything that shouts luxury is their dream choice.


Aquarius
Aquarius is the sign indicating progress and networking.Technological items or anything that's radical makes a good gift for Aquarians. If you know that they are working on a specific project, you can gift them books related with their project or something that may interest them the most! They like novelty in ideas, so anything unique,no matter how simple would be loved by them. Since the sign is ruled by ankles, you can give them the right accessories for their ankles as well.
Gift Tip: Innovation is the key, give them a new herbal tea or an invigorating yoga session. Also, books and Cd's to help them or a pretty anklet or cool socks are gifts for an Aquarian.


Pisces
Pisceans love fantasy and illusion. They have a special interest in art and spirituality. Give them something that challenges or pampers their creativity and they'll be impressed. Water babies, that Pisceans are, they can be easily won over with anything related to water. Sports are also another area of interest for a Piscean. Being the last sun-sign, Pisceans rule the feet, so anything related to their feet is a good option for a Piscean.
Gift Tip: Oil paints, tickets to a drama show or a movie, a book -specifically of sentimental poems, membership at an elite swimming pool, an exotic cruise, sailing lessons, or even a new swimsuit are likely to be appreciated. Pisceans also love scented bath oils or floating candles. Things as simple as nice footwear, socks or even a soothing pedicure session or foot massage can help you win over a Piscean.

Conceiving Again Trebles Autism Risk

Women who conceive within a year after giving birth could be putting their next child at increased risk of autism.

Such babies are three times more likely to have the developmental disorder, says a study.

Researchers say that a woman's body needs time to recover from a pregnancy and that a baby conceived too quickly after childbirth may be deprived of vital nutrients, the journal Pediatrics reports.

The findings, based on a study of more than 600,000 California families, add to the growing evidence that closely spaced pregnancies can be harmful, according to the Daily Mail .

Previous studies have shown that women with two closely spaced pregnancies are at risk of delivering babies who are premature and of low birth weight.

The research looked at the incidence of autism among 663,000 second-born children in California born between 1992 and 2002.

Study author Keely Cheslack-Postava of Columbia University, New York, said: "These results suggest that children born after shorter intervals between pregnancies are at increased risk of developing autism.

The highest risk was associated with pregnancies spaced less than one year."

Second-child conceived within a year of an elder sibling's birth were 3.4 times more likely to have autism than a typical child of the same age.

Babies conceived 12 to 23 months after the first child's birth were 1.9 times more likely to have autism, while the risk was lowered to 1.2 times after a gap of two to three years between pregnancies.

Five Exercises For Better Sex

Sex is a physical activity, as we already know. Therefore, getting in shape, being fit and having a fabulous body will definitely improve your sex-life. Not only this, working out regularly will help increase your stamina and strength to perform.

People who regularly exercise are more healthier, fitter and tend to have more attractive bodies. This should be enough motivation for folks who think that their weight is normal and hence, do not need to exercise. If the prospects of better health doesn't motivate you, perhaps exercising for the sake of better sex might. Here are some exercises that will help you to enhance your prowess in bed:

Push-ups:
Push-ups are great for obvious reasons. They help to strengthen the arms, shoulders and stomach muscles. Sporting a paunch might be a major turn off for quite a lot of people. Having firm, sexy abs is very attractive physical attribute. Having strong abs is very useful for males especially when it comes to the man-on-top position.

Squats:
Doing squats, a lot of muscles are put to work producing greater amount of hormones, which in turn will boost your sex drive. They improve one's strength and stamina of gluteus muscles and the upper legs thereby helping to improve one's performance. Doing squats also helps one achieve a firm and attractive bottom.

Bench press:
Doing bench presses, helps to strengthen the chest and shoulder muscles. Women find chest muscles sexually appealing and it will help men to support themselves longer without getting exhausted easily. As for women, doing bench presses will make the breasts firm and seem full.

Cardio:
Whether it is doing aerobics, running or swimming, doing cardio-vascular exercises help increase blood circulation in the body. Having a good blood flow and circulation helps in the process of arousal, which is especially essential for men performance-wise. Also, doing cardio helps release of endorphins in the brain, which are known as the happy hormones.

Kegel's exercise:
Last but not the least, Doing Kegel's exercise can help make a remarkable difference in your sex life. Pubococcygeal muscles also known as PC muscles are the muscles used to stop urinating midstream. That's because, for men, regularly doing Kegel's exercises will help them to control the muscles that contract during ejaculation and therefore prolong ejaculation. As for women, doing Kegel's exercises will help you gain gain control over the vaginal muscles, thereby getting greater sexual satisfaction.