With a big bushy moustache and a shock of white hair, scientists have modeled an ultra realistic robot on Albert Einstein.Although it is unable to ponder complex theories such as general relativity, the robot has helped scientists develop their understanding of emotional intelligence.

Einstein can understand and respond to expressions such as sadness, anger, fear, happiness and confusion. It can also mimic simple gestures such as nods.

The software that allows the robot to recognise facial expressions was developed by Mr. Movellan and the University of California (UC) graduates. It is based on a series of algorithms (sequence of instructions) derived from an analysis of more than one million facial images.

The robot, which made its public debut at the Technology, Entertainment and Design conference in the U.S this month, is being developed at the University of California.

Scientists hope Einstein will help them create empathetic and intelligent robots, which will stop man and machine coming into conflict in the future.
dailymail, UK

The '101 greatest questions of all time' have been answered in a BBC magazine. Here's we present 21-40.

Could I be allergic to water?

-> No. Allergies to a substance result when immune system antibodies attack it. But no antibodies exist that bind to water.

How is bullet-proof glass made?
-> It might be better to call it ‘bullet-resistant’ glass, because it resists penetration, although a series of bullets fired at the same place will eventually break through. It is usually made by sandwiching a layer of deformable polycarbonate plastic between glass layers. The bullet’s impact shatters the outer layer of glass, spreading the energy over a wide area so the plastic layer ‘gives’, but does not rupture.

How do seeds know which way to grow?
-> All plants can sense the direction of the gravitational field and orientate themselves accordingly. This is called geotaxis. In mature plants, phototaxis (growing towards the light source) overrides the gravitational impulse for the stalk and leaves, but the roots – and the seed while it is underground – rely on gravity for orientation.

Why are sumo-wrestlers so fat?
-> It’s to do with Newton’s second law of motion, which can be written as acceleration = force/mass. The heavier you are, the more force an opponent has to exert to get you moving and push you out of the ring, or to lift and throw you. The heaviest wrestler weighed 267kg, which no weightlifter has ever lifted.

How does Blu-tack stick, but not feel sticky?
-> Blu-tack uses a so-called electrostatic interaction, forming a chemical bond between itself and whatever it’s sticking to. It’s made up of very small molecules and, over time, seeps into microscopic indents in the surface of materials. The electrostatic interaction gradually gives way to that molecular ‘seeping’. Hence Blu-tack doesn’t feel sticky initially, but gets stickier if you handle it long enough.

Why do old men go bald, but get hairy nostrils?
-> Male pattern baldness is caused by the hormone DHT or dihydro-testosterone. This has many other effects on the body and it is thought to inhibit hair loss in the nostrils so that each shaft has a longer growing phase. But the exact mechanism is still not well understood.

What is the Universe made of?
-> This is one of the biggest mysteries facing 21st-century science. Recent studies of the heat left over from the Big Bang have revealed that conventional matter made from atoms accounts for just a few per cent of the matter in the Universe. Most of it is in the form of so-called cold dark matter (CDM), whose enigmatic name reflects the awkward fact that astronomers don’t know what it is.

Why does breathing pure oxygen kill you?
-> Our blood has evolved to capture the oxygen we breathe in and bind it safely to the transport molecule called haemoglobin. If you breathe air with a much higher than normal O2 concentration, the oxygen in the lungs overwhelms the blood’s ability to carry it away. The result is that free oxygen binds to the surface proteins of the lungs, interferes with the operation of the central nervous system and also attacks the retina.

Will my eyes pop out if I don’t close them when I sneeze?
-> No, for a whole variety of reasons, including the fact that the air spaces in the nose and throat involved in sneezing aren’t directly connected to anything behind the eye. That means they can’t create the pressure to push your eyeballs forward.

If humans died out, would we evolve again from apes?
-> Maybe, if we were wiped out by a species-specific plague, it’s possible that another ape species might go on to evolve greater intelligence and develop a fully bipedal gait.

Do any wasps make honey?
-> No. Adult wasps drink nectar from flowers but don’t turn it into honey. They feed their young by laying eggs inside prey.

What makes me feel hungry?
-> The vagus nerve sends information about the fullness of the stomach to the hypothalamus in the brain. Hunger is also controlled by hormones, including insulin, leptin, ghrelin and cholecystokinin. Levels of these change according to the levels of various nutrients in the blood and digestive tract.

How does Viagra work?
-> Viagra is the brand name for sildenafil citrate, a drug that was originally studied for use in patients with high blood pressure or heart disease. It works by blocking the action of an enzyme called PDE5. The role of this enzyme is to break down another enzyme called cGMP, which relaxes the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosa (a mass of erectile tissue in the penis), which allows them to become filled with blood and therefore create an erection. When the sildenafil citrate blocks the PDE5, the cGMP levels continue to build so long as the man remains sexually aroused and thus the corpus cavernosa are inflated with blood to a much higher pressure than they would otherwise be. Smooth muscle relaxants have been used to create spontaneous erection as early as the 1980s. But what makes Viagra special is that it acts only when the man is aroused, and only on the penis. This is because the PDE5 enzyme is specific to the penis.

Why are flies attracted to bad smells?
-> The smells that are a warning of putrefaction to us are attractive to flies for just the same reason. When organic matter (animal or vegetable) starts to rot, it becomes soft and moist, and provides ideal breeding conditions for fly larvae. Female flies are attracted to rotting material, where they lay their eggs in batches (around 50 to 100 in the case of the house fly). The eggs can hatch within 12 hours, and the larvae burrow into the soft material and feed for several days before turning into pupae, which then produce adult flies. It can all take as little as 10 days from egg to adult. LF

After bumping my head, why do I ‘see stars’?
-> The stars you see are actually neurons in your visual cortex firing spontaneously. This occurs when their oxygenation level changes abruptly either because you have stood up too quickly or because your brain has been suddenly accelerated by a sharp blow, sloshing blood into or out of the capillaries. The neurons closest to capillaries are affected first and, if it happens fast enough, they fire well before the surrounding neurons. This results in isolated signals that your brain interprets as lights.

Why don’t birds get electrocuted while perching on power lines?
-> It’s not voltages per se that kill, but voltage differences, which are needed for electricity to flow. If a bird lands on a single power line at, say 35,000 volts, the lack of a voltage difference keeps it safe. If it extends its wings and touches another power line at a different voltage, though, it will be electrocuted. That’s why electricity companies put plenty of space between cables.

Why does sunshine make me happy?
-> There’s a fine balancing act in the brain and circulatory system that regulates our moods, boosting the feel-good factor or sometimes causing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in winter. The hormone melatonin, produced by the pineal gland in the brain, regulates our sleep/wake cycle, but excessive levels can cause depression. The action of light on our face suppresses melatonin synthesis, therefore boosting your overall mood. Evolutionary principles could apply too. There are plenty of nocturnal primates and presumably they aren’t always depressed. It seems likely that we have evolved to prefer light to darkness because humans are active during the day.

Is eating Red grapes as good for you as drinking red wine?
-> No. The benefits of red wine are largely down to ‘flavonoids’, which are twice as concentrated in wine as in grape juice.

Is iron in our blood influenced by strong magnetic fields?
-> Yes, but very weakly. Random thermal movements stop haemoglobin molecules from forming stable magnetic dipoles.

I have some family photos that are 100 years old. Will my digital snaps last as long?
-> Yes, if you print them out or store them on CD-Rs shielded against light damage.

Read the full 101 Greatest Questions of All Time in the March issue of BBC Focus. Find out more at www.bbcfocusmagazine.com

101 greatest questions of all time: 41-60
101 greatest questions of all time: 1-20


The '101 greatest questions of all time' have been answered in a BBC magazine. Here we present the first twenty.

Where is the safest place to stand outside in a thunderstorm?
-> Tall, pointy objects standing alone in an open space are more likely to get struck by lightning but it’s by no means a certainty. Sometimes the flat ground next to a tall tree can be hit. A car or other enclosed metal structure is the safest place to be in a thunderstorm. Failing that, a ditch, trench or group of shrubs of uniform height is better than nothing. Keep away from boundary areas between dissimilar terrain (water and land; rock and earth; trees and fields). Also keep at least five metres away from metal objects or other people as lightning will often jump from one object to another.

Why do identical twins have different fingerprints?
-> Although identical twins share the same DNA, they don’t look identical cell-for-cell, because not every aspect of your physical appearance is rigidly determined by your genes. Fingerprints are formed semi-randomly as the foetus develops in the womb andare affected by such things as chance fluctuations of hormone levels. Similarly, the pattern of freckles and moles on the skin is caused by random mutations and will vary between identical twins.

Is the human race still getting taller?
-> The average height, at least in Western society, is increasing because of better childhood nutrition and sexual selection. But the tendency of women to find men taller than six feet (183cm) more attractive can’t be extrapolated upward, and people above 6ft 2in (188cm) are much more likely to suffer back problems. Above 6ft 8in (203cm), and the heart strains to pump blood round the body.

Why do I feel cold and shiver when I have a fever?
-> A fever is when your body increases its internal thermostat, found in the hypothalamus. If you exercise hard or it’s a hot day, your body temperature might increase, but the thermostat remains at around 36.8°C. When you feel hot the hypothalamus tries to correct this with sweating and increased blood flow to the skin. But with a fever, it is the thermostat that has risen. This means your body temperature is now below 36.8°C, so you feel cold and shiver, to try and raise your temperature. The higher body temperature may help fight infection by speeding white blood cell production and slowing bacteria reproduction.

What is OK short for?
-> The most popular theory is that OK comes from ‘oll korrect’, a deliberately misspelled writing of ‘all correct’. It was popularised in Boston newspapers around the 1840s when it was fashionable to go around spelling things incorrectly for humorous effect. Legend also has it that New York Democrats later adopted the abbreviation to promote their candidate Martin Van Buren – the initials ‘OK’ were derived from his nickname, Old Kinderhook.

Why can’t we just fill in the ozone hole with man-made ozone?
-> The sheer scale of the notorious hole – or, more accurately, depleted region – in the Earth’s ozone layer over the Antarctic beggars belief. At its peak each September, it spans an area bigger than the continental United States, and tens of millions of tonnes of ozone would be needed to fill it up again. Simply creating that amount of ozone, let alone getting it where it’s needed, would be astronomically expensive.

Why do fingers and toes wrinkle when left in water?
-> The waterproof coating on our skin gets rubbed away from areas of our bodies like our hands and feet that are frequently in contact with objects. If you immerse yourself in water with a lower concentration of dissolved salts than that of your cell contents, water will be absorbed by osmosis and cause your skin cells to swell. Since they are anchored to the tissues below, they are forced to corrugate to accommodate this.

What is a hiccup?
-> A hiccup comes from an involuntary contraction of the diaphragm, producing asudden intake of air. The glottis (the vocal apparatus of the larynx) slams shut at the same time, so that the column of air strikes the closed glottis to produce the characteristic, onomatopoeic noise.

Is there an easy way to prove the Earth is round?
-> Yes, travel. Because the Earth’s surface is curved, you’ll notice that different constellations of stars are revealed.

Can you have a fish out of water?
-> Yes. Several species of fish can breathe air and crawl on land. There are about 50 species of flying fish, too.

Why is sea air good for you?
-> It isn't, particularly. In Victorian England, seaside resorts got a reputation for having healthy air – maybe in comparison to the era's city smogs. The seaside's "bracing" smell is caused by a chemical produced by coastal bacteria, present in very low concentrations. But a study last year found that sea salt can react with chemicals in marine exhaust fumes to worsen the atmospheric pollution in a busy port.

Do plants die of old age?
-> Given good conditions, some plants can live for ever. It takes a change in external conditions to finish them off. But annuals die soon after seeding.

Does chewing gum really stay inside you for years?
-> No. Chewing gum is indigestible but it doesn't have any magic property that allows it to escape the normal digestive transit. Three days is the usual limit.

Where do phobias come from?
-> Around 10 per cent of the population suffer from phobias. Some may be triggered by a traumatic event while others are linked to physical problems. Studies suggest that simple phobias are partly genetic while others may be due to cultural history. For example, a fear of spiders may be passed down from the Middle Ages when spiders were associated with the plague, as victims' deserted homes became shrouded in cobwebs.

Do men have cellulite?
-> Yes. It's not just women who are cursed with orange peel skin, although in men cellulite tends to be in different places, usually around the neck and abdomen.

Can germs catch germs?
-> Yes. The germ would be an even smaller organism that attacks its host germ from within.

Why do I get more car sick in the back?
-> It's probably because you don't have such a good view of the horizon. Motion sickness occurs when the balance mechanism in your ear registers movement while your eyes are telling you that you are stationary.

Could we live on water and supplements?
-> No. As well as vitamins and minerals we need carbohydrates, fats and proteins for energy and cell repair.

Do hot drinks cool you down?
-> Yes. They make your body think you are hotter than you really are so you sweat more and that leads to heat loss.

What would happen if there were no Moon?
-> The most immediate effect (other than the lack of moonlight, of course) would be on the Earth’s tides. With only the Sun’s gravitational influence, the difference between high and low tides would be reduced dramatically - as would tidal drag, which slows the Earth down at a rate adding about 0.002 seconds to the length of a day each century. Long term, the effects would be far more serious. The climate of the Earth is sensitively dependent on the 23.5° tilt of the Earth’s axis, and without the stabilising presence of our relatively huge Moon, the gravity of the other planets would produce big changes in this angle - as it does with Mars, whose tilt changes by 60° over a few million years.

Read the full 101 Greatest Questions of All Time in the March issue of BBC Focus. Find out more at www.bbcfocusmagazine.com

101 greatest questions of all time: 21-40
101 greatest questions of all time: 41-60


The national poll, conducted by phone in January by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, included 1,000 adults 18-75. Women made up 52% of the group. Most participants, 57%, were married or living with a partner, and 48% have kids younger than 18 living at home.

Most participants, 81%, said they sometimes avoided sex last year. Here are their top five reasons for not having sex, along with the percentage of participants who chose that reason (they could choose more than one reason for not having sex):

1. Too tired or need sleep: 53%
2. Not feeling well or health reasons: 49%
3. Not in the mood: 40%
4. Taking care of children and/or pets: 30%
5. Work: 29%

Other findings from the survey include:

* 45% of sexually active participants say they've ever planned a time to have sex with their partners, but only 7% schedule sex on their calendar or PDA.
* 56% of men said they think about sex daily, compared to 19% of women
* People who rate their health as "poor" are less likely to have sex, but they're not less likely to think about sex.
* Parents of kids younger than 18 were more likely to report having sex in 2008 than people not living with children.

Category: 0 Add comments | | edit post
Donald C. says, "My pet peeve (the same every year) is 'till.' You can put money in a till, or you can till the south forty, but you cannot wait till the south forty needs tilling to put money in the till."

The difference between "till" and the more-correct sounding "until" is simple: You cannot put money into an until and you cannot (at least, without a great deal of trouble) until the south forty -- minor spelling error aside.

When you're talking about a period of time that must lapse before something happens, "till" and "until" are equivalent. Don't believe it? Check a dictionary. "Till" actually came first, and "until" followed more recently.

"'Til" is also an acceptable shortened form of "until," but the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language says the form is "etymologically incorrect."


A pair of gloves that can be played just like a piano? Can you believe it? You better. Here’s Piano Hands for you!

With Piano Hands, you’ll just have to carry a pair of gloves which features sensors that trigger piano notes. No need to worry about the audio output since it comes attached with speakers. And should you need to shift the octave, pressing your hand’s heel on the surface your playing will do the trick.

It features 8 other different instruments such as organ, guitar, violin, drums, trumpet, music box and mandolin.

Features of this Piano Hands:
- It has a learning feature which will help you master the demo songs which are included in the package when you buy the Piano Hands; all ten of them.
- You’ll so enjoy the different groovy rythms (thirthy of them).
- Each fingers on the gloves corresponds to different note.
- It also has an easily-adjustable tempo control.

Buy here.


High Heels Lead to Unsteady Gait

Several studies have shown that just walking down the street in heels can lead to everything from blisters and bunions to backaches and sprained ankles.

When wearing 2-and-1/2-inch heels, the women took on an unsteady gait. They'd land much more softly than is typical on their heel, and then the foot went flat. Then, they they'd put a lot of force on their toe in order to move the body forward to the next step.

An unsteady gait could lead to excessive muscle activity in the lower leg, which could precede a foot injury.

The study also showed that when barefoot, the women walked more confidently, placing more force on their heel.

The bottom line: Limit your use of high heels, especially if you have foot injuries or back problems. And certainly limit the height of the heel. Suggestion: A 1-inch chunky heel at most.

Flip-Flops Linked to Abnormal Gait

As comfy as they may be, flip-flops may also lead to abnormal changes in your stride, other researchers say.

There were reports that people who wear flip-flops for extensive periods alter their normal gait and experience lower leg pain.

Because they lack the support that a walking or running shoe provides, flip-flops should only be worn for short periods of time, "like when you go to the beach. They should not be your primary form of footwear."

Also, replace flip-flops every three or four months.

Jeffrey A. Ross, DPM, a clinical professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, says, forget the heels and the flip-flops: Invest in a good running shoe instead.
webmd

With names such as, Curbside Consultation of the Colon and Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring, it is a wonder they will sell at all.

But they have been picked by The Bookseller Magazine for a shortlist of the strangest book titles published this year.

Previous winners of the accolade, run by The Bookseller magazine, include Oral Sadism and the Vegetarian Personality, How to Avoid Huge Ships and Highlights in the History of Concrete.

Diagram Prize for Oddest Book Title of the Year was devised in 1978 by Bruce Robertson from The Diagram Group, the illustrators, when he was bored at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

A huge number of entries has been received this year and the debate was furious as to which would be included on the shortlist. Six seems such a cruelly low number given titles such as Excrement in the Late Middle Ages and All Dogs Have ADHD were rejected.

A few titles also had to be excluded because they were published before 2008 - Monumental Beginnings: Archaeology of the N4 Sligo Inner Relief Road and one of my personal favourites, Sketches of Hull Authors.

The winner of the 2008 award will be chosen by an internet vote at http://www.thebookseller.com and will be announced on March 27, 2009.

The shortlisted titles are:

* Baboon Metaphysics by Dorothy Dorothy L Cheney and Robert M Seyfarth (University of Chicago Press)

* Curbside Consultation of the Colon by Brooks D Cash (SLACK Incorporated)

* The Large Sieve and its Applications by Emmanuel Kowalski (Cambridge University Press)

* Strip and Knit with Style by Mark Hordyszynski (C&T)

* Techniques for Corrosion Monitoring by Lietai Yang (Woodhead)

* The 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais by Professor Philip M Parker (Icon Group International)
Adora Svitak is an eleven-year-old internationally published author, poet, and the youngest teacher and tech savvy in the world.

Her first book, Flying Fingers is a collection of short stories which contains tips and hints for other aspiring writers, numbered almost 300 pages. It was published in the US when she was seven. Subsequently, it was published in Britain, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

She has been teaching schools since she was seven. She has taught in China, Britain, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Dubai, Costa Rica and many states in the US (all expenses paid). Her students come from levels as diverse as kindergarteners to teachers. She has taught more than 300 schools and classrooms.

She is an avid reader, history buff, tech savvy and inspirational speaker. She will be releasing her second book, Dancing Fingers, soon. Dancing Fingers contains the Adora's poems and those of her older sister Adrianna, as well as poetry writing ideas. Her third book is a fantasy coming-of-age novel with political undertones, which will be released next year.

Read "Is Adora Svitak the cleverest child in the world" at Telegraph

Hideto Tomabechi, one of the guys who helped deprogram members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult in Japan, has started selling a ringtone that he says will make your breasts grow 3 centimeters larger just by listening to it over the period of 10 days, something which should make it very popular with the ladies.

Fortunately there are customer testimonials in case you were worried about this thing being legit or not.

Tomabechi says it's really simple, that he just uses sounds that "make the brain and body move unconsciously. It's a technique involving subliminal effects," that's like "positive brainwashing." If getting all busty through a ringtone isn't your bag, he also ringtones on the way that'll improve your memory, make you more attractive to the opposite sex, cure baldness, and help you give up smoking.

It was on the Discovery Channel, so, it must be true.

I guess now girls don't have to do breast-enlargement surgery when they have this ringtone :)

Watch at YouTube


Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew, also known as Wat Lan Kuad or 'the Temple of a Million Bottles', is in Sisaket province near the Cambodian border, 400 miles from the capital Bangkok.

The Buddhist monks began collecting bottles in 1984 and they collected so many that they decided to use them as a building material.

They encouraged the local authorities to send them more and they have now created a complex of around 20 buildings using the beer bottles, comprising the main temple over a lake, crematorium, prayer rooms, a hall, water tower, tourist bathrooms and several small bungalows raised off the ground which serve as monks quarters.

The bottles do not lose their colour, provide good lighting and are easy to clean, the men say.

A concrete core is used to strengthen the building and the green bottles are Heineken and the brown ones are the Thai beer Chang.

The monks are so eco-friendly that the mosaics of Buddha are created with recycled beer bottle caps.

Altogether there are about 1.5 million recycled bottles in the temple, and the monks at the temple are intending to reuse even more.

Abbot San Kataboonyo said: "The more bottles we get, the more buildings we make."

The beer bottle temple is now on an approved list of eco-friendly sight-seeing tours in southeast Asia.

Pictures of Temple of a Million Bottles


Though more common among children, nightmares and bad dreams happen throughout life. But is there anything we can do to prevent the bad things from creeping into our sleep?

Which one do you think cause your nightmares?

1. Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety and stress, often as the result of a traumatic life event, are sometimes the cause of nightmares and bad dreams. a major surgery or illness, grieving over the loss of a loved one, and suffering or witnessing an assault or major accident can trigger bad dreams and nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is also a common cause of recurrent nightmares.

2. Spicy Foods
When and what we eat may affect our nighttime rest. Spicy food can elevate body temperatures and thus disrupt sleep. Eating close to bedtime increases metabolism and brain activity and may prompt bad dreams or nightmares.

3. Fat Content of Food
Some research has indicated that the more high-fat food you consume during the day, the greater the chance that the amount and quality of your sleep may suffer. A small study published in 2007 in Psychological Reports found that the dreams of people who ate a high amount of organic food differed from those who ate “junk foods.”

4. Alcohol
Though alcohol is a depressant that will help you fall asleep in the short term, once its effects wear off, it can cause you to wake up prematurely. Excess consumption can also lead to nightmares and bad sleep.

5. Drugs
Some drugs, including antidepressants, barbiturates, and narcotics, can cause nightmares as a side effect.

6. Illness
Illnesses that include fever, such as the flu, can often trigger nightmares. And other sleeping disorders, including apnea and narcolepsy, may also increase the incidence of bad dreams and nightmares.

Category: 2 Add comments | | edit post
Weighing over 500 pounds, 22 year old male Bouya Blan, whose name means white fog, is one of only 12 white alligators in the world.

He is one of four giant leucistic alligators kept at the Gatorland theme park in Florida.

Collected from deep in a Louisiana swamp, the ivory reptiles were part of a clutch of seventeen infants recovered by workers from the Louisiana Land and Exploration Company while surveying the area in 1986.

"These are not albino animals, they are what we call leucistic, which means they have a little bit of pigmentation around the mouth and a little touch on the tail and they have piercing blue eyes," says Tim Williams of Gatorland.

"They are each ten to eleven plus feet in length and vulnerable to many predators because their lack of skin pigmentation deprives them of natural camouflage."

Due to their condition, the alligators are housed in special enclosures to protect them from sunlight - and the unwanted attention of other males.
telegraph, UK
A 2008 CareerBuilder.com survey of close to 9,000 workers determined that those born under Scorpio, Leo, Taurus, and or Cancer are the most likely to earn over $100,000 per year. Sorry Capricorn and Aquarius, you folks are most likely to earn under $35,000 per year. We won’t all be rich, but we can find satisfaction in our jobs, especially if we seek out ones that are congruent with our zodiac signs.


Aries

CHARACTERS: Strong (and strong-willed), vibrant, enthusiastic, brave, and competitive.
BEST JOBS: police officers and firefighters, excellent promoters, entrepreneur, soldier, rescue worker; work well in the fields of government and politics, television, and recreation.

Taurus
CHARACTERS: enjoy stability, will work very hard for certain guarantees—good benefits, vacation time, salary, job security, determined, patient, honest, and methodical, excellent team members, dependable, love beautiful things and love working with flowers, food, jewelry, and luxury items, have clear and strong voice.
BEST JOBS: announcer, public speaker, or receptionist, accountant, educator, engineer, lawyer, designer, landscaper, chef.

Gemini
CHARACTERS: like fast-paced, pressured environments, won’t survive long doing tedious or repetitive work, optimistic and full of energy, and love to express themselves.
BEST JOBS: stockbroker, switchboard operator, technical support, teacher, architect, machine operator, rescue worker.

Cancer
CHARACTERS: sensitive, so they do well in jobs that require nurturing or taking care of things, good at multi-tasking, can give great advice and are very protective, responsible, and imaginative problem solvers.
BEST JOBS: gardener, social worker, childcare, human resources, lawyer, teacher, CEO, soldier.

Leo
CHARACTERS: fearless, inspiring, and independent, work best when they are in the spotlight and love jobs that bring status and power, high-maintenance and disruptive to a team environment, possess spontaneity and ingenuity, and do well when encouraged to lead.
BEST JOBS: CEO, performer, tour guide, real estate agent, interior decorator, fashion designer, government, saleperson.

Virgo
CHARACTERS: perfectionist, do well in detailed-oriented professions, remember things, good at abstract thinking, tidy, do well in service-type jobs, and easy to get along with.
BEST JOBS: editor/writer, teacher, critic, technician, translator, detective, statistician.

Libra
CHARACTERS: good-looking and charming, gracious and entertaining, cooperative, people people.
BEST JOBS: diplomat, dancer, salesperson, host, negotiator, travel agent, supervisor.

Scorpio
CHARACTERS: able to block out distractions, concentrate, and focus like a laser beam, curious, intimidating, intuitive, and like to know what makes things tick.
BEST JOBS: detective, lawyer, educator, scientist, surgeon, physicist.

Sagittarius
CHARACTERS: ethical, full of energy, and rather philosophical, excellent decision-makers, spiritual, love to travel and be outdoors, outgoing and fun-loving, likable and witty coworkers, not bothered with the little details, and hate routines.
BEST JOBS: minister, animal trainer, editor, public relations, coach, and anything having to do with travel.

Capricorn
CHARACTERS: ambitious, love challenges, determined and persistent, responsible and conscientious, work to standards, and workaholics.
BEST JOBS: manager, administrator, editor, banker, IT, and anything science-related.

Aquarius
CHARACTERS: have humanitarian nature, love to explore avant-garde ideas and have a curious and adventurous nature, rebel against corporate environments, need freedom of thought and movement.
BEST JOBS: scientist (if they can explore new theories), inventor, organic farmer, aviator, designer, musician.

Pisces
CHARACTERS: creative and passionate, excel at traditional arts, and highly intuitive.
BEST JOBS: artist, nurse, physical therapist, philanthropist, veterinarian, psychologist.

If you are just starting out in the working work or looking to change careers, you don’t need to take a test or consult a career professional—just look to the stars.

Category: 6 Add comments | | edit post

Emirates Airline will take delivery of its first Airbus A380 'superjumbo' aircraft. To coincide with the introduction of the new flagship A380 into service, the airline's cabin crew will begin wearing updated uniforms. An Emirates announcement about the uniform changes says that crew flying on the A380 will be the first to wear the new uniforms.

Emirates worked with UK based uniform supplier Simon Jersey plc. Using a catalogue approach with mix and match items, they have produced a superb uniform that can be adapted to suit different environments and climates.

According to Emirates, the most noticeable elements of the new uniform for women include "beige piping detail on the new red hat, subtle red pin stripes throughout, more fitted, chic blouses and eye catching, red kick-pleats in the skirts." Men will wear a "chocolate brown suit, also featuring pinstripes, with a cream shirt and a caramel, honey and red tie."

Women cabin crew wear beige, while the dark uniform is for the purser. The second photo illustrates how the new uniform will be worn on board during in-flight service.

Emirates cabin crew Terry Daly, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Service Delivery, said: “The Emirates uniform has been the same since 1997, with a few tweaks here and there.”

cabincrewblog.com
Haven't seen people you went to high school with in ten years or more? With Facebook it's no problem. Since you can view everyone's friend list as soon as you connect with one person, the floodgates open, and you're back in your hometown, for better or worse.

Want to see what people are up to but have no interest in really talking to them? No problem with Facebook. If someone has an open profile you can click around on their page like you are their BFF, seeing all their pictures, friends' comments, and status updates. You can locate exactly where someone is and how they're feeling today in 3 minutes or less.

Got something to promote? It's no problem with Facebook. Set your favorite site as your status, create a link to your project and your friends will surely check it out. Got a new business? Create a Facebook group and your friends can join and keep in contact with all the updates of your company.

Well, I guess no wonder more and more people are addicted to Facebook. Do you think you may be one of the facebook addict? Check the warning signs below.

1. Facebook is your home page.
2. You update your status more than twice a day.

3. You have over 500 "friends" half of whom you've never actually met.

4. As soon as you step away from your computer you're on FB on your phone.
5. You are a FB stalker. You qualify as a FB stalker if you

a) click on someone's profile more than once a day even if they haven't messaged or tagged you in a photo.

b) have dragged and dropped more than 3 FB photos (not from your own profile)

c) actually go to a place mentioned on someone's page in hopes of seeing them in real life...creepy!
6. You change your profile picture more than a 12-year=old girl.

7. You have checked your FB page while reading this article.

8. You clean up your "wall" so it looks like you spend less time on FB.

9. You are a member of more than 10 groups and respond to every event invitation "attending" even if you have no intention of going.

10. You change your relationship status just to mess with people.


So, are you?

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When it comes to global warming, hamburgers are the Hummers of food, scientists say. Simply switching from steak to salad could cut as much carbon as leaving the car at home a couple days a week. That's because beef is such an incredibly inefficient food to produce and cows release so much harmful methane into the atmosphere, according to Nathan Pelletier of Dalhousie University in Canada.

The livestock sector is estimated to account for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and beef is the biggest culprit.

A single kilogram of beef produces 16 kilograms carbon dioxide equivalent emissions: four times higher than pork and more than ten times as much as a kilogram of poultry.
Yahoo!Green
The Fertility Clinic that used the wrong spermWhen Nancy Andrews, of Commack, N.Y., became pregnant after an in vitro fertilization procedure at a New York fertility clinic, she and her husband expected a beautiful new addition to their family. What they did not expect was a child whose skin was significantly darker than that of either parent. Subsequent DNA tests suggested that doctors at New York Medical Services for Reproductive Medicine accidentally used another man's sperm.

The couple has since raised Baby Jessica (b. Oct. 19, 2004), as their own. But the couple still filed a malpractice suit against the owner of the clinic, as well as the embryologist who allegedly mixed up the samples.

Received the wrong heart and lungs, then died17-year-old Jésica Santillán died 2 weeks after receiving the heart and lungs of a patient whose blood type did not match hers. Doctors at the Duke University Medical Center failed to check the compatibility before surgery began. Santillán, who had type-O blood, had received the organs from a type-A donor. After a rare second transplant operation to attempt to rectify the error, she suffered brain damage and complications that subsequently hastened her death.

The error sent the patient into a comalike state, and she died shortly after an attempt to switch the organs back out for compatible ones failed. The hospital blamed human error for the death, along with a lack of safeguards to ensure a compatible transplant. Duke reached an agreement on an undisclosed settlement with the family. Neither the hospital nor the family is allowed to comment on the case.

A $200,000 testicleSurgeons mistakenly removed the healthy right testicle of 47-year-old Air Force veteran Benjamin Houghton. The patient had been complaining of pain and shrinkage of his left testicle so doctors decided to schedule surgery to remove it due to cancer fears. However, the veteran's medical records suggest a series of missteps -- from an error on the consent form to a failure on the part of medical personnel to mark the proper surgical site before the procedure. The error, which took place at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, spurred a $200,000 lawsuit from Houghton and his wife.

A 13-Inch souvenirDonald Church, 49, had a tumor in his abdomen when he arrived at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle in June 2000. When he left, the tumor was gone, but a metal retractor had taken its place. Doctors admitted to leaving the 13-inch-long retractor in Church's abdomen by mistake. It was not the first such incident at the medical center; four other such occurrences had been documented at the hospital between 1997 and 2000. Fortunately, surgeons were able to remove the retractor shortly after it was discovered, and Church experienced no long-term health consequences from the mistake. The hospital agreed to pay Church $97,000.

An open heart invasive procedure on the wrong patientJoan Morris (a pseudonym) is a 67-year-old woman admitted to a teaching hospital for cerebral angiography. She mistakenly underwent an invasive cardiac electrophysiology study. After angiography, the patient was transferred to another floor. Discharge was planned for the following day. The next morning, however, the patient was taken for a open heart procedure. The patient had been on the operating table for an hour. Doctors had made an incision in her groin, punctured an artery, threaded in a tube and snaked it up into her heart (a procedure with risks of bleeding, infection, heart attack and stroke). That was when the phone rang and a doctor from another department asked “what are you doing with my patient?” There was nothing wrong with her heart. The cardiologist working on the woman checked her chart, and saw that he was making an awful mistake. She was returned to her room in stable condition.

Hospital makes a wrong-sided brain surgery for the third time in a yearFor the third time on the same year, doctors at Rhode Island Hospital have operated on the wrong side of a patient's head. The most recent incident occurred Nov. 23 2007. An 82-year-old woman required an operation to stop bleeding between her brain and her skull. A neurosurgeon at the hospital began a surgery by drilling the right side of the patient's head, even though a CT scan showed bleeding on the left side, according to local reports. The resident reportedly caught his mistake early, after which he closed the initial hole and proceeded on the left side of the patient's head. The patient was listed in fair condition on Sunday.

The case echoes of a similar mistake in February, in which a different doctor operated on the wrong side of a patient's head. And in August, an 86-year-old man died three weeks after a surgeon at Rhode Island Hospital accidentally operated on the wrong side of his head.

The Surgeon who removed the wrong legA Tampa (Florida) surgeon mistakenly removed the wrong leg of his patient, 52-year-old Willie King, during an amputation procedure in February 1995.

It was later revealed that a chain of errors before the surgery culminated in the wrong leg being prepped for the procedure. While the surgeon's team realized in the middle of the procedure that they were operating on the wrong leg, it was already too late, and the leg was removed. As a result of the error, the surgeon's medical license was suspended for six months and he was fined $10,000. University Community Hospital in Tampa, the medical center where the surgery took place, paid $900,000 to King and the surgeon involved in the case paid an additional $250,000 to King.

The healthy kidney removed by mistakeA patient was submitted at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in Minnesota to have one of his kidneys removed because it had a tumor believed to be cancerous. Instead, doctors removed the healthy one.

"The discovery that this was the wrong kidney was made the next day when the pathologist examined the material and found no evidence of any malignancy," said Samuel Carlson, M.D. and Park Nicollet Chief Medical Officer. The potentially cancerous kidney remained intact and functioning.

Wide-Awake Surgery led to his suicideA West Virginia man's family claims inadequate anesthetic during surgery allowed him to feel every slice of the surgeon's scalpel - a trauma they believe led him to take his own life two weeks later. A 73-year-old Baptist minister, Sherman Sizemore was admitted to Raleigh General Hospital in Beckley, W.Va., Jan. 19, 2006 for exploratory surgery to determine the cause of his abdominal pain. But during the operation, he reportedly experienced a phenomenon known as anesthetic awareness -- a state in which a surgical patient is able to feel pain, pressure or discomfort during an operation, but is unable to move or communicate with doctors.

According to the complaint, anesthesiologists administered the drugs to numb the patient, but they failed to give him the general anesthetic that would render him unconscious until 16 minutes after surgeons first cut into his abdomen.

Wrong artery bypassedTwo months after a double bypass heart operation that was supposed to save his life, comedian and former Saturday Night Live cast member Dana Carvey got some disheartening news: the cardiac surgeon had bypassed the wrong artery. It took another emergency operation to clear the blockage that was threatening to kill the 45-year-old funnyman and father of two young kids. Responding to a $7.5 million lawsuit Carvey brought against him, the surgeon said he'd made an honest mistake because Carvey's artery was unusually situated in his heart. But Carvey didn't see it that way: "It's like removing the wrong kidney. It's that big a mistake," the entertainer told People magazine.


Unless you work in a field such as law, most commonly the word you're looking for is "uninterested." "Uninterested" simply means not interested: I am uninterested in fishing.

"Disinterested" means impartial. A disinterested person has no personal stake in taking a stand on the issue. For example, judges must be disinterested in the cases they try.

Some style guides indicate that the use of "disinterested" in the place of "uninterested" is gaining steam, but if you don't want to anger the purists, use "uninterested" when you mean not interested.

grammar girl
Can you imagine the adrenaline rush you could get from these 10 amazing activities!

It would cost a pretty penny to engage in most of these activities, but what the heck, you can't take it with you anyway and if you should die in pursuit of completing this list, then you'll have died doing what only a handful of other people have done in their lifetime.

1. GO SKYDIVING
Skydiving has to be the most incredible ride of a lifetime. Taking a leap-of-faith out of the cargo hold on a B90 King Air airplane at an altitude of approximately 30,000 and free falling for about 2 minutes requires courage or just an “I am dying anyways” attitude. At this height, it requires breathing pure 100% oxygen, so to prevent getting the “bends” that could result in death.

Can you imagine the rush that skydiving is falling at more than 120+MPH straight towards the earth, knowing that there is a chance that this jump could possible be your last?

Fact:
Skydiving is statistically safer than scuba diving.

2. DOCK WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
Can anyone spare a little extra change of about $20 million to book a trip to spend a week on board the International Space Station. Just imagine, staring out from the International Space Station and gazing at the awesome blue marble that we know as Earth and experiencing weightlessness would be a hoot, too.

Fact:
The International Space Shuttle has taken more than 293,141 images of the earth. The Space Shuttle has taken more than 287,116 images, the Mir with 2,512 images and the Skylab with a mere 37 images that are stored in NASA's databases.

3. EDGE OF SPACE SUPERSONIC JET RIDE
How about considering a trip to the edge of space in a British Jet Fighter called the Lightning? Imagine flying 60,000 feet high over the earth at a speed of 50 thousand feet per minute and seeing the curvature of the earth.

Fact:
To put 60,000 feet in perspective, it's like stacking 41.29 Empire State Building one on top of another and still fall a little short of the height that this flight would take you.


4. TAKE A RIDE ON A RUSSIAN MIG-FIGHTER JET
The modern-day cold war will just have to wait until after we get our chance to take a ride on the legendary MiG-29 or the extraordinary MiG-31 Foxhound, while pulling G's way beyond the speed of sound. The best thing is that the Sokol Aircraft Plant in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia is not that far from Alaska, so if we book this adventure right, then we have the chance to see Alaska, too.

Fact:
The MiG-31 Foxhound can travel at a top speed of 1,865 mph using its power- plant of two 34,171-lb after-burning thrust Soloviev D-30F6 turbofans.

5. DIVE TO THE TITANIC ON-BOARD A SUBMARINE
For a mere $35,000 you could be one of the chosen few to see first hand probably the world's most famous shipwreck. Traveling down to 3800 meters to the ocean's bottom where light is a stranger this deep below the surface and the beast are tough.

Fact:
Only 706 passengers and crew managed to overcome the tragic sinking and the elements out of more than 2222 passengers and crew.

6. CLIMB THE GREAT PYRAMID OF EGYPT
Following in the footsteps of King Khufu and travel back in time to 2720-2560 BC to marvel at the engineering masterpiece of one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Pyramid of Giza. An estimated 2.6 million blocks weighing as much as 70 tons apiece were used in the construction of the Great Pyramid. Can you imagine the sense of achievement that it would be to climb to the top of the 482-foot Great Pyramid and panning the vast desert landscape?

Fact:
The subterranean chamber leads to a passage that descends 345 feet beneath the earth. It's foundation covers thirteen areas and has lost 33 feet of all of its dimensions due to erosion of its marble encasing that once was used to protect the pyramid from the brutal desert elements.


7. VISIT THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
The Great Wall of China was built in the Qin, Han and Ming dynasties as defensive fortifications during the Warring States Periods of the Yan, Zhao and Qin dynasties. The construction required an army of labor that included soldiers, prisoners and average people to complete the more than 4163 miles of the wall. With a history of more than 2000 years, this is on destination that cannot be missed out on.

Fact 1:
It took The China Great Wall Academy 45-days to survey all of the 101 sections of the Wall in different provinces. That's one time-consuming job.
Fact 2:
The Chinese call the Wall “Wan-Li Qang Qeng” when translated 10,000-Li Long Wall, which 10000 Li equals about 5000 km. It was built solid with a thickness of 30 feet at its widest area and a mere 15 its narrowest sections.


8. COVERT OPS
Live out your wildest dream of becoming an ultra-secret covert agent and assigned a mission to take down the enemy hideout and complete the mission. No, you don't have to join the military to experience the action of a realistic covert operation and receive covert ops training before the mission begins.

Incredible-Adventures.com offers such a vacation for the most extreme vacation adventurers among us. Sure, combat pistol training and high-speed evasive driving excises sounds might exciting and becoming secret agent 021 (3 times more lethal than 007) has always captured the attention of may young men and boys the world over.

Fact:
Dropping down behind enemy lines operating under deep cover and carrying out missions only a few high-level government officials have approved is normally referred to as Covert Ops (Covert Operations).


9. DIVING WITH SHARKS
Great white sharks circling the cage like a prehistoric stealth bomber planning its attack. The only thing that is between you and them is a stainless steel cage. Every time the sharks crash into the cage with the power of truck the strength of the engineering is being tested. Diving with sharks is on this list, because the attraction can eat the spectators.

Fact:
The world-record for the largest Great White Shark was caught in 1948 and measured at 21 feet long almost 5 feet longer than the average size Great White Shark.


10. TAKE AN AFRICAN SAFARI
Just think how amazing it would be to actually observe nature's magnificent beasts roaming free in the wild. Loins resting under the shade, while hippos waddle about in the mud holes and elephants standing guard out in the distance. Look! There is a pair of giraffes grazing on those trees and checkout those rhinos as they charge. Pilanesberg National Park is South Africa's fourth largest national park comprising 212 square miles of nature at her best.

Fact:
Pilanesberg National Park is the home of Africa's Top Five animal attractions including lion, leopard, black and white rhino, elephant and buffalo, not to mention the zebra, hippo, giraffe and crocodile that an adventurer may be faced with on an African Safari.

Folks, let me know other things that you think we have to do before we die.
Before you sip, check out how these eight juices stack up healthwise

Juice: Apple
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 117
Drink It For: Polyphenols (antioxidants thought to fight cancer), potassium, iron; many are fortified with vitamin C.
Keep in Mind: Apple juice tastes great, but you won’t get as many nutrients from it as from a whole apple, since much of the good stuff is in the skin.


Juice: Cranberry
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 116
Drink It For: Vitamin C, antioxidants, heart-healthy flavonoids, antibacterial properties.
Keep in Mind: Cranberries are tart, so most juices contain added sugar. Choose "no added sugar" to avoid extra calories.

Juice: Grape (Red)
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 154
Drink It For: Resveratrol (a compound in red grape skins that may fight cancer), vitamin C, potassium.
Keep in Mind: Red may be a better option than white because of the resveratrol in the skins.

Juice: Grapefruit
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 96
Drink It For: Vitamin C, potassium, lycopene (an antioxidant), beta-carotene.
Keep in Mind: Grapefruit juice can interact with some medications, making them last longer in the bloodstream. Check your prescriptions and talk with your doctor to be on the safe side.

Juice: Orange
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 110
Drink It For: Vitamin C, potassium, folate.
Keep in Mind: Fortified orange juice comes with added calcium, vitamin D, and even heart-healthy omega-3s.

Juice: Pineapple
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 133
Drink It For: Vitamin C, potassium, vitamin B6.
Keep in Mind: Freshly squeezed pineapple juice often contains bromelain, an enzyme found in the whole fruit that may aid digestion and reduce inflammation.

Juice: Pomegranate
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 160
Drink It For: Antioxidants, ellagic acid (which may block reproduction of cancer cells), vitamin C, potassium.
Keep in Mind: Pomegranate juice often comes in blends with other antioxidant-rich powerhouses, such as blueberry and açai.

Juice: Tomato
Calories (8-Ounce Serving): 53
Drink It For: Potassium, lycopene, vitamin C, beta-carotene.
Keep in Mind: Tomato juice and tomato-juice blends, like V8, can be high in sodium. If you’re watching your blood pressure, look for a low-sodium version with less than 480 milligrams per serving.

Tip: Buy products labeled "100 percent juice," not "juice drink" or "juice cocktail." The latter can contain little juice and a lot of added sugar.

Real Simple Magazine
What is a Kiss?
It could be a show of affection or a well wish. It could be an exchange of emotion between two lovers. It could be a friendly gesture between two friends.

A kiss on the head for good luck. You can blow a kiss to someone. A kiss on the cheek to let you know that I am thinking of you. You can send a kiss in a letter to a friend. You can host a Kissing Booth at a fair or rodeo. You can kiss a boo boo away and the pain seems to fade. A gentleman can kiss the back of your hand in a greeting. A kiss can be forever.

Kiss
VERB:
To touch or caress with the lips as an expression of affection, greeting, respect, or amorousness.
To touch lightly or gently: flowers that were kissed by dew.
To strike lightly; brush against: barely kissed the other car with the bumper.

VERB:
To engage in mutual touching or caressing with the lips.
To come into light contact.

NOUN:
A caress or touch with the lips.
A slight or gentle touch.
A small piece of candy, especially of chocolate.
A drop cookie made of egg whites and sugar.

Please leave as many Kisses and well wishes for all of your loved ones. Let the loved ones in your life know what you want for Valentines day.

Gentlemen, I think by reading this you may get a few ideas on what to get that special some one in your life for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

Ladies, tell your man what you want for Valentine’s Day!


You may leave a Valentine for everyone in your life; for Your boss, Your girlfriend or boyfriend, husband or wife, son or daughter, best friend or organization member.






Leave me a Kiss. Leave me a Valentine.










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Guys, make your Valentine be the happiest girl in the world on this Valentine's day by stealing the ideas below:

#10. Reenact your first date
One of the most romantic things you can do is get nostalgic with your girlfriend. Women go gaga for guys who remember the details of the past, such as the restaurant you went to on your first date, what you ate and you did afterward. It will be like celebrating your anniversary and you can combine gifts with cards that mention how happy you are that you met her.

#9. Partake in a physical activity
No, not that kind of physical activity; I mean something that will get your heartbeat going, like ice skating or going for a hike in the woods and bringing wine to drink on the way. Such activities are perfect to boost an old and predictable relationship, and nothing will kick start a new relationship better than such a thrill ride. If you take her out, take her to a pottery and painting shop where you can actually talk, be creative and share your thoughts. If you want to invite her over, make sure you cook something together so you're both engaged in the activity.

#8. Go for the massage
Either you give her a full-body massage or better yet, reserve a double massage for him and her. You should both take some time off and enjoy some relaxation together.

#7. Make a path of rose petals
Girls flip over temptation, flirting and teasing, so buy a lot of rose petals or even potpourri, and leave a trail from the entrance of the house to your bedroom. Leave her a little gift on the bed and she'll feel like it's a romantic treasure hunt, and the rewards will be spectacular.

#6. Rent a hotel room & pretend you're tourists
There is something exciting about not having to clean up the bedroom afterward, so rent a hotel room, grab some bubbly, and use all your senses as you pretend to be out-of-town tourists on a love journey.

#5. Don't forget to do your homework
Nothing spices up a mundane relationship as much as staying at home, renting an erotic movie and "getting to know one another" better all over again. This is obviously not suitable for a first date but perfect for couples who have been together for some time.

#4. Have sex in public
Although this may not be for everybody -- and all climates -- some couples will get a thrill of a lifetime if they perform the act on risky grounds.

#3. Get away
If your work, time and budget allow it, plan a two or three-day vacation getaway, specifically at a ski or spa resort.

#2. Dress up
Dress up as if you are going to the opera, and go to a restaurant or just have dinner at home. Girls love an excuse to get all dolled up and the fact that you'll be getting dressed up will make anything you decide to do seem like a special occasion.

#1. Pop the question
If you think that the time is right and you have that look in your eyes... if you are sick of the single life, and if you are... well, when the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, then maybe, just maybe, there is no better time to propose to her.
askmen.com
Even if you won't be receiving chocolates or other goodies, there are plenty of ways to spend Valentine's Day if you're single and still want to have a good time; so don't even think about picking up that phone to call your ex-girlfriend or your ex-boyfriend. Use Valentine's Day to treat yourself to something good.

Treat yourself
Go to a spa, get a massage or check out the new restaurant you've always wanted to try. Get yourself that Gucci shirt you've seen on display for weeks now or purchase the cool mags for your car -- treat yourself like gold. Do what you enjoy doing most and feel good about yourself.

Have a party
Invite all your single friends or those whose dates are unavailable, and have a bash at your bachelor pad. Get some cocktails, appetizers and music going, and make the night memorable by taking it easy with your close friends.

Attend a party
If you're invited to a party, then go -- with or without a date. No one said that you couldn't participate in Valentine's Day activities if you don't have a Valentine. Hey who knows, you may arrive home with a "momentary" sweetheart.

Veg out
If you've had a hard day at work and just feel like kicking back and lounging at home, then bring home your favorite meal, watch TV, and rent those movies that you've always wanted to watch but never had the chance to. The point is to do whatever you want.

Call up your buds
Gather up your other unattached friends and have a blast. Go out for drinks, shoot some pool, and then cap the night off with some more great drinks, music and dirty jokes.

Treat a friend
Valentine's Day is about love and thanks, but it's not necessarily limited to a girlfriend or boyfriend. So go out of your way and do something nice to show your appreciation for a friend, your family, or a coworker.

Hang out with your favorite female or male
Spend quality time with the girl friend or boy friend that you feel closest to. Who knows, maybe a night of two lonely souls might lead to more interesting casual encounters.

Do the usual
Go about your routine, and it'll feel like just another regular day.
askmen.com

Funny cartoon of the day

Funny cartoon of the day