If you’ve always dreamed of having a dentist for a child, then make sure you give birth in December. But if you are hoping for a debt collector, then January is definitely your month.

That is the conclusion of researchers who have analysed the birth months of people in 19 separate occupations using information from the last census.

The results appear to indicate that a person’s month of birth could make them statistically more likely to end up as a footballer – or a bricklayer.

In January, GPs and debt collectors were found to be the professions with the greatest percentage above the monthly average. At the opposite end of the scale, it is a bad month for sheet-metal workers.

A February birth appears to increase the chances of being an artist, and March is good for pilots, according to the study by the Office for National Statistics. April and May are said to have a fairly even spread of professions.

Meanwhile, births in the summer months mean a much lower chance of becoming a high-earning football player, doctor or dentist.

For those born in September the two occupations with the greatest percentage above average were sports players and physicists.

The two jobs least likely to be taken up by September babies were found to be bricklayers and hairdressers, while December is said to be rich with dentists.


Although these trends may be difficult to explain, correlations between birth months and specific health problems have a scientific basis. Researchers believe the month in which babies are born could affect everything from intelligence to length of life.

Spring babies are at greater risk of a host of ills, including asthma, autism, schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease. They may also be less clever than classmates born in other seasons.

Full story at DailyMail

60 things that feel, taste, or are almost -- at least sometimes -- better than sex.

Please, add to the list!

1. Cleaning your ears with Q-tips.

2. Peeing on a full bladder.

3. Watching your kid score (a goal).

4. Skydiving, especially in the free fall.

5. This video of a purring kitten making biscuits. (And no, this is not the least bit sexual.)

6. A long foot massage.

7. A good spin class, but only after it's done.

8. The steam room.

9. The Chocolate Chip Philly Fluff Cake from The Bakery. Yes, it's called "The Bakery" and, as far as I'm concerned, it's the best bakery ever.

10. When the stylist gives you a shampoo and deep condition.

11. Air conditioning in Florida in August.

12. Driving on the back of a motorcycle on the Pacific Coast Highway.

13. The Princess Bride.

14. A New York bagel.

15. Fulfilling a dream.

16. A good hand job, the kind where someone massages your actual hands.

17. Taking your shoes and socks off after a long day on your feet.

18. Crawling into bed with fresh sheets.

19. The scrub-down at a Korean spa.

20. A hug -- the caring, not creepy, kind.

21. A card that comes for no other occasion than "just because."

22. A good burp, fart, or cry (not necessarily in that order).

23. Hot breath on the neck.

24. Comfort food.

25. The smell of baking cinnamon buns.

26. Finishing The New York Times Crossword Puzzle on a Friday.

27. A big terrycloth robe for right after you get out of the shower.

28. Slipping into fuzzy slippers.

29. Sleeping in.

30. A thrift store score.

31. Gaming.

32. Kissing.

33. A Zombie Drill.

34. The birth of your child.

35. A slice of pizza from Ray's on 11th Street and 6th Avenue.

36. Finding out you're going to be a parent.

37. Sunrise, sunset.

38. Swimming in the nude.

39. Black Rock City.

40. Losing weight, especially a noticeable amount of it.

41. Finishing a marathon.

42. A full body massage.

43. Wet dog licks after a bad day.

44. Reconnecting with old friends.

45. Winning the lottery.

46. Hula hooping.

47. Love.

48. Acting like, or actually being, a superhero.

49. Dancing your ass off.

50. Being heard.

51. Chocolate.

52. Shopping at a secret sample sale (what can we say, we're New Yawkers).

53. Holding hands.

54. Winning the lottery. The Stir on this one). Win $550 Worth Of Luxury Goods From Henri Bendel!

55. A good Martini.

56. Getting that sought-after promotion.

57. Guys with British accents.

58. Girls' nights!

59. Losing yourself in a book you can truly relate to.

60. Jersey Shore (watching other people smoosh > smooshing?)

Random pains can be distressing, but if your body displays these subtle signs of health, chances are good that you’re actually doing just fine.

1. Relatively Clear, Copious Urine
If you’re peeing a few times a day and it’s pale yellow—not cloudy, dark, or super-concentrated—that means that you’re adequately hydrated and your kidneys are healthy. Completely colorless urine, however, indicates that you may be over-hydrated, and while that’s not as problematic as being dehydrated, it could mean that you’re losing valuable salts and electrolytes.

2. Regular, Well-Formed Bowel Movements
Yes, it all comes down to poop. Normal feces comes in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, but as long as yours isn’t bloody, loose, or painfully hard, you’re probably okay. Being regular is another good indicator of relative health; when your body is processing solid waste quickly and efficiently, it shows that there’s adequate fiber in your diet and your digestive system is working properly.

3. Stable Weight
Assuming you’re not grossly underweight or morbidly obese, a relatively stable weight is a sign of good health. Significant unexplained gains and losses or yo-yoing back and forth on diets are causes for concern.

4. Quick Wound Healing
If you find that small cuts, scrapes, or burns take a very long time to heal or if you experience unexplained bruising from light pressure, see a doctor. If you don’t, congratulations! Your blood is clotting normally, your white cells are carrying away bacteria, and your blood vessels are healthy. You’re doing alright.

5. Healthy Hair and Nails
The integumentary system (which includes hair and nails) is often the first place that a serious vitamin deficiency shows up. This shortage can cause weak, deformed fingernails and toenails and hair that falls out in clumps. If your hair’s biggest problems are frizziness or split ends, then it’s more or less healthy.

6. Regular Menstrual Periods
Regular periods with normal premenstrual symptoms are one of the best indicators that your reproductive system is healthy. Irregular, painful periods and excessive or prolonged bleeding are symptoms that should be checked out by a doctor.

7. Decent Sleep
True, most of us don’t get quite as much sleep as we should, and occasional insomnia is considered normal. But as long as you’re sleeping through the night on a regular basis and not experiencing night sweats or being awakened repeatedly by the urge to urinate, you’re probably hitting all the necessary sleep rhythms. And if you’re generally waking up feeling at least moderately refreshed, things are looking good.

It should go without saying that the absence of these signs can mean hundreds of different things and can signify dozens of different problems—or sometimes nothing at all—and a doctor is the only one who can say for sure. And that means a real doctor.

Being able to gorge on whatever you please without piling on the pounds might sound like a dream come true.

But for Carole French, who can tuck into takeaways, feast on fry -ups and still tip the scales at a tiny six stone, it's a living nightmare.


The mother-of-two is one of only two people in the world that have been diagnosed with muscular fibrositis disproportion - a disorder that means her body can't store fat.

And while initially the condition might seem attractive, Mrs French says the reality is miserable.

The slight 50-year-old is so thin she is forced to wear children's clothes as a size zero hangs from her tiny frame.

Carole, from Oldham, Manchester, says she is bombarded with taunts and stares every time she leaves the house from strangers.

She says some even try to take her picture and shout cruel jibes about her petite body, which many believe is down to anorexia.

Mrs French said: 'So many people tell me I'm lucky to be so thin, but I just wish I could put on weight.

'Since I was a teenager, people have always assumed that I was anorexic - but nothing could be further from the truth.

'I eat like a horse - I never skip meals and I treat myself to a Chinese take-away once a week.

'People can be really cruel - I know I look different, but I don't choose to look the way I do.

'People stop and stare at me and take pictures of me like I'm in some kind of freak show. It's really upsetting.'

At 5ft 4in, Mrs French struggles to find clothes to fit her, and is forced to buy aged 10 children's clothes.

This is despite her determined efforts to consume at least the recommended number of 2,000 calories for a woman every day.

Her regular diet involves cooked breakfasts, cheese salads for lunch, and chinese take-aways for dinner - washed down with a pint of calorific stout.

Born a normal-sized baby, Mrs French's parents soon noticed their was something different about their daughter when she took much longer to sit, crawl, and walk than other children her age.



By the time she started school, it was glaringly obvious to her class mates that she was not the same as them - she was tiny, and her arms and legs were stick thin.

Aged 13 she weighed just a tiny four stone - and her terrified parents were convinced the teenager was suffering from an eating disorder.

Mrs French said she longed to be like her peers and develop a curvier figure.

'When I was a teenager, I was always picked on by the other kids - they used to call me 'stick insect' and say I was anorexic.' she said.

'Even my parents thought I was doing something to myself to avoid putting on weight.

'But I was desperate to look like my friends, who were all developing curves and beautiful figures. I stuffed myself with carbs and mum's huge roast dinners, but nothing seemed to work.

'Even when my mum took me to the doctors, they referred me to hospital to make sure I wasn't bulimic or anorexic.

'It took doctors a year to diagnose me with muscular fibrositis disproportion - there was only one other person with it in the world.

'It means I don't have as many muscles as a normal person, and virtually no body fat.'

The condition is likely to lead to other health problems.

She said: 'My condition leaves me constantly exhausted, and I'm likely to develop osteoporosis and arthritis.

'There's no cure for it - I've just had to learn to live with it.

'My husband, Steve, and two sons, Neil and Mark, say I'm perfect just the way I am.

'Loads of my friends say they'd love to swap their body problems for mine - but I remind them of all the stares and comments I have to put up with.

'Anorexia is a terrible thing - but there's nothing I can do to change my body.'

Thirteen-year-old Scottish teen Megan Stewart can't brush her hair while sitting up.

It's not that she wouldn't want to -- rather, if she does, she runs the risk of her brain shutting down because of the static electricity.

Stewart has a rare condition called "hair brushing syndrome," which is triggered from static electricity, the Scottish Daily Record reported. The condition is so rare that Stewart's doctors had only ever heard of one other case of the condition.

As a result, Stewart can't touch balloons, nor can she wear shiny clothing, because of the danger of static shock, the Mirror reported.

And now, Stewart brushes her hair upside down, with her hair hanging over the side of her bed, to avoid the risk of static electricity, the Daily Mail reported. She also has to keep it damp while brushing it.

It all started three years ago, when Stewart's mom was brushing her hair on her first day of the sixth grade. As her hair was being brushed, Stewart "flopped over and her lips turned blue," her mother, Sharon, told the Daily Record.

Stewart's condition might be a result of birth complications, according to the Daily Mail. Stewart was born weighing 2 pounds and 5 ounces, and also was born with a hole in her diaphragm, causing her stomach to fall through and only one lung to grow because of the lack of room in her body.

It's possible that Stewart's condition might be a form of a reflex anoxic seizure, where people faint or show symptoms of epilepsy, in response to triggers like fear, loud noises or pain, the Daily Record reported.

Full story here

Beer-mongers around the world, your prayers have finally been answered – English supermarket Asda has launched aspecial underwear that promises to sculpt your beer belly, tone your behind and hide love handles.

Called Manx, after the female underwear brand Spanx, this miracle undergarment will save you the effort of having to suck in your belly every time you go out. They may not be the sexiest underpants you’ve ever seen but if you’re not big on diets and exercising they may be the only way to get that streamlined silhouette you’ve always dreamed of. Asda claims its specialists have been working on Manx underwear for an entire year, getting fabric percentages just right and adding control areas in problem areas.



Manx is 85% polyamide and 15% elastane, which helps compress flabby areas. A double knitted panel flattens and firms your beer belly, while the side panel going from the waist down to the thighs compresses love-handles and tones your buttocks. Their unusual shape helps support lower back, but I’m pretty sure many guys won’t be to eager to put on something that covers their rib cage and will probably prove a turn-off in the boudoir.

Women have been wearing deceiving accessories like padded bras and body-sculpting undergarments for years, and it’s time boys started playing dirty as well. With a price tag of just £10 ($16), we’re bound to see a lot less beer bellies walking down the street. Now if only they’d come up with something to hide them at the beach…

Dating websites are revolutionizing the way we think about relationships. The sites exist in almost every stripe, from online matchmaking based on religion to (the admittedly odious) Beautifulpeople, which recently ejected 30,000 members for being “ugly.” But what about people for whom a relationship can never include sex? Intercourse can be painful or impossible for a variety of reasons, from disease to disability to simple disinterest, but it can be a challenging topic to bring up.

Enter 2date4love, a dating website created by cancer survivor Laura Brashier. The site, which launched earlier this month, “enables people who cannot engage in sexual intercourse to meet and experience love, companionship and intimacy at its deepest level.” In other words, it helps people — like Brashier, who had trouble dating because they could not have sex — to find an intimate, loving relationship. More than 2,000 people have already signed up.

Over ten years ago, Brashier finished treatment for cervical cancer, which saved her life but made sex unbearably painful. She explains,

“I still have all the same sexual desires I had before cancer. As the cancer treatment took a toll on my body, I’m no longer able to function sexually the way I used to. This has proven to be an enormous challenge when it comes to dating — when the topic of intimacy is raised, I fear that once my partner knows my limitations, he may lose interest.”

There are a myriad reasons why people might seek a non-sexual romantic relationship, but very few venues in which to find a partner who feels the same way. Cancer treatments like Brashier’s very often interfere with sexual functioning, and even the process of aging can lower women’s sex drive and inhibit men’s sexual performance. But this large group of people generally experiences significant stigma around the issue, leaving them fearful of what their partner will say. Brashier’s new site could change all of that.

“It’s just the freedom of not having it on my mind when I am talking to a man,” she said. “It’s really hard for someone else to understand how it weighs on my mind.”

Of course, there’s no reason why any romantic relationship needs to involve sex. And if sex is difficult, painful or undesirable, these factors should not consign anyone to lifelong loneliness. Brashier’s brave new site will do much, both to normalize the idea of a functioning, nonsexual romantic relationship, and to provide ways for people who are seeking this kind of intimacy to find each other.

Also see: Website For Beautiful (No-fatties) People Only