*Sext (that is, for those who don't know, send sexy pictures of themselves via text)

The New York Times recently reported on a new study that finds women are more likely to send sexy text messages than men. Two university researchers arrived at their results after they surveyed over 5,000 adult visitors to the infidelity web site, AshleyMadison.com. This website targets married men and women, and it attracts people who are or are looking to cheat.

The survey asked users questions about their internet use, sexual behaviors and demographics, where two-thirds of women surveyed were found to have sent sexy text messages in comparison to half of men.

These results came as no surprise Dr. Kholos Wysocki, one of the researchers, because she knows a lot of young men "who are constantly getting naked pictures from women on their phones." To her, sexting is on the rise and in a post-Weiner era, we know this to be true.

Yet, the results of this study are a little skewed as the adult visitors to AshleyMadison.com aren't a national representation of everyone who may or may not sext today.

Even so, sexting is still prevalent in society today and if you're going to send someone your naughty pictures, we suggest you take a look over our rules for sending lewd pictures first. Inspired by the Weiner and Favre scandals, we give you a list of do's and don'ts for sending sexts. After all, you wouldn't want your mother to get that close-up shot of your crotch, would you?

Reporting from Ishinomaki, Japan— For months now, the drill has been the same: Mamoru Oikawa grabs a shovel and chainsaw and gathers up the three precious photographs.

Then he ventures out alone, on foot, on a mission that has become a painful personal obsession. He is a husband and father desperately trying to reclaim what he has lost.

The 30-year-old firefighter combs the riverbanks, rubble-strewn rice fields and weed-choked gullies where he thinks he might find them. He uses the shovel to pry up chunks of concrete, the saw to slice through jagged shards of wood, looking for that chance macabre encounter: the jutting form of a hand, a face.

Oikawa is searching for the bodies of his wife and baby daughter, who disappeared March 11 when the earthquake-triggered tsunami washed across this rural landscape, pulling houses from their foundations and dragging residents to their deaths.

The disaster hit this farm and fishing community of 160,000 hard. Of 8,000 people still missing across northeastern Japan, 2,770 are from Ishinomaki; it also has the highest confirmed death toll, 3,100.

Oikawa knows he will never find his family alive. More likely, if he locates their bodies at all, they will be horribly decomposed, the remains perhaps ravaged by animals. But Oikawa doesn't care. He just wants them back.

Often, in moments of doubt, as he scours country back roads and rarely trodden trails, he takes out the photographs of his 29-year-old wife, Emi, and 15-month-old Atsuki and he talks to them.

"I'm sorry," he says softly. "I'm sorry."

In Japanese, Mamoru means "to protect," and he chastises himself for failing so miserably with the two people he loved most.

He's sorry that he couldn't protect them; sorry that he wasn't there when the waves took them; sorry that they had such shortened lives.

This region is full of survivors with missing friends and family members. Yet as the weeks and months pass, most slowly relinquish their slim hope of ever recovering the dead.

But Oikawa says he won't stop until he finds his wife and daughter.

"I'll still be looking next year," he said, "and the year after that."

Full story at latimes

Many languages have been claimed to be the hardest language to learn. But which is actually the toughest? There are a number of factors that go into determining the complexity of a language. Factors like how close is the new language to your native tongue? Research has shown that languages that are similar in grammar and structure to your native tongue are often easier to grasp. The fact of the matter is each language has a different degree of difficulty. No one language is easy to learn. The following is a list of the hardest languages to learn.

1. Arabic
Why it’s so difficult: Arabic has very few words that resemble those of European languages. Witten Arabic also uses fewer vowels, which can be extremely difficult for those learning to read the language.

2. Chinese
Why it’s so difficult: Chinese is a tonal language, in which meaning changes as you change the tone of a word. Also, thousands of characters and a complex writing system make learning Chinese a formidable task.

3. Japanese
Why it’s so difficult: Being similar to Chinese, Japanese language learners need to memorize thousands of characters. Three different writing systems and two syllabary systems – i.e. sets of written symbols that approximate syllables - add to the difficulty.

4. Korean
Why it’s so difficult: Different sentence structure, syntax, and verb conjugations make learning Korean extremely difficult for those who come from a European background. Written Korean also relies on many of the difficult Chinese characters.

5. Hungarian
Why it’s so difficult: Hungarian is one of the hardest as it has masculine, feminine and neuter genders as well as about 7 different verb conjugations. It is also one of a handful of “independent” languages, meaning no one really knows their origins and they are not linked to any base language set like Latin (French, Spanish, Italian).

6.Polish
Why it’s so difficult: A main difficulty in the Polish language is its alphabet; it is comparable to Latin with a few discrepancies. Polish is also an inflection language like Latin, using 7 cases to define noun usage in a sentence. A mark of its difficulty can be seen in its youth; most people do not master Polish until they reach 16.

7. Finnish
Why it’s so difficult: Finnish is a highly phonological language; word construction rules are determined by how the letter sounds. For example, the vowels are phonetically divided into two classes. The rule states that a word can only contain vowels from one class. A student must also learn how to distinguish sounds in consonants as well. For example, sounds such as "p", "t" and "k" are called stop consonants, which have their own rules of use.
Russian

8. Russian
Why it’s so difficult: Vocabulary is particularly hard because of the many ways words are created. Adding a prefix or suffix to the word makes its meaning completely different. Russian is also notably difficult because of its two pairs of consonants: plain and palatalized. The distinction between the two is made through stressing certain sounds in a word.

9. Estonian
Why it’s so difficult: Estonian has 12 different cases in its grammatical system; a case is when a word inflects based on its use in a sentence. There is also a distinction for "impersonal" subjects -- an undetermined subject -- in Estonian language; there are particular word forms that need to be used when impersonal subjects perform an action.
Icelandic

10. Icelandic
Why it’s so difficult: Icelandic is particularly difficult because it remained mostly archaic; words have generally not evolved to a more modern use. As a result, many Icelandic words cannot be easily translated. Because of this, students learning Icelandic typically have to solely rely on listening to native speakers.

11. German
Why it’s so difficult: German is highly inflected in both nouns and verbs. For noun inflections, it has 4 different cases and 3 different genders. German also has multiple infinitives, potentially creating long chains of verbs at the end of each sentence. This is because verbs are located at the very end of subordinate clauses; applicable infinitives have to be added to each one.

Physicians are great at doling out health-related wisdom — after all, it’s their job. But doctors who follow healthy habits themselves may be better at advising patients to make positive changes like losing weight or exercising, according to a 2010 study in the journal Preventive Cardiology. In other words, docs who walk the walk may give their patients more useful, inspiring advice when they talk the talk.

So we asked top experts which health tricks they personally swear by — and gleaned great info to boost your mood, steam up your sex life, prevent cancer, stave off heart attacks, and more.

The Dermatologist Says: Check for Moles

“I check my skin for moles on the first of every month.”

Elizabeth Tanzi, MD, clinical instructor of dermatology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Do a full self-skin exam monthly and report any changes to your doctor right away. Although one American dies of melanoma every hour, it’s almost 100 percent curable when detected early.”

The Psychologist Says: Think Positive Thoughts

“I think of three good things that I’m grateful for every day.”

Marian Stuart, PhD, author of The Fifteen Minute Hour: Therapeutic Talk in Primary Care

There are all kinds of stress management techniques that work wonders — eat healthy, remember to breathe, get enough sleep, exercise. But for me, it makes a difference to think of three good things that happen to me each day. Focusing on small, happy things helps cultivate positive thoughts, which release stress-lowering chemicals, such as dopamine, into your brain.

The ER Doctor Says: Buckle Up

“I always wear a three-point seatbelt in the car, even when I’m only changing parking spaces.”

Richard O’Brien, MD, spokesperson for American College of Emergency Physicians

Even when you just pull out of a parking space, it’s possible to lose control and hit a pole or collide with unexpected traffic. Airbags don’t inflate when you’re hit from behind, so you can be thrown into the steering wheel or windshield. And you’re better off strapped into your seat in a rollover — SUVs can roll over while going as slowly as 35 miles an hour during the winter. Seatbelts save lives and can prevent serious injuries.

The Ob-Gyn Says: Get Busy!

“I have plenty of sex — at least three to four times a week.”

Andrew Scheinfeld, MD, clinical instructor at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City

The benefits of sex are similar to those of eating well and working out frequently. A fulfilling sex life can bolster your immune system, improve blood flow, help with sleep problems, and even decrease migraine headaches. A noted study found that we should all have 200 orgasms a year in order to reap the best health benefits. That’s about three to four times a week.

The Neurologist Says: Keep Tabs on Your Meds

“I keep a current list of all my medications, supplements, over-the-counter drugs and allergies on a laminated index card.”

Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, editor-in-chief of the American Academy of Neurology Web site, AAN.com.

It's important to have an accurate list in the event of an emergency so hospital staff can help treat you optimally. A written list helps doctors take care of you better and reduces errors.

The Radiologist Says: Know Your Breast Density

“I get regular mammograms and ask about my breast density.”

Stacey Vitiello, MD, breast imaging radiologist at Regional Radiology in Staten Island, N.Y.

Annual mammograms starting at age 40, or earlier, if you have a personal or family history, are important. But dense breast tissue is another risk factor for breast cancer (some studies indicate as much as a five-fold increase in risk), so always ask about your breast density after your mammogram.

The Chiropractor Says: Eat Breakfast

“I eat breakfast every morning, specifically, eggs with baked vegetables.”

William Barrett, MD, chief clinical officer of ChiroCare in Shoreview, Minn.

Research shows that breakfast eaters have an easier time losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight.

The Cardiologist Says: Exercise Daily

“I exercise every day, even on vacation.”

Larry Santora, MD, interventional and preventive cardiology medical director at the Heart and Vascular Wellness Center at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County, Calif.

Exercise relaxes the arteries; lowers levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisone; reduces blood sugar; raises good HDL cholesterol; helps prevent abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks and strokes; lowers risk of obesity and related cancers; improves bone density; and boosts testosterone levels in men.

The Dentist Says: Floss Before Bed

“I always floss once a day, at night."

Byron Wall, DDS, a cosmetic dentist and past president of the Albuquerque District Dental Society

Saliva flow slows at night while you sleep, which increases the risk of gum and tooth decay. That’s why it’s especially important to floss — and then brush — before bed, after you've finished eating for the day.

Donna Simpson (43) is setting quite possibly the worst example I have ever seen from a mom, she’s attempting to gain 300 pounds, which will turn her into a 1,000 pound woman and allow her to control a Guinness Book of World Records title, a goal she says she can only accomplish thanks to her 4-year-old daughter who helps her mom shop, prepare her food and even assist in her disgusting feeding habits.

To reach her goal the single mom (no kidding right) has to spend upwards of $580 to $750 per week plus expenses and to make that money she runs OfficialDonnaSimpson.com, a site where people pay to watch her eat and flaunt her fab.



According to the morbidly obese female, 7,000 paying members pay as much as $7.95 for a three day pass to her website or $19.95 for a monthly account, allowing her to earn approximately $100,000 per year.

Among the sites biggest draws are videos that include eating a pie and wearing a blue dress, along with more than 270 photos.

Simpson says some fans of the site will even send her protein shake powder and other fatty surprises so she can pack on more fat.

While she claims she’s not hurting anyone, she can’t go out to regular events with her own daughter and she suffers not surprisingly from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Thankfully her daughter prefers salads, health foods and active sports.

Donna says the Guinness Records title will help her website grow beyond her fellow competition.

Here’s a video of Donna Simpson at 700 pounds, just be warned, it’s not pretty:


It should be noted that news of Donna Simpson isn’t new, various agencies reported on her goal earlier in the year, however since that time she’s packed on approximately 100 additional pounds.

The ride, which cost a whopping $40 million to build, is found at the Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park in Yamanash, and has been named 'Takabisha' - which means 'dominant' in English.

According to The Daily Mail, Takabisha, which has Mt Fuji as a backdrop, is set to open on July 16 this year.

It's packed with jaw-dropping features including seven twists, blackened tunnels and a 43 metre high peak, 1,000m long. But the most impressive thing about Takabisha is the freefall at 121 degrees, which is so steep it's Guinness Book of Records-worthy.



Relying on a combination of gravity and a set of linear motors attached to the cars, you'll be strapped in and flung down the incline at 100 km/h, experiencing a feeling of weightlessness as you go.

The current Guinness World Record-holding roller coaster is the UK's Mumbo Jumbo ride at Flamingoland in Yorkshire. This ride has held the title of "The World's Steepest Roller Coaster" since July 2009, but with an incline of just 112 degrees, Takabisha will be an essential 9 degrees steeper.

Once the ride has been certified, it will be the 14th Guinness World Record set by Fuji-Q, which is one of the leading amusement parks in the world for thrill-seekers.

When it's up and running, Takabisha will cost $11.75 (Y1000) to ride, excluding park admission fees.

The Barkley family of animal care facilities provides a resort-style vacation for dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, snakes and other exotics (may vary by location), by combining homelike amenities with recreational activity. State-of-the-Art Pet Care Facilities & Service Custom designed to feature a clean, secure and fun-filled environment. Meet and exceed all kennel industry standards for luxury boarding, grooming, obedience training, and doggie day care. Trained and caring staff members are the best in the business – providing unparalleled customer service and unmatched animal expertise. Ensure the utmost in each pets comfort, safety and happiness – 24-hours a day, 365 days a year; All while providing owners with incomparable peace-of-mind at an affordable price!

The Barkley Pet Hotel offers SKYPE technology to pets and their owners. The service allows clients to directly communicate by voice and video chat with their pets. Each 10-minute session begins at a pre- arranged time, where your pet will be brought into the private bone booth. Once there, a technician assists the pet with its communication needs.

The Barkley concept was created after 5 years of international research and development by Beverly Hills Pet Hotels, Inc., a specialized pet hotel management firm. Since the flagship facility opened in Orange Village (Cleveland), Ohio, the award-winning concept has quickly become an industry leader in the national luxury pet boarding and grooming business.

See more photos at Telegraph