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Stressed mothers may raise fat children: study

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 12:39:04 GMT

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By Michael Conlon

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Millions of poor children in the United States may be getting fat before age 10 because their mothers are stressed out and the youngsters seek escape in unhealthy comfort food, researchers said on Tuesday.

The stress is rooted in poverty and can be brought on by money woes, work loads, insufficient health insurance and other factors, said Craig Gundersen of the University of Illinois, who led the study.

"People will eat in response to feeling stress," he said in a telephone interview, and in this case children may be eating more in response to stress-related trouble

The findings show there is a need for a firm social safety net for poor families with protections such as food stamps; better financial education to help people better manage money; and adequate health insurance coverage, he said.

the cumulative stress experienced by the child's mother is an important determinant of child overweight," the research team reported in a study

Interesting facts about Google!!!

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:22:04 GMT

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clipper's remarks: really!!!

Clip Source: www.gtricks.com

Here are some interesting Google facts :

1. The name ‘Google’ was an accident. A spelling mistake made by the original founders who thought they were going for ‘Googol’.

2. Gmail was used internally for nearly 2 years prior to launch to the public. They discovered there was approximately 6 types of email users, and Gmail has been designed to accommodate these 6.

3. They listen to feedback actively. Emailing Google isn’t emailing a blackhole.

4. Employees are encouraged to use 20% of their time working on their own projects. Google News, Orkut are both examples of projects that grew from this working model.

8. The infamous “I feel lucky” is nearly never used. However, in trials it was found that removing it would somehow reduce the Google experience. Users wanted it kept. It was a comfort button.

11. Google has the largest network of translators in the world

15. Quote: Give Users What They Want When They Want It

16. Quote: Integrate Sensibly

Microsoft unveils Internet Explorer 8, its response to Firefox

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:30:33 GMT

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Clip Source: in.news.yahoo.com

San Francisco, Aug 28 (DPA) Microsoft has unveiled a trial version of a new Internet Explorer designed to fight the growing challenge from Firefox.

But the new browser from the giant software company won't have it easy. Developers for the open-sourced Firefox released a trial version of a new application for the Internet, Ubiquity, which makes it easier to access and share information that combines intuitive commands with browser functionality.

Microsoft's new Internet Explorer unveiled Wednesday showed off improved privacy and security features that give users greater control over their browsing history, 'cookies' and other data.

The browser boasts 'InPrivateBrowsing', which allows users to surf the visit being logged in the browser history, and 'InPrivateBlocking' that prevents sites gathering information about their visit.

Microsoft is anxious to boost use of its browsers, which have 73 percent of the browser market compared to Firefox's 19 percent share.

How Contraceptive Pill Influences Partner Choice

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:42:54 GMT

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Clip Source: articles.mercola.com

The contraceptive pill may disrupt women's natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves. This could result in difficulties when trying to conceive, an increased risk of miscarriage and long intervals between pregnancies. Passing on a lack of diverse genes to children could also weaken their immune systems.

Not only could genetic similarity in couples lead to fertility problems, but it could ultimately lead to the breakdown of relationships when women stop using the contraceptive pill, as odor perception plays a significant role in maintaining attraction to partners, researchers said.

Sources:

Eurekalert August 12, 2008

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences August 12, 2008

Cell Phone Dangers -- What They Don't Want You to See

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:37:09 GMT

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Clip Source: articles.mercola.com

[Video]

You need to see this video about the rapidly emerging dangers from cell phone radiation.

Here Dr. Charlie Tia, a preeminent Australian neurosurgeon discusses what he believes is a contributing factor to this exponential increase in brain tumors among children: excessive exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from mobile phones and other electrical and electronic equipment and appliances.

Can MySpace Suits Can the Spam?

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:13:58 GMT

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clipper's remarks: My Space and Face book...

Clip Source: www.law.com

Zusha Elinson
The Recorder
August 21, 2008

Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are dropping the legal hammer on spammers. The question is: Can they really nail the elusive disturbers of Internet peace?

Last week, Facebook's lawyers at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe filed a lawsuit against Adam Guerbuez, accusing the Canadian man of hijacking users' accounts, impersonating them to send more than 4 million messages in March and April that market "offensive" and "embarrassing" products such as marijuana and penis enlargement pills.

In May, MySpace won a $230 million default judgment against Sanford "Spamford" Wallace and a business partner. In June, MySpace got a $6 million settlement from Scott Richter, whose company, Media Breakaway, allegedly sent unwanted ads to users. In both cases, the social site was represented by Greenberg Traurig's Ian Ballon, who said the battle over social-network spam is still evolving.

Fruit juice 'could affect drugs'

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:27:12 GMT

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Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Drinking fruit juices may not be as healthy an option as thought - they could reduce the effectiveness of some medicines, it is being claimed.

Research presented at a US conference suggested a chemical in grapefruit juice could stop anti-allergy drugs being absorbed properly.

A University of Western Ontario team said oranges, and possibly apples, had similar ingredients.

Grapefruit juice is already known to interfere with blood pressure drugs.

Some medications carry a warning that taking them alongside grapefruit juice could cause an overdose.

However, the latest finding, presented at the American Chemical Society conference in Philadelphia, points to a different problem with researchers saying it was "the tip of the iceberg".

In this case, he found that the grapefruit juice had the reverse effect on fexofenadine, an antihistamine drug, making it less potent rather than more potent.

Volunteers took the drug with either a single glass of grapefruit juice, or just water.

Maybe it's time to open Olympics to all ages

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:11:58 GMT

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clipper's remarks: May Be....

Clip Source: www.iht.com

The Associated Press

BEIJING: Being a young gymnast wasn't always a bad thing. Nadia Comaneci, after all, was just 14 when she scored a perfect 10 to win gold in Montreal.

The philosophy of the time was old enough to vault, old enough to compete.

The way a budding age scandal has clouded the gymnastic competition in these games, maybe it's time to return to the days when no one had to produce an ID to compete.

The age issue resurfaced Friday with the International Olympic Committee urging the people who run gymnastics to make sure five Chinese gymnasts are really 16 as the Chinese claim. The IOC did so after being prodded by U.S. officials to take one last look at the true ages of medal winners He Kexin, Yang Yilin and others.

There's some motivation behind the U.S. request, which came days after the IOC and gymnastics officials declared themselves satisfied. Should the Chinese be found to be underage, there's a couple of gold medals that could be inherited.

Writing Had Filled in the Emptiness of Her Heart

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 05:22:38 GMT

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clipper's remarks: by lalitha v.raman, Aug 21, 2008

Clip Source: www.authspot.com

Yet another day of wanting to write, sitting in front of the system, waiting for the inspiration to come: yet another day of searching for her leftover clues, ideas and imaginations scattered across her multiple files and folders!

Yet another day of closing down the system after emptily browsing on the net, while the mind was trying to browse for new ideas from the deep vistas of its imaginations and experiences!

She cannot imagine her world without writing! The writing is her whole sale companion and her comfort-factor! The writing had filled in her life soothingly and had healed her a lot while she had gone through quite a few ups and downs in her life and living!

Some people tend to smoke, some tend to drink, some take on to gossiping and some goes napping, to ease their anxiety pangs and she took up writing!

she had the flash of a wonderful idea…what if some one lives over at the house? What if something wonderful happens to him, like

ever-lasting relationship with a fine woman

Go Forth and Multiply:Singapore Government Tells Its Citizens

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:39:26 GMT

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clipper's remarks: ha ha!!!

Clip Source: www.medindia.com

Go forth and multiply, we badly need more, a lot more, Singapore government tells its citizens.

More tax breaks, cash payouts and parental leave form part of the Marriage and Parenthood Package, to be implemented effective next year.

Singapore was founded as a British trading colony in 1819. It joined the Malaysian Federation in 1963 but separated two years later and became independent. Singapore subsequently became one of the world's most prosperous countries with strong international trading links.

But population is a problem area. Though it is densely populated, at 4.6 million, the growth rate is just 1.14 per cent, one of the lowest among developed countries. A high-level task force, led by Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, took 18 months to craft the enhanced Marriage and Parenthood Package.

Qualifying Child Relief or Handicapped Child Relief, the Working Mother's Child Relief and the Parenthood Tax Rebate.

Strictly NO Comments!!!

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:46:05 GMT

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clipper's remarks: read the full article on the net...

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

By MIKHAIL GORBACHEV

Published: August 19, 2008

Russia Never Wanted a War

THE acute phase of the crisis provoked by the Georgian forces’ assault on Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia, is now behind us. But how can one erase from memory the horrifying scenes of the nighttime rocket attack on a peaceful town, the razing of entire city blocks, the deaths of people taking cover in basements, the destruction of ancient monuments and ancestral graves?

Russia did not want this crisis. The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war. Russia was dragged into the fray by the recklessness of the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili. He would not have dared to attack without outside support. Once he did, Russia could not afford inaction.

decision by the Russian president, Dmitri Medvedev, to now cease hostilities was the right move by a responsible leader. The Russian president acted calmly, confidently and firmly

What all you buy in ebay in anyway???

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 07:42:08 GMT

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Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

eBay insect fossil is new species

A scientist who bought a fossilised insect on the web auction site eBay for £20 has discovered that it belongs to a previously unknown species of aphid.

Dr Richard Harrington, vice-president of the UK's Royal Entomological Society, bought the fossil from an individual in Lithuania.

He then sent it off to an aphid expert in Denmark, who confirmed the insect was a new species, now extinct.

The bug has been named Mindarus harringtoni after the scientist.

I had thought it would be rather nice to call it Mindarus ebayi

Dr Richard Harrington, Rothamsted

"I was interested to see what it was because I've worked with a team of people involved in monitoring and forecasting aphids, those of greenfly and their relatives in this country," Dr Harrington told BBC News.

"I looked at it with my team and we thought we could identify it down to the level of genus, but we had no idea what the species was."

World speed record in such a short span of life?

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:30:16 GMT

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clipper's remarks: quite interesting...

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

A small, speckled, asparagus-green chameleon of Madagascar, by contrast, holds a world speed record among just about all of the nearly 30,000 different animals equipped with four limbs and a backbone.

Admittedly, it’s not a record many of us would aspire to best. As researchers recently reported in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the entire life span of the Furcifer labordi chameleon — from the moment of conception to development in the egg, hatching, maturation, breeding and right through to its last little lizardly thud to the ground — clocks in at barely a year.

That hypercondensed biography, the scientists said, may well make the chameleon the shortest-lived tetrapod on Earth, a creature chronologically more like a butterfly or a sea squirt than like the other reptiles, frogs, birds and mammals with which it is taxonomically bundled.

By NATALIE ANGIER

Published: August 18, 2008

How can you fight comment spam???

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:49:28 GMT

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clipper's remarks: interesting...

Clip Source: www.wisegeek.com

Comment spam can be extremely annoying, but there are fortunately several techniques which can be used to fight it. Ideally, you can reach a solution which filters out most of your comment spam without inconveniencing readers. You may want to think about integrating several techniques to stop spammers from several angles.

The first step you can take is using a spam filter

You can also utilize IP banning software. Several companies have created so-called “blacklists” of IPs which are routinely used for spam

you can require all users to register before they post comments, which can reduce the amount of spam which filters through. You can also use a CAPTCHA, a tool which issues a challenge to each commenter.

New measures to combat comment spam are always emerging; if you use a specific type of software to manage your website, keep up with the developer's notes and software updates.

Abandoned whale calf mistakes boat for its mum

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:32:08 GMT

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Clip Source: www.reuters.com

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Rescuers in Australia are trying to save a baby humpback whale which they say took a shine to a moored yacht, possibly mistaking the vessel for its lost mother.

The whale calf was found at Pittwater, north of Sydney, after apparently being abandoned by its mother off the Australian east coast

"The calf has spent the last day or so in Pittwater and we believe it has been nuzzling up to a moored vessel in an attempt to find milk," said Chris McIntosh, local manager for the New South Wales state national parks service said.

A team of workers towed the private yacht out to sea to try to lure the calf out into deeper water where it was hoped it would reunite with its mother, but it was spotted close to the beach at Pittwater again on Tuesday.

Female whales give birth to a single calf, and a nursing period of more than one year for many species creates a strong bond between a mother and its young.

(Reporting by James Grubel)