MaoBah

Eating a few portions of  broccoli every week can actually protect men from having prostate cancer later in their life. Researchers believe that a substance called isothiocyanate in the broccoli sparks hundreds of genetic changes, activating some genes that fight cancer and switching off others that fuel tumors.

Prostate cancer kills more men than any other kind except for lung cancer. Each year, 680,000 men worldwide are diagnosed with the disease and about 220,000 will die from it.

The benefit derived from broccoli would likely also be available from other cruciferous vegetables that contain isothiocyanate, including Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, arugula, watercress and horseradish. So stop setting those green vegetables aside, because they can do wonders for your health more than you think.

Big uh-oh and gulp for me and fans of flip flops (think of your precious pricey Havaianas for this one.)

They may actually throw off your stride and cause pain in your lower legs and feet and this is according to researchers at Auburn University in Alabama.

Researchers recruited 39 college-age men and women, and measured how the participants walked on a special platform wearing thong flip-flops. On another day, the same participants walked across the platform wearing their own athletic shoes.

When the participants wore flip-flops, they took shorter strides and their heels hit the ground with less vertical force. When people walk in flip-flops, they apparently alter their gait, which may explain why lower leg and foot problems can occur in people who wear such shoes frequently.

I also did extra research on this issue, because I just couldn’t believe it. But here is what one site quoted:

Tony Bruno — a certified Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist — wearing flip-flops can not only cause dysfunctional changes and pain in your foot, these changes can resonate all the way up to your head, neck and jaw.

This happens because your toes try to grip into bottom of the flip-flop to hold them on your feet.  Look at your toes in flip-flops. The distal part of your toe is trying to flex down (planter flex) to hold the flip-flop on, while the other part of your toe (middle) is trying to bridge up (dorsi flex). 

 I don’t think they’re saying we should banish flip-flops from our lives and collection forever, but maybe wearing them once in a while instead of every single day can be good for our lovely feet and bring comfort to our legs as well.

Even the most hardened celebrity watchers were taken aback by reports of an $11 million deal for exclusive rights to the first photographs of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s newborn twins.

Despite Hollywood duo "Brangelina" being one of the world’s most famous couples, experts said it would be almost impossible to make back the money through increased sales and advertising.

But winning a bidding war boosts a magazine’s profile, they added, and deals a blow to rivals in the fiercely competitive celebrity news world.

"This would be a world record and is an unbelievable amount of money to pay," said Darryn Lyons, who runs the London-based Big Pictures celebrity photograph agency.

Abe Peck, who was a long-time chair of the magazine program at U.S. journalism school Medill, described the reported deal as "verging toward the unthinkable."

The costs could be offset by selling secondary rights outside the U.S. market, for example, and owning images allows for follow-up stories quoting "friends" and "sources."

However, "if that price is accurate, it likely would become a loss leader for whoever bought it," Peck added.

"The big celebrity magazines might be willing to lose money in order to establish or maintain A-list primacy."

Lyons said rather than dampening enthusiasm among paparazzi in France seeking unauthorized images of the couple and their babies, the exclusive deal may actually heighten it.

"If the official pictures are worth, say, $15 million, I would say that paparazzi would be in for $5 million to $10 million on the open market. I know teams that are working in France at the moment and more paps are flying in."

The Nice-Matin newspaper, in the southern French city of Nice where Jolie had twins on Saturday, was among the first to break the news of the birth, and reported an unnamed U.S. publication paid $11 million for the photograph rights.

It also said the proceeds would go to charity.

U.S. celebrity publication In Touch Weekly actually ran a story on its Web site earlier, quoting sources confirming the birth, but it wrongly reported that Jolie had twin girls.

Still, it was closer to the truth than "Entertainment Tonight," which said in May that the twins had been born.

False starts and factual slip-ups underline the media’s hunger for celebrity news and its earning potential.

According to the New York Times, the top U.S. sales increase based on an exclusive was probably Jolie and Pitt’s first baby, Shiloh, which helped People magazine sell 800,000 extra copies.

But that would not be nearly enough to make up the reported $4.1 million it paid for the rights.

A rise in Internet traffic is another way of earning money.

When actress Lindsay Lohan posed for a set of near-nude pictures this year, New York magazine’s Web site had 20 million views per day over three days, up from around 1.2 million.

Over two days, the spike in traffic would have earned over $500,000 in additional advertising revenue, estimates showed.

Big Pictures’ Lyons, who is offering members of the public money for snaps of A-list celebrities on http://www.mrpaparazzi.com , believes there will always be demand for unauthorized images, even though stars are increasingly striking exclusive deals.

"All celebrities really want to do is to control their image, but it isn’t reality, it’s airbrushed. The public understands that paparazzi photograph real things in real time."

He also argued that even when the proceeds go to charity, celebrities benefit from such contracts.

"I do like the attitude of giving the money away. On the other side of the coin … this is massive brand building."

Source: Reuters

To every guy that said, "Sex CAN wait"

To every guy that said, "You’re beautiful.

To every guy that was never too busy to drive across town to see he

To every guy that gives her flowers and a card when she is sick or down.

To every guy who has given her flowers just because thats how he rolls.

To every guy that said he would die for her.

To every guy that really would.

To every guy that did what she wanted to do.

To every guy that cried in front of her. ….
To every guy that she cried in front of…
To every guy that holds hands with her.

To every guy that kisses her with meaning.

To every guy that hugs her when she’s sad.

To every guy that hugs her for no reason at all.

To every guy who would give their jacket up for her.

To every guy that calls to make sure she got home safe.

To every guy that would sit and wait for her for hours just to see her for ten minutes…..
To every guy that would give his seat up…
To every guy that just wants to cuddle.

To every guy that reassured her that she was beautiful no matter what.

To every guy who told his secrets to her.

To every guy that tried to show how much he cared through every word and every breath.

To every guy that thought maybe this could be the one.

To every guy that believed in her dreams.

To every guy that would have done anything so she could achieve them.

To every guy that never laughed at her when she told him her dreams.

To every guy that walked her to her car and opened the door.

To every guy that gave his heart

To every guy who prays that she is happy even if you are not with her.

Not many girls appreciate nice guys anymore…
And because of this, there are not many left out there…

Emma Thompson wields a fierce wand when co-starring in Harry Potter movies, jets around the world and hobnobs with Bill Gates at Davos. But don’t ask her to reboot a laptop. The actress’ favorite piece of technology, she told Forbes.com, is the fountain pen.

Thompson’s in good company. There’s no shortage of celebrities who disdain social networking sites, “don’t do” e-mail and eschew even practical gadgets like computers and cell phones. Some, like President George Bush, are restricted by their office from indulging. Others see technology as yet another intrusion into their paparazzi-filled lives. And still others don’t understand how to use gadgets or shun them as health hazards.

In other words, celebrities are just like us — with two exceptions. Their wealth and status enables them to avoid technology with no ill consequences. (Can’t reach Angelina Jolie by e-mail? Her people will make sure she gets the message another way.) The other difference: It’s much more entertaining when celebrities complain about technology than when your mom does.

Take Vince Vaughn. In November 2007, the actor told MTV that he doesn’t own a cellphone, explaining he doesn’t like getting calls. Instead, he relies on the buddy system, borrowing a friend’s cell phone when necessary. “I am an annoying friend that way,” he confessed.

Some tech-free celebs are recovering tech addicts. Tyra Banks told New York Times Magazine that her BlackBerry habit caused her physical pain. She has since gone low-tech and jots her thoughts in a notebook.

Technophobia, of course, extends far beyond cellphones. Christopher Walken and David Sedaris don’t use cell phones or e-mail. Simon Cowell says he doesn’t know how to work a computer. President Bush was lampooned in 2006 for saying he uses “the Google” to look at maps of his Texas ranch. He reportedly doesn’t use e-mail for fear that his messages might be subpoenaed. Recently, however, his 84-year-old father, George H.W. Bush Sr., said that he enjoys e-mailing.

Paul McCartney has admitted he doesn’t know how to use ATMs and prefers writing letters over e-mail for “aesthetic” reasons. Elton John is nostalgic for the low-tech vibe of the 1970s. The singer frequently talks about the Internet’s stifling effect on community and creativity and even suggested to U.K. paper The Sun that the Internet be shut down for five years to spark better quality art and music.

Technophobia isn’t simply generational. Some young celebrities strive to be tech free, too. Thirty-one-year-old Orlando Bloom has revealed that he doesn’t e-mail or own a computer, because he “just [doesn’t] want to deal with it.”

A few celebrities manage to be plugged in without being wired. Jolie often jokes about her lack of technology skills, saying that partner Brad Pitt helps her navigate computers. Jolie’s admission is surprising, says Heather Dale, editor of gadget blog GeekSugar. “She’s so up on the news and involved, and it doesn’t seem like she would want to be dependent on anyone for tech help,” explains Dale. “She must get her news from newspapers and other traditional media.”

Larry King, despite knowledgeably chatting up guests every night on his talk show, says he has never done an Internet search. As if to prove his techno-ignorance, he once asked guest Roseanne Barr, “What do you punch [on the Internet], little buttons and things?”

Technophobia does have its benefits, at times. When Billy Bob Thornton’s former sister-in-law accused him of harassing her via e-mail, his rep defended him by noting, “Billy doesn’t use e- mail and never has.”

Fictional celebrities can be technophobes, too. In the new “Sex and the City” film, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) fumbles with a borrowed iPhone before returning it, unused, out of frustration.

Some technophobes appear to be making their peace with gadgets. Jessica Alba famously said last year, “I don’t have a MySpace thingy.” But in January, she created a MySpace profile and began blogging sporadically on it. Since hooking up with husband Cash Warren, who heads an Internet video start-up called IBeatYou.com, Alba has ventured further online to help promote the venture. In one video, viewed more than 4 million times on YouTube, Alba gazes at a camera in a two-minute staring contest.

Still, there are lingering signs that Alba isn’t completely tech fluent. Dale notes that Alba sometimes blogs in all capital letters. “That’s a clear sign that she doesn’t use a computer that much,” says Dale.

Other selective technophobes include Liam Gallagher of U.K. band Oasis, who uses his computer to sate his eBay addiction — but not for e-mail — and Casey Affleck, a health- conscious vegan, said his fear that cellphones cause cancer caused him to pitch his handset into the Hudson River. But within a few days, Affleck admits, he headed back to a store for a new one.

Source: omg.yahoo.com

A mother taught her 3-year old daughter a simple song which would let her call 911 when her mom fainted. The song was called "911 Green" and little Madelyn used that song to call for help on her mother’s BlackBerry phone. She punched the numbers 911 and pressed the green send button which was taught by her mom just a week prior to the time she passed out.

Madelyn was connected to a dispatcher and she was able to answer questions regarding her house and that lead emergency workers to their home.

A year ago, Madelyn’s mother, Jessica Eaves first learned she had a condition that can cause frequent fainting and made up a simple song around the lyrics "green, green, green." When Eaves lost consciousness back then, Madelyn picked up a cell phone and pressed the green button, which called the last person Eaves had called and that person called for help.

So Eaves revised the words to "911 green, 911 green," referring to the color of the send button on most cell phones.

(From AP)

ROME - A deer with a single horn in the center of its head — much like the fabled, mythical unicorn — has been spotted in a nature preserve in Italy, park officials said Wednesday.

"This is fantasy becoming reality," Gilberto Tozzi, director of the Center of Natural Sciences in Prato, told The Associated Press. "The unicorn has always been a mythological animal."

The 1-year-old Roe Deer — nicknamed "Unicorn" — was born in captivity in the research center’s park in the Tuscan town of Prato, near Florence, Tozzi said.

He is believed to have been born with a genetic flaw; his twin has two horns.

Calling it the first time he has seen such a case, Tozzi said such anomalies among deer may have inspired the myth of the unicorn.

The unicorn, a horse-like creature with magical healing powers, has appeared in legends and stories throughout history, from ancient and medieval texts to the adventures of Harry Potter.

"This shows that even in past times, there could have been animals with this anomaly," he said by telephone. "It’s not like they dreamed it up."

Single-horned deer are rare but not unheard of — but even more unusual is the central positioning of the horn, experts said.

"Generally, the horn is on one side (of the head) rather than being at the center. This looks like a complex case," said Fulvio Fraticelli, scientific director of Rome’s zoo. He said the position of the horn could also be the result of a trauma early in the animal’s life.

Other mammals are believed to contribute to the myth of the unicorn, including the narwhal, a whale with a long, spiraling tusk.

If you’re thinking of asking your beloved to marry you, make sure that you utter your declaration of love into his or her left ear. New research suggests that declarations of love, jokes, or words of anger are best remembered when they are heard through the left ear. Instructions, directions and non-emotional messages, on the other hand, have more impact on the right side.

It has to do with how your brain processes information. Although the left and right hemispheres of the brain are similar structures, they have specialized functions. The left side is more logic-based and dominant, while the right is the more imaginative side.

Since the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice-versa the left ear has been shown in some research to be the route to the emotional side of the brain, and the right ear to the non-emotional, logical side.

The right eye has also been shown to be best for processing colors, and the right foot is the most vulnerable to tickling. The left cheek is the more favorable one to kiss, and the left side is the favored one for holding babies. Support for the idea comes from a number of psychological and brain scanning studies, and from research based on patients with brain injuries.

Source: Times Online

Two new studies suggest that happiness is out of your control. Rather, they found that genes and age impact your general well-being more than daily attempts to be happy.

In one study of nearly 1,000 pairs of adult twins, researchers at the University of Edinburgh suggested that genes account for about 50 percent of the variation in people’s levels of happiness. The underlying determinant was genetically caused personality traits, such as being sociable, active, stable, hardworking or conscientious.

When the people in the study were asked how happy they were, the identical twin pairs responded much more similarly than other twins, suggesting that happiness has a strong genetic component.

Another larger study found that people tend to fall into a larger, cross-cultural and global pattern of joy. Survey data from 2 million people in more than 70 countries showed that happiness typically follows a U-shaped curve. Happiness starts high, trends downward into middle-age, and then climbs back up among older people if they do not have severe health problems.

10. Pretend to be virtuous
9. Criticize other women
8. Act jealous
7. Become needy - something about security issues.
6. Speak in code - this needs a little explanation. Sometimes men think that women assume they’re mind readers. Women expect them to know what they’re thinking, and I sometimes am guilty of this.
5. Invade personal space.
4. Become too emotional.
3. Shop till they drop.
2. Talk incessantly.
1. Use sex as a weapon.

To know the details on men’s confessions about the 10 annoying things women do, click here.