Hoax Nurse Hanged Self, Left Notes

Hoax Nurse Hanged Self, Left Notes - Jacintha Saldanha, the London nurse who killed herself after she answered a radio-station prank call about Kate Middleton, was found hanging from the neck, and left three notes, according to the coroner's officer.

The 46-year-old nurse who worked at London's King Edward VII Hospital was discovered Dec. 7 hanging by a scarf from a wardrobe in her bedroom, Coroner's Officer Lynda Martindill told a British inquest.

The wife and mother of two also had injuries to her wrists, according to police detective chief inspector James Harman.

 

Good Morning America - Royal Hoax Nurse Hanged Herself, Left 3 Notes (ABC News)

Harman told the coroner's inquest that two notes were found at the scene and a third was discovered among Saldanha's belongings.

He did not release the contents of the notes.

There is no suspicion of foul play in Saldanha's death, Harman said. Investigators are still trying to piece together exactly what led to her suicide, and are now interviewing her friends, family and co-workers to find more information, Harman said.

Saldanha was found dead Friday morning after police were called to an address near the hospital to "reports of a woman found unconscious," according to a statement from Scotland Yard.

Saldanha had worked at the hospital for more than four years.

DJs Mel Greig and Michael Christian of 2Day FM in Sydney called the hospital Dec. 5 pretending to be Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles, looking to speak to Middleton, who was being treated at the hospital for acute nausea related to her pregnancy. The duo were able to obtain information about the duchess' condition.

When the royal impersonators called the hospital, Saldanha put them through to a second nurse who told the royal impersonators that Kate was "quite stable" and hadn't "had any retching."

The radio station, along with Greig and Christian, has apologized for the prank call, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority has now launched an investigation into the incident.

Coroner Fiona Wilcox has adjourned the inquest into Saldanha's death until March 26. ( ABC News )

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80-Year-Old Woman's Skydiving Trip From Hell

80-Year-Old Woman's Skydiving Trip From Hell - A video of an elderly woman's skydiving adventure gone horribly awry has gone viral, perhaps serving as a warning literally to look before you leap - or at least to mind your elders when it looks like they actually don't want to jump out of the plane.

The video was created by The Parachute Center, a skydiving company in Acampo, Calif., as a memento for jumpers to take home after their airborne adventures.

But someone posted it on The Chive, a video site on which a counter said it has been viewed more than 170,000 times. It shows Laverne, an energetic woman who has just turned 80 and has rounded up a crew of female relatives to go skydiving with her. She tells the camera that she's "real excited," and that she has wanted to do this for "at least 10 years."

Cut to the plane taking off to an upbeat rock tune by The Offspring. We see Laverne smiling, looking out the window, and putting on her safety goggles. A few jumpers dive from the open plane window and whoosh down toward the earth below. Looks like they're all having fun.

But wait a second - something's wrong. The Offspring song has been cranked up and it's Laverne's turn to jump with her towheaded tandem instructor, but it looks as if she's having second thoughts. She's no longer smiling and is instead clinging to the side of the open door. Then her legs buckle and she's sitting down, refusing to move, and appears to mouth the word "No!"

Instead of letting the poor woman just sit it out - it's not like they're on an episode of "Fear Factor," right? - the instructor scoops her up and they fall forward out of the plane.

The camera person has also jumped, so from his vantage point, we see that Laverne has evidently slipped out of her harness so that the straps are attaching her to her instructor from behind her knees. She's also clinging to him with her arms. And her shirt has flown up, so we see part of Laverne's torso. The instructor starts trying to pull her shirt down, which is the last thing we see before the camera cuts to the scenery thousands of feet below them.

The souvenir video from hell finishes from the ground, where we see the duo land in the distance and two employees run toward them. Laverne appears to be okay, but says something to the effect of "Let me get my clothes," as she tugs at her blouse. The instructor seems shaken and one of the other employees is consoling him.

"This happened a long time ago and everything worked as advertised," said Parachute Center owner Bill Dause in a statement to ABC News. "No one got hurt or injured." In a separate call to the center, an employee who answered the phone said the video was a year old, but said he had no more information.

Skydiving fatalities are on the decline these days, with some 21 deaths out of 3 million jumpers in 2010, a 0.007 chance of death, according to the United States Parachute Association.

Nancy Koreen, a spokesperson for the association, said they were aware of the incident before the video was posted. It looked as if Laverne's harness wasn't adjusted properly, and that she wasn't positioned properly before the jump, she said. "But that's not at all a common occurrence," she said. "It's extremely, extremely rare."

There have been two similar incidents of harness slippage, in which skydivers slipped out of their harnesses completely, said Koreen. Both happened about a decade ago, she said, and afterwards harness manufacturers modified them to have an extra strap across the skydiver's back.

"The USPA does everything that we can to reinforce proper training for instructors, constantly issuing reminders to make sure that instructors are properly adjusting their student harnesses to avoid any kind of situation where the students isn't situated properly or comes loose," Koreen said. ( ABC News )

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Want a good Valentine's Day present? Don't date a German man as study show they are the stingiest

Want a good Valentine's Day present? Don't date a German man as study show they are the stingiest - As more and more shops deck their windows with heart-themed displays, now is the time to start getting excited about what gift you will get from your beau next Tuesday.

But if you are dating a German, don't get your hopes up.

A survey has found German men to be the least generous when buying presents in the run up to February 14 - closely followed by Italians.

What's in the box? Earrings are the most popular Valentine's Day gifts according to a study

Jewellery website Boticca.com found that men in Far East countries including China, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore spend more than any other country or region for Valentine’s Day at £173 per order.

Spain and France came in second and third places respectively, at £151 and £120 per order.

The UK and the U.S.A. were next, with men spending around £118 and £107 on gifts.

But German men came in last with a spend of £59 per order - closely followed closely Italians who spent an average of £62.

But of course, that is not accounting for those who buy nothing - and don't even send a card.

A QVC study has revealed that British men are shying away from romantic gestures with 38 per cent of them admitting they have never even sent a love letter.

These are a few of my favourite things: This chart shows what men tend to buy their girlfriends and wives on Valentine's Day

In terms of what the men chose to buy online, earrings were the most popular, representing nearly a third of the purchases (31 per cent).

Bracelets and necklaces were next on the list, accounting for at 26 per cent and 21 per cent respectively.

A reluctance to give the wrong idea (and a struggle to commit) to might account for the fact that only 14 per cent of the buys were rings. Or maybe men were just unsure of their other halves' ring size?

Kiyan Foroughi, Boticca.com's SEO, said: 'The results of the data were quite surprising, but as one of my Italian team members says: "It’s not about how much you spend but what you spend it on that counts!".'

Hey big spenders: This chart shows what men from different countries tend to spend on Valentine's Day gifts ( dailymail.co.uk )

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1 in 4 women attacked by intimate partner

1 in 4 women attacked by intimate partner — It's a startling number: 1 in 4 women surveyed by the government say they were violently attacked by their husbands or boyfriends.

Experts in domestic violence don't find it too surprising, although some aspects of the survey may have led to higher numbers than are sometimes reported.

Even so, a government official who oversaw the research called the results "astounding."

"It's the first time we've had this kind of estimate" on the prevalence of intimate partner violence, said Linda Degutis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The survey, released by the CDC Wednesday, marks the beginning of a new annual project to look at how many women say they've been abused.

One expert called the new report's estimate on rape and attempted rape "extremely high" — with 1 in 5 women saying they were victims. About half of those cases involved intimate partners. No documentation was sought to verify the women's claims, which were made anonymously.

But advocates say the new rape numbers are plausible.

"It's a major problem that often is underestimated and overlooked," said Linda James, director of health for Futures Without Violence, a San Francisco-based organization that advocates against domestic abuse.

The CDC report is based on a randomized telephone survey of about 9,000 women and 7,400 men.

Among the findings:

• As many as 29 million women say they have suffered severe and frightening physical violence from a boyfriend, spouse or other intimate partner. That includes being choked, beaten, stabbed, shot, punched, slammed against something or hurt by hair-pulling.
• That number grows to 36 million if slapping, pushing and shoving are counted.
• Almost half of the women who reported rape or attempted rape said it happened when they were 17 or younger.
• As many as 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetimes, compared to about 1 in 10 men.
• Both men and women who had been menaced or attacked in these ways reported more health problems. Female victims, in particular, had significantly higher rates of irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, frequent headaches and difficulty sleeping.
• Certain states seemed to have higher reports of sexual violence than others. Alaska, Oregon and Nevada were among the highest in rapes and attempted rapes of women, and Virginia and Tennessee were among the lowest.

Several of the CDC numbers are higher than those of other sources. For example, the CDC study suggests that 1.3 million women have suffered rape, attempted rape or had sex forced on them in the previous year. That statistic is more than seven times greater than what was reported by a Department of Justice household survey conducted last year.

The CDC rape numbers seem "extremely high," but there may be several reasons for the differences, including how the surveys were done, who chose to participate and how "rape" and other types of assault were defined or interpreted, said Shannan Catalano, a statistician with the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

"It is an evolving field, and everyone is striving to get a handle on what's the best estimate," Catalano said.

The CDC's numbers don't seem surprising to people who work with abused women.

"I think that the awareness is growing," said Kim Frndak, community educator for the Women's Rescue Center to End Domestic Violence, which operates a shelter on the outskirts of Atlanta.

"More and more people are really saying, 'Oh, this is something that we need to pay attention to as well,' because it's your sister, it's your mother, it's your daughter, it's your son, it's your brother. Someone in your own circle is being affected by domestic violence, and the effects can be devastating," she said. ( Associated Press )

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How to Buy an Engagement Ring

How to Buy an Engagement Ring - How to buy the right ring for your girl. Read before entering a jewelry store - After many dates, meeting her parents, and too many apple-picking festivals to count, you decide that you have found the right girl and you want to pop the question. The next step is finding the engagement ring.

And it has to be the right engagement ring, because everyone she knows is going to ogle it, comment on it, and secretly judge you as a man based on it.

But how do you get started? How do you buy an engagement ring? Getting engaged is the first formal step toward marriage — something you have been working toward since you met that special girl.

Your engagement, and the ring, symbolizes this, says second-generation goldsmith Brian Lewis. As you get ready to purchase an engagement ring, Lewis suggests looking at your budget, her preferences and quality.

Budget. An engagement ring is an investment. Do your due diligence.

In his 14 years in the jewelry industry, Lewis said he has often seen men struggle with how much to spend. He says a good rule of thumb is about two months of income. Their own income. Before taxes. Plan for that. Save for that.

Once you know your budget, go to several stores and price match, says Lewis. Explain your budget and what you’re looking for; then go back to the ring that stood out.

Eric, a recently engaged man in Colorado, said his biggest concern was how much it was going to cost. After establishing a budget, he was surprised at how many options he was able to find. In other words, pretend the ring is something you are buying for yourself (a motorcycle?) and shop appropriately.

Do not use Craigslist.

Her Preference. “Ultimately you have to figure it out on your own,” said Eric of his ring-shopping experience. “But you have to keep her in mind, and not yourself, when you’re looking for a ring.”

While you are making the tough budgetary decisions, the ring really is about her preferences. Eric took his fiancée with him when he first started shopping and let her choose her favorite ring. Then he went back and got it. While this dulled the surprise, it did prevent him from getting yelled at, which is the key to any good relationship, really.

“I didn’t want to get her a ring that she would be pretending she liked,” said Comstock. “I let her choose the ring because I wanted her to be happy with it. I want her to want to wear it.”

Lewis says that is a good strategy. However, if you want more of a surprise, he says the most important thing is to know whether she prefers white or yellow gold. “Design matters less than color,” Lewis said. “But, get an idea of what her jewelry looks like. Are they solid, simple pieces or very intricate and detailed? Her ring preferences will likely mirror her other jewelry tastes.”

Consider custom design if you’d like to incorporate two designs or if she has very specific likes, Lewis said.

Quality. When it comes to engagement rings, size is not all that matters. Most women are not going to complain if you want to slip a two-carat rock on her left hand, but the quality of the diamond is determined by its color, cut and clarity, not just carat.

Back in the 1940s the Gemological Institute of America, GIA, created the 4 Cs as a way to objectively compare and evaluate diamonds. Any decent jeweler will educate you about the 4 Cs. If they do not, you might want to reconsider your choice of jeweler. (Is her operating out of the back of a van? Yes? Definitely reconsider.) You must have a clear understanding of the 4 Cs to ensure you are getting the best quality diamond for your money.

Color. Diamonds come in a wide variety of colors, but the closer a diamond is to colorless, the more rare and desired it is. Diamonds will be rated on a color scale from D to Z. D, E and F ratings are considered colorless and G, H, I and J near colorless. The further down the scale, the more yellow the tint of the diamond. You want a diamond with a rating as close to D as you can without having to move into a refrigerator box to afford it.

Cut. The cut of a diamond is not, as some think, the common diamond terms “princess,” “round,” etc. Those are diamond shapes and have nothing to do with the diamond’s quality. The shape will be a matter of personal preference to your bride. According to BlueNile.com, a popular Web site for diamond jewelry, the cut is a diamond’s most important characteristic, affecting the sparkle. If the diamond is cut in the proper proportions, light will return out the top of the diamond, or sparkle. If the cut is too shallow, the light leaks out of the bottom. If the cut is too deep, the light goes out the side. Your goal is that she blind everyone in her path with her ring. This will disorient her enemies and keep male suitors from getting too near.

Clarity. No two diamonds are alike. Each diamond has its own individual flaws, either internal (called inclusions), or external (called blemishes). These impact its clarity, and thus, they’re rated by the GIA. The GIA clarity scale has 11 grades from flawless (FL) to diamonds with inclusions obvious to the naked eye (I3). According to the GIA, a flawless diamond is incredibly rare and most jewelers have never seen one. (The fact that they are perfectly clear might have something to do with that…) Most diamonds fall slightly above the middle — at VS (very slightly included) or SI (slightly included). The closer your diamond is to flawless, the higher the quality.

Carat. Everyone knows the size of a diamond is measured in carats. The carat is determined by the number of points on the diamond. The GIA says a carat is divided into 100 points, just like a dollar is divided into 100 pennies. A half-carat diamond has 50 points, a three-quarter carat has 75. Two diamonds of equal carat weight can have vastly different values, depending on the diamonds’ cut, clarity and color. And while women may not discuss it in polite conversation, this is a very important C.

After the Purchase. Once you’ve found the ring, Lewis suggests one more piece of business: insurance. Lewis recommends putting an expensive diamond on your home owner’s or renter’s insurance as a back-up to the jewelry store policy. “A jewelry store won’t jump all over to replace your diamond; your insurance will likely be easier to work with,” said Lewis. But once business is done, focus again on her and that moment when you propose with the quality ring you have purchased. “I always tell guys the best part of asking her to marry you is the moment you get on your knee … never take your eyes off her face,” said Lewis. “It is something you will always remember. Men come back to me and thank me for telling them that.” ( .modernman.com )

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Happy mothers, happy children... but when dad is off-colour they're not bothered

Happy mothers, happy children... but when dad is off-colour they're not bothered - Next time your little ones are refusing to tidy their rooms or stick to their bedtimes, run this one past them.

Children are happiest when their mothers are happy, a study has found. Nearly three-quarters of children whose mothers are content with their relationship report feeling happy at home.

Mum's the word: The survey found that children are more likely to be happy if they know their mother is happy

But when their mothers are unhappy, only 55 per cent of youngsters are ‘completely satisfied’ with family life. In contrast, the research, revealed on Mother’s Day, found that a father’s happiness makes no difference to his offspring.

As part of the Understanding Society study, youngsters aged between ten and 15 in 40,000 UK families were asked how they felt about their home lives.

It revealed that relationships with mothers and fathers were the most important indicator of happiness, and that those living with two parents – either biological or step – were most content.

Fewer than three in ten children who argued with their parents more than once a week were completely happy at home.

Dr Maria Iacovou, of the Institute for Social and Economic Research, said: ‘These findings show that family relationships and the happiness of parents are key to the happiness of young people.’ ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Melanoma Facts and Figures

Melanoma Facts and Figures - A new drug to extend the lives of patients with melanoma was approved today by the FDA. The medication, Yervoy, was developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb and is the first of its kind to treat metastatic melanoma. Here are some important facts to know about melanoma.

Statistics about melanoma

"Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States," according to the National Cancer Institute. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and is very aggressive.

Every year almost 70,000 Americans are newly diagnosed with melanoma, plus an additional 48,000 who develop an early form of melanoma, involving only the superficial skin layer. Melanoma is by far, much more common in whites than in African Americans, and is slightly more common in men compared with women, according to the American Cancer Society. Melanoma has a higher incidence in those over the age of 80, although in young adults under the age of 30, it is one of the most common forms of cancer. There are roughly eight to nine thousand deaths in the US each year from melanoma.

What is melanoma?

Melanoma is the most serious of the skin cancers, developing in the melanocytes, or skin cells which produce melanin, the pigment creating your skin color. The other skin cancers, basal cell and squamous cell, occur more often, with the risk of developing melanoma in an average lifetime being approximately one percent, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Although rare, melanoma can also develop in your eyes and internal organs such as the intestinal tract.

What are the causes and risk factors?

Doctors are not completely sure what causes melanoma, but generally there is consensus in believing that both genetic and environmental factors play a role. Overexposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun as well as from tanning lamps and beds is believed to be the primary cause of melanoma.

Other risk factors, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which are associated with developing melanoma, include a strong family history of melanoma, a personal history of other types of skin cancer, and the existence of atypical moles known as dysplastic nevi.

Additionally, if you have a fair complexion or a weakened immune system, you have a higher risk for developing melanoma. Adults have a higher risk over children of acquiring the disease.

What is the treatment?

As with many cancers, early detection has a higher chance for successful treatment. Surgery to remove the melanoma and surrounding tissue is usually the treatment for early-stage melanomas, and this may be the only necessary treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic. If the disease is more advanced, and has spread past the skin, the treatment options may include chemotherapy, radiation or immunotherapy, using drugs such as interferon or interleukin-2. Experimental modalities are in ongoing clinical trials at larger health care institutions. ( news.yahoo.com )

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How humans got big brains, barbless penises

How humans got big brains, barbless penises - Missing chunks of DNA responsible for turning genes on and off help explain some key differences between chimpanzees and humans -- including why humans have big brains and why the human penis is not covered with prickly spines, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

The study, published in the journal Nature, reinforces the notion that genes that control the activity of other genes play a big role in what makes humans so different from other mammals.

To study this, David Kingsley of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Stanford University School of Medicine in California and colleagues compared the genetic code of humans to chimpanzees -- man's closest relative -- and other mammals.

They found 510 gene segments that are present in chimps and other mammals, but are missing in humans.

Nearly all of these were regulatory genes -- genetic switches that turn up or down the volume of nearby genes.

Then the team did a computer analysis to identify deleted DNA segments that were clustered around particular genes.

"We saw more changes than you would expect near genes involved in steroid hormone signalling," Kingsley said in a statement.

A number of deletions also appeared near genes involved in brain development.

The team kept narrowing the pool until they found a few dozen genes that they thought were involved in the evolution of particular human traits.

They found one of sections of DNA deleted in the human genome was responsible for producing sensory whiskers, such as those in mice, and prickly spines, like those found on the penises of many mammals.

"People are always surprised to hear that the penis of many organisms are covered with these spines," Kingsley said in a telephone interview.

He said penile spines, or barbs, are typically present in species that mate quickly, such as male chimpanzees who must compete to fertilise one or two receptive females.

These spines -- made from keratin, the protein found in fingernails -- often lie over sensory receptors, and some experiments suggest removing them makes copulation last longer.

For humans, losing these penile spines might have prolonged intercourse and helped make monogamous relationships a more attractive option, the team said.

Even more interesting to Kingsley, however, is that another of the DNA deletions was located near a gene that kept brain cell growth in check. The deletion of this DNA may have contributed to the development of larger brains in humans, he said.

Both of these traits may be related to meeting the reproductive needs of humans, which give birth to babies with large brains, requiring parents to mate in pairs -- at least long enough to care for their big-headed offspring.

"Pair bonding is good if you are trying to raise relatively helpless infants," Kingsley said.

More than just explaining physical differences in human evolution, however, the team hopes eventually to discover important physiological differences, including why humans are susceptible to diseases such as arthritis, cancer, malaria, HIV, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. ( yahoo.com )

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I was a pregnant teen...

I was a pregnant teen ..... and here’s what I tell my teen son about sex. - You may wonder who would take advice on sex from a teenage mother – the proverbial ‘Girl Who Couldn’t Say No’. Well, for the next 15 minutes, the answer would be… You.

Right, comfy? Got your tea, your notebook and a piece of ceiling to stare at when it gets too squeamy? Excellent.

I’m always asked how I can justify giving advice when I so clearly stuffed up when I was your age. It’s a conundrum that many wouldn’t understand. To call it a mistake would be to wish you - my child - away, and you know what a ridiculous thought that is.

This doesn’t mean that I’m condoning teenage sex, and you are clearly smart enough to know this. Pregnancy is by far not the worst that can happen. I was lucky. I made a judgement call which in the moment was the wrong one, even though I indeed knew better.

I didn’t get an STD or HIV. I got you. I took responsibility for my actions, made my decisions and here we are. I’ll never say ‘Don’t end up like me’, because I’m damn proud of how I’ve ended up, and of you. You’ve had a good life, right? Because I made sure you would.

Would you be willing to live my life, make the same choices I have as a very young parent? If not, then the only 100% foolproof way to ensure you’re not faced with those choices is abstinence. No way around it.

Sex is not a moral issue

I don’t believe that sex is a moral issue. (Respectful interval here while the Mother Grundies untwist their knickers.) Rather, I believe that sex is an urgent, life-or-death physical, mental and emotional HEALTH issue. Morality is about heart, mind and treatment of others, and those are what determines your worth as a person.

Our beliefs about sex, morality and love are nobody’s business but our own and I cannot tell you what to think. The only thing I can do is give you information. The word I keep thinking of is responsibility. Take charge of your life, your body and your heart. When somebody chooses to share their life, body and heart with you, make sure you treat them with respect and care.

Hearts and flowers aside, teenage sex is a stark numbers game. The younger you start, the more partners you’ll have in the long run, the greater the risk you run. We can debate subjective values until you find the loophole that will give you permission to shag, but you can’t get much clearer than this: each day you put it off is a day that you’re safe.

Cold and unromantic as it is, that’s the bottom line. ( parent24.com )

What have you told your teen about sex?

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New mothers turn to lasers to zap their stretch marks

New mothers turn to lasers to zap their stretch marks - New mothers are increasingly opting for laser treatment to get rid of stretch marks after pregnancy.

Cosmetic clinics say that demand has increased by a third over the last three months, with prices starting at £200.

They say it can reduce white streaks, which can also occur in teenagers and women without children, by up to 75 per cent.

Laser treatment demand: Pregnancy and rapid weight gain or loss can cause stretch marks in any part of the body as a woman's shape changes

Pregnancy and rapid weight gain or loss can cause stretch marks in any part of the body as a woman’s shape changes.

The Harley Medical Group launched the laser treatment in May and says it has been astonished by the level of demand.

Director Liz Dale said: ‘We are getting three or four hundred inquiries a week. It is going up by thousands and we believe it will be the new big thing next year.

Beauty therapy: Laser treatment for skin rejuvenation and hair removal is also increasingly popular

‘Up to eight in ten women have stretch marks, and so do a lot of men, and although there are creams available this is the only approved laser treatment on the market. It works by firing a beam into the skin. There may be some redness for a couple of days afterwards but that is all.’

She said three quarters of women were booking the treatment for stretch marks that resulted form weight changes during and after pregnancy to their stomach, thighs and breasts.

Women over 50 are also turning to the laser therapy in large numbers. Other non surgical treatments for skin rejuvination as well as laser hair removal, have also seen a significant increase in bookings.

However the group said surgical procedures still make up the majority of its business.

Among women, breast augmentation was the most popular procedure followed by nose jobs, liposuction and tummy tucks.

Nose jobs were the most popular among men followed by liposuction. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Mimicking someone's accent 'can help you understand what they're saying'

Mimicking someone's accent 'can help you understand what they're saying' - It could prove useful for Americans expected to struggle with Cheryl Cole's distinctive Geordie accent when she eventually decamps to the U.S.

For imitating someone’s regional or foreign accent accent when you talk to them can help you understand them more easily, a new study has shown.

In conversation, we often imitate each other's speech style and may even change our accent to fit that of the person we are talking to.

Now scientists say that imitating someone may actually be our brain's way of helping us understand someone.

Cheryl Cole and Fergie out partying together at the weekend. Americans who find Cheryl's Geordie accent difficult to understand might be advised to try and mimic her as she speaks

‘If people are talking to each other, they tend to sort of move their speech toward each other,’ said Patti Adank, of the University of Manchester, who led the study.

People don't only do this with speech, she says.

‘People have a tendency to imitate each other in body posture, for instance in the way they cross their arms.’

She and her colleagues devised an experiment to test the effect of imitating and accent on subsequent comprehension of sentences spoken in that accent.

The study appeared in the journal Psychological Science.

In the experiment, Dutch volunteers were first tested on how well they understood sentences spoken in an unfamiliar accent of Dutch.

To make sure that all listeners were unfamiliar, a new accent was invented for the study, in which all the vowels were swapped - for instance 'ball' would become 'bale'.

Next, each participant listened to 100 sentences in the unfamiliar accent. First, they were given different instructions on how to respond to the sentences. Some were told to repeat the sentence, imitating the accent.

Others were told either only to listen, to repeat the sentences in their own accent, or to transcribe the accented sentences as they had heard them, complete with strange vowels.

Finally, the participants were tested again on how well they could understand sentences spoken in the unfamiliar accent.

People who had imitated the accent did much better at understanding the sentences than the other people.

‘When listening to someone who has a really strong accent, if you talked to them in their accent, you would understand better,’ Adank said.

If you put on a fake U.S. Southern accent when talking to someone from Georgia, they might not think you are being friendly, she warned.

But when your brain subtly and unconsciously shifts your voice to sound more like theirs, it appears to be deploying a useful strategy. ( dailymail.co.uk )

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Naked anglers on stag party weekend hook RAF rescue crew

Naked anglers on stag party weekend hook RAF rescue crew - An air rescue crew called in to check on a suspicious vessel at sea caught a naked stag party instead.

The party had the bare-faced cheek to wave hello at the RAF chopper as it buzzed down to check whether something fishy was going on.

Unknown to them, they were also filmed by a BBC cameraman who happened to be on board following the rescue crew's activities.

Tackle out: The naked men from Bristol were on a stag party

The 10-strong party, from Bradleystoke, Bristol, was caught during a two-hour fishing trip in Swansea Bay, South Wales, on Saturday.

Suspicious Coastguard bosses spotted the small boat off Mumbles Head and asked a passing RAF rescue helicopter to take a closer look.

'A search and rescue Sea King helicopter was returning to base at RAF Chivenor, in Devon, when Swansea Coastguard asked it to check a suspicious boat," an RAF spokesman said.

'As they approached they soon realised all the anglers aboard the vessel were completely naked.

'It transpired they were a stag party having a bit of fun in the ocean. They were running no risk - apart from catching a cold.

'They (the helicopter crew) were on their way back from another search and rescue mission and they were just asked to fly over this boat and let the coastguard know what was going on.

'I'm sure there were a few giggles going on in the cockpit at the time.'

A Maritime and Coastguard Agency spokesman said that as the vessel was evidently not in distress no action was necessary.

Mark Thomas, skipper of the boat, Blue Thunder, told the Swansea Evening Post he had the 10-man stag party on board on Saturday.

Suspicious boat: The RAF Sea King helicopter was returning to base when it was asked to investigate the stag party

'I went to do something, and I turned around and somebody had dropped their shorts.

'The T-shirts then came off and they all egged each other on to take all their clothes off.

'I saw a helicopter hovering above us, and then they dropped a smoke flare into the water. The lads were jumping up and down, waving and having a good laugh.

'It was all good fun. They were like it for more than an hour-and-a-half and were well behaved. They did invite me to join in, but it was a bit chilly for me!'

The group had gone to Swansea for the stag weekend of groom-to-be Dave Lloyd.

Nick Woore, 25, his best man, told the newspaper it had been the best fishing trip he had ever been on.

'What started off as a quiet fishing trip with a few beers turned into naked madness. It was one of the best fishing trips we have ever had and we have some very memorable moments.' ( dailymail.co.uk )

READ MORE - Naked anglers on stag party weekend hook RAF rescue crew

Men are bigger liars than women

Men are bigger liars than women. Men are more likely to tell lies than women and feel less guilty about it, says a survey.

In a poll of 3,000 people, researchers found that the average British man tells three lies every day, that's equivalent to 1,092 a year.

However the average woman appears more honest, lying 728 times a year - around twice a day.

Mums are the people mostly likely to be lied to, says the Science Museum who commissioned the survey.

Twenty-five per cent of men say they've lied to their mother, but only 20% of women admit to having lied to their mum.

In comparison, only 10% of people said they are likely to lie to their partner.

Concerning the kind of lies we tell, men said that they most often lie to their partner about their drinking habits. "I didn't have that much to drink" is men's most popular fib.

Whereas women use the line, "Nothing's wrong, I'm fine" most often to hide their true feelings.

"It's just what I've always wanted" is the tenth most likely lie to be told to a loved one by either men or women, suggesting that men and women are quite discerning when it comes to buying presents for each other.

" I didn't have that much to drink" is a man's favourite lie

MEN'S TOP 10 LIES

1. I didn't have that much to drink
2. Nothing's wrong, I'm fine
3. I had no signal
4. It wasn't that expensive
5. I'm on my way
6. I'm stuck in traffic
7. No, your bum doesn't look big in that
8. Sorry, I missed your call
9. You've lost weight10. It's just what I've always wanted

WOMEN'S TOP 10 LIES

1. Nothing's wrong, I'm fine
2. I don't know where it is, I haven't touched it
3. It wasn't that expensive
4. I didn't have that much to drink
5. I've got a headache
6. It was in the sale
7. I'm on my way
8. Oh, I've had this ages
9. No, I didn't throw it away
10. It's just what I've always wanted

(bbc.co.uk )

READ MORE - Men are bigger liars than women

Those who stay fit have longer sex lives

Those who stay fit have longer sex lives. Men are more likely than women to be interested in sex, have sex and enjoy sex, according to new scientific research, which also found people who stay active and healthy enjoy longer sex lives.

Research by University of Chicago academics published online Wednesday in the British Medical Journal found that, across all age groups, men were more interested in sex than women — and the gap increased with age.

The difference was most pronounced in the 75 to 85 age group, where 39 percent of men and 17 percent of women said they were sexually active, although the gender difference was smaller among people with a partner. Women of that age are more likely than men to be widowed.

A total of 71 percent of men who were sexually active above age 75 reported a good sex life, compared with 51 percent of women, while 41 percent of men said they were interested in sex, compared to 11 percent of women.

"Overall, men were more likely than women to be sexually active, report a good quality sex life, and be interested in sex," the researchers found.

"This disparity, and its implication for health, requires further exploration."

The researchers found the average person's sex life winds down by the age of 70. It said that by age 55, men can hope for another 15 years while women generally have another 11 years of sexual activity.

But 55-year-old men in very good or excellent health gained five to seven years of sexually active life on average, compared with their peers in poor or fair health. Women in very good or excellent health gained three to six years compared with women in poor or fair health.

The research adds to a pile of scientific evidence suggesting good sex can improve health and well-being — and vice versa.

The researchers found that, overall, people in very good or excellent health were 1.5 to 1.8 times more likely to report an interest in sex than those in poorer health.

Researchers Stacy Tessler Lindau and Natalia Gavrilova looked at data from two groups of just over 3,000 American men and women — one aged 25 to 74 and the other aged 57 to 85.

Subjects were interviewed and filled in questionnaires on their marital status, rated the quality of their sex lives and asked how often they had sex. They also rated their health on a scale between poor and excellent.

In an accompanying editorial, Patricia Goodson, a professor of health at Texas A&M University, said the study was "refreshing because it offers a health enhancing, health promoting perspective. ... The news that adults in the U.S. can enjoy many years of sexual activity beyond age 55 is promising." ( Associated Press )

READ MORE - Those who stay fit have longer sex lives

The Power of Foreplay

The Power of Foreplay. The importance of foreplay has been talked about often in almost every sex guide on the planet. And yet, here we take a go at the subject again! Are we crazy? Quite! Nevertheless, the kind of information available in the free domain didn't really impress us, so we decided to do a small write up for our dear readers!

In this two part article we will tell you some ways to make your woman go crazy... and maybe even have an orgasm before you touch her secret places! Are we kidding? Not quite! But before all that it is important to mention that the foreplay doesn't start neither by kissing the lips nor by kissing the necks.

It starts way before... at the moment your woman is comfortable with you, when you have gotten to know her some and are about to make a move. During our time we have seen some disasters, like a man who is talking about the city drainage and then decides to kiss the woman! Jeez! Get a life mate! But without further ado, lets take a look at the first ten steps that are important to foreplay!

Before Foreplay

• Take a bath and smell good. Nothing is worse than smelling sweat on a man, no matter how sexy he is.

• Groom yourself for the occasion. Dress nicely, look elegant and confident.

• Get to know your woman a bit. At least know the basics of what she likes and especially what she doesn't.

• Talk about exciting things from the start. Not about weather, not about how bad you feel; rather about things that make you feel good and make her feel good. Make her laugh some.

• Always keep a steady eye contact, and every now and then look at her most gorgeous features and sigh to yourself, "Oh How Gorgeous Are Thee!"

And now lets get down to business! Onto The Ten Ways to Excite Your Woman!

1. Foreplay starts with words. Talk about something exciting, that will turn her blood hot. Now that doesn't mean getting her angry! Some nice topics are romantic spots, sea shore, mountains and flowers. But you can choose any topic and make it hot! Tell her about something in your life that really excited you, or if you know her well enough, tell her an anecdote that will please her. If you don't have one, make one! For instance something like "The other day, I was watching this show on discovery about the disney rides. And there was this one ride that they were talking about, you know the roller coaster. It was really amazing. The way it would go up and down, moving along at such a fast pace. Itwas really exciting! Speed and thrills with that wee bit of fear, rolling up instilling you with excitement, and then it would go down, so that you could feel the air brushing against your face..." The bolded words are where you should be laying emphasis.

2. Actions can speak even louder than words! While you are telling her the story touch her lightly and move your hands. Move your hands like a wave when you say Up and down and then bring your hands close to her face when you talk about feel the air brushing against your face. If you think you are comfortable enough, you can even blow air just around her ears! But beware... around her ears, making her hair move, not full in her face!

3. Throughout the conversation, touch her every so gently. Start invading her private space. Now I said private space, not private places! A slight touch on the elbow, remove a peck of dust from her hair, or just hold her hands and massage them with your fingers.

4. Now start getting adventurous. If she is tired propose to massage her neck. Or just pull her towards yourself and give her a hug just because she said something nice. Start invading her private space even more.

5. Now is the time to tell her how gorgeous she is or compliment her on something she is wearing. Before this time, you will just make her defensive. But right now, she will know you are sincere because your eyes have been telling it to her all through the evening! Tell her how you like her deep eyes, and then ask her softly if you can touch her face.

6. Become more cozy with her, touching and caressing her in non sexual places. But don't lean over to kiss her... not just yet. Let her beg for it. For instance just let your finger roll down her back, or caress her shoulders. Even a slight rubbing on the knees can be sexy, if you are gentle and soft enough.

7. Your talk should be getting more erotic now. That doesn't mean telling her about your conquests, but just start using sexy words. If there is something you feel, share it with her. Also, start talking more softly, so that she has to be real close to understand. Start whispering in her ears, making her a partner into your secrets. But not the dirty secrets, not just yet!

8. Now while you are whispering, your mouth close to her ears, allow your lips to touch them. Give her a soft kiss, more like a peck. Then move back, allowing her to move into you. When she does, give her a slightly longer kiss on her ears, and then say something funny or interesting.

9. Start moving your hands all over her body, still leaving out her obvious pleasure points. No touching her breasts for now! But her belly, her back, her neck, her arms, her legs, her chin and her hair are good places.

10. Start moving your kiss downwards from her ear on to her neck, but don't start eating her neck! Just soft and tender kisses. So soft that she has to lean into you to feel them! And now be patient for the next part of this article!

These are of course suggestion, to give you a basic idea. There are loads of things that you can do following these basic principles! ( loveletterbox.com )

READ MORE - The Power of Foreplay

Fighting fatigue

• For an instant brainpower boost, try peppermint or menthol for a simulated injection of fresh air. Either inhale some essential oil of peppermint or chew on strong sweets, breathing deeply so that the strong flavour will shock your brain into action.

• If you feel sluggish in the morning, treat your face -often the last part of you body to wake up - to a reviving splash of scented water. Add a couple of drops of geranium or lavender oil to a basin of warm water and soak a wash cloth. Wring out the cloth and apply to your face for a minute before dunking and repeating.

• If you feel down as a result of being tired, try listening to music, which will have a direct affect on your mood. Research shows that listening to an upbeat tempo will raise your spirits; if you feel unhappy, play something that holds fond memories.

• Revive your body and mind with some gentle exercise. Not only does physical activity release a lot of feel-good hormones but it increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, boosts adrenaline levels and leaves you feeling more energetic.

• Have trouble dragging yourself out of bed in the morning? Contrary as it sounds, you should actually set your alarm clock an hour earlier to give yourself time to prepare yourself for the day. Within weeks your body clock will adjust and feel better for it.

• Use visualisation techniques to focus your flagging mind on the day ahead. Visualise yourself getting through your day successfully, working through each encounter in your mind so that everything runs seamlessly. By doing this, you will feel you can easily achieve what is ahead.

• To avoid the build-up of tension which can deplete your energy levels, vent your spleen after work. Boxercise classes, running or aerobics are a marvellous way to release pent-up stress. But just singing or yelling will get stress out, too.

• Try popping bubble wrap. American psychologists have shown in research that this dispels pent up nervous energy and muscle tension.

• Lost your creative urge? Then take up power walking. Any rhythmic form of exercise, such as running, swimming or even pounding away on the stairclimber, can elevate creativity if you do it regularly, according to research at the Cornell University Medical College.This is partly linked to the fact that repetitive and continuous activities release endorphins, the so-called feel-good brain chemicals.

• If you still feel tired each morning, aromatherapy can help. Each evening, run a bath and add three drops of lavender and three drops of camomile essential oils with some carrier oil. Then light an oil burner and add two drops of clary sage and lavender. This will calm down your system.

• A gentle stretch will help you breathe more efficiently and nourish every cell in your body.Try this move whenever you have a moment to yourself: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and soles of your feet together. Breathe in and lengthen up through the spine - as you breathe out, press your naval towards your spine and relax forward. Rest your arms in front of you with your neck unstretched. Take ten breaths. Slowly uncurl, straightening the spine vertebra by vertebra. Repeat if necessary.

• Spending more time with someone you love will boost your energy. During tender moments neural pathways become intoxicated with raised levels of dopamine, norepinephrine and penylethylamine (PEA), the natural chemicals of love. As the brain gears itself up for lovemaking, the production of stress hormones such as cortisol falls dramatically. The result is a natural high.

• Spending ten to 15 minutes a day in complete silence can help you gather your thoughts and refocus your mind. Researchers at the University of British Columbia showed that the noises with which we are bombarded on an average day - such as traffic, telephones and television - cause our immune systems to suffer and energy levels to drop. Silence and solitude, on the other hand, are therapeutic.

• To revive yourself instantly at work, move away from your desk or situation for a few minutes. Have a long, tall stretch and then bend towards the floor.Tense every muscle and then relax each one. Finally, shake yourself all over and return with a fresher spirit.

• If you find yourself slumping in the middle of the afternoon, think about your posture and sit up straight.Your internal organs need room to spread, otherwise they operate below par, leaving you tired and listless. Breathe deeply.

• Clear your bedroom of everything that does not belong there - work papers, for instance. A calm and inviting atmosphere will add to the quality of your sleep.

• Try not to fall asleep in front of the television on the settee, or leave the TV on in your bedroom all night. The light and sound will continue to enter your brain and the quality of your sleep will be seriously diminished.

• Look at how you are eating. If you are eating dinner too late, try to eat earlier. If you are eating heavy food, try to lighten the menu - it will help you sleep.

• Do not exercise too close to bedtime. It may make you fall asleep quickly, but you are likely to wake up frequently during the night. Try, instead, to exercise earlier in the day. ( dailymail.co.uk )
  

READ MORE - Fighting fatigue

How to de-stress your sex-life

How to de-stress your sex-life. Do you feel that stress is squeezing the fun out of your bedroom life?. If yes, then you can bring back the action, courtesy tips provided by sex educator and relationship expert Dr. Yvonne Kristin Fulbright. According to the expert, many couples become frustrated, even panicky, when their sex lives go to the wayside during stressful times. When it comes to the factor that governs a person's sex life, it's personality, reports Fox News.

Fulbright says that how an individual's sex life fares depends on whether he tries to get closer to his partner in tragic times or wants to be totally alone and if he's the withdrawing sorts, then it can create misunderstandings in the relationship.

In order to avoid any such misunderstandings and still keep sex life full of fun and passion, Fulbright has suggested that couples need to establish a common ground and mutual understanding during stressful times.

Also, they should make an effort to stay connected during life's highs and lows, because if they don't, it could lead to dire consequences. And in case, sex is not on mind and also the time to be spent in the sack is less, then a person can try the following:

1. Showing appreciation for one another.

Giving compliments, for example, is a simple way of expressing affection and letting your partner know that he or she is still being noticed and loved.

2. Talking daily.

Chat during dinner or at bedtime. Conversations foster bonding by providing support. It's also important for couples to check in with each other, showing concern and care for one another's well-being with simple statements like, "Tell me about your day."

3. Staying positive .

Bite your tongue if you're about to complain. Stressful situations are hard enough to deal with. Don't add to it if you can avoid doing so.

4. Believing in your future together.

Stressful times can make lovers doubt their ability to stay together for the long haul. Insecurity issues that arise can only make matters more difficult. Making plans is one way to indicate that you're feeling secure about your future.

5. Helping each other with responsibilities .

Approaching tasks with a team effort provides a greater sense of being in ‘this’ together.

6. Balancing ‘alone time’ and ‘together time.’

Create a sensual atmosphere, for example, soothing scents, dim lights, delicious food, and relaxing music to help you unwind.

7. Getting creative in how you'll be intimate .

Redefine your definition of sexual intimacy when needed; try a simple body massage.

Not to forget, lovers should make it a point to give in to one another's requests for intimacy whenever possible, as it might just prove to be a big stress-buster. In fact, sex has many physical and emotional benefits, which may help in boosting your desire for more sex and emotional intimacy. Sex can easily take your mind off of your worries.

Also, patience is the key to get your sex life back on track. One should make sure that your relationship, in general, doesn't get neglected. ( indiatimes.com )

READ MORE - How to de-stress your sex-life

Sex once a day keeps sperm healthy

Sex once a day keeps sperm healthy, study says. Couples trying to conceive should have daily sex leading up to ovulation. Having sex every day improves the quality of men's sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive, according to new research.

Until now doctors have debated whether or not men should refrain from sex for a few days before attempting to conceive with their partner to improve the chance of pregnancy.

But a new study by Dr David Greening of Sydney IVF, an Australian center for infertility and in vitro fertilization treatment, suggests abstinence is not the right approach.

He studied 118 men with above-average sperm DNA damage and found the quality of their sperm increased significantly after they were told to ejaculate daily for seven days.

On average, their DNA fragmentation index — a measure of sperm damage — fell to 26 percent from 34 percent, Greening told the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

Frequent sex does decrease semen volume but for most men this is not a problem.

"It seems safe to conclude that couples with relatively normal semen parameters should have sex daily for up to a week before the ovulation date," he said in a statement.

"In the context of assisted reproduction, this simple treatment may assist in improving sperm quality and ultimately achieving a pregnancy."

Greening said it was likely frequent ejaculation improved the quality of sperm by reducing the length of time they were exposed to potentially damaging molecules called reactive oxygen species in the testicular ducts. ( reuters.com )

READ MORE - Sex once a day keeps sperm healthy