Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Balance Your Workload

Different tasks require different levels of concentration, which you can use to your advantage. Start by identifying-and placing-the tasks you have into two categories: weeds and intensive work. Weeds are small, manageable things such as handling email, phone calls and minor organizational tasks.

Intensive work is anything that requires an extended period of concentration, such as management tasks, preparing presentations, writing or editing. "Miscellaneous routine tasks are like weeds in your garden; we all have them, and no matter how often we try to get rid of them, they never go away," says Milazzo.

"Yet they do have to be handled, and pulling a few weeds can provide a restorative break from more intensive work." Milazzo recommends splitting up long sessions of intensive work with regular 15- to 30-minute intervals of weed pulling. This way, you'll accomplish a variety of tasks while not burning out on one type of work.

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China unveils New Super-speed Train

The train, made from plastic materials reinforced with carbon fibre, is designed to resemble an ancient Chinese sword and 'will provide useful reference for current high-speed railway operations', according to train expert Shen Zhiyun.

Earlier this year, the Communist regime unveiled its fastest operational locomotive which was able to cover the 824-mile trip between Beijing and Shanghai in five hours - reaching record-breaking top speed of 200mph and maintaining an average speed of 165mph.

The latest test model has a maximum tractive power of 22,800 kilowatts, compared with 9,600 kilowatts for the Beijing-Shanghai CRH380 trains. But future Chinese trains will not necessarily run at such high speeds. CSR chairman Zhao Xiaogang said: 'We aims to ensure the safety of trains operation.'

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Justin Bieber Surprises BFF with Mustang Convertible for Christmas

This is the season for giving, and Justin Bieber pulled out all the stops for a Christmas present for his childhood friend, Ryan Butler. "Justin got me a present. #swag!!!" Butler posted to his Twitter along with a pic of a brand-new ivory two-door Ford Mustang Convertible Sunday.

The teen popstar and his BFF grew up together in Stratford, Ontario. Butler makes a cameo in Bieber's 2009 music video for his hit, "One Time."

Despite his super-busy schedule, the 17-year-old "Under the Mistletoe" singer spent Christmas Day at home in Canada with his family -- sans girlfriend Selena Gomez. He posted a few photos of him and his two younger siblings (Jaxon, 2, and Jazmyn, 3) to his Twiter account.

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Comet beats death, brushes up to sun and lives

A small comet survived what astronomers figured would be a sure death when it danced uncomfortably close to the broiling sun.

Comet Lovejoy, which was only discovered a couple of weeks ago, was supposed to melt Thursday night when it came close to where temperatures hit several million degrees. Astronomers had tracked 2,000 other sun-grazing comets make the same suicidal trip. None had ever survived.

But astronomers watching live with NASA telescopes first saw the sun's corona wiggle as Lovejoy went close to the sun. They were then shocked when a bright spot emerged on the sun's other side. Lovejoy lived.

"I was delighted when I saw it go into the sun and I was astounded when I saw something re-emerge," said U.S. Navy solar researcher Karl Battams.

Lovejoy didn't exactly come out of its hellish adventure unscathed. Only 10 percent of the comet — which was probably millions of tons — survived the encounter, said W. Dean Pesnell, project scientist for NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which tracked Lovejoy's death-defying plunge. And the comet lost something pretty important: its tail.

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Lindsay Lohan's Nude Playboy Shoot Selling Like Hot Cakes

Fresh reports suggest Lindsay Lohan's nude Playboy shoot is actually selling like hot cakes. Early indications indicated the January edition of the mag was not performing that well. But according to TMZ, the issue is selling out across the country - and vendors are ordering additional copies.

A source told the website that major cities including New York and Los Angeles - along with cities which don't usually order more copies - have asked for extra magazines to shift.

The insider added that there has been a large rise in subscription sales to the online service iPlayboy.com. When the magazine hit newstands on Friday, it was suggested the 25-year-old actress's Marilyn Monroe-inspired cover had failed to impress.

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Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Sleep on your back to prevent wrinkles

Ironically, beauty sleep can actually increase wrinkles. Over the years, habitually snoozing on your side or belly, with your face mashed into the pillow, gradually etches “sleep lines” that eventually become permanent.

According to a study published in Scandinavian Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, side sleeping contributes to more wrinkling of the cheeks and chin, while slumbering facedown furrows the brow.

Sleeping on your back prevents sleep lines or may even reverse the problem. Getting enough Z’s spurs release of a “youth hormone” called human growth hormone, leading to thicker, healthier skin and fewer lines, says Nicholas Perricone, MD, author of The Wrinkle Cure.

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Monday, December 19, 2011

Russian Leader Appoints Playboy Bunny to Parliament Role

A Playboy playmate has been elected as one of Vladimir Putin’s MPs in the Russian parliament, giving him some cheer after all the recent protests against election fraud by his party. Maria Kozhevnikova, 27, an actress, posed nude for the Russian edition of the magazine two years ago soon after breaking up from a boyfriend.

She featured on the cover and seven revealing pages were devoted to her inside the magazine. 'Playboy magazine invites readers to meet Maria and get to know her better,' boasted the title. The daughter of a Soviet ice hockey player, Alexander Kozhevnikov, who was twice an Olympic champion, Maria was a lead singer in Russian group called Love Stories before taking on film roles.

She is now best known as a star in Univers, a TV sitcom about student life. Like former spy and glamour icon Anna Chapman, she was a member of the Young Guard of Putin’s political party United Russia, which is currently facing allegations of vote-rigging after this month winning a narrow overall majority in parliament.

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Saturday, December 17, 2011

Obama Bans Daughters from Facebook

He relied heavily on social media to get him elected in 2008. But Barack Obama has admitted he has banned his daughters from using Facebook – because he doesn’t want ‘strangers knowing our business’. The U.S. President said it ‘does not make much sense’ to put the most private details of his family life on public view.

His elder daughter, Malia, is 13, and just old enough to use Facebook. Her younger sister Sasha is ten. But Mr Obama said he won’t consider allowing them to join the site until they are both four years older. His admission seems somewhat ironic, given that he made full use of Facebook and other websites to encourage the young to vote for him in the presidential election – and to raise millions of dollars for his campaign. As a result, he became known as the ‘First Social Media President’.

His Facebook page – which has 24million ‘likes’ – remains a key part of his ongoing efforts to seek re-election.

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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Facts about Blinking

All creatures great and small blink — except for fish, snakes, and other animals without eyelids. Then there are some special creatures — perhaps most famously hamsters — that wink, blinking only one eye at a time.

In 1927, W.P. Blount published the definitive guide to blinking in the animal kingdom titled “Studies of the Movements of the Eyelids of Animals: Blinking.” Among Blount’s findings: Sudanese monkeys blink like crazy, rats blink when they sneeze and goats blink at intervals of 30 to 60 seconds.

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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

A Flat-screen TV That Can be Rolled up and Put in Your Pocket

The new technology which was developed by a team of British scientists is known as quantum dots and can be used to make ultra-thin televisions. It certainly is a step up from the super-thin OLED screen that was unveiled by Sony last year.

The quantum dot technology is light emitting particles which are 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human strand of hair will be printed onto flexible plastic that can be rolled up or even printed onto large sheets of paper to create giant screens.

The flexible screens are expected to take slightly longer and could be in the shops over the next three years. The company will not reveal exactly who they are working with but it is believed that Sony, Sharp, Samsung and LG are all working on quantum dot technology.

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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

First Look Inside Bombshell Lindsay Lohan's Nude Playboy Shoot

The cover of the highly anticipated issue leaked early and we have already seen a behind the scenes shot of Lindsay Lohan dressed only in a silk dressing gown on the set of the shoot. But now the men's magazine has released the first shot of the actress from the inside spread - and it is clear Lindsay is channelling her inner blonde bombshell.

The 24-year-old actress is seen reclining with her white blonde hair tumbling over her shoulders, her arm raised above her head. With her red glossy lips parted, Lindsay is seen pouting and staring into the camera with her eyes partially hidden under her huge eyelashes. Fans of the magazine will no doubt feel short changed by the 'nude shot' which reveals only a hint of her chest. While plenty of flesh is on show is seems her skin has been airbrushed considerably in parts with few freckles on show.

Yestersay a snap showing Lindsay on the set of the photoshoot was revealed. The Mean Girls actress was captured before the airbrush, clutching a cigarette and teasing onlookers as her dressing gown gaped open.

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Monday, December 12, 2011

Use technology with intent to maximize your day

In today's 24/7 all-access world, it's hard to get a handle on technology use. While it's impossible to avoid it altogether, you can be disciplined about how much time you spend perusing the Web. Set aside a specific time, say 15 minutes after lunch, to scroll through your social networking sites or other favorite websites-and stick to it.

Or try something like Google Chrome's website blocker, which allows you to set restrictions to your online time by either totally blocking your favorite websites or just restricting the timeframes within which you are allowed to check them. In addition to surfing the Internet, it's important to watch your email habits. Whether you give yourself 15 to 30 minutes at a set time each day to check your personal email, or you allow yourself brief intervals between tasks, Holhbaum says the key is to be very mindful of the time you're spending checking your non-work inbox. "Have a very clear distinction between what's personal and what's work. If that's a part of your 'OK I need to zone out for a little bit' time, that's fine. But you need to be clear and be mindful of what you're doing."

Even work-related emails can become a distraction if not properly managed. Ask yourself if email is the best method of communication, or if you're better off calling the person. "Sending 100 emails isn't [always] going to be the most productive thing. And as we know, emails beget emails. They're like little rabbits," Hohlbaum jokes. "If it's a one-way communication, for example forwarding an airplane itinerary, you don't need to have any answer [so email works]. But if you want detail or you know the person won't respond right away by email, pick up the phone," she says.

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

BlackBerry under Fire over Illegal Sex Content

Smartphone company BlackBerry faces controversy after it was revealed its customers have been able to access illegal sex content on the internet, including child pornography.

Since the summer, BlackBerry has failed to provide internet blocks which protect users, including children, from accessing a list of banned websites. The news will alarm parents since teenagers make up a large proportion of the eight million BlackBerry users in the UK.

Last night, telecoms regulator Ofcom said it was ‘very concerned’ about the issue and that it was talking urgently to Canada’s Research in Motion (RIM), owners of BlackBerry, about how to solve the problem.

All mobile phone operators in Britain are signed up to a code of practice which ensures they apply a block on access to sex sites on the internet. A spokesman for RIM said: ‘By the end of 2011, we will have a solution in place that blocks access to these sites.’

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Friday, December 9, 2011

Lindsay Lohan's Nude Playboy Cover Leaked Online

She is no doubt one of the most high profile and controversial stars to agree to grace the magazine's front cover But Lindsay Lohan’s Playboy cover shot big reveal has been thwarted and a picture of the upcoming issue has been leaked online. The 25-year-old actress is seen straddling a Playboy bunny shaped chair which manages to cover her modesty, but reveals the curve of her breasts.

Wearing just a pair of black high heels, Lindsay has her hair in big blonde curls falling around her shoulders, and she is seen pouting into the camera with bright red lips, matching her seat and the curtains in the backdrop.

Lindsay, who was reportedly paid $1million for the shoot, had planned to reveal her nude cover on the Ellen DeGeneres show on December 15. The actress had to pose for the magazine photographers twice, as the original attempt did not satisfy Playboy boss Hugh Hefner. Speaking about the snaps which appear in the January/ February issue of the magazine, Hefner spoke about the inspiration behind the racy shots.

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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Ordering the combo meal could harm your diet

A study in the Journal of Public Policy & Marketing shows that compared to ordering a la carte, you pick up a hundred or more extra calories by opting for the “combo” or “value meal." Why? Because when you order items bundled together, you're likely to buy more food than you want.

You're better off ordering your food piecemeal. That way you won't be influenced by pricing schemes designed to hustle a few more cents out of your pocket.

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Jet That Can Fly Anywhere on Earth without Stopping

The bar-tailed Godwit holds the world record for how far a bird can fly without stopping to feed - one of the Australian birds flew to Alaska without stopping to feed, flying for an astonishing 7,256 miles.

So designer William Black took the bird's wings as his inspiration for a 'zero-emission' jet - the Lockheed Stratoliner concept - which would use bird-like wings for extended lift on high-altitude flights.

His idea was a jet that could fly anywhere on Earth - emitting no pollution whatsoever. The idea is still some way off, however. Hydrogen-powered flight has only been demonstrated a few times - and then only in small aircraft.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

To Stay Productive: Take Breaks!

Most people seem to think that constantly working is synonymous with being productive, but unless your brain is functioning at its maximum level, you may not be getting as much work done as you think. "[Taking breaks] is like hitting the reset button.

It helps you empty out your 'brain cache' so you have room to refill it," says Christine Hohlbaum, author of The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World. First and foremost, she recommends taking lunch every day-and leaving your desk to do it. "When you have a 'working lunch,' it's just not very efficient. At some point you're going to lose attention," she says.

She recommends taking five minutes in the morning, before starting work, and at least a 10- to 15-minute break in the afternoon. Whether you take a short walk, read a book or stare out of the window with a cup of tea, it'll help you recharge and improve your overall productivity. "It's really important to take time off because otherwise your brain will reach a s

aturation point," Hohlbaum says, explaining that when this happens, it becomes hard to focus on even the simplest task. "At that point, you need to push away from your computer and take a break."

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Monday, December 5, 2011

Clinton criticism sparks Israeli anger

Israeli ministers reacted angrily on Sunday after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she feared for the future of Israel`s democracy and the rights of women in the Jewish state.

Israeli lawmakers, particularly right-wing members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu`s government, have in recent months championed a series of bills criticised by local rights groups as an attempt to rein in left-leaning NGOs and journalists.

Among the most controversial of the proposed laws is one that would limit foreign funding for certain NGOs -- legislation that leftist activists say targets groups opposed to Israeli occupation that report on violations of Palestinian human rights.

A senior State Department official, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Clinton "is concerned about the NGO law" and Israeli "conservative comments on women."

Clinton`s remarks, reportedly delivered behind closed doors Saturday at the Saban Forum in Washington, made headlines in most Israeli newspapers.

Top-selling Yediot Aharonot said Clinton had described shock at hearing that some buses in Jerusalem were gender-segregated and that some religious Israeli soldiers refused to attend events where women would sing.

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

They put perfectionism in its place

While turning in perfect work has been encouraged since kindergarten, that attitude can be counterproductive if it's not managed. It's important to pick your battles.

"Women, by nature, are somewhat perfectionist," says Milazzo. "So we need to distinguish what requires perfectionism," she says. Of course you want to put your best foot forward in all situations, but if you're strapped for time, prioritize.

If, for example, you're writing an informal memo or email to a co-worker, give it a quick look and spell-check it, but resist the urge to re-read it three times over. If, on the other hand, you're creating a brochure for your company or preparing an important presentation, then that's the time to put all of your perfectionist tendencies to good use.

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Couple Caught Having Sex at Top of A Waterslide

They were caught on CCTV as the girl straddled her boyfriend before they hurtled down the shute in Opoczno, Poland. But within moments of joining the 'waterslide-high club', they were escorted straight to the park exit - without even being allowed to retrieve their clothes.

'They were at it for a good five minutes before anyone realised what was going on in what must have been a breach of the water park rules,' one lifeguard said.

A pool spokesman added: 'This is a family pool and water park and we want everyone to have fun, but not that sort of fun.' At Alton Towers, the wearing of Speedos is banned at its Splash Landing resorts to 'maintain the family friendly atmosphere'.

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

Samsung Win Appeal in Apple Tablet Battle

South Korean electronics giant Samsung Wednesday won its appeal against a temporary ban on sales of its Galaxy tablet device in Australia, a rare victory in its legal battle with rival Apple.

The Federal Court of Australia in Sydney lifted the ban on the sale of the Galaxy 10.1 Tab ahead of a final hearing, with the US giant claiming the device copies its iPad computer. But Apple immediately won a stay of orders, meaning that Samsung will not be able to sell the Galaxy in Australia until 0500 GMT Friday.

The Federal Court granted an interim order against the sale of the Galaxy 10.1 in October, ruling that Apple had established a prima facie case that the South Korean company had breached touchscreen technology copyrights. The Sydney court heard it would take a week to prepare to launch the Galaxy for sale in Australia, and Samsung argued against the further stay on sales.

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