iMergeAndSee Lifestyle

Autotune for Guitar?!

2011-05-10T21:10:00.000-04:00

Ok. I already wrote a blog about Autotune. If you want to read it click HERE. I am bringing up the infamous plug-in again because there is a new edition of it. This time it is for guitar. Now you’re probably thinking: WTF?! I thought the same thing when I learned about it today. I get newsletters from Antares, the company that developed Autotune, and this one introduced the ATG-6 which is the name of the Autotune for guitar. Now, there is something I want to say first.

There are probably some really cool effects that this thing can generate. Autotune EVO, the version used for vocals, is capable of producing a lot of cool effects people are not aware of. I have done some experimenting with Autotune, and one thing I was able to do was re-create the robotic voice Daft Punk uses in a lot of their songs from Discovery and Human After All. You can also generate harmonies using just one voice. Autotune is capable of much more than pitch correction and I’m pretty sure the ATG-6 will be able to do the same. However, let’s not forget the original purpose of any model of Autotune: to correct pitch. What I wonder is: why would you need a pitch correction tool for electric guitar?!....Click to read more at Jamikeken and Friends

If you think your life is upside down

2011-05-08T11:50:00.000-04:00

An installation of an upside down house in Trassenheide Germany was opened to the public two weeks ago and was designed by Polish partners Klaudiusz Golos and Sebastion Mikuciuk for the Edutainment exhibition company.

People who have visited the house reported feeling dizzy and disorientated. An interesting alternative view of every day items and the designers did a great job with the interior. Similar buildings have been designed upside down before but only from the exterior.

More of the upside down house interior in Germany with 9 more pics after the jump.

Source: Weirdy News

OSAMA BIN LADEN IS DEAD: PRESIDENT'S REMARKS

2011-05-02T04:33:00.002-04:00

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON OSAMA BIN LADEN

East Room

11:35 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people...Click here for full statement at Whitehouse.gov

Click here for more video and information from CNN.com

Click here for more video and information from BBC.co.uk

Are Atheists Realists?

2011-04-29T09:38:00.001-04:00

Personally I was an Atheist, taking to view that the scriptures of ALL religions were literally re-tellings of the same story, i.e. Jesus, Dionysus, Horus all being born of Virgins around the Winter Solstice then killed in a religious ceremony when they were 30 only to then rise from the dead 3 days after and other stories.

Now I am certain of the opposite, that THERE IS A DIETY, though I am much more scientific than ethereal or spiritual about it. And I also dare say they're all the same dang thing, Mother Nature, Gaia, Jesus, You, Morgan Freeman/Jim Carey, Zarathustra, Vishna, Superman etc. are all the same Omnificient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent being. What caused my complete turn around are a number of personal revelations which led me to ask this question in the first place.

1. Realizing the impossible was possible. For instance infinity is an immeasurable amount impossible to count yet a possible conclusion in mathematical formulae. Also at one point, tracking the speed of light was impossible, now we think we have a handle on it at least its propogational speed. Similarly we're trying to determine the propogational speed of Gravity SR (Einstein Theory of Relativity) says its infinite while LR (Lorentzian Relativity) says its finite.

2. Accepted science through time has been disproven many times over by NEW science, i.e. the World being flat to Tera Centric vs Helio Centric view of the Universe, to the 4 elements turning into the Periodic Table to the relatively new field of Dark Matter science.

So we can't say for certain some things are not miracles of an ethereal nature or a matter of scientific marvel. We could find out that the world is not Round at all either and just that our ability/inability to perceive space time results in a curvature idealogy to things. All existence could just be a linear non linear line, in a perfect circle, chinese staircase, pentagonal, oval, trapezoid Cube Pyramid, Volkswaagen Hyundai, Delorian. vrooom

3. The very similarities in all the religious scriptures could possibly be tellings of the same story developing completely new arcs through thousands of years of retelling. For instance the New Testament was not written until 300 years after the events of the New testament, remember literacy was rare in these ancient times. Seriously, tyhink about it, just reflect back to your school days when you played a game of telephone, how often did something like "The Cat in the Hat" become "Catch that".

And thats amongst a closed group in a controlled environment with similar peoples, imagine the same story retold multiple times by Village elders to parents to kids to their friends, back to parents to drunks, half deaf people French to German to Latin to Egyptian. Without going back what exactly did I say in Realization 1, retype it and see if you got it exactly (don't cheat).

This left me thinking they could ALL be true. One possibility that allows for this can be seen in fictional story (or is it? dunhh dunhh dunhhh!) the modern version of Galactica, where 12 space faring colonies of peoples all believing in Gods similar to the Greek/Romans Gods and had colonies aligned under said Gods, warred with another group that believed in One God (whome at the same time warred amongst themselves on who and what that One God is) and they all eventually found out that peace and settling on what is now Earth was THE only way for ANY of them to survive. That story alone accounts for Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Scientologists, Hebrew, Greek and Roman beliefs etc.

The question I now put forth regarding Atheism and Realism (is that how you state this?) stems from my inability to say yes or no to the existence of god with utter certainty. With this lack of certainty in mind MY (and mine alone) realistic view on this is I can't be a realist and say I am an Atheist.

Now as the entire human race has sections of Atheists, Christians, Religious Fanatics etc I can say with some degree of certainty the objective point of view is closer to mine, the popular reality is not sure there is a God - and as Atheism requires you to be certain there isn't one - then you can't be both. You could take to the old saying here "You can't have your cake and eat it too"

Now whatever YOUR beliefs are religion wise, (this is a discourse on realism and not a challenge to your religion or lack there of*) My question is

Are Atheists true realists?

and subsequently

- Is my subjective understanding of Atheism and Realism right to say an Atheist cannot call them self a Realist?

- Is REALITY so subjective that known science, religion or lack there of allow you to be both?

- Are the many many many recorded tales of miracles, ghosts etc that cannot be explained by known science enough to allude to facts of God's existence there by the Atheist is ignoring facts and as such is a non Realist?

*I apologize to anyone I tagged here if your offended in any way. If this casts any doubt upon you via any Dogma you may follow, let me know and I will untag you and exclude from any such future conversations. I did not mean to offend. This is a part of my life long quest for knowledge and social understanding.

** This note is friends only so speak Frankly without fear of reprisals from your priest, your boss, your mom or the evil monkey in your closet.***Goes without saying as I have tagged some people from the cuirous to the scientific to the ethereal, don't be rude to one another or yourself.

sources:

- Photos and some written scripture from http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-christ-like-figures-who-pre-date-jesus/

- http://metaresearch.org/cosmology/speed_of_gravity.asp- Other scripture from The Zeitgeist, Life and heresay

The Social Media Performance: Stand out in the crowd

2011-04-28T13:39:00.001-04:00

Today anybody and everybody with some creative thought and the aid of apps a laptop or even just an Android or iPhone can flood the market place with professional sounding (not necessarily professional quality) products that compete with your work. To then find success for your project, be it financial success or to reach a mass audience means you have to set yourself further apart and stand out more from the noise of the crowd. However there is an equal flood of programs boasting promises the road to fame. In trying to pick from amongst them you your self can get lost in this in the same manner your potential fan may be lost.

I myself have worked at the forefront of this developing field of New Media over 10 years for some of the top Independent Labels like Putumayo World Music, Nomadic Wax and VP Records. Along with other colleagues I have surfed the New Media wave, nearly drowning in fails like Friendster and Kickapps to rising success in Youtube and Facebook. Here in this series of articles we will deliver some tips my colleagues and I have found through experience that can aid you in creating your presence in the digital marketplace to capture an audience that can lead to success for your project.

Now when you consider releasing a new project the work really begins well before you even pick your release date. You need to begin audience accumulation from the start; a fan base can often help bring success and sometimes support the process of your project. The most obvious today is a Social network page with Facebook. We first had MySpace which is still around but was short lived due to its spam based nature. Today the popular medium is by far and large Facebook. They have managed to develop a system that lets you enjoy the social and sharing benefits once brought by the likes of MySpace without the incessant spamming by developing a unique privacy control system and news feed control that allows the user to quickly sort through the clutter to get to what they truly want. Furthermore they have integrated a sharing and recommendation feature that incorporates content between friends and user interests.

This is a great advantage for you as your select sound can be more easily distinguished from the crowd. Your first step is to make an account and then make a fan page. Many people make the mistake of making an account instead of a fan page and then go about adding friends, even people they don't actually know. This is a no-no and you should really be making a fan page. Here's why you want a fan page. Accounts are limited to 5,000 friends while fan pages are unlimited. Also when you go about adding people you don't actually know Facebook's anti spamming security feature kicks in and will block your adding feature, also the person you’re trying to add may report you as a spammer. With a fan page you can't go about adding people however you can suggest your page to people you ACTUALLY know. If they're slow on the suggest a page, then call them up! After all they are your friend aren't they? Outside of that try using Facebook’s highly affordable ads you can set up a campaign of any budget, I recommend a budget of $1-$2.

Your aim is to get as many people as you can to be fans of your page. Once you have them keep them engaged with what you’re doing, leak a track or a snippet or put up a mix tape or video or just share thoughts, facebook enables you to use your fan page as a user allowing all the same features as an account except for Adding people and some applications of course. This activity serves to garner more fans as fans them selves will begin to recommend your page. Word of mouth, or rather click of mouse is very powerful. You will want to share music or videos, to do so you'll want to use Facebook apps developed for Facebook with key music sharing programs, the best are Reverbnation and Damn the Radio.

Reverb and Damn the Radio have built in programs that sync right into your fan page on facebook and can act as your default wall. I have been going on here about Facebook as it really is a great tool however, you’re investing yourself here with your time and any dollars spent so like with any investment, diversify. By that I mean crate other social network and online media accounts.

Definitely make a twitter, this is your best tool when moving about, sync your twitter account to your mobile, if you don't have a smart phone or you have limited texts that only means you have to be more creative with your tweets, the more limited the amount of tweets you can make the more creative the tweets should be. Try releasing quick lines from lyrics, observations on similar musicians. Definitely follow your favorite musicians and comment on their tweets, don't spam em with your content though, try to create real tweetersations.

Build a Youtube page, video is an extremely important medium and Youtube has an equally large audience as facebook, but as a startup and low to nonexistent budget you'd be hard pressed to make an immediate impact as Youtube is very much like MySpace flooded and does not have the same personalization’s facebook does. Speaking of video, a UStream is recommended as well. With UStream you can make live concerts, or give fans a sneak peak at rehearsals or home studio recordings, which you can then save and post to your Youtube. Post said video to both, it seems redundant to do double the work, but remember you need to diversify. For instance, whenever a new movie comes out, whether it’s from Fox or Disney or WB, it’s advertised on the Networks of all three afore mentioned studios. Additionally the actors from the movie hit every talk show they can, late night, daytime Oprah etc.

This I would say seems to be an old staple of the internet but a very necessary one; you want to have your own dotcom and a website. A dotcom is very affordable; GoDaddy.com provides them as low as $12.00 a year. They suggest hosting for your website however you can just get the domain name and forward it to what you feel is the best website for you. Some of the best choices (especially on a restricted budget) are to use your facebook fan page, or get a blog or a Bandcamp. For the latter two I highly recommend Blogger over Wordpress, Typepad or Tumblr. Blogger is more flexible and has a better WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) system, great for most industries especially music, film and entertainment. It is a Google product and readily integrates (and is SEO optimized already, which helps bring you web traffic) with their search engines. Plus their widgets ad services like Adsense, Google’s click to pay Ad network, where you can earn revenue for ads Google placed on your blog or site.

Typepad and Wordpress are more for Journalists and Tumblr is a more ideal blog for Photographers, neither of these has yet to include a better click to pay ad network like Google’s Adsense. Bandcamp is like blogger but a) is not Google owned (at the time of this post) and b) is solely music oriented. Bandcamp focuses on helping you sell and distribute your music, by creating a great web interface, cool tools for building a fan base and ways to sell your music content as well as merchandise and other chochkeys. Now I should state that the above mentioned Reverbnation has similar features to both Bandcamp and blogger and was actually built first. It has and continues to be a competitor to MySpace music however it is a music based community with a vast majority of its members being musicians, music venues and music labels from mainstream to independent. They have a similar click to pay ad network. However their bread and butter is their ability to help you promote shows, enter music contests and auditions, CMJ, and The Ernie Ball Warp Tour to name a few. Reverb also includes self publishing your work, placing it on iTunes, Amazon and a plethora of retailers. It’s similar to CDBaby or Tunecore.

What ever your choice in the website area the domain is yours to keep, once you have it make sure to renew it yearly, this is key and you should invest in this. Be sure to have some kind of fan info collection tool at the site, be it a ringtone, mp3, wallpaper or video download upon sign up.

All the above mentioned programs tie into both your Twitter and Facebook. You will want to identify one as your main source. Our recommendation is Facebook as it has the highest concentration of users and with its privacy, interest and its friend based news sharing feature it is the most balanced program, giving the small time musician the same ability to reach the same target audience a megastar (or their label) can with their mega star budgets. After all that is what separates the Indie from the Major is a budget, it is the great equalizer. It is the greatest sharing tool as you can use it to share your videos you have on Youtube, your songs on Reverbnation or Bandcamp, or direct people back to items exclusively on your website. Familiarize yourself with these tools, make sure to use their help systems (note there are dozens of tutorials on Youtube for ALL these programs)

Your final tool in working with all these programs are key words that help describe you and is searched by your potential fan base. For instance if your Hard Rock Emo group similar to Thursday, or Glam Rock like Orgy, or Gangster Pop like G-Unit you'll want to call up, email, poke message or tweet all your friends you know that are fans of these groups and have them check out your stuff. Have them fan your page and ask them to share with their friends of like mind. Once you have exhausted this measure, consider advertising. Note this is a step to take once you have come to a decision on a budget. From here you will have to take into account SEO and ROI marketing of yourself and your project and capitalizing on all your hard work. We will continue this discourse in our next article "Keywords for the Musical Key"

Autotune Isn't the Magic Tool Everyone Thinks It Is

2011-04-04T12:02:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I just watched NigaHiga's new video about Rebecca Black's catastrophe of a song "Friday". In it he compares himself to Black saying his music is just like her's: he writes about what he does on a daily basis and he Autotunes himself because he can't sing. Now that reminded me that a lot of people believe Autotune is a magic tool that can be used to convert a bad singer into a good one, but guess what. IT'S NOT!!!!

Autotune was not invented to make people better singers. Only vocal training and practice can do that. It's purpose is to correct an instrument's pitch; yes, I said instrument. Autotune can be used to correct pitch on instruments too, not just voice (wow!). It can also save time.

If you’ve done 100 takes on a new song and finally on #100 Autotune analyzes the pitch in an audio recording. After analysis, Autotune shifts the pitch according to how you set it: and yes, Autotune is not as automatic as you may think. It is a dumb program that will do only what you tell it to do.

If the song is in the key of C major, you have to set the Autotune program to C major. The notes are C D E F G A B in the C Major scale. Autotune will correct your pitches to these notes, specifically the closest one. For example, if the song is in C but you sing a C#, Autotune will shift that pitch to C or D. If you are slightly sharp or flat, say on C, Autotune will either raise or lower your pitch to C. That’s cool but it can create a problem....Click to read more

America's Next Top Energy Innovator

2011-03-30T14:54:00.000-04:00

Posted by Ginny Simmons on March 29, 2011 at 12:21 PM EDT

Ed. Note: This was originally posted on the Department of Energy blog.
Secretary Chu announced a new program today, called "America's Next Top Energy Innovator," to reduce the cost and paperwork for start-up companies to purchase the Department’s many thousand unlicensed patents and start bringing more of these new energy technologies to the U.S. marketplace. "Our goal is simple,” said Secretary Chu, "unleash America’s innovation machine and win the global race for the clean energy jobs of the future."

National Renewable Energy Laboratory scientists found multiple uses for thin film lithium ion conductors - for batteries and for solar cells. (by National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

Starting on Monday, May 2, entrepreneurs will be able to apply for any of these patents by submitting a business plan for how they propose to use them. Best of all, within the scope of this challenge, a portfolio of up to three patents will cost an upfront fee of just $1,000 -- a total savings of $10,000 - $50,000.

Read more at The Whitehouse Blog

Are You Satisfied With Your Body?

2011-03-28T15:35:00.001-04:00

A new study examines how magazines full of model-perfect bodies really make us feel about our own less-than-perfect physiques.
By Denise Mann

March 18, 2011 -- When you flip through a glossy beauty or fitnessmagazine, how much time do you spend starring at the models?

The answer may depend on how you feel about your own physique and whether or not these photos are accompanied by articles detailing how you too can achieve six-pack abs or slim, sleek thighs, according to a study published in Media Psychology.

In the study, 169 people recruited from a large Midwestern university filled out surveys that asked about their body image. Participants then evaluated two 21-paged magazines on a computer.

Both magazines included 16 pages of ads; half featured models with ideal attributes and the other half featured models with more average shapes. Men looked at magazines with male images and women only looked at female images.

Body Shape Satisfaction

Those people who were not satisfied with their body shape and size spent 50% more time looking at models with ideal bodies when these images were accompanying articles about diet and fitness, compared to similar images surrounded by non-self-improvement related articles: 59 seconds vs. 40 seconds, respectively.

“If the articles inspired them to go on a diet or start an exercise program, they would spend more time looking at the ideal bodies,” says study researcher Silvia Knobloch-Westerwick, PhD, an associate professor of communication at Ohio State University in Columbus, in a news release. “If the articles gave them no inspiration, they tended to avoid the photos.”....Click to read more at WebMD

Foolproof Way to Lose Weight

2011-03-16T14:37:00.000-04:00

Foolproof Way
to Lose Weight
According to our fitness pro, counting
calories is the best way to drop
pounds. Here's how to get started.
Also See:
  • Can You Be Allergic to the Sun?
  • Anatomy of a Sore Throat
  • Blemish-Busting Tips That Work

Everyday Fitness

with Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, FACP

Living life to the fullest is all about striving for a mind-body balance every day. Achieve a mental, nutritional, and physical transformation for life with tips from wellness expert Pamela Peeke, MD.

Monday, March 7, 2011

How to Become a Calorie Master

“Oh, NO! Don’t make me count calories. Can’t I just eat healthy foods and be OK?”This is one of the frequent responses I get when I mention the importance of knowing how much you’re actually eating each day. I also get the “I’ve done that before. It didn’t get me anywhere and it was such a pain. Just one more thing I’ve got to do.” Since just about everyone’s been on some kind of “diet”, many people feel like they’ve been there and done that with calorie counting. For that matter, it’s almost un-American not to have counted calories at some point in your weight management journey. And presently, some people in the nutrition community even avoid the topic of calories altogether, focusing instead on “healthy eating”. Is calorie counting a throw-back to the dark ages of weight management? Or is it your key to achieving your optimal weight? Do you really have to count calories?

Yep, but with some qualifiers.

Beginners need to take the time to learn how many calories they’re eating. As you achieve success and become more experienced over time, there’s less of a need to count every calorie. So, the great news is that with baseline learning, practice and success, you can one day graduate and become a calorie master. So, for those beginning on your journey, or those who’ve plateaued and want to get back on track, here are some calorie basics to help guide you.

I’m a real advocate of promoting caloric literacy. Most people are clueless about what they’re putting in their mouths. So I’m going to make this easy to understand.

A calorie is a unit of energy. It’s the currency of weight management. There are:

4 calories in every gram of protein
4 calories in every gram of carbohydrate
9 calories in every gram of fat

If you ate some random food that had 10 grams of fat, 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of carb, you’d be consuming 170 calories— (10×9) +(10 x 4) + (10 x 4) = 170.

If you’re good with the concept of a financial budget, you’ll be fine with caloric budgets. The way you handle your bank currency is the same as how you’ll manage your calorie currency. This is why I have a problem with people who advocate winging it and thinking they don’t have to have at least some basic understanding of how much they’re eating each day.

Build a better date night

2011-03-12T18:20:00.000-05:00

WebMD Feature from "Good Housekeeping" Magazine

by Sarah Mahoney

Whether your trysts are regular or once in a blue moon, you can rev up your romantic routine. For more great dates, check out these 7 fun ideas.

Tell the truth: Did your date nights vanish years ago, along with sleeping in, Sunday brunches, and reading the newspaper over coffee? Or have they become as stale as, well, 15 years of the missionary position?

In either case, you're due for a refresher. Couples should give special time together a high priority, because it not only helps you stay connected, the latest research reports, but it also makes both partners happier. "Date night is one of the best ways couples have to pull back from the fray and remember there's an 'us' hidden in the swirl of their daily lives — and really focus on maintaining and celebrating their connection to each other," says Pepper Schwartz, Ph.D., a sociology professor at the University of Washington in Seattle and relationship expert from perfectmatch.com.

To help keep your marriage strong, date night should be fun — of course — but you should also make it novel in some way, or you'll grow bored with your time together and, possibly, with each other, says Arthur Aron, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook who researches couples'

ZOMBIES ARE OVER

2011-03-10T18:47:00.002-05:00

I was having lunch with a landscaper the other day and she told a story about how meter readers are discovering little colonies of frogs and salamanders in the dark and dank places where meters for homes and businesses are often located. This was apparently a sign of something, but I missed the moral of the story because I kept thinking about parting the overgrown grass surrounding a meter and seeing some shaky looking baby frogs hiding out in an Anne Frank-ish way. People exchange stories of these sorts of recent developments and deliver them with an intensity that warns “heads up, we’re probably all gonna die soon. There are frogs living in the spare tire in the trunk of my car.”
I have been adding up, and sharing clues involving what I can only assume is an inevitable zombie apocalypse. I recently went to the library to reserve some books that my local branch didn’t carry, and one of them was The Walking Dead Compendium: Volume 1. I was both shocked and annoyed to find that after completing my reservation, I was informed that I was 15th in line to receive that book. That very night, while making my rounds on Facebook, I found the following exchange on a friend’s profile:
Friend: Oh man, I’ve been watching The Walking Dead and it rules.
Commenter: Zombies are no longer the “hot” monster of choice. Everyone likes werewolves now.
Friend: Why does everyone have to shit on everything??
Commenter #2: Zombies are over!!!!

Read the rest at Vice Magazine: ZOMBIES ARE OVER - Viceland Today

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU SHIT, TURN IT INTO PERFUME

2011-03-09T14:54:00.002-05:00

We like resourceful people. Work smart, that’s what we always say. Check the unit price. Make something from nothing. Industry. We recently heard about some guy named Jamie who is distilling his turds and turning them into perfume, which, as far as we’re concerned, is the epitome of the entrepreneurial spirit we so admire. We called up the enterprising perfumer to get the skinny on poop frangrance.

Read the rest at Vice Magazine: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU SHIT, TURN IT INTO PERFUME - Viceland Today

What Makes People Happy

2011-03-09T14:26:00.002-05:00

Test Your
Happiness Smarts
What are happy people doing that
unhappy people aren't? Take this quiz
for insights into what makes people happy.
Also See:
  • Truth About Money and Happiness
  • Secret to an Ideal Marriage
  • 5 Strategies for Sleep Apnea

Take the test @ Web MD

Charge George W. Bush with war crimes?

2011-02-14T20:10:00.001-05:00

Editor's note: David Frum writes a weekly column for CNN.com. A special assistant to President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2002, he is the author of six books, including "Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again," and is the editor of FrumForum.

Washington (CNN) -- Charge George W. Bush with war crimes?

Some Bush critics have for years demanded a prosecution of the former president. They had hoped that the incoming Obama administration would put Bush on trial. No luck.

Now they have changed their focus, filing actions in foreign courts. Last week, these Bush opponents filed an action in Switzerland in advance of a Bush appearance at a charity fundraiser in Geneva.

Shortly after the filing, the Bush appearance was canceled. Bush is in no danger of going to a Swiss jail, obviously. But it's important that all Americans understand: This use of law as a weapon of politics is an assault upon the basic norms of American constitutional democracy.

American presidents are subject to law, of course: American law.

In the case of torture -- the offense of which Bush's critics accuse the president -- the relevant law is the War Crimes Act of 1996, which provides penalties up to the death penalty for abuse of military detainees.

This law was adopted in conformity with U.S. obligations under the 1986 Convention Against Torture, which called upon all signatory states to "ensure that all acts of torture are offences under its criminal law." (It's often said that the convention "bans" torture, but that is not correct: It creates an obligation on member states to ban torture by their own nationals.)

Sugar and Sweeteners: Fact vs. Fiction

2011-02-11T12:48:00.002-05:00

How much do you know about the stuff
you sprinkle on strawberries or stir into
your morning coffee? Test Your Smarts

Also See:
  • What to Eat With Diabetes
  • Truth About Stevia
  • Screening Tests All Women Need

Secrets to Slimming Your Saddlebags

2011-02-02T13:37:00.000-05:00

One moment we’re just boys and girls romping in a play yard. Skinny, straight-up-and-down androgynous bodies rolling and jumping in pure glee. And in a flash, that kid becomes an adolescent. While the boys usually morph into taller, leaner, muscular warriors complete with six pack abs, girls transform from tomboy toothpicks to curvy young women. Fat deposits gift each woman with breasts, as well as hips, thighs and buttocks. These bountiful curves arm women with precious fat supplies to support reproduction.

As is always the case, some women are well-endowed upstairs with bodacious bosoms, while others are piling extra fat on their outer thighs. Instead of looking like an hour glass, these women take on the appearance of a pear, with a disproportionate amount of fat on the lower part of the body. Staring in the mirror, these pockets of fat look like the bags that hang off a horse’s saddle or dangle off the sides of a motorcycle. Thus the term “saddlebags” to describe this extra abundance of outer thigh fat.

Saddlebags can turn fitting into a pair of jeans mission impossible. Thank heavens for the new stretchy pants fabrics. Is it possible to completely remove your saddlebag fat? Some women can whittle most of it away, while others will minimize but not completely remove these pockets of fat. Genetics plays a powerful role here. Look at the other women in your family tree. Who do you look like? If she’s got saddlebags, you’ve got the genes. Regardless, everyone needs to do the work to trim those thighs. Here’s what to do.

Saddlebag Slimming Secrets:

1) What You Overeat, You Carry in the Saddlebag: If you’ve got saddlebags, it’s clear your body has very active fat storage enzymes in your thighs. Those extra calories are headed right to your thighs, so let’s put a halt to your overeating right now. Click onto WebMD’s wonderful Food and Fitness Planner and map out a strategy for reining in calories while eating tasty and satisfying foods you love.

2) Carve Your Curves with Cardio: If you want to shake up that saddlebag fat, you need to get up and get your cardio going. Infuse it with intervals of intensity to show your thigh fat who’s boss. You’re not going to get those fat cells to cough up their fat fuel by walking like a zombie on a treadmill. Crank up the music and dance all over the house, take a Zumba class and stomp out those saddlebags with Latin music and lots of swaying hips. Or, pick up the fat-burning pace and do some walk-jogging. Biking and spin classes nail your bottom half. That elliptical is just waiting for you to hop on and take a ride. Five times a week burning 400 calories each session is your goal. If you’re a novice, no problem. Just pop a patience pill and build up gradually.

Watch The State Of The Union 2011 Live On YouTube--Then Ask Obama Your Questions (VIDEO)

2011-01-25T16:31:00.001-05:00

On the Thursday following the State of the Union address, President Obama will spend forty-five minutes answering questions from a group of citizens that may include a homeless man, an unemployed Marine, and a high-schooler.

Technology has repeatedly disrupted the way politicians interact with their constituents and it is happening yet again. Radio's moment came in the 1940s, television upended politics in the 1960s, and now the Web is forcing politicians to connect with Americans more quickly and personally than ever before.

YouTube will not only be among the sites live streaming President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, it will also, for the second year in a row, be hosting a question and answer session with the President, to be streamed live over the Internet, during which people will have the opportunity to pose their questions about healthcare, education police, and unemployment directly to the president.

Read more at Huffington Post

Eat These Fat-Fighting Foods

2011-01-19T17:18:00.000-05:00

Do you know which foods can fill you
up faster and keep you satisfied for longer?
You may already have some in your pantry.

1. Greek Yogurt

What makes Greek yogurt a delicious tool for weight loss is its protein content. It has twice as much as other yogurts. "Protein takes longer to leave the stomach," says sports nutritionist Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD. "That keeps you satisfied longer." As a bonus, Bonci tells WebMD, the body burns more calories digesting protein than carbs. Non-fat, low-fat, and low-sugar types keep a slim profile.

2. Quinoa

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is a nutritional all-star that belongs in your weight loss plan. This whole grain has 8 grams of hunger-busting protein and 5 grams of fiber in one cup, plus it's as easy to cook as rice. It's also packed with nutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. For a quick and interesting dinner, mix in some vegetables, nuts, or lean protein.

3. Cinnamon

Studies suggest cinnamon may have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels. This could curtail appetite, particularly in people with type 2 diabetes, Bonci says. Nearly everyone can benefit from cinnamon in its traditional role. Stir some into your coffee, tea, or yogurt to add sweetness without adding calories.

Read more at Web MD

Nicki Minaj Says She & Rihanna Would Make A “Crazy Power Couple”

2011-01-19T15:23:00.001-05:00

Nicki Minaj settled a rumor that she and Rihanna are living together when she called into Ryan Seacrest’s KIIS FM show yesterday morning, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have an affinity for the singer.

“I don’t know where people got this really insane, hilarious, random rumor that [Rihanna] and I were living together,” she said. “We just shot a video for a song I have on the album called ‘Fly.’

So when I saw her, the first thing I said was, ‘So did you hear we’re living together?’ And we just started cracking up laughing. She was like, ‘Yo, I can’t believe people are this ridiculous.’

Read more at Yardflex.com

8 Conspiracy Theories About Health That The Mainstream Media Has Been Forced To Admit Are Actually True

2011-01-15T22:18:00.000-05:00

by Vigilant for Vigilant Citizen | January 14, 2011
The following are 8 conspiracy theories about health that the mainstream media has been forced to admit are actually true….

#1 High Levels Of Fluoride In Our Drinking Water Is Bad – Amazingly, the U.S. federal government has now come out and is lowering the “recommended amount” of fluoride in our drinking water for the first time in 50 years. Of course it would be great if they just banned fluoride in our drinking water altogether, but for the government to even admit that high levels of fluoride could be a problem is a huge step. In a recent article on CNN, it was reported that the federal government is now saying that high levels of fluoride in the water has now officially been linked with fluorosis….

The Department of Health and Human Services and Environmental Protection Agency are proposing the change because of an increase in fluorosis — a condition that causes spotting and streaking on children’s teeth.

#2 Once We Allowed Genetically Modified Crops To Be Used They Would Spread Everywhere – For years, many of us have been trying to warn people that genetically modified crops are incredibly dangerous. Now, a very prominent newspaper in the UK is admitting that a very specific insecticide that is grown inside of genetically modified corn is rapidly getting into the water of the surrounding environment….

The insecticide is the product of a bacterial gene inserted into GM maize and other cereal crops to protect them against insects such as the European corn borer beetle. Scientists have detected the insecticide in a significant number of streams draining the great corn belt of the American mid-West.

Read more at VigilantCitizen.com

South Korean Schools Introduce Egg-Shaped Robot Teachers

2011-01-15T21:53:00.001-05:00

by JacobSloan

Each android teacher is equipped with a screen displaying the face of a human avatar, and is controlled remotely by an actual instructor in the Philippines. It’s a way of outsourcing a job (educating children) that one would have thought had to be done in person. The Daily Mail reports:

Pupils often assume their teachers don’t really exist outside the school gates, now robot classroom assistants could make this a reality. Almost 30 egg-shaped robots have started teaching English at primary schools in South Korea.
The 3.3ft high machines have a TV panel that displays a female Caucasian face and can wheel around the classroom while speaking to the students. The robots are also able to read books and dance to music moving their head and arms.

How to Tether Your Android Phone

2011-01-14T16:12:00.004-05:00

So I have been running around the net and Android market looking for a FREE, that is right 'FREE' Tethering APP for my HuaWei Ascend. Apparently the companies that be are catching on and these once free tethering Apps I once saw a plethora off are now almost gone and available for free trials before charge or $30 subscription fees etc.

Well I landed on one that is not exactly easy and free but should work for most Androids on most networks. So peep the article I pulled from Life hacker below. Be sure to comment back below with your network and type of Android device so other users can so others can see what's up. I'll comment back myself in a few days with my personal experience.

How to Tether Your Android Phone

There are three ways to tether your Android handset and get sweet internet love even where there's no Wi-Fi in sight: the risky-but-free rooting method, the still-geeky-but-not-as-bad free route, and the $30 easy way. Here are the pros and cons of each.

Method 1: Tether Android with Apps that Need Root (Free, heavy configuration)

The Android Wi-Fi Tether application turns your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot—essentially a MiFi—in one tap. The catch? You have to gain root access to your phone, a multi-step process that uses an unofficial Android add-on which can brick your phone if applied incorrectly. Rooting Android is doable for geeks and hackers with experience soft-modding hardware, but it's not something most users could (or should!) do.

If you're up for getting root access in Android, the Android and Me blog runs down how to do it. It's a multi-step process that involves unlocking your phone's bootloader, flashing a recovery image, and flashing an add-on to the default Nexus One firmware. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely doable if you've ever upgraded your router's firmware or hacked your Xbox. Here's a video of the process from Android and Me:

7 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

2011-01-10T15:28:00.002-05:00

Do alternative approaches like hypnosis, acupuncture, or prayer work for weight loss?

Beyond Dieting: Alternative Approaches to Weight Loss. How acupuncture, hypnosis, meditation, prayer, and other mind-body practices may help you lose weight.

By Shahreen Abedin, Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD,

WebMD Feature

To lose weight, some people look beyond diet and exercise. Would methods like hypnosis, acupuncture, meditation, prayer, and traditional Eastern methods help budge the pounds?

Perhaps. But if you want to ditch diet and exercise altogether, think again.

“The bottom line is to be more active and consume less calories,” says Elisabetta Politi, MPH, RD, LDN, CDE, nutrition director at the Duke Diet and Fitness Center in Durham, N.C. “There is no magic bullet for solving your weight loss problem."

So the basics will always be eating right and exercising.

But there is a "third part, the mind-body aspect, you need to make sure you're not missing out on," says Wendy Kohatsu, MD, an integrative medicine specialist and assistant clinical professor of family and clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Most complementary approaches don't have much research showing how well they work for weight loss. Some are tricky to test by Western standards, and not enough studies have been done to determine effectiveness.

Here's what you need to know before you consider trying these methods.

Acupuncture

One of the best-known branches of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture aims to remove blockages in the flow of your qi, or life force.

Practitioners do this by sticking very thin metal needles into strategic points on the skin. Qi is thought to circulate throughout the body and balance out spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health.
In 2007, about 3 million U.S. adults reported using acupuncture in the previous year, especially for back pain, nausea, depression, and arthritis.
Weight loss isn't a traditional acupuncture goal, says Victor Sierpina, MD, an acupuncturist, holistic medicine expert, and family doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas.
But some aspects of acupuncture seem particularly useful in losing weight, Sierpina says.
Acupuncture may help you relax. That's useful if you eat because you're stressed or depressed
Acupuncture is generally safe when done by a competent practitioner. The cost -- typically $50-$85 per session -- can be pricey, Sierpina says.

Acupressure

Like acupuncture, acupressure targets certain points on the body. But it's done with pressure from the fingers or other devices, not needle sticks.

What the flurck Facebook Really?!?

2011-01-04T10:12:00.000-05:00

I Saw this post on a friends status:

"FACEBOOK ALERT: As of today, NEW PRIVACY setting called "Instant Personalization" that shares data with non-Facebook websites and it is automatically set to "Enable." Go to Account>Privacy Settings>Applications and Websites>Instant Personalization>at bottom of page Edit Settings, and un-check "Enable". BTW if your friends don't do this, they will be sharing information about you. PLEASE COPY & REPOST."

What the fluck Facebook really?!? Don't you think I should be asked before you auto activate some sh*te on my account.

I have to have multiple accounts I run due to the nature of my work, I now have to go through each one and turn it off. I never enabled it, and was not aware it existed until I saw the post on someone else's FB status. I was never given a message, email, phone call, snail mail, carrier pigeon, bat signal, telegram, morse code, elaborate song and dance number from Facebook nor was I ever sent an update in the previously stated fashions, nor given the option or notice as previously stated to have it in the first place. it was just there.

I have now scanned through facebook, help center, privacy center etc, and there is no means at all to send a message or a phone call or email or even a poke to let them know my utter dislike of this new feature or rather that it was AUTO activated on my account and my work accounts. I read their laws and it seems to be a clear violation

"-Under Safety "You will not offer any contest, giveaway, or sweepstakes ("promotion") on Facebook without our prior written consent. If we consent, you take full responsibility for the promotion, and will follow our Promotions Guidelines and all applicable laws." and under Protecting Other People's Rights
-You will not post content or take any action on Facebook that infringes or violates someone else's rights or otherwise violates the law."

If anyone knows of somne method to contact them WITHOUT having to like some clowns fan page i.e. Mark Zukerburg or the Facebook 'Fan Page' itself let me know. I literally feel like I have NO voice in this system and am again an Automoton Thanks Mark Zuckerburg and Co. I am now inspired to STAY HERE note ALL YOUR Flaws and make something better if not encourage someone else to do so.

Top 10 Diet and Nutrition Resolutions

2010-12-31T12:59:00.001-05:00

The best ways to lose weight and eat healthfully in the new year
By Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic-Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MDTo draw up a list of the absolute best diet and nutrition resolutions, I consulted weight loss experts around the country. Here are their suggestions for some tried-and-true -- and very doable -- behavior changes that will help you lose weight. It's resolution time again, and first on your list is to lose weight and eat more healthfully. But how exactly do you go about doing that -- and how do you keep yourself from becoming a resolution dropout once Feb. 1 rolls around?

To draw up a list of the absolute best diet and nutrition resolutions, I consulted weight loss experts around the country. Here are their suggestions for some tried-and-true -- and very doable -- behavior changes that will help you lose weight.

1. Stack the odds in your favor. We all have our own particular strengths and weaknesses. Katherine Tallmadge, MA, RD, advises playing up your strengths and making a plan to avoid getting sidetracked by your weaknesses. Don't simply wish you could do better this time -- take concrete steps to ensure that you do, says Tallmadge, author of Diet Simple. For example:

If you reach for high-calorie foods because they're convenient, make sure you have healthy alternatives available. Go grocery shopping at least weekly to stock up on wholesome foods. Keep a list so you have enough for the week.

If you're a social eater, plan non-food events with your friends. Take walks, go sightseeing, go to a movie or take a hike.

2. Get the rest you need. Susan Moores, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant from St. Paul, Minn., is excited about recent research on the hormonal effects that sleep deprivation can have on appetite. Hers is a resolution you don't see often -- and one most people will welcome hearing.

3. Give yourself permission to be human. Anne Fletcher, MS, RD, author of theThin for Life books, suggests a resolution that allows you to slip up without going into a slide. People who lose weight and keep it off know how to pick themselves up after they slip. Gained some weight on vacation? No problem. Just get right back into healthy eating and exercise to lose the extra pounds.

See the full list at WebMD

iMergeAndSee Lifestyle

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How to Become a Calorie Master

Build a better date night

ZOMBIES ARE OVER

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU SHIT, TURN IT INTO PERFUME

What Makes People Happy

Charge George W. Bush with war crimes?

Sugar and Sweeteners: Fact vs. Fiction

Secrets to Slimming Your Saddlebags

Watch The State Of The Union 2011 Live On YouTube--Then Ask Obama Your Questions (VIDEO)

Eat These Fat-Fighting Foods

Do you know which foods can fill you up faster and keep you satisfied for longer? You may already have some in your pantry.

1. Greek Yogurt

2. Quinoa

3. Cinnamon

Nicki Minaj Says She & Rihanna Would Make A “Crazy Power Couple”

8 Conspiracy Theories About Health That The Mainstream Media Has Been Forced To Admit Are Actually True

South Korean Schools Introduce Egg-Shaped Robot Teachers

by JacobSloan

How to Tether Your Android Phone

How to Tether Your Android Phone

Method 1: Tether Android with Apps that Need Root (Free, heavy configuration)

7 Ways to Lose Weight Without Dieting

Acupressure

What the flurck Facebook Really?!?

Top 10 Diet and Nutrition Resolutions

To draw up a list of the absolute best diet and nutrition resolutions, I consulted weight loss experts around the country. Here are their suggestions for some tried-and-true -- and very doable -- behavior changes that will help you lose weight.

Do you know which foods can fill you
up faster and keep you satisfied for longer?
You may already have some in your pantry.