Myth digger

Windows Live Messenger gives money to charity for every IM sent

2007-03-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

It's true !

The campaign initiated by Windows Live Messenger™ is called im making a difference .
Every time you start a conversation thru i'm, a small amount of money is given to charity from your behalf.

You can join this campaign and make a difference by downloading Windows Live™ Messenger (for free) . You must have version 8.1 to be able to participate !

After installing it and such, from your Contacts window, click the arrow next to your (display) name and select "Options".

Now, next to your name, type one of the following codes below for the cause you'd like to support, and click OK.

*red+u	American Red Cross
*bgca	Boys & Girls Clubs
*naf	National AIDS Fund
*mssoc	National Multiple Sclerosis Society
*9mil	ninemillion.org
*sierra	Sierra Club
*help	StopGlobalWarming.org
*komen	Susan G. Komen for the Cure
*unicef	The US fund for UNICEF

I think it's a great idea ! Not only they are winning popularity but they are also helping people by donating money to American Red Cross, National AIDS Fund and so on.
Now, I didn't find how much they are donating per conversation, but alltogether, we must be speaking about millions.

So ... start chatting via Windows Live Messenger™ and make a difference ! :)

7 wacky cancer myths

2007-02-09T12:25:00.000-08:00

For years people have been talking about the causes, prevention and cure of cancer therefore "developing" new myths. Many are false, even stupid or ridiculous I might add, but some of them are really true.
My advice is don't believe everything you hear right from the start. Check it out first and you decide if the rumor or myth or whatever you've heard is or not pure fiction.
The following myths are kinda funny and ridiculous so ... enjoy :)

1) Myth: There is a Cure for Cancer, but Drug Companies Wouldn't Make Money.

Truth: If this was true, how come the family members of these drug company employees are still suffering from cancer? The likelihood of there being a general cure for all cancers is not realistic because they are caused by different factors. It is estimated that almost 30% of Americans believe this myth.

2) Myth: Wearing Deodorant Can Cause Breast Cancer.

Truth:There is so significant data that shows that wearing deodorant causes cancer, yet people are still buying into it. The suggestion is that a chemical is absorbed through the skin through a shaving nick or cut, and causes breast cancer. Again, there has been no significant study to support this claim.

3) Myth: Men Don't Get Breast Cancer.

Truth: Just ask Richard Rountree, the star of Shaft if men get breast cancer. Male breast cancer may be less common than breast cancer in females, but it does happen.

4) Myth: Piercing Your Nipples May Causes Breast Cancer in Men and Women

Truth: An injury to the breast or nipple cannot lead to cancer development. The only real medical risk factor for piercing the nipple is infection.

5) Myth: Fellatio Greatly Reduces a Woman's Risk Factor for Breast Cancer

Truth: An email circulated with a link to what appeared to be a bonafide CNN news story claiming that a study found that women who performed fellatio reduced their risk of breast cancer.
The truth is that there is no evidence that performing fellatio will reduce your risk of cancer.

6) Myth: Designer Lipsticks Contain Lead that Cause Cancer.

Truth: The FDA regulates all cosmetics manufacturing. It is logical to think that if a lipstick contained an ingredient that is sure to cause cancer, it would be pulled from the shelves immediately. This email hoax is still popping up in inboxes and striking fear in women. It is a hoax and there is no brand of lipstick that can cause cancer.

7) Myth: Forwarding Emails to Friends Will Donate Money to Cancer Charities.

Truth: Aol, The American Cancer Society, or any other major corporation does not rely on the use of email forwarding to make charitable contributions. The email sent usually contains the story of a child with cancer, perhaps with a photo, claiming that for every person your forward the email to the child will receive $.03 for treatment costs. Don't waste your time forwarding, folks. This is a cancer hoax and myth.

Source : about.com

Valentine's day myths

2007-02-07T01:19:00.000-08:00

Since we're in the romantic month of the year and St.Valentine's day is coming soon, I've decided to lookup for some urban legends about this beautiful holiday. Here's a bunch of myths I've found about Valentine's day and dating :

It's okay to skip Valentine's Day
False
She/He might realize that it's a hyped-up holiday, but that won't get you off the hook completely. She/He will see her/his friends going on dates and wonder why you aren't doing something special.

What can you do instead?
You can keep V-Day low key and celebrate it in your own way. Plan an activity that you both enjoy and declare it your own celebration -- like ice skating, tobogganing or hiking. Any activity that you do together will cut it and will show her that you gave the day some thought.

You have to celebrate on February 14th
False
No one says you have to celebrate on the same day as everyone else -- that's so conventional.

What to do instead?
Pick another day in the week to plan your date and declare that day your own personal V-Day. Places will be less crowded and you won't be made to feel like another sheep in the crowd. She won't care when you celebrate as long as she sees you've put some thought into it. She may even appreciate mixing it up.

You're saving money for a vacation together, so it's okay to miss Valentine's Day
False
Even though she agreed to save money too, this is a perfect opportunity to win brownie points with her.

What to do instead?
Don't plan an expensive date, but do surprise her with an inexpensive (but thoughtful) activity. Plan to meet her for lunch and pack her favorite food in a picnic basket. She'll be impressed that you stuck to a budget while still making her feel special.

You've only been dating for a few months, so you won't celebrate
False
While you might not want to do anything overly romantic with a new girlfriend, that doesn't mean you have to ignore it. If you don't acknowledge V-Day at all, she might wonder if you are really interested in her.

What to do instead?
Don't plan anything romantic. Instead, think of a fun activity. Try planning a dance class or a cooking class to mix things up. Or take her to see a comedy show -- anything to get the two of you laughing together.

Dinner is a Valentine's Day staple
False
Dinner is an adequate V-Day plan, and I suppose you can't go wrong with it. But truth be told, it's a little unoriginal.

What to do instead?
Mix things up a bit. With as much effort as it takes to make dinner reservations, you can plan a date that is seeping with originality. Try a couple's massage, jump into a hot tub (anything in a Jacuzzi is sexy), look for an old-fashioned roller-skating rink in your city, or try an artsy date by buying the materials to do a painting together (finger-painting is very sensual).

Chocolates or flowers are good Valentine's Day gifts
False
Just like going for dinner, chocolate and flowers are not the wrong thing to do -- they're just overly conventional.

What to do instead ?
Originality is worth a lot on V-Day, especially when all her friends will be getting the usual flowers and chocolates. Stand out by getting her something out of the ordinary. Does she like to travel? Get her a subscription to a travel magazine. Does she like music? Get her concert tickets (and go together, of course).

You need to spend loads of money on her gift

False
It's the thought that really counts the most when it comes to V-Day.

What to do instead?
Try getting her a small gift with a lot of meaning. If you are just starting to get serious, for example, buy her a pair of slippers or a robe to keep in your apartment.

Don't expect a gift in return
False
While V-Day is usually marketed as "her" holiday, there's no rule stating she can't surprise you with a little something. So, chances are very good that you'll get your box of candy.

What to do instead?
If the whole guessing game about whether you're getting a gift or not is bugging you, approach the subject of a "no gift" idea with her and make plans together for a romantic weekend getaway or a perfect night out instead.

The gift has to be cheesy or romantic
False
Just the opposite, actually. There is no rule that says you have to write her poetry or sing her a song on V-Day.

What to do instead?
If you're not comfortable with the cheesiness, forget it. Just stick to getting her a fun gift. Try buying a good board game -- then go home and play it together.

Lingerie makes a good Valentine's Day gift
False
Actually, this myth is not entirely false. Lingerie can be a nice part of a gift for a self-assured woman, bearing in mind that you need to know her size and style preferences. But usually, she'll like that to be part of a sexy gift, not all of it.

What to do instead?
For a really sexy gift, try a book of massage techniques that you can learn together or -- if you are good and ready for it -- a copy of the Kama Sutra.

*note : this article is copyrighted to askmen.com

One small step for man...

2007-02-06T06:21:00.000-08:00

On July 20, 1969, as Apollo Mission Astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, he proclaimed: "One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." Several remarks followed, including the usual technical banter between him, the other astronauts, and Mission Control. Before he re-entered the lander, he said "Good luck, Mr. Gorsky."

Many people at NASA thought it was a casual remark concerning a rival Soviet Cosmonaut or other astronaut. However, upon checking, there was no Gorsky in either the Russian or American space programs.

Over the years, many people questioned him as to what the "Good luck, Mr. Gorsky" statement meant and Armstrong just smiled, refusing to answer.

On July 5, 1999, following a speech, a reporter brought up the 30-year-old question to Armstrong. Since Mr. Gorsky had died Armstrong felt he could answer the question.

When he was a kid, Armstrong was playing baseball with his brother in the backyard. His brother hit a fly ball which landed in front of his neighbors' bedroom window. The neighbors were Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky. As collected the ball, Mrs. Gorsky shouted, "Oral sex? You want oral sex? You'll get oral sex when the kid next door walks on the moon!"

This is a funny story and it's obviously a joke.
It started "surfing" the web in 1995 and it took 12 years to get to me :)

snopes.com explains it all :

At its most basic level, this tale is a humorous anecdote that plays on the stereotypical portrayal of Jewish wives as reluctant to engage in recreational sex (and especially oral sex). In variant forms of this legend the last name of Neil Armstrong's neighbor is different, but the name used is always a "Jewish-sounding" one, such as Gorsky, Seligman, Schultz, or Klein; the unusual word order employed by the wife in her refusal ("Oral sex you want?") is also a stereotypical speech pattern attributed to Jews. On another level, this legend can be seen as an attempt to humanize a cultural hero by associating him with a story that is both humorous and racy: Neil Armstrong, the world-famous astronaut, is made to seem like a "regular" guy.
Any doubts about the veracity of this legend are laid to rest by the NASA transcripts of the Apollo 11 mission, which record no such statement having been made by Armstrong. Armstrong himself said in late 1995 that he first heard the anecdote delivered as a joke by comedian Buddy Hackett in California.

Top 10 health myths

2007-02-04T04:44:00.000-08:00

#1: Eating carrots improves your eyesight.

Truth: Though carrots contain a high concentration of vitamin A, essential for healthy eyesight (vitamin A defficiency can cause blindness), an extra helping on your plate won't give you X-ray vision. In fact the origin of the various sight-improving attributes of the humble carrot is generally credited to a campaign of misinformation carried out by the British Government during the World War II. British intelligence didn't want the Germans to know that they were using radar to detect bombing raids so they spread the rumour that they were feeding their pilots carrots in order to improve their vision. Trouble is the campaign was so successful people still believe it even today! Of course all things are relative - if you start off with a vitamin A deficiency, eating more carrots will of course improve your vision.

#2: Eating bread crusts makes your hair go curly.

Truth: Is having curly hair a good thing? Rumour-mongering parents certainly think so - generations have attempted to persuade their children eating crusts will encourage a healthy-looking mop. In fact there's no medical evidence to suggest eating bread crusts makes your hair go curly, though there may be other health benefits that aren't so well known. The browning of the crust may produce more healthy antioxidants, which in turn help prevent the body absorbing harmful oxidising agents in the atmosphere such as ozone.

#3: Using sun lotion protects you from skin cancer.

Truth: The problem with using suntan lotions is that it can lull you into a false sense of security. The fact is whether you are wearing sun lotion or not, you should still ration the amount of time you spend relaxing by the pool. Remember - suntan lotions are not total blocks: They still allow some UV through. And though you are protected from burning, the genetic changes in your skin that occur after exposure to the sun will still be there. Don't forget to cover up and wear a hat. You should also wear sunscreen in the UK between April and October, not just when you are somewhere hot on holiday.

#4: You can get cancer from barbecued food.

Truth: There's a persistent feeling these days that anything enjoyable must be bad for our health. So many things seem to be banned that we don't know where to turn, so when someone tells us that the burnt crust of barbecued food contains carcinogens, who are we to argue? But while it's true that the heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) contained in the blackened edges of barbecue food are carcinogenic, there has been no evidence produced which links barbecued food to cancer. Perhaps this is because you would never eat enough charred food to cause the DNA damage that is central to cancer development. Also, you can reduce the carcinogens by 99 per cent by marinating the food before you grill it. It is thought this might be because typical marinade ingredients - tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and citrus juice - are high in cancer-fighting compounds. Interestingly, grilled vegetables have no cancer risk.

#5: A lump in your breast means you have breast cancer.

Truth: About 80 per cent of breast lumps are benign (non-cancerous). Sometimes there can be cysts, nipple discharges and calcification (calcium salt deposits in breast tissues) resulting from injury or bruising, hormonal changes or infection. However, should you find a lump you must contact a health professional straight away - catching cancer early significantly increases the chances of recovery.

#6: Low fat diets are a healthy way of losing weight.

Truth: Adoption of low-fat diets is widespread among those keen to lose weight and look great but unilaterally cutting out all fat from your diet can actually damage your health. Very low fat or no fat diets don't provide enough energy for healthy growth and some research suggests that the rash of low fat, high carbohydrate regimes pursued by many weight watchers over the past few years may actually be responsible for an increase in insulin resistance. Exercise combined with a balanced diet is more likely to reap rewards in the long run.

#7: Bananas are fattening.

Truth: They are actually low in fat. There is only half a gram of fat and 95 calories in a banana. Not only that but they are packed with potassium, come in their own packaging, are clean and very handy as a snack!

#8: It's OK to skip breakfast.

Truth: Breakfast is a very important meal. When we're sleeping, we are also 'fasting' for an average of about eight hours, so it's essential to 'break' this fast. Although people who skip breakfast catch up on their energy requirements later in the day, they're unlikely to get all the vitamins and minerals that a simple breakfast can provide. Try porridge with honey for a wholesome but filling meal.

#9: Cracking your knuckles gives you arthritis.

Truth: It's irritating and sounds excrutiating, but unfortunately you can no longer rely on the story that too much cracking causes arthritis to stop the person sitting next to you from doing it. No medical studies have been conducted that confirm a link between cracking your knuckles and the crippling pain induced by arthritis, but there are other scare stories you can rely on. According to one study the ligament stretching that occurs among regular knuckle-crackers can cause swollen hands and weaken the grip.

#10: People are overweight because they have slow metabolisms.

Truth: It's a common complaint among the clinicially obese but studies show you can't use a slow metabolism as an explanation for weight gain. Of course, there may be other physical reasons for weighing in over the odds, but recent studies revealed fat people have faster metabolisms and burn off more energy than slimmer people simply to keep their bodies going.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Coffee Health Myths Unveiled

2007-02-02T07:38:00.000-08:00

#1. Unfiltered Coffee Increases Health Risks

Two recent studies have been published citing that drinking coffee which is unfiltered as in the French Press method are associated with an increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol and or homocysteine levels.

The first study, by Dr. Marina Grubben et al, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition was conducted in the Netherlands. It involved studying 64 healthy adults drinking six large cups of unfiltered coffee or another beverage during a two week period. The results showed that there was an increase in homocysteine levels of 10% in individuals who consumed the unfiltered coffee. They linked this to an increased risk for heart disease by 10%.
In another study, participants drank unfiltered coffee for two weeks and were compared to those who drank filtered coffee. There was an increase in serum LDL cholesterol of 2mg/dl for those drinking unfiltered coffee. After two weeks, they switched to filtered coffee and the serum cholesterol returned to baseline.
These studies, while interesting, don't tell us anything about long term effects. A two week study does not give us an answer to the long term risk of drinking unfiltered coffee. In the homocysteine related study, the control group didn't even drink coffee. Yet the way this has been reported is that it is healthier to drink filtered coffee. A more recent study has shown that homocysteine levels did not drop when drinking filtered coffee. There has been trouble isolating the cause. Is it the caffeine? Who knows? More research is needed.

#2. Coffee Leads To Heart Disease

It has long been thought that coffee, as a stimulant, would lead to various forms of heart disease. The recent literature. however, suggests that coffee is safe in moderate doses. Recently, one researcher, Warren G. Thompson, M.D., noted in a 1994 literature review on this subject: "The largest and better studies suggest that coffee is not a major risk factor for coronary disease."
Additionally, a major study conducted by Willet, et al., examined data collected from more than 85,000 women over a 10-year period. Upon adjusting the data for known risk factors such as smoking, they found no increased risk of CVD for women who drank six or more cups of coffee per day.
A 1990 study by Diedrich, et al., looked at 45,000 men. It found no link between coffee, caffeine and CVD in men who drank four or more cups of coffee per day.

#3. Coffee Causes Ulcers

Often times, when people see me drinking a cup of coffee -- they give the warning "You shouldn't drink coffee, it will give you ulcers." The thinking, until recently, was that excess stomach acid caused ulcers and that coffee would contribute to the stomach acid. Recent studies however show that most ulcers are caused by a particular bacteria, namely Helicobacter pylori . Those ulcers can be cured easily with antibiotics. An important distinction to make is that while coffee or spicy foods for that matter don't cause the ulcers, they may serve to aggravate existing ulcers.

#4. Coffee Is Bad For Reproductive Health

Miscarriage, low birth weight, infertility. These are all commonly associated with being increased with coffee consumption. However, there has been little convincing evidence that a moderate amount of caffeine during pregnancy will cause these conditions.

Scientists have had trouble linking consumption of coffee to miscarriage. There are many confounders in this area. As an example, it has been found that women who don't experience nausea during pregnancy are more likely to miscarry. This could be due to them being less likely to stay away from foods and beverages that cause nausea. Therefore, coffee could be lumped in together with many other things that are consumed that should be avoided.
Low birth weight in children has not been proven even at high caffeine consumption levels in women. A 1993 study by Larroque, et. al., found that women who consumed more than 800 mg of caffeine daily had no greater risk than women who did not.
Furthermore, studies have also shown that women who drink more than three cups of coffee daily are at no increase risk of infertility or delayed conception.

Conclusion

Certainly, there have been many other studies conducted on coffee and health and many more will be performed in the future. But before you jump to the conclusion that you are going to die a premature death, read the article a little closer and seek out related articles to see if there is conflicting data. And in the meantime, enjoy your coffee in moderation.

Source : ineedcoffee.com

Saturated Fat Causes Heart Disease

2007-02-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

Contrary to what you hear on the news, it is not the saturated fat in the foods we eat that is causing all of this heart disease, but rather, and far more, it is the excess carbohydrates from our starch- and sugar-laden diet that is making people fat and unhealthy, and leading to epidemic levels of a host of diseases such as diabetes and later, heart disease. Trans fats are another major contributing factor.

The reason why many people have not succeeded with the original diet-heart hypothesis that says a low-fat, high-carb diet is the best diet for the heart is likely explained by metabolic typing. We each have one of three metabolic types and each suits people to a different type of diet. Some people will benefit from a "high"-carb program that is two-thirds carbs as vegetables--while others need to follow a diet that is higher in protein to function optimally.

I do believe that we are slowly getting away from the old diet-heart hypothesis, however. The trend now is to place less emphasis on total cholesterol and more on other cardiac risk factors such as:

* Omega-3 fats
* Blood pressure
* Systemic inflammation indicators like C-reactive protein (CRP)
* Insulin levels
* Oxidative stress
* Homocysteine

Note:article from www.mercola.com

Hammond's crash video

2007-01-29T12:43:00.000-08:00

A month ago I was blogging about the rumor which said that the famous Top Gear's co-host, Richard Hammond, died (don't worry, it's not true, thankfully) three months after crashing in a dragster at almost 300mph.

Here's the movie everyone was waiting for a long time. It's a segment cut out of the latest Top Gear show (season 9) which was broadcasted yesterday, 28th january 2007.

Top 10 Fitness Myths

2007-01-19T06:34:00.000-08:00

#1: You can get a six-pack if you do a thousand crunches a day
The one thing every guy wants from his workout is a nice defined six-pack. Guys will do crunch upon crunch in their quest for perfect abs, but the reality is that if they have a layer of fat covering their muscles, definition will never come.

Their time would be much better spent doing some quality cardio sessions and making sure they are eating well, which would help them lose body fat -- the key to unveiling remarkable abs.

#2: Each workout should be devoted to one specific muscle group
Are you devoting an entire day of your workout program to biceps and triceps? Do you have a separate day for hamstrings and quads? What some guys don't realize is that compound lifts work many muscles indirectly.

Take the bench press: If you perform this exercise on your "chest day," you will also stimulate your triceps fairly heavily. This means that by carefully choosing your exercises, you can incorporate more muscle groups into every workout, which will provide better results in less time.

Keep in mind that you don't always have to do very specific exercises to target certain smaller muscles; by simply working them indirectly, you will see improvements in your strength and size.

#3: Stretching is not really necessary
The component that is most often left out of a fitness program is stretching. If you are like most men, you probably think that right after you are finished your last set, you should head for the showers. However, you should really finish off with some stretching, as it will increase the range of motion in your muscles and joints, which will thus allow you to perform your weightlifting exercises over a greater range of motion, as well as target more muscle fibers throughout the lift. Stretching also helps you to become more limber and allows you to better maneuver around opponents when you are out playing football or basketball with the guys.

Finally, when you finish off your workout with some stretching, you reduce the severity of DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which you will most likely greatly appreciate the next morning.

#4: Taking supplements will make you look monstrous in no time
We are constantly bombarded with ads for a wide variety of supplements. Some promise you a tight, ripped middle, while others ensure that you can pack on pounds of new muscle over the course of just a few weeks. There may be some benefits to a few of these supplements, but more often than not, your results won't be much better than those you would get from a good training program combined with a well-planned out diet.

These are truly the two factors that lead to the greatest gains, so you should focus most of your energy on them rather than on finding the latest magic pill. Also, some supplements can have very harmful side effects (such as infertility, increased heart rate and nervous system problems) that should not be taken lightly. You are far better off achieving your results naturally; remember that your long-term health is not something you should risk.

#5: Food eaten after 8 p.m. will turn into body fat
Do you think your metabolism knows what time it is? While your body does run according to a circadian rhythm, your metabolism does not shut down at night. You still need to provide your body with fuel to repair and rebuild while you sleep, and to prevent it from going into a catabolic state brought on by a long period of fasting. This is especially important if you work out later in the day.

After a workout, your body is crying for a good source of carbohydrates, so don't skimp because you think eating at this time will make you gain fat.

It is important to make sure you are eating healthy foods later in the day -- such as lean meat, healthy fats, plenty of vegetables, and even some complex carbohydrates if you are really active later in the day -- to reduce your risk of adding unwanted body fat, but there is no need to avoid eating altogether.

#6: Your buddy's program will give you the same results
This is a very common notion among bodybuilders, who constantly ask fellow gym partners what kind of program and diet tricks they use, thinking that if they do the same, they will see the same results.

This couldn't be further from the truth.

Granted, it may be a very good program and you may see some results with it, but remember that you have a different physiological makeup than every other guy in the gym, and your body will respond to various training protocols in a different manner. So your best bet is to incorporate some aspects of this "workout God"'s regimen into your program, but play around with the techniques and figure out what works best for you.

You may simply need to reduce the number of reps or substitute one exercise for another in the program. The important thing is to come up with the plan that works best for you.

#7: You don't need to work out your legs if you jog
It seems like when you walk through a gym these days, everyone is huddled around the free weights doing arms, while there is no one to be seen at the squat rack. Men often decide to forgo any leg training and just concentrate on their upper bodies. They figure that since they went for a run that morning or did some interval training on the bike the day before, they have already worked their legs enough.

The truth is that working your legs will indirectly help your upper body grow. Your leg muscles are incredibly large; when stimulated, they release a large amount of testosterone -- the primary anabolic hormone responsible for muscle growth -- throughout the body. Thus, you will benefit your upper body on days you don't even work it out.

Also, having a strong lower body is the best basis for the rest of your training. Otherwise, it is like trying to build a house without a foundation -- not very effective. So be sure you don't pass up your leg training sessions any longer.

#8: Doing moderate-intensity cardio for one hour is the best way to burn fat
Many people still believe that since you burn more fat calories during a moderate-intensity session, this is the best way to burn body fat. While it is true that working at a moderate heart rate will make your body burn more calories from fat, the more important thing to look at is the total number of calories you burn.

When you perform high-intensity interval workouts, you burn more calories per minute than when you work out at a lower intensity. Granted, you may not be able to last as long, but the number of calories you burn during both sessions is actually quite similar. But the advantage of interval training is that it causes your body to burn a significant amount of calories after you have finished your workout. This means that you will continue burning calories at a higher rate for numerous hours afterward, thus causing the total number of calories burned throughout the day to be higher, translating into a greater fat loss.

High-intensity interval training also tends to help preserve muscle tissue, whereas long moderate-intensity workouts can become catabolic in nature (breaking down muscle).

However, an important point to keep in mind is that you cannot perform high-intensity cardio every day; either alternate high- and moderate-intensity sessions or space out your high-intensity workouts within the week. If you do wish to perform some moderate-intensity sessions, they should last at least 20 minutes so that your body can get into its fat stores; for the first 20 minutes or so, you will most likely just be burning carbohydrates that you have consumed in recent hours. For your intense workouts, you can see benefits -- both from a fat-burning and a health benefit standpoint -- from doing short 6- to 10-minute workouts.

#9: You need to eat lots of protein to build muscle
The more protein you eat, the more muscle you will build, right? Wrong.

The body only needs so much protein every day; when you surpass its requirements, it simply processes the extra calories the same way it would excess carbohydrate or fat calories. The protein is broken down, and some of it is excreted while some is stored as body fat or used as energy. The requirements for protein are 1.2 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of bodyweight; this amount will ensure that your body is getting enough of the building blocks it requires to create new muscle.

Rather than ingesting too much protein, a better option would be to supplement your diet with good sources of carbohydrates, as they are the body's preferred source of energy to create the muscle tissue from the protein you took in.

#10: In order to see results, you must push yourself to your limit during every workout
One of the key factors to getting stronger is rest. If you are going to the gym day in and day out, and pushing yourself to the max, you are likely not recovering from your workouts and not getting any stronger. It is when the body is resting that it can repair itself and rebuild so that it is stronger the next time around. If you work out again before your body has recovered, you will only break the muscle down further, causing you to become weaker rather than stronger.

Incorporating some easy or "off" days into your workout plan will give your body the time it needs to recover and will give you a psychological break. You will find that you are better able to stay motivated and you will greatly reduce your chances of overtraining and injury.

Note: This article has been copied from askmen.com

Mobile phone+gas station = BOOM ?

2007-01-10T09:51:00.000-08:00

Mobile phones are blamed for all kinds of health problems, ranging from brain cancer to memory loss. There's not a lot of real evidence for this, so people don't seem to be worried, and it certainly doesn't stop them from using their phones. Mobile phones are also the cause of a lot of stupidity when in the hands of pedestrians and motorists. In fact, it's illegal to use a hand-held phone when driving a car. But strangely, most people won't use their mobile phone while they are refuelling their car's petrol tank - and in this case, it's even less likely to be dangerous.

Every month or so, I get an earnest email warning me of the hazards of using my mobile phone on the forecourt of a petrol station. Usually, the email mentions the Shell Oil Company as its source, and quotes the same three incidents of petrol fires while refuelling. The first one has the mobile phone sitting on the boot - the phone rings, generating an instant ball of fire. The second episode has a person speaking on the phone, leading to nasty facial burns. The third occurrence has the phone in the pocket suddenly ring, causing unfortunateß burns to the groin and thigh.

This email has been traced back to a hoax email that landed in the inbox of a Shell employee in Jamaica . He rebroadcast it, but with the Shell Company signature now on the email - and this accidental non-approved signature gave the hoax more credibility.

So, has a mobile phone ever set off a petrol station fire? No, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, who looked at 243 petrol station fires worldwide, happening in the 11 years between 1993 and 2004. And no, according to the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, and no, according the Robert Renkes, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, who said, “We have not found a cell phone responsible for any fire since the beginning of mankind” . And finally no, according to the popular Mythbusters TV show, which tried mightily to make a mobile phone explode a chamber full of petrol vapour, and failed.

It is theoretically possible to set off a petrol fire with a phone. The amount of energy needed for a spark to ignite petrol vapour is 0.2 mJ, which is roughly one five-millionth of the energy stored in a fully-charged phone battery. The difficulty is that the phone is not designed to make sparks.

The lithium battery could explode while charging if its internal regulator circuit was very faulty. But you don't normally simultaneously charge and talk on your mobile phone while refuelling your car. The internal electronics of the phone could fail and make a spark - but the spark would be too small.

And why worry about the phone battery when you have batteries in your iPod, CD player, mini-torch, and yes, don't forget the big 15 kg car battery that powers the electrics of your car?

Well, what about the electric field put out by your phone? Yes, the electric field has been measured at 2-5 volts/meter, and has been known to interfere with heart monitors and infant incubators in hospitals, and various electronic equipment in planes. But the electric field from a mobile phone has never been known to set off a fire in a petrol station. And consider that in the UK , some 200 Shell petrol stations have mobile phone towers in the tall petrol price indicators, which stand right there on the forecourt, a few metres from the petrol pumps. The towers put out a lot more grunt than your small mobile phone.

So what did set off those 243 petrol station fires? Most of the time, static electricity was the culprit. We've all seen or felt a spark from clothing. If you are wearing synthetic clothes in the dryness of winter, and are sliding in and out of the car, across the synthetic material of the car seat, then you can build up a big static charge. Then, if the earthing wire on the petrol hose is broken, when you touch the metal nozzle of the petrol hose to the metal neck of the petrol tank, you can discharge a visible spark. Even more dangerous, from the static electricity point-of-view, is filling up a small fuel drum.

The phone companies post warnings about using phones in petrol stations for two reasons. First, mobile phones are not designed with “Intrinsic Safety” to make them able to operate safely in truly hazardous inflammable vapour situations, and second, fear of legal liability, despite all the evidence showing that mobile phones don't cause fires in petrol stations.

So overall, the mobile phone myth is just endless chatter generating a whole lot of static.

I totally agree with him. I do believe though that in an ideal environment and this means a closed chambre, or a small box, filled with lots of gas vapors, an incoming call (not a ringing cellphone) could cause a flame. This theory was also proven by the Mythbusters but he (the author of the article) forgot to mention it.

Brainiac is a tv show that "abuses science", as they say, in the UK, I think it's on Discovery Channel but I'm not sure, and practically it's the same thing as Mythbusters, but in their british way. Anyway, they also tried the same thing in a gas station with multiple cellphones and nothing. They even filled a caravan with lots and lots of gas and about 5-6 cellphones and tried to blow it up but no success. So it's a fact, cellphones don't represent danger while filling your tank. BUT the brainiacs also tried another way to blow up the caravan full of petrol. With nailon clothes. A brainiac dressed up in nailon clothes from head to toe and put his feet on a rubber matt (as I recall) so the electricity generated by the friction of the nailon clothes wouldn't sloop right into the ground. [...] watch the movie (it's not boring!) :)

In conclusion, don't wear nailon clothes when going to the gas station ! Mobile phones are ok though.

Wedding Myths and Superstitions

2007-01-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

There are many wedding myths and superstitions most are based on events or omens that are said to foretell either good luck or bad luck. Ironically, some myths have both positive and negative connotations. Like all superstitions wedding myths have no scientific basis… however, it never hurts to keep them in mind just in case!

Here's a list of 8 wedding superstitions:

#1: Wearing pearls

This is one of those wedding myths with both bad luck and good luck meanings. The ominous version of this myth holds that pearls represent future tears; thus wearing them will bring many tears and heartache in the marriage. The luckier version of this implies that the pearls take the place of the bride's real tears, thus she'll have a happy, tear-free wedding.

#2: Tears on the wedding day

It is considered good luck for the bride to cry during her wedding. She will have cried all her tears away leaving none for the marriage. Another theory holds that a bride's tears are good luck as they bring rain for the crops.

#3: Rain on the wedding day

This is another good luck - bad luck wedding myth. In the good luck version, rain is said to foretell the coming of children just as rain promotes growth in the farmer's fields. In the unlucky version, rain drops represent the many tears a bride will cry throughout her marriage.

#4: Sign your married name before the wedding

It is considered bad luck for the bride to sign her married name before the wedding as it tempts fate. For the same reason, the bride should avoid wearing her entire bridal outfit (wedding dress, bridal veil, shoes and jewelry) prior to her wedding day.

#5: Dropping the wedding ring

This is another contradictory wedding myth. On the one hand, dropping the wedding ring during the wedding ceremony was seen as lucky as it would shake out evil spirits hiding in the ring. On the other hand, dropping the ring was considered the most ominous of events; whoever dropped the ring was said to be the first to die.

#6: The bride shouldn't make her own dress

This wedding myth states that for every stitch of the wedding dress the bride sews herself she'll shed one tear during her marriage.

#7: Time of day to get married
The couple should exchange their vows as the clock's minute hand is moving upwards, therefore any time half past the hour, for example 2:30 or 4:45. The upward movement is said to bring blessings upon the couple as the minute hand is "ascending towards heaven."

#8: Surname of the same first letter

It is considered unlucky for the bride to marry a man with a surname that begins with the same first letter as hers. This wedding myth is summarized in the following Victorian rhyme: "To change the name and not the letter; is to change for the worst and not the better."

You may think you're a wedding etiquette pro, but here are five commonly held beliefs that are really more fiction than fact.

So here's a list of top 5 wedding myths :

Myth #1: You can't wear black

Good news: Your favorite little black dress is appropriate for a wedding. Many people pick their outfit with the misconception that anything black would exude gloom (rather than glee), but don't worry -- no one will think your dark attire is better suited for a funeral than a wedding. Though black might not be the best choice for a mid-afternoon ceremony in the spring, black is perfectly fine for any evening wedding.

Myth #2: The bride is your point person for all wedding-related questions

Don't assume that the to-be-weds should be your first stop with all your questions simply because it's their wedding. Not sure where they're registered? Wondering about transportation? Need to know if there will be a babysitter at the reception? Don't pick up the phone and immediately call the bride or groom -- chances are, they've got enough wedding stress of their own. First try the bridesmaids and groomsmen, or the couple's parents. Find out if the couple has a wedding website (look on the invitation), which could very well have all the information you need. If you still have no luck, it's okay to contact the couple -- just make sure you've tried other avenues first.

Myth #3: Shopping from the registry is impersonal

It can be tempting to buy a couple a wedding present that's not on their registry. Something that shows how well you know them (and how great a gift giver you are) is way more creative than selecting a present off a list, right? Not really. Most couples prefer gifts from their registry -- that's why they registered in the first place. For a personal touch, pick an item that has some significance for you and the couple (like buying them stemware to replace the glass you broke at their last dinner party), and include a letter that lets them know you put some thought into their wedding gift and got them something they really wanted.

Myth #4: An invitation means you can bring a date

Unless your wedding invitation includes a phrase like "and guest," don't assume you're free to bring a date. Couples are often working within certain restrictions (be it space or budget), and expanding their guest list might not be an option. In one poll of Knot brides, nearly half said that at least one guest had responded for someone who wasn't invited.

Myth #5: The couple is responsible for your accommodations

No matter how far you've traveled to attend a wedding, the couple isn't required to pay for your hotel -- or even let you crash on their couch. Many couples will reserve blocks of hotel rooms to get a good rate for their out-of-town guests, but don't expect them to foot the bill. If you're not sure where to stay, ask a member of the bridal party for recommendations.

Note: These myths and superstitions are picked up from the internet and are copyrighted by their distinctive owners.

A $17,000 fine...

2007-01-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

"Trucker gets $17,000 ticket"

Urban legend or fact ?

Yup, unfortunately, it's true folks ... actually the fine is $17,751.50.

William Connell is the poor truck driver. He got lost in the Philadelphia suburbs, taking a load that had to be dropped off in East Whiteland Township, and ended up in a residential area.

Here is the article* proving this is true :

He said he thought he had been hit by a Mack truck.

"My face just dropped. I couldn't even believe it," Carroll said. "I said, 'What is this, 1,700?' He said, 'No, 17,000.' I said, $17,000?"

Carroll is an independent trucker out of Philadelphia. Recently, he was taking a load to be dropped off in East Whiteland Township, an area he was unfamiliar with.

"One company that I'm leasing from, they were the ones that gave me the directions," Carroll said.

The directions told him to get off at the Route 202 South Frazer exit. That dumped him onto Route 401.

Carroll said he missed a cockeyed sign at the corner of 401 and Bear Road where he had to make a right turn. The next thing he knew, he was in a residential neighborhood -- Sydney Road to be exact -- where the police gave him a ticket.

"But once you get in the there with a 53-footer, its impossible to get out," Carroll said.

PennDOT spokesman Charlie Metzger said they, along with the East Whiteland Police Department were just enforcing a law that penalizes trucks that are too heavy for certain bridges and roadways, which might be damaged by overweight vehicles.

The NBC 10 Investigators' Vince DeMentri asked Metzger why the ticket was $17,000.

"It's $150 for the fine, and then it's $150 for every 500 pounds over the 3,000-pound weight limit," Metzger said.

Metzger said there is a reason the fines are so stiff.

"The money can go right back into the repairs of the roadway or the bridge," Metzger said.

Carroll said it is not fair because the sign warning of the fine was bent and somewhat obstructed.

The East Whiteland Police Department, which has its own motor carrier enforcement unit, isn't playing around. For them, this is a sign of the times that is not to be ignored.

"A ticket like that would put a lot of truckers out of business. So, I guess that was designed to put me out of business or make sure I don't come up here anymore. It's crazy," Carroll said.

-------------------------
*article from nbc10.com

With this amount of money you can buy a brand new car !!!

What do you think ? Is it fair ?

Best wishes !

2006-12-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

I wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

Don't forget to read these great Christmas myths and superstitions from around the world and see how the Mythbusters spend their Christmas .

See you in 2007 !

Shampoo cancer

2006-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

Myth : "Shampoo causes cancer"

True or false ?

This is the message that's been freaking out people for several years.

Check the ingredients listed on your shampoo bottle, and see if they have substance by the name of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, or simply SLS. This substance is found in most shampoos, and the manufacturers use it because it produces a lot of foam and it is cheap. BUT the fact is that SLS is used to scrub garage floors, and it is very strong. It is also proven that it can cause cancer in the long run, and this is no joke. I went home and checked my shampoo (Vidal Sassoon); it doesn't contain it; however, others such as Vo5, Palmolive, Paul Mitchell, the new Hemp Shampoo .. contain this substance. The first ingredient listed (which means it is the single most prevalent ingredient) in Clairol's Herbal Essences is Sodium Laureth Sulfate.

So I called one company, and I told them their product contains a substance that will cause people to have cancer. They said,"Yeah, we knew about it but there is nothing we can do about it because we need that substance to produce foam. By the way Colgate toothpaste also contains the same substance to produce the "bubbles". They said they are going to send me some information. Research has shown that in the 1980s, the chance of getting cancer is 1 out of 8000 and now, in the 1990s, the chances of getting cancer is 1 out of 3, which is very serious. So I hope that you will take this seriously and pass this on to all the people you know, and hopefully, we can stop "giving" ourselves the cancer virus.

Don't forget, this is real and serious, after you have read this, pass it on to as many people as possible, this is not a chain letter, but it concerns our health.

Relax, this is not true !

The SLS substance can be found in shampoos, soaps and other detergents and it is, in fact, a foamer. For those with a sensitive skin, the drying property of this substance can produce flare-ups of skin and/or irritation.

Quoted from Wiki.org :

Rumors have circulated widely on the internet that SLS/SLES are carcinogenic. They have spread through chain emails citing a fake report supposedly published by the Journal of the American College of Toxicology. No legitimate evidence can be found to support this claim. In response to the rumour, the Cosmetics Toiletry and Fragrance Association (CTFA) and the American Cancer Society have confirmed it to be an urban legend

You can read more about this detergent here.

In an earlier post, I was pointing out some clues that give away a story like this but I never mentioned how you can actually recognize a phony story.
There are many types of myths but I'm going to stick to those similar to "shampoo causes cancer".

These crappy stories, that fill up you e-mail box, can be very persuasive, and they are all trying to convince you that the message it's sending to you is true (or not). Generaly, the mission for this rumors is creating panic, that's why most of these myths are about diseases, death, cancer, etc. caused by something one uses regularly. For example, shampoo causes cancer. Shampoo is used by lots and lots of people and cancer is something that lots and lots of people are afraid of. (can you see where I'm going? If not, then stop reading )
They all look the same.
The first part of the story (the header) includes a short description of what the message is about; some of those short descriptions come with sentences like "This is true !" . - Just like a fairy tale :) -
The middle part of the story includes the message. Now, this message contains lots of details and scientific terms(e.g. Sodium Laureth Sulfate), that usually confuses the average Joe, and come from one or a group of "experts" or from someone that claims he/she did some research and came up with the same verdict. For example :

"So I called one company, and I told them ... their product contains a substance that will cause cancer. They said,"Yeah, we knew about it but there is nothing we can do about it because we need that substance to produce foam."

The last part (the footer) comes with a reminder ("don't forget, this is serious..."), and somewhat of a request from the author, to help spreading it.

Don't forget, this is real and serious, after you have read this, pass it on to as many people as possible...

These are the basic key elements that help you recognize untrue stories.

Don't forget that nowadays, every story like this will certainly make it on the front page of every online or offline newspaper and you will hear about it.

Cheers !

AOL and Bill Gates giving away cash

2006-12-15T03:51:00.000-08:00

"AOL users can recieve cash reward for forwarding a particular email to test a MSN/AOL tracking system."

Is it a hoax? Well... keep reading :-)

Here's a copy of the email claiming this :

THIS TOOK TWO PAGES OF THE TUESDAY USA TODAY - IT IS FOR REAL

To all of my friends, I do not usually forward messages, But this is from my good friend Pearlas Sandborn and she really is an attorney.

If she says that this will work - It will work. After all, What have you got to lose? SORRY EVERYBODY.. JUST HAD TO TAKE THE CHANCE!!! I'm an attorney, And I know the law. This thing is for real. Rest assured AOL and Intel will follow through with their promises for fear of facing a multimillion-dollar class action suit similar to the one filed by PepsiCo against General Electric not too long ago.

Dear Friends; Please do not take this for a junk letter. Bill Gates sharing his fortune. If you ignore this, You will repent later. Microsoft and AOL are now the largest Internet companies and in an effort to make sure that Internet Explorer remains the most widely used program, Microsoft and AOL are running an email beta test.

When you forward this e-mail to friends, Microsoft can and will track it ( If you are a Microsoft Windows user) For a two weeks time period.

For every person that you forward this e-mail to, Microsoft will pay you $245.00 For every person that you sent it to that forwards it on, Microsoft will pay you $243.00 and for every third person that receives it, You will be paid $241.00. Within two weeks, Microsoft will contact you for your address and then send you a check.

Regards. Charles S Bailey General Manager Field Operations

1-800-842-2332 Ext. 1085 or 904-1085 or RNX

292-1085 Charles_Bailey@csx.com Charles_bailey@csx.com

I thought this was a scam myself, But two weeks after receiving this email and forwarding it on. Microsoft contacted me for my address and withindays, I receive a check for $24,800.00. You need to respond before the beta testing is over. If anyone can affoard this, Bill gates is the man.

It's all marketing expense to him. Please forward this to as many people as possible. You are bound to get at least $10,000.00. We're not going to help them out with their e-mail beta test without getting a little something for our time. My brother's girlfriend got in on this a few months ago. When i went to visit him for the Baylor/UT game. She showed me her check. It was for the sum of $4,324.44 and was stamped "Paid in full"

Like i said before, I know the law, and this is for real.

Intel and AOL are now discussing a merger which would make them the largest Internet company and in an effort make sure that AOL remains the most widely used program, Intel and AOL are running an email beta test.

When you forward this e-mail to friends, Intel can and will track it (if you are a Microsoft Windows user) for a two week time period.

There is no article in the USA Today refering to this story, which claims that AOL or Microsoft or whatever is giving away tons of money.
I've searched the usatoday.com using their custom advanced search engine for many relevant keywords and phrases related to this message and it didn't return any results. You can try giving it a shot by clicking the following link : usatoday/archives/advancedsearch

So this means that "THIS TOOK TWO PAGES OF THE TUESDAY USA TODAY - IT IS FOR REAL" is not true. This is the clue that gives it away. You can even replace it with "Hey, I’m lying !" ... it makes no difference.

Further "investigations" leaded to popular urban legends reference pages like scope.com, urbanlegends.about.com, tafkac.org and so on ... you get the idea .

Another thing I found, during my "mythdigging", about this stupid story is that it's not that new. The original message was sent for the first time in 1997, unfortunately I didn't find the actual message of the email that generated this chain of reactions that still goes on today.

I can't imagine someone believing this crap these days. We receive lots and lots of emails all saying the same thing ... "if you forward this message to all your friends, my daughter/son, who is very ill, suffers from a extremly rare disease called 'Bogusanius Tumorus', will recieve 10 cents / message".

My advice is don't believe this kind of crap ! Read the news more often. These days, if some major company is giving away money then it will make it on the front page of every news website or newspaper for sure ! Don't forward the message, delete it !

Richard Hammond passed on

2006-12-11T07:59:00.000-08:00

"The 36-year-old TV presenter Richard Hammond passed on three months after he crashed in a jet-powered car while filming for Top Gear."

True or false ?

Another celebrity rumor is "cloacking" the e-mails of thousands of people around the world, especially in the UK.

(foto of the crashed dragster)

Richard "Hamster" Hammond crashed in a jet-powered dragster (see the picture above), three months ago, while shooting the new series of the famous auto TV show Top Gear.
He was doing 300 mph when it crashed and was seriously hurt. BBC NEWS published an online article about this giving some details of the unhappy event.

The dragster car he was driving was believed to have been travelling at about 300mph when it crashed.
Motoring expert Adam Rayner, of Fast Car magazine, said that at those speeds the driver would experience forces similar to those endured by fighter pilots.
"These cars accelerate at 6G - the force is breathtaking and stopping is a real difficulty," he said.
Former firefighter Dave Ogden, who runs private firm Event Fire Services, was one of the first people at the scene of the crash.
He said: "We were down there with Top Gear who were filming him trying to break the British land speed record.
"On the previous run, the car had just gone over 300mph but I am not sure if it had broken the record.
"They had just done one more run and were planning to finish when it veered off to the right.
"One of the parachutes had deployed but it went on to the grass and spun over and over before coming to a rest about 100 yards from us."
He said his crew and an ambulance that was already on the airfield rushed over and found the car upside down and "dug in" to the grass.
Mr Ogden said he felt for a pulse and heard Mr Hammond breathing before the emergency crews worked together to turn the car the right way up and then cut him free.
He added: "He was regaining consciousness at that point and said he had some lower back pain. But he was drifting in and out of consciousness a little bit."

He was treated for a brain injury at Leeds General Infirmary and has since made a "remarkable" recovery.
Hammond's severe injury had reduced him to a "child-like state" in which he became obsessed with Lego, which he said helped him recover.
He suffered short-term memory loss, became disorientated and also endured "excruciating" pain, for which he was prescribed morphine.
Filming on the new series of Top Gear was suspended after the accident, but has since resumed.

In the first two weeks after the crash, BBC announced that Richard Hammond was regaining conciousness and recovering amazingly fast from his brain injury and he even talked with Top Gear co-host, James May.

The recovery of Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond has been "absolutely remarkable", says the ambulance team which moved him to a Bristol hospital.

Mr May said it was not a long talk "but it was a conversation".
"I'm not a doctor but I am his mate and I believe that deep inside the Hammond I know is perfectly intact," he said.

Recently, BBC News published another article saying that he is well almost fully recovered from his brain injury and he will give an interview to Ross TV on BBC on 22 December, this year.

Hammond will be back in the studio in early 2007 when the first episode is broadcast.
He was voted People's champion of 2006 by Metro.co.uk Awards.

In conclusion I'm happy to say that this rumor is not true and wish Richard all the best in the world and I'm looking forward to seeing the new Top Gear series !

Steve Irwin statue

2006-12-11T05:58:00.000-08:00

This is a copy of an e-mail petition claiming that "they" need 1000 signatures to build a 1:1 size statue of Steve Irwin, as a tribute to the one and only "Crocodile Hunter", and if you don't agree signing it, well ...then you are a jerk.

This is a petition to get a life size statue of steve irwin to be built in australia zoo with no charge 2 the Irwin family all we need is 1000 signatures if you dont sign you are disrespectfull to an aussie hero so please sign. When you are the 1000th signinture please send it back to:
[Email address removed] [List of names removed]

True or false ?

If this were actually true, I'm sure that it would cause a media event with officials announcing this petition. So ... this petition is fake !

(foto of a 12 feet long alligator captured by Steve Irwin)

Let's just let him rest in peace !

Later edit: I found the same thing on digg.com but with 1000 diggs instead of signatures. :)

Mythbusters holidays fun

2006-12-10T00:31:00.000-08:00

It's not a myth, but it's worth seeing it !
As Jamie said ...

We don't need a myth, we can just have some fun, it's Christmas !

... and I think he's right :-)

Bill Gates' 11 must-follow rules

2006-12-09T07:48:00.000-08:00

Love him or hate him, he sure hits the nail on the head with this!

To anyone with kids of any age, here's some advice. Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair -- get used to it!

Rule 2: The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping -- they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Pure fiction. Bill Gates never gave a speech about this list of rules. Some of them are good to keep in mind though...

Internet "Clean-up Day"

2006-12-08T09:34:00.000-08:00

There's an e-mail circulating the net for a while that sounds something like this :

Subj: Internet Clean-up Day

THIS MESSAGE WILL AGAIN BE REPEATED IN MID FEBRUARY.
*** Attention ***

It's that time again!

As many of you know, each year the Internet must be shut down for 24
hours in order to allow us to clean it. The cleaning process, which
eliminates dead email and inactive ftp, www and gopher sites, allows for a
better working and faster Internet.

This year, the cleaning process will take place from 12:01 a.m.. GMT on
February 27 until 12:01 a.m. GMT on February 28 (the time least likely to
interfere with ongoing work). During that 24-hour period, five powerful
Internet search engines situated around the world will search the
Internet and delete any data that they find.

In order to protect your valuable data from deletion we ask that you do
the following:

1. Disconnect all terminals and local area networks from their
Internet connections.

2. Shut down all Internet servers, or disconnect them from the
Internet.

3. Disconnect all disks and hard drives from any connections to the
Internet.

4. Refrain from connecting any computer to the Internet in any
way.

We understand the inconvenience that this may cause some Internet
users, and we apologize. However, we are certain that any inconveniences
will be more than made up for by the increased speed and efficiency of the
Internet, once it has been cleared of electronic flotsam and jetsam.

We thank you for your cooperation.

It's funny but is it true of false ?

To answer this question you don't need to use a lot of brain :)

This rumor, myth, whatever you like calling it, is just absurd. There is no such thing as a "cleanup day" for the Internet. If each webmaster shuts down their web server there would be NO Internet to clean.
This kind of e-mails are usually forged with a famous signature (e.g. Google CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt) and can be very persuasive, so you might be confused at the begging.

My advice is just don't believe this crap.

The Lucky Strike

2006-12-04T13:58:00.000-08:00

" Lucky Strike cigarettes changed from a green package to a white one during the 1940s in order to aid the war effort. "

True or false?

The center of the 'bullseye' logo on Lucky Strike cigarettes is red now, but it wasn't always so. Although the general look of the packaging hasn't changed, the center dot used to be green. Why was it changed to red you ask? Well from what I hear it was changed during WWII. You see, just like many other things, paint was being used for the war effort, green being at a premium to paint tanks, for soldiers uniforms, and practically everything else. So Lucky Strike changed the color from green to red because green was in such short supply, and it remains that way to this day.

Actor Tom Hanks died ?

2006-12-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

" Actor Tom Hanks fell to his death while making a film in New Zealand "

True or false ?

Rumor has it that the well known hollywood actor Tom Hanks had an accident while working on his movie in the morning of 16th November this year .

The rumor circulated the internet via e-mail and on some bogus websites (that I wouldn' recommend visiting) . Here's a copy of the message :

Actor - Tom Hanks Falls To His Death In New Zealand

THIS STORY IS STILL DEVELOPING...

Actor Tom Hanks died while filming a movie in New Zealand early this morning - November 16, 2006.

Preliminary reports from New Zealand Police officials indicate that the actor fell more than 60 feet to his death on the Kauri Cliffs while on-set. Specific details are not yet available.

The accident occured at aproximatly 4:30 a.m. (UTC/GMT +12). Additional details and information will be forthcoming.

New Zealand, in recent years has grown in populariaty as a backdrop for Hollywood producers because of it's scenic and rugged landscape.

Recent movies filmed in New Zealand include The Lord Of the Rings, King Kong, and The Chronicles Of Narnia.

I am happy to tell you that this is not true (because Tom H. wasn't even in New Zealand on that day) and that he is well and alive and working on his upcomiing movie Charlie Wilson's War.

Pimp-my-home for Christmas

2006-12-03T01:49:00.000-08:00

"Home Christmas light display synchronized to musical score."

True or false?

Well, you'll have to watch this movie to believe it!

Some Coke myths

2006-12-01T15:29:00.000-08:00

I've heard so many myths about the "amazing" Coke but never knew which were true and which weren't so I decided to do some research and find out (no, not by opening a can of Coke).

"You can dissolve corrosion just by using Coca-cola"
True?

"Only two people in the world know the secret formula"
Pure fiction

"Coca-cola wass considered anti-semitic"
This one is actually true, Coca-Cola was once considered anti-Semitic for refusing to do business in Israel.

"Coke comes from cocaine - Coca-cola contains cocaine"
Not any more but at the beginning of it's road, the secret formula did contain small amounts of cocaine to get people addicted so they can sell their crappy product in huge amounts. When asked, they denied it.

"Cola affects bone health"
This is true, the caffeine and phosphoric acid found in cola affects bone health.
When drinking a coke, don't think about vitamins.

"You can get high mixing Coke and Aspirin"
This is pure fiction. Also mixing Coke with any kind of antibiotics can't get you high, unfortunately :)

"It can dissolve a tooth over night"
No, this is not true.

"You can be addicted to cola"
Consuming cola in large quantities over an extended period of time it can create addiction because it contains caffeine, which is a drug.

"Cola can be used as a toilet cleaner"
False, it's just stupid.

"Cola can remove grease from your clothes"
Not true, also. This one I've tested myself.

"You can bake ca moist ham with a Coke"
True, apparently, but I don't recommend you to do so! Pur a half of litre of cola into a baking pan then put the ham in the same pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
30 minutes after, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a brown gravy. After ten more minutes the ham is ready.

"Originally, it was green"
I think everybody knows the answer to this one ... (true)

"Coke became carbonated by accident"
Not true.

Mythdigger's (friendly) advice : Lay off the Coke, it's just bad for you !

Candy canes

2006-11-30T04:29:00.000-08:00

" Candy canes were created to symbolize Jesus, their shape representing the letter 'J' and their colors standing for the purity and blood of Christ... and were started in Indiana "

True or false ?

Candy canes weren't created by "a candymaker in Indiana" who "stained them with red stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received." Candy canes have been in existance long before there ever was an Indiana! They initially bore neither red coloration nor striping -- the red stripes were a feature that did not appear until a few hundred years later, at the beginning of the 20th century. More elaborate Christmas coloration and decoration have been added to these candies in recent years ... for purely marketing purposes.

Mythdigger's advice : More candy for you means more money for your dentist

Christmas superstitions

2006-11-30T03:14:00.000-08:00

I've made a list with some Christmas myths/superstitions from around the world. Enjoy!

"To have good health throughout the next year, eat an apple on Christmas Eve.
"Eat plum pudding on Christmas and avoid losing a friend before next Christmas."
"On Chrismas Eve all animals can speak. However, it is bad luck to test this superstition."
"The child born on Christmas Day will have a special fortune."
"Wearing new shoes on Christmas Day will bring bad luck."
In Ireland it is believed the gates of Heaven open at midnight on Christmas Eve. Those who die then go straight to Heaven.
If you refuse a mince pie at Christmas dinner, you will have bad luck for the coming day.
If you eat a raw egg before eating anything else on Christmas morning, you will be able to carry heavy weights.
"Snow on Christmas means Easter will be green."
"Good luck will come to the home where a fire is kept burning throughout the Christmas season.
"Place shoes by side on Christmas Eve to prevent a quarreling family."
"A clear star-filled sky on Christmas Eve will bring good crops in the summer."
"A blowing wind on Christmas Day brings good luck."
In Greece, some people burn their old shoes during the Christmas season to prevent misfortunes in the coming year.
In the Swedish countryside, from cock crow to daybreak on Christmas morning the trolls (wicked elves) roam about.
In Devonshire, England, a girl raps at the henhouse door on Christmas Eve. If a rooster crows, she will marry within the year.
You will have as many happy months in the coming year, as the number of houses you eat mince pies in during Christmas time.
"Shout 'Christmas Gift' to the first person knocking on your door on Christmas Day and expect to receive a gift from the visitor.

Mythdigger's advice : Being superstitious only spoils the fun so don't you forget this ... having fun is number one !

Merry Christmas everyone !

The birdcopter

2006-11-29T14:18:00.000-08:00

"American helicopter painted like a bird of prey operating in Afghanistan "

True or false ?

Pictures of a military combat helicopter are circulated with a message that says "our boys" across the water painted it to look like a bird of prey. The message says it's operating in Afghanistan and is "no doubt causing quite a stir."

The truth is that the pictures are not of an American helicopter, but of a Russian MI-24 "Hind" assault helicopter. It was used extensively by the Soviets in Afghanistan but this paint-job does not appear to be for combat. We suspect it is for purposes of promotion or public performance. There are some pictures of it on display at an air show at Szentkirályszabadja, Hungary. Whether there are others like it, we don't know ,the only pictures of this paint scheme are all on the same helicopter designated number 117.

Fatal cocktail : rat urine

2006-11-29T10:11:00.001-08:00

" One can catch a fatal disease by drinking from rat-urine contaminated soda cans "

True or false ?

Well, the story sounds like this ...

It happened in July 1999.

A stock clerk was sent to clean up a storeroom at their Maui,Hawaii location. When he got back, he was complaining that the storeroom was really filthy, and that he had noticed dried mouse or rat droppings in some areas.

Couple of days later, he started feeling like he was coming down with stomach flu, achy joints, headache, and he started throwing up. He went to bed and never really got up. Within two days he was so ill and weak. His blood sugar count was down to 66 and his face and eyeballs were yellow. He was rushed to the emergency at Pali Momi, where they said he was suffering from massive organ failure! He died shortly before midnight.

None of us would have ever made the connection between his job and his death, but the doctors specifically asked if he had been in a warehouse or exposed to dried rat or mouse droppings at any time. They said there is a virus (much like Hanta virus) that lives in dried rat and mouse droppings. Once dried, these droppings are like dust, and can easily be ingested if a person is not careful to wash their hands and face thoroughly,or wear protective gear. An autopsy was conducted to verify the doctors' suspicions. This is why it is extremely important to ALWAYS carefully rinse off the tops of any canned sodas or foods,and wipe off pasta packaging, cereal boxes, etc.

Almost everything you buy in a supermarket was stored in a warehouse at one time or another, and stores themselves often have rodents. Most of us remember to wash vegetables and fruit but never think of boxes and cans. The ugly truth is ... even the most modern, upper-class, superstore has rats and mice. And their Warehouse most assuredly does. Whenever you buy any canned soft drink, please make sure that you wash the top with running water and soap, or if not available, drink with a straw. A family friend's friend died after drinking a can of soda!

A brief investigation by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta discovered the cause. The top was encrusted with dried rat's urine which is toxic and obviously lethal ! Canned drinks and other food stuffs are stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents and then get transported to the retail outlets without being properly cleaned.

Whenever you buy a can of coke or whatever, please make sure that you wash the top with running water and soap or, if not available, drink with a straw. A woman died after drinking a can of soda! apparently, she didn't clean the top before drinking from the can. The top was encrusted with dried rat's urine which is toxic and therefore lethal! Canned drinks and other foodstuff are stored in warehouses and containers that are usually infested with rodents and then get transported to the retail outlets without being properly cleaned.

So is this possible?

Is it true or false ? The answer to this question would be absolutely not !

Why, you might add ?

Only two fatal diseases that could be transmitted through rat urine have been in the news recently. One, Hantavirus Pulomonary Syndrome (HPS), is caused by hantavirus and is mentioned in some versions of this story. Leptospirosis is the other one.

While hantavirus is transmitted through rat droppings and urine, it is a respiratory disease that does not show the symptoms described in some versions allegedly occurring in Hawaii and Miami.
Both HPS and leptospirosis are relatively rare (about 100 - 200 cases of leptospirosis occur each year in the United States) and are treatable if properly diagnosed. HPS is contracted by frequently inhaling dust from dried mouse droppings.

Mythdigger's advice : Don't eat mouse droppings, they taste bad :)

Microwaving food in plastic

2006-11-29T08:43:00.000-08:00

" Microwaving food in plastic containers or wrapped in plastic releases dangerous chemicals into the food "

True or false ?

Di(2-ethylhexyl)adipate (DEHA) contained in plastics can contaminate the containing food heated in a microwave.

DEHA is a phtalate, one of many types of 'plasticizers' commonly added to plastics. Most types of plastic, such as polyvinyl chloride, are rigid or brittle, not very useful if you are trying to make cling wrap or tupperware. Plasticizers make plastic malleable and flexible.

Plasticizers in general, and DEHA in particular, don't form a chemical bond with the plastic. While they are not soluble in water, other substances, like oils and fats, can dissolve phthalates out of the plastic. Heating phthalates can turn them into a gas or vapor.

Some types of phthalates have been shown to have health effects, including cancer. Some studies in the late 1990s linked exposure to high levels of phthalates to various health problems in rats and mice. In response to these studies, the Environment Protection Agency(EPA) in the US and European Union(EU) environmental health agencies classified some phthalates, including DEHA, as possible carcinogens.

Recent studies of DEHA and some other phthalates have not shown a link between phthalates and cancer. As a result of these studies, the EPA and EU agencies has reclassified DEHA as not a suspected carcinogen.

Does this mean DEHA is safe? By the current lights of science it is, but DEHA may be found to have health effects on further study.

What's not in dispute is that under some conditions, DEHA can leach out of plastic and into food. Oils and heat can dissolve DEHA into food.