Saturday, March 28, 2009

How to resign with dignity

Dignity is about being worthy of respect, and a classy resignation should leave your employer sorry to see you go.

If you resign with dignity and class, it's how you'll be remembered. That said, resigning is stressful, so follow these tips to make it as painless as possible:
Check your contract

* What is your notice period?
* If you're still on probation, you are likely to be able to terminate the contract with immediate effect.
* Most employers will ask for between two and four week's notice.
* Unless you can get your employer to waive your notice period, you are legally obliged to work it. Doing so with good grace is advised.
* Even if you don't have a written contract, a verbal contract counts in law. You might have agreed to let your boss have a week's notice, or to complete certain jobs. If you don't honour a verbal contract, you're liable to lose out on a last paycheque.
* Knowing where you stand legally will give you more confidence when it comes to breaking the news. Your Citizens Advice Bureau can help.

Call a meeting with your boss

* Prepare your opening speech in advance, and practice with a friend.
* Try to anticipate your boss's reaction, and prepare some responses.
* Resist the urge to make your resignation personal, or turn it into a grand gesture. Do say: "I've decided to move on." Don't say: "You've ruined my life!".
* Be positive about your time at work, as you are sure to need a reference. Thank them for the opportunities they've given you, and if possible mention something specific that you will miss.
* Stick to your story. Your boss may try to get you to divulge your real reasons for quitting.
* Rise above it. If your boss clings, whimpering, to your leg, or threatens your family, then you will win the moral victory if you stay composed.

Write a formal resignation letter

* Include the date, your name, your boss's name, your notice of termination of employment, when this will be effective from, details of your notice period, and your signature. This is all it needs.
* If they're genuine, include some brief positive comments about your time at the company.
* It's a good idea to say you want to help the handover go smoothly, and that you're keen to finish any outstanding projects.
* Give the letter to your boss, and keep a copy for your records. You can even frame it!

Exit interview

* Some employers operate exit interviews as a matter of policy. Others may offer you one for a number of reasons. You are not entitled to an exit interview, but if you have something to say then you might want to ask for one.
* You might want to keep your reasons for leaving to yourself, which you're entitled to do.
* Exit interviews are a forum for you to offer constructive feedback to your employer, so that they can learn from your experience of working for them.
* Some employers take the results of exit interviews very seriously, and change policy on the basis of what is said.
* Resist the if I-ran-the-company approach. If you've only been there six months, now is not the time to get big ideas.
* Prepare your comments in advance, and be specific. If you feel that your employer is doing something wrong, give an example of how you experienced this, and how you feel it could have been done differently. Don't drag others into your complaint, as they have to carry on working once you've left.
* If you feel that your employer is not being receptive to your comments, don't force the issue. What you've said will go on record, so you can always say "I told you so".

And you're off!

All you have to do now is work your notice. If you find pretending to be busy/nice a bit boring, then you might consider the following:

* Ensure that your salary settlement is agreed.
* Work hard to finish your outstanding projects, and arrange to hand over unfinished work to your colleagues. Put yourself in their shoes, and don't leave any nasty surprises.
* If you've been there long enough, make time to say goodbye individually to your colleagues. They will appreciate the effort, and you might get a better leaving present.
* Organise leaving drinks for the day before you go. This will prevent you from slagging anybody off, because you'll have to show up for work in the morning.
* Get the contact details of anybody you want to keep in touch with, whether for personal reasons or because you might need them in the future. Network, network, network!
* If you've got a great new job to go to, don't boast about it.
* Congratulate yourself on a job well undone. Buy something expensive.

How to write perfect CV

Employers sift through dozens of job applications when looking for the right candidate and only the best CVs get to the interview stage. So how do you get it right?

What is a CV?

A Curriculum Vitae (or 'resume' as its sometimes called) is a written record of your education, qualifications and employment. Many job adverts will ask you to send a CV and covering letter so the employer can quickly sort potential candidates from less-suited applicants. The CV is therefore not just a documentary record of your career-to-date but also a chance to sell yourself. Spending a little time getting your CV right is well worth the effort involved.

How do I create a CV?

First of all, have a think about what attributes you have which make you suitable for the role. Understand what skills you intend to 'sell' with the CV. Different jobs may require different skills to be highlighted, and there is no reason why you can't make a different version of your CV for each application.

What should I write?

Although most people write their CV in the first-person ("I achieved this"), recruiters often suggest you write in the third-person ("Sam achieved this").  This is because it sounds less like you are boasting (Think "Sam doubled his sales" vs "I doubled my sales"), and also makes you focus on what someone else would want to know about you.

Use simple and clear language, and stick to the point. An employer wants to identify your key skills and experiences by glancing at your CV. If it is hard work to get this information you may be overlooked. Use bullet points where appropriate, but don't just have bullet points.

How much should I write?

Keep it brief, but not too brief. Two sides of A4 are usually best.

Recruiters hate wading through pages of paper no matter how interesting and vital you think the information is. Equally, they don't want to have to second-guess what you have been up to for the past few years because you have not included any details. Include enough information to make them want to call you for interview, not so they can start writing your biography.

How should it look?

Computers mean you can make your CV very creative, but clean and simple will always win over complicated and fancy. Choose a simple font, use bold for section headings and ensure it is neatly laid out. Avoid having big blocks of text as this can look uninviting.

Make sure you put your name clearly at the top of the first page.

What should I include?

The CV should be divided into specific sections covering personal details, employment history, education background and interests and achievements. Increasingly people tend to put an opening statement.

If you are just graduating or have limited employment history, it's best to put your education before your employment. But if your employment history is more relevant to the job you are applying for, then make that come first.

Opening statement

An opening statement is a short paragraph (two or three sentences) that outlines who you are and what your skills are. It is a 'teaser' of what is to come in the rest of the CV.

Identify the things that make you different from other applicants. Avoid bland and generic statements like 'hard-working' or 'well-rounded': most people could say that about themselves.

Personal details

Always include:

  • Your name;
  • Address (where you can be easily contacted);
  • Mobile number.

You may also want to include:

  • Whether you have a driving licence and access to a car;
  • If you are not a British Citizen, whether there are any restrictions on your employment in the UK.

Employment History

Show your employment history in reverse chronological order. Your most recent position should be the one that is covered in most detail. List your job title, the employer, dates of your employment and outline your main responsibilities. You may also want to state how much you were paid and your reason for leaving.

For jobs that are less relevant to the role you are applying for, it may be worth simply listing the job title and employer.

Make sure that you include any relevant work experience (e.g. placements through college or summer internships), as these may be more interesting to the employer than your Saturday job.

Education background

You should list all schools, colleges and specialist courses attended, along with the relevant dates and grades. If you leave the grades off, the worst is usually assumed and potential employers will think that you are trying to hide something.

Interests and achievements

This is where you can list any non-employment interests, which is the bit that makes you sound more human. Provide details on any hobbies or volunteering work you've been involved in. If you've been abroad for more than a simple beach holiday, it's worth listing where you've been.

List any achievements, awards or recognition you've received. And any skills you've got, such as languages you can speak or musical instruments you can play.

Once you've finished

Ask a friend to check the grammar and spelling, and give you any constructive feedback.

100% Google AdSense: Tools, Tips and Resources

Google AdSense is a simple and low-risk way for publishers to quickly monetize their content. The pay-per-click ad system has created an opportunity for anyone to instantly have advertising on their website, without the hassle of having to actively sell ad space. AdSense makes up a good portion of the advertising revenue for many websites, and other websites may use AdSense to earn the bulk of their revenues. Either way, AdSense is an excellent system for monetizing your content.

In this post we present an ultimate collection of resources, tools and tips to help you make the most out of Google AdSense. Among other things, this post covers various Google AdSense tools, Firefox-extensions, WordPress-plugins and related resources.

Please feel free to suggest related tools in the comments to this post. You may also be interested in our post Google AdSense: Facts, FAQs and Tools that was published two years ago.

1. Google AdSense Tools

iPhone AdSense Statistics Application
SenseApp is a program that lets you track your Google Adsense earnings on your Apple iPhone.

Screenshot

AdSense Earnings Tool
Free and fast tool to monitor adsense earnings in realtime. This tool posts all the correct post fields to Googles universal Account Services login and collects information about your earnings. You’ll able to see today, yesterday, this month and since last payment earnings. You don’t need to log in to Google anymore.

Screenshot

Google AdSense Toolbox
Type any web page URL (e.g. cnn.com) or keywords (e.g. web development), select a country (optional) and hit Enter to see the latest Google Ads that are contextual and geo-targeted.

Google AdSense Preview Tool
an addition to the right-click menu for Windows Internet Explorer 6.x, allowing you to preview the ads that may show on any webpage. With just a few clicks, you can see what ads may appear on your new webpages, or make an educated decision on whether to add AdSense to your existing site pages.

Google Search-Based Keyword Tool
The search-based keyword tool allows you to find high-paying keywords to target, based on the domain name you specify.

Search Based Kw Tool

Google Traffic Estimator
The Google Traffic Estimator is an easy way to determine the search volume of certain keywords, and it shows related keywords and their volumes as well.

SpyFu
SpyFu allows you to look up any website and see how much it is spending on AdSense, how it ranks for each keyword, and which keywords it buys. The tool is quite useful for researching competitors.

Spyfu

adsblacklist
Identify and block low-paying advertisers and increase ROI with AdSense.

2. Google AdSense Online Tools

Contextual Ads Preview/Comparison Tool
This comparison tools comes in handy when you compare AdSense ads to those of other advertisement services (Chitika, Yahoo). You also have the ability to customize the colors and view what ads a certain URL would be likely to display.

Pubmatic

Google AdSense Calculator
This AdSense Calculator is designed to help you to predict changes in your earnings depending on improvement (or deterioration) of Page Impressions, Click Through Rate and Cost Per Click. You can download further calculators here.

Screenshot

WordTracker
During the search, people use different keywords. Using this tool, you can find the most effective words before deciding what content to include on your page. Not free, but the free trial is available.

Traffic Estimator Sandbox
To use this tool, you need an AdWords account. This traffic estimator helps you to figure out what keywords result in the highest paying AdSense ads (more details on uphook).

Screenshot

Pubmatic
While Pubmatic isn’t strictly an AdSense tool, it will definitely help you earn more money from your website by optimizing your ads. With each page view, Pubmatic determines whether showing an AdSense ad or an ad from a different network would be best, based on the CPM.

Pubmatic

AlterNut Ad
Instead of earning nothing from the PSA ads that Google fills the page with when it has no ads to show, earn a set fee by giving AlterNut Ad your unused PSA ads.

3. Google AdSense Firefox Extensions

AdSense Notifier
This extension displays your AdSense earnings in the status bar.

AdSense Preview
Check what Google ads would be displayed if they were shown on a particular page with this preview tool.

AdSense Preview

Money Quake
Money Quake allows you to see your real-time earnings for many popular advertising programs, including AdSense.

AdSense Preview

GraphSense
GraphSense gives you a visual look at your AdSense reports by adding graphs to the interface. As of this post, the extension is still classified as “experimental,” so you’ll have to log in to Mozilla to install it.

Graphsense

4. Official AdSense Resources

Google has provided some official tools and resources to help publishers get started with AdSense.

Google AdSense Help Center
A database of questions and answers about the AdSense program.

Help Center

Inside AdSense Blog
The official AdSense blog. Find news, tips and other features about the ad system here.

AdSense Community Forum
Have an AdSense question? Ask a community of publishers and the AdSense team.

Official Optimization Tips
A collection of tips provided by the AdSense team.

Official AdSense Channel on YouTube
Instructional videos and interviews by successful AdSense publishers.

Interest-based advertising with Google AdSense
Just recently Google announced the launch of interest-based advertising. This help section addresses the new mechanism and explains how you can benefit from it.

5. Getting Started with AdSense

Because of the popularity of AdSense, many so-called “experts” out there try to give “inside information” or sell their secrets in the form of ebooks. If you’re truly a beginner to AdSense, use the official AdSense help database that Google provides.

Here are some “getting started” articles by a few trusted authors.

Problogger’s AdSense Tips for Bloggers
Darren Rowse’s excellent eight-part series will get you well on your way to making money from AdSense.

AdSense Tips For Bloggers

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Effective AdSense Link Units Optimization
A great rundown of the different types of link units and how they’re best used in a website layout.

Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Where Should I Place Google Ads on my Page?
The Google AdSense team has made a helpful map showing the different regions of a website layout where AdSense units perform the best.

6. Optimization Tips

Like any ad system, AdSense can be optimized to generate more clicks and revenue. Here are some tips to help boost AdSense performance.

Adsense Success Stories
Several examples of websites that increased their earnings significantly with Adsense. The success stories talk a lot about ad optimization, etc.

Google AdSense Tips
Google Blogscoped provides an excellent collection of AdSense tips based on its experience with implementing Google ads.

Google Blogscoped AdSense

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/03/19/100-google-adsense-tools-tips-and-resources/

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Top 10 signs your girlfriend’s a SLUT!

slutty girlfriend sexy woman
You might want to worry if:
10) She calls you by the wrong name during sex. Different names. Repeatedly.
9) When you Google her name, all of the sites that come up are porn sites.
8) She eats dick for breakfast
7) She has all boys as friends but no boy friend:) .
6) She has a bigger porn collection than you do.
5) She is a regular at the free health clinic. They know her by name.
4) Her nickname is high school was “slut bag”
3) She has a belly-button piercing, lower-back tattoo, and wears hoop earrings and a mini-skirt.
2) Eats an unusually large amount of phallic-shaped fruit.
1) She loves having group sex, but most of the time you are in the other room.
OR THESE 10 SIGNS


the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp01 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
You’ve met the woman of your dreams. The two of you click in every sense. You spend all your spare time together and you’ve had the official boyfriend/girlfriend chat. The relationship couldn’t be more perfect, except for one nagging feeling - you suspect she’s a slut.<span id="more-484">

10. She’s Always Going to the Gym, Never Losing Weight

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp02 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
Going to the gym is the perfect alibi for skanky behavior. It gives your girl an excuse to be out of the house, to carry a change of clothes and get hot and sweaty. Also, she is less likely to raise suspicion when she returns home freshly showered. Guys don’t question this type of behavior because they like the idea that their woman is getting fit and staying in shape. But you should. If your girlfriend is going to the gym 7 times or more a week, then that’s a red flag. No one likes to work out that much, plus the body needs time to rest.
If your girl is working out everyday, then the pounds should be melting away. You should notice a difference in her weight. If you don’t, then there’s a problem. She either hording chocolate bars in secret or she’s whoring herself.
If you are still suspicious, take a look in her sports bag. The bag should contain sweaty, unsexy sports bras and track pants. If it contains lacy lingerie and chocolate body paint, then your girl is doing a different type of exercise.

9. She Works ‘Nights’

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp03 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
If your girl works at night and is vague about what she does or won’t let you visit or call her – then she’s probably up to something. If she returns home in the middle of the night and smells like fresh flowers, then she’s probably not working in a bar or restaurant. She’s most likely working the street, or some other dude.
Don’t think it doesn’t happen. In an article on hipster hookers, by Radar Magazine, one prostitute confessed that she has long term boyfriend who thinks she’s an event planner and is clueless that she’s a professional tramp. She admits “I feel guilty sometimes when I come home and he’s asleep and I’m still wired from my night, but I always climb into bed next to him and try to fall asleep. When he wakes up he likes to touch me and make love, and that’s when it hits me.” So if your girl works at night, plan on visiting her, or better yet, surprise her.

8. She Smokes

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp04 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
There’s an old saying about girls who smoke – “if she smokes, she pokes.” It is common knowledge among men that women who smoke are easier. As the Urban Dictionary nicely puts it “If a girl smokes a pack of cigarettes, that means she’s simulating the act of sucking 20 little white dicks every day!”
Science also proves that women who smoke are sluttier. A study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that those females who were current smokers or former smokers were “significantly more likely to have engaged in sexual intercourse than youth who had never used cigarettes.” So if you GF’s smoking a pack of Pall Malls a day, chances are she’s gotten around.

7. She Won’t Reveal Her Number of Partners

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp05 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
As some point in a relationship you will have that intimate talk where you admit the number of past sexual partners. Girls usually start these types of conversations, because they love to know everything. If you initiate this conversation with your girlfriend, be prepared to be shocked.
Trampy girls go out of their way not to answer this question. They will use every trick in the book to get out of this awkward situation. They will change the subject, bribe you with sexual favors or ask you to answer first so she can answer with a number that’s less that yours. This is a big warning sign.
According to a nationwide study by the CDC, the median number of male sexual partners for American women is 4. Only 9 percent of women aged 20 to 59 report sleeping with more than 15 dudes. So, according to these statistics, if your lady’s number is over 15 she’s officially a member of the exclusive ho club.
Now, these surveys are generally useless, as we all now both sexes lie. Men exaggerate their number by doubling it and women halve theirs. Keep this in mind when you’re having that conversation.

6. She has a Tramp Stamp

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp06 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
Tramp stamps are a way for women to advertise their skankiness. These tattoos, located on the lower back, were first seen on exotic dancers, but are now more common on women everywhere.
study by the Department of Psychology, University College London, London, showed that “tattooed women were rated as less physically attractive, more sexually promiscuous and heavier drinkers than un-tattooed women.” Dudes know that when they see a tramp stamp, it’s on.
The more angels, butterflies, hearts, dolphins, fairies unicorns or flowers the tramp stamp contains, the higher the odds she’s a slut. If it contains all of the above, then you’re in trouble.

5. She’s British

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp07 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
British girls are a lot of fun. They have big breasts, like to drink and are also completely slutty. A new study by More magazine reveals that British gals have more one-night stands than women in Australia, France, the Netherlands, Italy and America. They are so slutty that they are worse than men when it comes to how many people they’ve had sex with. The survey found that “the average 21-year-old woman has had nine sexual partners, compared with men who on average have had seven.” Something is not right in Britain.

4. She’s Always Drunk

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp08 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
Girls who drink are fun, but they are also considered easy. It’s okay if you hooked up with your girl at a bar and she was wasted. It’s not okay if every time you’ve hung out she’s inebriated. A friend of mine once dated a girl who would show up to a bar before a date so she could flirt with other guys and make them buy her drinks. This is not cool and a big red flag.
Alcohol makes women less inhibited, flirtier and more sexually promiscuous. A recent statistic shows that “teens and young adults who use alcohol are seven times more likely to have sex” than non-drinking teens or young people. Girls often use alcohol as an excuse for being promiscuous and will use the old “I was so drunk I don’t remember a thing” line.
Another worrying trend among women is drunkorexia. Drunkorexia is a phenomenon where women forgo eating in order to “spend” their daily calories on alcohol. If your lady friend refuses to eat so she can consume multiple cans of Boone’s Farm, then she’s probably been around the block a few times.

3. She’s Constantly Giving you STDs

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp09 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
You could be in real danger if your girlfriend has slept around and/or continues to sleeps around. The CDC has recently issued a report that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are all on the rise. Last year, the Washington Post reported that one in four teenage girls currently have at least one STD. Imagine what happens when these girls hit their twenties. Women are also less likely to know or show symptoms of an STD, so be careful. I know guys who have caught something and confronted their girl, only to be accused of cheating.
So if you think your girls had a slutty past, be mature and organize an STD testing date. Take the test together and then buy her ice cream. Just make sure she doesn’t lick your cone.

2. She Personally Knows Every Guy in Your Hood

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp10 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
One day you will be with your girlfriend and bump into one of her exes. This is pretty common. It is not common to be constantly bumping into dudes who your girlfriend knows and has obviously been intimate with. Their conversation will be short, awkward and painful to experience. As you leave, the dude will look at you in a way that signals “I’ve banged your slutty girlfriend.” Afterwards your girlfriend will swiftly explain that “he’s just a friend” and change the conversation. If it also happens when you both travel to another city, then your girlfriend is grade A slutty.
If you are worried that your girl has slept around a lot, take a look at her cell phone. If she has way more guy numbers than girls, chances are she’s had a wild past. A further bad omen is if her friends have nicknames for her such as “slut,” “sloppy jo” or “skankerella.” Even if it’s in jest, they are probably calling her this for a reason.

1. You Find Used Condoms

the top 10 signs your girlfriends a tramp11 The Top 10 Signs Your Girlfriends a Tramp
A sure sign your girl is a slut iif you discover used condoms in her possession and they are not yours. I once heard a story on the radio about a guy who found a used condom inside his girl. It was a brand and color he never used. If this happens to you, then your girlfriend is officially the biggest slut in the world.

http://www.facebook.com/ayurvedastreet

Thursday, March 19, 2009

India's Fritzl? Mira Road dad held for raping daughters since 2000

A 60-year-old businessman was arrested on Tuesday by the Mira Road Police for allegedly raping his daughters over an extended span of time. The elder girl, now 21, suffered in silence for nine long years. She finally mustered courage and blew the lid on the crime after her father turned on her sister, 15.

The mother of the girls has also been arrested as an accessory to the crime.

The case bears a sinister resemblance to that of Josef Fritzl in Austria, who confined his daughter to a cellar in his house for 24 years and repeatedly raped her, even fathering seven children. Fritzl is currently facing trial.

Police said the Mira Road couple was under the influence of a tantrik, Hasmukh Rathod, 60, who told them in July 2000 that the family would prosper if the father were to have a sexual relationship with his daughter, then 12.

By late evening, Rathod, a resident of Andheri, was also taken into custody. Locals, including neighbours of the couple, manhandled the tantrik in the police station.

The family (names withheld by the police), which hailed from Gujarat, resides in Phase I of Golden Nest on Mira-Bhayander Road. The businessman owns a unit in Andheri manufacturing radium plates for automobiles. Rathod was known to the couple for more than 20 years. Police said he, too, raped the elder daughter over a period of time, that too in her mother's presence.

In November 2008, Rathod encouraged the man to start a sexual relationship with his younger daughter. Till then, the elder girl had suffered in silence for fear of her father. But when he turned on her sister, she gathered courage and confided in her maternal uncle and grandmother, who complained to the police.

Senior inspector Mukund Mahajan said the matter is being investigated and the trio would be produced in court on Thursday.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1240453

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

How to be Lazy

Laziness is the key to success. Here are the rules of being lazy:

# 1. Never do anything. If you wait around long enough, someone else will do it.

# 2. Don’t move. Moving is overrated.

# 3. Never run. Running is the worst thing you can do. I had to run once.. big mistake.

# 4. If something is not in your reach, you don’t need it. Before you get up to get something across the room next time, think. Do you really want to get up and walk all the way there and all the way back to get it? Yeah, I know. I felt stupid for moving all those times.

# 5. Don’t have an opinion. Opinions are thoughts, and thoughts are work.

# 6. Don’t work. Working is for suckers. Be a CEO if you can, they never do anything.

# 7. If you have to move, fuss about it. Make it well known that you’re pissed off because you have to move. Sigh a lot. Drag your feet and arch your back at 60 degrees (bad posture helps you to conform to the shapes of couches when you sit down, and it makes you look tired).

# 8. Sleep as much as you can. Contrary to common sense and popular belief, sleeping is very productive.

# 9. Don’t talk. Talking requires the movement of your jaw.. way too much work.

# 10. If you have to work, do a half-assed job at it. Example: If you have to rake leaves, push them out into the road or into your neighbor’s yard. If you have a riding lawn mower, run over them a few times until the pieces are small enough to hide in between blades of grass.

I have more rules, but this is taking more effort than I thought. I’ll update this later.. if I’m not too tired.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Synonyms for Beautiful

So.. if in need of other words for beautiful, try these...

alluring (very attractive or tempting; enticing; seductive)
angelic (like an angel, esp. in virtue, beauty, etc. Example: angelic sweetness.)
appealing (a rather dry substitute for "beautiful"..)
beauteous (beautiful, especially to the sight)
bewitching (as in enchanting, charming, fascinating, so beautiful with spice)
charming (as in pleasing, delightful - again a not quite up-to-the-task word for beautiful)
classy (stylish, admirably smart, elegant)
comely (pleasing in appearance, attractive, fair)
cute (pleasingly pretty, hardly an adequate replacement)
dazzling (deeply impressive)
delicate (dainty, exquisite or refined in perception or feeling; sensitive)
delightful (highly pleasing)
divine (perfect, of superhuman or surpassing excellence)
enticing (highly attractive and able to arouse hope or desire)
exquisite (of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence)
fair (pleasing in appearance, attractive)
fine (meaning a multitude of things, amongst other good-looking and handsome)
good-looking (a pretty descriptive and self-explanatory variaton on "beautiful")
gorgeous (splendid or sumptuous in appearance, magnificent)
graceful (characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech)
grand (first-rate, very good, splendid, noble, majestic, dignified)
handsome (having an attractive, well-proportioned, and imposing appearance suggestive of health and strength)
ideal (conceived as constituting a standard of perfection or excellence)
lovely (charmingly or exquisitely beautiful, having a beauty that appeals to the heart or mind as well as to the eye, as a person or a face.)
magnificent (of exceptional beauty, extraordinarily fine, superb)
marvelous (superb, excellent, incredible)
nice (really? No...)
pleasing (much better than "nice", huh?)
pretty (pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness)
pulchritudinous (this has got to be the best alternate word for "beautiful" of them all - AND - it's so easy on the tongue! Anyway, it refers to physical beauty)
radiant (bright with joy, hope, etc.)
ravishing (extremely beautiful or attractive, enchanting, entrancing)
refined (oil? No, they mean "having or showing well-bred feeling, taste, etc.")
resplendent (shining brilliantly, gleaming, splendid)
shapely (having a pleasing shape, esp. with reference to a woman's figure)
sightly (pleasing to the sight, attractive)
splendid (gorgeous, magnificent, sumptuous)
statuesque (as in "beautiful as a statue"? How about ficusesque as an additional option?)
stunning (of striking beauty or excellence)
sublime (complete, absolute, supreme, outstanding)
superb (ace, of a proudly imposing appearance or kind)
symmetrical (this is actually listed as a synonym for "beautiful", which I find rather odd. Who is to say that symmetry is beautiful and assymetry isn't?)
taking (captivating, winning or pleasing)
well-formed (I'll say no more)
wonderful (of a sort that causes or arouses wonder, amazing, astonishing)

Friday, March 13, 2009

The 7 Websites Every Man Should Be Reading


Sure you were on the high school football team and had a wicked Camaro. You may have even done bungee jumping and joined the century club in college. Yet there’s more to being a man than testosterone, gasoline and whiskey.

Here’s the seven manliest websites to aid you in perfecting your manliness, my good man.

7. men.webmd.com

Curious about something….private? Not sure if the gear should be doing that? The highly respected WebMD site has an entire sub-domain dedicated to man issues.

There’s nothing more manly than taking care of what makes you a man to begin with. It’s okay to talk about it - just not at dinner or with your mom.

6. Rouxbe.com

They say the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach (wrong! It’s straight through the ribcage with a poleaxe). Quality cooking is however, the manliest way to a woman’s heart. Show her how you move in the kitchen and she’ll want to know how you move in other rooms. This goes for married men too!

With Rouxbe’s (pronounced roo-bee) easy to follow, step-by-step gourmet cooking videos, you’ll be able to talk to her like you’re Gordon F’n Ramsay all night long, yes?

5. Akamai University - Mens’ Studies

If you’re the academic type and really want to get a good understanding of the creature known as man, you can actually get a degree in it at Akamai University.

I’m not sure what sort of career that would land you, or how manly this really is, but at least you’ll be prepared to go toe-to-toe with a feminist at your debate club.

4. Chickipedia.com

What’s the point of being a man, even a gentleman, if you can’t appreciate the alluring aesthetic appeal of the fairer sex?

Chickipedia makes finding ‘artistic’ images of the feminine form very simple, with arguably the largest collection in the world, this side of Hugh Hefner’s library. I especially like how I can search based on the three prime measurements.

3. BadAssOfTheWeek.com

Feeling like one man can’t make a difference? Is the metrosexual world we’re living in getting you down?  Then it’s worth the trip to BadAssofTheWeek to read up on men like The Viking at Stamford Bridge, and a few women such as Harriet Tubman, who took charge, for better or worse, and made a mark on this world.

Makes me want to put on my cowboy boots and set a few mustachioed-villains straight. Take that Snidely Whiplash!

2. GreatDad.com

In all seriousness, the manliest pursuit a man can make is to become a father. Not just sire a kid or six, but to become the kind of father that your son wants to be, or your daughter wants to marry. It’s not the easiest thing to do and is just as challenging as being a great mom is for women.

There are roughly 2 quintillion websites for being a great mom and maybe 14 for being a great dad. Here’s one that I would recommend. GreatDad has honest and compassionate articles on being a great dad. It’s one website you should add to your daily reading if you are, or hope to become, a dad.

1. ArtOfManliness.com

If there was only one manly website in the world, this would be it. The articles here are very useful and usually served with a touch of humour like you’d expect from an old timer telling you how it was in his day.  From topics such as “How to Sharpen a Pocketknife” to “Bartitsu: The Martial art of Gentlemen”, ArtOfManliness.com is putting the man back into gentleman.

Bonus Manly Site

What if there were a club for men? An international fraternity of real men like John Wayne, Admiral Byrd and cool world leaders like Frederick the Great and George Washington? Oh yeah, there is!

Freemasonry is the oldest and largest men’s club in the world. With crazy get-ups like the buddy in the picture to cool handshakes and secret words, it’s the next best thing to having a tree-fort club again, only a bit more serious at times. Besides, the true best way to learn to be a man is from other men.

There are many official Freemason sites out there, but the grand-daddy is the United Grand Lodge of England.

Got something manly to add to this? Well step up and be heard, my good fellow. Care to dispute the manliness of something in here? Maybe we should take it outside then.

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/the-7-websites-every-man-should-be-reading/

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Abc’s of Personal Growth

The Abc’s of Personal Growth

Action: Taking action is an essential component of growth. Our idea’s ,our dreams, and our desires, cannot manifest unless action is taken. Too often we get stuck up in the “planning process” and forget to put forth the effort that is required. Stop thinking. Take action.

Believe: One of the deadliest epidemics around today, results from a lack of belief in ourselves. This epidemic is responsible for the death of millions of dreams. To truly live to our fullest potential we must believe in ourselves. We must believe in the purpose that that lies inside of us. We must believe in our ability to persevere. We must believe in our ability to change the world. We must believe

Create: The potential in each and everyone of us is unlimited, yet we must manifest this potential and put it into the world for it to do any good. We must create value and share it with the world. We must create the world in which we wish to live. What are you waiting for? Create yourself today.

Desire: One of the biggest reasons we never live to our fullest potential is because we do not desire to be great. Many of us are OK with living an average life. But we are naturally wired to live a wonderful life. If you wish to live the life of your dreams it is essential you cultivate that desire. Desire to be great. You just might be.

Exercise: In pursuit of your dreams is it essential to not forget about your body. Neglecting your body will eventually catch up to you. Go out for a walk. Go out for a run. Play a sport. Be active. Take care of your body.

Fail: Fail. Yes that’s right fail. Because when we fail we learn. And when we learn we grow. Look at each one of your failure’s in a way in which you can benefit. Never get down on yourself because you “failed.” How did we learn to walk? We tried and fell. Don’t let failure determine the quality of your life. When you fail. You grow.

Grow: No matter what life throws our way, we must always choose to grow. Life will be full of ups and downs yet if we do not choose to grow from the events in which we are presented we will always be miserable. Stop whining. Live, laugh, and grow.

Help: A truly fulfilled life is a life in which we help one another. When we help people we are not only helping those individuals, we are also helping ourselves to a life of happiness. When we are truly immersed in service our ego turns off, and only when our ego turn’s off can we truly begin to live.

Initiative: Unless we learn to take initiative, our lives will continue to remain unfulfilled. In this day and age we can truly become whoever we want to be. Stop waiting for the perfect moment. It will never come. Get up and make something of yourself.

Joyful: Be joyful. Learn to relax. Learn to enjoy. Be happy.

Kind: Be kind :)

Love: Love. Love yourself. Love your friends. Love your family. Radiate love. Learning to love is the single best thing you can ever do. What are you waiting for?

Mastermind: The people in which we surround ourselves with, may perhaps be the single greatest influence on the person we become. Surround yourself with people who desire to become the best they can be. Slowly weed out those negative friendships that do nothing but bring you down. Want to be great? Surround yourself with great people.

Now: For us to truly enjoy our life we must do everything in our power to live in the moment. Stop worrying about the past or the future. Worry about what’s going on now. Enjoy everything that you love to do.

Observe: One of the best way’s in which we can learn and grow is simply by observing. Model yourself after someone you look up to. Watch great people do great things. Just people watch. Through observing the greatness in humanity we to can become the greatness we seek.

Persevere: Set backs will occur. How long you remain in these setbacks is solely up to you. You can choose to quit. Or you can choose to never give up. Those who quit, live an average life. Those who never give up well, those are the people you look up to. There’s a one hundred percent chance you will reach your goal if you never stop to feel sorry for yourself.

Question: Question. Question. Question. Take every source of information and run it through your head. Does it make sense? Does it empower you? Do not be hypnotized by the all the negative media out there. You are the guardian of your mind. Something sound fishy? It probably is. Always question. Always learn.

Read: If you want to change your life, you must read. Reading is the most powerful growth tool out there. Through reading, you immerse yourself in different perspectives and as a result become a better you. Don’t take everything as fact. Use reading to empower and ignore everything else. Every problem you have, has been experienced by hundreds if not thousands of people before you. Use the gift of reading to aid you in living your dreams.

Sacrifice: Developing the greatest you requires sacrifice. It requires effort. It requires time. Sacrifice is part of growing. Your sacrifice now, will pay off later.

Talk: Locking yourself up in your own mental cage will do nothing but hinder your growth. Interact. Talk with people. Listen to people. Get out and enjoy life while in the presence of others :)

Understand: As Plato would say ” We know nothing.” Our path of growth requires for us to keep an open mind, for if we don’t we will never learn. This doesn’t mean to accept everything as true. Use your logic and intuition to understand a specific perspective. If you disagree with someone, realize that you each have two different perspectives, both of which are perfectly valid.

Vision: If you wish to go places, you have to have a vision. This vision should be yours. Not your friends. Not your family’s. But yours. What do you REALLY want? Write it down. Close your eyes. Picture yourself living the life of your dreams!

Will: Your will to do something determines your success. One of my favorite quotes from “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” is ” Your I can is more important than your IQ.”If you want to do something, the only thing that’s stopping you, is you.

Xpectations: Always go into something with the expectation you will do great. Have the expectation that things will go right. So often we sabotage our success because we expect things to go wrong.

You: The most important part of your personal growth journey is you. You and only you are solely responsible for the life you create. Will it be a good one? That’s up to you.

Zest: Stop being boring. If your not jumping out of bed with enthusiasm you still have a ways to go. Go out and live your life. Dare. Take risks. Live. Laugh. Grow. :-)

Post from: A Boundless World

Sunday, March 8, 2009

10 things men can learn from women

Women can teach men a thing or two! Some celeb women tell us exactly where men can use the help, to make the world a better place to live


in ...

Lesson No. 1: Maternal tenderness
They might call us overly emotional, but that’s one thing that adds meaning to life.
Ace director Kalpana Lajmi says, “Men lack that maternal perspective. They can’t see things the way a woman does, enriching every relationship with depth, a healing touch and compassion. If men learn that, then the relationship between men and women would be quite easy.”

Lesson No. 2: Think about the other’s pleasure as well
Now, this one goes for men who are obsessed with their own single-minded pursuit of happiness.
Alka Pandey, author, Kamasutra for Women says, “Treating the other as equal becomes all the more important when it comes to your chemistry in bed. Men must understand that a woman’s pleasure is as important as a man’s.”

Lesson No. 3: Endurance
Well, you’ll never tag us as constant cribbers once you learn this art, which we are quite good at.
Singer Shibani Kashyap says, “They might be physically stronger than us, but when it comes to emotional endurance, men still have a long way to go.”

Mehar Bhasin, says, “Men certainly need to learn the ability to be patient in any situation – be it workplace pressure, ego clashes, selfishness, pride, etc. Women take longer to react because they know that men are impulsive. She knows how to be patient in all walks of life. Be it a mother waiting for her child’s results, a wife waiting for her husband to apologise for harsh words, or a girlfriend waiting for a commitment – men need that inner patience to deal with trying situations.”

Lesson No. 4: Respect woman
Guys, you better remember to dish it out otherwise you know where your relationship is heading!
Actress Mahima Choudhary says, “They expect us to respect their clan, while they can’t even respect us. So, this is one lesson men should learn from women, particularly Indian men!”

Lesson No: 5: To multitask & balance
Now, this one’s a hit! Most women would love their men getting into the multitasking groove just like themselves.
Actress Shefali Shah says, “Men can focus on just one subject at a time and that’s so irritating at times. And to add to the irritation they either focus on cricket, work or buddies. So, I think they should learn the art of balancing it well.”

Lesson No: 6: Forgive
This otherwise not so emotional breed will suddenly become the worst emotional blackmailers the moment they catch you on the wrong foot. They would either not forgive you and if at all they do, they’ll make you feel guilty forever!
TV actress Tina Parekh says, “The day men learn to forgive and move on, there won’t be any fights between husbands and wives.”

Lesson No. 7: There’s more to sex than just being physical
Well, all the women who have been there and done that would agree that men get into the act for the act’s sake, while a woman gets into the act for sheer togetherness.
Sandhya Mulchandani, author, Indian Erotica says, “Women give their whole self to the experience, while men just consider it a physical thing. So, if men learn to get more generous when it comes to foreplay and let emotions seep in while having sex rather than getting anxious about performance, bedroom relations will be much better.”

Lesson No. 8: Sense of commitment
It won’t be wrong to say that men are almost allergic to commitment. Be it sticking to a job, a partner or for that matter anything, they need a great deal of perseverance to make up their mind.
Playback singer Alka Yagnik says, “Apparently, a man needs to learn everything from a woman – with commitment topping the list. Women exhibit a higher level of efficiency in everything they attach themselves to. So, I feel a man can learn this ‘sense of commitment’ in whatever they do from a woman.”

Lesson No: 9: Devotion
Truly, hopelessly devoted — now, that’s a tough one for men!
Director Tanuja Chandra says, “Women have this innate ability to be generous when it comes to devoting themselves to their near ones. They are impeccable when it comes to investing emotionally to the other’s concerns. Unfortunately, men lack that.”

Lesson No: 10: Kill that ego
They’ll definitely find this one hard to digest. After all, they think they’re always right!
Actress Juhi Babbar says, “It’s high time they realised that they are dependent upon their wives and mothers. So, better kill that ego and love each other for whatever roles God has made us.”

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4239471.cms

Friday, March 6, 2009

34 births, 10 deaths per minute in India: Report

At least 34 births and 10 deaths are registered in the country every minute, a census body revealed on Thursday.

According to the Registrar General of India, a mind boggling 49,481 births and 14,475 deaths are registered in the country every day but the figure accounts for less than 70 per cent of the actual data.

It also revealed that even though registration of births is an universal right of the child under a UN Convention, to which India is a signatory, the current level of birth registration is 68 per cent.

The death registration in the country stood at 63 per cent of the actual occurrence.

While states like Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have made considerable improvement in the last four years, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar lagged behind, Registrar General of India D K Sikri told a national conference of Chief Registrars of Births and Deaths.

Presenting the statistics at the two-day meet, Sikri said the National Population Policy 2000 has mandated 100 per cent level of registration of deaths and births by 2010.

He said the total number of registration units in the country was 2.55 lakh in which 18.6 million births and 5.28 million deaths were registered during 2006.

http://www.facebook.com/ayurvedastreet

Thursday, March 5, 2009

5 easy pieces to piecing together your purpose in life

Here are the five easy pieces to piecing together your purpose in life.

1. Recognizing your talents and passions-

This is probably the easiest and most common way for people to discover their purpose in life. So we’ll start off with it.

Following you talents and passions will lead to fulfillment, happiness, and even money to pay the bills (or even a lot more). Natural born or acquired talents, it doesn’t matter; you were given them by someone or something for a reason.

To discover more about your passions and talents, think of:

- What makes you cry with joy.

- What makes you and others smile.

- What people sincerely say you’re good at.

- What makes you and others laugh.

- What keeps you up all night because you’re so fired up about it.

2. Look to your past

It’s difficult sometimes to reflect on our pasts. There are plenty of events I would like to erase from my memory, but I think it’s foolish to do so. Instead, we should use it to move us forward and to make sense of where we are now.

Looking to our pasts to get a sense of our purpose has its own puzzle pieces:

- What circumstances were born into?

Perhaps you were born into poverty. Then your purpose may be to rise above impoverished surroundings and to lead others by example.

- What major mistakes and vices did you parents battle?

Were they abusive, addicted to drugs/alcohol, or did they engage is something else destructive? Well your purpose is not to continue the cycle. You have to break free and again, lead by example.

- What have you failed at?

Failure should never be permanent. It’s only there to separate those who want something more than those who don’t. If a failure of something affected you so much that you couldn’t stop thinking about it, then your purpose is to get back in the game, approach it differently and succeed.

- Who affected you the most in a positive way?

Was it a teacher, author, actor, director, a president, or a local hero? If they changed your life, then perhaps you should carry on their mission as well.

3. There are 4 purposes that unite us all:

1. Be as happy as possible.

2. Live life the way you desire.

3. Change the lives of others. (It often doesn’t take as much as you think)

4. Leave the world a little better than when we were born into it.

And yes to all the negative Nancys and Neds: not everyone will fulfill these purposes, but everyone can.

4. Be open to multiple purposes

Many of us have multiple purposes, but often we have one main mission in life, and then other smaller reasons for existing. Perhaps someone is supposed to be a great parent, but also change the world in another way.

Other times, two different purposes can form into a larger one. I’ve been told that I was pretty good at writing and I should think about turning it into a career, but I always brushed it off. One thing I always wanted to do was change the world. So I decided one day to just combine the two and change the world through my talent of writing.

Our purposes can also vary depending on our age. Commonly it’s materialistic in nature when we’re younger, but not so much when we get older.

This leads me to the fifth piece of the puzzle…

5. Find out what your purpose in the now is

What you’re on this Earth to do today is more important than what your purpose later in life is. Today is guaranteed, tomorrow isn’t.

If you think your purpose it to share your art with the world, then start today! If you feel you’re supposed to be a social entrepreneur, then get going now! You may find something that’ll give your life meaning until the end.

We wait for the perfect moment, but it doesn’t exist. Concentrate on your purpose for today, tomorrow, next month, and for the next few years at the most. Life is now, not tomorrow.

http://www.lyved.com/body_soul/5-easy-pieces-to-piecing-together-your-purpose-in-life/