How to Kiss

Relationships start with first kisses. That doesn't mean all first kisses lead to love, of course. Figuring out how to get to that kiss is just the beginning.

When to Go for It

TV dating shows teach us that first kisses happen fast. If you believe what you see, you should be making out in a hot tub together by the end of the first date. But what is true in real life?

There's no definite right time. Often, the kiss comes at the end of the first date, but it could happen whenever the moment seems right.

Many people think if they don't get a kiss on the first date, there's no potential for romance in the future. But others are more comfortable with first kisses that happen on a second or third date, once you know each other a little better.

Invitations to a Kiss

Certain signals can help you know when to try for a first kiss.

• He sits closer than he needs to.
• She touches your arm or your knee while you're talking.
• He makes flirty comments or says you look sexy.
• She acts nervous, giggles, or plays with her hair.

When to Back Off

Trying to kiss someone who isn't interested can be mortifying. But if you never take a risk, you'll never get kissed! However, you can minimize your chance of getting it wrong.

Here are some signs a person doesn't want to be kissed:

• He folds his arms when he's sitting next to you.
• She sits far away or crosses her legs so that her body's turned a little bit away from you.
• He never mentions your looks.
• She doesn't flirt with you any more than with anyone else.

To Ask or Not to Ask

Should you ask before you kiss someone? It depends. Some people are charmed by the question. Others feel that asking makes a person look nervous or weak.

The best way to handle it is to do what feels comfortable to you. If your date doesn't like your style, it probably wasn't a good match anyway!

Kissing Styles

What's a "proper" first kiss? Is it a peck on the cheek, a touch of the lips, or a full-on "Elimidate" style mash?

A kiss on the cheek usually says, "I like you, but I don't want to date you." A brief kiss on the lips is often a safe bet: it's not too forward, but it leaves the door open for more. A deep French kiss clearly says "I want you"�but it can be off-putting, especially if your kissing styles aren't the same.

What First Kisses Mean

Once upon a time, a kiss was equivalent to a proposal. A gentleman simply didn't kiss a lady unless he intended to marry her, and a lady certainly didn't allow herself to be kissed by just anyone. Today, we're so free about sexuality that a kiss could mean anything!

First kisses can mean:

• "I think you're hot."
• "I like you and I want to see you again."
• "I think I'm in love with you."
• "I don't really like you at all, but I don't want to hurt your feelings."

So how can you tell? There's always the direct way: just ask! Not everyone's comfortable doing that, though, and you can't count on getting a direct answer anyway.

Reading the Signs

Try looking at the events surrounding the kiss. It might be a prelude to real romance if:

• It's accompanied by a request for another date.
• Your partner calls the next day or answers your call right away.
• You've had heartfelt conversations, not just one fun evening.

It might be just a kiss if:

• You've just met.
• You've never really talked. (Kisses on dance floors are often just for fun, and nothing more.)
• Most of what you've talked about is sex.

Why He (or She) Didn't Call

Often, we're disappointed when a first kiss is also the last one. Why didn't he call? Why won't she talk to you? Consider the following reasons:

• The person changed his or her mind. People get caught up in the moment: a fun evening, a shared laugh, a pretty face. Sometimes, in the light of day, they realize that it wouldn't be a good match after all.
• There wasn't any romance. Some people feel obligated to offer a good night kiss, even after a date they didn't enjoy. They feel it's the polite thing to do, like shaking hands after a business meeting.
• It was just a kiss. Kisses are ego-boosting, and they feel good. But they don't mean anything has to follow.

Stroke in young people

Although few people are aware of this, the fact is that young people often experience stroke. The common causes of stroke in young people are the same as those of older people; high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease are the most frequent causes of stroke for everyone. There are many rare causes of stroke beside these. The chances of recurring stroke can be minimized so we should all know more about it.

The Stroke Association

Every year, over 130,000 people only in the UK have a stroke – one person every five minutes. Most people affected are over 65, but anyone can have a stroke, including young people, children, and even babies. A stroke is the third most common cause of death in the UK, and it is the single most common cause of severe disability as well. More than 250,000 people live with disabilities caused by stroke. Because this could happen to you, or someone you care for, you will want to learn as much as you can about stroke, what causes it, the effects that it can have, how it can be prevented and treated. It is also important how the Stroke Association can help you should a stroke affect your life. The Stroke Association’s focus is to prevent strokes and to provide support for people who have had a stroke. 




Important tips about stroke

•    Every five minutes one person in the UK has a stroke.
•    A stroke is a brain seizure that occurs due to a clot or bleeding in the brain, which causes brain cells to die.

The signs of a stroke are:
•    facial weakness
•    arm or leg weakness
•    speech problems
•    a loss of half the visual field

These signs may only last a few hours, which is called a Transient Ischemic Attack or TIA. This sign of stroke must not be ignored.

•    A stroke is an emergency, so if you see the signs of a stroke act quickly and call emergency number.
•   Early treatment saves lives and increases the chance of making a better recovery after stroke happens.

•    Stroke is the third biggest killer and the leading cause of severe disability in the UK; the situation is similar throughout the world.
•    Almost one in four men and one in five women aged 45 can expect to have a stroke if they live to 85 years.
•    More than three times as many women die from stroke than breast cancer.
•    Unacceptable inadequacies in stroke care and research exist, so for every £50 spent on cancer research and £20 on heart disease research, only £1 is spent on stroke research.
•    Eating healthily, exercising, not smoking, and ensuring normal blood pressure can help prevent a stroke.
•    The Stroke Association is the only national charity in the UK solely concerned with helping everyone affected by this problem. We all need to work to create a world where there are fewer strokes and all those touched by stroke get the help they need.

Types of stroke

•    The most common type of stroke is a blockage, called an ischemic stroke. It happens when a clot blocks an artery that carries blood to the brain. That type of stroke may be caused by cerebral thrombosis. In this case a blood clot known as thrombus forms in a main artery of the brain. It could also happen if a cerebral embolism, a blockage caused by a blood clot, air bubble or fat globule or embolism, forms in a blood vessel somewhere else in the body and is then carried through the bloodstream and into the brain. Finally, the cause could also be a blockage in the tiny blood vessels deep within the brain, called lacunar stroke.

•    The second type of stroke is a bleed, occurring when a blood vessel bursts, causing a hemorrhage inside the brain. This is a hemorrhagic stroke. It may be caused by intracerebral hemorrhaging, when a blood vessel bursts within the brain or a subarachnoid hemorrhage, when a blood vessel on the surface of the brain bleeds into the area between the brain and the skull in subarachnoid space.

Common symptoms of stroke

The first signs that someone has had a stroke are very sudden; typical symptoms include numbness, weakness, or paralysis in one side of the body. Signs of this may be a drooping arm, leg, or lower eyelid, or a dribbling mouth, slurred speech or difficulty finding words or understanding speech. Some patients reported suddenly blurred vision or loss of sight, confusion, or unsteadiness and severe headache.

Face–Arm–Speech Test
Face-Arm-Speech test or FAST is three simple checks that can help you recognize whether someone has had a stroke or mini-stroke, or transient ischemic attack known as TIA.

•    F - Facial weakness test means you should check if the person can smile and has a drooped mouth or eye.
•    A - Arm weakness; check if the person can raise both arms.
•    S - Speech problems; check if the person can speak clearly and understand what you’re saying.
•    T - means you should test for all three previously listed signs.

Since stroke can happen to anyone we should all be aware of these symptoms and know how to recognize if someone around us has this problem. A stroke can happen with no obvious cause, to people of any age. However, there are factors known to increase the likelihood of it happening. Some of these factors cannot be changed, but some other risks may be reduced by lifestyle changes or medication. What you cannot change is gender, since in the under 75’s age group, more men have strokes than women. You cannot change your age, either; strokes are more common in people over 55, and the risk continues to rise with age. Arteries commonly harden with time and become coated by a build-up of cholesterol and other debris. This causes atherosclerosis over many years. Family history is also something you cannot change. Having a close relative who has had a stroke increases the risk, possibly because conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes tend to run in families, so these people are prone to have a stroke or a similar problem as well. Ethnic background is also important, since people from Asian, African and African-Caribbean communities are at greater risk of a stroke. Medical conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure are more common in some races as well.

How to avoid a stroke?

First, the doctor could help to treat any medical conditions that could lead to or provoke a stroke. It is extremely important to prevent stroke if possible. If left untreated, over time the aforementioned conditions may damage the arteries and some other parts of the body as well. High blood pressure or hypertension is also an important problem your doctor should consider. The goal is preventing a possible stroke as a serious consequence. Heart disease and irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation, as well as diabetes, are also conditions your doctor should treat to prevent stroke.

However, the doctor is not the only one who can help; we can do a few things to help ourselves as well.

First, we must take care of the diet. A diet high in fatty foods causes cholesterol to build up in the blood and arteries to narrow, while too much salt can lead to high blood pressure. Being overweight (especially obese) puts extra strain on the heart. All these things are important when we talk about human mistakes that provoke strokes. Too much alcohol is dangerous, as many other conditions and diseases of the body relate to this substance. Regular heavy drinking raises blood pressure, while binge drinking can cause a blood vessel in the brain to burst.

We should all exercise regularly, because an inactive lifestyle can contribute to furring of the arteries. Regular exercise helps keep the heart and bloodstream healthy and prevent a possible stroke. Smoking causes higher blood pressure and makes the blood thicker because the chemicals in tobacco smoke are absorbed into the body, damaging blood vessel walls.

Therefore, try to avoid stroke by reducing your risks, treating all the possible causes of stroke. You should have your blood pressure checked regularly, avoid smoking and heavy drinking, exercise regularly, cut down on salt and fatty foods, and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. We all know that food has an impact on all aspect of our lives, each organ in our organism and each process. Therefore, the importance of a healthy diet warrants no further explanation.

Rehabilitation and recovery

Most improvements in a person’s ability to function in the first 30 days after a stroke are due to spontaneous recovery. However, rehabilitation is still very important. For the most part, successful rehab depends on how early the process begins, the extent of the brain injury, the survivor’s attitude, the rehabilitation team’s skill, and the cooperation of family and friends. People with the least impairment are likely to benefit the most, but even with slight improvement, rehabilitation can mean the difference between returning home and staying in an institution.

What is the goal of the rehabilitation process?

For a stroke survivor, the rehabilitation goal is to be as independent and productive as possible, which may mean improving physical abilities. Often old skills have been lost, new ones are needed, and it is also important to maintain and improve a person’s physical condition when possible. Rehabilitation begins early as nurses and other hospital personnel work to prevent secondary problems. These common problems are stiff joints, falls, bedsores and pneumonia that can result from being in bed for a long time.

How can the family help?

A person’s family has a key role in rehab, where a caring and able spouse or partner can be one of the most important positive factors. A family members’ knowledge also helps a lot, so family members need to understand what the stroke survivor has been through and how disabilities can affect the person. It will be easier for them to handle the situation if they know what to expect and how to handle problems that arise once the person leaves the hospital after stroke rehabilitation.

Foods That Boost Sexual Performance

Throughout history, people have gone to a lot of trouble—not to mention putting their health in danger, in some cases—trying to find libido boosters to improve their sex lives. Today pleasure seekers have it easier because, as it turns out, the grocery store is the perfect place to find natural aphrodisiacs.
Bonus: In addition to making sex a little steamier, nearly all these foods have health benefits beyond the bedroom.

1.Chocolate
This dark, delicious dessert has long been associated with indulgence, but that’s not the only reason chocolate puts you and your guy in a sensual mood. The treat contains caffeine, which helps perk you up and also boosts serotonin and dopamine, neurotransmitters that contribute to feelings of well-being and happiness, according to Kerry Neville, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.

“Chocolate brings on feelings of euphoria—like in the movie Chocolat,” says Jennifer Berman, MD, a urologist and director of female urology and sexual medicine at the Rodeo Drive Women's Health Center in Beverly Hills, Calif. “It’s a psycho-stimulant so it has an arousal effect.” That’s because chocolate contains phenylethylamine, a chemical with an amphetamine-like affect that temporarily mimics feelings of falling in love. In fact, a 2007 British study found that letting chocolate melt in your mouth is more stimulating and raised heart rates more than kissing. Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, is also loaded with antioxidants that improve circulation and lower cholesterol. Photo: iStockphoto

2. Pumpkin Pie
The next time you want to seduce a guy, bake a pumpkin pie. A study that measured blood flow south of the border in men ages 18 to 64 found that the scent of pumpkin pie rated the highest response—a 40 percent increase to be exact, according to Alan R. Hirsch, MD, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago and author of Scentsational Sex. Lavender rated equally high, while close runners-up included donuts and black licorice, which boosted blood flow to men’s nether regions by more than 31 percent. As surprising as it may seem, when it comes to sex, scent offers a greater libido lift than ingestion: “Ninety percent of what people call taste is actually smell,” notes Hirsch. “The scent of these foods may reduce anxiety, which helps remove inhibitions.” Photo: iStockphoto

3. Good & Plenty Candy
You probably won’t look at the candy counter at the movies the same way after reading this: Smelling Good & Plenty, the popular licorice-flavored candy, caused a 13 percent increase in vaginal blood flow, according to research conducted by Hirsch. Why? He points out that the scent may trigger olfactory nostalgia, such as positive memories from childhood as well as feelings of security and safety—a state of mind that helps make sex more relaxing and enjoyable. Oddly enough, the smell of cherries had the opposite effect on women, causing an 18 percent reduction of vaginal blood flow (in other words, a real turn-off). Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.com

4. Oatmeal
You may not have heard of L-arginine, but this common amino acid is a precursor to nitric oxide, a substance that "enhances the arousal response,” says Berman. Good food sources of L-arginine include oatmeal and granola as well as nuts, seeds, dairy, and seafood. So the next time you’re on a date at a romantic restaurant, suggest the pasta with pine nuts or salmon—sexy, mutually beneficial menu options such as these will ensure your evening ends on a high note! Photo: iStockphoto

5. Oysters
“It’s a sensual experience to eat oysters,” says Berman, but these delicacies from the sea are aphrodisiacs for another reason too. According to Neville, oysters are bursting with zinc, a mineral used in the production of testosterone (and sperm), which plays a role in fueling the sex drive of both men and women. American and Italian chemists who looked at oysters, mussels and clams found the shellfish were packed with rare amino acids that triggered increased levels of sex hormones in animals. What’s more, oysters contain taurine, an amino acid with a caffeine-like effect (it’s used in Red Bull) for alertness and physical endurance. Photo: iStockphoto

6. Fish
It may sound a bit fishy and not so sexy, but foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, wild salmon, halibut, and sardines as well as flaxseed, nuts and oils (think olive and soybean) can take your sex life from lukewarm to hot. Here’s how: Essential fatty acids are the building blocks of sex hormones in men and women and help fight the buildup of plaque in the arteries, thereby improving circulation and increasing sensation. “Omega-3 fatty acids help with sexual response, by helping to raise dopamine levels in the brain that trigger arousal,” says Yvonne Fulbright, PhD, a sexologist and author of Pleasuring: The Secrets of Sexual Satisfaction. Adds Berman, “They’re important for energy, memory, mood, and libido.” Not a fan of fish? Try taking 1,000 milligrams (or 1 gram) of fish oil supplements daily and be sure the supplement includes the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Photo: iStockphoto

7. Avocados
The deep green fruit contains vitamin B6, which helps produce serotonin, the feel-good hormone, says Neville. Another bonus for you and your partner: Avocados are also loaded with vitamin E, which enhances circulation and is believed to stimulate the production of passion-stimulating testosterone. Research published in the journal Archives of Andrology showed that vitamin E helps improve semen quality and motility. Photo: iStockphoto

8. Garlic
Although you’d think garlic would ruin, rather than improve, your love-making sessions, it turns out that it contains allicin, an ingredient that increases circulation, including down south, which "helps improve sensation,” says Fulbright. The action of finely chopping garlic releases allicin, so be sure to crush the garlic first and then add it to pasta sauce or garlic bread. The key to not getting knocked out by garlic breath? Level the playing field by eating a garlic-heavy meal with the object of your affection.Photo: iStockphoto

9. Seeds and Nuts
Like oysters, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts are rich in zinc, which help the body produce testosterone—and, in your man’s case, sperm. Added attraction: Nuts, including almonds, are also good sources of the aforementioned omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent plaque accumulation in the arteries and improve blood flow throughout the body (including to the genitals). What’s more, nuts and seeds are powerhouse foods, full of protein and healthy fats, which give you a boost of energy both in and out of the bedroom. Photo: iStockphoto

10. Mint
Popping a mint before kissing your partner is not only courteous, it’s also a turn-on. Hirsch surveyed both married couples as well as single men and women about what they wanted kisses to taste like in a mate or a date. The overall conclusion: The scent of mint makes people makeout-worthy. But while married people and single women wanted their men to taste “fresh, clean, and minty, like toothpaste,” says Hirsch, single men preferred women to taste like alcohol.

Therapeutic Apparatus - (Sex Machine)

The machine has a vibrator (1) positioned vertically or horizontally along mirrors (16, 16'). A seat foam and an upholstery are fixed on two sliding rails (12). A seat (2) is adjusted to different heights. A framework containing digital pictures is automatically scrolled through insertion of a universal serial bus (USB) key, and is provided with a TV receiving pornographic DVDs. Handrails allow a person to move along the seat. Two footrests (10) are provided to push back the seat back. Two spaces are provided on footrests. Rubber bands (15) are positioned on two bases (14, 14').

The machine resembles an ordinary fitness machine so as to be placed in the room without being disclosed to children. The machine enhances the woman to look at herself for sexual pleasure through the mirrors that are installed vertically and horizontally. The machine brings opportunities for fitness activities on the legs, buttocks and arms of people who use the machine for sexual pleasures. The machine is built with cameras so as to film and record any actions of sexual couples, thus allowing the women to watch the solitary and sexual pleasures. The machine is provided erotic or pornographic pictures stored in a digital set top box or USB stick in order to stimulate the sexual act.

How To Make Nigiri Sushi

Nigiri sushi is the most popular style of sushi in restaurants today. Served in pairs and seasoned with a speck of wasabi, nigiri sushi is a delicate and tasty treat. Master Chef Andy Matsuda shows us how to make pairs of tuna, shrimp and salmon nigiri sushi.

Step : You will need	Units:                       Metric                      US Imperial                      UK Imperial
2 boiled shrimp 2 slices of tuna 2 slices of salmon 4 ¼ oz sushi rice ½ tsp wasabi paste , for each slice 2 cups su water (water with dash of vinegar) 1 sharp knife	Serves: 1

1. Step 1: Slice The Fish

   Slice the tuna, salmon and shrimp into small slices. Cut two half an ounce slices of each.

2. Step 2: Wet Your Hands

   Wet both hands in su water and rub together, leaving them wet. Su water is water with a dash of vinegar added to it.

3. Step 3: Roll The Rice

   Grab a small palmful of rice with your right hand and squeeze together firmly until it sticks together.

4. Step 4: A Dab Of Wasabi

   After picking up a slice of tuna with your left hand, dab a little wasabi on the fish with the right index finger of your right hand.

5. Step 5: Shape Your Sushi

   Now add the squeezed rice to the tuna, placing the tuna with the wasabi side towards the rice.
6. Holding the tuna and rice in your left hand, use two fingers of your right hand to shape it into a rectangle with rounded corners. To do this you need to rotate and flip the rice and tuna, while pressing with your two fingers at the same time.

7. Step 6: Salmon And Shrimp

   Now repeat the process with the salmon and shrimp to make three types of nigiri sushi. Take your time rolling the rice into the right shape.

8. Step 7: Garnish & Serve

   Many sushi chefs believe preparing sushi is like creating a Zen garden. It must look just as good as it tastes. So arrange it and garnish it artfully.
9. Serve and enjoy.

My windshield having a crack

I'm driving along on the highway 285E around Atlanta at 55 miles an hour (the speed limit), minding my own business, when outta nowhere I get this HUGE crack in my windshield!!!

I swerved right, and then left, but it was still right there!!!












There just ain't NO words for this !!!

Do you think they're on their way to Wal-Mart??? HOWDODAT?

How To Make Hair Grow Faster & Healthier

Unfortunately, the only proven way to grow your hair faster is to keep your hair healthy. And of course,preventing damage will ensure that your length-inspired locks will not break off before they can touch your waist.

Hair Facts: Hair on your head grows about 0.5 inch per month. Each strand of new hair will only last on your head for 2 to 4 years. It will then fall out and hopefully be replaced with a new one. Many factors will influence you hair growth pattern. These factors include your age, your heredity, your diet, your general health and the condition of your skin.
You may not know this, but the health of your hair is determined by how you take care of yourself. Follow these simple rules of good health to see some great long hair results.

1. A good diet and exercise program will benefit your hair

2. A generous intake of water and plenty of rest.

3. A vitamin and mineral supplement can also benefit your hair.

In addition to these basic health steps, you can help the inner growth of your hair in other ways. Each of the following secrets may help make your hair grow faster.

Scalp Massages May Help Make Hair Grow Faster

You can help stimulate the circulation of the scalp and ensure good health of your hair through massaging your scalp with your fingers. This helps the hair root receive its nutrients and drives away wastes which cause hair cells to grow slowly and even die.

To do: A scalp massage should be performed at least once a day, if not more. It is good to do it just before shampooing your hair. Simply rub the pads of your fingers about your head, in a fashion that feels good. Your scalp should feel like it is tingling. Do this for about 2 to 3 minutes. Even if this doesn't make your hair grow faster, it feels divine!

Special Recipe for Your Hair

If you whip up this special recipe once a week, your hair will get enough nutrients to be the shiniest, healthiest hair on your block! It's a delicious way to help your hair grow faster!

Fruity-Tootie Milkshake for Healthy Hair:

1 cup fat-free yogurt
2 cups skim milk
1 small banana
2 tsp brewer's yeast
1 tsp wheat germ
1 medium papaya or mango, sliced
0.5 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp molasses

Process in blender for 3 minutes. Drink slowly.

The papaya or mango contains vitamin A, which combats dandruff and adds shine. The bananas, brewer's yeast, yogurt, and molasses help the hair maintain a rich color, and the proper pH-balance. The wheat germ promotes growth, so it will help your hair grow faster, and the calcium in the milk strengthens the hair! 

Foods for Healthy Hair

Fill your plate with plenty of spinach, raisins, and beans . These iron-rich foods stimulate the circulation of your scalp, which may help your hair grow faster.

Exercise is Good for Your Hair Too!

You know how invaluable exercise is to your heart and lungs. It improves your circulation and reduces stress which contributes to healthy hair and thus may help make hair grow faster.

A Balanced Diet Can Help Make Hair Grow Faster.

A balanced diet is a must for everyone, especially someone who is interested in growing their hair longer. You must include the proper portions of all the food groups in your daily intake in order to get the proper nutrients, including proteins and fatty acids, which are important to the health of your hair. Only healthy hair will grow.

Ways to Prevent Damage to Your Hair and Maybe Make Hair Grow Faster:

• Never over-dry your hair. If possible, always use the lowest possible setting on your blow dryer.
  
• Use a thermal protector on your hair whether you're blow drying or using a flat iron.
  
• Instead of using a brush on wet hair, use a wide-toothed comb to prevent the hair from splitting.
  If your hair tangles easily you may also want to use a detangler.
• Keep your head out of the sun. That's not only good advice for your hair, but great advice for your face! If this is not possible be sure to wear sunscreen on your face and a conditioner with UV protection on your hair.
  
• Cut your hair to make hair grow. A trim 3 or 4 times per year will even out any new growth and make your hair appear fuller It will also relieve the hair of many split ends which will otherwise result in broken hair shafts which cause the hair to look frizzy.
  
  If you just have to have long hair now and don't have the patience to wait for you hair to grow, you may want to do what Paris Hilton and many other celebrities do and consider hair extensions. Real or not, either way, you too can be the owner of a Rapunzel-esque mane sooner than you think!
  
  
  You can also get tips to Make Your Hair Grow Faster from your doctor.

Getting Rid of Hickies

So you want to know how to get rid of a hickey. There's nothing more tasteless than having the leftovers of your make out sessions on display for the whole world to see. It's like you didn't even wash your hands. Granted, it's proof positive that you are in fact 'getting some.' But the people around you who aren't getting that sweet, sweet lovin' aren't impressed. Here are some things you can do to get rid of a hickey.

Getting Rid of Hickies

impossible, but treating a hickey is entirely possible.
Immediate attention is required if you want that hickey to go away fast. Find a way to kill them mood. If you're a guy, tell her she's fat. That always works. If you're a girl, tell him he has a small penis. That works too. Once passion has been utterly snuffed out, it's time to get to work on that hickey.

Applying ice, wrapped in paper towels, will help get rid of a hickey.
Any damage done to your skin or the blood vessels in your skin is going to cause some swelling, and swelling will ensure that the veins are constricted and that new blood cannot get in to help fix the damage. An icepack will help prevent swelling around the hickey, but constricts the capillaries as well.

Massage will help you get rid of a hickey.
This is true of any bruise, really. A hickey is caused by ruptured blood vessels called capillaries just under the skin, which then bleed out into the surrounding tissue and clot. Your blood clotting is the dark bruise you see after about a day or so. Your job is to massage (sometimes with a cold spoon) the bruise to help break up the blood clots and reabsorb the dead tissue into your system.

Applying heat to the hickey after 24-48 hours will help get rid of it.
What you were doing with the ice was constricting the capillaries to stop further bleeding. Now that the capillaries have healed, it's time to dilate the capillaries to make sure a lot of fresh new blood can come in and help clean up the mess. Do this with a wash cloth soaked in warm water for several minutes, wrung out, and then applied to the area for five minutes three times a day.

If the hickey is painful, take acetaminophen and aspirin, otherwise known as Excedrin.
Excedrin contains both acetaminophen and aspirin, and this is good for treating a hickey because it dulls the pain and the aspirin serves to keep blood platelets from adhering, thus reducing the amount of blood clots and easing the flow of subcutaneous blood (just beneath the skin). Don't take this right away of course. Take this after the hickey has begun to heal.

Covering a Hickey

Covering a hickey, if you're a girl, is pretty easy. You have two options open to you. You can either wear a shirt with a high collar to help you conceal the hickey (if in fact its on your neck), or you can use makeup to conceal the hickey. Apparently concealer, which isn't actually a word, with a green tint is the best way to go because concealers (there goes Word again) with green tint help to reduce blemishes that are red.

For boys, things are a little more difficult, and you're stuck to either wearing a turtle neck or finding a really cool looking bandage to put over it. Of course, if you buy the bandage, you're going to have to come up with a really good story. And of course, the second people get wind of the fact that your story is bogus and the girl who did that to you doesn't like you anymore, well, I'm not going to go into details but good luck braving those turbulent waters we call hormone induced social behavior.

Do Oysters Increase Your Sex Drive?

Not really, Oysters regularly make the rounds in sex talk, with people heralding the great effects of this pseudo-miracle drug. Eat a bunch of these with a glass of champagne to bring back those desires. Do oysters really increase your sex drive? Many people are saying yes, but science is saying maybe.
Do Oysters Increase Your Sex Drive?
Science is saying yes -- just don't count on it. In 2005 American and Italian chemists found there was a connection between oysters and a person's sex drive, presenting their findings to the American Chemical Society. They discovered that oysters -- along with mussels and clams, cousins of this slimy delicacy -- aid the release of sexual hormones. The increase of sexual hormones, they concluded, aids in upping a person's sex drive.

Better yet, oysters are rich in zinc, an important mineral responsible for aiding a certain male counterpart. Increased zinc intake regulates many sexual parts of a man, including their prostate, their prostatic fluid, and the abundance of sperm. A lack of zinc results in decreased sex drive, not to mention other things that a little Enzyte could fix.

Although this study backs claims that oysters do aid in sex drive, the Food and Drug Administration is saying otherwise.

Oysters Aren't Really That Effective?
The Food and Drug Administration's response? Oysters, along with other sex drive boosters, don't increase your sex drive. No studies (besides the one mentioned) have proven the legitimacy of these claims, so the oyster myth truly is made up folklore. Or so they say. According to them, throwing an oyster or two down your throat won't aid anything - except for expanding your waistline. So who's correct, the FDA or the study? This answer is more obscure that oysters itself, but clearly science isn't saying yes.

How to Get a Better SAT Scores

WHAT DOES THE SAT TEST MEASURE?

The SAT is an aptitude test. Like all aptitude tests, it must choose a medium in which to measure intellectual ability. The SAT has chosen math and English.

The question is -- does it measure aptitude for college? The SAT's ability to predict performance in college is only a little better than chance.

No test can measure all aspects of intelligence. Thus, any admission test, no matter how well written, is inherently inadequate.Nevertheless, some form of admission testing is necessary. It would be unfair to base acceptance to college solely on grades; they can be misleading. For instance, would it be fair to admit a student with an A average earned in easy classes over a student with a B average earned in difficult classes? A schoold's reputation is too broad a measure to use as admission criteria. Many students seek out easy classes and gernerous instructors in hopes of inflating their GPA. Furthermore, a system that would monitor the academic standards of every class would be cost prohibitive and stifling. So, until a better system is proposed, the admission test is here to stay.

FORMAT OF THE NEW SAT TEST

The SAT is a three-hour and 45 minute test. Only three hours and twenty minutes of the test count toward your score-- the experimental section is not scored. There are ten sections in the test.

Section	Type of Questions	Length
Reading (3 sections)	19 Sentence Completions
	48 Reading Comprehension
	67 Total Questions	70 minutes
Writing (3 sections)	49 Grammar
	1 Essay
	49 Total Questions + Essay	60 minutes
Math (3 sections)	44 Multiple-choice
	10 Grid-ins
	54 Total Questions	70 minutes
Experimental	Reading, Writing, or Math	25 minutes

NOTE: The order of the format is not fixed: the sections can occur in any order.

The experimental section, which is not scored, can be a reading section, a writing section, or a math section. You won't know which section is experimental. You will know which type of section it is, though, since there will be an extra one of that type.

Because the "bugs" have not been worked out of the experimental section -- or, to put it more directly, because you are being used as a guinea pig to work out the "bugs" -- this portion of the test is often more difficult and confusing than the other parts.

Knowing that the experimental section can be disproportionately difficult, if you do poorly on a particular section, you can take some solace in the hope that it may have been the experimental section. In other words, do not allow one difficult section to discourage your performance on the rest of the test.

PACING for the SAT TEST

Although time is strictly limited on the SAT, working too quickly can damage your score. Many problems hinge on subtle points, and most require careful reading of the set-up. Because high school can put heavy reading loads on students, many will follow their academic conditioning and read questions quickly, looking only for the gist of what each is asking. Once they have found it, they mark their answer and move on, confident they have answered it correctly. Later, many are startled to discover that they missed questions because they either misread the problems or overlooked subtle points. 

To do well in your classes, you have to attempt to solve every, or nearly every, problem on a test. Not so with the SAT. In fact, if you try to solve every problem on this test you will probably decimate you score. For the vast majority of people, the key to performing well on the SAT is not the number of questions they answer, within reason, but the percentage they answer correctly.

SCORING THE SAT TEST

The three parts of the test are scored independently. You will receive a reading score, a writing score, and a math score. Each score ranges from 200 to 800, with a total test score of 600-2400. The average score of each section is about 500. Thus, the total average score is about 1500. 

In addition to the scaled score, you will be assigned a percentile ranking, which gives the percentage of students with scores below yours. For instance, if you correctly answer 48 of the 60 math questions, then you will score better than 90% of the other test takers.

SKIPPING AND GUESSING on the SAT TEST

Some questions on the SAT are rather hard. Most test takers should skip these questions. We'll talk about how to identify hard questions as we come to them. 

Often students become obsessed with a particular problem and waste valuable time trying to sovle it. To get a top score, learn to cut your losses and move on. All questions are worth the same number of points, regardless of difficulty level. So skip the hardest questions and concentrate on the easy and medium ones. 

Although there is a small guessing penalty on the SAT, if you can eliminate even one of the answer-choices, it is to your advantage to guess.

ORDER OF DIFFICULTY on the SAT TEST

Like most standardized tests, the SAT lists problems in ascending order of difficulty. Therefore, when trying to decide which questions to skip, skip the last ones. 

NOTE: some SAT sections have subsections. Within these subsections, the problems also ascend in order of difficulty. For example, one of the writing sections has three subsections: error identification, improving sentences, and improving paragraphs. So if the section starts with improving sentences, then Question 1 will be the easiest and Question 11 (the last of improving sentences questions) will be the hardest. Then Question 12 (the first error identification question) will be the easiest, and so on 

THE "2 OUT OF 4" RULE for the SAT EXAM

It is significantly harder to create a good but incorrect answer-choice than it is to produce the correct answer. For this reason, usually only two attractive answer-choices are offered: One correct; the other either intentionally misleading or only partially correct. The other three answer-choices are usually fluff. This makes educated guessing on the SAT immensely effective. If you can dismiss the three fluff choices, your probability of answering the question successfully will increase from 20% to 50%.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS for the SAT TEST

What is the difference between the SAT and the PSAT?
The only difference between the SAT and the PSAT is the format. Indeed, PSAT questions are taken from old SAT's. Hence, all the techniques that apply to the SAT apply to the PSAT.

When is the SAT given?
The test is administered seven times a year -- usually in October, November, December, January, March, May and June -- on Saturday mornings. Special arrangements for schedule changes are available.

If I didn't mail in a registration form, may I still take the test?
On the day of the test, walk-in registration is available, but you must call ETS in advance. You will be accommodated only if space is available -- it usually is.

How important is the SAT and how is it used?
It is crucial! Although colleges may consider other factors, the majority of admission decisions are based on only two criteria: your SAT score and your GPA.

How many times should I take the SAT EXAM?
Most people are better off preparing thoroughly for the test, taking it one time and getting their top score. You can take the test as often as you like, but some schools will average your scores. You should call the schools to which you are applying to find out their policy. Then plan your stategy accordingly.

Can I cancel my score?Yes. To do so, you must notify ETS within 5 days after taking the test.

Where can I get the registration forms?
Most high schools have the forms. You can also get them directly from ETS by writing to:

Scholastic Assessment Test
Educational Testing Sevice
P.O. Box 6200
Princeton, NJ 08541

Or call: (609) 771-7600