HIV trial is breakthrough during 2011

An Indonesian volunteer lights candles during a ceremony to mark World AIDS Day in Jakarta

A landmark clinical trial that showed HIV drugs can be as effective as condoms in preventing transmission of the virus that causes AIDS was declared Science magazine's breakthrough of the year on Thursday.

Other top achievements of 2011 included a Japanese spacecraft's return to Earth with dust from an asteroid, progress toward a malaria vaccine and discoveries about modern humans' gene links to cavemen.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, has published in the journal Science magazine's December 23 issue of top 10 acheiments in the year 2011.

 

Missing 9-year-old Indiana girl found dead-Charged family friend for murder

The neighbor who was babysitting a 9-year-old Indiana girl when she went missing last week will be formally charged with murder Tuesday, a heartbreaking turn for the girl's relatives who considered him a family friend.

Authorities said Monday night that Aliahna Lemmon had been found dead and Mike Plumadore, who was watching Aliahna and her two sisters when she went missing Friday, was being held on a murder charge. He and Aliahna's family lived in the same mobile home park in Fort Wayne.

"He was a trusted family friend," Aliahna's step-grandfather, David Story, told The Associated Press late Monday, saying he was surprised by the arrest.

Plumadore, 39, is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.

He was arrested after being interviewed by police, Allen County sheriff's spokesman Cpl. Jeremy Tinkel said. Investigators said Aliahna's body was found in the northeastern Indiana county, but no details were released.

On Monday, FBI agents descended on the rundown mobile home park where Aliahna lived and was last seen. It's a known haven for registered sex offenders, though Plumadore is not on Indiana's registered sex offenders list. He has a criminal record in Florida and North Carolina that includes convictions for trespassing and assault.

No active search was done Sunday for Aliahna, though more than 100 emergency workers searched for her Saturday around the mobile home park. Tinkel said the same size search could not be sustained because of the Christmas holiday.

Aliahna's mother, Tarah Souders, told The Journal Gazette earlier Monday that her daughter had vision, hearing and emotional problems and suffered from attention deficit disorder. Aliahna and her sisters were staying with Plumadore because their mother had been sick with the flu and Aliahna's stepfather works at night and sleeps during the day.

Plumadore told the newspaper Sunday that he left the three girls in his mobile home about 6 a.m. Friday and went to a gas station about a mile away to buy a cigar. Authorities have said the store's surveillance video shows him there about that time.

"I had dead-bolted the door," he said. "When I got back, all the girls was here."

He said he smoked his cigar and went back to sleep, then woke up about 10 a.m. when Aliahna's mother called. After that call, he realized the door to the home was unlocked and that Aliahna was gone. He said Aliahna's 6-year-old sisters told him Aliahna had left with her mother.

Plumadore said it wasn't until he talked with Aliahna's mother about 8:30 p.m. that they realized she was missing and police were notified. Souders said the miscommunication caused the delay in determining that Aliahna had vanished.

"She's never wandered off," she said earlier Monday.

Elizabeth Watkins, who lives nearby, said residents are cautious and keep to themselves in part because of the number of sex offenders living in the mobile home park. According to a state website, 15 registered sex offenders live in the park that numbers about two dozen homes. Watkins and she didn't know Plumadore and was shocked when told of the girl's death.

"I'm numb, I'm totally numb. I don't know what to think," she said. 

Rihanna’s new video present's for her fans on Christmas

Rihanna had an early Christmas present for her fans - premiering the video for "You Da One" online Friday.

In the mostly black-and-white video, the 23-year-old year-old R&B star gyrates her way through the 3:28 song and manages to make bowler hats, evocative of Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange," sexy.

At one stage, Rihanna is stripped down to a flesh-colored bodysuit and is bathed in lighting that casts leopard spots on her seemingly-naked body. Fashionista magazine pointed out similarities with a spread fashion photogrpaher Sølve Sundsbø did for an issue of Numero in 2008. Rihanna recently settled out of court with another photographer, David LaChappelle, over charges his work was "borrowed" in her "S&M" video.

Most of her fans on the Internet though, couldn't get enough of their semi-naked idol, with many begging fellow fans to re-tweet the clip to keep it at the top of Twitter's trends.

The video for "You Da One" was directed by Melina Matsoukas, who also helmed the singer's "We Found Love" and S&M videos.

The second single from "Talk That Talk," released last month, "You Da One" follows her hit "We Found Love," which has topped Billboard's Hot 100 chart for the past eight weeks. That put her ahead of reigning 2011 champ Adele, who topped the charts for seven weeks earlier in the year with "Rolling in the Deep 

Nominations Announced for 18th Annual SAG Awards

 
 

 LOS ANGELES — The Deep South drama “The Help” cleaned up with four nominations Wednesday for the Screen Actors Guild Awards, among them honors for Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer.

The adaptation of the best-selling novel also was nominated for best ensemble cast, along with the silent film “The Artist,” the wedding comedy “Bridesmaids,” the family drama “The Descendants” and the romantic fantasy “Midnight in Paris.”

Davis is up for best actress and Spencer for supporting actress as black maids who agree to share stories of their tough lives with an aspiring white writer at the start of the civil-rights movement in 1960s Mississippi. Chastain also was nominated for supporting actress as Spencer’s lonely, needy new boss.

“The Artist” ran second with three nominations, including a best-actor honor for Jean Dujardin as a silent star falling from grace amid the advent of talking pictures and supporting actress for Berenice Bejo, who plays a rising sound-era movie star.

Along with Davis, best-actress contenders are Glenn Close as a woman disguising herself as a male butler in 19th-century Ireland in “Albert Nobbs”; Meryl Streep as British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady”; Tilda Swinton as a grief-stricken woman coping with her son’s horrible deeds in “We Need to Talk About Kevin”; and Michelle Williams asMarilyn Monroe in “My Week With Marilyn.”

Joining Dujardin in the best-actor category are Demian Bichir as a hard-working illegal immigrant father in “A Better Life”; George Clooney as a neglectful dad tending his two daughters in “The Descendants”; Leonardo DiCaprio as FBI boss J. Edgar Hoover in “J. Edgar”; and Brad Pitt as Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane in “Moneyball.”

The SAG Awards will be presented Jan. 29.

The nominations are among the first major honors on the long road to the Feb. 26 Academy Awards. 

Holiday shoppers need to be wary of cyber fraudsters to avoid identity theft

 

The holiday shopping season is prime time for cyber scammers to try to steal online consumers’ identities.

ITis the season for cyber scamsters to try to steal your identity.

Droves of shoppers are purchasing online this holiday season: The average consumer plans to do as much as 36% of his or her holiday shopping online, up from 32.7% last year, according to the National Retail Federation.

And a record number of shoppers are projected to purchase gifts from a mobile device during the holiday season — an estimated 17.8 million, according to BigResearch.

All that online traffic is bait for cyber fraudsters eager to do damage like stealing your credit card information and making unauthorized purchases.

While there is no 100% protection, there are things you can do to protect yourself.

“It is important, especially around this time of year, to remain vigilant and focused on cyber security and protection,” said Keith Gordon, security, fraud and enrollments executive at Bank of America.

We asked Gordon and consumer expert Andrea Woroch to share their tips for shopping securely online.

Don’t use the same login that you use for online banking with anything else. “Keep it unique,” Gordon said.

Don't opt to have websites remember your login/account information. This is especially important when it comes to a laptop or mobile device.

If the device is left somewhere or stolen, a fraudster can easily access your personal information.

For an extra layer of security, add a password to your mobile device in case it’s left somewhere or stolen.

Make sure your security software is up-to-date.

Having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system is the best way to avoid viruses, malware, and other online threats.

Smartphones, gaming systems, and other web-enabled devices also need protection from viruses and malware.

For example, Trusteer, which is free from Bank of America, works alongside your anti-virus software and firewall in order to help prevent malware and fraudulent websites from stealing your online ID, passcode and other sensitive information.

The program also protects your browser communication while using the Bank of America online banking site to keep malware from tampering with your transactions.

New and existing Bank of America online banking customers receive McAfee Internet Security free for 12 months. 

Unemployment claims falls to 366,000

Fewer people are looking for unemployment benefits than they have in three years, according to a new report.

The good news on the economic front keeps on coming.

The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a three and half year low last week and factory activity in New York state hit a seven-month high in December, providing more evidence that the troubled economy is finally on the mend.

Investors cheered the rosy economic numbers sending the Dow up more than 120 points to 11,944.46 or 1% in early trading.

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 19,000 to a seasonally adjusted 366,000, the Labor Department said. That was the lowest level since May, 2008 and it came in lower than the 390,000 predicted by economists.

On top of that, the New York Federal Reserve said its Empire State general business conditions index hit its highest point since May, rising to 9.53 from 0.61 in December. The index was juiced by lots of new orders and a boost in hiring.

The positive economic reports come on the heels of the November unemployment rate dropping to a two and half year low of 8.6%.

Even so, the weak economic picture in Europe continues to cast ominous clouds on the U.S. economy.

The Federal Reserve noted the improvement in the jobs market, but said that unemployment remains high and Europe’s woes remain a risk for the U.S.

Another report from the Labor Department said producer prices rose slightly more than expected in November, while the year-on-year rate for prices excluding food and energy increased by the most in nearly two and half years. 

Wonder Woman checks breasts for cancer in Mozambique awareness campaign

 Breast cancer awareness ads feature superheroes giving themselves breast exams. Wonder Woman is featured here.

 Breast cancer awareness ads feature superheroes giving themselves breast exams. She-Hulk is featured in this one.

Even superheroes need to check their breasts for cancer.

The African nation of Mozambique has launched a breast cancer awareness campaign that features some of the mightiest female superheroes, such as Wonder Woman, Storm, She-Hulk and Catwoman, checking their breasts for lumps.

The artist Maisa Chaves drew the women of steel from the chin to the torso, alluding to the heroines’ uniforms to reveal their identity.

"When we talk about breast cancer, there's no women or superwomen. Everybody has to do the self-examination monthly. Fight with us against the enemy and, when in doubt, talk with your doctor,” the ad copy for the Associação da Luta Contra o Cancer reads.

Mozambique isn’t afraid to shock if it means that more women make appointments with their doctors.

Previous ads made it appear as though spiders and cockroaches were living under the skin of women’s breasts. 

New condom brand offers 95 different sizes; TheyFit allows consumers to measure to fit

 A 2009 study by the Kinsey Institute and the University of Kentucky found that in an online survey of 436 men, nearly 45 percent reported problems with ill-fitting condoms.

Launched this week, a custom-fitted condom dubbed TheyFit offers men a staggering range of 95 different condom sizes.

To get the right size, men measure their length and girth based on a downloadable "FitKit" chart, which also comes with a special measuring tape (which you can cut out after printing) to ensure the perfect prophylactic fit.

The UK-based company says it has spent more than 15 years of research and development to devise the range of sizes.

 A 2009 study by the Kinsey Institute and the University of Kentucky found that in an online survey of 436 men, nearly 45 percent reported problems with ill-fitting condoms, including breakage, slippage, and difficulty reaching orgasm for both their partner and for themselves.

Last year a London-based condom retail website Condomadvisor.com, also known as Vinico (the same company that helped introduce the spray-on condom in 2006), said that nearly 83 percent of all English men wear the wrong size condom.

TheyFit head Joe Nelson told The Sun in the UK: "We have custom-fit for clothes and shoes. Now we're applying it to something where great fit and comfort are even more critical to enjoyment."

A box of six colorless, odorless, and prelubricated TheyFit condoms can be bought at theyfit.co.uk for £6.99 ($10.80) for anyone residing in the EU. The website says it is working on gaining regulatory approval for sales in the US.

Another "made-to-measure" condom is My.Size condom, which offers seven different sizes ranging from 1.5 inches to over 2.7 inches in width.

The Condomadvisor.com survey interviewing 2,539 English men also found the "typical" penis length ranged from 3.5 inches to 8.7 inches with an average of 5.7 inches, "which means there is just is no standard size."

Condomadivisor.com also reported that a standard condom fits only 17.6 percent of men, leaving the rest of the guys wearing ill-fitting condoms that are "so tight they cut off circulation (and impede erections) or so large they're floppy and nonfunctional," according to the My.Size website. 

One in five women has been raped in the US -Report CDC

Feminist leaders and activists hold signs to protest sexual violence.

One in five American women will be raped in the course of her lifetime, according to a survey released by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.

The shocking detail was part of a comprehensive report on various types of sexual violence. The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey is ongoing, CDC officials say, and data is being compiled through telephone surveys throughout the country.

The report highlights several other statistics that highlight the frequency of sexual violence in America, particularly violence that occurs in intimate relationships:

* One in four women has or will be a victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in her lifetime.

* One in six women will suffer a terrifying experience at the hands of an abuser or stalker.

*  One in six women has been the victim of a stalker, and the act of stalking often occurs via text messages, social networking sites or unwanted phone calls.

* 80% of rape victims were attacked before the age of 25.

* Men also experience violence in intimate relationships, though they are far less likely than women to report it.

* Roughly 1 in 7 men has experienced severe physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

* One in every 19 men claims to have been stalked to the point that they believed their lives were in danger.

* More than 25% of male rape victims were first assaulted when they were 10 years-old or younger.

Men and women who are victims of sexual and physical violence are likely to experience chronic pain, emotional distress and numerous ailments that are linked to traumatic experiences and the resulting stress.

“These forms of violence take the largest toll on women, who are more likely to report immediate impacts and long-term health problems caused by their victimization,” said Dr. Linda C. Degutis, director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

“Much victimization begins early in life, but the consequences can last a lifetime.” 

Men with STDs may give off unpleasant smell

Men with certain sexually-transmitted diseases may actually have an unpleasant scent, according to research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

If something smells rotten in your relationship, it might not be his cologne.

Men with certain sexually-transmitted diseases may actually have an unpleasant scent, according to research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

In fact, the women who participated in the small study described the aroma of a man infected with gonorrhea as “putrid,” according to MSNBC.

Researchers from the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia were testing the theory that if animals could use their sense of smell to choose an attractive and healthy mate, humans could too.

The scientists asked 34 men, ages 17 to 25 to participate in the study. Out of those selected, 16 were healthy, 13 had gonorrea and five had been previously diagnosed with the sexually transmitted infection but received medical treatment.

During the experiment, all of the men wore t-shirts with cotton pads in the armpits. After the pads had been suitably soaked, the researchers stored the samples and asked the women to smell and judge.

While the women found over a third of the samples to be aromatically off-putting, they judged nearly half of the infected men’s sweat to be foul-smelling.

The sweat of the healthy men rated nearly twice as high on the researcher’s ‘pleasantness’ scale.

The study did not address whether women infected with the STD gave off a similarly unpleasant smell.

“Our research revealed that infection disease reduces odor attractiveness in humans,” concluded Mikhail Moshkin,professor at the Institute of Cytology and Genetics in Novosibirsk, Russia, and the lead study author. “We can conclude that unpleasant body odor of infected persons can reduce the probability of a dangerous partnership,” 

New web feature recommends live events

Russ D'Souza, the founder of SeatGeek, which now recommends live entertainment events based on your preferences.

With so many live events to see in New York, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the all of the choices and just stay home.

But a recently-launched online service that takes the hard work out of choosing might just get you off your seat.

SeatGeek, a ticket search engine whose investors include Ashton Kutcher, is stepping things up with Columbus, a free event discovery feature.

“We’re like Pandora for live events,” SeatGeek founder Russ D’Souza, 26, told the Daily News.

Using your live entertainment preferences as a guide, the new service offers up personalized event recommendations.

You provide a minimum of five sports or artists that you like, and Columbus maps out a calender of events that fit your profile. When you log in to SeatGeek, your personalized calender pops up.

See an event you want to attend? Click on it and start searching for the best ticket deals.

The launch of Columbus is a major event for SeatGeek, which is looking to expand its user base by suggesting events that might entice more people to purchase tickets on the site.

The company, which is a partner of the Daily News, earns a commission every time a user purchases a ticket from an affiliate’s ticketing site.

“When we launched, we were purely focused on being a transactional site,” D’Souza said. “Now we have retained that function, but added the ability to allow users to figure out what events they should see.”

Part of the city’s bustling tech startup scene, SeatGeek was started two and a half years ago and is now on the verge of turning a profit. The company has so far raised $2.5 million and employs 15 people out of its offices on E. 11th St.

In addition to launching Columbus, SeatGeek has also just inked a deal to promote the arts organizations that are funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

SeatGeek has launched special pages on its site and will recommend the cultural groups’ events to users browsing on the site. 

New Jersey woman charged in penis silicone injection death

NEWARK, N.J. — A New Jersey woman who police say injected a man’s penis with silicone, resulting in his death, has been charged with manslaughter.

The Essex County prosecutor’s office says 34-year-old Kasia Rivera gave 22-year-old Justin Street the injection on May 5. Such injections often are used to enlarge body parts, such as the buttocks.

Street died the day after his injection. His death was ruled a homicide following an investigation and a medical examiner’s determination he died of a silicone embolism.

Rivera also faces charges for the unauthorized practice of medicine. She was arrested Friday and is being held on $75,000 bail. It’s unclear if she has a lawyer. No telephone listing could be found for her home in East Orange. 

Why should outsource? Reasons

                 Outsourcing has become very popular among business owners. They are finding it easier and easier to outsource smaller projects as opposed to hiring their own on-site staff. Outsourcing is more affordable and typically more reliable. Despite all the positives surrounding outsourcing, some people still have their doubts. There are a number of reasons why outsourcing can work and work well for any business, small or large.

                   As any businessperson knows, running a business can get very costly. Company owners are always looking for a way to cut costs and increase profits. Outsourcing provides an excellent opportunity for business owners to get work done at an affordable cost. Most outsourcing companies charge a flat rate for a project. This means that no matter how many hours it takes to get the project done, the business owner is still paying the same flat fee. This can become especially cost effective when you compare it to paying an hourly employee to do the same project. The hourly employee will likely cost more, especially if it is a bigger project. Furthermore, the hourly employee will likely need some training. If a company has to train an hourly employee, they are wasting valuable time that could be spent working on other issues that are core to the business.

                      Another financial benefit is that business owners only pay for work that is actually completed and delivered. If a project is never completed by the vendor, then the business owner does not have to pay for the project. This is not true in the case of the hourly employee. An hourly employee legally requires payment whether the project gets completed or not. Furthermore, vendors work on a deadline that is set within the contract. If the work is not completed by the set deadline, the business owner has options in regards to negotiating payment.

                     An outsourcing company or vendor is typically well-versed in the field in which a business owner will need work completed. Because of that, they will understand the ins and outs of the project without any training and will be able to get started on the project right away. Communicating with someone who understands exactly what you are looking for will help build confidence and trust in the vendor/client relationship. A great and professional vendor will set up a meeting with a client to go over project details and expectations. It is during that meeting that the client can ask any questions to help them establish if this is the right vendor for them.

                More business owners are starting to consider outsourcing as a way to cut costs and save time. Outsourcing to a vendor means that you will receive quality work in a timely manner. Through contracts, there are safeguards in place to protect both the vendor and the business owner. Project expectations, payments and fees, and meeting schedules will be discussed upfront and clear to both parties. This helps ensure a smooth and successful working relationship between the vendor and client.

                    So if you have anything on your mind about cost reduction on your business ,you can look out for good and reputed Bpo company that solve your problems.Padmam Technologies can identify and minimize your expenses by out sourcing your cost effective project works.Contact us at info@saagit.com or call at 973 368 3316.

Occupy Wall Street protesters shut down 'Law & Order

Occupy Wall Street protesters shut down filming of 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' at Foley Square in Manhattan.

More than 100 Occupy Wall Street demonstrators stormed the set for “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” across from the Manhattan State Supreme Courthouse, shutting down production of an OWS-themed episode.

"We made it so that they could not exploit us and that's awesome," said Tammy Schapiro, 29, of Brooklyn.

The protesters arrived around midnight at Foley Square and roamed around the park inspecting tents and signs built by the production company.

"This is not us," said Drew Hornbein, 24, of Brooklyn Heights. "We are not part of corporate TV America."

Some of the set signs read "End War on Workers" "Greed No" and "War Profiteers."

About 100 police officers lined the perimeter of the production, preventing protesters from getting too close.

"It's hysterical," Hornbein said. "Two weeks ago they kicked us out of Zuccotti Park. Now they have this set trying to pretend it’s us. It's odd."

After midnight, a police officer on a bullhorn announced that the film permit had been rescinded by the city, which drew cheers from the crowd.

Cops then threatened to arrest them if they did not leave the park. After a momentary standoff, police moved in and dispersed the crowd.

"This is bastardization going on. This is not the case of imitation is a form of flattery," said a man identified as Scooby 49. "This is insulting."

The production crew moved in and started dismantling the set. 

Washington State teen praised for saving school bus when driver dozed

A quick-witted State of Washington teen is being hailed as a hero for jumping into action when his school bus driver dozed off on a busy highway.

Emmanuel Williams, 17, was on a bus with about 24 other students Monday when the 65-year-old driver started falling in and out of consciousness, missed an exit and swerved back into traffic, reports said.

Surveillance video of the wild ride shows that Emmanuel shouted, sprang up from his seat and raced three rows forward to rouse the driver before the bus careened into another vehicle or a freeway barrier.

"I'm looking at him the whole time because I don't know what's going on," the senior at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma said at a news conference Wednesday.

"I was looking at him, and his eyes would close, and when we would get to a turn, he would open them up and look both ways, start driving and then ... they would close more and more," he said.

When the bus merged onto Interstate 5, Emmanuel was wide-eyed and hyper alert, the surveillance video shows.

Immediately after the driver missed an exit, the teen made his move.

"As soon as I see his head go down, and I see the bus go back to the freeway, I hop up, get up to the bus (driver) as fast as I can," Emmanuel told local media, including KOMO 4.

The student later took a seat directly behind the driver and continued talking to him to make sure he remained alert, the video shows.

"If something would have happened, if I didn't get up, I know there would have been a big huge thing going on because he would have crashed," Emmanuel said.

Tacoma Public Schools said the driver had an impeccable record during his eight years chauffeuring students.

The driver was removed from the route Monday, given drug and alcohol tests and placed on paid administrative leave, pending an investigation, a schools spokesman told the Daily News.

"Any time the safety and security of our students is jeopardized, that's a serious incident, and we need to get to the bottom of this situation to make sure nothing like it happens again," spokesman Dan Voelpel told The News.

Voelpel heaped praise on the teenager for saving the day.

"Emmanuel said at his press conference that he might want to be a police officer in the future, and certainly they need to have such powers of observation," Voelpel said.

"Clearly we're grateful that Emmanuel was paying attention to the driver's condition and acted very quickly and decisively to wake up the driver before he crashed," he said. 

FBI to change definition of ‘rape’ for the first time since 1929

The FBI’s definition of “rape” is about to get a long-awaited update, for the first time since 1929.

The revamped description will be broader, pleasing activists who say the current definition leads to the low-balling of sexual assault cases, and also discourages victims to come forward.

An agency panel voted on Tuesday to change the narrow definition that’s currently in use: “Carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.”

The new definition, which will more closely match the ones that police departments around the country already use, will remove the word “forcible,” along with several other amendments.

Rape will now include sex attacks by relatives, and include non-traditional penetration.

According to the FBI’s website, the proposed new definition is “penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”

These changes are crucial, according to women’s rights advocates.

Carol Tracy, executive director of the Women’s Law Project, said the modifications will “better inform the public about the prevalence of serious sex crimes and will ultimately drive more resources to apprehend sex offenders,” according to the HuffingtonPost.com.

The modifications will also allow law enforcement agencies to better report the number of rape cases they encounter. As long as the current definition stands, accurately accounting for rapes is tricky.

“We prosecute by one criteria, but we report by another criteria,” said Steve Anderson, chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, to the New York Times. “The only people who have a true picture of what’s going on are the people in the sex-crimes unit.”

The agency’s decision comes after several women’s rights campaigns, including one by the “Rape is Rape” foundation, which bombarded the FBI with tens of thousands of emails, all urging to change rape’s definition.

“It’s a great victory,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of Feminist Majority Foundation, which launched the campaign.

“This new definition will mean that, at long last, we will begin to see the full scope of this horrific violence, and that understanding will carry through to increased attention and resources for prevention and action.”

While the panel overwhelming accepted the recommendation, the new definition is still awaiting approval by FBI director Robert Mueller.

Olivia Munn talks about sex, poses topless in racy FHM photo shoot

 

Olivia Munn reveals a sexier side to herself in the January issue of FHM.

Olivia Munn doesn't shy away from showing off her enviable curves - let alone talk about what goes on behind closed doors - in the January issue of FHM.

"When it comes to sex, I think anyone's an idiot to say they're an expert on it. I mean, I have sex, but it's individual for each person," she says.

"You know, like, guys always have that one f---ing 'move', some stupid sh-t, like putting his thumb in your mouth," she adds. "And it's just like, "What are you doing? Who told you this was hot?"

One quality Munn finds attractive in someone of the opposite sex, however, is humor.

The actress and "Daily Show" alum, who was recently voted as one of the 113 funniest people in America, says she would "love" to date a comedian.

"Stand-up comedians are really smart, brilliant people," she explains. "To make someone genuinely laugh is a very hard task. If you have that ability, that means that you have empathy, you can feel things in life. And that's a very attractive quality in somebody. Those guys are smart."

Besides her undeniable good looks, Munn's obsession with video games is also an appealing trait to her many fans.

"I get so addicted to Videos games. I get really focused in on it and I cannot live the rest of my life," she tells the mag. "So If I get into any kind of first person shooter game, I'm done and you won't see me. I'll skip meetings and stuff to sit in and work on my video games." 

Demi Lovato says It’s ‘a big responsibility’ to date me because I come with ‘baggage’

Demi Lovato opens up about her healing process in the January issue of Glamour magazine.

After a tumultuous year in the public eye, Demi Lovato has taken charge of her personal life.

The singer, who was treated for an eating disorder and a very public emotional breakdown last fall, opens up in the January issue of Glamour and reveals what she wants in a significant other.

“Someone who’s not only supportive in my career but also in my recovery,” explains Lovato, 19. “It’s a big responsibility dating me. Because I come with a little bit of baggage, you know?”

Luckily for Lovato, Wilmer Valderrama doesn’t seem to mind. Though she refrains from discussing the romance, the singer is rumored to be dating the “That 70s Show” actor.

“I’m completely open. I’m honest about the journey I’ve been on, so I definitely don’t take dating lightly anymore,” Lovato continues. “And they have to make me laugh!”

In addition to humor, Lovato is also looking to find strength in her life.

As part of her healing process, the singer got tattoos to cover the cutting scars on her wrist.

“I think scars are like battle wounds—beautiful, in a way,” she says. “They show what you’ve been through and how strong you are for coming out of it. My tattoos say “Stay strong.” “Stay” on one and “strong” on the other. Now I’m able to look at them and be thankful for being alive.”

Moving forward, Lovato has turned the negative parts of her life into positives. She’s gone public about her self-described meltdown and isn’t afraid to share stories about childhood bullying in an effort to help other young women. From this, Lovato has found herself.

“I feel beautiful, you know? I feel strong, and I feel confident in who I am,” she tells Glamour. “I think that I’ve been blessed over the past year to be able to start over.” 

Porn actors may be forced to wear condoms

Michael Weinstein who is the President of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, speaks at the launch of the ‘Love Condoms’ campaign to combat the spread of AIDS in 2009.

A proposal to make Los Angeles porn actors wear condoms gained momentum this week, when a health advocacy group announced it had gathered enough signatures to put the question to voters in June.

The proposal would require the actors to use protection during sex scenes in order for filmmakers to obtain a permit to shoot within the city of Los Angeles.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the group behind the drive, said Wednesday it has collected 64,000 signatures for its petition -- well beyond the 41,000 needed to get the measure on the ballot.

"Everyone understood this was an issue of worker protection," Michael Weinstein, the president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, told The Los Angeles Times.

Tensions between health advocates and the porn industry have simmered for years. The adult film industry largely opposes more condom regulations, saying voluntary industry standards requiring actors to undergo monthly HIV screenings are enough protection.

Pornographers also say porn viewers generally find sheathed penises less appealing than naked ones on screen and that added government regulation would undermine their industry even as it faces the combined pressures of rampant Internet piracy and economic malaise, The Los Angeles Times reports.

"Contrary to popular belief, our industry is not recession-proof," Diane Duke, executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, a porn industry group, told the newspaper.

AIDS activists aren't the only ones trying to boost the porn industry's hygiene standards -- state officials are also looking at ways to force porn actors to suit up.

California regulators first passed rules requiring protection for workers exposed to infectious diseases transferred through blood in 1992. State regulators say the rules, developed with medical facilities in mind, apply to the porn industry.

"The regulations require that the employer use controls to protect workers from blood or seamen or vaginal secretions. Federal OSHA has the same wording," Deborah Gold of the California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health said in an interview last year with Los Angeles Weekly.

But the regulations are rarely enforced. Between 2004, after a performer tested HIV positive, and 2010, the state issued only 30 citations for condomless sex filming, Los Angeles Weekly reports.

Public health officials cited 17 HIV cases among porn actors between 1998 and 2008, according to the Los Angeles Times reports. The industry has halted production twice in the last two years to prevent the spread of the disease after two performers tested HIV-positive.

Los Angeles serves as a major base of operations for the U.S. porn industry. The only two states where porn can be filmed legally are California and New Hampshire. 

With Christian Bale hanging up his cape, who will be the next Batman?

Christian Bale, who helped revive the Batman franchise, says he will no longer star as the caped crusader.

The identity of The Caped Crusader may remain a mystery to the citizens of fictional Gotham, but fans of the Batman franchise are clamoring to find out who’ll don the iconic mask next.

Christian Bale, 37, recently told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the upcoming “Dark Knight Rises” film will be his last, and that his decision to pull the plug on “that Batman era” stemmed from a need to move beyond the comic-book action flicks and onto other projects.

“I wrapped a few days ago, so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl off,” he said. “I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it’s all done.

“Everything’s finished. . . . That will be the end of that Batman era.”

But while the English actor moves on to other things — he is set to star in Zhang Yimou’s China-set period drama “The Flowers of War” — a new Hollywood hunk will need to step in and take his place.

Here are a few potential industry heavyweights who just might be able to fill Bale’s rubber-clad shoes:

RYAN GOSLING

The of-the-moment sensitive guy (and unjustly snubbed for People’s Sexiest Man Alive title, according to fans who picketed outside the magazine’s office) can do no wrong. He loves his dog, George, stops fights in the middle of the East Village, and has a perpetual boyish smirk that does well both on and off the red carpet. Bulked up and suited up, he could make a smooth transition from super-cute to superhero.

CHRIS PINE

If nothing else, Pine has the intense gaze and jawline to pull off a brooding Bruce Wayne. And after his turn as Kirk in “Star Trek,” Pine has garnered the kind of clout in action films that will pardon him from career choices like “Just My Luck” opposite Lindsay Lohan.

HUGH DANCY

Claire Danes has a knack for darker, thoughtful roles, and her husband is no different. Dancy, who most recently starred in “Martha Marcy May Marlene” opposite new indie wunderkind Elizabeth Olsen, can shift between subtlety and straight-man almost seamlessly, and his natural charm will likely make for one dashing vigilante. 

Justin Bieber wears $1,650 Christmas ‘sweater’ on ‘Today’ show

Justin Bieber performs live on the ‘Today’ show's concert series.

Justin Bieber wore what looked like a hokey Christmas sweater during a live performance on Wednesday — but it wasn’t anything a grandma knitted.

The teen pop star crooned holiday ditties along with singing superstar Usher on the “Today” show in a $1,650 red and cream snowflake-patterned sweater coat by designer Junya Watanabe, reports the Huffington Post.

 The Fair Isle Varsity Jacket boasts wool and leather and jaunty brown buttons, according to Mr. Porter, a website that sells upscale men’s clothing.

“Blending the 1950s Americana of the varsity jacket with the tactile, heritage appeal of a Fair Isle knit, with a pleasingly modern result, this jacket is both a fashion statement and stylish enough to look good for years to come,” the site boasts. 

To boost male fertility, cut back on coffee, eat more fruit

A new study suggests men eat a diet high in fruit and grains and low in coffee, alcohol, and red meat.

To enhance male fertility during IVF treatments, a new study suggests men eat a diet high in fruit and grains and low in coffee, alcohol, and red meat.

The Brazilian study looked at 250 men undergoing a type of fertility treatment with their partners known as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, an in vitro fertilization procedure in which a single sperm is injected into an egg.

Researchers discovered that men who drank alcohol and coffee and ate a poor diet were less likely to conceive. Being overweight also contributed to lower sperm concentration and motility, and smoking affected sperm motility.

"In contrast, eating more cereal grains was associated with improved sperm concentration and motility," writes American health publication Third Age on the study on Tuesday. "Fruit was linked to a speed and agility boost in sperm."

The study, from the Fertility-Assisted Fertilization Center in Sao Paolo, was published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility on November 11.

Another recent Harvard University study found that a diet of trans-fat laden junk food can render otherwise healthy young men infertile.

Foods that have previously been shown to boost men's fertility include eggs, salmon, natural yogurt, nuts, seeds, berries, sweet potatoes, broccoli, and asparagus. 

Exercise modifies the brain to help weight loss-study report

When exercise is added to a weight-loss diet, treatment of obesity is more successful than adjusting diet alone, according to a Harvard study.

Start exercising and your brain will want to help you lose weight.

A study examining the neuro-relationship between exercise and diet has found that in addition to fostering healthy eating habits, exercise also increases people’s sensitivity to signs of fullness and satiety and helps overcome food temptations.

According to a Harvard study published for the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, when exercise is added to a weight-loss diet, treatment of obesity is more successful than adjusting diet alone, said researcher Miguel Alonso Alonso.

Adding exercise to the program also helped weight loss subjects adhere to the diet for the long haul.

The study, based on data from epidemiological studies and announced November 23, found that one of the key factors in successful weight loss is a cognitive function known as inhibitory control, the ability to resist a strong inclination or temptation -- like overeating -- and do what is most appropriate or needed.

According to Alonso, living in an obesogenic environment -- an environment that promotes weight gain -- presents a constant barrage of stresses on these neuro-cognitive resources, leading to impaired judgement and facilitating impulses to overeat, he said.

Exercise, however, helps improve the brain’s executive functions and overcome these strains, he said.

Past studies have also shown that exercise -- in the form of table tennis -- helped children with developmental coordination disorder to improve their inhibitory control.

Meanwhile, according to fitness experts polled by WebMD.com, the most effective exercises for losing weight include walking, interval training, squats, lunges, push-ups, ab crunches and the bent-over row -- exercises that either target multiple muscle groups, are suitable for different fitness levels or help burn calories more effectively. 

WiFi may damage sperm quality: Study

Man lying on sofa, working on laptop computer.

WiFi technology may cause a major handicap for men hoping to build a family: sperm damage.

A team of Argentine scientists led by Conrado Avendano of the Nascentis Center for Reproductive Medicine in Cordoba found that placing drops of semen from healthy men under a laptop connected wirelessly to the Internet kills or maims the little swimmers.

The scientists reported their findings this month in the medical journal Fertility and Sterility.

After four hours next to the WiFi-connected computer, 25% of the sperm had stopped moving and nine percent showed DNA damage.

By comparison, semen kept at the same temperature but away from the computer showed just a 14% drop in mobility and only 3% suffered DNA damage.

Semen placed under the computer without the WiFi connected did not experience significant levels of sperm damage, the study says.

Avendano blames the discrepancy on the electromagnetic radiation emitted by wireless communication.

"Our data suggest that the use of a laptop computer wirelessly connected to the Internet and positioned near the male reproductive organs may decrease human sperm quality," Avendano and his team wrote in this month's article, Reuters reports.

The study is not the first to sound an alarm over the potential of mobile communications technology to undermine sperm health.

A Canadian study reported last year also found evidence indicating that wireless radiation caused DNA damage in sperm.

Computers also wreck havoc on semen just by being hot.

A 2004 American study found that placing a portable computer on the user's lap could boost scrotum temperature by nearly three degrees. Scientists have established that heat damages sperm. 

Holidays bring out the worst in cyberscams 'Generous' creeps have s

Don't touch that keyboard! Holidays, the internet, credit cards and cyberscammers are a danergous mix.

Just as the FBI puts out its holiday cyberscam warning today, I get a doozy.

The email began with “Greetings. I am Mr. Alfa Abu, a chief security guard to Saif al-Islam Muammar al-Gaddafi.” Sure you are!

“He is the first son of Muammar Gaddafi,” it continued, “who is now late.” He means dead.

“In the heat of the revolution in Libya, he entrusted in my care Gold and Raw Diamond that worth several millions of Dollar.” Sure he did!

“I need the help of a foreign partner who I can move this items to for safety.” I’ll bet you do!

Dude signed it “Abu Alfa,” but his email address is frankoffice2@gmail.com. How dare he — or she — send this message to a New Yorker? We know how to bend the three-card Monte cards by the age of 6. We smell a con artist a block away. Hell, we elect con artists!

“It’s really despicable,” says Jenny Shearer, the FBI’s spokeswoman for the Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3. “These people are opportunists, and they’re looking for vulnerable targets.”

They seem generous enough at first, but man, do they need grammar lessons! In another email I received, David Owen said he was with the First Commercial Bank of London and wanted to give me $2.7 million, because he didn’t want the money “of my deceased client been inherited by people that doesn't know anything about him.” Like I do?

Martins Jojor wanted to send me $650,000 “so that we can share the joy after all the sufferness ” – without saying how we had suffernessed together.

Madam Ngozie Iwuala wanted to wire me $1.4 million dollars — “in US $195 bills.”

And Suncoastgirl2@yahoo in Japan for some reason pretended to be from the Ivory Coast, offering me $8.7 million because “my mother died when I was 6 and since then my father took me so special.” I don’t even want to go there, but I hope Suncoastgirl does take ESL classes soon.

Disasters always bring a spike in cyberscams, said Shearer, like the one I got from “Mr. Cristian Alberto” saying, “I lost my entire family in Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and now death is knocking on my door step and I have $59 million and nobody to inherit it.”

“I don’t know why people do bad things,” Shearer said. “This summer we announced an online cyberfraud of auto sales on eBay, in which criminals pretended to be a mother whose son was killed in the war and she wanted to sell his car cheap and fast because she couldn’t bear to look at it.”

There was no car, but several people were taken in by the tragic, though fake, story and lost thousands.

The holidays are also a peak time for e-scams, and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) today posted a list of tips for safe online shopping, including how to avoid gift-card scams.

“If you are being solicited to buy a discount gift card from some website, be cautious, you might be paying for something that doesn't exist,” said Shearer. “It’s probably safest to get gift cards from the merchant itself.

“On all this, We like to say, ‘If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.’ ” 

Winds threaten float favorites at Thanksgiving Day Parade

Sesame Street character Abby Cadabby makes her way through Manhattan in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Who’s the leader of the Thanksgiving Day parade that’s made for you and me?

It won’t be the 40-foot tall Mickey Mouse balloon — or any of the other behemoths that usually fly over Broadway — if the wind kicks up too strongly Thursday.

Right now, the National Weather Service is forecasting clear skies and a high of 53 degrees for the 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, ie. almost perfect parade weather.

The only potential hitch is that the forecast also calls for wind speeds of 15 mph and gusts close to 24 mph.

“That could have an impact on the parade,” meteorologist Joe Pollina warned Monday.

Wind speeds exceeding 23 mph or the gusts stronger than 34 mph would ground Sailor Mickey, Snoopy, Hello Kitty, Spongebob Squarepants and the eleven other gigantic balloons, Macy’s spokesman Orlando Veras said.

But he’s not expecting that will happen.

“Every year at this point there’s a prediction of high winds and every year the balloons fly,” said Veras.

The last time any of the balloons were grounded because of high wind was back in the 1990s, said Veras.

And before that, a helium shortage during the 1940s forced organizers to improvise — they filled the biggest balloons with air and suspended them from moving cranes for the parade down Broadway, Veras said.

“We are monitoring the weather closely,” he said. “And even if the winds were too strong, there would still be 44 other smaller balloons in the parade.”

Also, added Veras, who is to say the beloved Sailor Mickey balloon will lead the parade?

“We haven’t announced the parade line up yet,” he said. “We keep that a secret until Thanksgiving morning.”

Wind guidelines were put into place after a 1997 accident involving a runaway balloon left a Manhattan woman in a coma and three other people injured.

“Our decision of whether the biggest balloons fly is based on current wind conditions about an hour before the parade starts” at 9 a.m., Veras said.

Each of the big balloons is escorted by a police officer who monitors wind speeds on the ground and can order it deflated if things get hairy.

This year, two brand new giant balloons will make their debut — Julius the sock monkey and B, the balloon boy.

Also this year, the opening ribbon will be cut by 20 children whose parents were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks. They too will march in the parade.

BEST STREET VIEWING

For the best curbside view of the 85th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, stake out a spot at the following locations:  

• Central Park South
• Central Park West
• Seventh Ave. between 59th — 48th Sts.
• Sixth Ave., between 42nd and 34th Sts.  
• And avoid Times Square, Macy’s warns.

BEST TV VIEWING

New Yorkers who don’t want to brave the crowds can watch on the parade’s official TV outlet, WNBC/Ch. 4.

Starting at 9 a.m., it will have Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Ann Curry leading viewers through the event from outside Macy’s in Herald Square.

CBS’ coverage will be based in Times Square and hosted by Kevin Frazier, co-host of “The Insider,” and “Entertainment Tonight” correspondent Christina McLarty. 

What To Do If You're In An Accident

Drive long enough and the odds are pretty good that you'll be in an accident eventually. No matter how vigilant and aware of your surroundings you are, some other driver isn't and will create a situation where your vehicles collide. So what are you supposed to do after you've been in an accident? What do you need to do to protect yourself and to make sure that you and your vehicle are taken care of?

1) Be Safe

If the accident is minor and the cars are still working, move them out of the main flow of traffic. Every year you hear stories of fender benders that turn into something worse because another vehicle hits the stopped cars, so make sure to put out road flares and reflective warning signs, even if you are on the side of the road. Unless the cars are disabled there's no reason to not move them to a safer location to continue the process - this protects the cars and you.

2) Exchange Information

Get the other person's personal and insurance information. If the person that was driving wasn't the person that owned the vehicle be sure to find out the relationship between them (friend, family, etc) and get the owner's information as well. Be polite, and never admit fault, even if you believe it to be yours.

3) Document What Happened

Take down notes of your account of the incident while they are fresh in your mind. Take pictures of the vehicles, the damage, and where the accident happened if you can do so safely. If there were any witnesses to the accident be sure to get their information as well, as they can be helpful if there's a dispute over what happened.

3) File A Report

Depending on where you are, and their current priorities, the police may not be able to send an officer to the scene of your accident for a statement and to file a report. If that's the case, be sure to file one on your own with the police department as your insurance company may use it as a reference.

4) Call Your Insurer

Once you've returned home be sure to call your insurance company. They'll want the information you gathered from the other driver as well as information about the accident. This process will be easier if you know what coverage you have, so it doesn't hurt to look that up before making the call.

5) Don't Be Afraid to Get a Lawyer

You may not need a lawyer. If the accident is minor, insurance agrees to cover the damages, and there are no injuries, it's fair to assume everything will be taken care of and there's no need to involve lawyers. If, however, there are disputes about who is at fault, or if the accident was severe and there are injuries, especially lingering ones that will require extended care, it may be necessary to retain the services of a personal injury attorney. Remember that just because you contact an attorney doesn't mean you have to go to court, so there's no harm in at least reaching out to make sure you're protected and that you will be taken care of in the long term, not being brushed aside by the insurance company making a quick offer to settle. Call personal injury lawyer for consultation at 877 824 0343/866 943 0897/877 855 3715