Security guard Andi Susanto, 31, told Metro TV in an interview from his hospital bed that cigarette producer PT Nojorono Tobacco Indonesia had offered to pay for his treatment. “The company’s officials have talked to my family and we agreed to settle it amicably, as an out-of-court settlement. They will pay all the medical expenses,” he said through bandaged lips.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown. Susanto said he wasn’t chewing anything when he lit the Clas Mild cigarette and didn’t notice anything strange about its odour, colour or taste.

He said he would quit smoking after the incident. Indonesia is one of the most profitable tobacco markets in the world, and more than 60 percent of Indonesian men smoke.

What is Air Force One?

Most people have a general idea that the president’s plane is a flying office with all sorts of high-tech equipment. But there are two essential facts about Air Force One that the general public isn’t aware of.

1. “Air Force One” isn’t technically a plane: It’s simply the radio call name for any U.S. Air Force plane carrying the president of the United States. As soon as the president steps aboard an Air Force plane, that plane is referred to as Air Force One by the crew and all air traffic controllers, in order to avoid confusion with any other planes in the area. If the president rides on an Army aircraft, that aircraft is Army One, and whenever he boards his specialized helicopter, that craft is Marine One. Civilians generally refer to the physical plane itself as Air Force One, of course, and we will in this article too.
2. Today, there are actually two planes that regularly fly under this designation — nearly identical Boeing 747-200B jets. The planes themselves are designated VC-25A, with tail numbers 28000 and 29000.
3. The two planes have the same general structure as a normal Boeing 747-200B, and similar capabilities. They are almost as tall as a six story building, and they’re as long as a city block. Each has four General Electric CF6-80C2B1 jet engines, which provide 56,700 pounds of thrust a piece. The top speed is between 630 and 700 miles per hour and the ceiling maximum (how high the plane can fly) is 45,100 feet. Each plane carries 53,611 gallons of fuel and weighs 833,000 pounds fully loaded for a long-range mission. With a full tank, the plane can fly half way around the world.
4. Like a normal 747, these planes have three levels. But the inside, the plane doesn’t resemble commercial 747s in the slightest. In the next section, we’ll look at the major components that set the VC-25A planes apart from a normal jetliner.

Inside Air Force One
Air Force One has 4,000 square feet of interior floor space. Much of it looks more like a hotel or executive office than a jetliner, except for the seatbelts on all the chairs. The lowest level of the plane mostly serves as cargo space. Most of the passenger room is on the middle level, and the upper level is largely dedicated to communications equipment. The president has onboard living quarters, with his own bedroom, bathroom, workout room and office space. Most of the furniture on the plane was hand-crafted by master carpenters.

The staff meets in a large conference room, which doubles as the president’s dining room. Senior staff members have their own office area, and the rest of the president’s staff also has space to work and relax. There is a separate area for reporters traveling with the president, and there is plenty of room for the flight crew to do their work. All in all, Air Force One can comfortably carry 70 passengers and 26 crew members.

Air Force One Floor Plan
Air Force One has a certain mythic, mysterious quality, largely because it is completely off limits to most of us. Even visiting politicians and journalists aren’t allowed in some parts of the plane, and the Air Force is careful to conceal specific details of the craft’s layout. A number of official and unofficial sources have published general descriptions of what’s inside the plane, but nobody (as far as we know) has said for sure how these pieces fit together. And if they did, they’d probably get a polite request to stop it for reasons of national security.

Here’s what we know: Like an ordinary Boeing 747, Air Force One has three decks. And, as you can see on TV footage of Air Force One, passengers can enter through three doors. Normally, when you see the president in the news getting on and off Air Force One with a wave, he is using the door onto the middle deck and a rolling staircase has been pulled up to the plane. Journalists normally enter through the rear door, where they immediately climb a staircase to the middle deck. Most of the press area looks something like the first class section of an ordinary jetliner, with comfortable, spaced-out seats.

Logically, it also has:

• A staff area
• A galley
• A conference and dining room
• The president’s suite and office
• Space for the service crew to ride and sleep

And, of course, it has a communications room, lounge and cockpit, like a typical commercial airplane. Along with its unconventional passenger space, Air Force One has a lot of technology that sets it apart from a normal jetliner.

Air Force One Special Features
Because Air Force One carries the president, and because some trips can be quite long, the plane has a number of special features, many of which are found on no commercial airliner.

The crew prepares meals in two fully-equipped galleys. They store a large amount of food in freezers in the lower sections of the plane. The crew is equipped to feed about 100 people at a time, and the storage area holds as many as 2,000 meals. The plane has a lot of technology in its onboard medical facility. The medical room has an extensive pharmacy, loads of emergency room equipment and even a fold-out operating table. The plane also has a staff doctor, who travels with the president wherever he goes. On every mission, the plane is prepared for a wide range of potential emergencies.

Unlike a normal 747, the plane has its own retractable stairways, for the rear entrance and the front entrance. These stairways open onto the lower deck, and crew members and staff climb internal staircases to get to the upper decks. The plane also has its own baggage-loader. With these additions, the plane never has to depend on an airport’s facilities, which could be a security risk.

The most remarkable feature on the plane is it’s extensive electronics. It has 85 onboard telephones, a collection of two-way radios, fax machines and computer connections. It also has 19 televisions and assorted office equipment. The phone system is set up for normal air to ground connections and secure lines. The president and his staff can reach just about anybody in the world while cruising tens of thousands of feet in the air.

The onboard electronics include about 238 miles of wiring (twice the amount you’d find in a normal 747). Heavy shielding is tough enough to protect the wiring and crucial electronics from the electromagnetic pulse associated with a nuclear blast. Another special addition is the in-flight refueling connection. As with the B-2 and other combat craft, in-flight refueling gives Air Force One the ability to stay up in the air indefinitely, which could be crucial in an emergency situation.

Some of the most interesting parts of the plane — it’s advanced avionics and defenses — are classified. But the Air Force asserts the two planes are definitely military aircraft, designed to withstand an air attack. Among other things, the plane is outfitted with electronic counter measures (ECM) to jam enemy radar. The plane can also eject flares to throw heat-seeking missiles off course.

Flight Operation
Every Air Force One flight is classified as a military operation, and it is handled as such. Air Force crews at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland carefully inspect the plane, and the runway, before every flight. When it’s time to head off, the Marine One helicopter brings the president from the White House to Andrews Air Force Base. Teams all over the base keep an eye out for any unauthorized craft in the area and are authorized to shoot on sight.

In advance of every Air Force One flight, the Air Force crew sends C141 Starlifter cargo carrier planes, toting the president’s motorcade, to the destination. This collection of bulletproof limousines and vans, loaded with weaponry, keeps the president safe on the ground. The president always arrives at the base with “the football,” the briefcase that holds the codes for nuclear deployment. An Air Force officer guards the football for the entire flight, before passing it off to an Army officer on the ground.

Just like a normal jetliner, Air Force One has a crew to fly the plane and a steward crew to prepare and serve meals and to clean the aircraft. These crew members are carefully screened military personnel, with exemplary service histories. Even the crew members who prepare meals must operate with a high level of security. For example, when buying food, they must hit the stores undercover, and they must select markets at random, in order to protect the president from a poison attack. Onboard the plane, the crew provides 24-hour first class service.

These crew members enjoy a very rare privilege — they get to work alongside the president when he is at his most relaxed. Every president since Harry Truman has formed close connections with his flight crew, and the final Air Force One flight is always an emotional trip.

Everything, it seems, except for cows.

“Some, you don’t really even want to hear, but they’re gonna tell you anyway,” said accounts manager Krystina McMorrow, who is half the office staff.

“I’ve been here 14 years,” said accounts-receivable clerk Shawna Wilkerson, the other half. “The oddest one I’ve heard was somebody who reloads his ammunition. He puts Bag Balm on the bullet casing and it makes it easier to reload ‘em.”

Developed in 1899 to soothe the irritated udders of milking cows, the substance with the mild medicinal odor has evolved into a medicine chest must-have, with as many uses as Elmer’s glue.

According to Bag Balm lore, the stuff went from barns to bedrooms when dairy farmers’ wives noticed how smooth their spouses’ fingers were after using it on cows’ udders. The wives were jealous.

Bag Balm went to the North Pole with Admiral Byrd, to Allied troops in World War II, who used it to keep weapons from corroding, to Ground Zero for the paws of cadaver-sniffing dogs searching the World Trade Center rubble, and to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sold off pet care shelves and at farm stores for $8.99 per 10-oz. green tub (with cow’s head on the lid), it’s made of petrolatum, lanolin and an antiseptic, 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate — substantially the same formula used since John L. Norris bought it from a Wells River druggist before the turn of the century.

It is made in a one-room “plant” by the family owned Dairy Association Co., Inc. — six employees, two officers and no sales force — operating in a cluster of converted railroad buildings in this small (pop. 1,215) northern Vermont town.

Petrolatum is shoveled from 50-gallon drums into a large vat and blended with lanolin from Uruguay, then heated to 95 degrees. A machine quickly squirts the goop into metal cans that are cooled, capped and packaged.

The plant is inspected annually by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, though the product is marketed for use by animals, not humans.

Distributed by wholesalers and sold retail in farm stores, national drugstore chains and general stores, its popularity has grown largely with word-of-mouth advertising as converts becomes users and then devotees.

Imitators through the years have included Udderly Smooth Udder Cream and Udder Balm.

The Dairy Association won’t divulge sales figures.

In a 1983 report, the late CBS News journalist Charles Kuralt said upward of 400,000 units were shipped annually. Norris’ granddaughter, company President Barbara Norris Allen, won’t say how today’s shipments compare.

“The colder the weather, the better our business,” said Ron Bean, production manager at the plant, which is open for tours but not photographers.

To call the operation old-fashioned is an understatement.

The plant operates with one shift, Monday through Friday. The Dairy Association doesn’t take credit cards (“Send us a good ol’ check,” says Allen). And the names of individual stores that buy directly are kept on index cards in file cabinets.

Long-distance bicyclist Andy Claflin says he started using Bag Balm on a cross-country race last June, when a teammate turned him on to it for saddle sores.

Claflin, 37, from Dayton, Minn., was suffering from saddle sores as he competed in the Race Across America. A teammate told him it was good for the sores, a bane of long-distance biking. So he slathered some on, down below.

“I was sitting there in Arizona, it’s 110 degrees, the air conditioning wasn’t working, the crapper in the RV wasn’t working, I gotta’ bike 100 miles in this heat and great, I’ve got to deal with this,” he said. “It was nasty and filthy and it felt weird … But I didn’t have saddle sores from then on, riding 130 miles a day. When you’re on the bike, you’re like ‘Oh, this stuff is great.’”

Marge Boyle, 62, a quilter in Paducah, Ky., keeps a tin by her sewing machine.

“It’s really a wonderful product when you’re sewing, because of all the pinpricks you get. It soothes and heals your fingers. Quilters are always pricking their fingers. We wash our hands constantly to keep them free of dirt, and you need something to soothe them,” she said.

And it’s still de rigeur in barns, where it all started.

Dairy farmer Willie Ryan has used it since the ’70s, to soothe the chapped teats of cows. And more.

“The cows get frostbit sometime, so we use the Bag Balm,” said Ryan, 60, of Craftsbury, Vt. “Any open wound with swelling, you just put some of that in and put a pack bandage on it and it does wonders. Don’t ask me how, but it does,” he said.

For all its myriad uses, there’s one place its makers say never to use it.

“Never put Bag Balm in your hair, because you will not get it out,” said Wilkerson.

By JOHN CURRAN, Associated Press Writer John Curran, Associated Press Writer – Sun Jan 31, 10:51 am

1. You have a list of things he needs to stop doing/saying/wearing if he wants your relationship to work. If you’re fixating on his flaws, he’s either not the one you want or you’re not ready for a serious relationship. Cutting him loose allows you time to grow and gives you the opportunity to meet a guy whose flaws you can embrace — or at least accept.

2. You don’t trust him. A small dose of jealousy can be healthy, but if you’re hacking into his email account, and going berserk when he goes out without you, something’s wrong. If there’s something about him that truly warrants your distrust, then perhaps he’s not the right one for you.

3. You avoid conflict at any cost. Fighting is healthy. And, when done right (in the non-accusatory, rational sort of way), it can be a great way to air grievances, fix problems in your relationship, and come to a deeper understanding of each other. Ignoring problems is not the same as having no problems at all… even if it looks that way.

4. When you’re sad, you don’t turn to him for comfort. When you’re a giant ball of tears and snot, do you lock yourself into the bathroom so he can’t see you at your worst? If you’re worried about scaring him away, one of you isn’t ready for total commitment. Mr. Right should make you smile through your tears and be a calming, not stressful, presence.

5. One of you is struggling with an addiction. He’s sweet. He’s exciting. He loves you very much. But he loves his alcohol habit or his weekly gambling fix more. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can change him or that your relationship will be strong enough to withstand the heartache that addiction will inevitably bring. An addict may be able to change, but he’ll do so on his own terms.

6. You can’t really imagine him as the father of your children. Ask yourself: Would he make a great parent? Is he financially responsible? Would he be an equal partner in your future together? If you have doubts, he’s probably not the one.

7. Your long-term, non-negotiable goals in life are incompatible. You want kids; he doesn’t. You go to church every week; he’s an atheist. He lives in the country and doesn’t want to move; you can’t imagine ever leaving the city. Superficial differences can be overcome, but differences in basic values are harder to smooth over. Ask yourself: “Would I be willing to compromise on this?” If the answer is absolutely not, you may not be right for each other.

8. You don’t respect each other. He puts you down in front of your friends and complains about you to his parents. You roll your eyes when he talks because there’s just something about him that embarrasses you. A relationship without respect can’t sustain itself.

9. You’re not attracted to him. Physical intimacy is a hugely important component of a romantic relationship. If he doesn’t do it for you, he’s probably not your best long-term match.

10. On paper he seems great, but you have this strange feeling… Don’t ignore your gut. You may get along on a superficial level, but if your instincts are telling you he’s not the one for you, listen. That little voice inside your head does not lie.

*as featured on yahoo.com

“A man’s body chemistry changes after orgasm. The biochemical prolactin is released, physically altering his body and making him very tired,” says Dr. David McKenzie, a sex therapist in Vancouver, Canada. 

Further, exertion during sex and after climax depletes the muscles of energy-producing glycogen, which leads to sleepiness. Since men have more muscle mass than women, they’re generally sleepier after sex.

Men’s libido goes up and down
Think PMS is only for women? Think again. Your monthly peaks and valleys are triggered by changes in testosterone that affect your mood, libido, energy level, beard growth and sperm count.

According to research by naturopathic physician Dr. Marcus Laux, men have more energy, a greater sense of well being, lower body weight and less need for sleep during the peak of their cycle. The valleys bring apathy, indifference and the tendency to magnify small problems into big ones.

“If you keep track of your personal cycles, whether it’s shifts in energy levels, mood or sex drive, you can anticipate changes,” says Laux. “Then, you can take advantage of the times you’re at your prime and better cope when you’re not feeling your best.”

Your penis is a barometer of overall health
Dr. Mehmet Oz, co-author of You: The Owner’s Manual, calls it your “dipstick” because it reveals the health of your other body parts. The physical mechanisms that send blood to your brain, heart and kidneys also inflate your penis. If it’s not standing tall, you may have arterial problems.

“A man’s lack of interest in sex is a big red flag that something is out of balance. Up to 25 percent of men have a low-to-no sex drive,” says Dr. Laux. “It could be even higher, as men don’t talk about low libido.”

The possible causes of restricted blood flow include diabetes, endocrine disorders, heart and vascular problems or kidney diseases. “But,” says Laux, “don’t rule out fatigue, psychological factors, relationship issues, poor nutrition, insomnia or lack of exercise.”

Disrupted sleep decreases erections
If you’re struggling with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), you’re at risk for sexual dysfunction. OSA is a sleep disorder that affects 18 million Americans—many of whom go undiagnosed—and causes sufferers to stop breathing dozens of times per hour.

OSA disrupts rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep, which is when men routinely experience erections. Decreased REM sleep means fewer REM erections, which affects sexual health. “It’s possible that men need to experience REM erections in order to maintain optimal sexual functioning,” says Dr. Charles Atwood, associate director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Sleep Medicine Center. 

“If you have erectile dysfunction, you should get tested for OSA,” he advises. “Men who are diagnosed and treated for OSA often see an improvement in sexual functioning.”

Eco-friendly transportation could damage your testicles
Whether you’re bicycling to reduce your carbon footprint, save money on gas or get fit, make sure you’re cushioned properly. Cycling doesn’t cause male infertility, but it can lead to testicular damage, impaired sperm functioning and erectile problems. Urological surgeon Vinod Nargund from St. Bartholomew’s and Homerton Hospitals in London found that mountain bikers are more affected than road cyclists.

Dr. Nargund lists the potential problems of prolonged cycling: abrasions, chafing, damaged hair follicles and bruising. Sweating may cause skin problems and a general soreness.

Symptoms to watch for include genital numbness, erection problems and skin irritations. To stay healthy, wear shorts with protective padding. Make sure your seat is also padded, and adjust its position so it doesn’t put pressure on your groin.

Varicocele can cause male infertility
Infertility affects one in six couples, and male factors contribute to at least half of all cases. According to the Center of Reproductive Medicine at Cornell University, the most common identifiable cause of male infertility is varicocele, or enlarged veins in the scrotum. Another possibility is a blockage in the reproductive tract. 

Simply being older also affects your fertility. Recent research from the Eylau Centre for Assisted Reproduction in France shows a connection between men over age 35, lower pregnancy rates and higher miscarriage rates. Keep your sperm strong by eating nutritiously, exercising regularly and decreasing your stress level.

Big news
An average penis length of 5 erect and 3 flaccid inches is normal for men—that’s significantly smaller than what most men think is normal. 

“Generally, every man [and woman] believes the ultimate in sexiness and masculinity is to have a larger-than-average penis,” says sexologist Dr. Trina Read. “The fact is, men with large penises often find it difficult to find a partner who is comfortable having intercourse and giving oral sex.” 

During intercourse, penis size has little to do with partner satisfaction. Most of the sensitive nerve endings are concentrated close to a woman’s vaginal opening—which means a penis of any size can be highly pleasurable.

“What most women really want is technique,” says Dr. Read. The upside? A man who masters his technique in bed may get away with falling asleep right after sex.

*as featured on msn health

One of the hardest things to do is figuring out which behaviors are proper and which are potentially damaging.  Here are 8 simple rules that can help you not only make the experience a positive one but actually get your ex back into your life — for good!

1. Make sure you are emotionally available
So much hurt, so much regret, so much anger and so much fear can make you emotionally unavailable on virtually every level imaginable. If it is likely that you will fail because of a sense of inadequacy/ insecurity, neediness, desperation, guilt, anger, jealousy etc. then don’t even start trying to get your ex back. In this state, you are not at your best and you are not thinking clearly and rationally. The amount of time and effort it takes for each person to once again become emotionally available differs according to the time and effort each wastes ranting, raving, stalking, moping around and missing their ex.

2. Be honest with yourself and your relationship worthiness
We’ve all heard it before, “before anyone can love you, you must love yourself”. So before you even contact your ex, remember one very important thing: nothing you do will work without love for yourself. It starts with loving yourself, being honest to yourself and having enough confidence in yourself. When you are honest with yourself, you’re able to be honest with others. When you are confident and self-assured, you’re able to be assertive with people without being needy, pushy or aggressive.

3. Take responsibility for your part in the break-up and learn from your mistakes
Whether you admit it or not you contributed to the problems in the relationship in some small or large way, so own up and accept your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. When you blame your ex, other people, God or the universe itself, you distance yourself from any possible lesson and acceleration of progress. But if you courageously stand up and honestly say “This is my mistake and I am responsible” even if only privately to yourself, you begin to see a way forward instead of being stuck in the past. And just as you learn when to not fall into the same hole when you’re walking around the block, you have more chance of success when you can avoid the same mistakes next time round the block.

4. Do NOT hurry or try to force anything
Be realistic about your situation and what can be achieved in a given time. Trying to put everything on fast forward is a huge mistake that actually slows down the process — and even permanently halts it. Just because you want your ex back so bad, does NOT mean they feel the same about you at that point in time. As a general rule of thumb, if they haven’t responded to your attempts at making contact after three to four tries and you know they have access to phones, email and the internet, let it go and stop trying. They might well surprise you –better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed and devastated because you acted out of neediness and desperation.

5. Don’t try to create the same relationship again, instead create one that is better than the old one
You can not start a new relationship with your ex from where the old one ended. The end of a relationship is literary the death of it. The attraction and feelings you have for each other may still be the same but the relationship you had ended. And precisely because of that painful experience you are no longer the same people. The very experience of breaking-up changes who you are, who you think the other is and how you see reality. Because you are no longer the same people, look at this experience as two new people, starting a new relationship together. You’ll find it much easier and you are more likely to get a more positive outcome if you give up the idea of trying to fix an old relationship and instead try to create a new and better one.

6. Use each and every contact as an opportunity to make an emotional connection
Really take the time to focus your attention fully on your ex as a unique individual, even if it’s just for a brief period of time. Just being fully present and attentively listening to him or her and what is really going on in his or her life– feelings, needs, secrets, hopes, fears, embarrassments, expectations — and then asking the impact of events such as how they felt when a certain thing happened provides the safety and reassurance needed to create emotional intimacy. By doing this, the other person feels seen, heard, validated and cared for.

7. Focus on the positive instead of focusing on the negative
It’s impossible to make a positive impression and meaningful influence when you’re recalling negative emotions and constantly bringing up bad memories.  And it’s self-defeating (and stupid) to be trying to get your ex back while at the same time you are blaming, criticizing, lecturing and even arguing with him or her.  Nobody likes to have to defend themselves or be forced into a corner.  That’s just too much stress.  If you are distressed by your ex’s  actions/words then you need to change the way in which you react to them otherwise you are setting yourself up for intense mood swings and even depressive episodes — let alone another break up.

8. Do not assume anything, always seek to understand and be understood
Always ask your ex for clarification if you are not too sure about what he or she is saying; and be open to several solutions. Look outside the box and see if the two of you can agree on the important stuff and let the small stuff take care of themselves. On some issues, you will have to give in. On other issues, you will have to ask him or her to do something that will bring a calmer perspective to the situation as well as new ideas. If you want him or her to do something and he or she is resisting, ask him or her to try it for a limited time, such as a week, and then evaluate the situation. This makes him or her feel that he or she is not locked into a decision and that you have his or her best interest at heart.

I am not going to lie to you, this is not going to be easy.  There will be a lot of work to do and you’ll meet with some resistance from time to time.  Just remember there are so many men and women out there who have done it!!

2. Isn’t urine just a waste product?
Not entirely. Urine, which consists almost entirely of water, is completely sterile when it leaves the body. Its chief waste product is urea, a substance formed from the breakdown of proteins. It also contains minute quantities of various chemicals, such as amino acids, vitamins, enzymes and minerals. However, depending what you eat 2-3 hours prior to urinating; your urine can contain certain amino acids and other toxins.

3. Are there any health benefits?
Well, auto-urine therapy, as its known, is said to boost the immune system, cure migraines and other chronic conditions, stave off a cold and work wonders on eyesight problems. It’s claimed that it can work wonders on skin conditions, such as eczema or psoriasis. You can apply it directly for athlete’s foot, bee stings and jellyfish stings. And you can gargle it for toothache and gum disease. However, drinking wee is particularly recommended for its anti-ageing properties.

4. How does that work?
One simply drinks the mid-stream part of the first pee of the morning to retain one’s youthful looks.

5. Would your GP recommend it?
As you might expect, the orthodox medical profession is extremely skeptical. However, drinking one’s own urine has been relatively common in India for centuries, and the Greeks and Romans favored it for all sorts of ailments.

6. Is there any evidence that it works?
There was some research in the early 1990s at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, which showed that urine is a cure for jet lag because it contains the hormone melatonin. Drunk first thing in the morning, it can, claim the researchers, calm and refresh the system, creating for patients the illusion that they have just had a good night’s sleep. Many researches are investing large sums of money and resources into studying Urophagia – (the consumption of ones own urine)

7. Isn’t it an acquired taste?
Devotees claim that it doesn’t taste as bad as you might imagine. Early morning urine tastes somewhat salty and bitter, but as the day goes on, it becomes almost tasteless. You can mix it with fruit juice until you get used to the flavor.

8. Does anyone admit to drinking it”
The actress Sarah Miles is famous for it, as was the author J.D. Salinger. Most people keep this a private matter.

*partly featured on answerbank.co.uk

A car’s name is part of how automakers make their cars worth coveting. Get it just right, and the car’s image can be projected in a single word. Get it wrong, and the car can become the butt of jokes and a sales nightmare.

Know Your Numbers and Letters
Because so much is riding on a car’s name, a lot of carmakers play it safe. That means designating a car not by a rugged locale, powerful animal or made-up word (Acura Integra, anyone?) but by a few letters and numbers that have less of a risk of offending consumers. According to Forbes, with number/letter names part of the goal is for owners and buyers to “think and talk of the brand, and not the nameplate.” That works well for automakers with focused lineups.

Of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t trends in the letter names. Odds are, if there’s an X in the name, you’re looking at a crossover or SUV (Lincoln MKX, Volvo XC90, Infiniti EX, BMW X3), though there are a few exceptions — like the Jaguar XF and Acura TSX.

Tacking a few numbers onto a car’s name not only helps it sound cool, it can tell savvy shoppers exactly what the car is packing. The Infiniti QX56 gets the “56″ from its 5.6-liter engine and the Infiniti G37 has a 3.7-liter engine. However, the pattern doesn’t always hold. While the BMW 3-Series has 3.0-liter engines across the line, so does the BMW 1-Series. And while we’d love to see what a giant engine could do in the BMW 7-Series, that model only has a 4.4-liter V8, not 7.0 liters.

Of course, automakers don’t have to stick with numbers and letters to let you know what’s under the hood. The Porsche Boxster, for example, gets its name from its flat-six “boxer” engine. The now-discontinued Volkswagen Cabrio got its name because it was a cabriolet.

Lost In Translation
While some carmakers use numbers and letters to keep the focus on their brands, others choose to add a little foreign flair to their models. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

The Porsche Carrera means “race” in Spanish — a fitting and flashy name for a hot-performing luxury car. The Hyundai Tiburon got its name from the Spanish word for “shark,” giving the entry-level sports coupe a dash of mystique and animal magnetism. Prius is Latin for “to go before,” perfect for a car that Toyota hoped would change the automotive landscape.

Of course, the problem with using foreign words and phrases is that they may not work in all markets. For example, the Buick LaCrosse may give Americans an image of European refinement, but LaCrosse is slang among French Canadian teenagers for a certain private act. Ever hear of the Mitsubishi Pajero? Probably not. In the U.S. and Latin America, it’s known as the Montero — because Pajero is Spanish slang for a man who engages in that private act that French Canadian teenagers call “LaCrosse.”

Animal Magnetism
Animals have almost always been the go-to area for carmakers hunting for names. It’s usually pretty obvious what image the maker is going for: something powerful and unique. No one wants to drive a Honda Tadpole.

So automakers have headed out into the wilds and come back with the Mercury Cougar, Ford Mustang, Chevy Impala and Dodge Ram. The Ram takes its theme even further; while a Ram is simply an uncastrated male sheep, Dodge offers its Ram truck in a Bighorn edition, which is a larger mountain sheep species. The often-maligned Ford Pinto had its name spun off of the Ford Mustang (a Pinto is a horse with large patches of white and another color), which launched the entire breed of pony cars.

Animal names don’t always work, especially when they come from an animal that isn’t as tough as car buyers might like. While the Volkswagen Rabbit projected an image of speed and nimble handling, VW ultimately switched the car’s name to the Golf. Of course the Rabbit is just one of VW’s animal-themed car names. VW has used the Beetle nameplate for decades, and one of their more recent models, the Tiguan, got its name by combining the words tiger and iguana.

Keep it Retro
Of course, when it comes to naming a new model, some automakers simply reach back and grab names that have worked for them in the past. The hope is that the old name will associate the new model with happy or familiar memories.

While some nameplates, like the Mustang and Suburban, have been going strong for decades, others simply try to pick up where the original car left off. So, when Dodge reintroduced the Charger in 2005, it was trying to infuse the four-door sedan with the muscle-car heritage of the original coupe, which was discontinued in 1978 (from 1983 to 1987 the Charger nameplate was used on a subcompact car — something Dodge may have been hoping consumers forgot about). Dodge used the same tactic with the Challenger, and Chevy used it with the Camaro. More recently, Ford took changed the name of its large sedan, the Ford Five Hundred, to the Ford Taurus — even though the Taurus was originally a midsize sedan.

Stay Focused
So, carmakers have tried-and-true naming conventions, but how do they finally christen a car? They let consumers decide. Before a name hits the market, automakers go through rounds of testing where focus groups react to possible names. Some carmakers are even more democratic. For the Tiguan, VW let readers of Germany’s Auto Bild magazine vote on the name — and 350,000 did, selecting Tiguan over names like Nanuk and Rockton.

For most cars, the naming process can be pretty boring. According to Beverly Braga, a Product Public Relations Manager with Kia, the process for choosing the name for the Kia Borrego was pretty straightforward. “Although there is a loose connection to the Anza Borrego Desert in Southern California,” Braga says, choosing the name came down to two factors: “What vehicle names were not already trademarked?” and “What names were received well in focus groups?”

Trademarks and focus groups: they don’t provide a whole lot of driving excitement, but they’ve probably kept lots of horrible car names from ever hitting the road.

*as featured on auto.yahoo.com

 1. Get Healthy
The first thing to do is get healthy. That has to do with watching what you eat. Stay away from too much fatty foods and drink lots of water to flush your system every day. Try to stay away from junk food. Eat fruits and vegetables; they are very good for your health and contain loads of water and natural sugar. Also try to work out for at least 20 mins everyday. This increases blood flow to vital organs and puts you in direct control over your health instead of the other way around. You will gradually feel healthier and stronger.

2. The ‘Start-Stop’ technique.
Masturbate with a woman’s orgasm in mind, not your own. In other words, take your time: Work up to 45 minutes. Bring yourself close to the point of no return, but don’t let yourself ejaculate. Once you’re no longer on the brink of orgasm, start to stimulate your penis again. Do this several times before allowing yourself to ejaculate. This can be done with or without a partner – a technique known as the stop-start technique.

 3. The ‘Squeeze’ Technique
Another exercise is called the Squeeze technique. It is much like the stop-start technique, but rather than no touching once fully aroused, it involves squeezing the head of your penis to delay orgasm. Again, this is done at the height of arousal. Right before you climax, gently squeeze the head of your penis. Hold this until your level of excitement is lowered. Continue to stimulate and squeeze several times before you orgasm. Learning to judge your climax and practicing delaying orgasms make it much easier to last longer with a partner.

4. Slow Down Your Breathing
One of the keys to lasting longer in bed is to control your breathing. Breathing and ejaculation are linked. When you are having sex with your partner your breathing starts off slow, as you and your partner get more aroused you’ll notice that your breathing starts to speed up, the more aroused you get the the more your breathing speeds up until you reach a climax and ejaculate. What you need to do is watch your breathing. As you get aroused and your breathing rate increases force yourself to slow your breathing down. Take slower and deeper breaths. Its easy to forget to check your breathing rate, but you’ll get used to doing it eventually. A secret with this is to touch the upper part of your mouth with the tip of your tongue and hold this stance for about 10 seconds.

5. Derail Your Mind
The area of the brain responsible for triggering orgasm is engaged whether you’re trying to have one or halt one. The more attention you give it, the more likely it is to arrive.  Mentally go through all the laundry you have to do, the bills that need to be paid or the hectic work schedule you’ve got. Think of situations that made you sad or situations that are not pleasurable. Don’t focus on your partner’s perfect body or the rush of good feelings pulsing through your body. Distract your mind for a moment, and then re-engage it in the game.

6. Let Her Climb On
When she’s on top, your penis is less stimulated. And we should thank Mother Nature for this. When a man lies on his back, gravity works against an erect penis. This causes blood to slowly move towards the body as oppose to directly into the penis when in the missionary position for example.  Also, ask her to go slowly—long and fast thrusting is hazardous to a man’s endurance.

7. Wear a Condom
Apart from doing an amazing job at practicing ‘safe sex’;wearing a condom is an easy and cheap way to last longer in the sack. Condoms usually reduce sensitivity to your penis which helps in tacking on vital minutes during game time.

8. Clean the pipes
If you have been getting excited all night with your partner then the build up of anticipation is too much and will almost certainly result in premature ejaculation. Offset this by popping to the toilet and masturbating 10 minutes before you will be making your move for real. A man can usually last longer the second round as compared to the first.

9. Don’t Thrust
To excite her, you can press the end of your penis against the head of her clitoris. This excites her but has the advantage that as you aren’t thrusting, you are going to last longer. Let her use your penis to tap her genitals – many women like this as a part of foreplay. When you do penetrate her, let your penis rest in the entrance to her vagina rather than thrusting it in straight away. Her most sensitive parts are in the entrance to her vagina, and if you enjoy shallow thrusts rather than deep ones, you will not only last longer when you are making love in bed, but you will get greater pleasure yourself when you finally do orgasm – a longer build up to orgasm always feels better during sex.

10.  Communicate
One of the easiest ways to last longer is to communicate with your partner during sex. Every 2-3 minutes or so, take a break and switch to oral. Tell your partner that ‘she’s so hot that you want her to come before you do’ This is often seen as a compliment. You can also try less foreplay for yourself and more for your partner. Communicating definitely helps last longer and makes you more comfortable and relaxed during sex.

Dating can be fun, but oftentimes we have to weed out the freaks before we find the ones worth our time. Some guys have idiosyncrasies that are just too much to handle, but what are the real red flags that should send you running in the completely opposite direction? Here are some deal breakers that we think warrant an instant end to the relationship. These guys mean trouble:

1. The Cheater
This guy plans dates with multiple girls at a time even when you’ve been seeing each other for a couple of weeks at minimum. He claims he’s keeping his options open, but what that really means is that he has commitment issues and that he’s somewhat of a player. This guy definitely is not ready to be in a monogamous relationship, so get out before you get hurt. Keep your eyes peeled for his constant checking of text messages and any smirks that may cross his face while he responds.

2. The Liar
Like the cheater, this guy won’t be straight up with you. He’ll ignore certain topics you bring up and will try to immediately change the subject. If he can’t look you in the eyes when you ask him what he did that day, then there’s a problem. This should send you running in the opposite direction before he ends up lying about something much more serious than his daily routine. Obviously this guy has major skeletons in his closet, and you won’t want to stick around long enough to find out what they might be.  

3. The Guy that Needs Anger Management
This guy will seem perfect and charming at first, but the more time you spend with him, the more you’ll notice all the little things that make him tick… He’ll talk to you about how upset he got over something a normal person would shrug off without a second thought. Once he gets comfortable with you, beware. The snapping will most likely get directed at you. Warning: this guy will probably need to punch something (like a wall) to relieve his anger. So get out, because he’s bound to turn into an angry, manipulative, control freak in time. 

4. Inappropriate Commentary
This guy’s mom never taught him how to properly respect a woman. He probably views you as an object and worships music artists who make a living out of lyrics that oftentimes degrade women. He’s the guy that will talk about your rear end beyond the point of sexiness, or he’ll comment about other women’s assets in front of you. Not okay. Don’t get caught up with this type of guy — he’ll only make you feel bad about yourself in the end, and that’s a definite deal-breaker.

5. The Cheapskate
A cheapskate is cheap. He’ll take you to dive bars and pinch pennies even if he’s not on a budget. Eventually he’ll be asking you to foot the bill or join forces when the check comes. Offering to help out with costly dating expenses is only fair when you’re in a serious relationship, but if he requests that you foot the bill on the first date, then politely move on.

6. Poor Hygiene
Chronic bad breath, disgusting body odor, and poor sartorial choices all fall under the category of poor hygiene, which is just plain gross — and definitely a deal-breaker. Pass on these guys, unless you have a strange fetish for uber-grungy types. You may think you can persuade him to clean up his act, but we never recommend entering a relationship in which you’re already scheming to change your man’s ways.

7. The Tease
This guy is just full of empty promises. He’ll have a slew of great ideas that just don’t come to pass, leaving you high and dry. Don’t let him pull you into his negative ways with zero follow-through. It will only turn you into a pessimist, and who wants to be around one of those?

8. The Mama’s Boy
The definition of a mama’s boy is a guy with no shame who still lives at home. He’ll probably introduce you to his parents right off the bat and tell you that he’s still dependent because he’s saving up for his so-called “bright future.” In our poor economy, we’ll give younger twentysomething dudes a break in this case, but let’s face it — if this guy is almost 30, and still shacking up with mom and dad — DEAL-BREAKER.

9. The Guy with Weird Friends
This guy takes a while to introduce you to his friends, but once he does, you automatically know why: they’re freaks. This should make you wonder about his true character and whether or not you’d be willing to spend a large chunk of your time with these dudes. We think this is your exit cue.

10. The Napoleon Syndrome
This is the short man with the big mouth who feels the need to be outspoken in order to make up for his vertical challenge. He’ll most likely end up embarrassing himself (and you) when you’re out in public because of his need for attention. Plus, we’d never want to date a guy who has serious underlying issues with insecurity. Confidence is the ultimate form of sexiness.

*as featured on shine.yahoo.com