'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gJ2QuGwFCi8LbFtNCAfpYld5UjX5dXqjs-jEUDbSNFJ_wBshel1dSPdPDhvqo-V34N4Ed5LJ5DDMyq_48mzSsgIgCYWjRSWfxi3U1CzEYT9x67TiYo6ZgByEob85K2DJ6qy8LrKmCRE/s1600/call+of+duty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gJ2QuGwFCi8LbFtNCAfpYld5UjX5dXqjs-jEUDbSNFJ_wBshel1dSPdPDhvqo-V34N4Ed5LJ5DDMyq_48mzSsgIgCYWjRSWfxi3U1CzEYT9x67TiYo6ZgByEob85K2DJ6qy8LrKmCRE/s1600/call+of+duty.jpg" title="'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'" width="640" /></a></div> <br />Call of Duty: Black Ops III may be a sequel, but it breaks new ground for the billion-dollar video game franchise.<br /><br />Activision's first-person combat game always comes with a story campaign and an online multiplayer mode that's played by millions even years after the game's release.<br /><br />This latest release, Black Ops III (Nov. 6, for Microsoft Xbox One, Sony PlayStation 4 and PCs), brings a bit of multiplayer to the story mode, letting up to four people play together to explore the campaign. Players can connect online, or two can play together on one TV in split-screen mode.<br />&lt;!--iframe--&gt;<br /><br />Players of different skill levels can play together cooperatively, so a player who has progressed further in the campaign can share weapons with a new player and take him to levels he can't access yet so they can play together. For instance, a player who has already played through level 5 of the game can invite a newcomer to join them at that point. "I can actually share my earnings and rewards with you so you can go in and fight with me at this later level," said Mark Lamia, head of the Activision-owned studio Treyarch that is developing the game.<br /><br />"We really just wanted to break down the barriers for people who are fortunate enough to find that time together and allow them to connect as easily as possible and enjoy the game," Lamia said.<br /><br />Since the first Call of Duty game in 2003, the franchise has surpassed $11 billion globally in sales. The first releases were based on World War II and the Vietnam War. But since then, the settings have moved to the modern day and near-future.<br /><img alt="'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/ece04f8ec012bf7954e4a3357bb40c157f474f4c/c=235-0-2742-1885&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/2015/04/26/USATODAY/USATODAY/635656429839507291-Black-Ops-3-Ramses-Station-Under-Siege.jpg" title="'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'" /><br /><br />A scene from the upcoming video game 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3." (Photo: Activision/Treyarch)<br /><br />Black Ops III follows the events of the year 2025 in the previous game, during which drone attacks occurred on the U.S. It's now 2065 and technology is embedded on the battlefield. In a nod to Edward Snowden, a massive data leak sets a new international conflict in motion.<br /><br />Directed energy air defense systems serve as umbrellas over cities to nullify air assaults so ground combat is brought to the fore. Elite Black Ops soldiers have embedded direct neural interfaces that let them communicate with combat robots and Net-connected weaponry. And other cybernetic bio-augmentations such as super-powered prosthetic limbs make soldiers more deadly.<br /><br />In the game, players can advance to gain the ability "to do things like take over drones and robotics on the battlefield," Lamia said. "It totally opens up the game."<br /><br />While the story campaign is scripted, many battle scenes can play out in untold ways depending on how players want to attack the scenario. "We wanted to create a game where players had more choice," he said. "And we wanted the players' investment in their character and the campaign to mean something more than it has meant in any other Call of Duty game."<br /><br />A new twist for the multiplayer mode of the game is that players can choose from nine specialists including a female Hawkeye-styled fighter with a bow that shoots explosives and as a military robot with an arm that's also a machine gun.<br /><img alt="'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2391d2e63b813febfeb35ca5476594afd50c3e17/c=516-0-3325-2112&r=x383&c=540x380/local/-/media/2015/04/26/USATODAY/USATODAY/635656429839507291-Black-Ops-3-Specialist-Ruin.jpg" title="'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'" /><br /><br />In the upcoming video game 'Call of Duty: Black Ops 3," players choose a specialist in the game's multiplayer mode. Shown here is Callsign: Ruin, an infantry specialist. (Photo: Activision/Treyarch)<br /><br />Characters will move through the environments more fluidly with the ability to string together parkour-like moves such as a leaping boost, running along a wall and sliding. New customization options include a Gunsmith feature that lets you design and paint your own weapons.<br /><br />Black Ops III will also include a Zombies game, in which players battle hordes of the undead, a Treyarch trademark. You can pre-order the game at callofduty.com and get access to the upcoming beta test.<br /><br />"Black Ops is back and better than ever ... featuring a mind-bending story along with the stickiest multiplayer maps and most fluid and intuitive movement system in the franchise, all topped off with a healthy dose of epic zombie mayhem," said Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg. "Nearly 100 million people have played Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops 2, making it the most-played series in Call of Duty history. And those fans are about to get the best Black Ops game we've made yet."<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday </span>

'Call Of Duty' Returns Of future With 'Black Ops III'

Call of Duty: Black Ops III may be a sequel, but it breaks new ground for the billion-dollar video game franchise. Activision's first-...

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Does Size Matter For Women?

<br /> <br /><img alt="Does Size Matter For Women?" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-article_inline_full/public/field_blog_entry_images/Iceberg.jpg?itok=F3CNRo1I" title="Does Size Matter For Women?" /> <br /><br />The evolutionary significance of penis size has been a topic for abundant speculation, often packaged with the myth that the human phallus is far bigger than in other primates. However, the human penis is actually a little shorter, though much wider, than in bonobos and common chimpanzees. Curiously — despite the unquestionable need to consider “goodness of fit” (with apologies to statisticians) — length and width of the vagina have barely been mentioned. <br /><br />Size of the human vagina <br /><br />In a rare discussion of female dimensions, in 2005 Jillian Lloyd and colleagues reported an average vagina length of just under four inches for fifty women, with extremes of two-and-a-half and five inches. Importantly, vagina length did not differ between women with previous births and those without. So the particularly challenging human birth process seemingly causes no lasting distension of the vagina. Yet David Veale and colleagues reported in a very recent survey covering some 15,000 men that the average length of a man’s erect penis is about five-and-a-quarter inches. This is somewhat less than previously reported, but even at that size the average erect penis is a third longer than the average vagina. So it is hardly surprising that women reportedly care more about excessive penis length than men’s preoccupation with bragging rights. <br /><br />Comparison with non-human primates <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><img alt="Does Size Matter For Women?" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-article_inline_full_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/Vagina%20Size%20Plot.jpg?itok=eAr5Ej1V" title="Does Size Matter For Women?" /> <br /> <br /><br />Vagina length plotted against body weight for humans and 27 other primate species. Linked points are for inflated and flat sexual swellings. <br />Source: Plot by Robert D. Martin of Data from Dixson (2012) <br /><br />As usual, comparisons with non-human primates place human data in perspective. Alan Dixson’s book Primate Sexuality is once again a prime source, listing vagina lengths for humans and 27 other primate species. The four-and-a-half inches cited for human vagina length (from Bancroft, 1989) is about 10% greater than reported by Jillian Lloyd and colleagues, but still notably less than the length of the average erect penis. Plotting against female body weight, using Dixson’s data, reveals that vagina length scales to body weight with simple proportionality. Despite some scatter, a clear trend is evident and average vagina length for women actually lies close to the best-fit line. So women do not have a particularly long vagina compared to other primates. Strikingly, however, at a little over five inches the vagina of female chimpanzees is distinctly longer than in women. Moreover, across the middle of the menstrual cycle the sex skin in the genital region of female chimpanzees is conspicuously swollen, extending the vagina’s effective length by almost two inches. <br /><br />Unfortunately, data on vagina width for primates are generally lacking, so it is unknown whether a woman’s vagina is relatively wider than in other primates. <br /><br />The human clitoris <br /><br />Anatomically, a woman’s direct counterpart (homologue) of a man’s penis is her clitoris. However, it differs distinctly because the penis has a dual role for urination and insemination. By contrast, a woman’s clitoris is connected solely with copulation and is not even involved in fertilization. The clitoris is a woman’s most sensitive erogenous zone and the main anatomical source of sexual pleasure. And it is isolated from the urinary tract, whose opening (urethra) is more than an inch away. Despite its exclusive link to copulation, the clitoris has been shamefully neglected by investigators. In their 2005 paper, Jillian Lloyd and colleagues baldly commented: “ ……… even some recent text books of anatomy do not include the clitoris on diagrams of the female pelvis.” These authors gave an average of three quarters of an inch for externally measurable clitoris length. But there is extensive variation over an eight-fold range from one fifth of an inch to one-and-a-half inches. Despite its small size, the so-called “love button” contains some eight thousand sensory nerve fibres, double the number in the dome of the penis and surpassing the density anywhere else in the body. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><img alt="Does Size Matter For Women?" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/image-article_inline_full_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/Clitoris%20Anatomy%20Labelled.jpg?itok=XlJZqp3-" title="Does Size Matter For Women?" /> <br /> <br /><br />Externally visible glans and the large internal parts of the clitoral complex in women. <br />Source: Relabelled illustration drawn by Amphis, from Jesielt / Wikimedia Commons. <br /><br />Two recent papers published in 1998 and 2005 by Helen O’Connell and colleagues greatly enhanced our understanding of clitoris anatomy. The first, based on dissection of ten cadavers, revealed that the externally visible clitoris (the glans) is just one small part of a “clitoral complex” that is far more extensive than previously realized. Indeed, a 2012 blog post by Robbie Gonzalez aptly likened the overall complex to a mostly invisible iceberg. The second paper by O’Connell and colleagues used magnetic resonance imaging to study the fine structure of the clitoral system. On each side, the hidden part of the complex consists of a bulb and sponge-like body (corpus cavernosum) extending into a tapering arm (crus). The body and arm together are about 4 inches long, considerably longer than the external glans. The hidden clitoral complex is erectile, whereas this may not be technically true of the glans, although it does become engorged during sexual arousal. The bulbs and bodies together flank the vaginal opening and bulge when erect, compressing it. <br /><br />In 2010 Odile Buisson used ultrasound scans to investigate the rôle of the clitoris while two volunteer doctors engaged in intercourse. The images revealed that inflation of the vagina by the penis stretched the root of the clitoris, such that it had a very close relationship with the front wall of the vagina, known as the G-spot. The authors concluded from their study: “The clitoris and vagina must be seen as an anatomical and functional unit being activated by vaginal penetration during intercourse.” <br /><br />A functionless vestige? <br /><br />In the words of Stephen Jay Gould (1993) “As women have known since the dawn of our time, the primary site for stimulation to orgasm centers upon the clitoris.” And the female orgasm has generally been the main context for discussions of the significance of the clitoris.Many proposed explanations boil down to the basic question of whether the clitoris and associated orgasms are adapted for some particular function or merely vestigial by-products. Along with Gould, Elisabeth Lloyd forcefully advocated the notion that a woman’s clitoris, like a man’s nipples, is simply a functionless carry-over from shared early developmental pathways. The main argument underpinning this interpretation is that both occurrence of female orgasms and external clitoris size are so variable that they are seemingly not filtered by natural selection. <br /><br />In a 2008 paper, Kim Wallen and Elisabeth Lloyd reported that variability in clitoris length is more than threefold greater than for vagina or penis length. However, in subsequent commentaries David Hosken and Vincent Lynch noted two flaws in their argument. First, Hosken emphasized that variation in clitoris size may not tell us anything about female orgasm. Second, size variability does not in fact differ significantly between the clitoris and the penis. In principle, the variability measure used by Wallen and Lloyd — the coefficient of variation — cancels out differences in average size. However, clitoris length is less than one sixth of penis length, so measurement error has a greater impact. To counteract this problem, Lynch compared variability in clitoris and penis volumes and found no significant difference. In any case, we should hardly expect to achieve meaningful results if we examine the tip of an iceberg instead of the entire thing!<br /><br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:psychologytoday</span>

Does Size Matter For Women?

The evolutionary significance of penis size has been a topic for abundant speculation, often packaged with the myth that the human phallus...

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Five Things NOT To Do To Babies

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2OsK1jTPBYF1d1kqvO2XClFOe_wB7pZgvjF5xpjaqst3al2cSDdp89cbCwVlky9DG4y-XlDRmcOZzSPIM5gZf95JebUgO6kBCCFHGQENu4NF0YrDPuOxU9LdIwoeVssP_Un7ROtJAuU/s1600/baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Five Things NOT To Do To Babies" border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2OsK1jTPBYF1d1kqvO2XClFOe_wB7pZgvjF5xpjaqst3al2cSDdp89cbCwVlky9DG4y-XlDRmcOZzSPIM5gZf95JebUgO6kBCCFHGQENu4NF0YrDPuOxU9LdIwoeVssP_Un7ROtJAuU/s1600/baby.jpg" title="Five Things NOT To Do To Babies" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />When I had a puppy, he hated to be ignored or left alone. At those times he would chew up the furniture. Babies hate these things too, but they can’t damage the furniture to let us know. Instead, their development gets undermined and we and society have to live with the anxious and depressed results. <br /><br />What should we NOT do to babies? <br /><br />1. Ignore them (don’t) <br /><br />Under natural birth conditions, newborns are ready to communicate with mother, father and others. Colwyn Trevarthen has videos (link is external) showing newborn communication with a parent. Of course, they cannot talk but they can grunt and move their arms (the left arm is typically self-referential and the right arm focused on the partner). Some mothers communicate with the baby in the womb through singing, reading, talking, or even thumping. In indigenous cultures, the mother is responsible for shaping the spirit of the child with communications like these to the baby before and after birth, even creating a unique song for that child (e.g., Turnbull, 1983). <br /><br />Grazyna Kochanska’s (2002) program of research shows that it is a “mutually-responsive orientation” that leads over time to the most positive outcomes, like conscience, prosocial behavior, and friendship skills. Mutually-responsive means the parent and child both influence each other, building a relationship cooperatively. Trevarthen (1979, 1999, 2001) suggests that this type of companionship care provides an optimal environment for emotional and intellectual development. The parent and child together develop their own ongoing creative stories and games that continue to change over time. <br /><br />Why is a companionship relationship particularly important for babies? The first three years of life is a time when tacit (non conscious) understanding of how the social world works is developed and it gets wired into how the brain works (Schore, 1994, 1996). With responsive care, the brain’s systems learn to work well and thereby keep the person healthy and socially engaged. What is learned during early life will be applied ever after to relationships (unless changed with therapy or other significant brain-changing experiences). <br /><br />Babies who are born early or experienced non-soothing perinatal experiences may need to be gently wooed by caregivers into a back-and-forth communicative relationship. This means caregivers have to be especially calming and sensitive to the baby’s signals—teasing her into relating, but only when she is ready. Skin-to-skin touch, singing and whispering comforting words may be helpful for the very withdrawn. <br /><br />2. Let them cry (don’t) <br /><br />Imagine being in pain and asking for help and being ignored. How does that make you feel about yourself (bad) and about your family (angry)? It’s so much worse for a baby because he is in the midst of rapidly growing brain systems that are learning their dance patterns for social living and for physiological functioning (health). We have to remember that a large part of child development occurs after birth when 75% of the brain is developed (mostly in the first few years) and epigenetic effects take place (gene functions established) based on the type of care received. <br /><br />For a baby, being left to cry is like torture. Why do I think so? Because technically, physiologically and maturationally babies should still be in the womb until 18 months of age. So if babies regularly get distressed, their bodies are being trained to be anxious and distrustful of themselves and of others. Most of what they learn from undercare is tacit knowledge that may not be noticeable until later when they are inflexible, self-centered and easily stressed out. Know anyone like that? <br /><br />When young babies cry they are not having tantrums or being little emperors. They have needs and communicate them the only way that they can. <br /><br />But if you wait for a cry before alleviating discomfort, you are waiting too long. <br /><br />From the beginning of the relationship with a baby it’s important to learn not to let him cry. This is ancient wisdom. Young babies have a hard time stopping crying so you don’t want let them start. They may get then into a habit of crying. Distress for too long can kill brain synapses (brain networks scheduled to develop at that time) which are growing at a phenomenal rate in the first years of life. <br /><br />To keep babies from crying, caregivers must pay attention to the nonverbal signals babies give (restlessness, frown, grimace, flailing arms) and nip discomfort in the bud. This is what wise grandmothers do. Whatever babies “practice” in the early months and years creates pathways in the brain that will be used again and again. So if you want a disagreeable, uncooperative, aggressive child (and adult), let him cry. Otherwise, keep babies happy. Distressing a baby regularly will build a disagreeable child that will distress the community later <br /><br />Young babies need to breastfeed frequently as human breastmilk is thin but filled with the body’s building blocks which are needed often for optimal development. Babies also need to move a lot which helps them grow. So if you know the baby just had a good feed, then keep him calm with patting, bouncing, rocking. They expect the caregiver to be emotionally present with skin-to-skin contact so talk, sing, be. <br /><br />In the first four months of life, babies are likely to be more fussy (but that doesn’t mean they must cry). This is also the time period that seems to set the level of responsiveness between baby and caregiver that lasts for years after (according to our and Ruth Feldman’s research; Feldman, Greenbaum & Yirmiya, 1999). Caregivers should be especially attentive to when a young baby starts to fuss by noticing facial expression and gestures and offer preventative comfort that relaxes them again. Preventing crying in the first place is the goal (and ancient wisdom). <br /><br />A mother visited my class with a baby a few months old. We passed the baby around until he began to grimace. Then the mother took him, stood up and held him in her arm, stomach down and rocked and bounced him back and forth. He looked very content and remained quiet for the rest of the period. <br /><br />Now, I should say that if a caregiver is feeling so frustrated that she is ready to throw the baby against the wall, in that case it is best to leave the room and let the baby cry. (See Period of Purple Cry (link is external) for guidelines; and see these cautions.) But of course, it is best not to let such a regular crying pattern get established in the first days and weeks of life. <br /><br />3. Leave them alone (don’t) <br /><br />Solitary confinement is one of the worst things you can do to a human being and eventually leads to psychosis. <br /><br />Babies are built to be physically connected to caregivers. They do not understand why they are alone. Babies internalize a sense of wrongness and badness that will color their lives. <br /><br />Imagine being suddenly left alone in a strange land where you cannot move or take care of yourself. It would be terrifying, even if you understood what was going on. Why do this to a child? <br /><br />Children are mammals who rely on the companionship of adults to care for their needs until they can do it themselves. Although people talk as if you can force babies to learn independence, this is a delusion and an imaginary outcome. If you isolate babies, the opposite happens--they become whiney and needy or quiet and torn up inside, in both cases preoccupied with themselves. They internalize fear and insecurity and carry this with them into their attitudes towards caregivers and the world. This is how to grow a narcissist. What else can be expected? Isolation teaches them to think only of themselves. One of the hallmarks of people who don’t help others when they are in a situation of need is personal distress (Batson, 2011). Personal distress makes empathy and compassionate action very unlikely. Making babies stress reactive from undercare is a good way to build an easily distressed personality, and create a society of self-concerned folks. <br /><br />4. Not hold them whenever possible (please hold them) <br /><br />Babies are meant to be held. This should start immediately. First impressions of you and the world are fundamental. Can they relax into being? Learning a deep relaxation and sense of peace is what they will carry forward into life. If they don’t have a regular experience of relaxing into loving arms, they may never learn to relax and let go. Such a letting go is vital for health (Kabat-Zinn, 1991). <br /><br />When babies are physically apart from caregivers (not “in arms”), pain responses are activated, influencing the presence of various hormones and neuropeptides right when systems are beting established (Ladd, Owens & Nemeroff, 1996; Panksepp, 2003; Sanchez et al., 2001). Separation dysregulates multiple systems over the long term. For example, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), a part of the stress response system becomes dysregulated and hyperactive (Caldji, Tannenbaum, Sharma, et al., 1998; Levine, 1994; Plotsky & Meaney, 1993). Even a 3-hour daily separation (in infant mice—and human babies are much more needy and social) caused enough early life stress to induce epigenetic effects that heightened stress reactivity and caused deficits in memory function in adulthood (Murgatroyd & Spengler, 2009). Moreover, limited touch in early life leads to an underdevelopment of serotonin receptors, endogenous opioids and oxytocin—the chemicals that are related to happiness (Kalin, 1993; Meinischmidt & Heim, 2007). <br /><br />So don’t take untouched babies lightly. <br /><br />Babies should feel welcome in adult arms apart from the times they themselves feel the urge to explore (though a fearful toddler may sometimes need encouragement to explore). When babies want to explore, it should be allowed as much as possible. <br /><br />Here is an interesting anecdote. When an American was visiting an African village, she saw a young child reaching for the fire and automatically slapped his hand away. An African elder scolded her for doing so, saying, ‘if you do that you will have to watch him carefully for the rest of his life.’ That is, children need to learn about their own world without being overguarded or they will never learn to behave safely on their own. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Numbers 1-4 are punishing. I would actually call them baby torture. Babies are not meant to be without adult caring companionship at any time (and feel pain) and don’t grow as well without it. But there is one more specifically about intentional punishment of babies. <br /><br />5. Punish them (don’t) <br /><br />Some parents spank or hit their babies (almost 1/3 of 12 month olds in the USA are spanked, according to recent research (link is external)! This is very bad news. Corporal punishment might be an immediate release of frustration for the caregiver but, like most aggressive acts, it has long term negative effects. <br /><br />Recall that babies are learning what life is about from the way they are treated and what they practice. Punishment has several obvious damaging effects: <br /><br />(a) The baby will have less trust in a caregiver’s <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/relationships">love</a> and care, as the caregiver is not safe to relax around; <br /><br />(b) The baby will have less trust in himself--caregivers have taught him that his urges are unimportant and even bad to have --talk about how to undermine self development!; <br /><br />(c) If caregivers punish babies for wanting to explore, they may undermine motivation for learning (affecting school achievement later); <br /><br />(d) The baby will learn that it’s best to suppress her interests around the caregiver, influencing communication with the caregiver; <br /><br />(e) A recent study of audio recordings of families show not only that parents are very impatient but that misbehavior increases after spanking (link is external). <br /><br />(f) Physiologically, punishment will activate the stress response, which is not advisable in early life when thresholds and parameters for functioning are being set. Such stress can permanently hyperactivate systems related to stress, undermining wellbeing and intellectual growth and making social relations more difficult. <br /><br />If you want to optimize a baby’s brain, health and wellbeing for the longterm don’t do these five things. <br /><br />Warm, responsive parenting is one of the best predictors of positive child outcomes (e.g., getting along with others, doing well in school). Responsive caregiving means attending to the individuality of the child in the particular situation. So caregivers have to be emotionally present, not distracted by their own worries, phones or work. <br /><br />“But I’m a tired, frustrated parent” <br /><br />Clearly babies take a lot of care to get them off to a good start. That’s why the adage “it takes a village to raise a child” is often mentioned. Yes, it takes more than one person (usually mom) or even two people (usually mom and dad) to meet one baby’s needs. So if you are a frustrated, tired parent, get help with caregiving. Here are just a few examples from experience but parents, please add suggestions: <br /><br />(a) Arrange gatherings with other families, exchange babysitting, share meal making and clean up. <br /><br />(b) Lower expectations for your personal goals. I remember hearing a mother say after several months of struggle that she learned to surrender to the needs of the baby. Taking care of baby’s needs is an investment you won’t regret. <br /><br />(c) If you can, have one parent or adult family member not work outside the home so she or he can focus on childcare (which should decrease stress). Apparently, stay-at-home mothering has been increasing (link is external). This is a good idea as long as parents don’t isolate themselves with their children. <br /><br />(d) Parenting is not meant to be a soloist affair. Parents should structure their lives around support systems. And everyone should all give parents help whenever possible. <br /><br />Babies follow built-in needs (see Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Babies). Deny them at the peril of making a less healthy, happy and agreeable child, and more problems for society.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:psychologytoday</span>

Five Things NOT To Do To Babies

When I had a puppy, he hated to be ignored or left alone. At those times he would chew up the furniture. Babies hate these things too, but...

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The Science Of Betrayal

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc27VwXTpzmvJRHp-x-NiQMFezN4a290TibToSVXVX8EJNrOoXxDeRXzGwZ4eLY4jUtvh3FjPjwM5cKCJz7PfR0NMcWPgjJ9BNR9ky6ZjW3FgV1UAX5RwZeVcdlzgfJfDUADLTzegteBg/s1600/betrayal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Science Of Betrayal" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc27VwXTpzmvJRHp-x-NiQMFezN4a290TibToSVXVX8EJNrOoXxDeRXzGwZ4eLY4jUtvh3FjPjwM5cKCJz7PfR0NMcWPgjJ9BNR9ky6ZjW3FgV1UAX5RwZeVcdlzgfJfDUADLTzegteBg/s1600/betrayal.jpg" title="The Science Of Betrayal" width="596" /></a></div> <br /><br />Everyone is faced by betrayal at some point in life. Perhaps it’s a romantic partner who cheats or a friend who takes advantage of you. No matter how much this person apologizes, you can’t manage to tap into your inner reservoir of forgiveness. To ease your pain, you seek retribution if not revenge. <br /><br />It’s the violation of trust that’s at the root of betrayal. It makes sense, then, to try to identify where that feeling of trust comes from. According to Shuxia Yao and colleagues (2014), of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, trust involves oxytocin (link is external), a hormone manufactured by the brain’s hypothalamus that is involved in mother-infant bonding. However, oxytocin also acts more generally in social bonding and some believe it is a key component in the psychological experience of trust. <br /><br />Although we tend to think of trust as essential mainly to romantic relationships, Yao and her research team maintain, on the basis of previous research, that oxytocin is also involved in business or economic transactions. When you’re making a deal with someone, you want to know that the person you’re shaking hands with will come through on his or her end of the bargain. If not, there would be no point in making a deal. In business, as in romance, you also want to be sure that your partner will treat you fairly. We tend to presume that people will look out for their own best interests, but also that they, in turn, will respect yours. <br /><br />With this in mind, Yao et al. sought to determine if they could experimentally manipulate restoration of trust in people led to believe that they’d been the victims of a betrayal. Participants played an investment game in which they were told that if they gave money to their partners, all would stand to benefit. The partners weren’t visible to participants and, in fact, didn’t actually exist. The money was in a currency invented by the experimenters but to the participants, it felt real. <br /><br />The betrayal came about when only after giving away their money, did participants (the “trustors”) learn that their partners (the “trustees”) would give them nothing back in return instead of the tripled investment they believed they would receive. However, not all of the virtual partners betrayed the trustor; the experimental manipulation involved some partners committing the betrayal and some partners acting fairly. <br /><br />This was Part 1 of the study. Following the investment game, Yao and her team administered via a nosespray a dose of oxytocin (to one group of participants) or a dose of placebo (to the second group). Part 2 took place 45 minutes later when the experiment resumed. The researchers told participants that the trustees were asked to think over their behavior in Part 1 and change their actions if they so desired. Again, this was all experimentally manipulated as there were no actual trustees. In the trust restoration condition, the trustee gave the money back to the participant. In the apology condition, the trustee took responsibility for the unfair behavior and expressed remorse. In the fair and “nothing” conditions, the trustee said nothing. <br /><br />Now Round 2 of the investment game got underway. Participants once again could decide how much to invest in their partner. If trust was re-established, they should go ahead and invest away but if they’re still fuming over their unfair treatment, they’ll hold on to their experimental money. In fact, the trustors did tend to hand over the cash if the trustee apologized or gave back the initial investment, especially in the repayment condition. As Yao and team point out, if you want to right a financial wrong, the best way to do so is to give back the money you unfairly took. Apologies are nice, but they don’t pay the bills. <br /><br />What about the role of the brain’s trust chemical? If oxytocin is involved in trust, the trustors who took a whiff of the substance should show a stronger effect of trust restoration than those who sniffed placebo. Here’s where the study took a surprising turn. Among women (and not men), those in the oxytocin condition became less- not more- trusting after a betrayal. In fact, they were particularly less trusting in the trust restoration condition. They were, in other words, seeking revenge. Oxytocin did not have the same effect with the males in the study. And among women, the effect of betrayal was even stronger for those high in the general tendency to forgive others. As the authors conclude, “Thus in some contexts oxytocin may make normally forgiving women significantly less tolerant of broken trust” (p. 1791). <br /><br />These surprising findings suggest that oxytocin, though generally a trust enhancing chemical, makes women who are exposed to it, particularly those ordinarily disposed to forgiveness, more likely to seek revenge after betrayal. The reason that the effect was stronger for females than males could be, as the authors suggest, due to higher oxytocin levels in general in women. It’s possible that to reach similar levels of oxytocin to stimulate the trust betrayal reaction, men need higher doses. <br /><br />In summary, this fascinating study suggests that if you’re the victim of a betrayal, your brain and your personality may interact to make you want to seek revenge. It’s better not to betray someone at all. However, as the Yao and colleagues study suggests, if you’re the betrayer, the road to restored harmony may present some unexpected hazards.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:psychologytoday </span>

The Science Of Betrayal

Everyone is faced by betrayal at some point in life. Perhaps it’s a romantic partner who cheats or a friend who takes advantage of you. No...

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Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde Kills NSA-Proof Messenger App

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW09COEpZ7AJu4SpvHmC6MNe58rsf9_C-6ZP0LOrA0FdLs11a0aUkhdg-QfT-I4pgLZlHDik4RrDgn0fL63g2zTejSHdvWqq3e3FMo0uuTarm_q_ZJs__J67jfJXPV3mUZEZDOIhnht8/s1600/peter+sunde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde Kills NSA-Proof Messenger App " border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrW09COEpZ7AJu4SpvHmC6MNe58rsf9_C-6ZP0LOrA0FdLs11a0aUkhdg-QfT-I4pgLZlHDik4RrDgn0fL63g2zTejSHdvWqq3e3FMo0uuTarm_q_ZJs__J67jfJXPV3mUZEZDOIhnht8/s1600/peter+sunde.jpg" title=" Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde Kills NSA-Proof Messenger App " width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> After promising so much the highly anticipated encrypted chat project Hemlis has come to an end. The software was left with too many obstacles to overcome, not least the absence of former Pirate Bay spokesman Peter Sunde who was arrested and taken away to serve his jail sentence for copyright infringement last summer. <br /> <br /> <br /> <img alt=" Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde Kills NSA-Proof Messenger App" height="288" src="http://torrentfreak.com/images/hemlis-logo.jpg" title=" Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde Kills NSA-Proof Messenger App" width="400" /><br /> During the summer of 2013 the Internet was abuzz with the revelations of Edward Snowden. The PRISM scandal exploded and suddenly everyone had confirmation that everything they do online can be stored and monitored on a staggering scale. <br /> <br /> As a direct result of this massive privacy breach, people around the world became motivated to fight back against what has developed into one of the biggest technology scandals of recent times. <br /> <br /> One of those groups consisted of former Pirate Bay spokesman Peter Sunde, who together with friends and Flattr allies Linus Olsson and Leif Högberg began <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-announces-encrypted-nsa-proof-communication-apps-130710/">working on Hemlis</a>, a messaging app for both iOS and Android. The aim of the game was for Hemlis (‘secret’ in Swedish) to provide absolute secrecy, with only the sender and recipient able to read messages – not middle men like prying governments. <br /> <br /> “People act differently if they think someone is listening in to their conversation. That’s what Stasi taught us for instance. It’s one of many reasons why privacy is so vital,” Sunde told TF at the time. <br /> <br /> But with hundreds of news articles behind them and the two-year anniversary of the project’s birth just around the corner, the Hemlis team have now delivered the ultimate in bad news. <br /> <br /> “Lately we have been awfully quiet. The reasons are many, sad and non important right now. They have though made this project drag along and that made us understand a thing we feared for quite a while but neglected to accept. New messengers fail miserably,” the team said in a statement. <br /> <br /> “Each new attempt has made us understand that our goal of creating a mass market messenger just based on the fact that it is private, secure and beautiful, is not nearly enough. As the only reason we are doing this is to give you viable huge scale alternative to the existing systems there is really only one thing to do at this stage. Accept our current roadmap and goals as defunct.” <br /> <br /> While there were many reasons for the project to succeed, the challenges faced by the Hemlis team proved insurmountable. <br /> <br /> At least initially, financing wasn’t a problem, with around $150,000 raised via a short crowd-funding campaign. Then disaster struck when around $30,000 disappeared after a bitcoin wallet was stolen from Hemlis’ bitcoin supplier. Keeping up with the budgets of the competition also took its toll. <br /> <br /> “We decided to hire some people to help us out with the things we are not experts in. The process was slow and hit with lots of realizations that certain things would not work. The ideas were too complex and sometimes just too expensive,” Peter Sunde explains. <br /> <br /> “We had a lot of money, but far away [from] the same amount (we’re talking millions or billions) that our competitors had access to… They’ve had more progress and financial support so they could speed up their process to the level that they’re now really good. Better than our messaging app could become right now. Ok, they’re missing on features but they have the ability and cash to resolve those issues. And our goal was always to ensure that the everyday users would be protected.” <br /> <br /> But financial and technical issues aside, personal issues also played a big part in the project’s demise. <br /> <br /> “In the middle of it all one of our team members got a kid and had to focus on that of course. I personally had other issues as I <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/pirate-bay-founder-peter-sunde-arrested-sweden-140531/">got kidnapped</a> by the Swedish government and locked up for my work with another project – The Pirate Bay. In the middle of the kidnapping, my <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/humanity-peter-sunde-attends-funeral-without-handcuffs-140920/">father died</a>,” Sunde <a href="http://blog.brokep.com/2015/04/22/update-on-heml-is/">explains</a>. <br /> <br /> “I had no way of working on anything, and I’ve had a hard time with how I personally need to handle things. This project – as well as the other projects I’m involved in – were hit massively by my absence. And they still are, since I have not been able to get 100% on my feet yet. I’m getting there but just as with other things, it takes a lot of time.” <br /> <br /> A few weeks ago Sunde said the team took a step back to assess its position. While decent apps for both iOS and Android exist semi-completed, Hemlis is far from a market-ready product. More time and money would be need to be pumped in for it to succeed. <br /> <br /> “We decided that we could go two ways. We could ask for more money (a lot), either from the community or some investors. Or we could close down. Since we already got money from the community with way too little to show back from the expectations that felt wrong,” Sunde explains. <br /> <br /> “And we don’t think that it would be a good idea to ask investors for money since we’d lose control over the project. So in the end, closing it down felt like the least bad thing to do.” <br /> <br /> While many supporters of the project are supportive of the brave decision to close Hemlis down, others have been more critical. Some, having pumped money into the project and received nothing, are downright angry. Nevertheless, one of the big takeaways is that in some shape or form, Heml.is will be handed back to its backers. <br /> <br /> “We’ll release the usable parts of the code as free software with the most free license we can. It belongs to the community (and the community paid for it),” Sunde says, adding that there may be other ways to achieve similar aims. <br /> <br /> “I’m personally trying to influence people and politicians to make sure we don’t need systems like Heml.is. We should be protected by the governments instead of trying to protect ourselves from them. It’s a multi-angle attack needed, technology, political work and transparency,” Sunde concludes.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:torrentfreak </span>

Pirate Bay’s Peter Sunde Kills NSA-Proof Messenger App

After promising so much the highly anticipated encrypted chat project Hemlis has come to an end. The software was left with too many obs...

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KickassTorrents Domain Seized Within 24 Hours, Next Stop .CR

<br /><br />Less than 24 hours after the site moved over, the Isle of Man Registry has revoked the new domain name of KickassTorrents. Continuing the domain shuffle the popular torrent site will now move to the Costa Rica based domain name, Kat.cr. <br /> <br /><br /><img alt=" KickassTorrents Domain Seized Within 24 Hours, Next Stop .CR" height="400" src="http://torrentfreak.com/images/kickasstorrents_500x5001-300x300.png" title=" KickassTorrents Domain Seized Within 24 Hours, Next Stop .CR" width="400" /><br /> Since KickassTorrents (KAT) became the most visited torrent site on the Internet, various anti-piracy groups have been keeping a close eye on the site’s movements. <br /><br />So when the KAT team announced a <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/kickasstorrents-moves-to-isle-of-man-domain-name-150423/">move to the new KickassTorrents.im domain</a> yesterday, it’s likely that several copyright holders sprang into action. <br /><br />The new domain belongs to the Isle of Man authorities and wasn’t an ideal choice for the torrent site since the local registry employs a “zero tolerance” policy towards copyright infringement. <br /><br />Just a few hours after the switch the domain was taken down, forcing the KAT team to prepare a new move, this time to the Costa Rican .cr TLD. <br /><br />“We have been seized by the Isle of Man domain registry. The new domain will be Kat.cr,” KAT admin Mr. Pink informs TF, adding that the new <a href="http://kat.cr/">kat.cr</a> domain is expected to go live soon. <br /><br />It’s unclear if any copyright holder group or groups filed an official dispute, but the IM Registry confirms that the site violates its terms. <br /><br />“The domain was in breach of the .im rules and has accordingly been revoked. I cannot correspond any further in relation to this domain name,” an IM registry spokesperson tells TF. <br /><br />The KAT team wasn’t completely unprepared and has several domain names in reserve just in case. And so the Whac-a-Mole continues for now, until the site docks in a safe haven. <br /><br />While the Isle of Man registry was quick to take action, others including the Icelandic .IS and the Swedish .SE registry will not revoke any domain names without a court order. <br /><br />TF reached out to the .CR registry to find out what their policies are regarding domain name revocations, but at the time of publication we were yet to receive a response (update: response added below). <br /><br />Update: Kat.cr is now up and running. <br /><br />Update: The .CR registry informs us that they do not screen the content of websites proactively. “NIC Costa Rica, like most of the registries does not regulate the content of the pages under .cr,” a spokesperson informed us. <br /><br />The registry does reserve the right to revoke domain names <a href="https://www.nic.cr/en/policies/6?language=en">under certain conditions</a>, when it receives a local or international court order for example.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:torrentfreak</span>

KickassTorrents Domain Seized Within 24 Hours, Next Stop .CR

Less than 24 hours after the site moved over, the Isle of Man Registry has revoked the new domain name of KickassTorrents. Continuing the d...

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Pirate Bay Blockade Censors CloudFlare Customers

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJNmtwouHZsQ9lOETIPCEJNekx7euSpKjsxAM9Ml-AzmzcpALzp6Rdn_klRSclko0EIfKGdLWJB8C3yBOovSd9YEC6OZURFiIpBQPEGyBCDBnOmGFC16JfeZRIOXIPQnzcKVDNZT_-r8/s1600/pirate-bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Pirate Bay Blockade Censors CloudFlare Customers" border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJNmtwouHZsQ9lOETIPCEJNekx7euSpKjsxAM9Ml-AzmzcpALzp6Rdn_klRSclko0EIfKGdLWJB8C3yBOovSd9YEC6OZURFiIpBQPEGyBCDBnOmGFC16JfeZRIOXIPQnzcKVDNZT_-r8/s1600/pirate-bay.jpg" title=" Pirate Bay Blockade Censors CloudFlare Customers" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />The blockade of the Pirate Bay by UK ISPs is causing trouble for CloudFlare customers. Several websites have been inadvertently blocked by Sky because a Pirate Bay proxy is hosted behind the same IP-addresses. In a response, CloudFlare threatened to disconnect the proxy site from its network. <br /> <br /><br /><img height="273" src="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cloudflare.png" width="400" /> <br /><br />Like any form of censorship web blockades can sometime lead to overblocking, targeting perfectly legitimate websites by mistake. <br /><br />This is also happening in the UK where Sky’s blocking technology is inadvertently blocking sites that have nothing to do with piracy. <br /><br />In addition to blocking domain names, Sky also blocks IP-addresses. This allows the site to <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/secure-pirate-bay-unblocked-by-most-uk-isps-150316/">stop https connections</a> to The Pirate Bay and its proxies, but when IP-addresses are shared with random other sites they’re blocked too. <br /><br />This is happening to various customers of the CDN service <a href="https://www.cloudflare.com/">CloudFlare</a>, which is used by many sites on the UK blocklist. Every now and then this causes legitimate sites to be blocked, such as CloudFlare customers who shared an IP-address with Pirate Bay proxy ilikerainbows.co.uk. <br /><br />Although the domain is merely a redirect to <a href="https://ilikerainbows.co/">ilikerainbows.co</a>, it’s <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/uk-isps-quietly-block-lists-of-pirate-bay-proxies-150310/">listed in Sky’s blocking system</a> along with several CloudFlare IP-addresses. Recently, the CDN service received complaints from users about the issue and alerted the proxy owner. <br /><br />“It has come to our attention that your website — ilikerainbows.co.uk — is causing CloudFlare IPs to be blocked by SkyB, an ISP located in the UK. This is impacting other CloudFlare customers,” CloudFlare wrote. <br /><br />The CDN service asked the proxy site to resolve the matter with Sky, or else it would remove the site from the network after 24 hours. <br /><br />“If this issue does not get resolved with SkyB though we will need to route your domain off CloudFlare’s network as it is currently impacting other CloudFlare customers due to these blocked IP addresses.”<br />  <img src="http://torrentfreak.com/images/cfemail.png" /> <br /><br />The operator of the “Rainbows” TPB proxy was surprised by Sky’s overbroad blocking techniques, but also by CloudFlare’s response. Would CloudFlare also kick out sites that are blocked in other countries where censorship is common? <br /><br />“What do they do when Russia starts blocking sites under their system? Are they going to kick users off CloudFlare because there’s a Putin meme that the Russians don’t like?” Rainbows’ operator tells TF. <br /><br />Instead of waiting for the domain to be switched off by CloudFlare he reverted it back to the domain registrar’s forwarding services. The main .co domain still uses CloudFlare’s services though, as does the official Pirate Bay site. <br /><br />This is <a href="http://helpforum.sky.com/t5/forums/searchpage/tab/message?allow_punctuation=true&filter=labels%2Clocation&location=forum-board%3Aarchived-discussions&q=cloudflare+blocked">not the first time</a> that CloudFlare customers have been blocked by mistake. Earlier this year the same thing happened to sites that shared an IP-address with The Pirate Bay. At the time we contacted Sky, who informed us that they do all they can to limit collateral damage. <br /><br />“We have a process in place to monitor requested site blocks to limit the chances of inadvertently blocking sites, and in addition to this if we are advised by a site owner or Sky customer that a site is being inadvertently blocked we take the necessary steps to remove any unintended blocks,” a Sky spokeswoman said. <br /><br />In addition to Sky we also contacted CloudFlare about the issue multiple times this year, but the company has yet to reply to our inquiries. <br /><br />It’s clear though that despite cheers from copyright holders, website blocking is not all rainbows and unicorns. Without any significant change to Sky’s blocking setup, more of these inadvertent blocks are bound to happen in the future.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:torrentfreak </span>

Pirate Bay Blockade Censors CloudFlare Customers

The blockade of the Pirate Bay by UK ISPs is causing trouble for CloudFlare customers. Several websites have been inadvertently blocked by...

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New Russian Anti-Piracy Law Could Block Sites “Forever”

<br />People who run 'pirate' sites out of Russia have been given a final warning by the government. Amendments to local copyright law that come into force May 1 not only protect more content than ever before, but also contain provisions to permanently block sites that continually make unauthorized content available. <br /> <br /><br /><img alt=" New Russian Anti-Piracy Law Could Block Sites “Forever” " height="335" src="https://torrentfreak.com/images/pirate-card.jpg" title=" New Russian Anti-Piracy Law Could Block Sites “Forever” " width="400" /><br /> Following massive pressure from both local and international rightsholders, 21 months ago Russia took steps to improve its reputation of going soft on piracy. <br /><br />On August 1, 2013, the country introduced a brand new intellectual property law which provided a mechanism through which sites could be blocked by intermediaries should they not comply with rightsholder takedown requests within 72 hours. <br /><br />A year later telecoms watchdog Roscomnadzor revealed that during the law’s first year of operation the Moscow City Court imposed preliminary interim injunctions against 175 sites following copyright complaints. It went on to block just 12 file-sharing domains for being unresponsive to takedowns, many of them BitTorrent trackers. <br /><br />With complaints from copyright holders continuing to mount, Russia decided to make further amendments to the legislation. Initially only video content was covered by the law but with an expansion scheduled for May 1, 2015, all multimedia content (photographs excluded) will receive protection. Furthermore, the law also amends the provisions on preliminary injunctions. <br /><br />Although it remains unclear how the new system will work in practice, the theory is that intermediaries (ISPs and webhosts) can be ordered by the Court to permanently block websites that continually host or provide access to infringing content. At least at this early stage it appears to be the kind of system U.S. copyright holders are pushing for elsewhere, one in which content that is taken down, stays down. <br /><br />With the new law just over a week away, State Duma Deputy Speaker Sergei Zheleznyak has been underlining the legislation’s reach. <br /><br />“The anti-piracy legislation that created the ability to block access to sites that distribute copyright-infringing films and TV shows entered into force on 1 August 2013. On May 1, 2015 amendments to the Act will come into force that apply to music, books and software,” Zheleznyak says. <br /><br />“This development will mean that the systematic violation of intellectual property rights will result in sites providing access to stolen content being blocked forever.” <br /><br />Putting operators of torrent and similar sites on notice, Zheleznyak issued a stern warning. <br /><br />“I would like to warn those who are still abusing piracy: you have until May 1 to try to and enter into constructive dialogue with rightsholders. They are open to cooperation,” he <a href="https://news.mail.ru/politics/21820743">said</a>. <br /><br />“Our common goal is to ensure that all work is adequately rewarded and that the benefit from successful books, music and wonderful computer programs is enjoyed by those who created them, and not those who stole them. If [site owners] are not interested in legal business, the response of the state will become quite obvious.” <br /><br />Russia’s first attempt at site blocking legislation failed to produce the apocalyptic conclusion many predicted. Only time will tell what the results of these latest tweaks will mean for local sites.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:torrentfreak </span>

New Russian Anti-Piracy Law Could Block Sites “Forever”

People who run 'pirate' sites out of Russia have been given a final warning by the government. Amendments to local copyright law th...

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5 Facebook Tricks You Never Knew Existed

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDx_hjJfP2egnPBbSuJ8cLQ3lydEWRQBe2xXO4JmSUvFasxO7d1szSUY58YN8o-K339k7jq0czT_wDu7BD83LF3yHIAlQn8ohXhi2HaFNWOHyhe5Pqa7ZVxA60RdNZh82schFVuk-sxGk/s1600/5+facebook.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Facebook Tricks You Never Knew Existed" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDx_hjJfP2egnPBbSuJ8cLQ3lydEWRQBe2xXO4JmSUvFasxO7d1szSUY58YN8o-K339k7jq0czT_wDu7BD83LF3yHIAlQn8ohXhi2HaFNWOHyhe5Pqa7ZVxA60RdNZh82schFVuk-sxGk/s1600/5+facebook.JPG" title="5 Facebook Tricks You Never Knew Existed" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />Most of us have a love hate relationship with Facebook. Sure, it's an easy way to keep in touch with family and friends. But Facebook is also a major time drain and privacy killer.<br /><br />There is more to Facebook than status updates, photos and comments. Here are 5 little known Facebook chills and thrills.<br /><br />1. Facebook tells where you are located<br /><br />"How did you know I was here?" The answer: it was on your Facebook page.<br /><br />Facebook is built around sharing. You share thoughts, photos, videos and news, but now you can share your location, too, with Nearby Friends. When turned on, it alerts you when friends are nearby.<br /><br />Nearby Friends is available in the Android and Apple Facebook app. It is currently available in select areas. To check if you have it, open your Facebook app. Tap the icon with the three horizontal lines in the upper right corner, Nearby Friends and finally, Turn On.<br /><br />From here, you can choose who can see your location (Note: Some versions require you to click the gear icon in the upper-right corner). By default, it's set to Friends, and thankfully you can't set it to Everyone. You can, however, choose a list of friends like Family or a custom list you've created. Click here to learn how to create custom lists of friends and family.<br /><br />You can share your location temporarily with someone. In Nearby Friends, find a friend on the list and tap the arrow icon next to their name. Select how long you'd like to share your location.<br /><br />2. Facebook tracks you<br /><br />Facebook is part of a major advertising network. It shares your Facebook profile information with other companies and in return, gets their information about you. That allows the companies to better target you with relevant ads. This also means they're building a detailed profile of your likes, dislikes and online browsing habits.<br /><br />You can stop this tracking by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance, which is the network Facebook uses, and opting out. Click here for the instructions and more details on how opting out works.<br /><br />You will also need to opt out of targeted ads on your smartphone or tablet. Click here to learn how to find the right settings.<br /><br />3. Facebook adds fun<br /><br />When you send text messages or emails, you can include those cute little smiley faces, called emojis or emoticons. So, why can't you put emojis in Facebook posts?<br /><br />Facebook actually has more than 400 emoticons in its library if you know how to create them.<br /><br />These go way beyond just the smileys and hearts. There are emojis for professions, body parts, food, animals, flowers, weather, buildings, vehicles, holidays, directions and more. Sites like this one have assembled your emoticons options into a single page, so you can find, copy and paste the perfect image to match what you want to say.<br /><br />You can also send fun emoticons and stickers to your friends through Facebook chat or comments. In the chat or comment window, click or tap the smiley face icon. You'll see some default emoticons and stickers you can choose from. If you want to expand your options, there's a sticker store where you can download additional sticker packs. Just click the blue plus sign in the upper right corner of the sticker window.<br /><br />Bonus: Stickers are fun, but they can quickly start cluttering up your News Feed if everyone uses them. Hide them with this extension for Chrome and Firefox.<br /><br />4. Facebook rats you out<br /><br />If you use Facebook messages, you've probably noticed the "seen at" text that appears when you open one. This tells the person who sent the message that you've looked at it. For the person sending the message, it's a nice way to know that you've seen it, and when you saw it.<br /><br />On the other hand, if you don't respond to the message right away, it looks like you're ignoring the sender. Of course you could shoot off a quick response like, "I'll get back to you later," or something similar, but should you have to?<br /><br />If you use Facebook in the Chrome browser, there's an extension called Facebook Unseen that will keep Facebook from knowing when you read a message. On Android and Apple, you can try the Facebook Messenger replacement apps Privy Chat and Unread, respectively.<br /><br />5. Facebook checks your privacy settings<br /><br />Privacy is important and Facebook hasn't always been good about helping you out in that area. That's why its Privacy Checkup tool was such a welcome surprise, but a lot of people don't know it exists.<br /><br />To find it, open Facebook and click the lock icon in the upper-right corner, then select Privacy Checkup. Facebook will help you set who can see your posts, manage the apps you have installed and let you choose the visibility of your personal information.<br /><br />It's a good start, but if you want to lock down every single privacy detail, be sure to read my step-by-step guide to lock down your Facebook profile.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday</span>

5 Facebook Tricks You Never Knew Existed

Most of us have a love hate relationship with Facebook. Sure, it's an easy way to keep in touch with family and friends. But Facebook ...

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5 Ways To Heal A Broken Heart

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvAae4bPJv6GXmi_tbKldxExFCZY9eTLD1oK4RiDlHBfeW8GV5UX6ja3QPnAv2TkTAlDO1OMgeDtrD88fsuQqeO2LsgkSjGuFJJ9gmmKnqhLsTGrYWxpRBqUtb5tDUD-uBl3bAOWRVcc/s1600/broken+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5 Ways To Heal A Broken Heart" border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvAae4bPJv6GXmi_tbKldxExFCZY9eTLD1oK4RiDlHBfeW8GV5UX6ja3QPnAv2TkTAlDO1OMgeDtrD88fsuQqeO2LsgkSjGuFJJ9gmmKnqhLsTGrYWxpRBqUtb5tDUD-uBl3bAOWRVcc/s1600/broken+heart.jpg" title="5 Ways To Heal A Broken Heart" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />Break-ups do a number on the self. It’s like taking a tree branch and snapping it in two: the “me” that you were is no longer whole: It’s splintered, painful, and in need of healing. How do <br /><br />you move from the sting that comes from the loss of a relationship to a healthy and happy self? <br /><br />Research in the field of relationship science offers these 5 suggestions: <br /><br /> <ul> <li>Rebuild the Self. </li> </ul> <br /> Evidence suggests that love facilitates self-growth, expanding and diversifying who you are (Aron & Aron, 1997). As you spend time together, the lines between you and your partner become blurred; your self-concept and partner-concept become inextricably intertwined. So it’s no surprise that when a relationship ends, people experience self-confusion (Slotter, Gardner, & Finkel, 2010) and self-contraction (Lewandowski, Aron, Bassis, & Kunak, 2006). Your sense of self actually shrinks. You might feel lost and unsure of who you are. The remedy? Start rebuilding. Rebuilding requires redefinition. It’s time to try new things and spend time with new people. Pursue the benefits of self-concept rediscovery. Evidence suggests that individuals who do not make progress on redefining and rediscovering themselves experience poorer psychological well-being and post-break up adjustment on a week-to-week basis (Mason, Law, Bryan, Portley, & Sbarra, 2012). One of the most important actions you can take to heal post-break up is to expose yourself to new people, challenges, and experiences.<br /><br /> <ul> <li>Break the Ties. </li> </ul> <br /> As hard as it might be, breaking up by actually breaking up may help post-relationship adjustment. Maintaining contact with a new ex-partner delays sadness recovery and slows the (necessary) decline in love (Sbarra & Emery, 2005). Perhaps attempts to rediscover and rebuild the self are stymied when a former partner is still actively part of one’s life.<br /><br /> <ul> <li>Try Exercise. </li> </ul> <br /> Stressful life events, like a break-up, produce a variety of depressive-like symptoms that can be difficult to manage. Evidence suggests that physical exercise can serve as an effective intervention, disrupting the link between such stressful life events and their potential consequences (e.g., mood problems, sleep issues, difficulty concentrating; O’Dougherty, Hearst, Syed, Kurzer, & Schmitz, 2012). While exercise may do little to curb your feelings of stress, the physical activity may buffer your depressive symptoms—an important step towards recovery.<br /> <br /> <ul> <li>Fake It. </li> </ul> <br /> Feeling sad is a natural response to a break-up, and although sadness declines over time (Sbarra & Emery, 2005), sometimes you need a life. If you’re looking to boost your happiness, try faking it. Called the facial feedback hypothesis, engaging in the physical, muscular act of smiling can send signals to your brain that you are happy. In other words, even though we think our mind is in charge of our smiles, the facial behavior of smiling can actually send happy signals to your brain, potentially improving your mood.<br /> <br /> <ul> <li>Rebound. </li> </ul> <br /> Rebound relationships get a bad rap, but their sour reputation is not based on empirical evidence. Instead, new research suggests that starting a new relationship fairly quickly post-break can be a healthy, even long-term, solution to the challenge of break-up recovery (Brumbaugh & Fraley, 2015). People in rebound relationships see themselves as more desirable, are more “over” their ex-partners, and have greater overall well-being; indeed, less time between partners is linked to more self-esteem, less attachment anxiety, and less attachment avoidance. These findings suggest that starting something new sooner, rather than later, could be a productive next step towards a healthy and happy you.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:psychologytoday </span>

5 Ways To Heal A Broken Heart

Break-ups do a number on the self. It’s like taking a tree branch and snapping it in two: the “me” that you were is no longer whole: It’s ...

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Amazon up 14%, Bezos Makes $4.6 Billion

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k808sDGQOrS7GdwvVZWD5H4ttLxJgFHR7a8uPNGEPhuL6IJ0Ak28TkjNdgXlyz6cm3Wm_bhudpXAnnpvbduRNwaadcNwKHO6hulvjrBhssBF4_H4tAaCMDxdDntsUcOXLdP-VGuH6d4/s1600/amazon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Amazon up 14%, Bezos Makes $4.6 Billion " border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1k808sDGQOrS7GdwvVZWD5H4ttLxJgFHR7a8uPNGEPhuL6IJ0Ak28TkjNdgXlyz6cm3Wm_bhudpXAnnpvbduRNwaadcNwKHO6hulvjrBhssBF4_H4tAaCMDxdDntsUcOXLdP-VGuH6d4/s1600/amazon.png" title=" Amazon up 14%, Bezos Makes $4.6 Billion " width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br /><img src="https://usatmarkets.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/screen-shot-2015-04-24-at-11-35-09-am.jpg?w=1000" /> <br /><br />Amazon (AMZN) shares surged 14.1% Friday to close at $445.10. <br /><br />That gain made CEO Jeff Bezos just over $4.6 billion–moving him to ninth place on Forbes’ realtime list of the world’s billionaires. <br /><br />He was #15 at the beginning of the year. <br /><br />The company’s stock gains came a day after its earnings report, which reported the expected loss, but also a sales gain that topped Wall Street forecasts. <br /><br />However most important was news that Amazon’s cloud computing service had net sales of $1.6 billion in the first quarter. <br /><br />Amazon’s upward move Friday comes as part of a as the Nasdaq reaches record territory.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday</span>

Amazon up 14%, Bezos Makes $4.6 Billion

Amazon (AMZN) shares surged 14.1% Friday to close at $445.10. That gain made CEO Jeff Bezos just over $4.6 billion–moving him to ninth pl...

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Apple Investors Can't Wait Until Monday

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP34uqkAagHScPoA6qUqUqr1W6uLLnLhlxQoxFMqQnfgG1iAYNPgYpEaOJe-Uvelu9fz811q2yGlxF1Gvp3HT9stIU_XQe87lSkBY8K87yThJpci4BZ8bWr9QT-CKDeOu_XngzT75xw8/s1600/apple+watch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Apple Investors Can't Wait Until Monday " border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyP34uqkAagHScPoA6qUqUqr1W6uLLnLhlxQoxFMqQnfgG1iAYNPgYpEaOJe-Uvelu9fz811q2yGlxF1Gvp3HT9stIU_XQe87lSkBY8K87yThJpci4BZ8bWr9QT-CKDeOu_XngzT75xw8/s1600/apple+watch.jpg" title=" Apple Investors Can't Wait Until Monday " width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> It’s not showtime for Apple (AAPL) until Monday. But investors are already piling into the stock. <br /> <br /> Shares of Apple are riding the Nasdaq rally Thursday – as shares are racing up $1.16 to $129.76. But the gains have been long in the making, as shares of the stock have raced higher the past eight trading sessions, rising 2.7% during the time period. That brings the company’s market value to $755.8 billion. <br /> <br /> <img src="https://usatmarkets.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/capture71.jpg?w=1000" /> <br /> <br /> What’s driving the stock? Investors are already eagerly anticipating just how strong iPhone sales will be during the quarter. Analysts are calling for the company to report 29.5% higher adjusted earnings of $2.15 a share. If Apple delivers the profit as expected, Apple’s profit will be 5.2% of the Standard & Poor’s 500 total earnings, says Howard Silverblatt of S&P Dow Jones indices.That’s greater than the contribution of the next two biggest earners – combined – J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo. <br /> <br /> <img src="https://usatmarkets.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/capture70.jpg?w=1000" /><br /> <br /> Some analysts think Apple could do even better – which is probably what’s driving up the stock. Steven Milunovich at UBS, who has a $150-a-share price target on the stock, says profit could come in 5% higher than the Street expects. UBS expect iPhone sales to hit 60 million, versus the 56 million expected by investors. <br /> <br /> But investors driving the stock higher might be surprised – even if iPhone sales come strong, says Andry Hargreaves of Pacific Crest in a note to clients. He says the stock is worth $123 a share – as iPhone unit sales could fall in fiscal 2016 due to a falling number of new iPhone users and more normal handset replacement rates. <br /> <br /> Who else is excited for Monday!<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday </span>

Apple Investors Can't Wait Until Monday

It’s not showtime for Apple (AAPL) until Monday. But investors are already piling into the stock. Shares of Apple are riding the Nasda...

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Google Is Still The Internet Company To Beat

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7RkrAKqZapJ8TO3MPWV2n274k9UVpqCWX0SkwDM8sawEyXtZ4OXjQoqO8ySql9FPbxdrRm5anQiAEUFty_O3YmXsY5im6lLCxntgi895JPQzBpnEm8T-yMWyxUXmOijnW33urSJPcrk/s1600/google.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Google Is Still The Internet Company To Beat" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga7RkrAKqZapJ8TO3MPWV2n274k9UVpqCWX0SkwDM8sawEyXtZ4OXjQoqO8ySql9FPbxdrRm5anQiAEUFty_O3YmXsY5im6lLCxntgi895JPQzBpnEm8T-yMWyxUXmOijnW33urSJPcrk/s1600/google.jpg" title="Google Is Still The Internet Company To Beat" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />SAN FRANCISCO—Google may be facing growing challenges from European regulators, encroaching competitors, slowing growth and the rapidly changing habits of smartphone-toting consumers, but it still wields more power than any other company on the Internet. And that isn't going to change anytime soon.<br /><br />That much was clear on Thursday when the Internet giant reported first-quarter results after the market closed.<br /><br />For the sixth straight quarter, Google's (GOOG) earnings fell below analyst estimates. But investors were pleased with a healthy bump in the number of paid clicks on Google ads and comments from executives about the growing popularity of ads on the Google-owned video service YouTube, sending shares up 4% to $567.45 in after-hours trading.<br /><br />BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis says investors had braced for worse. And, he said, it helped that the Nasdaq Composite Index closed at a record high that topped its dot-com era peak.<br />&lt;!--iframe--&gt;<br /><br />"This shows that downside concerns and fears were much worse than estimates and those concerns and fears are not materializing to the degree expected," Gillis said.<br /><br />Google, which gets more than half of its revenue from overseas, got walloped by the stronger U.S. dollar. Google said first-quarter revenues would have been $795 million higher if it were not for the currency headwinds.<br /><br />Spending -- a perennial source of concern for investors -- continued to spike as the Internet giant poured money into speculative projects such as driverless cars and balloons that beam the Internet to the developing world.<br /><br />In a conference call with analysts, outgoing chief financial officer Patrick Pichette reassured analysts that Google is taking a "disciplined" approach to spending.<br /><br />SHIFT TO YOUTUBE<br /><br />He also sought to boost investor confidence by dispelling the perception that the consumer shift to mobile devices has driven down advertising prices. He told analysts that the falling prices are the result of people watching ads on Google's YouTube service, which cost less than search ads.<br /><br />Google's growth has slowed as its main search advertising business has matured. With the shift of consumers and advertising dollars to mobile, Facebook has emerged as an increasingly powerful rival quickly gaining market share in digital advertising, especially on smartphones and tablets. And both companies are competing for video advertising as marketers shift some of their television budgets to online spending.<br /><br />Last week the European Union filed a complaint against Google, alleging it abused its search dominance to promote its own shopping service. Google denies the allegations, but could face fines up to $6 billion and fundamental changes to how it conducts business.<br /><br />Google posted earnings per share excluding certain expenses such as stock compensation of $6.57, up from $6.27 a share in the year-ago period. Analysts expected Google to earn $6.61 a share.<br /><br />Revenue for the quarter was $17.26 billion, up 12% from $15.42 billion. Minus traffic acquisition costs, it was about $13.91 billion, short of the $14.08 billion analysts expected.<br /><br />Google earned $6.27 a share on revenue of $12.2 billion in the year-ago quarter.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday </span>

Google Is Still The Internet Company To Beat

SAN FRANCISCO—Google may be facing growing challenges from European regulators, encroaching competitors, slowing growth and the rapidly ch...

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7 Research-Based Reasons Internet Dating Doesn't Work

<br />Romantic relationships play a huge part in our physical, social and emotional well-being. Having a good and successful relationship can promote better health (Cohen, Frank, Doyle, Skoner, Rabin, & Gwaltney, 1998), and even aid in faster recovery from illnesses (Kiecolt-Glaser, Loving, Stowell, Malarkey, Lemeshow, Dickinson, & Glaser, 2005). Not surprisingly then, most of us seek to find a romantic relationship in which we can be happy. However, should we resort to online dating for the purpose of this? Here are seven reasons why maybe we shouldn't. <br /> <br /> <br /><img alt="7 Research-Based Reasons Internet Dating Doesn't Work" height="261" src="https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-inline-half/public/field_blog_entry_images/Shutterstock-Alphaspirit.jpg?itok=a3HSJ5Vj" title="7 Research-Based Reasons Internet Dating Doesn't Work" width="400" /> <br /><br />1. We make bad decisions <br /><br />Internet dating sites offer us a vast array of potential date choices. Furthermore, we sign up to several sites at the same time, then the choice increases. The luxury of this may initially seem appealing, but in reality when faced with making decisions about which item to choose from a large number, we are more prone to make erroneous decisions. This is because we invoke different and sometimes less cognitively taxing decision making strategies when choosing from a large array (as with online dating) than when we choose on a one to one basis in real life. The consequences are that we may end up making the wrong choice. Our decisions are also affected by the way in which choices are presented to us, and in online dating choices are certainly presented differently to how they would be presented in real life. <br /><br />2. We only get a part impression <br /><br />In face to face interactions we form impressions of others based on their general demeanour and other more subtle behavioural characteristics. The more information with which we are presented, the easier it becomes to form impressions of others. However, dating profiles present us with only fairly superficial information about our potential matches, which means that we are not seeing or being presented with the person as a whole. Consequently, the information which we gleam from an online profile gives us very little to go on in determining how someone may actually behave in real life. <br /><br />3. Matching does not work <br /><br />Despite the old maxim that opposites attract, the research evidence suggests otherwise, and we are more likely to become attracted to people who are similar to ourselves. If this is the case, it would seem a good idea to use a dating site which catered for our specific interests and demographic group (for instance, there are now sites catering for very specific groups, Amishdatingservice.co.uk, Glutenfreesingles.com). Some online dating sites go even further and purport to connect people by getting their users to complete batteries of psychometric tests with the objective of matching them on the characteristics where they may be compatible. However, there is little if any real evidence that such matching formula actually work in practice. Therefore the best we can hope for is to be matched in terms of our interests. <br /><br />4. People are not what they seem <br /><br />There is now abundant evidence that people quite happily and readily misrepresent how they advertise themselves in online dating sites. For example Witty and Carr (2004) noted that people misrepresent characteristics such as their appearance, age, weight, socio-economic status and interests. It was also reported that a staggering 13.3% of males and 6.7% of females even chose to misrepresent their relationship status, which rather points to the fact that we may end up meeting someone who are totally different to how they have described themselves. It has also been noted that males tend to over report their height in online dating, and consistently suggest that they are taller than they really are. <br /><br />More seriously, in addition to misrepresenting the truth in online dating, criminals actually set up spoof profiles with the intention of praying on and extracting money from vulnerable people who use online dating. <br /><br />5. Be wary of online chat <br /><br />Before meeting face to face, we may engage in a period of online chat. Walster (1996) suggested that online communication can be hyperpersonal, meaning that we are more likely to disclose information about ourselves, and do so more quickly online. Research has consistently shown that we like people more the more they disclose to us, and similarly we are more likely to like those to whom we disclose. Because we disclose more and have others disclose more to us in an online environment, this can lead to more of an illusion of liking someone more than can realistically be the case. The consequence of this is that our expectations are raised before a face-to-face meeting, where in reality we may end up being disappointed. <br /><br />6. Online is not necessarily a quick way <br /><br />People use online dating sites for one reason, which is to meet others. Therefore we must have some expectation or hope that this will indeed be the case, and furthermore (especially if we are paying for the service) that results will be immediate. Therefore individuals not only spend their money signing up to online dating sites, but they also invest considerable time on this activity. For example, Mitchell (2009) suggested that Internet daters spend an average of 22 minutes each time they visit an online dating site, while Frost, Chance, Norton and Ariely (2008) noted that those who used online dating spent 12 hours per week on this. Given all of this, if results are not forthcoming then it is possible that users may give up and stop using the site. Even though it might take time to get results, typically some people sign up for a period of only one or two months and then lose interest. There is also the question of a kind of ‘site shelf-life’ If you are on a site for too long (not successful in meeting someone), then maybe people will start to wonder why. <br /><br />7. Will it work in reality? <br /><br />It is quite likely that many of your matches on a dating site may be geographically distant. Attraction research has repeatedly shown that proximity is a strong predictor of a sustainable relationship, therefore geographically distant relationships may be rather more difficult to sustain unless one person is prepared to move. Baker (2002) reported that those people who went on to form long lasting and sustainable relationships with others after meeting online, were those who were prepared to compromise and possibly move house or job, presumably suggesting that those who weren't willing to do this, did not end up with more permanent relationships. This finding presents a big question for the effectiveness of online dating.<br /><br />It may be argued that online dating companies really don't want us to meet our soulmates, they would rather us keep coming back again and again to use their sites, and this way they make more money. <br /><br />Having said all of that, online dating sites may be of benefit for some good reasons. For example, there are some individuals who may not otherwise have found partners had it not been for the services of the online dating industry (older individuals, those with mobility problems and those who may be socially phobic).<br /><br />The choice is yours, but just note that online dating is no panacea.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:psychologytoday </span>

7 Research-Based Reasons Internet Dating Doesn't Work

Romantic relationships play a huge part in our physical, social and emotional well-being. Having a good and successful relationship can pr...

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Love Is A Roller Coaster

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcplKQ9_Qq4fCjSXaBBdia9lKxJZ2GPRwMTUG_AU2ThN-SidNr_nU9rrMEsWr-O80DunNv8dmssLswuBc91uh3v0wJ_5BBRXyQABxhG4A6SATnqVmSZPAKTe6PGnh_6V4D4AW8t22HSKM/s1600/Demon_Roller_Coaster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Love Is A Roller Coaster" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcplKQ9_Qq4fCjSXaBBdia9lKxJZ2GPRwMTUG_AU2ThN-SidNr_nU9rrMEsWr-O80DunNv8dmssLswuBc91uh3v0wJ_5BBRXyQABxhG4A6SATnqVmSZPAKTe6PGnh_6V4D4AW8t22HSKM/s1600/Demon_Roller_Coaster.jpg" title="Love Is A Roller Coaster" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br /><br />Gravity, freefall, potential energy, and kinetic energy are all a part of the physics of roller coasters and, metaphorically, of romantic relationships.Here are 4 lessons about love's roller coaster ride: <br /><ul> <li>Recognize that the first climb in a relationship or roller coaster is the most difficult – winning the attention and heart of another is seldom as easy as we would like.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Be aware that the first freefall is also the most exciting – the most potential energy is created during the first climb, so that first descent is the most breathtaking and heart racing.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The freefall feeling is not going to last forever, be prepared to fuel the relationship if it loses its momentum.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Lastly, if the twists and turns are not handled well, just as with a roller coaster, a relationship can quickly derail – be prepared for and responsive to potentially risky situations.</li> </ul> <br />Perhaps too many metaphors actually surround romance, sexual attraction, and true love. Depending on where you are in a relationship, your mind may entertain images of Cupid’s bow and arrow; animal magnetism; a moth to the flame; carrying the torch for someone; or two halves of a whole. And most of us are overly aware of the “ups and downs” of life and the truth in the saying that “the course of true love never runs smooth.” Thus, the roller coaster metaphor may be among the more accurate. <br /><br />In listening to clients reveal their romantic hopes and heartaches over the years in counseling sessions, it’s clear that reveling in the “freefall of romance” requires a “climb,” much like the physics involved in roller coaster rides. The first hill surmounted by a coaster is generally the highest – this can be likened to wooing or being wooed by your partner. It takes a lot of effort, just as Miley Cyrus sang in her pop hit, “The Climb.” From a full-on standstill to reaching the peak is the toughest part of the journey. <br /><br />As the peak of a hill is reached, or a romantic flame is lit, the amount of potential energy is at its highest – this is that delightful period in which a couple feels that they are soulmates and can conquer anything together. Next, as the thrilling freefall begins, the potential energy is transformed kinetic energy – which is built as the coaster falls back towards earth. This is an exciting time, as you feel a powerful new source of energy in the relationship – freefalling is exciting as you tumble through space as if propelled by love. <br /><br />However, once the riders or lovers land back on earth, the energy that was created during the fall will only take them so far. Either the ride and relationship peters out or further climbs and descents must happen to keep momentum moving them forward. On the flip side, sadly, the higher the climb, if the romance falls apart or "bottoms out," the harder the fall. Whether you are 16 or 61, a broken heart is just as painful! <br /><br />Gravity keeps us in our seats and keeps us grounded, but the ups and downs of romance and life give us the thrills that keep us hoping the ride doesn’t end too soon. While objects in motion tend to stay in motion, as Sir Isaac Newton revealed, relationships require a push and a shove and a climb every now and then, as well, to keep it moving forward. <br /><br />To get that freefall feeling back into your relationship, you may need to expend some energy first. Just because you’ve been around the track once or twice doesn’t necessarily mean the ride has lost its power to thrill. Be willing to invest the energy needed to keep the relationship energized and full of joy.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:psychologytoday</span>

Love Is A Roller Coaster

Gravity, freefall, potential energy, and kinetic energy are all a part of the physics of roller coasters and, metaphorically, of romantic ...

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Facebook Investors Find Out True Cost Of WhatsApp Deal

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yYsasEYY5Ql8mV2cjJtjhs1OuJLWNcg8Dw9vvXvujm7SigUnjmh2VMgcTO3Ev7AQVaqCcjyc8BU3cu-zOaKeK6qekKdCtPVNWayB3aCYiao3-UiiWKy5hE9zOBzeYWWe9BPbp40LkT8/s1600/635653250039141929-whatsApp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Facebook Investors Find Out True Cost Of WhatsApp Deal" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2yYsasEYY5Ql8mV2cjJtjhs1OuJLWNcg8Dw9vvXvujm7SigUnjmh2VMgcTO3Ev7AQVaqCcjyc8BU3cu-zOaKeK6qekKdCtPVNWayB3aCYiao3-UiiWKy5hE9zOBzeYWWe9BPbp40LkT8/s1600/635653250039141929-whatsApp.JPG" title="Facebook Investors Find Out True Cost Of WhatsApp Deal" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />SAN FRANCISCO — When Facebook executives told investors in January that the giant social network would spend a lot more, they weren't kidding.<br /><br />Quarterly results out late Wednesday showed stock-compensation shot through the roof. And payouts to employees at WhatsApp, the popular global messaging service it bought for $19 billion last year, were part of the reason.<br /><br />The company said late Wednesday that first-quarter expenses rose a whopping 83%, about twice as fast as revenue growth of 42%.<br /><br />Operating income fell 13%, while the company's operating margin shrank to 26% of revenue from 43% a year ago.<br /><br />That spooked investors enough to send Facebook FB shares down as much as 3% in late trading, even though the results largely met Wall Street expectations.<br /><br />The stock rebounded a bit after the company lowered the top end of its operating expense growth forecast. But it's not operational spending alone that's surging.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday </span>

Facebook Investors Find Out True Cost Of WhatsApp Deal

SAN FRANCISCO — When Facebook executives told investors in January that the giant social network would spend a lot more, they weren't ...

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eBay's Growth Boosted By PayPal, Tempered By Dollar

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-Kgl-FvDcno0U2ZxFT_13yzZ9TMCiH80FBTlIyyCxXdqsQrcp3d17ghRlMlv5RKJdhgB6ZfhWxPoPJJ-N1CHmDQ5EIDlfDybD6uyHEkT0l5yF-NyLbYoiCmmNONTUIo2Rj_E980dxbw/s1600/ebay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="eBay's Growth Boosted By PayPal, Tempered By Dollar" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-Kgl-FvDcno0U2ZxFT_13yzZ9TMCiH80FBTlIyyCxXdqsQrcp3d17ghRlMlv5RKJdhgB6ZfhWxPoPJJ-N1CHmDQ5EIDlfDybD6uyHEkT0l5yF-NyLbYoiCmmNONTUIo2Rj_E980dxbw/s1600/ebay.jpg" title="eBay's Growth Boosted By PayPal, Tempered By Dollar" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />LOS ANGELES - Online retailer eBay reported modest growth in its first quarter results, but that was enough to send shares popping.<br /><br />For the first three months of the year, the San Jose, Calif.-based company reported operating earnings per share of 77 cents vs. 70 cents in the year-ago quarter. Sales rose 4% to $4.45 billion. <br /><br />Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters had expected revenues of $4.42 billion and earnings per share of 70 cents.<br /><br />EBay's stock EBAY rose 4% to $59.45 in after-hours trading.<br /><br />The company said the power of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies "significantly impacted" results for the quarter, due to foreign currency translation charges. For the second quarter, it forecast sales between $4.4 billion to $4.5 billion, slightly short of forecasts, and operating earnings between 71 to 73 cents a share.<br /><br />STRONG QUARTER FOR PAYPAL<br /><br />EBay is in the process of splitting into two. Its payment division PayPal unit, which has seen more growth than the eBay auction unit, is now competing with the likes of Square, Apple, Intuit and others that have new ways for merchants to accept payments, on computers and phones.<br /><br />Analysts tend to be positive on having PayPal be its own entity. "We...believe that PayPal can better innovate and execute as a standalone company," says analyst Doug Anmuth of J.P. Morgan, in a note to investors. <br /><br />The newfound competition on smartphones didn't make Apple the leader in online payments, as expected, and thus, "We believe competition in the payments space will continue to increase," says Anmuth. "Suggesting PayPal is well-positioned if it can innovate and partner effectively."<br /><br />The spinoff is expected to be completed by the third quarter. <br /><br />PayPal had a great quarter, nabbing 3.6 million new accounts (for a total of 165 million) and processing over 1 billion transactions, the company said, while "active buyer growth" for eBay Marketplaces declined. <br /><br />EBay, which once ruled the Internet as the premier place to find lower-price items, has seen its dominance challenged, as Google has started downgrading eBay results in its search index. <br /><br />The company was founded in 1995, and now besides auctions also owns StubHub, the service for re-selling concert tickets.<br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday </span>

eBay's Growth Boosted By PayPal, Tempered By Dollar

LOS ANGELES - Online retailer eBay reported modest growth in its first quarter results, but that was enough to send shares popping. For th...

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Intel Compute Stick: Fits In Your Pocket, Not For Everyone

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE84j1SmPcKlTT6x6zUBnQ8N2BctTH00x8ysiBxJGMviIatcdowDbbvIIiQS8g-4hAp-3ffYrOOOHXKo6fHfrZbgqIKK_CcFogpwYkDYYzIhiLVGKNk-1aa8P_CQTwlywJkpNiHrBrRk/s1600/intel+stick.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Intel Compute Stick: Fits In Your Pocket, Not For Everyone" border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRE84j1SmPcKlTT6x6zUBnQ8N2BctTH00x8ysiBxJGMviIatcdowDbbvIIiQS8g-4hAp-3ffYrOOOHXKo6fHfrZbgqIKK_CcFogpwYkDYYzIhiLVGKNk-1aa8P_CQTwlywJkpNiHrBrRk/s1600/intel+stick.png" title="Intel Compute Stick: Fits In Your Pocket, Not For Everyone" width="640" /></a></div> <br /><br />Remember when the guts of a desktop computer lived in a large chassis or tower? The Intel Compute Stick is about the size of a pack of chewing gum, but it has a few caveats.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday </span>

Intel Compute Stick: Fits In Your Pocket, Not For Everyone

Remember when the guts of a desktop computer lived in a large chassis or tower? The Intel Compute Stick is about the size of a pack of che...

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Google's 'Project Fi' A New Take On Wireless Service

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxohgUC_oFkvRBRs2thhJg0SWoxjoPRq84KU1rJQCcMkQ_yicWwrScbF7ym_QtYnu7i_QKLEtM4Fy5td-2BHGCV1rJJdMWY9xwR8iXbz3H3TkblGTle4oUM3Pcz7RWbPlhbbnLeNMWNY/s1600/google+fi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Google's 'Project Fi' A New Take On Wireless Service" border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxohgUC_oFkvRBRs2thhJg0SWoxjoPRq84KU1rJQCcMkQ_yicWwrScbF7ym_QtYnu7i_QKLEtM4Fy5td-2BHGCV1rJJdMWY9xwR8iXbz3H3TkblGTle4oUM3Pcz7RWbPlhbbnLeNMWNY/s1600/google+fi.jpg" title="Google's 'Project Fi' A New Take On Wireless Service" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Google has officially entered the wireless service business with its new Project Fi, which promises data and wireless plans at a low price with credits for unused data. Watch it<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">credit:usatoday</span>

Google's 'Project Fi' A New Take On Wireless Service

Google has officially entered the wireless service business with its new Project Fi, which promises data and wireless plans at a low pri...

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Beating Internet Censors With Bittorrent’s Maelstrom Browser

<div class="entry-summary" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> <div class="entry-lead" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> BitTorrent Inc, the company behind the popular file-sharing client uTorrent, hopes to start a new revolution with its people-powered browser Maelstrom. Now that the first Beta has been released to the public ,developers can come up with interesting use cases, such as censorship free websites.</div> </div> <div class="entry-content" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; padding-left: 0px;"> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <img alt="Beating Internet Censors With Bittorrent’s Maelstrom Browser" class="alignright size-full wp-image-88887" height="99" src="https://torrentfreak.com/images/bittorrent-logo.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0.2em 0px 1em 1em; max-width: 100%;" title="Beating Internet Censors With Bittorrent’s Maelstrom Browser" width="266" />San Francisco-based BitTorrent Inc. already has a few popular applications in its catalog, including uTorrent and Sync. However, with its new “people-powered” browser it hopes to spark another revolution.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> Project <a href="http://project-maelstrom.bittorrent.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">Maelstrom</a>, as it’s called, is still in the early stages of development but the company has decided to push a Beta out to the public so developers can start building tools and services around it.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> In short, Maelstrom takes Google’s <a href="http://www.chromium.org/Home" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">Chromium</a> framework and stuffs a powerful BitTorrent engine under the hood, meaning that torrents can be played directly from the browser. More excitingly, however, Maelstrom also supports torrent-powered websites that no longer have to rely on central servers.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> By simply publishing a website in a torrent format the website will be accessible if others are sharing it. This can be assisted by web-seeds but also completely peer-to-peer.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> For example, earlier this week Wikileaks <a href="https://wikileaks.org/sony/docs/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">published</a> a controversial archive of documents and emails that leaked after the Sony hack. If the hosting provider was forced to take the files down they would disappear but with Maelstrom-supported sites, users would be able to keep it online.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> The same is true for torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay, which suffered weeks of downtime recently after the site’s servers were raided.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> </div> <center style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em;"> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">BitTorrent powered page</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></center> <center style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em;"> <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/images/meal.jpg" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;"><img alt="Beating Internet Censors With Bittorrent’s Maelstrom Browser" class="alignright size-large wp-image-104471" height="433" src="https://torrentfreak.com/images/meal-1024x639.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0.2em 0px 1em 1em; max-width: 100%;" title="Beating Internet Censors With Bittorrent’s Maelstrom Browser" width="694" /></a></center> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> </div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> At the moment there are very few websites that support Maelstrom. There is an early<a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/bittorrent/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">WordPress plugin</a> and others are <a href="http://justinmccandless.com/blog/Getting+a+Distributed+Static+Website+Running+with+Maelstrom" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">experimenting</a> with it as well, but wider adoption will need some time.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> That said, traditional <a href="https://torrentfreak.com/bittorrents-future-dht-pex-and-magnet-links-explained-091120/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">magnet links</a> work too, so people can play video and audio from regular torrent sites directly in the browser.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> BitTorrent Inc. informs TF that the main goal is to provide a new and open publishing platform. It’s now up to developers to use it to their advantage.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> “We believe in providing an alternative means for publishing that is neutral and that gives ownership back to those publishers. But one of our biggest goals with this release is just to get it out and into the hands of developers and see what emerges,” Maelstrom’s project lead Rob Velasquez says.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> And in that respect momentum is building. BitTorrent Inc. says that a community of more than 10,000 developers and 3,500 publishers has already been established, with tools to bring more on board <a href="https://github.com/bittorrent/torrent-web-tools" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">now available via Github</a>.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> While Maelstrom can bypass Internet censors, it’s good to keep in mind that all shared files are visible to the public. Maelstrom is caching accessed content to keep it seeded, so using a VPN might not be a bad idea. After all, users leave a trail of their browsing history behind.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> On the upside, Maelstrom can be more private for publishers as they don’t have to share any personal details with hosting companies or domain registrars.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> “The BitTorrent protocol remains the same, but it does mean that you no longer have to hand over personal, private data to domain registrars or hosting companies to put up a simple website,” Velasquez notes.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> The idea for a BitTorrent-powered browser is not new. The Pirate Bay started work on a related project <a href="http://torrentfreak.com/how-the-pirate-bay-plans-to-beat-censorship-for-good-140105/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">last year</a> with the aim of keeping the site online even if its servers were raided.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> It will be interesting to see if Maelstrom can get some traction. There’s still a long way to go, but the idea of an open and censorship-free web does sound appealing.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> With a Mac version still under a development, Project Maelstrom (beta) can be downloaded for Windows <a href="http://project-maelstrom.bittorrent.com/" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #353f45;">here</a>.</div> <div style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">credit:torrentfreak</span></div> </div>

Beating Internet Censors With Bittorrent’s Maelstrom Browser

BitTorrent Inc, the company behind the popular file-sharing client uTorrent, hopes to start a new revolution with its people-powered brows...

Read more »