Drowning

Signs of Drowning:
Watch out for these signs the next time you're swimming with your kids or others.
* Head low in the water, mouth at water level
* Head tilted back with open mouth
* Hair over forehead or eyes
* Eyes glassy, empty and unable to focus
* Eyes closed
* Hyperventilating or gasping
* Not using legs
* Body is vertical and upright
* Trying to swim in a certain direction but no making progress
* Trying to roll over on the back

An article by Dr Pia titled "It Doesn't Look Like They're Drowning" featured in the Coast Guard Magazine, Describes the typical drowning responce as follows: "Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled before speech is occurs. Drowning people's mouth alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouth of a drowning person is not above the surface of the water long enough to exhale, inhale, and call for help. When the drowning person's mouth is above the water, she exhales and inhales quickly as her mouth starts to sink below the surface of the water. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water' surface. Pressing down on the surface on the surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe. Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving towards a rescuer, or searching out for a piece of rescue equiptment. From beginning to end of Instinctive Drowning Response people's bodies remains upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs."
from yahoo

The Secret to a Happy Marriage

While browing around the web today, I found this few important tips of how to have a happy marriage and decided to blog it here. These nine simple things that a couple should be aware and perhaps should practice more often. Written by Atty. Stacey Phillips.

1. Delineate "yours," "mine," and "ours." If you have finances that should be placed in each of these three categories (for example, you have an inheritance and he has a savings account he accumulated before the marriage, and you also have a checking account to which you both contribute), have an upfront conversation about those assets and what belongs to whom. Moreover, talk about your time away from "together" activities, like he wants to bowl with the guys on Tuesday nights and you want to attend your yoga class on Wednesday. Respect these important delineations. Doing so will make the relationship stronger.

2. Carve out time to be together. Sure, you're busy working and attending meetings, but how important are those things if your relationship falls apart? Make time to do things together that you both enjoy. This could be anything from grocery shopping to taking in a movie. Take regular vacations together -- at least a couple of long weekends and, better yet, a couple of long vacations (more than a weekend jaunt). Commit to a weekly date night and make it as unbreakable as that all-important staff meeting at work.

3. Take care of yourself. Spend time every day on your appearance and your physical well-being. Work out regularly, eat healthy, and stay fit. Not only will your partner like looking at you, but you'll feel better about yourself.

4. Make sure communication goes both ways. Many relationships fail because of misunderstandings. Effective communication skills are necessary if your relationship is going to survive. If there is a hint or vibe that your partner is disconnected or you are unhappy about something, do not ignore those signals or feelings. Approach your mate and suggest an open discussion. You may be frustrated, angry, or hurt and so may he or she, but always stay calm and reasonable. Your goal should be to resolve differences, and the only viable way of doing so is through open and direct communication.

5. Criticize gently. Don't judge too harshly. If you criticize, do so in the same way you would want others to criticize you. Be kind and considerate.

6. Never stop courting one another. Gifts, compliments, and a loving embrace go a long way, especially when they are a surprise. Send unexpected greeting cards, slap a Post-It note where you know your mate will find it, keep those flowers coming in a "just because" way. Treat your partner with the same courtesies you did when you were dating. A terrific mindset is to pretend you are trying to win your partner all over again.
7. Keep the flame burning. Keep your romance alive despite the chaos and craziness life can present from living in the midst of sheer reality. Resolve to offer up romantic suggestions for your partner's pleasure, even if only occasionally, like cooking her favorite meal when you know she's had an impossible day, or entice him into a bubble bath with you just for the fun of it. Little gestures like these from time to time can ensure that the flame you once had burns forever.

8. Spell out your terms of endearment. Call out the expectations for one another in the form of the "terms" of your relationship together. Put them in a contract, if you like. This contract will simply clarify and document those needs and wants that mean a lot to you. For example, though he typically runs late, your agreement might specify those times when he agrees not to be late; she may agree to keep her spending at a certain limit, though she typically has little restraint as she traipses through the mall. Discussing these boundaries, as well as your needs and wants, can prevent either of you from stepping over the line and causing irritation. It is often the disappointments (needs and wants, gone unexpressed) that bring down a relationship.

9. Renegotiate your contract. Your relationship will evolve, and your needs and wants will change right along with it. Once a year, it's a good idea to review, update, or revise your contract with each other -- whether it is verbal or written. Be mindful, however, not to allow such a "contract" to ruin your relationship.
from Yahoo.

Calamare after Quake

Who's in for a calamare feast in the morning? Here's what i've digg. There was an earthquake in San Diego last week and strange things follow not aftershocks but squids rush to shore.

It was an odd start to the morning in La Jolla. First residents were jolted out of bed at 7.34 a.m. by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake that was centered 19 miles out to sea.

“I was having coffee up on the balcony and I felt it shaking,” Kate Lutkemeier said.
She wasn’t the only one.
“I heard my doors and windows rattling, thinking that somebody was trying to get in my front door actually,” La Jolla resident Mary Skeen said.
The quake was felt all over the county, which isn’t uncommon in San Diego -- but what happened just minutes later was a little fishy.
“We just got here about 15 minutes ago and Lilly, what did you see on the beach?” John Feher asked his little daughter. “Squid, squid, squid, squid, squid.” she replied.
Dozens of dazed Humboldt squid which were roughly three-to-four feet long and weighed close to 40 pounds were flapping around on La Jolla Shores beach.
“It’s like their equilibrium is all messed up and they don’t know what they’re doing and they can’t back out there,” Bill Baumann said. “It was like they got -- I don’t know -- all shook up.”
It didn’t take long for the seagulls to swoop in and start feeding on the squid, so beachgoers ran to the rescue and tried frantically to save them by throwing them back in the water. That proved to be a difficult task for several reasons -- they were extremely heavy, very slippery, and when the good Samaritans did manage to get them back them in water, the squid didn’t know where to go and kept washing back up.
“Some people were saying it was the earthquake this morning that caused them to get disoriented but who knows? Feher said.
He wasn’t the only person to mention that theory.
“A state guy was out and said the earthquake caused (it),” Baumann said.
Lifeguard Sgt. David Rains said that is one of several possibilities -- there are a lot of fishing boats in the area so there is a lot of fish activity and those kind of creatures always follow the food supply. He also said there have been a lot of water inversions and the water has turned from warm to cold -- but he doesn’t know for sure.
“Why are they here? Why are the squid here? I can’t honestly tell you,” Sgt. Rains said. “I don’t know if it’s tied or not to the earthquake.”
According to the lifeguard, swimmers should be wary of the creatures and keep their distance.
“The Humboldt squid can be very big and very powerful and they may be dangerous,” Sgt. Rains said. “It’s just something I wouldn’t mess with until you’re sure that it’s dead. They’ve got a lot of suckers and claws and a parrot like beak and they can inflict some damage.”
A spokesman for Scripps Institution of Oceanography said at this point they do not see a connection between the squid and the earthquake, but plan to look into it. Dozens of squid washing up at the same time is unusual but it has happened before, according to Sgt. Rains. But Mary Skeen said it is a first for her.
“I have never seen squid in the 42 years that I’ve lived here on the shores in La Jolla,” she said.

For now there are more questions than answers; did the earthquake cause the squid to wash up or was it simply a coincidence? Just ask the little girl who helped daddy push some alien looking creatures back out to sea.
“Is it a mystery?” Feher asked his little daughter Lilly. “Yeah,” she replied.

from NBCBAVARE.COM

Extreme Schemes

We are all for finding creative way to make a buck these days. But would you do what these women did?


MOM ALWAYS SAID , DON'T GIVE IT AWAY: Natalie Dylan, 22, is selling her virginity. The aspiring marriage and family therapist (no kidding) from San Diego, CA, describes her business plan as “being pro-choice with my body.” As of present time, Dylan (a pseudonym) claims the high bid is $3.8 million; the deal will be consummated at the Moonlite Bunny Ranch brothel in Nevada, where prostitution is legal. Dylan says she will submit to an exam to prove her purity. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/12/natalie-dylan-auctions-of_n_157329.html


SICK IDEA: Dannille Vanderpool, a police dispatcher in Napa, CA, faked ovarian caner to score more than $ 50,000 in donation, thanks to fundraisers held by friends. The 35-year-old even shaved her head to get that chemo look, scaring her 8-year-old child. Arrested in April, she was charged with 13 counts of grand theft.


TIES THAT BIND: In an attempt to extort $50,000 form her ex-husband, Alejandra Arriaza, 39, of Miami, had herself kidnapped, along with her 17-year-old son, this past spring. Her plan went south, however, when police raided the apartment where they were being held. Turns out the kidnapper was Mom's boyfriend. The couple, now in custody, could face life in prison.


NEWS OF HER DEATH, GREATLY EXAGGERATED: Kimberly Du, 36, of Des Moines, IA, forged her own obituary back in December 2005, hoping to dodge the $500 in fines she racked up in traffic tickets. But a month later, Du was pulled over for speeding , while very much alive. The judge gave her two years' probation and ordered the lead-footed Lazarous to pay the $500 fine. http://www.kcci.com/news/7541510/detail.html


LOSING THE BABY WIGHT: Belgian Sonia Ringoir, 31, was accused by her estranged husband of selling their twin baby boys for $13,000 to a friend this past winter. Why? To pay for gastric-band surgery. A slimmer Ringoir was charged with “degrading treatment” of children, and faces five years in prison. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1094648/Mother-sold-twins-9-000-pay-liposuction-operation.html


From: marie claire bulletin

Paris Katherine Jackson - Broke the world to tears

Today crave another history as the world watch Michael Jackson's Memorial at Staple Center in downtown LA. Interstate and some road were closed just to pave way going to Laker's staduim.


LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- An 11-year-old girl who lost her father made the world cry with her on Tuesday

"Ever since I was born, daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine," said Paris Katherine Jackson, the second of Michael Jackson's three children, as a massive memorial service for her father neared its end in downtown Los Angeles.
"And I just want to say that I love him so much," Paris added, before breaking down in tears and burying herself in the arms of her aunt, Janet Jackson.
Her aunts, uncles and two brothers who were on stage at the Staples Center arena reached over to console Paris. Thousands of mourners in the audience dabbed their eyes with tissues.
It was the first time they had heard from a girl who, along with her two siblings, have often been hidden by veils or blankets when seen with their father. "Everybody just broke down," said Tracie Laymon, a filmmaker from Los Angeles, who was in the audience. "Wow, it was really powerful."
It was the same refrain from other fans as they left the star-studded service or watched the broadcast on their television sets or online.

from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/07/michael.jackson.wrap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

A Fight too short, too hyped - Pacquiao Versus Hatton

Early this year a fight between the Pacman and the Hitman is being stich to sport's history book to be the most anticipated fight of 2009. This could be the years loudest most talked about event, but what made this fight more exciting is not the fighters alone but the spices of both trainers' prefight prediction which I think hype it all.

Since February, I've been saving comments and prefight analysis mostly on Hatton Camp that I find interesting. These are all i have saved and after watching the fight also are my comments.

Starting with Floyd Mayweather Snr: he has a message to Manny Pacquiao

"Tic-Tac-Toe, Manny you better stay down if you want to be around" - ahh lemme see, as I could remember in less than 24 hours it's the other way around.

Lee Beard:

"In this fight Manny will make the same mistake as normal and Ricky will capitalize. If Ricky does get his shots off when these mistakes are made this fight could be a lot easier for Ricky than people think. Ricky is a big Light Welter and Manny is in good shape for the weight but he is naturally smaller, in his fight with Marquez he was hit with a left hook that shook him, now I believe, If Ricky were to land the same shot Manny would be knockedout.

Manny make some massive errors and he is very repetitive in some of his movements and with certain punches and the way he throws them. I think Ricky will stop Manny within 6 rounds. I think the first time Ricky gets hold of him and unloads, Manny won't know what's hit him. If Ricky fought Diaz - he would be way too fast, too big, too strong and stop Diaz in 3 to 5 rounds; and If Ricky was on the ring with Oscar that same fight night in December it would have ended within four. Me and Floyd Snr. have been talking and putting game plan together and we are 100 percent confident Ricky will knock Manny out early." - okey i couldn't catch up where to put all Mr Beard's analysis. He's saying "IF" count how manny Ifs are there, If Manny misses shots, made a mistake, caught off-guarded, a smaller opponent under 140lbs will end up sleeping in less than six rounds...oh i see now, well IT DIDN'T HAPPENED!

where is their 100 percent game plan in 359 seconds?! All I saw was the same old Ricky brawling, trying to find the Pacman and being HIT by a dozen blinding hooks and jabs. Did he think he could still stand the power of Manny after knockedown twice in the first round? hmm adrenaline rush perhaps?

Brad Cooney of 8countnews.com:

"Hatton is a come to you, fighter so if he plans to come to Manny, expect to see a the British version of a human bubble head doll in the ring. If Hatton is to pull off an upset, he will need to hit Manny with something he doesn't see." - Yes, indeed he is a 'come to Manny' fighter and No he was NOT a human head version of a bubble head doll (only Manny has that version during the Giant game and he was giving it away to fans.) instead he was a human punching bag that Manny always welcome to target practice, Ricky wasn't even close to a speedbag.

"There will be blood, and more likely it won't be on Manny Pacquiao's face."- This didn't happened since none of the boxer had blood on their faces.

Evander Holyfield: "It's not so much how hard someone hits, it's more of a matter hit with something that you do not see." - So true as Ricky had not seen where those punches came from plus a perfect punch that goes him good night.

Ricky Hatton:

"It's a shame you can't be inside me and see how confident I'm feeling." - Indeed it was a shame, we don't need to be inside you mate because we don't want to see those twinkle twinkle little star.

"The reason why I think I'm going to win is that I've seen Manny drops to body shots from smaller men a few times. I've seen him shaken up by head punches. Bear in mind, I'm the biggest fighter he will have fought against." - We haven't seen that one in your fight because it was too short. If someone went for a pee and comes back he could have missed the action. The bigger you are the harder you fall and it was true all along.

"If Manny Pacquiao decides to bang at close range, the fight is going to be over in 30 seconds." - Now you got it right this time Rick. You just forgot to mention it will be you and not Manny that will be gone in 30 sec. or was it 12 sec? I could not be sure, I need to review when exactly...

"I've only lost in 46 fights and that was up to Welterweight, I won a world title at Welterweight but it's clear it's not my natural division. I really think I'm the boss over my opponents with my size and strength and with my extra boxing ability now which, from what I've heard from Pacquiao Camp I don't think they've prepared for, they're going to be in for a shock." - Make this one your 2nd loss and from your natural weight this time. What you've heard was probably hearsay from Manny's Camp. You should have watch HBO 24/7 and pay attention to it. Manny gave you a lot of pointers there. It could have been easy for you than hiring Floyd Snr.

"Hatton is the better boxer. Hatton is the better ring General while Pacquiao is more like a ring Buck-Private." - Okey I will agree on the ring General thing for your effort to rush in like a raging Bull while Pacman is like a Hunter not a Buck-Private, waiting for the bull. I will put it that way.

"Three or four fights ago, Manny would have beaten me. I don't think so now. I feel so much relaxed because I'm boxing technically so much better. I'm jabbing and moving a lot better." - Three or four fights ago would still be the same if you have fought Manny since there were no fight difference you've shown us. As what you're fans says there is only one Ricky Hatton... fighting the same style I guess.

Michael Marley:

"I'm putting 75 large on Hatton to win this fight. It's time to pay off the mortgage Oceanfront Cape Cod estate. Maybe I will have the Kennedy clan over for the ceremony in which I take the mortgage papers and incinerate them the way Hatton is going to burn Pacman character." - I would presume Mr Marley got a huge loss this weekend too. Doesn't he know it is not good to buy a house these days? and the Kennedy to do the ceremony? - CANCELED! because Pacman's character is here to stay while the "Hitman" won't.

What really happened during the fight was Ricky's game plan (if there is) went overboard. He admitted later that he ruled his heart over his mind and that he didn't expect such speed and power would finish him too quickly.

I believe during his practise was quite different as we see him being the tougher man, the improved fighter. He got that great confidence in him after beating Paulie convincingly. Yet fighting the Pacman is quite different than fightin Paulie. I do not believe Malignaggi's speed and power is similar to Pacman. Then during the fight Ricky ruled his ferocity over game plan which resulted his early stoppage.

Indeed, Ricky brought us all a shocking performance. An unpresidented brutal knock out, we all didn't expect from him in such an early round. I could remember the early days of Mike Tyson where he always demolish his opponents in less than 3 to 5 rounds.

From what had happend, I still believe that Ricky could come back and prove us all that he belong to the most feared fighter in boxing less Mayweather Sr. as his trainer because he not only talk to much but in the end leave his lad, worse put the blame on his fighter for the defeat. What a sportsman Floyd Sr is. He is indeed a one of a kind coach.

There were manny prefight prediction on Hatton's Camp before this fight actually happened. What I've written is just a piece of the pie; a lot more we can find among boxing sites, from TV to sport webcast sites. Thanks for visiting.

Is your PC Infected?

Computer-virus infections don't cause your machine to crash anymore.
Nowadays, the criminals behind the infections usually want your computer operating in top form so you don't know something's wrong. That way, they can log your keystrokes and steal any passwords or credit-card numbers you enter at Web sites, or they can link your infected computer with others to send out spam.
Here are some signs your computer is infected, tapped to serve as part of "botnet" armies run by criminals:
• You experience new, prolonged slowdowns. This can be a sign that a malicious program is running in the background.
• You continually get pop-up ads that you can't make go away. This is a sure sign you have "adware," and possibly more, on your machine.
• You're being directed to sites you didn't intend to visit, or your search results are coming back funky. This is another sign that hackers have gotten to your machine.
So what do you do?
• Having anti-virus software here is hugely helpful. For one, it can identify known malicious programs and disable them. If the virus that has infected your machine isn't detected, many anti-virus vendors offer a service in which they can remotely take over your computer and delete the malware for a fee.
• Some anti-virus vendors also offer free, online virus-scanning services.
• You may have to reinstall your operating system if your computer is still experiencing problems. It's a good idea even if you believe you've cleaned up the mess because malware can still be hidden on your machine. You will need to back up your files before you do this.
How do I know what information has been taken?
• It's very hard to tell what's been taken. Not every infection steals your data. Some just serve unwanted ads. Others poison your search result or steer you to Web sites you don't want to see. Others log your every keystroke. The anti-virus vendors have extensive databases about what the known infections do and don't do. Comparing the results from your virus scans to those entries will give you a good idea about what criminals may have snatched up.
source:Yahoo

Airline's Rule 240

Rule 240, a 30- year-old relic of the days when airlines were regulated, at one time bound carriers to put you on the next available flight.

This refers to a “condition of carriage” which specify the circumstances in which you are entitled to an airline compensation. These may be meal vouchers, a hotel room, be booked for a substitute flight or maybe a partial or full refund.

These days, the airlines make their own rules; some have retained the name “Rule 240”. Unfortunately, Delta's policy allows for its “sole discretion”.

Canada introduced Flight Rights Canada in September, and Europe has had a formalized set of passenger rights since 2005. The good news is, you're covered if you're flying out of either place (even on U.S. carriers) or into Canada, though not into Europe. At Canadian airports, for example, airlines must announce schedule changes, give meal vouchers for delays of more than four hours, and hotel accommodations for those of more than eight hours. Passengers now must be given the option to disembark if they've been stuck on the tarmac for more than 90 minutes. The European Commission's rules specify that delays or cancellations that prevent you form completing your trip entitle you to a refund of the unused portion within seven days, even on nonrefundable tickets. Hotel accommodations and meals must be provided for delays of 24 hours or more. In the absence of a U.S. Nationwide Passenger Bill of Rights (the Department of Transportation approved a set of voluntary guidelines in November), some states have taken it on individually, with little luck 2007, New York passed such a bill after delays on the tarmac at JFK Airport stranded JetBlue travelers for more than 10 hours. But the bill was knocked down by a federal appellate court.
Until there are similar measures in place in the State – and there is no sign of that happing soon – here's what you can do now:

CHECK THE AIRLINE'S CONTRACT OF CARRIAGE. Every airline post a contract of carriage on its website. Each is different; Northwest, for example, states that it will put you on another airline's flight if you experience a missed connection and a Northwest flight is unavailable, while Delta has the final say. Familiarizing yourself with – or even printing out – your airline's current rules before you fly may save you angst later. And flying with companies that voluntarily abide by some rules is a good idea. JetBlue has since developed its own customer bill of rights, promising that you will never be stuck on a plane for longer than five hours and you'll be compensated with vouchers for future travel if you experience delays of more than one hour.

KNOW WHAT THE RULES ARE ABROAD. In case you are traveling from Canada or Europe on a U.S. carrier, the distinct possibility exist that airline's staff won't be aware that you have more rights there than you do here. You'll find the European Commission's rules at its Air Transport Portal (apr.europe.eu), and Flight Rights Canada on the Transport Canada website (tc.gc.ca/flights).

DO SOME LOBBYING OF YOUR OWN. You don't have to take your lack of rights sitting down (unless, of course, you're stuck in a tarmac right now). Contact your congressperson, learn more about bills in legistlaion, or join the efforts of the Coalition for an Airline Passenger's Bill of Rights (flyersights.org).

Super Bowl XLIII

Okay so I'm not familiar with American Football – not even I know a team under NFL.
Why I'm blogging this? It is because I'm curious about today's game, the XLIII Super Bowl.
So what make this game so popular that even a presidential inauguration would be moved because it falls on the Supper Bowl games, now I didn't mean todays game but way back to President Bush Sr. era. My uncle told me.

I've heard how marketing ads sky rocket during the Super Bowl game. Imagine, a 100K per seconds ads and not all advertisers can put their clever multi million 10 seconds or so ads on air. Only a chosen few can brag their ads to the viewers.

Even some telemarketers give us a break during Super Bowl games, they don't have someone to bother to because the whole American nation is stuck to their TV's with chips and beer. Well neither of the two items I have during I watch the game on TV, with me were the remote and my curiosity. How the game is played and scored is still something I don't know as of the moment yet as I write this article. Google is set aside for now but for sure I will look into it sometime soon. So that when somebody ask me “do you like American Football?” I can relate whatever they are saying or asking.

Steelers and Cardinals were playing in today's Super Bowl. It was physical and tight game. Steelers scored first 10-0 after the second half the Cardinals starting to Catch up then the game started to get intense as the crowd cheered every defying moments during the game.

When the score was 20-16 Steelers I thought it's gonna be over but the other team fought back and gave it a 20-23 Cardinals. With 35 seconds left Steel's Santonio Holmes made a historic final minute touchdown and gave it 27-23 to Steelers the Championship Super Bowl ring.

Perhaps next year I could now pick a team to cheer in the NFL Super Bowl.

Our unconscious brain makes the best decisions possible

Researchers at the University of Rochester have shown that the human brain—once thought to be a seriously flawed decision maker—is actually hard-wired to allow us to make the best decisions possible with the information we are given. The findings are published in today's issue of the journal Neuron.
Neuroscientists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky received a 2002 Nobel Prize for their 1979 research that argued humans rarely make rational decisions. Since then, this has become conventional wisdom among cognition researchers
Contrary to Kahnneman and Tversky's research, Alex Pouget, associate professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, has shown that people do indeed make optimal decisions—but only when their unconscious brain makes the choice.
"A lot of the early work in this field was on conscious decision making, but most of the decisions you make aren't based on conscious reasoning," says Pouget. "You don't consciously decide to stop at a red light or steer around an obstacle in the road. Once we started looking at the decisions our brains make without our knowledge, we found that they almost always reach the right decision, given the information they had to work with."
Pouget says that Kahneman's approach was to tell a subject that there was a certain percent chance that one of two choices in a test was "right." This meant a person had to consciously compute the percentages to get a right answer—something few people could do accurately.
Pouget has been demonstrating for years that certain aspects of human cognition are carried out with surprising accuracy. He has employed what he describes as a very simple unconscious-decision test. A series of dots appears on a computer screen, most of which are moving in random directions. A controlled number of these dots are purposely moving uniformly in the same direction, and the test subject simply has to say whether he believes those dots are moving to the left or right. The longer the subject watches the dots, the more evidence he accumulates and the more sure he becomes of the dots' motion.
Subjects in this test performed exactly as if their brains were subconsciously gathering information before reaching a confidence threshold, which was then reported to the conscious mind as a definite, sure answer. The subjects, however, were never aware of the complex computations going on, instead they simply "realized" suddenly that the dots were moving in one direction or another. The characteristics of the underlying computation fit with Pouget's extensive earlier work that suggested the human brain is wired naturally to perform calculations of this kind.
"We've been developing and strengthening this hypothesis for years—how the brain represents probability distributions," says Pouget. "We knew the results of this kind of test fit perfectly with our ideas, but we had to devise a way to see the neurons in action. We wanted to see if, in fact, humans are really good decision makers after all, just not quite so good at doing it consciously. Kahneman explicitly told his subjects what the chances were, but we let people's unconscious mind work it out. It's weird, but people rarely make optimal decisions when they are told the percentages up front."
Pouget analyzed the data from a test performed in the laboratory of Michael Shadlen, a professor of physiology and biophysics at the University of Washington. Shadlen's team watched the activity of a pair of neurons that normally respond to the sight of things moving to the left or right. For instance, when the test consisted of a few dots moving to the right within the jumble of other random dots, the neuron coding for "rightward movement" would occasionally fire. As the test continued, the neuron would fire more and more frequently until it reached a certain threshold, triggering a flurry of activity in the brain and a response from the subject of "rightward."
Pouget says a probabilistic decision-making system like this has several advantages. The most important is that it allows us to reach a reasonable decision in a reasonable amount of time. If we had to wait until we're 99 percent sure before we make a decision, Pouget says, then we would waste time accumulating data unnecessarily. If we only required a 51 percent certainty, then we might reach a decision before enough data has been collected.
Another main advantage is that when we finally reach a decision, we have a sense of how certain we are of it—say, 60 percent or 90 percent—depending on where the triggering threshold has been set. Pouget is now investigating how the brain sets this threshold for each decision, since it does not appear to have the same threshold for each kind of question it encounters.
Source: University of Rochester

Mismatch Indeed!

While firmly stapling his place in boxing history Filipino phenom Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao, last night, a big nail into a golden casket, undoubtedly ending one hell of a career for the Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya. In front of a sold-out crowd of 15,001, what began as a partial De la Hoya crowd inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas watched as a Hall of Fame fighter whose done nothing but great things for the sport get soundly beaten to the point of quitting.
The Olympic Gold medalist and six division former champion entered the bout admittingly towards the tail end of a wonderful career, looking to finish strong by taking on the pound-for-pound best fighter in the sport.
To make this “Dream Match” a reality Pacquiao, who started his professional boxing career at the tender age of 16 fighting at 106 pounds, moved up two weight classes from where he last fought, at lightweight, in order to meet the legendary De La Hoya.
A heavy media and considerable sportsbook favorite, De La Hoya, who won his first title before Pacquiao ever stepped inside the ring, entered the bout with the pressure of being expected to win a fight against the much smaller man.

Promoter Bob Arum is making arrangements to be at Manny Pacquiao's birthday on Dec. 17 in General Santos, Philippines. "Manny's win on Saturday night was one of the most exciting and biggest in Top Rank history," Arum said. "I am thrilled. Manny and Freddie (Roach) convinced me they could win it and they came through. I cannot wait to get to the Phillipines and celebrate."

It was an antisipated Saturday night. Most people back in the Philippines were glued to their TV or probably flocked to a nearby Gym or a restaurant to view the “The Dream Match” between the Pacman and the Golden boy.
I was with my family and my sister with her boyfriend that afternoon in Des Moines to celebrated my birthday a day ahead since the fight would be in the evening. So it would be like a double celebration. My DVD recorder is already standing by to capture the mega fight.
Early this week I already received some email from my buddies on board asking me to get a copy since they can't watch it since they are still at high seases and besides If ever they get a copy back home in the Philippines it would be full of annoying TV ads.
As the first under card started around 8pm Central, I thought the main event would be early because most of the under card ended only in less than 2 rounds. Forget the under cards It was boring and not worth watching. They (Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotion) should have put a much interesting bouts especially that Lopez / Medina thing. Medina is no doubt a weekend paycheck fight so as Lares.
A lot of nervous Pacman fans comments just before this fight, It is so annoying to hear their comment that Manny have no chances against Oscar. Even one local government official in the Philippines would want the fight canceled because they value Manny so much that they don't want him to get hurt.
Yeah right, who got hurt now? ehey!
I even heard one prediction that that fight could have been Manny's last fight because he surely be in trouble against Oscar.

It was a mismatch indeed. But not for Oscar's favor but of Manny...

Well done Manny and advance happy Birthday!

Why XP

Here is the second part regarding Windows Vista. You will see here why XP user should not avail Windows vista instead. Again this is from a magazine I read and want to share here for more information to those who are not so technically-inclined people with regards to computers like myself but willing to experiment new and different things to their personal computer.

10 Reason Not to Deploy Windows Vista
by Alan Sugano

With a weak economy, businesses need to do more with less. When it comes time to consider upgrading a Windows XP environment to Windows Vista, many companies are choosing not to. Ultimately, upgrading has to make business sense, and many companies find the cost to upgrade outweighs any benefits they receive. Here are my top 10 reasons why companies are staying away from Vista.
1.Vista requires new hardware or significant hardware upgrades. To get acceptable performance on Vista, you're probably looking at significant hardware upgrades, if not a new computer. In my work environment, we've found the minimum requirement for a Vista Desktop is 2GB of memory, a dual core processor, 80GB hard disk drive, and a video card with at least 256MB of VRAM. For most users, these specs mean getting a new computer because upgrading an existing system isn't cost effective.
2.The additional cost of additional upgrades. There's a good chance you'll have to upgrade your applications as well. Unless you're running the latest version of your application, you'll probably need to upgrade – or at the very least install a patch – for Vista compatibility. Application upgrades could cost thousands of dollars per desktop, depending on the number and type of applications your company's running. Make sure you check for compatibility and upgrade problems before committing to upgrading your entire company.
3.Compatibility problems with applications. Even with the latest updates, you might still encounter compatibility problems with some applications. You might even be forced to change applications if the vendor doesn't plan to support Vista. VPN clients, accounting applications, faxing applications, and some graphics programs have caused problems in my environment.
4.Training cost. With the upgrade form Windows 2000 to XP, users could pretty much figure things out on their own. With Vista, you might not be so lucky. Many programs and utilities have been moved in Vista, and your users might have a difficult time location them. When I first started using Vista, I wanted to view my installed applications. I launched Control Panel and looked for Add/Remove Programs, but it wasn't there. I eventually found the applet – renamed Programs and Features – but the search added to the frustration of getting up to speed with Vista.
5.Vista requires significant tweaks. Changes to User Account Control (UAC), local user rights, and application settings might be necessary to get your company's applications to run on a Vista computer. Most of these settings can be controlled with Group Policy; however, finding which settings to change can be the real headache.
6.Boot times and the patch installation process. This is one of my pet peeves: Vevn with a fat computer, Vista is slow booting up. Vista SP1 has helped somewhat, but when I”m wainting for Vista to boot, all I can think about is how fast my machine would be if it were running XP. During some patch installations, Vista installs the patch, reboots, runs another process to complete the patch installations, I always seem to get hit with the double-boot patch installation at the beginning of meetings, so everyone has to wait while my machines completes the patch process before I can show my PowerPoint presentation.
7.Laptop performance problems. Properly configured, the current generation of desktop computers generally has acceptable performance running Vista. However, if you have a laptop – especially a sub notebook – you could encounter performance problems. You might need to disable some of the features on Vista, such as Aero, to obtain acceptable performance.
8.Windows XP works well. XP is stable, and it's more compatible with existing applications than Vista. Vista is arguably more secure, but some of the security features, such as UAC, can be so irritation that companies end up disabling them. XP isn't perfect, but it still works acceptably for most users, so many companies are hesitant to purchase an upgrade.
9.Limited payoff in productivity. Most people don't mind going through a learning curve if there's a significant payoff. Vista has some nice features; however, in my organization, we haven't experienced a big productivity payoff after getting up to speed with it. In contrast, there's a significant learning curve with Microsoft Office 2007 because of the changes to the UI. But after getting up to speed with office 2007, I can honestly say that I create documents faster and more easily than before. I haven't experienced any similar benefit with Vista. At the end of the day, upgrading has to make business sense.
10.Windows 7 isn't far away! In may opinion, Microsoft realized it missed the mark with Vista and is now scrambling to get the next release of Windows out. I think many companies are waiting to see the new features in Windows 7,currently scheduled to release in 2010, and might just skip Vista altogether. Vista is looking more and more to me like Windows Me all over again.

Deploy Windows Vista

A lot of us are skeptical about Vista and not to consider it rather we want the hassle-free XP in our OS. So here it is, I've found an article from a magazine that might pave way some Vista doubts perhaps an eye opener to what Vista could do in whatever business you're into. This is a two-part article. The battle between Vista and XP.

10 Reason to Deploy Windows Vista
by Mark Minasi, Windows IT Pro Magazine

At the tender age of a year and a half, Windows Vista remains the Rodney Dangerfield of Microsoft OSs – it don't get no respect. And that's a shame. Its biggest competitor ( no, not Leopard _ Windows XP SP3) is darned good, but a close look will show that Vista is better in many ways. If you're staying with XP because you're satisfied with it , then great , but don't avoid Vista just because your plumber's cousin's stockbroker heard that it was bad. Here are 10 reasons you should consider making the switch.
1. You won't need as many images. If, like most of us, you deploy your desktops with an image-based system such as Symantec Ghost or Microsoft's free ImageX tool, then you know that XP images tend to be hardware-specific: Create “the sales laptop image” on a Toshiba laptop, for instance, and it often won't work well on an HP or Dell laptop. Vista is much more accommodating; you often need only two images for your entire organization : a 32-bit image and a 64-bit image.
2. Finally, a desktop search that works! For nearly 10 years, Windows and Office have included tools that index the files on your computer to make searching for those files possible. Unfortunately, those tools have had a tendency to be clumsy and slow. In contrast, Vista's search index works unobtrusively and makes for lightning-fast searches.
3. A more complete backup tool. Ever tried to rebuild an XP box from scratch, using only a set of files created by XP's built-in backup routines? Ugh. Vista changes all that with its Windows Complete PC Backup and Restore, an image-based backup system that backs up your whole computer to one big file. My experience show that this system works quickly and allows bare-metal restores to quite dissimilar hardware – just make sure that the target hard disk is the same size or larger than the original.
4. Start great conversations. Next time you're out with your techie friends, tell'em that you're switching to Vista – there will be plenty to talk about after that! Seriously, if you are moving to Vista and people ask you why on Earth you'd do that, remind them that just about every Vista complaint – it's slower than the previous version, there aren't any drivers, it's not backward compatible – is a complaint that people leveled at XP when it was new. Look, XP's a great OS, and if you're happy with it, then by all means stay with it – but don't bypass Vista because of second-hand FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, & Doubt).
5. Windows BitLocker Drive Encryption protects your mobile data. Laptops are great for busy travelers... until they're accidentally left in a bar, on a plane , or in a cab, as reportedly happened to hundreds of thousands of systems last year in the United States. In contrast, absentminded folks who exploit BitLocker's encryption system might still lose their laptops, but no one will get their data. BitLocker is available on Vista Ultimate and Enterprise (although, incomprehensibly, not on Vista Business):
6. Get more out of Group Policy. Vista includes about 700 new Group Policy settings that let you control fleets of computers from one central location. Some new options include controlling power management settings, allowing nonadministrative users to lad approved drivers, and restriction which devices users can install on a Vista box.
7. Get a tougher Windows. Service programs wield great power in Windows, making them irresistible targets for malware writers: seize a Windows service, and you've often seized Windows itself. Vista uses a more secure way of building Windows services so that they have less potential to do damage and are isolated in their own little private universes, which makes a compromised service a much less juicy prize.
8. Confuse the bad guys with ASLR. Another Windows toughener is Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR), a feature that rearranges the relative location of Vista's different components in memory. Past creators of Windows worms such as Code Red, Nimda, SQL Slammer, and Blaster relied on the fact that every copy of XP load each of its components in the same location from computer to computer. Shuffling the deck with ASLR makes it much harder for the bad guys to write a worm that targets every copy of Vista.
9. Centralize events with Event Viewer. XP's event logs are useful for keeping track of your computers, but every computer maintains its own logs. Managing dozens of desktops means either wearing out a lot of shoe leather or buying a third-party event log aggregator tool. Vista's Event Viewer , in contrast, lets you centralize any of group of system's events to a single system.
10. And lots more! Resize existing disk partition with Vista's Disk Manager. Put eight gigs of RAM on your system and see and use! - all of it. Easily tell Vista to send you an email message if a particular event occurs . Eliminate LAN Manager hashes, that persistent 1980s security
hole, once and Intel Turbo Memory for a system that comes out of hibernation in just 12 seconds. Give Vista a close look, and you'll find lots of things to like!

Scam Emails

A sweet-talk from scammers who sends bunch of junk email everyday. It is really annoying to receive such junk in our mailbox each day. You might have read one of these letter from stranger asking you to reply with your Name, Phone number, Bank Account, etc. because you have a cash waiting, not just a cash but millions of dollars or euros even gold bars deposited to some fictitious person. Animation at its best. Here's an example:

Dear Friend,
I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting that fund transferred. Now I want you to contact my secretary and ask him for a cheque worth of USD$900,000,00 which I kept for you as a compensationof your past assistance to me
Note that if you did not send him the complete information,he will not release the cheque to you because he has to be sure that it is you. Note also that I will not be reached by email or phone at thismoment because I am currently in London for investment trip with my share.
Regards,Eze Chinasa

What a jerk! The sender doesn't wish to be contacted because she is in London?! Here's another one.

Dear sir I am Mr JEFFERY M ANTHONY, a personal assistant to Mr Dirk ,who died in a car accident.I have contacted you as the beneficiary to the late Mr Dirk to claim the fund valued at €4.5 million euros and 150Kgs of Gold he deposited before he died.Your immediate/urgent response is needed now and dont hesitate to call me now.Please get in touch with me through the above email or my alternative email :(jefferymanthony@live.fr). My tel+229 976 72 880
Again what a stupid person.”Your immediate response is needed,” but DON'T CALL ME NOW?! And he leaves his number...Yeah great story huh?
A lot of this funny yet annoying stories I'm getting every day from my mailbox. I know that this is far, way far to be true. How I wish I can “unsubscribed”them. If I could but no, they will keep coming.

If you receive an unsolicited e-mail seeking you to receive a large sum of money or be presented as the next of kin of a large fortune from someone you never heard of (especially if that person resides overseas), don't believe it. This is almost certainly a scam where you will be asked to pay some type of fee before you can claim the money or you will be presented with a phony check and asked to return a share. Don't be fooled by official looking documents as scammers make a living forging these things. Also many scammers work in rings and have partners who may pose as lawyers, government officials, bank officials etc. Be aware!

Trick or Treat

Halloween is just around the corner. Kids and teens alike look forward this day for a trick or treat. So by now kids are busy looking for custome to wear. As parents, We too are excited to see our baby to enjoy her first trick or treat. Well, The Dark Knight movie kick the screen with a bang. Is my baby looks good on this costume? hmmm... guess not.

ahh.. Cow! Holy Cow! -- Melamine scare us much these days so I say, we may just pass on this one. Looks cute on her though. Or maybe one of these devil-looking guys (not the Batman). Jack-o-latern looks good, a bit bulky to carry her though. Again we just have to pass on this items.

Oh what this?! - Very refreshing for cars. Isn't this a famous car freshner eh?! She'd be wrapped tight and might be grumpy with this. I know there are still better for my baby.

Until I saw this one... The Pink Bunny. I think this will be perfect for my li'l one.

We've already prepared chocolates and candies for the kids that might come and visit us. If they don't then I have a whole lotta bags of Kit-kats and Snickers bar for snacks.

Fall and Walnuts

In our backyard, falling walnuts from its tree were scattering all around. I have a neighbor who likes to gather every Fall just before they leave for Winter. She painstakenly go through the process of peeling off the skin, drying it and breaking the shell just to get the meat, no bigger than a penny. Her nemesis are these smart crawling squirrels who will just wait for her harvest; sneaking a few dozen nuts.

Wherever she puts it outside, the squirrels follows her and wait when she'll get her eyes off her harvest.

Last year during my first Fall after i moved from my home country - The Philippines. I didn't know what a walnut looks like from the tree. Well of course, I've seen and ate this fruit but not while it is still fresh. Walnuts are good for salads, pies, cakes even in chocolates have this, too.

So my neighbor asked me to help her showing me the process how to do it. I have no idea how difficult to get a meat out of this of fruit. The shell after being dried for days gets hard to crack. Men, you need a hammer to pound it! What you'll get is a tiny broken pieces of it. No wonder this is expensive in our local grocery store.

Fall season is the time where creatures like the squirrels go and gather their food to prepare for winter. These tree-dwelling rodents with a bushy tail have their own weather channels so they know when to get some stuff like the expensive walnuts.

The Executioner has done it again

Bernard Hopkins has done another great on boxing last night by dominating the rest of 12-round against the younger champion, Kelly Pavlik. Though it was not a championship fight. Bernard not only showing great hand speed but also skills he always have through 20 years of experience.

There is an old saying in boxing that says every great fighter has one great fight left. Former two-time world champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins, at age 43, proved that adage true after he turned in a masterpiece against his 26-year-old opponent, world middleweight champion Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik last night in front of 11,332 fans at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. Fighting at a catch-weight of 170 pounds in a non-title bout, Hopkins, 170, of Philadelphia, PA took Pavlik, 169, of Youngstown, OH, to school, winning 33 out of a possible 36 rounds scored by the three judges.

It was indeed a different prospective last nights fight, Bernard was the more agressive, more resilient fighter while Pavlik was the slower one who took on the beating againts the old folk. A very different Kelly Pavlik I've seen.

After the fight, I can't help but wonder what might possibly happened to the much anticipated match againts Manny Pacquiao and Oscar dela Hoya on December 6, just a day before my 32nd birthday.

The world saw it last night that experience dominated againts a much younger opponent. Again, it would stir another debate to who will prevail; the bigger, heavier and older Oscar or the young, the flash, and the hard hitting Pacman.

Whatever the outcome of this fight there is one thing for me for sure, i would be infront of a TV or pc watching this megafight.

A suitcase worth remembering

A 2-moth-old baby whos life was extended after being rescued by ship 96 years ago sells treasured momento of what was left of them and her family. In 1912, baby Elizabeth Gladys "Millvina" Dean and her family were steerage passengers emigrating to Kansas City, Mo., aboard the Titanic. She is selling the rest of the stuff so she could pay for her nursing home.

Rescued from the bitterly cold Atlantic on that April 1912 night, Dean, her 2-year-old brother and her mother were taken to New York with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Before returning home to England, they were given a small wicker suitcase of donated clothing, a gift from New Yorkers to help them rebuild their lives.
Now, Dean is selling the suitcase and other Titanic mementos to help pay her nursing home fees. They are expected to go for $5,200 at an auction of Titanic memorabilia Saturday in Devizes in western England.

Early this year, another ship from the Philippines with around 900 souls onboard met their fate amids a tropical storm, less than a mile off Romblon island. Only less than a hundred made out of this sea tragedy not one of them are children; who could have tell us something about what had happened like Millvina today. Unlike her, those who survived who tell their tales were men and mostly sailors.

What i bought on my first Google cheque

It started last February when i saw an article regarding blog that earns. So with my curiosity sets in, well i said, "heck, why won't i give it a try." Without any background on how to do it; i stumble upon Blogger after a few Google searching and blog readings.





Here it is one day, I was able to set up my not so popular Blogger site (even now) LOL. Days past and it was earning. A few cents per week or a few bucks a month, it all sum up over a hundred, seven months later. I thought It was dormant but one day to my big surprise. A mailed cheque was on my mailbox. Wow, it was from my Google account!





I made a promise to my wife that if ever by chance i can get something out of this curiosity-blog thing, I will give my daughter her first portable DVD player. Last weekend i found this DVD player at Best Buy which is a perfect gift for my daughter. She loved it!



Together with that DVD player i found is a webcam. Our last one which was an A4 tech got broke so i bought a replacement. This Life Cam VX - 3000 has a good review so i took it. Me and my wife were not disappointed when we use it.

What i bought on my first Google cheque? -- A portable DVD player for my daughter and this sleek web cam plus a Big Mac. Laptop your next!

Ten Scariest New Car Features

10. Rain-Sensing Wipers
Rain-sensing windshield wipers have crept from high-end luxury cars to everyday models like the Toyota Avalon. They generally use infrared sensors to monitor a certain section of the windshield for moisture or dirt, then trigger the wipers to respond according to a threshold the driver sets. They usually work OK — until, invariably, they don't. When one editor's Volkswagen Jetta tester had its rain-sensing wipers suddenly spring to action one cloudless night, it was mildly frightening, to say the least.
9. Soda Can Cool Zone
Various automakers offer air-conditioned compartments to keep sodas and other sundries cool. Problem is, those cool zones get hot in the summer when the car is off; we had a couple sodas explode in a certain Dodge after a 90-degree weekend. A spokeswoman told us the car's so-called Chill Zone is not intended to be used as a refrigerator. All the same, we came away a bit steamed. And sticky.
8. Smart Transmission
The Smart ForTwo deserves its own category. The minicar's automated-manual transmission shifts gears with its own electronic clutch while the driver sees a traditional automatic setup. Drive the thing and you feel like you're on a bucking bronco. Once you're through first gear, the transmission stutters, shudders and very nearly takes a personal day before engaging second. The same thing happens on the way to third, and fourth, and fifth. Sorry, Smart, but this gearbox is anything but.
7. Power-Sliding Doors
Parents, rest assured the power-sliding doors on upscale minivans employ all sorts of electronic cutoffs to ensure they won't eat your Brownie troop. But we'll admit the prospect of power doors that can do their thing by remote 20 or 30 feet away can be a bit, um, dicey. They can also add hundreds of dollars to a car's out-the-door sticker. If you're feeling the pinch, go with manual sliders and open 'em yourself.
6. Multi-Manual Owner's Booklets
The thought of wading through an owner's manual to figure out how something works is daunting enough. Try wading through 10 of them or more; that's the number of pamphlets, manuals and quick-start guides included in some cars' libraries. With online directories only a click away, do you really need a state-by-state list of dealerships? Memo to carmakers: Just because it goes in the glove box doesn't mean it needs to be a box set.

5. Self-Parking Cars
Ian Merritt, Cars.com
Lexus' self-parking feature is optional on the LS sedan. Line up the superimposed square in the backup camera with your intended parking spot, gently let off the brakes and the LS will slowly steer around adjacent cars as it backs into the spot. You have to press the brakes to bring the car to a stop at the end. We didn't know Big Brother had a valet job, either.
4. iDrive
Even among the trio of similar dashboard interfaces from Audi and Mercedes, BMW's iDrive is utter knobsense. Directional inputs send you to various submenus, but in most models there are no shortcut or previous-screen buttons around the knob. In many models, street labels sit on a horizontal plane no matter the direction of the street, and if you need to scroll along the map you have to spin the knob to move east/west, then click it down and spin it again to move north/south. If you get the hang of it, you'll be ready for "Survivor" tryouts.
3. Voice Turn-by-Turn Navigation
Navigation systems have been barking out orders for years. With the exception of Land Rover's charming Brit, most of them employ a female American voice whose intonations range from casually disinterested to downright annoyed. Some systems try gamely to pronounce street names, but the result is usually anything but clear: You're cruising along, and she suddenly directs you to turn left on ... what was that? Ah, Fockner Ave.
2. Heart-Rate Monitor
You read correctly. Volvo's Personal Car Communicator monitors the cabin and pulses a light on your keyfob if your car has an unexpected visitor inside. TV ads show a woman approaching her S80 in a deserted parking garage, seeing the warning and hightailing it away. The thought of having this feature is scary in and of itself — not for fear of being carjacked, but because we wonder what sort of paranoia would drive you to want it.
1. Overly Aggressive Seats
Driver's seats run the gamut, from flat benches to the sort of hip-huggers you'd get in an F-15, and some of the more extravagant ones don't sit so well with us. The BMW 7 Series offers a massaging driver's seat, but its throbbing motions feel downright Frankensteinian compared to a real massage. In some of Mercedes-Benz's pricier models, active side bolsters automatically inflate to hold you in as you take a corner. They're convenient on highway offramps and winding roads, but 90-degree city turns can result in sudden rib pinching as the seats go hog-wild to keep up. Avoid large spicy meals beforehand — or wade through the Benz's onboard computer menus to turn the feature off.

From Yahoo Autos