Top 10 City Skylines

The downtown core of big cities across the world, are the cultural pulse and economic engines of urban regions where millions of people live. The skyline is the fingerprint of that city. All urban life begins each day and ends each night under the watch of the city’s tallest skyscrapers and most grand architectural structures. So kick back and appreciate the view that they have to offer…

10. Seattle, USA



Seattle is the commercial, cultural and advanced technology hub of the Northwest USA and a major port city for Pacific and European trade. Home 4 buildings over 200m and the famous 184m Space Needle observation tower, Seattle is surrounded by mountains and water and offers some picture-perfect views. Seattle is commonly referred to as the Emerald City and renowned as a great social and corporate city with infrastructure. The planning is spectacular, as it helped create the hill-like effect on the skyline’s silhouette, add the mountain backdrop and this city is almost a picture perfect. Best View(s): Kerry Park Franklin Place.

9. Shenzhen, China



What was a tiny fishing village on the border of Hong Kong in 1970 is now a buzzing metropolis of over six million people! Already containing 20 buildings at over 200 meters tall, including the Shun Hing Square (the 8th tallest building in the world), the development is not stopping. There are photos of Shenzhen floating around the Web that appear so surreal, experts and enthusiast argue whether or not they doctored or real. Shenzhen is a spectacle of lights and neon signs after sunset, you can’t help but ask yourself… if you are in a video game or in a real city. The only downfall of the Shenzhen skyline is it is often criticized for its high levels of smog.

8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia



This is probably the most impressive city worldwide that has less than 2 million residents. Marvelous modern buildings reach the sky here, and while the skyline is not exactly the densest, it does allow buildings to soar and stand out. Kuala Lumpur has 10 structures standing over 200 meters tall with three of them being in the 25 tallest buildings worldwide. Kuala Lumpur is also home to the tallest twin buildings, the Petronas Towers as well as the peaking, 420 meter Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower. Along with Singapore are said to be the frontier cities to boom from the Southeast Asian economic revolution.

7. Toronto, Canada



Toronto is a meeting place, a crossroads of many cultures and ethnicities. . Toronto has 7 structures in its skyline that stand at over 200 metres, including the astonishingly tall 553 metre, CN Tower, which is often referred to as the tallest free-standing structure in North America. Currently, the CN Tower possess the world’s highest observation deck, making this city’s skyline one of the most immediately identifiable. Toronto, also contains a diverse collection of renowned architecture, including it’s city hall. Toronto also has one of the densest financial districts in North America only beaten by New York and Chicago. Toronto is still experience a condo boom where 30 story condos have been springing up along the lakeshore and in the suburbs. Best View(s): Centre Island or Leslie Split

6. Tokyo, Japan



Tokyo is the world’s most populated city and considered by many to be the capital of the Eastern world. Its skyline has a number of unique characteristics that set it apart from other big city skylines, among them 18 structures at over 200 metres tall (including the Tokyo Tower which changes colors every night). But because of the density and vast size of the city, every corner appears to have its own skyline. With the height restrictions and the required red lights that flash atop all mid to tall-sized buildings make the city look spectacular at night. Tokyo is filled with neon lighting and unique, contemporary architecture, and like New York City is also often portrayed in movies for its aesthetic and eye-catching cityscapes. The Mt. Fuji range in the distant view, adds that technology meets nature contrast. Interesting fact: Tokyo houses the world’s largest fleet of helicopters to get around town if traffic gets too crazy.

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Top 10 Crippling Phobias

Everyone fears something. Whether it’s a child fearing the boogey man (bogyphobia) or even fear of the number 13 (triskadekaphobia). These two seem potentially unfounded fears, though there are real people who are particularly afraid of them. Certainly fears are crippling to the person with the phobia; however, there are also some potentially crippling fears that could halt someone in their tracks on a daily basis. To be included on this list, the reason for the phobia has to be something that a person can encounter every day. Don’t be afraid, read on.

10. Chronophobia



The fear of clocks might easily be overcome; however, the alternate definition of chronophobia is the fear of time. Time surrounds us, it binds us – sorry, Star Wars moment there. If a person were to rid herself of all reminders of time such as clocks that would be one thing. But fear has a way of creeping up on someone. As soon as she thought about the fact that time is slipping away, perhaps their sanity might as well.

9. Stasibasiphobia



Most people might think that couch potatoes have this fear of standing up and walking. It’s not true; most couch potatoes are just averse to the idea. However, a person with stasibasiphobia could very well never get anything done in life, unless he was confined to a wheelchair. But what happens if that person is afraid of someone else standing up and walking? Does that mean the phobic must live in isolation in a sitting position for the rest of his life? What a drag!

8. Domatophobia



Most Americans want four walls, three meals a day and a bed to sleep on. Unfortunately, most of those things are on this list as crippling phobias including domatophobia, fear of houses or being in a house. The only logical cure to this phobia would be to live in a cave or some other natural enclosure unless the fear doesn’t extend to apartments or condos. Either way, that’s a portion of the American Dream dashed.

7. Decidophobia



You just did it! You just made the decision to continue reading this list, which includes the phobia of making decisions, decidophobia. A person who cannot make a decision is likely to be eternally stuck in a rut. Unless something becomes second nature such as everyday routines, a person could be crippled by the simple decision of what to eat for breakfast.

6. Nyctophobia and Photophobia



For these two fears, they are sides of the same coins like a Yin-Yang symbol – literally. Nyctophobia is the fear of night or darkness, while photophobia is the fear of light. Perhaps the only way to handle these fears is sleeping through the night or through the day, then again turning on all your lights might help a phobic handle the fear of darkness, not necessarily the electricity bill. On the flip side, a photophobic would have to live in the dark for the rest of his life – talk about being white as a sheet.

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Top 10 Myths About Sex

There is a lot of sex talk out there, but there are just as many fallacies finding their way between the sheets as there are truths. Now we all know that the size of a man’s appendage versus his outer extremities (hand, head, foot) has no proven correlation, and nor does the act of self-gratification stand to make one go blind. There are however several myths that have not been publicly chastised for their ridiculous nature, and often are still believed to be truth rather than fiction. Let’s look at these top ten myths about sex.

10. A Cold Shower Dashes the Libido


A cold shower has been said to curb peak sexual appetite, simply by reducing the amount of testosterone levels in men and estrogen levels in women. There is simply no proven basis for this belief, and in fact, an English study for Thrombosis has shown that a cold shower actually stimulates libido by increasing hormone levels. The end result is even more sexual excitement than was first started with. Take heart all ye anxious ladies and gentlemen, as I hear a ball peen hammer and wooden plank still does wonders for destroying ones sexual appetite!

9. The Power of a Lover’s Stare


The power of a lover’s stare has been written in romance novels ever since an ink pen was first laid to a piece of parchment. True lovers have been said to have the ability to stare into each others eyes for hours on end, falling in love again and again, without ever growing tired. However, what has actually been found in studies, is that staring at your lover has about a 50/50 chance of promoting feelings of love and passion. The other fifty percent of the time it promotes aggression and annoyance, which has been documented in couple studies as fighting and arguing. I guess it is true… all’s fair in love and war!

8. Sex During the Final Stages of Pregnancy


A lot of expecting couples express fear of hurting their baby during intercourse. Especially during the final trimester. However, most research today not only shows that intercourse is completely safe for the child, it actually can promote a healthier, speedier labor and delivery. It is an old wives tale that sex is bad for the fetus once it is past a certain stage of growth. Many doctors say that you should be able to have a healthy sexual relationship with your partner right up until the day of delivery. Chalk much of this myth up to man’s over-exaggeration of his unit!

7. Thinking of Someone Else During Sex is a Bad Sign for a Relationship


Did you know that upwards of 90% of all sexually active folk in the world think about someone else during sex with their partner. It is actually a completely natural part of a healthy sexual relationship. The majority of folks think about friends, neighbors, or co-workers, while a slightly smaller percentage (25% of Canadian men) prefer fantasizing about imaginary characters. Everything from Betty Boop to the Lone Ranger has run through the minds of countless lovers over the decades, and should not be considered an indicator that a relationship is heading for the rocks.

6. Women and Fast Cars (Modern Myth)


If you were to ask a woman today if she was turned-on by the growl of a big engine, she would probably scoff at the thought. In fact, in light of the popular green movement, it is now popular for women to prefer men who drive environmentally-friendly vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius. However, a recent study says differently… a lot differently. It turns out, women show substantial increases in sexual arousal (measured by testosterone in saliva) while listening to the sound of a high performance Maserati, as compared to a low performance Volkswagen (VW) Polo. In fact, the VW actually decreased the arousal of women below that of the baseline of watching the nerdy scientists test their equipment before the study began. Talk about an anti-aphrodisiac!

5. Inbreeding Produces Babies with Three Heads


While considered a bit of a joke, inbreeding has been said to cause everything from a baby with three heads to mutant X-Men. In truth, while inbreeding should not necessarily be considered a good thing, it is not nearly as bad as some people think. A 30-year Western Australian study, looked at cultures who regularly practice first cousin marriages and found no abnormalities in their offspring beyond that of what would be expected from any other traditional, unrelated couple. The same myth also applies to inbreed animals, who are not always the weaker of the species.

4. Race is a Good Indicator of a Man’s Sexual Endowment


While some races have enjoyed basking in the limelight of these rumors, there is actually no scientific basis of this myth. While your cousin’s friend, who knew a girl, who dated several professional basketball players claims this myth maybe true, a study from the Porterback Clinic, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, and St. James’ Hospital, says differently. The study found that a man’s physical endowment had absolutely nothing to do with his race, creed, or color. It’s has much more to do with that haphazard toss of the genetic die that came soon after that glimmer from our parents eye.

3. Plentiful Sex and the Swinging Single


While it is common belief that once you get married, sex gets thrown out the window, most research suggests that married couples actually have more sex than the swinging single. This is mostly because couples living together are presented with more opportunities to have sex. Anywhere from 25 to 300 percent more opportunity for sex, on average. However, over the course of marriage, sex dwindles, leaving the frequency of sex comparable to that of a lifetime of living single. One way to improve your odds of having more sex, is to marry multiple times. However, the stress of all those marriages/divorces just might toss you right into an early grave, leaving you with even less sex!

2. Sex Every Seven Seconds


The common belief by many women, is that men think about sex at least once every seven seconds. Truth is, men today are actually too weighed down with thoughts of success and finances to devote that kind of brain power to the subject. In fact, only half of men (54 percent) think about sex once per day according to the Kinsey Institute, while the other 43 percent designate just a few fantasies spread out over the course of a week. An abysmal 4 percent think about just once over the course of an entire month. Talk about a grossly overinflated female-chauvinistic rumor.

1. Premature Ejaculation (PE) is an Abnormality


No man has ever been proud to be deemed a “premature ejaculator” by his lover, but in truth it is more of a hardwired system for survival, than an abnormality. The average male can last 5.4 minutes before lift-off, which was biologically pertinent to the population of the planet back in the early days. When faced with man-eating chickens, men had to get the job done quick. There was no time for flowers, song, and love poems. The threat of a Tyrannosaurus charging while in the throes of passion, was enough to make him even quicker, which is why anxiety is still one of the leading causes of PE.

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Top 10 Internet Illnesses

FACT: You use most of your body when you are sitting at a computer typing on a keyboard – not just your eyes and fingers. Your muscles allow you to sit in an upright position and all of your organs are working (sometimes, even your brain).

Sadly, despite this amazing fact, surfing the Internet does not qualify as a workout.

Is your surfing position an Igor-style hunch rather than a hang ten? Do you have the wild, crazy Igor eyes to match? Then you need to read this list!

Eligibility: To get on the list, the condition must be directly related to Internet use (I’m defining condition as an illness, disorder, or injury).
Rank: Ranked by the seriousness of the condition and number of people affected, as interpreted by me (it’s my list).

As always I will personally reply to any recommendations or complaints in the comments below, so go nuts (but not nuts like #3 below, please…)

10. Eyestrain


When you use your eyes a lot, they get strained- so when you stare at a computer screen intensely for hours it isn’t a surprise when your eyes get sore. According to mayoclinic.com: “Although eyestrain can be annoying, it usually isn’t serious and goes away once you rest your eyes”, placing it firmly in tenth place on this list.

9. Health Anxiety/Pain Catastrophization


Some people have a tendency to misinterpret or over-interpret pain signals. According to Wikipedia, “psychologists refer to this as pain catastrophizing (the tendency to think the worst when one feels pain).” According to the same source, health anxiety is a “sense that something is seriously wrong that does not lessen with normal test results and reassurance from health professionals.”

Thanks to all of the scary medical information available on the Internet (some of it’s even true), people who never experienced health anxiety or pain catastrophization before are now freaking out. Speaking from experience, the Internet can make a borderline hypochondriac cross over into crazy town. Thanks a search on the Internet, a sudden case of the late-night sniffles could be nasal polyps or even diphtheria. We’re not saying it is for sure, but there’s a chance… pleasant dreams!

8. Headaches


There are three different types of headaches associated with Internet use:

Tension Headaches – The term ‘tension headache’ is misleading. These headaches are not caused by stress but often due to strain to your neck or eyes. According to mayoclinic.com, they “can last from 30 minutes to an entire week”.

Chronic Daily Headaches - You suffer from these if you have a headache for more than half of the days in a month.

Stress Headaches – Apparently it’s not the big stress that causes your head to hurt. It’s the small annoyances all day long. So, if you spend a lot of time on the Internet it may be time to switch to a faster connection or upgrade to a new computer if you spend a lot of time staring hopelessly at your computer screen while it downloads information or crashes on you.

7. Back Pain


Poor posture results in back pain, particularly when it is accompanied by obesity, smoking, or lack of exercise. Now I’m sure there are many people out there who sit on a Pilates ball and crunch carrot sticks while they spend hours each day Digging, Stumbling, or Tweeting – but, if you’re the Internet equivalent of a couch potato you might want to cut back on the corn chips and do some sit ups or something…

We interrupt this list while the writer goes to take a Tylenol or two – her back is killing her!

6. Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT)


If you’ve been on an airplane in the last few years you’ve probably seen the warning information about Deep Vein Thrombosis: it’s “the formation of a blood clot in a deep vein” (Wikipedia). Also known as “economy class syndrome”, air travelers who don’t move around and are dehydrated are particularly vulnerable to this kind of blood clot.

The key points here are immobility and dehydration: If you are so immersed in your “Second Life” that you don’t remember the last time you went outside or drank a glass of water in this life, you are at risk. I couldn’t find any Internet related DVT cases documented, but I still think it deserves 6th place because a DVT blood clot can dislodge itself, travel to your lungs, and kill you. Zoiks!

So, move those legs around or try to type standing up for a change… oh no wait, that would be bad for your back…

5. Munchausen Syndrome


The Internet provides endless chatrooms, online support groups, and social networking sites where people can share their problems, seek advice, and get sympathy.

I was shocked to learn that some people actually fake illnesses or tragedies just to get attention. They pretend to be victims of rape, assault, abuse, and serious illness in order to get attention: a symptom of Munchhausen Syndrome. And, according to an article at the BBC News website, the “internet may be encouraging people to pretend they are ill in order to get attention, according to US research.”

In the same news article quoted above, a Dr. Feldman from Alabama explains that persons with this syndrome can be treated with “a chance to get… attention from medical professionals in a psychiatric setting. However, most patients do not want this. They want to have a serious medical ailment and not a psychiatric illness” (news.bbc.co.uk).

4. Facebook Depression


According to the Daily Mail, Facebook and other social networking sites make teenage girls “prone to anxiety and depression”. Along with texting and emailing, these sites allow teens to coruminate (a fancy word for talking about things over and over and over again). According to the same article, “repeated conversations among adolescent girls, particularly about romantic disappointments, worsen their mood and create negative emotions” (www.dailymail.co.uk). Prior to this teenage girls apparently did not dwell on topics such as ‘do my bangs look funny’ or ‘why didn’t he call?’ for hours and hours and then sulk in their rooms.

These are the results of a study conducted on 83 teenage girls at Stony Brook University (NY). One of the doctors, Dr. Davila, offers this antidote for teenagers who continuously talk about the same problem: “They could change the subject”.

Parents of teenage girls everywhere now plan to send their daughters to Stony Brook University so that they too can learn to deduce blatantly obvious solutions to things that everyone already knows.

3. Internet Rage


While it might be argued that Internet Rage itself is not really harmful to your health, it can lead to Internet stalking and perhaps even violence – so if you are the one inciting the rage then you should beware.

According to Tim McDonald of www.newsfactor.com, one of the sources of Internet rage is “information overload”. He explains, “the sheer volume of information available on the Web — and the slowness in accessing it — causes a great deal of stress, according to the independent survey commissioned by WebTop, a British Web indexing company.” He also reports that a study “found that 68 percent of the 200 people surveyed found computer glitches more stressful than spending a weekend with a partner’s parents, and 38 percent found them more stressful than being stuck on public transportation.”

Internet Rage manifests itself all over the place, from the comment section of a blog post to the headlines on your local news station.

Browse the comments under a Youtube video, a website’s forum, or on someone’s blog and it doesn’t take long to find some very nasty words. Perhaps the anonymous nature of the Internet encourages people to say what they really think. The worst part of this is that it’s contagious- your angry comment angers others, and the downward spiral continues.

Please let me point out that when your therapist suggested that you ‘write your feelings down’, she didn’t mean in the comments section of a blog. If you can’t restrain yourself, then try to limit yourself to sites that actually want your harsh words, like justrage.com or mybiggestcomplaint.com.

Some people say, ‘get over it’, but I think we have a right to be appalled and upset by fellow human behavior. It brings us all down, so stop passing your bad vibes onto other people, already!

And, by the way, you’re not as anonymous as you think so you might want to stop before you enrage someone who is even more of a nut job than you are. A Mr. John Jones experienced this in 2005, after getting into an argument with another man in a Yahoo chatroom, who then used “details obtained online… traveled 70 miles to Mr Jones’ home… and beat him up with a pickaxe handle” (new.bbc.co.uk). Yikes!

Okay, so enough Internet Rage – there’s only two more spots left on my list and then next one is a real pain in the neck:

2. Upper Limb Disorders (ULD)


Upper Limb Disorders include: neck tension syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, tendinitis (mainly hands/wrists), tenosynovitis, bursitis, repetitive strain injury (RSI), and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. All of these ailments can be linked to Internet use.

RSI Repetitive Strain Injury – the modern version of writer’s cramp, you experience pain and strain when you overuse one of your upper limbs (i.e. arms). “The basis for this illness concept is the idea that one can overuse a tool, such as a computer keyboard… in a way that causes tissue damage leading to pain” (Wikipedia).

Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – “The two groups of people most likely to develop TOS are those suffering neck injuries in motor vehicle accidents and those who use computers in non-ergonomic postures for extended periods of time” (Wikipedia).

Upper Limb Disorders earn second place on this list due to the overwhelming list of disorders they encompass and the fact that I couldn’t come up with anything funny for them (so they must be quite serious).

1. Internet Addiction


This is Number One for two big reasons: it actually has the word Internet in the title of the affliction and also because it has been fatal in some cases.

The nature of the addiction is also pervasive: when it comes to the Internet, someone can “be addicted to nearly everything, starting with pure act of typing, visiting chat rooms, shopping on-line and ending up with multiplayer games, which users characterize as “heroinware.” (www.infoniac.com).

Also, it’s so real that there are rehabilitation centres for treatment. In a NY Times article, Martin Fackler describes Internet Addiction rehab in South Korea: “Drill instructors drive young men through military-style obstacle courses, counselors lead group sessions, and there are even therapeutic workshops on pottery and drumming.” He goes on to explain the seriousness of Internet Addiction in South Korea, “It has become a national issue here in recent years, as users started dropping dead from exhaustion after playing online games for days on end…”

Are you addicted?

• Are you unable to limit your use of the Internet? Does it take up most of your free time?
• Do you lose your sense of time when you’re online?
• Do you take steps to allow yourself to stay online longer? (Do you stock up your desk with several meals? Wear a diaper? Drink energy drinks? Are you always improving your computers or your software?)
• Do you experience withdrawal symptoms when you are prevented from getting online? (Anger, craving, restlessness, moodiness, irritable, depression)
• Do you use your computer to escape reality?
• Do you lie to others about your computer use?
• Are you social isolated in the real world?
• Have you traded your real life experiences for emotions that you now experience on the Internet through social networking, games, and porn?
• Have you risked a real life relationship or your job over your Internet use?

If you were able to answer yes to several of these questions, please seek professional counsel for your Internet Addiction. Conveniently (and ironically) there are many online resources for you.

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Top 10 Dance Videos

Hip-hop, tango, tap dancing… it doesn’t matter! I’ve always wanted to see a well-curated list of the best dance videos on the internet, but have never found one. So, I’ve made it myself. Here is a list of the top 10 performances of all-time, captured on video. As a discerning dancer myself, I let no sub-par video slip by to make it onto the list…

10. Salsa by Carolina Cericola & Johnny Vazquez


Carolina Cericola and Johnny Vazquez are two of the best salsa dancers in the world. They specialize in LA style salsa, which is very flashy. They’re captured here performing a top-notch routine for the 2001 Mayan Salsa Competition in Los Angeles.

9. Popping by Robert Muraine


This is Robert Muraine’s audition from “So You Think You Can Dance”, using a popping routine. Robert Muraine is self-trained, and yet he is more honed technically than most professional dancers. The advantage of being self-trained is that he still listens to his inner voice about what creativity is, rather than becoming too focused on the “rules” of dance (a ridiculous idea in and of itself). Despite his self-training, he’s received top honors at international competitions, including Superstars of Dance. He left the show SYTYCD during contestant selection. However, he was brought back on as a guest later in the season, and was declared a greater popper than the lead male dancer on the show.

8. Hip Hop by ACDC Dance Crew


ACDC has grown into an international community of the world’s best hip hop dancers, with some celebrity support, too (not for the dance talent, just for the fun). They captured their dancing in this fantastic video during an online dance competition against M&M Cru (Miley Cyrus’ dance team).

7. Fusion Dance by Chris Mayer and Campbell Miller


There is a new underground scene of dancers who are mixing tango, swing, blues, and many other forms of dance to make a new style called fusion or turquoise dancing. This video from the San Diego Fusion Dance Exchange is the best example caught on tape. While performances of this quality (such as the other videos on this list) usually require practiced choreography, the dancers here use an extremely attuned connection, which allows them to improvise the entire number. It’s not as flashy as some of the other performances, but the video shows off a subtle, yet very difficult to acquire, skill.

6. Thriller by Michael Jackson and backup dancers the Electric Boogaloos


The music video for Thriller includes a brilliant dance routine choreographed by Michael Peters. A fantastic blend of dancers and choreography caught on film, with a nice theatrical twist!

5. Tango by Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo


This is a surreal tango performance by Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo, performing tango at the 2009 Superstars of Dance competition. They are highly regarded in the tango scene, arguably the best. This performance won them first place in the tango division at the “Superstars of Dance” competition in 2009.

4. Contemporary by Pam Chu and Ben Susak


Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, choreographed by Wade Robson, is the original piece that was performed on SYTYCD by Katee and Joshua, who won the season together. However, these performers blow them out of the water.

3. Tap by the Nicholas Brothers


Easily one of the most brilliant performances ever recorded, the Nicholas Brothers perform this dance piece in the movie “Stormy Weather.” They are spot on with timing, and the acrobatics while dancing are incredible! I really don’t need to explain why this made the list, just watch for yourself.

2. Waltz/Tap by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers


Of course Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were going to make this list, it was just a matter choosing which video. I selected their waltz in the movie “Swing Time” because they are able to blend waltz and tap, two extremely difficult dance styles, so naturally that they make it look easy!

1. Lindy Hop by Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers


Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers swing dancing in the film “Hellzapoppin” gets the top spot on this list. Check out their stunning skill, natural and comedic, without missing a beat. These dancers show swing dancing when it was at it’s best. A classic.

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Top 10 Future Contraception

Contraceptives, for tired parents and unshackled bachelors, have emerged as an immediate fix to reach a child-free state of nirvana. From condoms to IUDs, there are many birth control methods available for sexually-active individuals who want to avoid pregnancy. However, not all of them score high on popularity charts- mainly because they decrease or interrupt sexual enjoyment. Scientists continue to research better and easier methods of birth control, here is a sneak peek into the future of contraceptives:

10. Next-Generation Diaphragms


A diaphragm is soft dome that can be inserted into the vagina to cover the cervix before intercourse. A one-size-fits-all BufferGel Duet diaphragm is being developed for better protection against pregnancy. The polyurethane dome is filled with BufferGel that acts both as a spermicide and microbicide. Clinical trials are also underway for a SILCS diaphragm that is a silicone barrier contraceptive.

9. Dissolvable Contraceptive Implants


Implants are the newest entrants into the female contraceptive market. These small rods, once inserted under the skin, release a progestin hormone over a couple of years. The hormone stops fertilization by thickening cervical mucus and preventing ovulation. The implant can be removed when women opt out of birth control. Scientists are developing future implants that would not require a surgical removal. Biodegradable implants like Capnor that dissolve after a certain period of time will soon hit the shelves of pharmacies world over.

8. Heat Based Contraception


This is not going to sound pretty. Scientists are finding new ways to heat up men’s testicles. The knowledge about effects of heat on sperm production has existed since ancient times. New thermal-based birth control methods are being tested in various countries. Hot packs, pads and ultrasounds are being tested for their safety and efficacy. Some scientists are developing special “suspensory briefs” to achieve artificial cryptorchidism. Concerns over risk of cancer and infections are some obstacles that have come in the way of making a successful heat based male contraceptive.

7. Vas-based Contraceptives


It seems that sperm have become the martyrs for a glorious future of contraceptives. They are now being attacked at vas deferens (the route used to transport sperm from the testes to the penis). While a vasectomy cuts off the vas deferens, future vas-based contraceptive methods do only a temporary job. One such procedure undergoing clinical trials is RISUG or Reversible Inhibition of Sperm under Guidance. The method involves a polymer that, when put into the vas, kills the sperm. Men can get the polymer flushed out after they decide to stop using birth control.

6. Contraceptives Vaccines


Efforts are being made to develop a miracle shot that will prevent pregnancy. The vaccine would select certain targets in human reproductive system that are open to interference with antibodies. The basic targets have been FSH hormone in men and HcG in women. The vaccines are supposed to wear off in a year. So far, CV has not emerged as a stable and effective method for birth control. Scientists are also wary of potential side effects like auto-immune diseases and allergies.

5. Dry Orgasm Pills


Doctors at Kings College, London have found that certain medications for blood pressure have contraceptive effects. They clamp the muscle contractions required to move sperms through male reproductive system. Men taking these sperm can have orgasms without releasing any sperm. In the long term, these medicines cause infertility. Research is being done to develop a pill that will start acting within 3 hours of ingestion and wear off gradually after that.

4. Contraceptive Sprays


Knowing about human fascination with sprays, it’s not surprising that researchers are developing contraceptive squirt bottles. The spray, laced with a type of progestogen, is applied daily on the forearm where it passes on to the bloodstream. The idea is to offer women a convenient option with smaller doses of contraceptive drugs. The clinical trials have shown that sprays, unlike pills, have decreased side effects like breast tenderness, blood clots and water retention.

3. Career Pill


Dr. Roger Gosden, an American scientist, is developing an oral contraceptive for women that can put pregnancy on hold to help them pursue their careers. Birth control pills usually stop ripening of the eggs. The “career pill’ does not prevent the ripening process but simply delays ovulation. The research, still in an experimental stage, promises a breakthrough like no other contraceptive. It has given new hope to ambitious career women who are also under the pressure of a ticking biological clock.

2. Gene Blockers


Normal contraceptives that rely on hormonal control have side effects like nausea or headaches. Research is underway to find non-hormonal and reversible birth control options. A study done in Harvard Medical School has discovered a gene called CatSper that affects sperm mobility and fertilization. A contraceptive that acts a CatSper blocker could prove effective for birth control. Other research done at the same medical school identified a protein-producing gene that makes the sperm bind to the egg. A genetic contraceptive is being developed based on RNA interference that will silence genes like these to prevent fertilization.

1.The Male Pill


A pill that can control the massive sperm army unleashed by men has existed as a feasible birth control option for many decades. Yet, the development of the male pill has still been painfully slow. Scientists initially had to fight the idea that men would never use a hormonal pill. There has been a gradual shift; maybe celeb paternity suits brought a change in perspective. Male hormonal contraceptive is finally ready and being tested in the US, Europe and China. This birth control method uses testosterone, and sometimes progesterone, to stop sperm production. The reversible hormonal male contraceptive would also be available as patches, gels, implants and even injections.

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Top 10 Addictive Games

Life can be a boring routine for some of us. The job, the kids, the school system, the mundane realities of everyday existence can force the individual to look for excitement in other places. For some, this excitement is found in a relationship with a man or woman. For some, the rush comes from drugs or booze. Others shoplift from the mall or spray-paint their names on the walls; while others get a buzz from working out at the gym or on the basketball court. Those who still retain a recognizable dose of human competitive instinct but don’t want to exert too much energy become addicted to one or more of the following games.

10. Chess

Should you laugh when someone tells you that they are the President of the Chess Club? Probably not to their face. The truth is that the obsession with chess, as with many other games, is not always a bad thing. Chess has been linked in several studies to improve mental health and sharpness in individuals who play it and learn it on a healthy and active level.

Contrary to stereotypes, tons of attractive and successful people play chess. Check out egotvonline.com’s list of sexy female chess players to see what you are missing out on by not following that high-school interest in the fabled black-and-white board.

9. Pogs

It was Easter in the early 90s and the White House was, as usual, hosting their annual Easter Egg Roll. The theme that year (the idea that the nation’s marketing experts assumed could turn the largest profit) was Pogs. Pogs are small, cardboard discs, which probably cost nothing to make. Children across the nation have become enamored by the game, which involves stacking the discs an inch high and smashing the stack with a larger Pog (made of plastic, more expensive) which will then cause the stack of cardboard Pogs to flip. Depending on how the Pogs flip, one person will win and the other will lose. The winner will take the Pogs on, say, heads, and the loser will take the Pogs on tails.

I personally wasted probably $50 of my parents’ hard-earned money on this game at that aforementioned Easter event. Fortunately for me, the obsession did not take hold. I was out of the game before the noose tightened up and cut me off from all that I was worth. Others, mainly a long-lost childhood friend, were not so lucky.

8. Beer Pong

We have seen the tables in the hallways of frat houses nationwide. We have seen the beer-stained floors and the smashed Dixie cups. We have heard the urban legends about oral herpes and AIDS being spread from cracked lips or cut fingers pulling ping pong balls out of cups of beer. The game of beer pong is a somewhat underground symbol of the lifestyle of college students, the freedom to enjoy their selves in a garage or behind closed doors; beer pong is a monument to the young person’s ability to maintain athletic prowess even amidst the heavy consumption of alcohol.

The obsession with beer pong, for some, is quite literally a debilitating condition. Speaking from experience, I knew one young man who set a household record for playing 9 hours straight with only two breaks to eat and frequent trips to the bathroom. He estimates that in his 9 hours at the table he consumed somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 beers, although this number cannot be verified in any way and I suspect it was lower but he has insisted for many years that it is not.

Beer pong tables are the center of a party. Lines form around them and people cheer and sometimes decide their fates based on a game. Relationships are formed and broken with a dirty ping-pong ball. It is a monotonous waste of resources. It is… time to stop.

7. Texas Hold ‘Em

If you’re between the ages of 11 and 110, odds are you’ve heard of, or participated in, a game of poker. Odds are that the game was 5-Card Draw or 7-Card Stud. However, if you’ve played at a contemporary poker table in the US within the past 15 years, the chances that you’ve participated in a game of Texas hold ‘em are also extremely high.

Texas hold ‘em was first played in Robstown, Texas at some point in the early 1900s, although no one is sure who invented it, how, why, or on what exact date. The game involves many rounds of betting, lending to its popularity among avid card players who enjoy high-risk, high-variable, “bluff-able” games.

Childhood interest in the game can often lead to a late-teens online Texas hold ‘em addiction which, for the majority of players, ends in the loss of $50 or $1,000 and the perpetually recounted excuses: “I got a bad beat” or “I lost a hand cause the other guy didn’t know what he was doing and bet on something stupid.”

For some young people, however, the Texas hold ‘em addiction has resulted in high-profile fame, fortune, and unimaginable success. These stories only stoke the flames beneath those inept players who, despite their love for the game, do not have the skill necessary to compete at a professional level but have (or don’t have) the money to lose to players who do know.

6. Curling

Curling did not become widely popular until recent decades. While it is not typical of the games on this list, it has made the countdown on the basis of its absurdly arranged rule system and abnormal appearance. Players in half-slick-half-sticky shoes converge on an ice rink to push giant metallic discs toward a two-dimensional bulls eye painted at the far end of the ice.

Curlers are like golfers in the respect that much of their game time involves standing around staring at a motionless arrangement of variables and discussing what should be done. This discussion time, and the limitless number of variables, is the reason for the widespread curling addiction, which has swept the globe in recent years. Few other Olympic sports offer the home viewer such frequent opportunities to voice his expert opinion on how a shot should be made. Hockey is too fast-paced. Figure-skating is impossible to critique unless you have done it for a decade. No one can say anything about professional skiers. And distance ski jumping is over too quickly. Curling gives the sports fan time to formulate complex sentences like, “Yeah, oh yeah, I think he ought to push that thing right there” while standing up with a beer in one hand and making an arcing motion with his free arm.

The curling obsession is still in its early phase. We must wait to see the aftermath of this sport’s introduction into our world.

5. Magic, The Gathering

It’s Friday night and just down the street at the local gamer store a crew of men and women (mostly men) between the ages of 12 and 65 are assembled at ping pong tables which have been covered by animated playing cards depicting fantastic fictional characters and beasts. The men slap the cards on the table, talk, jeer, laugh, and occasionally raise their voices at one another.

Why aren’t these guys out chasing women? Why aren’t they at home with their wives? Why aren’t they writing their Congressman? What brings them back to this same place night after night, month after month, and year after year? The answer: Magic.

Online articles like Jason Alam’s I Won’t Lose My Second Wife: Quitting Magic quickly illuminate this game’s addictive and utterly destructive impact on the human mind. I would suggest reading it to fully understand the scope of this game’s addiction. And trust me, the list only gets worse from here.

4. World of Warcraft

The World of Warcraft series, aptly named because of its capability to totally immerse gamers into an alternative reality, has shot down countless young men who would have otherwise been experiencing the thrilling heights of their late-teens and early-20s sexual prime.

A strategic war game based in a fantasy landscape equipped with all sorts of outlandish weapons, monsters, heroic characters, and animals is just the beginning. The game eventually takes over the life of the individual- so much so that it becomes a part of the brain. Warcraft players will be cutting the lawn and thinking to themselves, what would I do if an army invaded over that sidewalk? Or, how many soldiers could I fit—if they were real, life-sized entities—into a kingdom the size of Lincoln, Nebraska (where I am pointlessly living out my pale and shattered existence in my brother’s spare bedroom while “getting my degree” from the local computer technology institute).

3. Starcraft

Starcraft is the bane of the online strategy gaming world. It is strikingly similar to Warcraft. The setting of the Starcraft strategy game is composed of an unrealistic intergalactic array of atmospheres and space stations set up specifically for unique battle strategy implementation. Players war against one another online by building armies in real time, massing attacking, and choosing a “race” of species that best fits their fighting style and personality.

There are two generations of Starcraft player: The Original Disc Junkies and The Brood War Edition Psychopaths. These two divisions are based on different releases of the game, neither of which has pulled away from the other in terms of popularity amongst online gamers.

Starcraft is a smashing success. When it comes to how many people actively play the game, which was originally released 12 years ago by Blizzard Entertainment, the numbers are astronomical. (Yes, 12 years ago means 1998… and yes, the original version is still being gobbled up with mind-numbing frequency.)

A group for Starcraft addicts exists on Facebook, and if you look around online there are plenty of stories (bogus or real, who knows) of Starcraft addicts committing various insane or illogical acts in the real world “as a result of playing too much.” Obsession with the Starcraft videogame is likened to alcoholism, drug abuse, or power addiction. It is impossible to overcome without a true life altering experience or change in mental perspective.

2. Call of Duty

Call of Duty, is a first-person “shooter” (a game in which the gun and the hands are the only visible parts of your character) Xbox game depicting the lives (and deaths) of American and British special forces soldiers as they combat a worldwide network of terrorist regimes who threaten to overthrow the United States of America and its allies.

The game itself lasts a mere 10 hours of playing time (give or take, depending on skill), but the real addiction begins when players register the game online. According to some less experienced players it is “impossible to stay alive against some of these [Call of Duty] internet gamers. They play for five or ten hours a day—and I’m not kidding.”

Rumors of addiction to Call of Duty include the story of a young man who, after winning the lottery for somewhere in the neighborhood of $100k, holed up in a beach house near San Diego with a crew of his friends and pissed winnings away on candy, soda, the occasional stripper, customized Xbox consoles, and an unbelievable flat-screen TV network which would allow the team of the gamers to play in unison. It is because of this story, told to me by a firsthand witness, that the Call of Duty gaming addiction ranks so highly on this list.

1. Halo

Obsession with this galactic first-person shooter is a serious condition amongst the young people of the United States. While at first the game brought people together in groups to play against one another, it has ultimately forged a society of predominately young males (along with games like Medal of Honor or Call of Duty) who live behind a flat screen television and communicate to other gamers via a headset.

While this communication is a positive thing for some people (those with disabilities who cannot leave the home, etc.) it is a dangerous addition to the already broad array of technological inventions which have severed person-to-person societal bonds by connecting human beings through virtual interaction instead of face-to-face communication.

And the addiction does not stop with playing the game. Check out geekswithblogs.net, where individuals spend extra “non-gaming” hours recounting the highlights (most of the time quite dry) of their daily adventures in cyberspace. This link also doubles as an “I’m addicted to Halo” blog. It’s like sitting through an AA meeting with a bunch of 14-year-old kids that you can laugh at or feel sorry for… your choice.

Let’s take a look at what one of them has to share:

“We were playing “1 Flag CTF” where there is one flag and each team takes turns as defenders and attackers. The map was Zanzibar. Zanzibar is an incredible map. Very fun and very fast passed. It particularly takes pretty good team work if you want to pull of a smooth win. The game was four-on-four and we finally came together and played like a team. My job was to open the gate in the energy plant…”

Disturbing and frantically scrawled lines like “My job was to open the gate in the energy plant” are beyond sad. This young man has truly stepped into a dangerous alternative universe that has the potential to dramatically shift his perceptions of himself and the world around him. As we peer further into the mind of this particular blogger we find this shocking confession:

“I’m entirely hooked on it now [Halo]. When a game goes that well, it’s eerily like a potent line of crack cocaine (not that I would actually know if this is a valid comparison mind you).”

Fortunately, crack cocaine is typically smoked in a pipe and not snorted in a line, meaning that this young man is probably not experimenting with hard drugs (or he’s a cover-up genius). Regardless, many of these Halo fiends are headed down a sad path straight to hell. If anyone can argue this thing out of slot #1, be my guest.

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Top 10: Hottest Tech Women of 2010

It's been a while since we last rounded up 10 tech hotties. The last countdown stirred up a lot of comments. Sure, a lot of them were from Viagra spammers, but the rest of you had things to say too. That's why our 2009 updated countdown includes some new favorites, as well as some of the girls who've stolen men's geeky hearts long ago. Missing from the list is the lovely Layla Kayleigh -- this tech hottie has departed G4, and she'll be sorely missed. Read on, and start thinking about who should make the list in 2010.

No.10 - Veronica Belmont



The new frontier of podcast has created all kinds of breakout hits, but there are few pod hotties more recognizable than Veronica Belmont. For years, Belmont has been involved with some of the best known podcasts, including CNET's Buzz Out Loud. The 27-year-old began as an audio producer and engineer for CNET, but her role quickly grew into that of a costar. After leaving CNET, Veronica produced content for the search engine Mahalo, until one short year later when she was hired away by Revision3 to cohost their video podcast Tekzilla, not to mention being the host of Qore on the Playstation Network.



No.9 - Cali Lewis



Cali Lewis is one of the hosts and creators of the four times a week smash hit podcast Geek Brief TV. Along with her cohost and husband, Neal Campbell, Cali creates and stars in four short episodes of technology-related podcasts, providing tips and tricks to hungry geeks everywhere. Then again, her looks haven't exactly hurt the subscriber rates either. 2009 looks to be the year Cali accomplishes her lifelong goal of driving across the U.S. and Canada in an RV with her husband and their two dogs. You have to love a woman with a love of cross-country drives.



No.8 - Marissa Mayer



Marissa Mayer has been on our list before, and with good reason. Besides her sharp looks, how about her title: Vice President of Search Products and User Experience for a little corporation named Google. Marissa was the first female Google engineer and one of the first 20 employees. Her intelligence has been central to Google’s astonishing success, and her PR savvy has made her the public face of Google in many press interviews and public events. And it’s been a big year for Marissa. In 2008, she christened the Cupcake branch of Android after her dessert of choice, and was named No. 50 on Fortune’s 50 most powerful women in the world. At 33, she is the youngest women ever on the list.



No.7 - Natali del Conte



Over the years CNET.com has remained one of the go-to sources for information about tech and the web. The fact that they employ hotties like Natali probably doesn't hurt, either. The 30-year-old beauty was raised in California, and now resides in New York, where she is now a senior editor for CNET, where she has hosted many shows over the years. 2009 is a big year for Natali -- as of January, she's been the new cohost of CNET's Buzz Out Loud podcast, one of the site's biggest and most recognizable casts.



No.6 - Amber MacArthur



Less known outside of Canada, the lovely Amber MacArthur is still the dream girl of many tech heads. Having worked in web strategy and marketing for big names in tech (Microsoft, you heard of 'em?), she went on to start hosting technology based TV shows. Famously, she hosted Canadian channel TechTV's Call For Help, later shown on G4TechTV. Over the years, she has hosted multiple TV shows, and continues to guest host and write content for TV and print media all over the world.



No.5 - Kristen Adams



Kristen Holt broke hearts last year when she got married. Still, the former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader is one of our favorite women in tech, and she continues her hosting duties for G4. She's got a great speaking voice, but she's an even better singer. She was a finalist on the first season of American Idol. And yes, she has a band. The newly married Mrs. Adams continues to host X-Play on G4: It's good to know that that hasn't changed.



No.4 - Morgan Webb



While Morgan has the looks and chops of a budding actress, her roots are firmly in tech. Before making it big she worked as a website administrator, and even worked in web research for The Screen Savers. Given her in-depth knowledge and a smoking look that’s called “camera friendly” in the business, she was soon moved from behind the scenes to being a contributor on the program. Her career in front of the camera has continued -- she’s now a contributor to several programs on G4, and 2009 has seen her appearing on more mainstream programs, including her appearance on Jimmy Fallon this past April.



No.3 - Jessica Chobot



Jessica Chobot showed up on everyone's radar overnight in 2005, when a joke modeling photo of her licking a PSP began circling the internet. She was hired on by IGN to host on their weekly show, and she's also a skilled writer. She contributes writing for the site, and her blog is one of the more popular sections as well. And for every guy who owns an Xbox 360, Jessica's contributions to video columns like IGN Strategize have been showing up on your dashboard. It's not every day a beautiful woman stops by to chat about video games.



No.2 - Jade Raymond



We got quite a few “it's about time” e-mails when Jade Raymond made it on our last countdown. As a producer with Ubisoft, Jade is a visible spokesperson for women in the gaming industry. She's also the host of G4's The Electric Playground, and in case you hadn't noticed, somehow still finds the time to look amazing. Jade's star is on the rise -- one of the games she produced was 2007's massive hit Assassin's Creed. The sequel is due out this fall, and we can't wait to see what Jade and the team come up with.



No.1 - Olivia Munn



The G4 network is home to some of the best looking women in tech, and Olivia is one of the network's most visible faces. Since 2006 this hottie has hosted G4's flagship program Attack of The Show, talking up technology, web videos and of course the hottest new games. If you're not tuned in to G4, there are still plenty of ways you can check out Olivia's work. She has posed as a cover model for Playboy, and is one of few women to do so that didn't pose nude. She's also been a cohost on Loveline, and if you can believe the rumors over at IMDB, next year she'll be turning heads in the upcoming sequel to Iron Man.



If you liked these girls then you'll want to check out our Top 100 Hottest Women of 2010

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