mX: Dementia & Texting

Feeling burnt out from work and university. And being the Aussie male that I am there is the urge to get something to relax...

Alcohol-related dementia is on the rise in young people in Australia. There are more than 15,000 Australians afflicted with younger onset dementia - 10 per cent higher than 10 years ago. And alcohol is the cause of one in five of those cases...

- mX in Memory loss link to booze from Friday, 17th of September

Not like people need to be told that too much booze is bad for your health. But maybe this will discourage that extra drink. And that wasn't the only hazardous thing that we young adults need to think about...

Texting while on the move isn't just a danger for drivers but for walkers too, a UK scientist has warned... One in 10 mobile phone users has already been injured because they are so engrossed in their phones and fail t notice bollards, lamp-posts or cars, according to Dr Joanna Lumdsen of Ashton University. New studies suggest that mobile phone texting uses up so much brain power, people simply don't see one in five potential hazards as they walk down a footpath.

- mX in Footpath wet, mind your text from Friday, 17th of September

mX: Friends, Machines & End-game

Life has been hectic lately due to the self-edit, self-edit University. Sorry for the foul language but I will be hating UWS for some time possibly forever. I digress, this issue of mX like several others got left under a bunch of journal articles, miniatures and scrap paper while working on several reports. So using the marvels of time-travel I will be posting it on the correct date. My imaginary friends don't mind as they know the following will never happen to them...

When you fall head over heels in love, you will have a heavy price to pay - two close friends... One is sacrificed to make way for the new partner, and the other disappears because of being ignored for too long... Typically, people have a small number of around five "inner circle" friends who they can confide in. It is these friendships that can be sacrificed for love, according to the new research outlined at the British Science Festival at Aston University in Birmingham... Although women tend to be more socially active than men, both sexes tended to lose the same number of friends.

- mX in In love, and out of friends from Thursday, 16th of September

Sounds believable since some of my fiancée's friends didn't take our relationship so well at the beginning. One of them is now enjoying her just deserts after she tried to get others to turn on me. Of course friendship may take on a new meaning if the development of robots make leaps and bounds in the coming years...

The replacement of humans by machines in the workplace took another step yesterday as Japanese researchers unveiled a model they hope could lead to humanoid menial workers... Standing 151 cm tall and weighing 39 kgs, the robot at yesterday's news conference stood on one foot, twisted its waist, struck poses, walked in accordance to given voice commands and moved its head to track objects... The price, for what is described as a "low-price" model, is about $334,000 per robot. The developers hope to sell three to five a year.

- mX in Say hello to Mister Menial from Thursday, 16th of September

The HRP-4 has potential but they could of given it a more serious looking head. I keep thinking Gundam whenever I see it. Robotics and programming isn't the only area that science has made progress in...

Scientists have hailed the "end game" in the battle to understand the causes of cancer and how to treat it. In a breakthrough compared to penicillin, doctors have successfully trialled a drug that uses genetic data to target specific tumours... All cancers are the result of mutations in individual genes, but the process of finding faulty DNA has taken a lead forward over the past few years thanks to new gene sequencing technologies. The advantages of gene-targeting drug is that they only interfere with cells with the mutation and leave healthy tissue alone. However, scientists still face a colossal task of unravelling every genetic mutation for every form of cancer.

- mX in End game claim for cancer from Thursday, 16th of September

mX: Pesticides & Shrinking

Found this mX under a pile of university related material and decided to use the time-machine to put up two mX articles...

... A US study tracked the development of children living in the Salinas Valley farming region of California, after first testing their mothers for organophosphorous pesticides (OP) traces during pregnancy... Australian toxicology experts confirmed the OP-ADHD link. OP pesticides act by disrupting neurotransmitters, particularly acetylcholine, which play an important role in sustaining attention and short-term memory.

- mX in ADHD linked to pesticides from Friday, 20th of August

That isn't the only thing discovered...

The Moon is shrinking, with new high resolution images showing its surface is riddled with fault lines caused by geological stress... Marc Norma of the Australian National University's Planetary Science Institute said the shrinking is associated with the Moon gradually cooling since its birth.

- mX in Moon is getting smaller from Friday, 20th of August

mX: Designers, Greens & Secrets

Two mX posts in a row...

The success of Australian designers overseas is being linked to the rise of Sydney and Melbourne on a list of the world's top fashion cities. New York is the world's fashion capital, followed by Hong Kong, London, Paris and Los Angeles, according to a list compiled by trend tracker Global Language Monitor. But it shows the top five are seeing competition from Australia. Sydney is now No. 7 on the list, up from 9, while Melbourne jumped 14 places to No. 11... The other cities that made up the top 10 are Milan (6), Miami (8), Barcelona (9) and Madrid (10).

- mX in Aussie designers increase global influence from 13th of August, 2010

Can't help but feel that the money spent in the fashion industry could be used on more serious issues. Like poverty, drug abuse, mental health... Just a big waste of money and newspaper space. And now it is on the blog ironic isn't it. Can never win. And no matter what neither will the Green party...

The National Union of Students has ranked the federal Coalition as the party providing the least benefits for university students... The NUS claims the Coalition has failed in the areas of tuition fees and universial student unionism we all wanna join a union right... The Greens were ranked as the best party for students in all but one key area - the ability to implement change. As a minority party, the best the Greens could hope to do is block legislation if they had sufficient numbers...

- mX in Greens top of the class from 13th of August, 2010

I can agree with socialist views that access to tertiary education should be equally accessible for everyone. But some things just don't work out. Like keeping a secret...

What's your bedroom secret? Not telling. The three-Minute Bedroom Secrets Survey wants to know. The light-hearted survey at stayinbedday.org.au seeks to find out people's favourite thing to do on a Sunday morning. The poll closes at midnight Sunday, with the results next week. Remind me to provide a link if your interested as I may forget. It is being run in the lead-up to Stay in Bed Day on August 22 - a fund raising event for mitochondrial disease, a debilitating and potentially fatal genetic disorder that affects children and adults...

- mX in Talk up your day of rest from 13th of August, 2010

mX: Politics, Politics & Bosses

The Federal Election is around the corner. So the media outlets are doing the typical smear campaigns and mis-information they typically do. And as a blogger I am going to do my part to fuel this industry...

Gen Yers concerned about climate change are planning to blitz social networking websites today to raise awareness about the issue ahead of the federal election... Australian Youth Climate Coalition members in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide will be taking part in the "digital doorknocking" session... The campaign is non-partisan and aims to pressure the major parties to support clean energy by putting a price tag on pollution. The Sydney session is on 4.30pm to 6pm. Visit aycc.org.au for more details.

- mX in Youth upload protest from 12th of August, 2010

Missed out on seeing this happen as I was working. Although I do not think it would of been that amazing. Did get to watch a Q&A Debate on ABC. This isn't the debate I watched but should give you an idea what it was like. So not much debating but more than in the article. Although it did go to show how corrupt the system is. Unwilling to change for sustainable development with the usual political shitstorm...

Voters swayed by technology issues face a choice between broadband that can deliever high-definition movies or non-content filtered internet access. Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced today that Labor's National Broadband Network (NBN) would provide speeds 10 times faster than first announced... Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has promised a wireless and copper network, which he acknowledges is inferior but says is more affordable. But although Coalition is opposed to the NBN, it would not introduce the Labor's proposed internet content filter, and it would consider introducing an R18+ video games rating. Abbott gave an "instinctive" thumbs up to an r18+ video game rating while speaking at The Daily Telegraph People's Forum last night... A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister declined to say today whether Gillard supported the introduction of the classification...

- mX in Poll net war speeds up from 12th of August, 2010

The Liberal party has shown they listen to voters. On the other hand Gillard click the link is really not impressing with the promise of 10 times faster than originally announced... Rudd already promised better internet access before she took his job as Prime Minister. We need improved infrastructure either way. This next one is well...

Men are overwhelmingly seen as better bosses, a surprising new urvery has revealed... click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here or just type "men better bosses + UKJobs.net" into Google.

- mX in Men are better bosses from 12th of August, 2010

Although the sample size was a mix of gender and the employment history of the sample seemed balanced. Only 3000 participants does seem alittle small for making any statements of gender superiority.

mX: Control, Gillard & Taliban

University was utterly boring today he feel asleep in the lecture twice. Below are some mX articles that I found interesting and even horrifying while on the bus home...

Bosses can ration the time employees spend accessing social networking site at work through new Australian software. The software, developed by Brisbane-based 123educateme, allows employers to allocate how much "free time" staff have on work computers...

- mX in Worker web watch from 10th of August, 2010

Not the only example of Big Brother watching you as Stelek pointed out. Conspiracy!!! Freak-a-zoid. This next one is interesting...

Another episode has been added to the Julia Gillard- Mark Latham saga, with both parties voicing their opinions of each other on television last night. On the ABC's Q&A, the Prime Minisiter was asked how big a tool Latham was, to which she replied: "There are some things that can't be measured." You read that right Aussie voters. Meanwhile, former Labor leader-turned-reporter Latham fronted Sky News to defend his Brisbane Encounter with the PM at the weekend, accusing Gillard of making the meeting physical by giving him a patronising brush-off. "I haven't been stroked down the front from a woman other than my wife for quite some time actually," he said. Referring to his chest not manhood.

- mX in Brushed of but stroked from 10th of August, 2010

The more I read about Gillard the less I like her as a person and more importantly a leader. She isn't anything special when compared to Abott since they are both against same sex marriages and neither of them are the best for the job. She got it after being a back stabbing bitch politician. While Abott was the Liberal Party's 4th choice for the job. This final story is just horrifying...

mX: Starcraft, Men & Honey

Hot on the heels of my previous mX post. This one may amaze and shock you at the same time. And hopefully make you ask yourself if your man enough. But first the game...

StarCraft II has become the biggest PC launch game of the year after selling 1 million copies worldwide on day one... Blizzard Entertainment said a further 500, 000 copies were sold on day two. EB Games said StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty had tken the No.1 spot after a single day of sales. The game is the highly anticipated follow-up of the 1998 title StarCraft and was first announced in 2007.

- mX in Game has star power from 4th of August, 2010

If my main computer dies in the coming months I may update for something that will reliably handle playing newer games like StarCraft II. What is even more shocking than the 1.5 milion copies sold after two days is the way some men would react...

Nearly half of men would be too scared to help a child in need because they fear being branded a pedophile, a survery has found. Fourty-four per cent would be wary of going to the ait of youngsters in case they were suspected of trying to abduct them. And almost a third of both men and women would be reluctant to help because they fear the child would be abusive...

- mX in Too scared to help kids from 4th of August, 2010

It is disturbing to think that people would be like that. But then you read this recent post by Brent from Strickly Average and you really understand the darker side of humanity. Brent is a true man while Not Brent must be the opposite. All we need is alittle love and honey...

Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.

- mX in It's true from the 4th of August, 2010

mX: Balance, Flares & Stress

Going to get hit with two mX posts in one day. Due to unforseeable circumstances this is actually being written on the Wednesday the 4th of August. Unforseable circumstances is code for doing uni work. We will start today's post off with stress and then end it with stress...

Aussies want the work-life balance tipped a little more in favour of life, with a 35-hour working week the ideal. The latest Work and Life Index, launched this morning, has found despite promises from government and buisness to proide better balance, Aussies are more stress than ever... Report co-author Dr Natalie Skinner said Gen X men were the most dissatisfied in juggling work and home commitments, consideing they worked the longest hours of all demographis surveryed - an average of 45 hours a week... "Gen X, Y and Baby Boomers share a common preference for a 35-hour week."

- mX in Working out life balance: Aussies push for 35-hour week from 3rd of August, 2010

Someone has pressed the fast-forward 2x button and then lost the remote. I'm only a Uni student and I feel the high-demand from studies, work, family and partner. I rarely get the chance to look up and admire the sun and clouds these days...

The Earth could be hit by a wave of violent space weather as early as tomorrow which is actually today after a massive explosion on the sun. Scientists say a wave of supercharged gas will buffet the natural magnetic shield protecting the Earth, possibly sparking spectacular displays of the auroras known as the northern and southern lights. Such solar fireworks have the potential to hit power grids and communication satellites, but there is no evidence this one will cause major problems. Britian's Daily Telegraph disclosed in June that senior space agency scientists believed the Earth would be hit with unprecendented levels of magentic energy from solar flares after the sun woke from a deep slumber about 2013. UK expert Dr Lucie Green said: "What wonderful fireworks the sun has been producing."

- mX in Sun's set to put on a show from 3rd of August, 2010

I watched something about this in a documentary styled movie on the Discovery Channel... or National Geographic channel. We would seriously be ducked up with no communications or power supply. Hopefully scientists will have learnt to overcome stress when that happens...

Scientists are working on a vaccine for stress - a single injection to help us relac without slowing down. Dr Robert Sapolsky, professor of neuroscience at Standford University in California, believes it is possible to alter brain chemistry to create "focused calm"... His vaccine short-circuits the neural feedback of stress.

- mX in Vaccine to beat stress from 3rd of Ausgust, 2010

mX: Lies, Parking & Names

Time Travel post!!! Fog today and rain on Wednesday. All the stories about us being a heat stricken land are lies. And it turns out so are Aussie resumes...

Dodgy resumes, fake references and lies about work experience are part and parcel of getting a job, a survery shows. A poll of more than 1000 Australians has revealed one-third of people admit they have told fibs during a job interview... Sarina Russo Job Access chief executive Kevin Ayer said the onus was on employers to double-check details, but if you cheat in the interview process you should be aware of the ramifications. "Not only could you not get the job or be dismissed, but if you have doctored records there could be other legal implications," he said.

- mX in Lying to get the job from 28th of July, 2010

Who the hell fakes resumes? Grow up you lieing cheats. Makes those of us who actually do what we say look suspicious. Speaking of suspicious. Has anyone looked at how much you are charged for parking in Sydney's CBD...

Sydney has been ranked as the fifth most expensive city in the world to park a car. Sydneysiders pay an average $60.90 a day for an unreserved spot in the CBD, according to the Collies International Parking Rate Survery 2010. This compares with just $35 a day in Melbourne and Brisbane, with $22 in Adelaide. The only cities more expensive that Sdney are Abu Dhabi, Oslo, Tokyo and London...

mX in Parking a top 10 world hit from 28th of July, 2010

Yeah thats right America we beat you in something. And be careful because soon we will beat you with our overweight and obese population. Of course the Brits are probably coming first when it comes to weird names...

A list of the top 20 most unusual names of the decade has been released - with Shy, Unity and Bean just some of the cruel legacies parents have passed on to their children. The weird monikers emerged after researchers trawled through millions of recorded names given to UK newborns since 2000. Much of the inspiration for the top 20 names was footballers and musicians... Of those who chose alternative names, more than one in 10 admitted regretting their decision to veer from the norm. And 14% of oddly named youngsters were desperate to change their names... Top 20 unusual names: 1. Shy 2. Unity 3. Bean 4. Zowie 5. Puppy 6. Ice 7. Victory 8. Porsche 9. D'Andre 10. Denim 11. Diesel 12. Armani 13. Rooney 14. Bowie 15. Cobain 16. Stone 17. Gift 18. Echo 19. Heaven 20. Maroon.

mX in He does look like a Bean from 28th of July, 2010

mX: Houses, Leaks & Cellulite

On the train home from my first day back at uni I got to read mX while listening to some AC/DC...

Eight out of 10 Australians are worrid about a lack of infrastructure and afforable housing given the growing and ageing population, new research shows... [It] found more than 90 per cent of Australians believed both federal and state governments needed to do more as the country's population over 65 doubles nad the number of tax payers to support tem halves...

- mX in It's the same old problem from 27th of July, 2010

We have known about this issue for years. Other than the introduction of compulsory Superannuation and the gradual increase of retirement age very little has been done. Keatings, Howard and Rudd should of done alot more in preperation for when the first lot of Baby Boomers hit retirement age (Krudd did squat). Now we get to look forward to a decrease supply of skilled labour. Our infrastructure can not sustain a growing population and eventually we will reach a critical point where growth will decline. Be interested to see the response of Urbanites when they discover their properties are worth alot less than they paid for. Lets hope there isn't any leaky houses...

The founder of Wikileaks says the 90, 000 files on the war in Afghanistan leaked to newspapers appear to contain evidence of war crimes... [Pentagon spokesman Geoff] Morrell said Wikileaks "didn't have the decency to contact this department and to alert us to the fact this informaion was about to be dumped, thereby potentially adversely impacting the well-being of our forces".

- mX in Leaked files point to US war crimes from 27th of July, 2010

War is war. We have brave men and women putting their lives on the line fighting against terrorism. That is all I'm going to say about what is happening in Afghanistan. Of course the Pentagon isn't the only group running into trouble...

Putting on your running shoes and pounding the streeets can give you cellulite, put straing on your heart and body and make you fatter, experts warn. London-based celecbrity personal trainer Greg Brookes, has put together a list of perils of running - and his first warning is it leads to cardiac problems... And he claims running also causes injury and makes your body hold on to fat... Contrary to popular belief, Brookes says running also slows down your metabolism, meaning your body starts to break down muscle for energy. And Marco Mastrorocco, a kickboxing gym manager in West London, warns running increases your chances of cellulite. "If exercise is sustained for too long ... it causes free radicals which in turn damage cells," he said. Brooke says getting your exercise fix should be through high intensity training... 10 minutes.

- mX in Running into big trouble from 27th of July, 2010

mX: Blondes, Burqa & Hands

The title of the post suggests there is only three news pieces but I've managed to slip in a fourth for fun. If you read on my dear non-existent readers you will discover that blondes aren't the only ones having fun...

More single Aussie men would prefer to date a brunette [29.7%] then a blone [ 14.8%] or redhead [11.03%], according to a new survery figures... Even then, not just any blond will do - 14.21 per cent are looking for a "dark blonde"... But preferences don't stop at hair colour, with the colour of a woman's eyes playing a part in their chances of finding love [25.8% of guys want blue-eyes while 20.6% want green]... The survery - of 1.6 million male and female members on dating website Match.com - found 86 per cent of people were looking for a serious relationship, 6 per cent were interested in fun and 8 per cent were not open to dating right now... "These figures show that women can really be themselves and show off their natural hair colour and beauty," Cameron said...

- mX News in Blondes take back seat in date drive from 19th of July, 2010

With all the options out there it isn't that hard for people to change the way they look. But sometimes being who you are can make the experience even better. Pamela Anderson doesn't seem to have a problem being blonde but the Canadians do...

Canada has banned a vegetarian ad featuring pamela anderson in a string bikini for being "sexist". The ad for People for Ethical Treatment of Animals shows the actor in labels such as "rump", "ribs" and "breasts"... Anderson slammed the ban, saying "In a city that is known for its exotic dancing and for being progressive and edgy, how sad that a woman would be banned from using her own body in a political protest over the suffering of cows and chickens. In some parts of the world, women are forced to cover their whole bodies with burqas -- is that next? I didn't think that Canada would be so puritanical."

- mX News in Pam wears sexist label from 19th of July, 2010

Ironically the whole being sexist bit somehow goes against the "battle of equality between men and women" according to officials. Note that the mX news piece didn't have the complete quote by Anderson. It was taken from UsMagazine.com. Now normally I'd only look at three pieces from mX but this was on the same page...

The UK immigration minister has ruled out a ban on wearing the burqa in public, saing it would be "rather un-British"... as it goes against the UKs "tolerant and mutually respectful society". His comments came despite more than two-thirds of British voters saying they favoured a ban on full-veils in a poll. French lawmakers voted almost unanimously to ban the burqa.

- mX News in Brits won't ban burqa from 19th of July, 2010

And it seems like there are some Aussies who also want to ban it. There are times when a living contradiction is necessary. And other times we just need to shake hands...

Scientists have created a formula for the perfect handshake in a bid to help people overcome uncertainty about the custom... [click the link for more]

- mX News in Get a grip on handy formula from 19th of July, 2010

I'd say those scientists need to get out more but I play with toy soldiers for a hobby...

mX: the hen in 2010

There weren't any overly interesting topics covered in mX today. However, this comment from the Overheard section caught my eye...

Guy talking about new PM: "Instead of kevin07, it should now be 'the hen in 2010'."

- mX from 14th of July, 2010

mX: Teachers, Lesbians & Make-up

Unless you grew up in a really remote area or were home schooled then chances are you were exposed to teachers...

All schools should have bad teachers, because poor staff gave students experience of coping with incompetent people later, said a senior UK education boss. "Every kid learns how to deal with a really shit teacher,"... "I would not remove every useless teacher because every grown-up in a workplace needs to learn to cope with the moron who sits four desks down without lamping them and to deal with authority that's useless. This helps kids realise that even if you know the quality of authority is not good, you have to lean to play it."

- mX News in Keep bad teachers from 12th of July, 2010

I completely agree with Zenna Atkins that kids need to realise that the "quality of authority is not good" so they can learn to work around it. But I'm not sure the school environment is the best place to discover it... atleast not when teachers are role models at younger ages. Now onto changing sexual orientation...

Women are embracing lesbianism in their 30's, according to research indicating that shifts in sexual orientation may be more widespread than previously thought... One study even indicates that as many as two-thirds of women who feel lesbian attractions may have changed their sexual orientation over time. The findings appear to pose a challenge to the scientific consensus that a person's sexuality is determined more by their genes than environment... many women who developed lesbian feelings in later life refuse to come out for fear of society's reaction. Women in long-term heterosexual relationships, especially with children, face even greater problems reconciling themselves to their new identities [according to Christan Moran]... late-blooming sexuality was often wrongly dismissed as repressed lesbians finally coming to terms with their true feelings. Most research ignored the possibility that a heterosexual woman might make a full transition to a singular lesbian identity...

- mX News in Ladies turning to later-life lesbians from 12th of July, 2010

Those guys out there hoping for some girl-on-girl should probably change their minds about now. Unless your happy with your partner leaving you for another lady... on the bright side it isn't another guy. I did find it odd how science has been trying to explain sexual orientation with our genes. Some say men are taking more interest in grooming...

Healthy skin depends on your inner health rather than what you plaster on top... So, what works when it comes to improving skin tone and appearance? Supplements? Slowly! Everyone can improve their skin with diet... To make skin cells, your body uses nutrients from your food. If you don't have good digestion, those nutrients aren't broken down and absorbed and your skin shows the effects... Refined carbohydrates and sugars in winter comfort foods [are BAD]... a good diet supplemented by silica for elasticity, evening primrose oil for dry skin and hormonal imbalances, and aloe vera juices for digestion will result in improved skin - but there's a catch... It takes 12 weeks for your skin cells to regenerate.... Cosmaceuticals? No! The cosmaceutical industry is unregulated, untested and based on urban legends, says dermatologist Dr Phillip Artemi [he is a doctor so no arguing with him lol]... Exercise? Yes! Getting sweaty is surprisingly good for your skin... Physical activity results in increased levels of sweat secretion, which assists in unblocking the pores of the skin - It's like nature's own cleanser... In simple terms, growth hormone reverses the effects of skin dehydration...

- mX Active in Skin Deep from 12th of July, 2010

I found this last article interesting. Seek professional advice when working out a healthy diet and exercise routine.

mX: Gibson, Ironing & Chemical Hydrolysis

mX will become an irregular part of Imperial Life. In it I will grab three articles from the CityRail newspaper that Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane Commuters have become accustom with. So lets begin...

Shamed star Mel Gibson has allegedly been caught on tape admitting he hit the mother of his child... It's another bombshell development, following the revelations last week that Gibson was taped spewing a vile, racist rant at his ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva... On tape, a teary Grigorieva is heard asking Gibson, "What kind of a man is that who would hit a women when she is holding a child in her hands, hitting her twice in the face?"... The Braveheart actor responds: "You know what, you f...king deserved it..." 

- mX Goss & Glam in Mel's shame on tape from 8th of July 2010

Stelek also posts about the racist Road Warrior (I am actually doing this post on the 11th but publishing it on the 8th... be awesome if the same could be done with assignments). Now if you live in Australia then the link that Stelek provides wont be much help since we have been screwed when it comes to internet access. Not sure why the Government has decided the tape needs to be censored...  not like we are a socialist nation trying to cover up a massacre. But enough about the Road Warrior and onto improving your sex life...

Smarter husbands perhaps knew this all along - doing household chores is a far better way to woo a woman than giving chocolate or flowers. Just under half of the female surveyed by De'Longhi said helping around the house was the way to their heart. About 50 per cent said they'd be more impressed if their partner did the ironing than take them for a weekend away or a romantic candlelit dinner. The results have emerged alongside the revelation that women spend 5472 hours of their lives ironing, compared to 4680 hours for men... women still think men don't pull their weight at home... De'Longhi's Kate Rolton said: "Modern men are clearly missing a trick. If they take a little more time to help out their partners with the ironing, they will reap the rewards in the long run and earn brownie points..."

- mX News in Girls love home help from 8th of July 2010

So for those who missed the connection. Helping around the house with domestic duties will earn brownie points which may result in some fun... or even getting to spend money on plastic crack. Note - no female is the same so your results may differ. For those guys out there that don't know how to iron here is a guide, from AskMen.com, on ironing shirts (also includes a link to doing the laundry). Some hobbyists out there may need alittle more help when it comes to wooing the opposite sex. For those guys a shower and some fashion advice may be necessary. Now a look at dead bodies...

Undertakers could dissolve corpses in chemicals then flush the remains into the sewage system under plans being studied by European bureaucrats. The controversial method has been hailed as a much more ecologically sound method of dealing with the dead. The process is called chemical hydrolysis... The body is placed in a silk bag, itself placed within a metal cage frame. This is then loaded into a Resomator. The machine is filled with a mixture of water and potassium hydroxide, and set to 180C. The end result is a small quantity of green-brown liquid containing amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts... [and] soft, porous white bone... The liquid can be recycled back to the ecosystem by being applied to a memorial garden or forest or imply put into the sewage system...

- mX What in the weird in Dead put in dunny from 8th of July 2010

Sounds like something from the Warhammer 40K Universe.