Revealed: Hundreds Of Words To Avoid Using Online If You Don't Want The Government Spying On You.

The Department of Homeland Security has been forced to release a list of keywords and phrases it uses to monitor social networking sites and online media for signs of terrorist or other threats against the U.S.

The intriguing the list includes obvious choices such as 'attack', 'Al Qaeda', 'terrorism' and 'dirty bomb' alongside dozens of seemingly innocent words like 'pork', 'cloud', 'team' and 'Mexico'.

Released under a freedom of information request, the information sheds new light on how government analysts are instructed to patrol the internet searching for domestic and external threats.

The words are included in the department's 2011 'Analyst's Desktop Binder' used by workers at their National Operations Center which instructs workers to identify 'media reports that reflect adversely on DHS and response activities'.

Department chiefs were forced to release the manual following a House hearing over documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit which revealed how analysts monitor social networks and media organisations for comments that 'reflect adversely' on the government.

However they insisted the practice was aimed not at policing the internet for disparaging remarks about the government and signs of general dissent, but to provide awareness of any potential threats.

As well as terrorism, analysts are instructed to search for evidence of unfolding natural disasters, public health threats and serious crimes such as mall/school shootings, major drug busts, illegal immigrant busts.

The list has been posted online by the Electronic Privacy Information Center - a privacy watchdog group who filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act before suing to obtain the release of the documents.

In a letter to the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counter-terrorism and Intelligence, the centre described the choice of words as 'broad, vague and ambiguous'.

They point out that it includes 'vast amounts of First Amendment protected speech that is entirely unrelated to the Department of Homeland Security mission to protect the public against terrorism and disasters.'

A senior Homeland Security official told the Huffington Post that the manual 'is a starting point, not the endgame' in maintaining situational awareness of natural and man-made threats and denied that the government was monitoring signs of dissent.

However the agency admitted that the language used was vague and in need of updating.

Spokesman Matthew Chandler told website: 'To ensure clarity, as part of ... routine compliance review, DHS will review the language contained in all materials to clearly and accurately convey the parameters and intention of the program.'


Courtesy of Daily Mail Online

For Men: Nine Steps To A Healthier Sex Life.

1. Lose the Belly
If you decrease the size of your belly, this will boost your sex drive. Testosterone is normally broken down in the body's fat cells, and abdominal fat breaks down testosterone extra quickly and leads to testosterone deficiency. By losing that belly fat, you'll increase the amount of testosterone in your system.

2. Do More Squats
By doing exercises concentrated below the waist, you can increase the blood flow in your pelvic region.

3. Eat More Walnuts
Or almonds. Or anything that contains an amino acid called arginine, which is also found in beans, cold-water fish (tuna, salmon), soy products, and oats. Arginine promotes a process called nitric-oxide release, which relaxes blood vessels and increases the blood flow. You can also find arginine in dietary supplements like L-arginine—though don't exceed more than 2,800 mg in a day, and make sure to enjoy these places where men eat.

4. Also Try Celery
It's a low-calorie snack with lots of fiber and calcium. And it just happens to contain a hormone released by male sweat that turns women on.

5. Get Serious About Lowering Your Cholesterol
Among the many other reasons for doing this: It will facilitate blood flow and increase your sex drive.

6. Pay Attention
Does it burn when you pee? Are you seeing blood? Is there any discomfort when you adjust yourself? If the answer is yes and the problem lasts for more than a few days, see a doctor.

7. Do a Self-Exam Every Six Months
Feel around your testicles for hardness and discomfort, and if you sense anything that feels like a knuckle, see your doctor. There's a chance it could be testicular cancer.

8. Get a Physical Once a Year
Ask your doctor about your blood pressure, cholesterol, and testosterone levels. If you're having problems with any of those things, it'll eventually influence your sex life.

9. Listen to Her
Sometimes your partner can know your body better than you. And if you know what she's thinking, it'll help you please her, too. Find out other ways you can make her happy.


Courtesy of MSN Health

Man Admitted To Hospital For Kidney Stone, Discovers He's A Woman.

A Colorado man who was admitted to the hospital for a kidney stone received surprising news when the nurse came back with test results revealing he was actually a woman.

Denver photographer Steve Crecelius said he's felt a little different all his life.

"When I was about 6 years old, I started having these feminine feelings, but that was in the '60s. Wearing my mom's makeup, I thought I looked pretty," Crecelius told ABC News.

So when he went to the emergency room five years ago, he wasn't too shocked when the nurse told him she found traits of both genders in his ultrasound results.

He was intersex, meaning he had both male genitalia and internal female sex organs.

"The nurse is reading the ultrasound and says, 'Huh, this says you're a female,' Crecelius said. "It was very liberating. I had spent so much energy after the age of 13 constantly evaluating how people looked at me and acted towards me."

Steve, who now goes by "Stevie," said his wife and their six children accepted his new identity right away.

"We told them individually. Some were in person and some weren't," Crecelius said. "Every one of them said, 'We don't care one way or the other. We love you for who you are and you're still my dad.'"

Crecelius and his wife, Debbie, have been together for 25 years and she's supported him every step of the way, including taking him to buy his first bra.

She told Crecelius, "You know, when I first saw you, I said to myself,  'He runs like a girl.'"

"I think we were pretty good when she began to mourn the loss of her husband," Crecelius said. "We worked through what we needed to. The concept of unconditional love is a larger story."

Intersex is a term used to describe people who bear both external genitals and internal organs, such as testes and ovaries.

A person with the condition may have male genitals along with fallopian tubes and ovaries.

"The condition used to be called hermaphroditism, meaning that person can't be identified as male or female," Crecelius said.

According to the Intersex Society of North America, more than 1,500 children a year are born intersex.

For Crecelius, he hopes he can be an advocate for those born intersex and same-sex couples.

"I think of bullying, because I haven't heard anyone talk about this. It's important to talk about," Crecelius said. "People need to be accepting and understand. I was born this way, and loving each other and supporting each other will always be the main factor in our household."


Courtesy of ABC News

"Bad Boy" Moves Should Win The Girl's Heart.

Sorry to break this to you, single men, but it is possible to be too nice. And if you’re reading this article, you’ve probably fallen into the trap of following all the rules — you wined and dined her, asked her questions, called the next day — but still didn’t win her heart. What gives? “Women like a nice guy at first,” says Dr. Robert Glover, author of No More Mr. Nice Guy. But niceness can also be seen as weakness — and that’s a major turn-off for most women. So how do you show a date that you’re genuinely interested in her without going overboard? We asked Dr. Glover and single men and women for some pointers that should help even the meekest man make a stronger statement during dates.

1. DO take charge
“Dating is like a dance: If you don’t take the lead, she has to,” Dr. Glover says. “Most women don’t want to be in charge.” Asking her out is a big step, but it’s not enough. Dr. Glover suggests having a particular day and plan already picked out in advance: “Asking her to go out sometime leaves too many details to be determined. Instead, ask her to meet you for drinks on Tuesday.” That way, all she has to decide is whether or not she’s free that night.

2. DO disagree with her
“Nothing irritates me more than someone who agrees with everything I say, even when I can tell he has another opinion,” says Theresa M. from Washington, D.C. “If I wanted to hear my thoughts on a subject, I would just talk to myself. I want a guy who will challenge me.” By avoiding conflict with your date, you may as well be wearing a big sign that says, I’m a pushover! If you don’t see eye-to-eye with her, say so.

3. DO tease her a little
You won’t ever find a woman who doesn’t like a man who’s funny. So go ahead and let your sarcasm streak or dry sense of humor shine — just make sure to do it playfully. Sean, 35, from New York City, attests to the power of this move: “I used some playful teasing on my last date — I told her, ‘Your head isn’t nearly as large as it looks on your profile’ — and we were able to use all that built-in first-date tension to our advantage.” By carrying yourself this way, you’ll look confident — which, by the way, is a turn-on for everyone.

4. DO talk about yourself
Don’t ramble on about your own life constantly, but mentioning things here and there is a good way to make sure your date doesn’t feel like she’s interrogating you. Instead, ask her where she was born; then, when she’s done answering you, drop a few relevant details about your life. “Everything was always about me with this one guy I dated. It was so annoying,” says Alina from Chicago. “There’s no way I’m that interesting! I kept waiting for him to tell me something.”

5. DON’T plan elaborate dates
“The first two or three dates should be simple, casual coffee-type meetings. You should pay for them, but they should be cheap,” says Dr. Glover. Do the opposite, and you just look like you’re trying too hard, says Marissa from Johnson City, TN. “A guy bought concert tickets for a band I had mentioned in passing,” she explains. “He spent way too much money. It was shocking, and I felt like I owed him something afterward.” Clearly, these are not good feelings to build a relationship on.

6. DON’T compliment your date too much
“An ex-boyfriend gave me compliments all the time,” says Rachel from Harrisonburg, VA. “It got to the point that I didn’t believe him anymore, and I figured he said those things to every woman he dated.” Seeming insincere is bad, but it can get even worse: “She’ll like it at first, but persistent flattery will start to spook her in some way,” says Dr. Glover. Forget the usual flood of flattery, then, and show her you care by the occasional compliment from the heart — and by being reliable.

7. DON’T try to speed up the relationship
After a great date, you may feel compelled to ask her out again — right then and there — for the next night… and the weekend after, too. Go slowly — don’t overwhelm a woman with attention. Dr. Glover suggests you only see each other once a week (at most) at the start of a new relationship. If you seem too eager, you’ll look needy and available for most women. “After a second date, this guy wanted to spend all of his time with me,” says Caroline, 28, from Los Angeles. “I started to wonder if he had his own life, but I didn’t want to stick around to find out.” So to avoid that fate, pace yourself, enjoy the anticipation — and let things unfold slowly and steadily.


Courtesy of Match.com

How To Marry A Chinese Billionaire.

You wouldn’t think a man with a billion in the bank—of any currency—would have trouble finding a mate, but in China’s closed society, the burgeoning billion-yuan set has turned to dating competitions to find suitable spouses.

According to the website China.org.cn, more than 2,800 women gathered in the southern city of Guangzhou to meet, and possibly marry, a group of 11 men purportedly worth a billion yuan or more—or just less than $160 million. After being selected for age (no older than 28), height, natural beauty and (yes) even their virginity, the pool of women was reduced to 320.

The women were also asked to recite poetry and were quizzed on geography and other facts.

Just 28 of the 320 who showed up will be presented to the billionaire bachelors next month, according to the event’s organizers, a matchmaking company.

Many in China, though, have questioned the authenticity of the search, suspecting it is a publicity stunt. The competitors have complained that they have yet to be introduced to a marriageable man, and cast doubt on whether the billionaire bait is real.

Should the matchmakers have to produce live prospects, yuan billionaires won’t be hard to find. According to the 2010 Hurun Wealth Report, some 1,900 billionaires now live in China, up from 1,000 the year before, and only 24 a decade ago. Their average age was 39 years, and they were male by a ratio of 7:3.

Wealthy Chinese men report anecdotally that meeting women is more difficult in China than elsewhere. The government’s population reduction policies have had the effect of skewing the population strongly male; one study in 2009 showed that male births outnumber females 119 to 100.

Accordingly, the Chinese have long regarded matchmaking as a necessary measure. At the dawn of the country’s era of economic liberation in the early 1980s, Communist authorities held “night dancing parties” for singles and sponsored marriage introduction services.

Even then, according to contemporary reports in the state-run press, both sexes’ unrealistic expectations were the stumbling block. Men wanted women who looked like actresses, and women wanted “well-built, well-educated” guys with “a good profession”—requirements that were deemed “out of fairyland.”

These days, the organized gold diggers are more realistic. "I would be lying if I said that I may fall in love with a 50-year-old rich man," a women who took part in Sunday's event said. "Obviously I will fall in love with the money he has."


Courtesy of CNBC