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As shown in the closing scene of the episode, Melisandre has been keeping her very look magically disguised. Her visage that is authentic is not that of 39-year old celebrity Carice van Houten — rather, she’s vastly matur...

A good sex life takes time and effort to maintain. It won’t always be easy — our busy lives are taxing and often leave us tired and devoid of the imagination and motivation required to keep up the pace. Having good sex doesn’t necessarily mean spending hours and hours of frolicking, it can be as simple as doing something a little different just for a change.

Women are cyclic creatures, and her sex drive will vary depending on her hormones and what’s going on in her life. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to get her hot and the same-old song and dance may not be enough. This applies to you too.

Therefore, it's important to add a few more stimulating aspects to your sex life to keep things interesting.

Here are 10 tips for better sex, which should keep the two of you hot for some time to come.

Number 10

Blindfold her
Sexual pleasure has many dimensions, but the most important sexual organ we have is our brain. When one sense is hindered, our other senses — via the brain — clamor to compensate. For example, a deaf person has increased sensory awareness — sight, smell, touch, and vibrations. For No. 10 entry on our 10 tips for better sex guide, we're telling you that you can tap into this innate ability of ours and use it to your advantage: Blindfolding your partner increases her sensory awareness. She doesn’t know where you are or what you are going to do next. This creates anticipation for better sex — the tease. Tease her mercilessly with sensory objects, such as a feather or your tongue. Start off softly, as this excites her nerve endings and makes them far more sensitive. Be careful not to overstimulate the nerve endings, however, because after a while the neurons stop firing with such intensity and the sensation becomes null and void.

Related: The Essential Tips For Going Down On Her


Number 9

Give her instructions

After a while you may think you know how to please your partner in every way, but this is very rarely true. There is always something you haven’t tried, and there is bound to be something one of you always does that could be done differently.

To combat this for better sex, have a lesson session in which you don’t think you know it all, and are at each other's mercy as teacher. Talk about things you haven’t tried, but would like to, then choose one suggestion from each partner, and get down and dirty. We often get caught thinking we know what our partners like, and after a while it becomes "the way it’s done." Lose this myth and put yourself in the student's chair for a while for better sex you won't regret.

Number 8

Massage
Sensual touch is one of the most highly relaxing and sexy things you can do for your partner, which is why it makes it onto our 10 tips for better sex list. Our bodies are almost without exception tense in some area, if not many areas. This hinders our energy flow — including sexual energy flow. Imagine a car that has a clogged fuel filter: the fuel (our energy) can’t get to where it needs to go quickly and smoothly, and the car performs inefficiently and ineffectively.

A relaxing sensual massage can unlock her body to some very intense orgasms and much better sex in the end. The ability to relax your partner in this way should be high on your list of skills to master. The same goes for her: The difference between a deeply relaxing massage and a sensual massage is in the manner of touch — you don’t want to relax her too deeply because she will probably fall straight to sleep.

The key to better sex in this case is to keep her senses alert, but her body relaxed. This means a firm touch, coupled with some sensory feather-light caresses. Once you've relaxed her major muscles — shoulders and back — work your way down to her buttocks. Strokes can then start to wander near to, but not on, her inner thighs, butt crease and vagina. Don’t forget her hands and feet — there are thousands of nerve endings in our hands and feet that are very sensitive to touch. If you have no idea what a good massage feels like or how to perform one, spend some time in "lesson time" with your partner and learn what you both like or just run your hands all over her body — all over. Don’t skip to the hot spots or you’ll ruin the effect.

Number 7

Have her dress up
Pretending to be something you're not comes easily to some people. However, it has its benefits when done for fun. Stepping out of the role of being "yourself" can be a fun way to give each other permission to behave differently for better sex. Playing the role of someone else during sexual play is a very enjoyable way to give your partner some different sensations, and try things that you haven’t done before. Role playing is a great way to have better sex and to have fun with your partner in a light-hearted but sexy way. It is often the woman who does the dressing up simply because A) They enjoy it; and B) They have the resources of clothes, underwear and makeup — but don't forget that you can play too..

Related: The Myths Most Men Believe From Porn


Number 6

Tell her your fantasies

Talking about your fantasies with your partner is a very conducive form of sex play. It increases communication with your partner, which is of great importance, as well, it also helps you get to know each other better for better sex. Yes, you may be surprised by what comes out of her mouth, but this works both ways. Keep it light at first and don’t throw her in the deep end with fantasies about people you both know or reveal fetishes you aren't sure about. Sit back with a glass of wine and keep your clothes on — for now. Fantasy play can also be incorporated into a game for better sex. Use your imagination, and keep it sexy. Take it in turns and see where it leads you.

Related: How To Have Anal Sex


Number 5

Play a game

Get a pack of cards and play strip poker for better sex. It may seem like something you would have done when you were in high school (given the opportunity), but adult strip poker is a good way to get naked. Once you are both naked (or nearly naked), you can start on the really fun part: A loss means the other person gets to choose what action is performed on them by the loser. Time limits like one minute on said action means that it is a prolonged game of seduction, which by the end will have you both clamoring to be both the winner and the loser. There are many other games you can play "strip" to, as long as there is regular winner and loser to reward and punish respectively. The great part about these games is that you can both ask the other person to do something in a certain way that you may not necessarily have ever done before. It can get rather filthy, and definitely lead to better sex in the end.

Number 4

Dirty talk
Talking dirty has turned people on for millennia and will continue to do so because it has something other sex play doesn’t: words. Because our brains are our largest sexual apparatus, we respond to the spoken word automatically — especially when someone says our name. The spoken word evokes emotions, sensations and blood flow to various regions, depending on the topic.

This works very much in your favor when it comes to talking dirty to your lover because women are especially susceptible to what goes in their ears (and I don’t mean cotton buds or ear candles). Talking dirty is, however, an art form and when done badly can result in fits of giggles (which, lets face it, ain't so bad but isn't quite the goal here). Don’t let this deter you.

Have better sex by using toys and trying a new locale...

For better sex, start off easy with neutral dirty-talk topics, such as how you feel inside her, how much you are enjoying the act and what you would like to do to her next. Don’t get too carried away, but let it flow out of you. Dirty talk can be a bit daunting at first, if you are not used to verbalizing these things, so practice. You will see how she responds to you. Dirty talk also comes under the "encouragement" category — when she sees that you like something very much, she will be more interested in doing it more. The rawness of the sexual passion aroused with dirty talk is why it is so effective. Be careful with swearing too much — though a good dose of foul language is part and parcel with dirty talk (its not called dirty talk for nothing), too much swearing/name calling can be a turn off. Try to stick to positive words, and leave the commonly used insult words out. Watch what you call her body parts too — just make sure she can handle it before launching into your tirade of filth. Chances are, the passion from you will ignite hers two-fold.

Number 3

Try a new position
You already know how to bring her to orgasm in two ways (probably). You repeat these regularly because they work — there's no harm in that. However, if you never, ever try any new positions again, how will you ever know? New positions need a reasonably high level of arousal in your lover, so choose your time to strike a new pose when she is quite obviously feeling very randy.

There is no limit to the number of ways to have sex, so you can use your imagination and come up with as many weird and wonderful inventions as you desire. Simply changing locations can dramatically change the position, so consider this too (for example on top of the washing machine, on a bench, beanbag or table).

Related: 3 Positions For Guys With Small joysticks


Number 2

Use a cock ring
Cock rings slow the drain of blood out of your erection, and keep you harder for longer. A very hard penis stimulates a woman’s insides slightly differently — and much better — than one that is getting soft around the edges. Cock rings are inexpensive and usually nice to look at, and make an interesting male intimacy gadget to add to your collection. Cock rings ensure that you can maintain the pace without faltering for better sex. This is very pleasing to your lady friend.

Number 1

Try a new place
Sex in a new locale is definitely up there in exciting things to do for better sex. You can take a drive somewhere secluded where you can get a bit risqué. Try a public place (not too public) or simply move to a different room or area in your home — or even someone else’s home. Whatever tickles your fancy. There are a million and one different places to have sex other than your home, in your bed — use them.
increase your pleasure
The list of helpful hints you have been presented with equates to a very good head start to a better sex life. The time and energy required to plan your adventures will pay off immediately, but also over the longer term. You will be rewarded according to the effort you put in with a great new skill set, and of course better sex. Make time, conserve some energy for it and relax. Life is short!

source: www.zlmh..com
twitter:@zolass

I understand your states, but many people have acquire this without wealth and still live happily thereafter.

Ten fun things to do during pregnancy

After the initial glow, pregnancy can be tiring and the remaining months may seem to stretch ahead endlessly. Morning sickness, fatigue, twinges of pain and constipation may leave you exhausted and wondering whether you're the only one who can't wait for baby to arrive! Add to that the constant discussions and questions by friends and family about your 'good news' and the unsolicited advice from complete strangers on what you should be eating and doing - it's all enough to make you run for cover.

Doing some fun things can help you think about something other than your pregnancy. Enlist the help of friends and family - they'll be only too happy to drive you somewhere you want to go or keep you company at a film you want to see. Here are some more ideas for fun things to do:

1. Shopping spree
Make a list of things you'd like to buy for yourself (not for the house or your baby), like comfortable footwear, a new sari for the Godh bharai/velakappu or the naming ceremony, post-delivery clothes like button-down shirts and kurtas, comfortable nightwear and lingerie. Not all maternity clothes are drab sacks - it's easy to find smart kurtis that can be altered after you've had the baby, or empire line tops and drawstring trousers. Buy one or two items on the list every month, to spread out your purchases. You can also then look forward to a small shopping spree every month.

2. A new you
Your body is changing almost every day and while you may love your new thicker hair, you can't say the same for your stomach and hips. When none of your clothes seem to fit and the thought of dressing up is depressing, it helps to get a makeover. Have a manicure and paint your nails in a bright cheerful colour. Or draw attention to your face with a new haircut. Try some new make-up like kajal or a lip liner or even just new matching bindis or earrings to go with your outfits. Read more on how to feel good about your pregnant body.

3. Picture perfect
Having some professional photos taken of the both of you will provide some lovely keepsakes of your pregnancy. Or ask your spouse to take pictures of your growing belly every month or once every trimester. It will be wonderful to share these with your child when she grows up. Or you could commission some personalised sketches or portraits instead of photographs.

4. Scrapbook
If you're not into keeping a diary or a journal, a scrapbook may be the thing for you to record your pregnancy. Photos of a vacation you took during your pregnancy or even the one during which you conceived, ultrasound scan reports, a bill from the celebratory dinner with your partner when you found out you were pregnant, month-by-month belly pictures - your scrapbook can contain anything and everything. You will love going over it many years after your baby is born.

5. Indulge yourself
Pregnancy can be a time to indulge yourself -- be it in terms of food cravings, massages, sleep or even hobbies. You might be advised to take it easy for a couple of weeks. If you are, there's no need to be bored sitting at home. Pick up a book you've wanted to read for a long time or a movie you've wanted to see, catch up on some new music or have a leisurely lunch out with your girlfriends at your favourite café. Sleep may soon become a luxury, so catch up when you can, perhaps at weekends. If you feel your skin becoming dry or patchy due to hormonal changes, book an appointment for a facial or prepare a natural face mask at home. Create your own mini spa and try our pregnancy feel good calendar.

6. Plan a picnic or a day trip
A picnic is a rare event in our hurried lives, but it doesn't need much planning. Pick a time and place, round up your family or friends and ask each person to bring two specific things. Voila! You are ready! If it's too hot or rainy for a picnic, plan an indoor visit to a museum, art gallery or cultural exhibition where you can spend some time in air-conditioned comfort. Even a trip to a mall you have wanted to visit, followed by lunch at the food court, can be a welcome break.

7. Date night
Romance may take a back seat in the initial months of pregnancy and if your parents or in-laws have moved in to take care of you, it may be a long time since you and your husband spent any quality time together. Plan date nights once every week or two, book a table and bond over lunch or dinner. Your spouse could do with a little extra attention too and these moments will keep you going once the baby comes. Or just rent a DVD, make some popcorn and spend a quiet night at home cuddled up together. Have questions about making love during pregnancy? We have the answers!

8. Other mothers
In this age of scattered families, you may not have a sister or sister-in-law close by to share things with. Friends who are not pregnant may find it difficult to relate to every single thing that is happening in your life. Making friends with other mums-to-be can be a great way to get some support. Signing up for antenatal classes or yoga classes for pregnant women is one way to meet other mums; your clinic may also have a mummy-to-be club who meet regularly. Don't forget our community forums and birth clubs, where you can interact with other pregnant women, share tips and get some support.

9. Mother and mother-to-be
It's quite common in India for your mother to move in to help with the pregnancy and the baby. Use the time to reconnect with your mother, especially if you live in different cities and haven't been able to spend much time together since you got married. Let your mum pamper you with your favourite foods and gifts. Compare notes about her pregnancy cravings when she was carrying you and whether that means it will be a boy or a girl. Discuss confinement practices after birth. Plan the naming ceremony guest list and catch up on all the gossip about your relatives. Shop for a thank you gift for her in advance, before the baby comes. You won't feel much like shopping once your baby is born.

10. Top ten list
Use our Babynamer to make a list of your favourite names. Make a list of ten things you'd like to do when your baby finally arrives. Make it as funny and whacky as you like. If you have had diet restrictions during your pregnancy make a list of foods you'll have. Missed going bungee jumping when you went on a trip to Goa in your first trimester? Plan another trip. Count down the days until you can drive your car again, carry your elder child or rejoin your gym.


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lol....ok, that is good also.

Top 10 signs of pregnancy

If you're extremely tuned in to your body's rhythms, you may begin to suspect you're pregnant soon after conception. But most women won't experience any early pregnancy symptoms until the fertilised egg attaches itself to the uterine wall, several days after conception. Others may notice no signs of pregnancy for weeks and begin to wonder "Am I pregnant?" only when they miss a period. Below is a list of some of the first signs of impending motherhood. You may experience all, some, or none of these symptoms of pregnancy:
1. Food cravings.
Yes, it's a cliché, but food cravings sometimes can be a sign of pregnancy. Don't rely on them as a sure symptom (it may be all in your head, or even a sign that your body is low on a particular nutrient), but if cravings are accompanied by some of the other symptoms on this list, start counting the days from your last period.

2. Darkening of your areolas.
If the skin around your nipples gets darker, you may have successfully conceived, though this may also signal a hormonal imbalance unrelated to pregnancy or be a leftover effect from a previous pregnancy.

3. Implantation bleeding or cramping.
About eight days after ovulation, you may experience implantation spotting, a slight staining of a pink or brown colour, as well as some cramping. This is caused by the egg burrowing into the endometrial lining. You might also see some spotting around the time you expect your period.

4. Frequent urination.
Once the embryo implants and begins producing the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), you may find yourself going to the bathroom more often.

5. Fatigue.
Feeling tired? No, make that exhausted. High levels of the hormone progesterone can make you feel as if you've run a marathon when all you've done is put in a day at the office. Fatigue is a hallmark of early pregnancy, though probably not a surefire symptom on its own.

6. Tender, swollen breasts.
If you're pregnant, your breasts will probably become increasingly tender to the touch, similar to the way they feel before your period, only more so. Once your body grows accustomed to the hormone surge, the pain will subside.

7. Altered sense of taste.
You may notice that your sense of taste changes. Some women say they have a metallic taste in their mouth, others that they cannot stand the taste of coffee, tea, or a food they usually like.

8. Morning sickness.
If you're lucky, morning sickness won't hit you until a few weeks after conception. (A lucky few escape it altogether.) But as early as a couple of days following conception, you may begin feeling nauseated and queasy. And not just in the morning, either -- pregnancy-related nausea can be a problem morning, noon, or night.

9. A missed period.
If you're usually pretty regular and your period is late, it's worth trying a pregnancy test. A missed period is the surest sign of pregnancy in a woman of childbearing age who usually has regular periods.

And finally...
10. A positive home pregnancy test.
If you've waited to test until at least the first day of a missed period and a blue line appears in the home pregnancy test window, you're most likely to be in the family way.


more @: www.zlmh..com
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twitter: @zolass

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5 things that are more important than money

Most people would find a 16+ hour a day, 7 days a week job undesirable no matter how much the pay was. When it comes to making money, there is naturally trade-offs in time and energy. Today I was thinking about how much focus there is on building wealth and “making money” in our society. In reality, though, there are many things that are more important in life than making money. Here are five of them:

1) Relationships
My relationship with my wife is and always will be a top priority for me. It’s much more important than any sum of money. Being there for my friends and family is important for me, and I don’t want my career pursuits to jeopardize that. Both in the good times and the bad, I want to be able to share in those times with my family and friends. I’m sure thousands (maybe tens of thousands?) of books have been written about balancing relationships and work, and it’s a constant struggle to balance the two.

2) Faith
When you put life in perspective, material possessions are nice while you are here but it’s not something that is going to last forever. When you are on your death bed you aren’t going to be thinking about how you wish you had made just a little more money or spent a few more hours at the office. My faith is very important to me and I think it’s important that money never becomes a higher priority than living out my faith.

3) Health
You can’t put a dollar value on good health, which is why the health care reform debate was so intense. Unfortunately health care takes time and resources, so in the end every procedure and pill has a price tag. What I find interesting is when people are upset about expensive premiums on health insurance (which they shouldn’t have to worry about as much anymore with the implementation of Medical Loss Ratio and Health Care Exchanges) despite the fact that insurance is a safety net guaranteeing you care (without going broke) when you get sick.
I nearly died from asthma as a child and spent a few years sitting inside watching all the other kids play out in the snow. But you know what? I think even then I knew that I was lucky just to have the medicine and doctors that keep me healthy. Health is priceless in my opinion.

4) Time
Everything I have mentioned so far can be tied into time: there’s only a limited amount of it, and once it’s gone you can’t have it back. Ironically, time seems to fly when we are having a good time and everything seems to be right in the world; it barely moves when we are going through a tough situation. Time is the great equalizer: no one can purchase more of it! It doesn’t matter how much money you have – you will always have a limited amount of time, and your life can be cut short at any time. Make it count.

5) Freedom
Freedom is a broad word to throw out, but allow me to explain. If you are a slave to your job and income source, is it really worth it? If you are required to be in the office sixty hours a week, answer email at night (from home) and be on-call 24/7, is it really worth the money? I am not proposing a one-size-fits-all answer to this, it’s just something to take into consideration when evaluating whether you are trading too much for that pay check.

Another way to look at it is jobs that offer flexible work schedules. Employees who take these jobs often value the freedom that comes with it just as much if not more than the actual paycheck they are drawing from it. Yet another example is the entrepreneur who has the freedom and control that most corporate workers could only dream of.
_________

I personally believe that money should be leveraged to help us live a more fulfilling life and I definitely do not frown upon the pursuit of wealth. Yet we still have to deal with the reality that pursuing higher income and additional skills can be demanding of our time and potentially detrimental to our relationships.
Instead of blindly pursuing higher income we should keep in mind the reason why we want to pursue that income. I’m as guilty as anyone of losing sight of the things that are more important than money. Sometimes we need to take a step back and remember why we work in the first place and what our end goals are.
What do you value more than money? What would you add to the list?

more @: www.zlmh..com
twitter: @zolass
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Top Ten Reasons to Exercise and Be Physically Active

Feel more energized
When engaging in physical activity, the blood vessels that go to your muscles dilate, causing an increase in blood flow and oxygen to the working muscles. This, along with a temporary increase in your metabolic rate, causes you to feel more energized. This “burst of energy” not only occurs during exercise, but also after you exercise. For example, working out in the morning or afternoon will cause you to feel energized throughout the day. Even if you are an evening exerciser, you will still burn just as many calories and feel better!



Burn more calories at rest
Cardiovascular and resistance exercises are equally important when it comes to making a workout plan and burning calories. Doing cardiovascular work such as running, walking, or biking results in a temporary rise in your metabolic rate. Thus, compared to being in a resting state, you will burn more calories per minute when performing cardiovascular work. Furthermore, by doing resistance exercises such as weight machines or free-weights, you will increase your muscle mass. Muscle burns far more calories at rest than fat does, so by becoming more muscular, you are increasing your resting metabolic rate.



Improve overall appearance
Not only can exercise help you feel better, but it will help you look better as well. Along with eating a healthy diet and utilizing effective stress management, you can look your best by becoming toned and defined. However, you need to remember that genetics play a major part in what we look like. For example, a person can be a healthy eater, exercise daily, be a non-smoker and a non-drinker, and STILL have high cholesterol because it is in their genetic makeup. The same goes for how a person looks. Some individuals are born into a family with genetically larger “frames.” These people are sometimes called “big boned.” If your parents happen to be short and small-framed, more than likely you will be, too. There is little we can change about our genetics, but we can make healthy and happy choices with the bodies we have.



Be able to withstand stress
Recent research has shown exercise to be a stress reliever. There are many reasons to explain why. One includes the fact that exercise increases the hormone epinephrine, another name for adrenaline. This hormone is responsible for an increase in blood flow, which carries more oxygen to the brain, thus making you more alert. Being more alert and aware of your surroundings helps you to deal with stress effectively. Also, exercise stimulates the release of other hormones called endorphins, or the “feel good hormones.” These help to improve mood and feelings. Many people find that they feel better after a stressful day if they exercise.



Decrease risk of illness
Exercise builds up and improves circulation of our white blood cells, which we need to fend off harmful bacteria that cause us to get sick. This helps to prevent us from getting
sick. However, after we become ill, our improved circulation due to regular exercise can help us become well again.



Speed up recovery from injury or surgery
By exercising daily and living a healthy lifestyle, your body can better repair itself from damage done by injury or surgery. When you increase muscle tissue and white blood cells by exercising, your body is better able to reduce inflammation that occurs from injury and surgery.



Keep focused
Being able to stayed focus when engaged in everyday life activities is very important in order for your day to go as planned. By exercising regularly and eating healthfully, blood flow is improved and your hormones are at optimum levels, thus increasing your ability to concentrate.



Build up cardiovascular endurance
Everyone knows that if you study hard for a test, you will more than likely do well. The same concept applies when we say we are “getting into shape.” You have to build up your cardiovascular system through endurance activity in order to have an efficient circulatory system. Regular physical activity not only strengthens your heart muscle and
improves your blood’s oxygen carrying capacity, but also improves your breathing and muscular contractions.



Improve flexibility
By stretching before and after exercise your muscles become more elastic, improving your overall range of motion or flexibility. Another way to improve flexibility is to engage in a yoga or Pilates class.



Increase lean body mass Increasing lean mass is important because it reduces your body fat and increases your metabolic rate. If you perform cardiovascular exercise most days of the week and resistance exercises 2-4 days of the week, you will increase muscle mass while decreasing fat mass!

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3. Airbnb

airbnb

Airbnb is one of the breakout successes coming out of Y Combinator startup accelerator in 2009. They’re now valued at over $2.5 billion doing over $1 billion in yearly revenue. In short, they’re massive.

If you’re not aware of Airbnb, it’s an online marketplace for people to list and book accommodation. First thing to note is the immediate association the logo has with the Airbnb platform: it looks like a cloud in the breeze, like you might see from a plane when traveling. It’s delightful.

I love the Airbnb logo. It’s a fascinating study in thoughtful, honest design — I’d recommend everyone grabs the logo EPS from the Airbnb press section for a closer look. And again, it’s all in the details — the boldness of the font weight, the thickness of the white stroke. This is considered, playful design. Right down to the added shadows immediately following the “r”. You can see the manual edits used to create them by opening up the EPS in Adobe Illustrator. In practice, it subtly separates the “air” from the “bnb”, increasing legibility.

Another great touch is the delicate gradient from Blue (RGB: 0, 156, 212) through to a full White (RBG: 255, 255, 255). There’s no complicated masking or transparencies, instead it’s just a simple offset gradient. In practice, the coloring evokes clear-skies, fresh mornings and calm, and says that your holiday adventure is going to be fun and easy. I love it!

Last thing to note: the Airbnb smartphone app icon features a darker, more saturated blue and less gradient. Its simpler design makes it stand out more on cluttered screens. Again, this is a conscious effort to really sweat out the details.
Color Matters to the hottest startups

As you’ve seen, color is an incredibly powerful communication tool that shouldn’t be ignored in startup branding.

Find my recent work on my odesk port folio or http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 or http://99designs.com/users/1234568

find my Cv and portfolio at https://www.odesk.com/users/~01ff259caf4f2c90b0

http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 (get my recent design)

Sincerely,

Balogun Azeez
azolaman@gmail.com

2. Pinterest

Pinterest

Pinterest is another hot startup that’s done remarkably well since founding in 2010. They’re currently valued at over $2.5 billion and recently partnered with giant Japanese retailer Rakuten.

From a design perspective, the Pinterest logo is one of the prettiest around: a balanced, delicate study in typographic ligatures and weights. Oh and that “P”/pin — what a way to tie into Pinterest’s core user experience of “pinning” things.

This flows onto their color selection: a careful yet rich Red (RGB: 202, 34, 31). We all know Red is the color of desire. This resonates for a company that’s all about letting its users catalogue and store their interests and desires.

Interesting note: such saturated Reds are outside of the CMYK color space. Meaning they can’t be printed using traditional offset printing. If you think about Pinterest as a digital-only company, this makes sense.

Startups that look hot get noticed… it’s a fact. Of course, a big chunk of that comes down to their branding. Logo font and business name are often given a lot of cred in branding, but it’s time color got some attention too.

I’ve been doing a whole bunch of research on color as I prep my color detector SwatchMate for launch next month, so I’ve become a bit of a color nerd. One thing I’ve been looking at is how the hottest startups use color to convey why they’re awesome. Uber, Pinterest and Airbnb — I’m going to break them down so you gain some insight on using excellent color in branding and logo design.


How the three hottest startups use color in their branding

By 99designs Community Blogger on September 23, 2013 in Design Tips and Resources
StumbleUpon

Startups that look hot get noticed… it’s a fact. Of course, a big chunk of that comes down to their branding. Logo font and business name are often given a lot of cred in branding, but it’s time color got some attention too.

I’ve been doing a whole bunch of research on color as I prep my color detector SwatchMate for launch next month, so I’ve become a bit of a color nerd. One thing I’ve been looking at is how the hottest startups use color to convey why they’re awesome. Uber, Pinterest and Airbnb — I’m going to break them down so you gain some insight on using excellent color in branding and logo design.
1. Uber

UBER

Uber is one of the hottest tech startups right now, having recently secured a $400 million investment round from the likes of Google Ventures off of a $3.5 billion valuation. Not bad for a company founded in 2009!

But how has a company that provides black-cars on-demand (never call them a taxi company!) raised such a successful investment round? They did it by selling an experience. In their own words:

“…we push the limits of the transportation industry to create a simple, more efficient, and more enjoyable car service experience.”

So for Uber, it’s all about the experience: effortless requests, real-time location updates and painless payments. And as we know, the best way to communicate that experience is through great design and color.

So why their color selection? Because Uber offers a premium service.

Black = luxury; so it makes sense Uber’s logo is Black, right? Wrong. It actually isn’t a full Black — it’s got a subtle blue tinge to it — let’s call it an ‘Uber Black’ (RGB: 7, 7, 23). Why the difference? Because it’s the little details that make startups special — even down to the color selection. For Uber, this means evoking the metallic finish on their shiny black cars with a color that is uniquely theirs. This elevates Uber above ‘standard’ with a color that is blacker-than-black Black.

It’s also worth noting how the Uber Black ties into their status as a tech company. The logo’s square, rounded corners literally look like a smartphone app.

1.5 billion dollars — that was the size of the email marketing industry in 2010, and it’s expected to grow to 6.5 billion by 2018.

Obviously, having attractive and engaging emails is a number one priority in this industry, and a must-have skill for any serious designer.

Luckily, you don’t really have to learn anything new. You just have to be aware of few principles driving the email design format.
It’s a clicks game

Email design is not a brochure, leaflet or any other static piece coming from the print world. It’s actually a micro website, adhering to all the same rules of good web design — simplicity, visual appeal and focus on user interaction.

01

Understanding this is step one to creating better emails. Too often, designers create emails as if they will be sent out as an image attachment, which is a completely wrong way of looking at things — more than half of users have images turned off in their email clients, meaning they will see precisely nothing (and do nothing as a result).

Proper emails are HTML coded, just as websites are, with only one goal — make people interested enough to click on a link. The higher the click count (CTR, or click-through-rate) the better job you did.

Knowing that, let’s see how to make it happen.
Stick to 600 pixels width

02

While screen sizes and resolutions improved significantly since 1990’s, the email somehow got stuck.

The problem is most email clients display messages in a rather narrow pane which is, for large majority of users, still between 550 and 650 pixels wide.

To make sure your design stays visible, it is best-practice to restrict layout width to 600 pixels. While this isn’t falttering for that HD monitor you have, it will force you to keep things simple — and that’s always good.
Use proper fonts

03

Ah, that feeling when you pick the right font and your design just “clicks”.

Unfortunately, you’re not going to have a lot of these moments designing emails. As mentioned before, emails are HTML coded content that has to work with different browsers, email clients, desktop and mobile devices.

This means all of your text will be rendered using fonts from client’s computer — if the system cannot find the font you specified, it’s going to replace it with the closest match (which is, more often than not, something very ugly).

The challenge is to stick with web-safe fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Tahoma and Verdana. Almost all Mac and Windows machines have them installed, and you can find a more comprehensive list on this website.
Grab attention with headlines and images

04

Nobody has time these days — we literally decide in microseconds whether we like something or not, whether we want more of it or we want to forget it.

Work with this: use a combination of great headlines and captivating images to grab attention and tell your story. Keep body copy (i.e. the “text”) to a minimum and point people to the website where they can find out more.

Think of the whole email design as the website home page… feature the stories, but does not share them. Designer’s Bookshelf is a nice example of image and headline driven design.
Create visible call-to-actions (CTAs)

05

“Read more”, “Buy now”, “Get started” — in email marketing world, these are called call-to-actions, or more conveniently CTAs. They are responsible for taking user from their inbox to an external web page.

CTA’s are the heart and soul of email design and should be as prominent as possible, usually in the form of a larger button. The button approach kills two birds with one stone: CTA links are easy to notice, and if you’re on a touch device, very easy to click on.

To increase user engagement, make the most important and primary CTA slightly larger and differently colored from all the rest. For example, Inc.com leads their emails with a featured story and a very effective CTA.
Design a perfect footer

06

Email marketing is a huge industry and has some specific rules — for example, if you send out mass mailings, you have to give users a way to unsubscribe from further emails. A footer is not a place to be creative, but place for mandatories.

To make sure your email design is legal and professional, you should include the following information in the footer:

Client’s physical address
Unsubscribe link
A short reminder on how users got on the list (i.e. “You are receiving this because you subscribed at our site”)

It is not mandatory but is common to also include:

Phone
Social links
Forward to friend link

Email design inspiration

07

Well-designed emails grab attention and generate clicks — that’s about all there is to it.

Using proper fonts and keeping the design focused on images, headlines and CTA’s is the foundation of well-crafted emails that will keep users engaged and clients happy.

Find my recent work on my odesk port folio or http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 or http://99designs.com/users/1234568

find my Cv and portfolio at https://www.odesk.com/users/~01ff259caf4f2c90b0

http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 (get my recent design)

Sincerely,

Balogun Azeez
azolaman@gmail.com

What is it?

Premature ejaculation is one of the most common sexual problems.
Premature ejaculation (PE) means coming too quickly, and it's one of the most common sexual problems.
In our survey of several thousand British males, approximately 10 per cent of them said that they often or sometimes had this trouble.
Hearst Magazines UK - Premature ejaculationWe found that it's commoner in younger men – which is not surprising, as there's a distinct tendency for it to improve with age. Men generally get better control as they grow older.
However, a 2004 survey in Europe showed that many middle-aged men still have this problem. Fortunately, good treatments are available.
In 2010/11, a new treatment became available in Britain and several other countries – details below.
Definitions
It’s almost impossible to get an accurate definition of premature ejaculation: what some couples consider a satisfactory length of intercourse would be very inadequate for others.
At the 2006 Congress of the European Society for Sexual Medicine, an American research paper reported:

the average lasting time of men with PE was 1.8 minutes
'normal' men lasted an average of 7.3 minutes.

But there were males who claimed to have premature ejaculation, yet who could last up to 25 minutes. This clearly shows people have wildly differing ideas about what is normal!
At the same Congress, Professor Waldinger reported that 2.5 per cent of men couldn't last 90 seconds inside the vagina. Those males undoubtedly have PE.
From our own clinical experience, there are plenty of couples who would regard intercourse that lasts under 20 minutes as less than satisfactory, and would feel that any ejaculation in under 10 minutes or so is decidedly premature.
As a working definition, if either you or your partner feels that orgasm is happening too soon, there probably is some degree of PE.
Does it matter?
In most cases premature ejaculation does matter, because it makes people unhappy and frustrated. And in severe cases PE can threaten or even ruin a marriage – simply because it spoils the sex lives of both partners.
Sometimes, the condition is so bad the man can't have sex because he ejaculates before he can get into the vagina. This can be devastating for a man's self-confidence. And it can be hugely frustrating and annoying for his partner – especially if she wants to get pregnant.
However, most men merely find PE a considerable irritation. It's a condition that makes them come very soon after they enter their partner – say, after only a minute or two, so neither party gets a lot of satisfaction.
What causes it?
For many years, sex experts have tended to say that premature ejaculation is caused by early conditioning.
In other words, the man's early, rushed (and perhaps furtive) sexual experiences had to be quick so as to avoid detection. The idea is that this conditions him to climax as quickly as possible.
However, our own surveys have found that many men with PE did not have rushed early sexual experiences – though others say they did.
It's worth noting that from an evolutionary point of view, it's probable that males who climaxed quickly were more likely to have children. In other words, if you were a caveman who came very fast, you'd stand more chance of impregnating your woman and enlarging your tribe.
Some men seem to be highly triggered right from the start of their sex lives, and we have encountered instances where their fathers were much the same. Therefore, we feel that the tendency to reach orgasm quickly may possibly be inherited rather than learned.
Finally, there's no question that anxiety or 'nerves' play a part in many cases of PE. If you're nervous, you're likely to come too quickly.
This is why many males have discovered for themselves that a small amount of alcohol eases their nerves and makes them less likely to climax prematurely. But we wouldn't recommend alcohol as a treatment.
So, what can be done for PE?
Treatment for mild cases
If you have mild PE – for instance, you can last five minutes but would like to last 10 – there's probably no point in going to a doctor.
Why? Because you should be able to improve matters by simple distraction techniques.
This means turning your mind to something else when you sense that climax is near. For example, you can think about something totally unconcerned with sex or pinch yourself.
Local anaesthetic gel
Some men try to treat themselves with a local anaesthetic gel that's applied to the shaft of the penis shortly before intercourse.
This product is advertised to the public as a good way to 'damp down' sexual sensation in the penis.
We do not advise using this gel because the local anaesthetic can 'dull' the sex sensation for your partner.
It can also cause a distressing skin reaction in either partner, with intense itching, redness and soreness.
'Long love' condoms
German scientists have come up with a slightly different approach that won't cause vaginal irritation.
It's called the 'long love condom’ and it contains a local anaesthetic (benzocaine or lidocaine) inside it.
Long love condoms are now being sold in many countries, under a variety of brand names.
A few male patients have told us they do last longer with these condoms, but the man is still at risk of a sensitivity reaction to the local anaesthetic.
Treatment for more severe cases
If PE is causing you significant problems, it is best to consult an expert for treatment.
The Masters-Johnson method
This method cures the vast majority of men, provided that both partners are keen to co-operate (which isn't always the case).
It's based on a special 'penis grip' developed by the American therapists Masters and Johnson. They employed it in a 're-education' course lasting weeks or months.
The finger-grip abolishes the desire to climax, so if, under careful instruction, the couple use it over a period of weeks, they can usually re-train the man so he can last much longer. But please note that cure can't be achieved overnight.
What does it involve?

At each training session, your partner places her hand so that her thumb is on one side of the man's erect penis (the nearer side to her when she is facing him).
Her index and middle fingers are on the other side.
The index finger is just above the ridge of the glans (the 'head'), while the middle finger is just below the ridge.
When the man feels that he's near to a climax, he tells his partner.
She then squeezes his shaft firmly between her thumb and the other two fingers. (Don't worry: it's painless!)

The programme and the grip can work for male couples as well as for heterosexual ones.
Does it work?
We have seen many men with PE who couldn't last for 30 seconds, but who were able to last as long as half an hour after careful training over a period of months.
However, unless this is done as part of an organised programme, it probably won't work. We often hear from guys who tried to do it themselves, and achieved nothing.
The Masters and Johnson grip really needs to be demonstrated to you personally by an expert. Most couples who try to learn it from the Internet or a book get it wrong.
Our advice: see a professional. In the UK, try one of the organisations listed at the end of this article.
Antidepressant drugs
In recent years, it has also proved possible to treat PE with antidepressant drugs taken a few hours before intercourse. The group that are mainly used for this purpose are the SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors).
The use of these drugs may seem a little odd, but delaying male climax is a well-known side-effect of certain antidepressants. For most men, that side-effect is unwanted. But for guys with premature ejaculation, it's highly desirable.
Antidepressants that are commonly used for this purpose include clomipramine (Anafranil), fluoxetine (Prozac) and sertraline (Lustral).
But please be warned: these are powerful drugs that can last a long time in the body, and have a considerable list of potential side-effects.
Before opting for one of them, talk it over carefully with your doctor.
In many countries antidepressants are now sold illegally in bars and on the street as 'last-longer pills'. We really do not recommend buying antidepressants in this casual fashion.
Antidepressants are prescription-only drugs, with a potential for causing you harm. If you want to try them for premature ejaculation, make an appointment to see your GP.
Drugs by nasal inhalation
At the end of 2008, there was a good deal of controversy in Britain because a company started using large advertisement hoardings to promote its treatment for PE: a nose spray.
In fact, the only point of the spray is to deliver a drug into the bloodstream more quickly than could be achieved through taking it by mouth.
The drug which is mainly being used in these new nose sprays is clomipramine – which, as we have mentioned above, is an antidepressant.
There have also been reports of sex clinics suggesting the use of the major painkiller tramadol in a nose spray.
This does not strike us as a good idea, in view of the drug's side-effects which include mental confusion and abdominal pain.
Tramadol is related to morphine, and is widely misused by people with drug problems. It is habit-forming.
A special constriction device
In 2000, a clinical trial of a new technique for treating premature ejaculation was published in the medical press.
It was developed at St George's Hospital, London, and involved wearing a slightly constricting ring below the head of the penis for 30 minutes each day. The theory was it would make the organ less sensitive.
Unfortunately, at the present time the inventors of the device have not been able to publish any results of large scale trials.
Don't attempt any constriction techniques like this off your own bat. Such a method should only be prescribed by an expert at a sexual problem clinic. It may or may not turn out to be useful.
Release of a new medication
At a medical conference we attended in December 2004, it was announced that a new anti-PE medication should be launched during 2005.
However, it was not until 2010 that it was finally released for use in the UK – and even now it is available only on a very limited basis, and NOT on the Health Service.
But in recent months it has become widely available in Scandinavia, Australia and Malaysia.
The product is a tablet called dapoxetine. Its UK trade name is Priligy.
Essentially, it is one of the 'SSRI' group of antidepressants – which, as noted above, do have the ability to lengthen the time between sexual arousal and climax. It is taken by mouth, in tablet form. The dose is either 30mg or 60mg. Dosage depends mainly on your body weight.
Please understand that Priligy is NOT a pill which will actually cure PE.
The idea is that you simply take it a couple of hours before you intend to have intercourse. With luck, you will last a good deal longer that day.
But of course, you will need to take another Priligy tablet before your next sexual encounter.
Newspaper reports appearing in Britain in late 2010 suggested that it helps 70 per cent of males.
Unfortunately, the trial results we've seen so far suggest that in reality only about 45 per cent of men reported that the drug gave them control that was 'fair, good or very good'.
Possible side-effects of dapoxetine include dizziness, dry mouth, nausea, insomnia, headaches and diarrhoea.
However, if you have bad PE, Priligy (which may be the first of various such products) would probably be worth trying when it becomes available in your part of the world.
In the UK in 2012, the situation is that Priligy is NOT available from your GP or on the NHS. Some private doctors prescribe it. You can obtain it via the internet, but you should have an online 'consultation' with a doctor first.
At present, it is still extremely expensive. In the UK the online price has come down to £47.85 for three tablets. Obviously, this works out at about £16 every time you want to make love.
Cognitive behaviour treatment (stop-start technique)
In 2006, we attended a conference on sexual medicine in Vienna. One of the speakers, Dr Mehmet Sungur, claimed good results for the cognitive behaviour (CBT) method of treatment for PE.
The CBT method focuses on addressing the kind of thinking that has proved unhelpful.
For example, a man may believe that ‘real men’ must thrust endlessly to give a woman pleasure. Such thinking is not only damaging to the man, but wrong. Most women want penetration but also derive great pleasure from love play – often preferring handling and MouthAction to intercourse.
The CBT method also aims to alter the man’s behaviour: he is encouraged to masturbate using the stop-start technique to gain more control over his responses and his urge to ejaculate quickly.
The stop-start technique

The man is encouraged to masturbate alone.
He is asked to set time aside to be private and to masturbate with dry hands.
The man is encouraged to masturbate almost to the point of ejaculation and then stop.
He should do this three times.
On the fourth time, he is permitted to ejaculate.

After he has achieved this measure of control, he can try masturbating with a wet hand, which will feel more like the inside of a vagina. He is encouraged to do the stop-start technique as before.
Obviously, this technique could possibly be adopted by a man who does not seek treatment from a therapist.
But because there are often psychological difficulties as well as behavioural and mechanical ones, most men will benefit more from seeking treatment rather than using the stop-start technique on their own.


Read more: http://www.zlmh..com
Follow us: @zolas

Let’s face it: Even the most diehard Mac fan needs a little dose of Microsoft sometimes. Whether you want to run some obscure engineering software, experiment with the dark side, or just want to fire up Modern Warfare 3 on your Mac, the ability to dip your toe in the Windows software pool is a major advantage. And these days, getting that means installing Windows OS.

Now let's get stated:

Step 1: Buy a copy of any Windows 7.

Check out our guide to different Windows 7 versions before dropping too much money on the rather unnecessary “Ultimate” package, and don’t forget you can grab a student copy at a significant discount with a .edu e-mail address.
Step 2: Upgrade to the latest version of Boot Camp.

Since older versions of Boot Camp didn’t explicitly support Windows 7, intrepid Mac owners who decided to install it beside Snow Leopard suffered from slow startup times, Magic Mouse malfunctions, and other glitches. Not anymore. The most recent version of Bootcamp includes full support for Windows 7, which should save you from all these headaches. Simply go to the Apple menu on your Mac and select Software Update, which will grab the latest version for you.
Step 3: Create a new partition for Windows 7.

Since Max OS X and Windows 7 can’t live happily together, you’ll need to create a new partition on your hard drive (or a separate partition on a separate hard drive) to install it. Think of it like putting up a new wall to split one bedroom into two so that a pretentious hipster and a stiff corporate dud can both live in peace.

Open Boot Camp Assistant by looking in the Utilities folder under Applications. The intuitive software will walk you through the process, just make sure to create an NTFS partition, since you won’t be able to install Windows 7 on any other type, and make it a minimum of 16GB. Keep in mind that you’ll want to install all your Windows software on the same partition, so plan accordingly.
Step 4: Install Windows 7.

With Boot Camp Assistant still open, choose the option to “Start the Windows installer.” You’ll need to pop that fresh, legally purchased copy of Windows 7 in the drive and click Continue to start installing. From here on out, the installation looks a lot like any other Windows 7 installation. In other words, follow the instructions. When it asks whether you want to do a standard or custom installation, be sure to choose “custom” and select the partition labeled BOOTCAMP. You’ll also want to click “Drive options (advanced)” after highlighting it and choose “Format” to ensure you install on a nice, squeaky clean partition.

Grab a cup of coffee while your Mac lays down all the Windows 7 files. (Hint: Don’t go with a Venti, the Windows 7 installer blazes compared to past versions.)
Step 5: Configure Windows for your Mac.

You now have Windows 7 installed, but it doesn’t know how to interface correctly with all your Mac’s strange in exotic hardware until you install the right drivers. Fortunately, Apple has made this pretty easy: They’re all located on your OS X install disc. With Windows running, eject the Windows 7 disc, pop the OS X disc in, and let it load (double click on the CD-ROM drive if it doesn’t start automatically). It will do almost all the work automatically, but you may have to click a few foreboding boxes warning you that the drivers haven’t passed Windows Logo testing. Don’t sweat it, just keep tapping those Continue boxes.
Step 6: Start Windows 7 at will!

Congratulations, you now have a fully functionally copy of Windows 7 running on your Mac! Keep in mind that it will still boot into OS X automatically unless you hold down the option button at startup, which will produce a menu allowing you to choose which operating system to use.

For further questions, or if you run into any problems along the way, be sure to consult Apple’s Boot Camp installation guide, which has more comprehensive instructions and should be able to get you out of a bind.
Other options

In the spirit of being thorough, we feel obligated to inform you that Boot Camp isn’t the only option available if you’re looking for a way to run Windows software on a Mac. There are also two other options:

If you’d rather not reboot every time you want to use a windows program, check out Parallels or VirtualBox. Both are virtualization software that will allow you to quickly switch between Windows and Mac operating systems. Beware though, as this takes quite a bit of processing power. For most newer macs with advanced processors, this shouldn’t be much of an issue.

The other option is to take the Windows program you’d like to use and transform it into a Mac application. This can be done using WineBottler, CrossOver and a number of other programs. This option would work best if you’re only planning on running a couple Windows-based applications on your Mac.

Read more: http://www.zlmh..com
Follow us: @zolas

links to my most recent work.

http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 or http://99designs.com/users/1234568

find my Cv and portfolio at https://www.odesk.com/users/~01ff259caf4f2c90b0

http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 (get my recent design)

more still coming

Your comment will be appreciated.

Dear Nairanlander,

I have design experience and was working on detailed projects. I also possess over 10 years of experience in Logo Design and Stationary Design , color production, and desktop publishing related programs, and 5 years experience in Web Design/Development I am very dedicated to my work.

I am a winning logo designer, both in mycroburst.com, logomyway.com and 99designs.com.

You can contact me using Facebook account, Yahoo messenger and Skype and on my mobile number , would be happy to set up a convenient time to discuss the application you're moving and some ideas about the safest way to get it into the cloud.


I will be available all hours a day.

Thanks.

Find my recent work on my odesk port folio or http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 or http://99designs.com/users/1234568, or http://www.logomyway.com/designerDetailProfile.php?userId=33711

find my Cv and portfolio at https://www.odesk.com/users/~01ff259caf4f2c90b0

http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 (get my recent design)

Sincerely,

Balogun Azeez

Dear Nairanlander,

I have design experience and was working on detailed projects. I also possess over 10 years of experience in Logo Design and Stationary Design , color production, and desktop publishing related programs, and 5 years experience in Web Design/Development I am very dedicated to my work.

I am a winning logo designer, both in mycroburst.com and 99designs.com.

You can contact me using Facebook account, Yahoo messenger and Skype and on my mobile number , would be happy to set up a convenient time to discuss the application you're moving and some ideas about the safest way to get it into the cloud.


I will be available all hours a day.

Thanks.

Find my recent work on my odesk port folio or http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 or http://99designs.com/users/1234568

find my Cv and portfolio at https://www.odesk.com/users/~01ff259caf4f2c90b0

http://www.behance.net/gallery/LOGO-DESIGN/5555790 (get my recent design)

Sincerely,

Balogun Azeez