Female Viagra

 Coffee and the caffeine that comes with it have gotten a bad rap over the years in terms of whether or not it's good for you. But the latest scientific and medical research shows that there are plenty health benefits, as well according to an article in the January issue of Food Technology, by Roger Clemens and James Coughlin.

The authors contend that the latest scientific research, as well as reviews of the last 30 years of thousands of controlled studies, tell us that moderate coffee consumption (3-5 cups a day) can reduce the risk of a number of diseases and conditions, including type 2 diabetes, liver disease, Parkinson's disease, and cardiovascular disease.

The antioxidants that naturally occur in the brewing process means that coffee can reduce the risk of cancer, too.

Reducing Caffeine Doesn't Affect Child's Birth Weight

When I found out I was pregnant with my children, I immediately stopped drinking my morning java (and suffered from the horrible withdrawal symptoms that went with it, including headaches, lethargy, crankiness--or maybe those were just the oh-so-lovely signs of pregnancy...). It just didn't seem right to be funneling a caffeine stimulant to my fetuses.

Turns out, even if I hadn't stopped drinking coffee, the extra doses of morning caffeine may not have affected the lengths of my pregnancies or my babies' birth weights.

According to research published on BMJ Online First (a web publication from the British Medical Journal), Danish researchers monitored 1,207 healthy pregnant women who drank more than three cups of coffee a day. Half were given decaffeinated coffee, half caffeinated coffee. Neither group was told which kind they were drinking.

Once they gave birth, researchers found there was no real difference in either the length of the pregnancy or birth weight between the two groups.

Previous scientific research had shown mixed results in the connection between caffeine intake and low birthweights and pre-term births. Some controlled studies seemed to show a link between caffeine and fetal development, others had not.

Coffee a Female Viagra?
Researchers at Southwestern University found that female lab rats who were given caffeine were more "motivated" to be with male rats in a sexual way. A dose of caffeine shortened the amount of time the female rats returned to their male partners "following an ejaculation," according to the study abstract.

However, the scientists point out that these rats had never had caffeine before. Their reactions may have been based on their being "caffeine virgins," so the same effects may not be seen among humans who already drink coffee, green tea, diet sodas or other caffeinated beverages regularly.

Lugar

The post of Secretary of State is one of the more important positions that President-Elect Barack Obama must fill. People mentioned for the job include Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY), John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat.

We have covered Senator Hillary Clinton elsewhere, so we can proceed with examining the other three.

John Kerry would tend to be the most controversial of the three. When Kerry was running for president, he suggested American foreign policy should not be motivated by American interests, but by something he called a "global test." By "global test," it was meant that certain foreign countries, especially those in Europe, would have to approve and be comfortable with American foreign policy decisions before they could be made.

The problem with John Kerry's "global test" is that it fails to take into account the unique leadership role the United States has had thrust upon it. The knee jerk reaction of quite a few countries, especially in Europe, to a foreign crisis, such as Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, is appeasement. The United States has to cajole, persuade and occasionally compel other countries to go along with necessary measures, whether they be economic sanctions or even military action, to deal with foreign threats. To wait upon the approval of France, for example, before doing anything is just the same as doing nothing.

Bill Richardson once served as American ambassador to the United Nations, and thus has some actual foreign policy experience. While at the UN, Bill Richardson was pretty much in the mainstream of Democratic foreign policy thinking and did not behave too alarmingly. The one drawback to a Bill Richardson appointment is his involvement in the Monica Lewinsky scandal, during which he offered a job to Lewinsky at the UN. Richardson may have concealed some of his knowledge about the scandal during grand jury testimony.


Richard Lugar is a moderate Republican senator with very solid foreign policy credentials. He was Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and worked on reduction of weapons of mass destruction worldwide. When Lugar ran for President in 1996, he raised the issue of nuclear terrorism, proving to be a man ahead of his time. Lugar once gave a speech praising Obama's foreign policy approach and, in turn, Obama praised Richard Lugar as someone who had shaped his views on the subject. The one drawback to a Richard Lugar appointment is that he is 76, though apparently in good health.

Changing Internet

I love the way the Internet keeps changing. With the advent of Web 2.0 and social media marketing, I have found a treasure of sorts. Every day, I find myself rolling up my sleeves, and making a path to get noticed online. I have to admit that it has become a lot easier to create a brand and market it to the extreme. When I first started building websites about ten years ago, it was easier to get a flood of traffic with no discernible way to see who my customers really were. Social media has squashed that flat.

Social media giants like Digg, Mixx, Stumbleupon, and others will get you noticed, and I have found that the more you socialize and get to appreciate others, the more attention you will draw to yourself. The big search engines like Google and Yahoo like to see this sharing of sorts too, as blogging and trackbacks are extremely popular, and a great way to get links. To a web marketer, this means cash. I would highly recommend trying new social media services like Twitter, and if someone follows you, it's a great practice to follow them too. I learned this from one web marketer who I really consider one of the brilliant ones, Scott Jangro. I still haven't figured out what to do with Twitter. I am a little shy about telling people what I am doing at any given moment throughout my day. I can be a little boring.

It's also important to read blogs from other professionals in your niche. I read a lot of good blogs, most are very impressive intelligent web marketers who have great skills, and used it to their advantage. I read Shoemoney's blog (Shoemoney.com), Jeremy Palmer's (QuitYourDayJob.com), and Amit Mehta's Super Affiliate Mindset (SuperAffiliateMindset.com) among others. A couple of great sources of inspiration are two very cool women who aren't afraid to get their brand names out there. One is Paula Neale Mooney (PaulaNealMooney.com), and the other is Jennifer Ledbetter of (PotPieGirl.com). They are both very smart, very clever woman, and they know their way around the Internet. It really is encouraging to read their blogs, and get their honest opinions about marketing, link building, and other helpful tips.

The key is to get started, and keep going. It can take time to build a website, optimize it, build links, and get noticed. It's not easy, and it is work. Take advantage of social media marketing, and get your opinion and your name brand out there. Internet marketing does pay off with hard work, a bit of schmoozing, and commitment.

Top Ten Breakout Runningbacks of the future

Jonathan Stewart-OREGON

Drafted 23rd overall by the Panthers, Stewart has 383 yards rushing on 103 carries. With Deangelo Williams finally breaking out for the Panthers it looks as if Jonathan will have to wait his turn. He has carried the ball effectively when given the ball and will no doubt be a starter in the league. Stewart is a power back and there is always a need for these backs in the league. Will he be a star? It all depends on his work ethic, but as of right now he is going to be a solid back that you can give the ball to 25 times a game. With Jake Delhomme passing and Deangelo getting the rushes, Stewart will have to wait though.

Matt Forte-TULANE

Forte, drafted 13th in the second round is putting up big numbers in his rookie year rushing for 713 yards already. If you are a fantasy guru you know how great this guy is. Forte is on pace to break 1000 yards rushing and only a handful of rookies have accomplished this feat. Look for this guy to have a long career running behind the Bears offensive line. If he stays healthy he is a legitimate threat to gain over 1200 yards rushing year in and year out. He is very reliable and was a serious diamond in the rough.

Felix Jones-ARKANSAS

Do we dare say this guy is better than arkansas teammate Darren Mcfadden? We will have to wait and see to answer that question but Felix has made his argument. Felix rushed for 266 yards on only 30 carries for the Cowboys after being drafted 22 overall, an injury ended his season but look for this guy to be a huge star in this league if he comes back as strong as he started. He is an explosive back that reads his blockers well and gets yards in chunks.

Darren Mcfadden-ARKANSAS
Mcfadden was chosen number 4 overall by the Oakland Raiders. At this point it is really not fair to be able to judge Mcfadden at all, with the whole Raider organization one big mess Mcfadden has fared well considering the circumstances. Mcfadden has rushed for 341 yards on 67 carries which is an average of 5.0 yards per carry so no argument here. Mcfadden was expected to be the best back obviously in this class drafted at number four but with the emegence of the rest of the class he will have an enormous amount of pressure the rest of his career to live up to the hype.

Steve Slaton-WEST VIRGINIA

Steve Slaton, drafted 26th overall in the 3rd round has been a steal so far, he has had a breakout year as a rookie and has shown he is a threat to not only rush the ball (545 yards) but also catch the ball (198 yards). The question is whether he can take the beating of the NFL week after week and have the durability to remain a threat throughout his career. At this point it looks like he may just be a back that can carry the ball 10-15 times a game and be a good third down back to dump the ball to.

Tim HIghtower-RICHMOND

Hightower of the Cardinals recently received the starting job from Edgerrin James. Drafted 14th in the 5th round, Hightower, alot like Slaton has shown the ability to run the ball effectively and catch it out of the backfield. Hightower is a strong back and durability doesn't seem to be a problem with him. In his only start of the season he rushed for 109 yards on 22 carries. Hightower has 242 yards rushing and 145 yards receiving to go along with 7 touchdowns. Everytime he has been given the ball inside the 5 yard line he has not been denied and has scored everytime. Hightower looks to be another back to come from a small college and turn heads. Look for him to have a successful career possibly the long term back for the Cardinals, you could see him in the backfield with Matt Leinart in the future.

Kevin Smith-CENTRAL FLORIDA

Kevin Smith was taken with the first pick of the 3rd round by the Detroit Lions and is sort of in the same boat as Mcfadden. Smith has done an amazing job running the ball with what he has to work with. The lions don't have a great offensive line and Smith should be a great running back for many years if a line is created in front of him. He has rushed for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns as the primary running back for Detroit.

Jamaal Charles-TEXAS
Charles was drafted 10th in the 3rd round to the Kansas City Chiefs. He has rushed for 274 yards and an average of 5.5 yards per carry. He also has almost 100 yards receiving. It's not for sure if Charles will ever be an every down back in the NFL but has great breakaway speed and is excellent at cutting back against the grain. He will definately be a running back you will want to keep an eye on in the future because anytime he touches the ball on offense he is a threat to break for some big plays.

Chris Johnson-EAST CAROLINA

Well, first of all what can you say about this guy? GREATNESS. Chris Johnson was drafted 24th overall by the Tennessee Titans. He has rushed for an amazing 723 yards and caught 26 balls for 179 yards. How about another word to explain him. EXPLOSIVE. Chris Johnson is going to be around in this league for a long time. He is one of the fastest running backs in the league if not the fastest. He will no doubt break 1000 yards as a rookie barring injury and he is a game breaker running back. If you haven't had a chance to watch this guy play, make some time.

OTHER NOTABLES TO KEEP AN EYE ON

Mike Hart- Got injured too early in the year to really have an idea of what he will bring, so mark him down as a rookie again next year.

BenJarvuc Green-Ellis- With Lawrence Maroney hurt he has gotten the carries for the Patriots and has done a fine job, don't look for him to be a star in this league but could possibly be a reliable 3rd down back for his career.

Ray Rice- Rice has 356 yards rushing and could possibly emerge as a star if given a chance to be a starter week after week, he is currently in the shadow of Willis Mcgahee but has the potential to be a bruising back for years to come.