1.It appears at times that these beauty contests are a farce due to the fact that these beauty contests are guided by the availability of potential customer base for large companies manufacturing beauty products.

2.It was not a coincidence that in 1994 Aishwarya Roy and Sushmita Sen were crowned as Miss World and Miss Universe simultaneously from India as potential companies saw India as a growing opportunity to sell their products to Indian beauty at exhorbitant prices.

3.Further discussion on said subject can clarify the above statement.

1.Beauty is superficial in life and thus you needs to be internally also beautiful with thoughts that people envy due to your possessing the same.

2.Its important that you are internally beautiful in order to appreciate true values in life.

.Experiment with color. Ditch the blacks and grays and break out the bold colors. Even if you're not an adventurous type, choosing a bright pink nail polish or bold green eye shadow can help update your look.

• Protect your tresses. Chlorine, wind and sun can be hard on hair. Make sure you protect it by using shampoos and conditioners with moisturizing benefits. For added moisture and protection, try a leave-in conditioner.

• Ditch the dryer. Blow-dryers and flatirons can be damaging to hair, so go for that tousled look the celebrities have been sporting.

• Show off your legs. With flirty sundresses, short shorts and sexy miniskirts being some of the hottest trends, smooth, hairless legs are essential. Carefree Totally Smooth Leg Crème removes hair above and below the surface and you won't have any nicks or cuts-just silky smooth legs for up to seven days.

• Less is best. Skip the heavy makeup and accentuate your glowing skin by brushing on a light, shimmering powder.

• Always apply sunscreen, even if it's a cloudy day. Find a bronzer or moisturizer with SPF 15 so you can tackle two tasks at once-get that fresh glow while protecting your skin from the damaging effects of the sun.

• Don't forget to drink water. It's easy to get dehydrated, especially when the weather is warm. What's more, drinking water will help keep your skin hydrated and your nails strong and healthy.

Perhaps the best beauty tip is to just relax. If you feel great on the inside, it will show on the outside.

Have you ever used chamomile to brighten your hair? What about honey to soften your lips? Throughout the world, every country has age-old, time-tested secrets that women use to look and feel beautiful. Here, our resident beauty expert Shalini Vadhera shares some beauty secrets of European women from her book Passport to Beauty.

Europe is one of my favorite places to visit. With countries steeped in history and art, down to the fabulous nightlife and extravagant shopping, it's a must-go destination. I am always struck by how style is visible everywhere. Paris is the beauty capital of the world; Milan corners the fashion market. Natural beauty also makes its mark, as one notices that in certain parts of Europe, many of the women wear little to no makeup at all. Even when keeping the makeup to a minimum, these European beauties still manage to look great (and healthy!) from head to toe.

A Makeup Remover So Sweet
French beauties treat their skin as delicately as a porcelain vase, especially around the eyes. Their secret to removing eye makeup while hydrating and keeping the eye area smooth? Sweet almond oil. That's right, these gals use a dab of sweet almond oil on a pure-cotton ball to remove makeup around this delicate area.

Reminder: Having trouble finding almond oil or any of the other great exotic ingredients in this book? Just take a quick jaunt to your local natural foods store or global market. Most of these items are available in your own neighborhood.

Give Your Feet a Treat
Our feet don't get the constant TLC they deserve, especially in the wintertime. Often neglected, our tootsies are usually left to our pedicurist for all the tough work. It's time to give your feet a treat at home and maintain beautiful-looking toes all year round. Here's a tip from our friends in the Mediterranean, using a traditional staple of many European mealtime dishes -- olive oil.

Beautify your feet by dipping them in warm olive oil for a few minutes, and then buff with coarse salt, and rinse. You'll have soft, beautiful feet in no time!

Get Dirty, Girl!
As you clean, get dirty! French women soak up toxins with clay, which absorbs oil and impurities without drying or irritating the skin. It draws out toxins from the skin and improves circulation. The best way to find clay is in powdered form at your local natural grocery store. Mix it with a little water (just enough to form a paste), and then smooth it over your face and body. Let dry, rinse off, and feel the difference!

Tip: If you have large pores and a tendency toward dull skin, a clay mask is your answer. It purifies your face, ridding it of dull, lifeless-looking flakes.

Lost Baggage? A Good Thing
Cucumbers are great for reducing puffiness around your eyes . . . it's a trick that's not so tricky. Just slice a few, and lay them on closed eyelids for a few minutes. One new secret I learned from my friends in Germany was to use chamomile tea bags to get the same effect. Just steep the tea bags in hot water for a few minutes, and let them cool. Place each bag over the eye, and relax for a few minutes. Take them off, and voila! Your puffiness is gone!

Think Mink for Anti-Aging
And you thought that only the rich and famous wore mink! Wrap your skin in luxury with rejuvenating mink oil. This amazing oil is recommended by many European dermatologists to reduce the look of aging skin. In fact, research by Belgium 's Health Department has proven that mink oil is the easiest to absorb and the most compatible oil for human skin. It's perfect for tackling fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots, as well as blemishes, stretch marks, scars, and irritated skin. Use it as a face moisturizer and makeup setter (a few drops of the mink oil spread evenly over your wet face or mixed with foundation), a nourishing treatment for thinning hair (a quick massage with a few drops), and a nourishing bath treatment (1 to 2 teaspoons in the tub).

Tip: If you feel a slight stretching of your skin after applying makeup over the mink oil, not to worry. This is a reaction between your product and the natural mink oil. Eliminate the sensation by applying a moisturizer after the oil.

Grab the Honey, Honey
Here is some sweet beauty. Polish women apply honey to their faces as an intensive moisturizer. Just a thin layer does the trick. This sweet, golden goo's firming and moisture-retaining properties make it popular with the older ladies as well, while also helping to protect the skin from the damage of UV rays. Smooth it on, then rinse away after a few minutes for softer skin!

Honey Mask for Sensitive Skin
Warm a small pot of honey in a double boiler over low heat. After testing a small dab on the inside of your elbow to make sure the temperature is safe, apply the honey generously over your entire face.

Leave the mask on for 15 minutes. It may feel a little sticky, but the moisturizing benefits are worth it!

Rinse thoroughly with warm then cool water.

Feeling Blue?
Russian women mean business when it comes to keeping their skin healthy looking. Even when their skin is feeling a little blue -- black and blue, I mean. They use arnica cream to stimulate white blood cells to fight bacteria around a bruise. The arnica flowers blossom in Russia 's Siberian mountains and have tremendous healing power. Although herbal arnica is tough to find, search any natural foods store for topical creams and gels that have arnica as the main ingredient. They do the trick!

Scottish Sea kelp
Like a Scottish lass, turn to the sea and restore hair's shine with sea kelp. High in vitamins A, B, C, and E, kelp fortifies follicles and adds shine to hair. The hairdresser's shop is full of several shampoos with sea kelp as a main ingredient. Mix 1 tablespoon of kelp powder and 2 cups of warm water, and massage it into your scalp for two minutes. Then rinse away to fortified follicles!

French Flour Formula for Shiny, Silky Hair
This simple flouring technique is all the rage in France, where women are known for their beauty. This easy formula is the key to lustrous, manageable hair. Evidently, flour smoothes the scales of the hair shaft. Magnifique!

Flour Power

• 1/2 cup of white spelt flour
• 1/2 cup of barley flour
• 1 cup of distilled sater
• 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
• Shower cap

Sift the flours together in a large bowl. Pour in the water and vinegar, and mix well.

Spoon the mixture into your dry hair, and smooth the paste all over the hair, avoidignthe scalp. (This treatment is for the hair. It's not harmful for the scalp, but the focus is getting the paste on the individual strands of hair.)

Sweep the coated hair up on top of your head, and put on the shower cap. Leave on for twenty to thirty minutes.

Remove the cap and rinse the mixture off hair thoroughly, using cool water. (Hot water will make the flour stick to the hair shafts -- a gluey mess!)

Shampoo as usual, rinsing with cool water.

Venetian Gold -- The Perfect Hair Color
In Venice, the women once were obsessed with dyeing their hair blond with different concoctions (sometimes using the oddest ingredients, like alum and oriental crocus), choosing the hottest moment of the day to sit outside, and letting the sun bleach away the color. They still knew the importance of keeping skin safe from the sun's harmful rays. These lovelies wore a wide-brimmed hat called a solana to protect their faces from the sun while bleaching their hair.

Don't risk your hair's beauty -- apply sunscreen on your hair. After all, it needs shielding from the drying summer elements like salt, chlorine, sand, and sun . . . especially if you already have bleached color. Look for sunscreen made specifically for color-treated hair.

Tapped into Beauty
Turn off the tap, and turn instead to thermal water for what your skin needs. French women have started adding thermal water to their skin-care creams and cleansers to help relieve dryness and irritation. This water contains selenium, an anti-inflammatory that gets rid of redness; tap water, on the other hand, can strip away the skin's protective lipids and increase sensitivity.

Perk Up Your Summer
When summertime hits, Parisian women have nothing to worry about when it comes to perky breasts in their bikini tops! Follow the French and splash on cold water for breast-firming benefits. These flirty women use pulsing, ice-cold shower water to boost circulation, which allows their skin to absorb their favorite breast-firming creams more easily. They also believe that hot baths and steam treatments can cause sagging bust muscles -- a definite no-no when it comes to hitting the beach!

A Quick Brit Fix for Winter Skin
Wintertime in England can be harsh on the skin. With whipping winds causing chapping on lips, hands, and any other exposed skin, English lasses ask their local chemist for a glycerin fix for their dry skin. My friend Diane says she and her family swear by glycerin to soften up any chapped areas.

Hydrate for Beauty
Scandinavian women know that beautiful skin is just a splash away. These beauties simply drink at least 1 1/2 liters of pure spring water every day, and begin and end their day with 15 to 20 splashes of ice-cold spring mineral water after cleansing, which is said to encourage the skin's own natural functions. In other words, they can skip spending tons of money on expensive skin-care regimens that exfoliate and rejuvenate. The ice-cold water takes care of that for them! Ice-cold water also helps to reduce puffiness while bringing on a rosy glow.

Tip: I love using a spray bottle to mist my clients' faces after applying their makeup. Not only does a light mist help set their makeup, but it also hydrates and refreshes the skin! Try the Global Goddess Refresh Revitalizing Spritzer.

Spice Up Your Mood
There's nothing like a zesty fragrance to get the heart pumping, the mind going . . . and the mood soaring! Women in Spain know that the trick to elevating their mood starts in the kitchen and ends in the bath. Try enveloping your body at home in this zesty bath, sure to kick up any grumpy day.

Spanish Stress-Reducing Bath

• 1/4 cup of sesame oil
• 6 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 bay leaf
• Dash of dark rum

Combine ingredients. Steep for one hour in a dark glass bottle.

Add three drops to your bath for a lifted mood and conditioned skin.

Lash Out at Lame Lashes!
I used to work with an exquisite model who had the most amazing lashes. She told me about a little secret she picked up in Romania -- castor oil. Placed carefully on the eyelashes, it helps to strengthen and stimulate lash growth. It's also good for hair regeneration. Castor oil can rescue your thin, brittle lashes and locks.

Tip: When's the last time you replaced your mascara? To avoid clumpy, dry lashes and possible eye infections, make sure to replace your mascara once every three months. Also, avoid "pumping" your mascara brush into the tube to get more product on the wand. By doing this, you push more air into the tube, causing the product to dry out.

A Carrot a Day Keeps the Acne Away
Hungarian women reach for the carrot to relieve unsightly blemishes and to cleanse oily skin. They dab carrot oil lightly on the offending areas. Women in general have been using carrot oil to treat skin diseases since the sixteenth century. It's rich in beta-carotene and vitamin A, which nourish new cells.

A Good Witch
In England, girls who suffer from oily skin and breakouts turn to witch hazel for skin therapy. Witch hazel, a natural astringent, is used once a day to dry out breakouts and to reduce oil on the face. Make your own oil-control astringent by mixing 1 part witch hazel and 2 parts rose water.

Tip: Witch hazel also reduces puffy eyes. When I'm working on an actor with puffy eyes, the first thin I do is reach for the witch hazel. We keep a small amount in the refrigerator. Soak two cotton pads in witch hazel, and apply one cotton pad to each closed lid. Let sit for five minutes, and open to less puffy eyes.

European Facial -- A True Skin Treat
Nothing says beauty like a facial! Sources tell me that it's the second most popular spa treatment after massage therapy. After a facial, you leave the spa feeling like you just stepped out of a glamour magazine. A European facial involves a few basic steps: deep cleansing, skin analysis, steam, exfoliation, massage, and extraction of blackheads. This routine is followed by an application of products (either a mask or moisturizer) targeted to your skin type, whether it's dry, oily, mixed, sensitive, or mature. With all that close attention and special care, your skin will thank you with a healthy glow.

Tip: There are a few things to remember when you have a facial. First, never get a facial the day before a special event. All that massaging and deep cleansing stirs up the impurities in your skin's deep layers, and you might have a breakout or two. It's also important not to overindulge. Don't have more than one facial a month or every six weeks; your skin needs time to regenerate.

Wake Up Your Feet
Hard day on your feet? Wake up your tired dogs with mint as the British beauties do. The refreshing oils in mint stimulate the circulation and get your toes a-tinglin'. Soak your feet in warm water, then smooth on peppermint oil. Prop up your tootsies on a few pillows, and feel your hard day ebb away. Or mix peppermint oil into unscented body lotion, and give your entire body a minty, refreshing treat!

Peppermint Cooling Leg Spray

• Mix 10 drops of peppermint oil with a few ounces of isopropyl alcohol.
• Pour into a pump bottle.
• Spray on tired legs for a quick pick-me-up.

Get Deeper Color
Brunette beauties in Romania often maintain their naturally deep, luscious hair color by rinsing with an infusion of walnut tree leaves. The concoction is made by steeping the leaves in hot water and then straining them out, and it helps to bring out the hair's dark reflexes. Their blond counterparts choose a rinse of chamomile tea for golden hair shine.

Swedish Massage to the Rescue
A relaxing Swedish massage is all I need to unwind from a day of the crazies. Traditional Swedish massage was developed by a doctor in the 1700s and is based on the theory that by applying pressure and rubbing in the same direction as the flow of blood returning to the heart, you'll relax the muscles. This practice uses five main strokes to achieve its relaxing and healing effects. Through kneading and friction techniques on the more superficial layers of the muscles (so it's not as painful as those deep tissue massages), you will drift away!

Do I Smell Garlic?
If you suffer from goose bumps like I do, you know how hard it is to shave your legs. When savvy girls in Russia cut themselves shaving, they rub cloves of raw garlic on the affected area. Garlic contains antibacterial compounds that help heal those nicks and cuts -- fast.

Tip: For a smoother shave, start off your shower with a good exfoliating scrub. Sloughing off dead skin will make your shave smoother, and you'll be less likely to nick yourself.

Lips Like Sugar
Although their moms warm it to use as a supermoist facial treatment, Polish teens use honey to soften their lips. The honey acts as a humectant, drawing moisture form the air to your skin. This balm keeps your lips soft and plump -- kissing perfection!

Sugar and Spice Equals Skin So Nice
Sweeten the deal by exfoliating away rough spots the way of the Greeks -- with olive oil and sugar. The oil loosens layers of dead skin, while the sugar sloughs them off.

Greek Sugar Body Scrub

• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

Mix ingredients to form a thick paste. Apply liberally in the shower, and massage in a circular motion.

Lighten Your Locks
To brighten their blond hair, German women turn to chamomile. To follow their recipe, add a handful of dried chamomile flowers to a pint of boiling water, and let steep for twenty minutes. Strain, cool and apply to just-shampooed hair. Let sit for thirty minutes, and then rinse.

Love Your Blond Hair
Speaking of lightening your locks. European beauties know that flowers hold the secret to beautiful blond hair. In Russia, these stunners add a handful of dried daisies to a pint of hot water, and let sit for twenty to thirty minutes. After straining it into a container, they use this floral mix as a final rinse to bring out fabulous blond highlights!

Beer: More Than a Drink
My girlfriend Patrizia, a fashion stylist from Belgium, has the most incredible sense of style. I had to pick her brain about some Belgian beauty secrets. I asked her about maintaining thick, smooth hair -- a definite fashion must -- have. She divulged that beer is the secret ingredient in Belgium, where there are said to be over four hundred varieties. But rather than drinking it, Belgian women use it as a final rinse for thicker, frizz-free hair.

Vinegar Equals Shiny Hair
I also spoke with Meike, another talented fashion stylist and Patrizia's mom. She told me that she often uses apple cider vinegar as a final rinse to get super-shiny locks. All it takes is 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar (available at almost any grocery store). And of course, you should adjust the amount according to the length of your hair.

From Passport to Beauty by Shalini Vadhera. Copyright (c) 2006 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin's Griffin .

COURTESY REFERENCE.COM

STEP 1: FOUNDATION
Application smarts: Tinted moisturizer and foundation go on the same way: I prefer using a makeup sponge for blending-it makes the job go faster. Dip the sponge into a bit of foundation and blend over the face including eyelids and under the eyes. Lightly buff down the neck for a seamless finish. If some areas need more coverage, stipple on a second layer by using a light patting motion to push the foundation into the skin. This is a great technique to hide redness from rosacea without resorting to thick cover-up. Expect to use about a nickel-size amount for the entire face.

STEP 2: UNDER-EYE CONCEALER
Application smarts: Since you've already applied your tinted moisturizer or foundation under your eyes, you'll need less concealer and will have a more natural finish. The most important thing to remember about concealer is less is more. If you load concealer on to obliterate a problem area, it takes on a dry, cakey look as the day goes on, and it will actually draw attention to what you're trying to hide! For under eyes, sweep concealer next to your eyes' inner corners (where dark color is most concentrated) and blend downward with a ring finger. Make sure to target only the dark areas of your skin; if you start spreading it up and down and all around you end up with that "I never took my sunglasses off on vacation" look.

Fast fix: If you're bothered by your dark circles, shift the focus by playing up another feature, like your mouth. Wear bright gloss to draw attention from your under eyes.

STEP 3: SPOT CONCEALING
Application smarts: For redness and blemishes, spot-apply concealer with a thin concealer brush. The bristles will be compact and tapered, and the thin tip allows you to "paint" concealer precisely where you need it. Afterward, use a finger to gently pat any edges, blending them seamlessly into skin.

STEP 4: POWDER
Application smarts: Apply face powder with a clean blush brush. Yes, a blush brush: the smaller size makes it easier for you to target the few places where you need powder. In contrast, a classic puffy powder brush dusts powder all over, leaving skin looking overly matted. Less powder is modern and leaves skin dewier; dust it down your nose, across your chin, and over your cheeks and eyelids. That's all you need. A little can be applied under the eyes, but use only enough to set the makeup without causing it to cake together. I like to leave the tops of the cheekbones powder-free. Even if you have oily skin, having a bit of shine in this area gives you a youthful dewy look. If your skin is too matted down, you'll look dry and tired.

STEP 5: HIGHLIGHTER
Highlighters are my secret weapon and the key to the 5-minute face. These pearly shimmers come in fine powders, sheer creams, luminizing liquids, or light-reflecting crayons and bring light to the face, blending into the skin to become almost unnoticeable-except for an ethereal gleam. Powders go on faster, so use one here to save time. After you apply it, tilt your face, you can see the tones of the color prisms, giving your face and eyes that luminous glow.

Application smarts: With an eyeshadow brush (or Q-tip), sweep on a little powder highlighter in three places: under your eyebrows, on the inside corners of your eyes by your tear ducts, and on top of your cheekbones (see box below on cheekbones). And for cream or liquid highlighter, use before powder and tap on a small amount, blending it into your skin with your ring finger. The combination surrounds your eyes with radiance and makes them shimmer-no eye shadow needed! It also draws light to the upper part of your face for an instant lift.

Find your cheekbones!
The tops of your cheekbones are a key place to apply highlighter because it draws the eyes upward, highlights your bone structure, and gives the face more radiance. To find the top of your cheekbones, place two fingers side by side under the outer corner of your eye. That's the top of your cheekbone.

STEP 6: BLUSH
Application smarts: Apply blush (one that mimics a natural flush) to the apples of your cheeks, which are the rounded areas that stand out when you smile very wide. For powder blush, apply using a brush made for face powder. Its large size will hug your apple and apply the color with a natural, seamless finish. Cream blush should be applied before face powder. It should be dotted on with clean fingers then smoothed in tiny circles until it looks like part of your skin. Add more dabs until you build up to the color intensity you want. No matter whether you use powder or cream, remember that you should look like you're blushing, not like you've been slapped in the face.

Fast fix: BLUSH OVERLOAD! Applied too much blush? This will help: if you're dealing with a cream blush, take a makeup sponge, place a drop of foundation on it, and with tiny upward strokes, buff over your blush to soften the color. If you used powder blush, do the same with a dry sponge.

STEP 7: EYELINER
Application smarts: Aim to apply eyeliner along your upper lash line as close to the roots as possible; wiggle the pencil using little back-and-forth motions to really work the color into the roots, then smudge with a Q-tip to soften the line. This will give the illusion of a thicker lash line, but your eyes won't scream "Eyeliner!" You can use whatever liner is left on the Q-tip to slightly smudge under your lower lashline for just a hint of color. Chocolate brown pencil liner is a universally flattering no-brainer shade. Cheap or pricey doesn't matter as long as it glides across skin without skipping, pulling, or crumbling.

STEP 8: MASCARA
Application smarts: Tilt your head back slightly and look down to expose your lash root. Target the root as the first place the brush hits (it will deposit the most color there, which is where you want it), then glide the brush through to the tips. Apply one coat to your top lashes only. The bottoms are where smudges happen most and keeping them bare will save you potential cleanup time.

Fast fix: I like black mascara on almost everyone. It makes more of a statement and gives you that extra wow! Keep an eye out for formulas with smaller brushes; they offer control for faster application and fewer clumps.

STEP 9: LIP COLOR
Application smarts: The quickest way to add color to the lips is to use a tinted lip balm. This is a fast and natural way to add color, moisture, and protection in one easy swipe. Of course you can use your favorite lipstick or gloss. Cover your lips in color, then run a pinky finger over them to help "push" moisture and color into your lips.

Check your look in the mirror and you'll see - you're perfectly polished in five minutes! Enjoy it, master it-and then see where else it can take you. Besides being the ultimate look for every day, my 5-minute face technique is the basis for all of the other (easy) looks covered in this book, such as one that's perfect for a black-tie event or one that makes you feel fantastic on a sexy Saturday-night date. You'll look and feel like a makeup expert, even if you aren't!

courtesy reference.com

1. My suggestion is that parents should talk to their kids about sex openly, honestly and frequently because it's too important an issue to skirt.
2. In addition, both girls and boys should be introduced to the menstrual cycle at a young age. The fact that grown American men cringe at the idea of handling a clean tampon is pathetic. As for sex ed, more emphasis should be placed on masturbation and oral sex as alternatives to sexual intercourse. These are not things that kids should learn from their buddy's older brother.
   
3. Planned Parenthood should be introduced, along with other clinics and an explanation of the politics surrounding abortion. A lesson should also be taught on gay sex. Diseases should obviously be dealt with, but students will get the point without the picture of the man using his own elephantiasis-afflicted testicles as a chair. I still have nightmares. In addition, there should be a reassurance -- after all information is put on the table -- that abstinence is common, perfectly normal and a good option for some, even if it is a bit of a fabrication.
4. Violence is unavoidable. Children will interact with violence whether they're playing football or are at the local butcher with their mother. I'm not suggesting we eliminate something so prevalent, but there is no need to emphasize it so heavily during important developmental years when something as important as sex is left to such limited education.

1. What did you learn in sexual education? Mine went something like this: One day was for describing the condom and its use. Another day, to vaguely describe female contraception. A third to describe, in detail, how a douche works, then a disclaimer stating that a woman should never use a douche under any circumstance. I never understood that. The rest of the marking period, then, was devoted to sexually transmitted diseases and pictures that would stop anyone's sex drive.
2. According to my sex ed. teacher, if you partake in sexual activity, you are very likely to get any number of these diseases, and the two preventions are abstinence and wedding vows. For something as important as sex, it seems that parents should be teaching their children, but outsourcing the task avoids any embarrassment.
3. It isn't all outsourced, I realize. Some of you received useful and informative talks from your parents, but the problem most face is in the very title we give the discussion. "The Talk." It should be "The Talks." There is no way a preteen or teenager can understand the full consequences of current or future sexual activity from a one-time crash course in respect and responsibility, especially when the talk is riddled with embarrassing pauses and an eagerness on all parties' parts to change the subject as soon as possible.
4. Life, I was sorry to find out, does not mirror "Boy Meets World," wherein intercourse is the next logical step after kissing. TV was little help, and school was less, so the Internet was my best bet. Nowadays, though, the Internet is much more accessible than when I was 11. Kids are curious -- you aren't going to stop that, so the best option is thorough and responsible education to offset the garbage they'll find at any porn site.

1. A bill passed by the Colorado Legislature, if signed by Gov. Bill Ritter, likely will force Fort Collins charter schools to modify their sex-education courses from abstinence-based curriculum to one that includes "science-based" facts about sexually transmitted diseases and contraceptives.If House Bill 1292 becomes law, all Colorado school districts, charter schools and institute charter schools that offer curriculum on human sexuality will have to include the advised standards. ADVERTISEMENT
2. The only exception in the state is the Center Consolidated School District, which receives a $39,500 grant from the federal government to teach abstinence-based education under the clause that the money can not be used to teach or promote the use of contraceptives. Charter schools might be able to opt out by petitioning the state Board of Education.The bill unlikely is to lead to any changes in Poudre School District's sex-education curriculum. In 2005, the district incorporated a 10-lesson, comprehensive sexuality curriculum that includes education about sexually-transmitted infections and contraceptives. The courses are opt-in, meaning parents must sign permission slips allowing students to attend the courses."I think the intent of the bill is to spur other districts to do exactly what Poudre School District has done," said Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, who is co-sponsor of the bill. "If (schools) do have a (sexual education) curriculum, they are going to have to adopt a science-based curriculum."Bacon stressed that parents who do not want their children to learn the required curriculum will not be forced into allowing their kids to take the classes."There is always the opt-out option available for parents," he said.Liberty Common and Ridgeview Classical charter schools both offer an opt-in, abstinence-based curriculum. The one-day course, "Why Am I Tempted," or WAIT training, is taught at the schools by trained employees of the Alpha Center, a Christian resource center in Fort Collins."We don't want to talk so much about what you do for safer sex but what you can do for absolute safe sex," said Sharon Hindman, the center's executive director.“What we ask students to do is walk a pathway where there is no risk. Anything outside of waiting until marriage to have a sexual relationship carries a risk with it.”
3. Russ Spicer, head master at Liberty Commons, said he will comply with any state–mandated regulations but would like to check with the school’s legal counsel before adopting any forced curriculum.
4. “We have a lot of waivers that say we have the right to choose our courses,” said Spicer, who emphasized that the course is only an offering at the school and not a requirement. “We think it is a personal choice and something that the family should decide. As a parent I would exercise my right to opt my child out.”
5. The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sue Windels, D-Arvada, said the intent of the bill is not to force curriculum on schools, but to lower the rate of unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases in the state.
6. “The intent is to address the fact that we have a pretty high teen-pregnancy rate,” said Windels, who is confident Ritter will sign the bill into law. “We have looked at some of the abstinence-only education and it usually only delays the onset of sexual activity by 18 months.”
7. Windels also said charter schools have flexibility in choosing curriculum.
8. “We have a statute that charter schools can go to the state Board of Education to waive any state–mandated law unless the bill explicitly says it’s not allowed,” she said. “This gives some flexibility to charter schools that want to have a very narrow curriculum.”

1. Proper coughing and sneezing etiquette can reduce the spread of disease and as a child, we were told to simply cover our mouths.
   
2. The most important thing to remember is to direct your spray into fabric, like your sleeves. Clothing traps bacteria so it dies before infecting others.
3. But don't cough into your collar or onto your wrist -- though aiming at fabric, you are still spreading bacteria to your hands.
4. The sleeve-directed cough/sneeze, ideally toward your bicep if you are wearing a longer-sleeved shirt, can be a double-edged sword for people like me. As a regular lipstick or gloss wearer, I've left my share of imprints on clothing.
5. Use of tissues -- this method of cough/sneeze control can result in hand contamination, but if you must, be sure to throw the tissue away immediately, never to be reused.
   
6. Once you learn proper coughing and sneezing habits, you start noticing all the gross, infectious things you and your co-workers do.

1. As Children, we were told constantly by adults to "stand up straight". But as we age, sedentary lifestyles, gravity, and muscle weaknesses cause our posture to slump, putting great strain on our structural system.
2. "To maintain good posture, we have to be on our feet more often," says Michael Wiles, DC, dean of Northwestern Health Sciences University's Chgiropratic program. "Most people sit to long and their unique pelvic and abdominal muscles weaken and lose their effectiveness."
3. The body is designed for motion. Perfect posture has the body at a very slight tilt forward, making walking a smooth, efficient movement. When pelvic and abdominal muscles weaken, the pelvis can tilt, resulting in poor posture. Meanwhile, the head moves forward and the shoulders slump. Ultimately, walking ceases to be efficient and become more mechanically difficult. People become more sedentary, which further weakens the core muscles, and the cycle continues.
4. According to Dr. Wiles, to put your body into proper posture, while standing, tilt your pelvis so that the public region is lifted slightly toward the rib cage, bend your knees slightly, tilt your chin down slightly, and move your head backward on your shoulders without tipping your head up and down. A really quick fix is to stand in what is considered the "at ease" position in the military: arms behind the body, chin slightly down, vry slight forward lean of the torso, he adds.
5. "Notice that I said nothing about your shoulders," says Dr. Wiles. "Pulling your shoulders back may actually worsen your posture, and yet this is what most people think they have to do to fix their posture.
6. Dr. Wiles adds that posture correction can be complicated. "If you've had poor posture for a long time, your body will resist positional change and require a strategy to stretch certain areas and strengthen other areas. Also, a corrective program may take into consideration other factors such as the arches of the feet, whether the patient is pregnant, and whether a patient has a short leg due to a previous fracture or hip disease."

1.Keep your hair in top condition by waiting 15 to 20 minutes before one blow dry wet hair.

2.If you use a curling iron or a flat iron, keep it in motion. If you stay too long on one section, the strands may sizzle.