Inter: cosa c’entra Stramaccioni?

Inter: cosa c’entra Stramaccioni?

C’è un errore molto pericoloso sull’Inter di queste ultime sei partite. Sembra che sotto esame sia Stramaccioni: i giocatori dicono che deve restare, la gente risponde entusiasta ai referendum, la società nicchia.

Ma è una domanda sbagliata, niente cambierà Stramaccioni, non è lui quello da confermare o bocciare. Infinitamente prima di lui le scelte riguardano la squadra: Pazzini, Forlan, Cambiasso, Lucio, Chivu, Sneijder, Zarate, Poli, Ranocchia, Cordoba, Alvarez, Castaignos, Palombo, Guarin, sono da tenere o da cambiare?

Sono tanti, sono infiniti.

Perchè stiamo allora preoccupandoci di Stramaccioni? Temo che l’Inter non abbia ancora capito il suo problema, che è molto tecnico, ma non del tecnico. Deve cambiare profondamente la squadra, devono arrivare grandi giocatori. Allora potrà guidarla anche Stramaccioni. Ma sarebbe inutile dare una squadra normale a un buon tecnico e chiedergli anche di vincere. E’ in atto una campagna un po’ vigliacca. Forse è spinta dalla mancanza di voglia e di coraggio nel cambiare.

What men and women notice on dates

By Kimberly Dawn Neumann 

Dating costs plenty of dough, no doubt about it. But when it comes to spending your hard-earned cash, where should you invest it in order to get the most mileage when it comes to dating? In other words, before hitting the meet-and-greet scene next weekend, what’s really going to make you more attractive to the opposite sex — and what’s a waste of your dating dollars? Before you max out a credit card trying to win your date’s affections (or convince someone you’re hot), check out these interesting tidbits we dug up for more budget-conscious men and women. Because when it comes to putting your best flirting foot forward, it doesn’t always have to be about your shoes!

1. Men say that having gorgeous hair trumps a curvy figure. Trying to decide between a pre-date trip to the salon or Victoria’s Secret, ladies? Go for the fab hair option. According to a recent survey conducted by Pantene, 60% of men surveyed would rather date a woman with great hair than noticeable curves — and 74% of them said they notice a woman because of her hair. In fact, a full 44% of male respondents said that hair was the first thing they notice about a woman… even before her clothes (26%), legs (25%) and makeup (4%). Most of the men who took Pantene’s poll also said they’d be more likely to approach a woman at a bar with great hair than one who was wearing a low-cut shirt. This is great news, since monthly hair upkeep is more of a necessity than sexy lingerie if you’re a woman who’s on a budget. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can’t wear sassy underwear if you’ve got it — but when change is tight (like in this tanked economy), it’s good to know that a well-timed mane flip can still make you a main attraction.  

2. Guys find pink or red lips more alluring than the sexiest pair of stilettos. Should you invest in a pair of high heels, or that new Chanel red lipstick? If you’re forced to choose just one of these items, research shows that rouged lips are a better bet. In a recent Match.com survey of over 24,000 men and women, 88% of respondents said their date’s laugh made a bigger impression on a first date; only 12% picked shoes (there goes that perfect excuse for buying a new pair of Manolo Blahniks, right?).

Add a pop of red to that smiling and laughing mouth, and your attractiveness spikes even more, according to a study from the University of Manchester published in the UK’s Daily Mail. Researchers tracked the eye movements of 50 men and discovered that that in the 10 seconds after meeting a woman for the first time, the average guy will spend more than half of his time gazing at her mouth. If she’s applied lipstick, he’ll find it even more difficult to look away: a dash of pink can hold his attention for 6.7 seconds, while red keeps him fixated for 7.3 seconds. According to the study, fuller pouts were the overall preference, though the appeal of thin-lipped women increased by 40% when lipstick was applied — but when the ladies went completely bare, men tired of looking at their mouths after only 2.2 seconds. So regardless of your lip type, it pays to paint your pucker on date night.

3. Women looking for real relationships are more impressed by traditional love tokens than an expensive ride. Guys like cars, sure — but are women equally impressed by them? It seems that if you’re a man who’s looking for the real thing, then you’re ultimately better off sinking your cash into thoughtful gestures (i.e., dinners, flowers, etc.) than those flashy wheels to get the girl of your dreams. A study of over 1,000 men conducted by researchers from Rice University, the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA), and the University of Minnesota revealed that being in possession of a Porsche did make a man more desirable to women than owning a non-luxury car, such as a Honda Civic. However, the attraction ended there.

While women found men showing off a flashy product (like a brightly colored sports car) to be more attractive when it came to dating, that same trait didn’t make men more desirable as marriage partners or for long-term committed relationships, the study’s authors explained. In fact, they found that women inferred from men’s flashy spending that they were only interested in having casual hook-ups with their dates. So if you’re looking for something more than a fling, don’t worry what you’re chauffeuring your cutie around in — focus on making her feel special instead.

4. Men and women agree: being physically fit makes someone more attractive and relationship-worthy to them. If you’re looking to up your sex appeal on you next date, what will serve you better: looking hot, or getting the two of you intoxicated? This may be a no-brainer, but if you’re thinking of having something more than just a fling, spend your dollars getting rid of your doughy middle and strive for six-pack abs instead. According to the 2011 Great Male Survey by AskMen.com, 38% of men think that great abs are appreciated the most by women (and most of us gals would agree). This gym expenditure goes for women, too: having a fit figure is definitely going to get you more long-term action than a martini ever could. In fact, 47% of men surveyed by AskMen.com said they’d dump their girlfriend for getting fat (OK, to give some men credit, 53% said they wouldn’t), and that’s some good motivation to hit the cardio circuit.

If that’s still not enough to convince you, keep in mind that working out will also increase your prowess in the bedroom. In fact, a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology indicated that treadmill exercise duration predicted sexual activity duration (specifically, a 2.3-minute increase in sexual activity duration for each minute of treadmill time). So the next time you’re tempted by the hottie who’s running on the gym treadmill next to you, why not ask that person out?

5. Bad hygiene is a universal turn-off, regardless of what you’re wearing. While Mark Twain famously said that “clothes make the man” (or woman, as the case may be), all the designer duds in the world won’t impress your date if you haven’t had a shower first. In fact, a recent Match.com poll asked nearly 35,000 men and women to name their biggest turn-off on a date. The responses included bad breath (11%), dirty fingernails (1%), body odor (16%) or all of the above (72%). Not surprisingly, bad hygiene is a mood killer for romance.

In terms of dating economics, it doesn’t matter if you’re dressed in Prada, Armani or something from Old Navy (just make sure to wear whatever fits well and makes you feel confident). What absolutely, unequivocally matters is that you’re clean and smell good before you arrive. Brush your teeth, wash your hands, and use deodorant; for maximum marketability, always put your money where your mouth is!

Kimberly Dawn Neumann (www.KDNeumann.com) is a popular New York City-based freelance writer whose work has appeared in such publications as Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Maxim and frequently online. A certified dating/relationship coach, she’s published two books: The Real Reasons Men Commit and Sex Comes First and is the founder of www.DatingDivaDaily.com.

---

Article courtesy of Happen magazine, www.happenmag.com.

Top 5 things that drive men crazy

By Laura Schaefer

Men love women. They do. But that doesn’t mean women don’t drive them crazy. Even after oceans of ink have been spilled about how the two sexes can better understand and accept each other, women still find ways to annoy men — and vice versa. Here are the top five ways she’s making you crazy right now. Ladies, are you guilty of any of these irritating behaviors?

1. Game-playing/manufacturing drama. There are lots of ways to create drama and excitement in a relationship, but men aren’t usually fans — unless said excitement involves clothing removal. “Asking too much too soon about his past relationships” is one way women drive men nuts and create drama, says Dr. Linda R. Young, Ph.D., a psychologist and relationship coach who blogs for Psychology Today. Making him late by taking too long to get ready is another. Getting irrationally jealous over platonic friends or running hot, then cold with no explanation are just a few more.

Whether the drama is minor or significant, men would rather skip it. “I think these [behaviors] exist because men and women don’t have the skills to live beyond the ‘game-playing’ they learned as adolescents, which is perpetuated by the media,” explains Marni Battista, expert dating coach and founder of DatingWithDignity.com. “It takes an entire toolkit of advanced skills to create truly win-win situations in relationships. A person who doesn’t have these skills will always go to those old ‘default’ tendencies to fill the void.” And thus, drama is born.  

Ask yourself: Have I recently thrown either an object or a tantrum? If the answer is “yes,” you might be a drama queen. Take it down a notch by talking to your partner about why you’re feeling so angry and exactly what you need to feel calmer in the relationship. If you’re the one dealing with a drama queen, tell her you’re happy to discuss problems like an adult but you’re not interested in entertaining a whole restaurant with her shenanigans. If she doesn’t calm down, tell her to audition for a reality show and leave you alone.

2. Expecting the man to pay for everything. Most men don’t mind picking up the check early on in a courtship, but after a few dates, it’s nice for a woman to offer to contribute financially — especially if exclusivity has been established. Men like to be generous, but they don’t like to be taken for suckers, especially if the woman they’re seeing has a good job. As a corollary to this one, “Men are often put off by women trying to get a sense early on about what he does for a living and how much he earns,” says Dr. Seth Meyers, a Los Angeles-based psychologist and author of Dr. Seth’s Love Prescription. Men are people, too. If they feel they’re being sized up for more shallow, resume-type qualities, they’ll be annoyed.

3. “Wanting to know ‘where the relationship is going’ before he’s ready to say, or before he knows himself,” is a big one, according to Dr. Young. Dating is supposed to be a chance to get to know another person. It’s not a guarantee of finding a certain kind of relationship, and women who treat it this way drive men nuts. It’s almost as if the woman is selling herself short — after all, you can’t help but ask why a lady would want some kind of commitment from someone she doesn’t really know yet. Why is her “audition process” so short? Likewise, “Men often get bothered with women asking or talking about their beliefs about marriage and children early in the dating process,” observes Meyers. It puts too much pressure on what should be the fun part of getting to know someone when the end goal is the only thing a woman wants to focus on.

If the relationship isn’t likely to blossom into something steady and he’s upfront about that, a man wants the woman to hear what he’s saying and take him at face value. “Men are frustrated by women who don’t really believe them when they say, ‘I’m not in a place to have a relationship, but I really like hanging out with you,’” says Battista. “A man will give this ‘disclaimer’ and then be irritated when the woman finds she can’t change him, then begins to get angry that he hasn’t met her expectations.” If a woman wants to know how a man really feels and then gets hysterical after an honest response, it’s enough to — you guessed it — drive him crazy.

4. Being controlling. “Correcting him on little details when he’s got the big picture right,” adds Dr. Young, is another thing that drives men bonkers. It’s often true that women are better at multitasking, but that doesn’t mean they have to run every detail of the show. A man will get frustrated if a woman asks him to do something then won’t give him a chance to do it his way. The real show-stopper is when she then claims she “has to do everything around here!” If this situation sounds familiar, how can you improve it?

“If you want to put a stop to people’s annoying behavior, you first have to make them aware of it,” says Marc Muchnick, Ph.D., author of No More Regrets! 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life. “Often, people don’t realize that what they are doing is bugging you, so when you tell them, it may come as a surprise.” So tell your significant other that she has to trust you if she doesn’t want to plan every meal, vacation and weekend you spend together, guys. Then do a good job with the task — in your own way, of course — and she just might back off.

5. Not getting enough “guy time.” In ancient cultures, men often spent most of their time with other men while the women socialized with each other. That, as we all know, has changed. And it’s hard for some men to accept. They want their guy time, and it’s rough when women don’t respect that. As long as “guys’ night out” isn’t a code for regularly losing thousands of dollars gambling or paying for strippers, men deserve to have time with their male friends. Deciding exactly how much time is appropriate should be left up to each couple. Remind her that time spent away from each other means the time you do have together will be that much richer — especially with funny stories about the ridiculous thing your buddy Paulie did last weekend. The key is, be reasonable. If you want more guy time than gal time, maybe having a wife or a girlfriend isn’t in the cards for you.

Laura Schaefer is the author of The Teashop Girls and The Secret Ingredient, two novels for young readers. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and has never once driven her boyfriend crazy. Not once! For the other side of this story, read Top 5 things that drive women crazy.

---

Article courtesy of Happen magazine, www.happenmag.com.

Politica

Il Pdl adesso è sparito: esiste il partito delle tasse

Socci fa qualche domanda ad Angelino Alfano. Gli azzurri volevano meno tasse, ma siamo uccisi dal fisco. Alfano deve delle spiegazioni

Chi l’ha visto? Che fine ha fatto il Pdl che appena un anno fa era il primo partito del Paese, il più rappresentativo? Non che le cronache politiche non ci informino su ciò che il Pdl fa dentro il Palazzo (i colloqui con Monti, col Pd e l’Udc, le liti interne per i congressi e le amministrative e cose del genere). Ma è con il Paese e in particolare con i propri elettori che il Pdl non parla più. Da molto tempo sembra aver chiuso totalmente le comunicazioni. Ed è un fenomeno incomprensibile per una formazione politica che ha sempre fatto del filo diretto col Paese (anche attraverso l’uso sistematico dei sondaggi) uno dei suoi tratti caratteristici, rivendicati come modernità.
Oggi la sensazione di quel vasto elettorato moderato che è il naturale serbatoio di voti del centrodestra è quella, desolante e irritante, di essere stato completamente abbandonato e addirittura tradito da coloro a cui aveva dato il voto, portando il Pdl al governo. E infatti oggi i sondaggi sono catastrofici. Ma il crollo a picco nei consensi va avanti da tempo, oramai è arrivato attorno al 20 per cento, e – quel che sorprende – nessuno sembra darsene pensiero. Almeno pubblicamente. Non si vedono né riflessioni allarmate negli organi dirigenti della formazione di centrodestra (ma esistono? Hanno mai funzionato?), né iniziative politiche. Sembra quasi che si ritenga irrilevante.
Se si considera che solo alle ultime elezioni del 2008 il Pdl ha preso il 38 per cento e che i sondaggi attualmente lo collocano fra il 20 e il 21 per cento, siamo a un apocalittico dimezzamento dei voti virtuali. È possibile tenere in non cale un dato simile? Eppure non è difficile capirne la causa. Gli elettori di centrodestra non hanno improvvisamente cambiato le loro idee, buttandosi a sinistra. Nient’affatto. A loro sembra vero l’esatto contrario, cioè che sia proprio il centrodestra ad averli abbandonati e ad aver abbracciato una politica che è il contrario di quella per cui aveva chiesto e ottenuto i voti.
SFIDUCIA RECORD
Lo si desume dal fatto questo elettorato moderato negli attuali sondaggi non va a scegliere altri partiti, ma si rifugia nel non voto. Infatti tale area oggi è attorno al 50 per cento. I voti del Pdl sono tutti lì. Nella terra di nessuno, della sfiducia verso tutti. Lo stato d’animo dell’elettorato moderato è quello di chi si sente d’improvviso bersagliato dalla dura politica del governo Monti e senza rappresentanza politica, senza difesa. È uno stato d’animo provocato dai fatti che la gente tocca dolorosamente con mano ogni giorno. Quello che accade ha dell’incredibile. Forza Italia prima e il Pdl poi si sono connotati sempre, fin dall’inizio, per una serie di “mission” molto concrete  e sintetizzate in slogan che coglievano proprio le aspettative degli italiani.
Ricordo i principali: «Meno tasse per tutti», «un milione di nuovi posti di lavoro», «più società meno Stato». A proposito del primo – «meno tasse per tutti» – stiamo raggiungendo il record mondiale fra i paesi più tartassati, a proposito del secondo la disoccupazione è in crescita e si parla casomai di licenziamenti e anche riguardo al terzo slogan si è verificato l’esatto contrario: lo Stato è sempre più vessatorio e invadente nella vita dei cittadini, tanto che perfino il garante per la privacy, il 13 marzo scorso, è arrivato ad affermare ufficialmente che le recenti misure rappresentano «strappi forti allo stato di diritto». Come se non bastasse il centrodestra ha sempre rivendicato di aver determinato la nascita del bipolarismo, con la scelta del premier e del governo da parte degli elettori. Mentre adesso il Pdl ha appena concordato con Pd e Udc una riforma della legge elettorale che – a quanto pare – fa marcia indietro su tutto. La ciliegina sulla torta: il Pdl ha avuto come connotato politico la lotta agli elementi di comunismo che avevano caratterizzato la nostra storia e oggi ci ritroviamo con un presidente della Repubblica che fu dirigente del Pci di Togliatti e che è il vero Motore immobile di tutta la politica italiana. Siamo nelle sue mani e nelle mani dei compagni cinesi di cui siamo appena andati a mendicare gli investimenti.
Nessuno nega che il ciclone della crisi finanziaria partita dagli Usa nel 2008 stia sconvolgendo tutto il mondo. Ma non si capisce perché non si spieghi al Paese ciò che accade a noi e che provoca certe scelte politiche. Siamo passati attraverso l’estate di fuoco dello spread con le successive stangate, poi le dimissioni del governo di centrodestra, quindi la nascita di un governo tecnico sostenuto nientemeno da una maggioranza formata dagli antichi nemici: Pdl, Pd e Udc. E oggi constatiamo l’entusiastico appoggio del Pdl alle politiche del governo Monti.
TUTTO TACE
Tutto questo senza che il partito del centrodestra abbia mai sentito il dovere di parlare agli italiani, o almeno ai suoi elettori, e spiegare cosa stava accadendo, perché venivano fatte certe scelte, perché lo scenario era totalmente cambiato. E dove stiamo andando. Eppure è impressionante andarsi a rileggere i punti programmatici della campagna elettorale del Pdl nel 2008. In dodici paginette furono condensate «Sette missioni per rilanciare l’Italia». Rileggiamole oggi col senno del poi: «Rilanciare lo sviluppo» (e ci siamo trovati a un passo dal default e oggi in piena recessione), sostenere la famiglia, anche con la totale abolizione dell’Ici sulla prima casa (e la famiglia è stata messa letteralmente ko, adesso pure dal ripristino del’Ici/Imu, ben più pesante del passato), abbassare la pressione fiscale sotto il 40 per cento (e la pressione fiscale negli ultimi otto mesi è salita di due punti, dal 44,7 per cento al 46, 5 per cento, ma salirà fino al 50 per cento entro i due anni, quando saranno andate a regime tutte le stangate).
Stendiamo un pietoso velo sugli altri punti del programma: aumento delle pensioni più basse, piena occupazione, più servizi ai cittadini (sanità, scuola, ricerca e ambiente), sostegno alle imprese (è notizia di queste ore il record di fallimenti fra le imprese: 12mila hanno chiuso, persi 50mila posti). Si impegnarono pure, sul fisco, a «mettere fine» fu detto allora «a questa atmosfera di minacce e terrore che Visco e Prodi hanno introdotto nel Paese». Oggi, col governo Monti, viene quasi da rimpiangere Visco. Possibile che la principale formazione politica del Paese, che è andata al governo con un certo programma, non senta il dovere di spiegare cosa è successo e cosa sta accadendo? Il centrodestra è stato anche accusato dalla Sinistra di aver sottovalutato per mesi e mesi l’arrivo della tempesta e aver portato il paese sull’orlo della bancarotta.
NUOVI SCENARI
Possibile che il Pdl non abbia sentito il dovere di dare una risposta completa e argomentata a questo micidiale atto d’accusa? Eppure risposte ce ne sarebbero. Oltretutto il pareggio di bilancio che sarà raggiunto l’anno prossimo sarà perlopiù merito delle manovre del governo di centrodestra. Ma il Pdl è ancora interessato a farsi capire dagli italiani, a chiedere il loro voto, a far politica? Vuole continuare ad esistere e a competere per la guida del Paese o ha ormai in mente un’altra architettura politica, con altri gruppi e altre leadership (magari quelle emerse nel governo tecnico)?
Probabilmente c’è qualcosa del genere nell’aria. Ma si ha almeno il dovere di spiegarlo all’opinione pubblica.
Soprattutto dovrebbero spiegarci se, come e perché le stangate che abbiamo subito e quelle a cui siamo sottoposti dal governo attuale «salveranno» davvero l’Italia. Non è giusto che gli unici a metterci la faccia e a parlare al Paese siano Monti, Fornero o Passera, perché non sono stati loro a presentarsi alle elezioni, a chiedere il nostro voto e non sono loro a votare questi provvedimenti in Parlamento. Se il Pdl è ancora in vita, batta un colpo. Ma non nel Palazzo.

di Antonio Socci
www.antoniosocci.com
01/04/2012

 

Product key finder for Windows 7, Office 2010

Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder 2.0.8

32 iPad Tips and Tricks

Master your new iPad with these quick tips and handy iOS shortcuts.

By Alex Wawro and Patrick Miller, PCWorld    Mar 16, 2012 9:00 pm

Storyline: Apple Announces New iPad

You know that your new iPad will let you easily watch movies, browse the Internet, or play games on the go, but there are many advanced features hidden beneath the surface of iOS that can improve your tablet computing experience even further. To help you become an iPad master, we've compiled a handy list of tips and tricks for new iPad users. Read on if you want to learn how to multitask, take screenshots, encrypt your backups and more.

Set the iPad to self-destruct in 10 seconds: Okay, not really--but you can set the iPad to erase all data after ten failed passcode entry attempts by checking the Erase Data option under Settings, General, Passcode Lock.
Don't let AutoCorrect mess you up: If you don't like the option AutoCorrect gives you, reject it by finishing the word as you prefer, and then tapping the suggestion. If you want to use AutoCorrect's choice, just type a space or punctuation mark, or tap Return, the moment it pops up.
Create custom shortcuts for common phrases: Make AutoCorrect work for you by teaching iOS to transform shorthand (such as "omw") into common phrases (like "on my way") using iOS 5 shortcuts. Simply navigate to Settings, General, Keyboard, and select Add New Shortcut. Type the phrase you want to shorten in the Phrase field, and then type the shortened version you want to use in the Shortcut field.
Download the free iPad User's Guide: You may have noticed that your iPad didn't come with a big printed manual--that's not Apple's style. However, you can download the PDF version of the iPad User's Guide from Apple's website, or you can read it in iBooks if you have that installed (iBooks is available as a free download in the App Store). Make sure to download the manual for the version of iOS you're currently using!
Use the Side Switch: You can use the switch on the side either to enable and disable audio alerts (this doesn't affect video/audio playback) or to lock the screen's orientation in portrait or landscape mode. You can toggle which function is assigned to the switch by opening Settings from the home screen, selecting General, and choosing the function you want under the 'Use Side Switch to' heading.
Take a free guided tour: Apple provides video tutorials on setting up iTunes, as well as a complete rundown of all your preinstalled apps so that you can get a good look at how to use them.
Speed up your sentences: Double-tapping the spacebar while typing a message will type a period and a space.
Multitask in iOS: You probably already know that you can press the Home button twice to bring up a list of currently running or suspended apps. However, you can also swipe the multitasking bar left to right to quickly access audio/video playback controls, a shortcut to the iTunes app itself, an AirPlay button that lets you wirelessly mirror the iPad display on an Apple TV, and volume controls. Also, when you choose whether the Side Switch should mute alert sounds or lock the screen orientation (see the tip above), the function you didn't choose will appear in this shortcut bar.
Secure your backups: You can encrypt your iPad's backup data in iTunes. Just open the iPad in iTunes, click the Summary tab, and check Encrypt iPad backup under the Options heading.
Swap the search engine: Too cool for Google? You can change Safari's default search engine by going to Settings, Safari, Search Engine. Alas, you can choose only from Google, Bing, or Yahoo--no vintage Metacrawler for you.
Take a screenshot of whatever is on the screen: Press the Home button and the sleep/wake button simultaneously. The screenshot will automatically appear among your photos.
Selectively prevent automatic sync: Sometimes you don't want to sync your iPad when you connect it to your computer. In that case, hold down Shift-Ctrl (or Command-Option, on a Mac) in iTunes while plugging your iPad in, and iTunes will skip the automatic sync just this once. Alternatively, you can safely interrupt a sync by dragging the unlock slider on your device while the iPad is midsync.
Toggle 3G/LTE data roaming: If you're using a 3G iPad, you can turn data roaming on in the Settings, Cellular Data menu in case you want to try receiving cellular Internet through a different provider (fees may apply). You can also disable LTE service if you're trying to conserve bandwidth, and you can check your data usage by going to Settings, General, Usage.
Restrict mature content: Go to Settings, General, Restrictions and tap Enable Restrictions to selectively apply controls on your apps, content, Game Center, and more. You can use this setting to limit mature content on your new iPad by disabling explicit-language recognition, blocking podcasts that have the "Explicit" tag, or blocking movies, TV shows, and apps that are rated for mature audiences.
Make your passcode more complicated: iOS defaults to a four-number passcode, but you can turn it off by going to Settings, General, Passcode Lock, Simple Passcode. Now you can use any full keyboard password to lock the iPad. The password also helps to encrypt your mail and attachments on the iPad, so you probably want to make it safer than a four-digit number.
Tweak AutoFill: You can choose to enable Safari's AutoFill feature under Settings, Safari, AutoFill. From there you can tell Safari to fill out forms automatically, either by using your specified contact information or by remembering the names and passwords from previous website login sessions.
Sync your bookmarks: You can use iTunes to sync your iPad's Safari bookmarks with your PC's Web browser. Open the iPad tab in iTunes, click the Info tab, scroll down to the Other heading, check Sync bookmarks with, and choose your preferred browser.
Email photos: The easiest way to email photos from an iPad is to open the Photos app, select a photo, press the button in the upper-right corner (the rectangle with the right-facing arrow, not the AirPlay or trash can button), and choose Email photo... to send.
Test your Web links: You can check a linked word's actual destination URL by touching and holding down on the link--it's a perfect way to sniff out phishy links.
Choose an app for email attachments: You can open a file attached to an email message by tapping the attachment in Mail, but if the default app isn't the one you want to use, simply press and hold and wait for a menu that lets you select an app.
Use your iPad as a picture frame: Not for physical photographs of course, but you can press the Picture icon in the lower-right corner of the lock screen to have the iPad display your photo stream as a slideshow.
Show traffic conditions: Open Maps, press the dog-eared page icon in the lower right, and then turn the Traffic overlay on. If your iPad has an Internet connection, Maps will show real-time traffic conditions in the displayed area. Green means traffic is going at the posted speed limit, yellow means traffic is slower than the posted speed limit, and red means traffic is stop-and-go.
Share podcasts with friends: Listening to a podcast that you think a friend would like? You can share the link while you're listening to it by pressing the Email button while it's open.
Don't forget your downloads: You can immediately see if your iTunes account is due for incoming downloads by opening iTunes on your PC, clicking the Store menu, and selecting Check for available downloads. This trick can come in handy if your download process is interrupted, or if you missed some bonus iTunes content that came with an album you purchased.
Turn on Universal Access: You can enable options such as closed-captioned movies, VoiceOver screen reading, zoom magnification, and inverted white-on-black text by selecting the iPad in iTunes, opening the Summary tab, and clicking Configure Universal Access under the Options heading.
Forget Wi-Fi networks: So you accidentally connected to a network once, and your iPad remembers it for life--whether you like it or not. On your iPad, go to Settings, Wi-Fi, and find the network under the 'Choose a Network' heading. Tap the blue arrow next to the network you want to remove, and tap the button on the top that says Forget this Network.
Customize your Spotlight searches: The iPad uses Spotlight for its built-in search functions, and you can tweak it to your needs under Settings, General, Spotlight Search. If you have a lot of data on your iPad, for example, you can selectively disable search in different categories (Contacts, Applications, Audiobooks, Notes, Events, Mail, and so on) that you don't use so that your desired results show up faster. You can also simply change the order in which the search-result categories display by dragging them up and down, so that your more frequently used search categories appear at the top of the page.
Turn off in-app purchases: Go to Settings, General, Restrictions and tap Enable Restrictions to selectively enable restrictions for your apps, content, Game Center, and more. If you're worried about other people breaking your bank account on in-app purchases, just disable In-App Purchases under the 'Allowed Content' setting.
Switch up the fetching frequency: Your iPad automatically grabs new data, such as incoming email. However, the iPad also periodically activates apps that don't support iOS's Push feature so that they can go fetch new data--which uses the tablet's battery life. You can tweak your Push and Fetch settings in Settings under the Mail, Contacts, Calendars menu by toggling the Fetch New Data option.
Change your email signature: Don't be one of those people who leave the default 'Sent from my iPad' signature on all their messages. Change it in Settings, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Signature to something more interesting.
Master multitasking gesture controls: Enable multitasking gesture controls in any iPad running iOS 5 or later by navigating to General, Settings and toggling Multitasking Gestures on. Now you can place four or five fingers on the screen at once and swipe them left or right to switch between open apps, or swipe up to display the multitasking bar. You can pinch your fingers together on the screen to return to the iPad home screen.
Sync your iPad wirelessly: To set up iTunes wireless syncing, plug your iPad into your PC, make sure both devices are connected to the same wireless network, and then boot up iTunes on your PC. On your iPad, navigate to Settings, General, iTunes Wi-Fi Sync, select the computer you want to sync with, and tap the Sync Now button. Your iPad should sync wirelessly with your computer, and will now do so automatically whenever you have it plugged in and connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer.
Looking for more tips? This list is dynamic and will be updated as updated versions of the iPad are released and we discover new tricks, so check back regularly. The lion's share of these features should be available no matter which iPad you own (though obviously if you don't own an iPad with a cellular data plan you won't get much use out of our cellular data tips) but if you're looking for more specific guides, check out our iPad 2 Tips & Tricks list or our guide to getting more from your iPad.

Did Belief in Gods Lead to Mayan Demise?

By Charles Choi | LiveScience.com – Thu, Mar 22, 2012
  A dread of malevolent spirits haunting forsaken areas could, along with environmental catastrophes, help to explain why some areas in the ancient Mayan world proved less resilient than others when their civilization disintegrated, researchers suggest.

The ancient Maya once claimed an area about the size of Texas, with cities and fields that occupied what is now southern Mexico and northern Central America, including the countries of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras. The height of the Mayan civilization, known as the Classic period, extended from approximately A.D. 250 to at least 900.

For unknown reasons, the Classic Mayan civilization then collapsed. The population declined catastrophically to a fraction of its former size, and many of their great cities were left mostly abandoned for the jungle to reclaim.

Scientists have long drawn connections between the decline of the ancient Maya and environmental catastrophes, especially drought. Deforestation linked with farming could also have triggered disaster — for instance, reduced tree cover of the ground would have led to loss of fertile topsoil by erosion, as well as greater evaporation of water by sunlight, exacerbating drought.

However, while some locales remain abandoned for long periods, others recovered more quickly. This patchwork pattern of recovery might argue against environmental catastrophes being the sole determining factor behind the collapse of the Classic Mayan civilization — if they were, one might expect such catastrophes to affect all areas equally.

Moreover, archaeologists have pointed out that ancient Mayan societies may have been vulnerable to collapse by their very nature. They apparently funneled wealth to a small ruling elite topped by hereditary divine kings, who had virtually unlimited power but whose subjects expected generosity — a string of military defeats or seasonal droughts could greatly damage their credibility. The stability of this system was further threatened by polygamy among rulers, spawning numerous lineages that warred against each other, overall generating conditions ripe for collapse.

To learn more about the reasons behind the patchy apocalypse and recovery, scientists focused on social declines seen in the terminal part of the Classic period in the Mayan lowlands, ranging from A.D. 750 to 950. They also looked at downturns from A.D. 100 to 250, the terminal part of the "Pre-Classic" period. [End of the World? Top Apocalypse Fears]

Available data suggested the elevated parts of the Mayan lowlands, which include much of today's Yucatan Peninsula, were significantly more vulnerable to collapse and less likely to recover than lower-lying areas. Sites within this elevated region lacked perennial water sources and were more dependent solely on what rainwater they could capture and store, leaving them vulnerable to shifts in climate. In contrast, neighboring lower-lying areas had access to springs, perennial streams and sinkholes known as cenotes that were often filled with water.

Reoccupying elevated interior areas with large numbers of people would require intense labor to re-establish water management systems, helping to explain why they were left abandoned, the researchers noted. In contrast, dwelling in the neighboring, low-lying areas was less challenging, and evidence suggests that sites there were typically occupied continuously even when the major political and economic networks they were linked with collapsed.

At the same time, the Classic Maya would have implicated gods and their "divine" rulers for the collapse. In that way, their abandoned territories became thought of as chaotic, haunted places, and reclaiming any lands from the forest was at best done with great care and ritual. Survivors in outlying sites may often not have bothered. "Reoccupation called for a reordering of a most profound kind," the researchers write in the March 6 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"I have little doubt that droughts and environmental degradation — for example, soil erosion or declining soil fertility — played roles in the collapse, defined here as a substantial and prolonged decline in population, of some sites or regions," said researcher Nicholas Dunning, a geographer at the University of Cincinnati. "There is also the important role played by the environmental setting of sites — for example, sites in the elevated interior region were significantly more vulnerable to drought cycles than those in surrounding lower-elevation areas where water was more abundant."

"But the fact that collapse was often a patchwork affair and a prolonged process does indeed strongly suggest that cultural factors — for example, strength of rulership, flexibility of the society and its ability to adapt to change — were equally important for determining whether or not a given site or group of sites adapted or collapsed," Dunning told LiveScience.

Dunning's colleagues included Timothy Beach of Georgetown University and Sheryl Luzzadder-Beach of George Mason University.