Amazon wants to ship packages before you order them: 

KRMG

Amazon's gathered so much data from its customers by this point that it can now apparently predict the future. The online retailer is reportedly considering a system to ship packages to its customers before they actually order them.

The Wall Street Journal just uncovered a patent filed by Amazon back in December for what the company's calling "'anticipatory shipping' ... a method to start delivering packages even before customers click 'buy.'" 

Amazon's patented system essentially tries to predict which items you'll order next, based on your previous orders, wish lists, page views and even cursor activity. Those packages then get shipped to your general location, where they wait around in warehouses or trucks for you to order them. (Via U.S. Patent Office)

The Verge notes this is all part of Amazon's recent push to cut down delivery times. The company recently announced a partnership with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver packages on Sundays.

And of course, back in December Amazon touted its delivery drones concept, promising delivery times in under 30 minutes for small objects.

Having your next Amazon order sitting in a nearby warehouse could dramatically speed up deliveries. But what happens if Amazon's system guesses wrong?

Gizmodo points out Amazon's patent suggests the company might offer its customers errant items at a discount — or even give them away for free — rather than returning the packages to where they came from. "The patent calls this 'a promotional gift ... to build goodwill.' We call it creepy ... but kind of awesome."

The patent doesn't mention when, or if, Amazon will start implementing this new system. A company rep declined to comment on the patent.

See www.gooddeedsmall.com 

Who Cheats More: Women or Men?

Sure, it may seem like infidelity is a guy thing.  But according to research from 
the Archives of Sexual Behavior, women are just about as guilty of straying, and 
in fact, we’re cheating more than ever.

Researchers had 918 men and women fill out an online questionnaire on
whether or not they’ve cheated on their partners and why they did it. The
results: 19 percent of women admitted to straying outside their relationship—
that’s up 5 percentage points from the National Science Foundation’s General
 Social Survey in 2010. Men aren’t much better: 23 percent of them reported cheating, up 4 percent since 2010.

While men still outpace women, it’s alarming to see these numbers on the rise
for both sexes. According to Sheri Meyers, Psy.D., a marriage & family therapist
 and author of Chatting or Cheating: How to Detect Infidelity, Rebuild Love, and Affair-Proof Your Relationship, it’s not just attractive men that lure us from our relationships, but rather, it’s relationship discontent that leads us to stray. In fact, Meyers says the most common reasons for infidelity are feeling lonely and disconnected from your partner; lack of communication; love and attention deficit; boredom; a sexual disconnect; or lack of intimacy. (Read more about why men
and women cheat.)

And it doesn’t help that a new study published in the journal Hormones and
Behavior found that certain points in our cycles make us even more likely to
doubt the dude we’re dating—particularly if he’s not over-the-top sexy. In the
study, women were significantly more likely to find fault with their partners and
 feel less close to them during the high-fertility period than the low-fertility period
 of their cycles.

So what should you do if (or perhaps, when) the grass looks greener on the other side? Put that temptation to rest with these ways to prevent cheating.

Source: Madeline Haller -The Scoop

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What Sex REALLY Feels Like After You Have a Baby

CASEY GUEREN-women health

SHUTTERSTOCK

It’s probably been on your mind since long before your baby bump arrived.
Hell, even women who aren’t expecting get a shudder just thinking about it.
How will your sex life change after you give birth? If this scary thought has
you considering a cesarean section over a vaginal delivery, you’re not alone.
 To be perfectly blunt, one of the main reasons women request C-sections is because they’re worried about their vaginas, says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., F.A.C.O.G., clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Yale University School of Medicine.

While the limited research on this subject hasn’t been conclusive, a new
study in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
 compared the post-baby sex lives of women who delivered vaginally and
women who had C-sections. The researchers looked at 165 women who had
given birth at least one year ago and used a vaginal pressure monitor
(essentially an artificial penis) to measure differences in intra-vaginal
 pressure between the two groups of women.

They did find that women who delivered vaginally showed lower intra-vaginal pressure than women who delivered by C-section (meaning things weren’t as
 snug down there). But that didn’t mean their sex lives were suffering. In fact, there was no difference in sexual satisfaction, foreplay time, or sexual
function between the two groups.

Obviously, there are limitations to this study—they didn’t compare women
 who gave birth to women who hadn’t; they didn’t look at how these results
differ over time; and they didn’t prove that lower vaginal pressure is even a
thing we should be worried about in the first place. After all, it didn’t seem to
 affect their sexual satisfaction.

Previous research on the subject has been just as conflicting. One study from 2009 found that women who had a planned C-section were most likely to have
sex within 8 weeks of delivery and had the lowest rate of sexual dysfunction. Another small study in 2004 found that pelvic floor muscle strength was lower after a vaginal delivery compared to a C-section delivery, though it still didn’t affect sexual function. However, Minkin notes that pregnancy in general can increase your chance of having pelvic floor problems, regardless of your
mode of delivery.

So is it possible that your vagina will change drastically after giving birth?
Maybe. “The vagina is an expanding organ anyway,” says Minkin. “So unless
they had a 12-lb baby delivered vaginally, they should get back to normal shape eventually. You shouldn’t panic right away, but it can take a few months.” Her
best advice: Kegels…all the time. “It really can help increase pressure and pelvic tone,” says Minkin. It’s also important to stay as close to your ideal body weight
 as possible, since that can affect pelvic floor strength.

Though it’s definitely easier said than done, you shouldn't stress about what
sex will be like after a baby, says Minkin. Instead, focus on staying healthy,
having the delivery method that is best for you and your baby, and yes, keeping
up your Kegels. 

see.   www.gooddeedsmall.com 

6 'perfect' date ideas from a man's perspective

Source: Matt Bean-Fox

I've got nothing against picnics. 

But if you think a wicker basket full of French cheese and Chardonnay is going to put a guy in the mood, think again. It'll just put him to sleep. Ditto for walks on the beach, bike rides, sunsets and other summer dating cliches.

Want to wow a guy's mind? Climb inside it first. We're goal-oriented and adrenaline driven. Given that, a picnic in the park isn't going to fire us up—unless it's a ballpark and we're washing down bratwurst with Old Style in the bleachers at Wrigley Field.

Just like a good action flick, the best dates require a climax, a story arc, and something to learn, fix, or experience. These suggested dates won't just keep him from checking the score on his iPhone, they'll also bring you closer together, faster.

Why? Learning new skills and completing tasks drop deep anchors into our memory banks, and solving problems or surmounting obstacles bonds you and teaches you to communicate as a couple. The following dates will capture his attention—and his heart.

5 Non-Gushy Ways to Strengthen Your Relationship

1. The cliche: Dining at an outdoor cafe

Break it by: Going from farm to table (to bed)
Food writer Gael Greene once penned, "Great food is like great sex. The more you have, the more you want." In fact, a 2009 Men's Health and Women's Health survey found that 68 percent of men said cooking with their partner is a turn-on. This date is a combination of scouting out an organic farm and spending an evening at the stove, so it's best saved for a lazy Saturday when you might otherwise be, you know, working your way through a crossword puzzle in the park. The best part about organic grub: You don't have to be Mario Batali to whip up a decent spread, thanks to the tastiness of fresh local produce and meat. You could pop down to the farmers' market, but visiting a nearby farm makes it more of an adventure (to find both, visitlocalharvest.org). Start by snagging some arugula or rocket lettuce and harvesting organic tomatoes, then move on to a dairy farm for milk and cheese. Top it off with a visit to a local butcher for some grass-fed beef or free-range chicken.

6 Ways to Feel Sexier

2. The cliche: Having brunch

Break it by: Making a barbecue pilgrimage
"Let's do brunch," you say. Splendid, he thinks. And afterward, we can go antiquing before stopping by a department store for a refreshing spritz of summer perfume! Right. 

Look, most guys don't consider cramming into a tiny French bistro to sip Bellinis a great way to grub, and for many of us, breakfast is just sustenance. So decamp to your local barbecue joint, preferably one with picnic tables out back, for a brunch of porcine and bovine delicacies. Having the foresight to scout out this hog heaven will score you major points, and as he powers through wet wipes and drains his brew, his defenses will drop. You'll get even the most tight-lipped of men in the mood to talk. At least, that is, until the protein coma sets in.

3. The cliche: Soaking up the sun

Break it by: Going swimming (or surfing or boating)
Let's start with the obvious: Stripping down in the sun lets you check out each other's beach bodies. No-brainer, right? Now consider this: A 2009 study by Austrian and German researchers found that vitamin D (which you can get from just a few minutes in the sun) significantly increases testosterone in men. Since lounging is for the elderly (shuffleboard! bathing caps! no splashing!), try adding some adrenaline to the hormonal cocktail coursing through his veins. Start by provisioning properly. 

Never surfed? Rent a soft-top board and take turns pushing each other into the waves. Itching for speed? Get a WaveRunner for an afternoon trip up a river, and have lunch midway through. And if you happen to be landlocked, consider the co-ed car wash: You'll do his, then he'll return the favor...before turning the hose on each other.

17 Health Benefits of Sex

4. The cliche: Going for a jog

Break it by: Turning your city into a gym
Ever watch The Amazing Race? You're either convinced you and your man would slay the competition, or that you'd devolve into a hot mess of tears and accusations. Now's your chance to find out (with much lower stakes), thanks to a 10-city adventure race series called City Chase. 

The events unfold throughout the summer and early fall, pitting teams against one another in a multi-discipline competition set in the urban jungle. Evading dodge balls, wielding high-pressure fire hoses, rappelling down buildings, and charming snakes as a team will make you appreciate your partner's strengths and weaknesses, help you get used to working through conflicts—and even boost your libido. No dice with City Chase? Find more events at warriordash.com. You can also plan your own challenge, creating feats of endurance—and absurdity— throughout your hometown.

5. The cliche: Visiting the driving range

Break it by: Blowing off steam at the firing range
There's more than one reason guys ogle video-game vixens and drool over gun-wielding, ponytail-sporting action heroines. The curve-baring costumes don't hurt, but a woman with a weapon oozes confidence and strength, and has an edge that guys find alluring. Your move: Hit the firing range with your man to unleash your inner Lara Croft. If he knows his way around a .45, maybe you'll even buff his ego by asking for some help with your stance. 

Squeezing off a dozen rounds is an instant release, and the implicit sense of danger—one wrong move and things can go bad—dumps dopamine into your system, which may boost your sex drive. Let's face it: Smacking little white balls at the driving range pales next to shooting a handheld weapon capable of stopping a charging rhinoceros. Visit wheretoshoot.org to find a range near you. If guns aren't your thing, check out archeryretailers.com to locate an archery range instead.

6. The cliche: Watching the sunset

Break it by: Painting the sunset
Diego Rivera had Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dali had Gala, and Pablo Picasso had, well, a lot of women. Point being, the primal release of slathering a canvas with pigment releases something in a man. Here's how to unleash his inner artist: Grab a couple of canvases from a local art store—they won't set you back more than $15—as well as a starter kit of paints, a few brushes, and a blanket. You don't need anything fancy, and the back of a pizza box can even serve as a mixing palette. Bring a lantern, some bug spray, and maybe even an actual pizza, and set up shop on top of a big hill in town. By the time the sun has set, you'll have added the finishing touches and you'll be waiting for the paint to dry before packing up to go home. Which is when the second part of this date comes in. Blanket? Night sky? You do the math.

See www.gooddeedsmall.com 

What your foot really looks like in high heels

Joan Raymond, NBC.

CurveBeam

Skyscraper-high heels make a woman’s legs look longer and leaner. But if you look at the cramped, claw-toed, gnome-like three-dimensional images of a woman’s foot in some stilettos released by London’s Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital on YouTube, you might rethink your fashion choice -- at least for a while.

The technology called pedCAT, manufactured by Warrington, Penn.-based CurveBeam, is a CT scanner designed specifically for foot and ankle issues. It received FDA approval in the U.S. last year and in Europe in 2013, says CurveBeam spokesperson, Vinti Singh, whose foot, in her favorite four-inch heels, was pictured in the scan. The biggest difference between this technology and traditional CT scanning of the foot and ankle is that it allows for the doctor to see the foot in “true, weight bearing positioning,” says Singh, who hasn’t developed any problems in her feet -- yet.

And to keep it that way doctors agree that stiletto-moderation is the key to happy feet later in life.

“It’s well known that high heels and a narrow toe box can be a bad mix and I see those shoe related issues at least once a day,” says foot and ankle specialist Brian Donley M.D, president of the Cleveland Clinic’s Lutheran Hospital. “But I don’t think you need at CT scan to let someone know that high heels can cause problems.”

Indeed, the problems relate to high-heel mania are legion. Among the issues some women may develop are a shortening and tightening of the Achilles tendon, which may prohibit a woman’s ability to wear flat shoes. Tendonitis, pinched nerves, bunions, hammertoes or metatarsalgia, an inflammation of the bones in the ball of the feet, are also problems associated with the sky-high heel, explains podiatrist Jeffery Alexander, assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. Let’s not forget the truly unattractive “pump bump,” which happens when back of the shoe rubs against the heel bone, causing it to swell. And, of course, there’s always the potential for fractures or sprains among “. . . even the most seasoned” high heel wearer, he says.

Currently, diagnosis of foot or ankle pain is made by taking a medical history, performing a physical exam and looking for abnormalities on plain, two-dimensional X-rays, says the Cleveland Clinic’s Donley, which is generally enough to get to the root of the problem. CT scanning, which has been available for many years, is used only when necessary due to its expense and the higher radiation dose.

Doctors are realists when it comes to the high heel. “If a woman wants to wear really high heels on weekends or a night out or even at work because they make her look good, she’s going to wear them,” says Alan Block, chief of podiatry at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center. “Fashion is going to win, so I think the message needs to be just don’t wear them all the time and for everything that you do.”

Even the dreadful looking CT scan of Ms. Singh’s own foot isn’t making her chuck her heels anytime soon. “I really only wear them on weekends,” says Singh, who is 26. “I think I’ll be fine when I’m older.” Spoken like someone who has yet to buy an orthotic, or a nice, sensible pump.

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Michelle Obama's big day: 5 things to love about turning 50

By Joan Raymond  -NBC

MICHAEL REYNOLDS / EPA

First Lady Michelle Obama celebrates her 50th birthday this week.

Michelle Obama is turning 50 Friday. For some, it's the big FIVE-OH-NO, an age burdened with stereotypes: you're either a crotchety witch or an over-sexed cougar. Or you get asked about plastic surgery or menopause, as the First Lady was in an exclusive interview with People magazine interview this week. 

Whatever. 

In reality, for the majority of women, being 50 is no big deal. Regarding her upcoming birthday Obama told Parade Magazine: "I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman.”  

Some other reasons 50 is a lot more fab than frumpy:

It's the 'perfect' age

"If you could skip time and live forever in good health at a particular age, what age would you like to live at?" Based on a recent Harris Interactive Poll, it's 50. 

That’s not surprising to midlife blogger Emma Nicholson who turned 50 last year. 

Nicholson got her massage therapy license at age 45, and has raised two adult children. The thought of being in her 20s or 30s again makes her “want to barf,” she says. “I wouldn't go through all the angst again ever for anything.” 

Nicholson, like Mrs. Obama, says she is also more confident, so confident in fact that she felt perfectly fine going to a Pearl Jam concert by herself when her husband was too busy with work. 

“It was pretty cool since there were a bunch of other 50-something women sitting around me,” she says. “We all looked at each other and laughed and pretty much drooled over Eddie" [Vedder: age 49]. 

More control and greater well-being

Life rocks for most people between the ages of 40 and 60, according to a 1999 study from the MacArthur Foundation Research Network. They felt a greater sense of control and reported more positive emotions than negative emotions. 

More recent research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found we feel happier as we age (barring of course those in extremely stressful situations or those suffering from dementia.) 

For 58-year-old Lynette Padwa, the half-century mark was actually “a second youth." 

“You still have a ton of energy, more experience, most of your physical capabilities and if things aren't making you happy, you change them," says the author of "Quick Answer Me Before I Forget The Question: Everything You Need to Know About Turning 50." 

Let’s get it on

Sorry, Miley, sex may actually be better at midlife. A study of some 800 women, age 40 and older, by the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System found the majority were moderately or very satisfied with their sex lives. And they were actually more satisfied the older they got.  

“Sex does not stop at age 50, and I have many 70- and 80-year-old patients who are quite happy with their sex lives,” says family medicine specialist Dr. Vanessa Maier, University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

“The point is to try to keep yourself healthy so you can enjoy sex at midlife,” says Maier, citing exercise and diet as libido boosters. 

Friendships matter  

Both middle-aged men and women have improved well-being when they have a wide circle of close friends, according to a study published in 2012 in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. In fact, making time for friends may be one of the hallmarks of midlife, especially since you are less likely to spend time with people who don’t care about you. 

“I was a people-pleaser all my life,” says Jean Snyder, 51, of Highland Heights, Ohio. “When I turned 50, I made a decision to spend more time with my real friends and cultivate new friendships.” 

You're smarter and wealthier, too

Folks of a certain age performed better on four of six cognitive tests compared to when they were younger, according to the Seattle Longitudinal Study, which tracked the brain function of adults over the past 50 years. We’re also a lot better at abstract and spatial reasoning, verbal acumen, and even simple math, the study found. 

Maybe all that brain power is why mature women seem to control a lot of wealth in the U.S., with those age 50 and older controlling net worth of some $19 trillion.  

“It makes me crazy when women say they feel invisible after age 50,” says Barbara Hannah Grufferman, author of "The Best of Everything After 50." “We are huge, and powerful, but we have to use our voices and be heard, not fade away into the background.”  

The First Lady could be a “beacon of light” for the 50-plus crowd, says Grufferman. 

“She dances, she takes care of herself, she likes her friends, and she’s embracing her age,” she says. “That’s what we all should do.”

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Never say never': Michelle Obama on Botox, turning 50 and grandkids

Source: Eun Kyung Kim-NBC

JEWEL SAMAD / AFP - Getty Images

First lady Michelle Obama spoke to People magazine about turning 50 and her future.

Michelle Obama, just days away from turning 50, has yet to reach her peak, she says in an exclusive interview with People magazine about her milestone birthday, getting older, and whether she’d ever consider plastic surgery.

I have so much more that I should do. I don’t have the right to just sit on my talents or blessings,” the lawyer and former hospital executive said. “I’ve got to keep figuring out ways to have an impact — whether as a mother or as a professional or as a mentor to other kids.”Obama said her job as the nation’s first lady is “pretty high up,” but she feels her life is “ever-evolving” and noted she’ll only be in her early 50s when she leaves the White House.

But while she is happy with how she looks and feels, the first lady said she wouldn’t rule out plastic surgery, Botox or fillers one day.

“Women should have the freedom to do whatever they need to do to feel good about themselves,” she said. “Right now, I don’t imagine that I would go that route, but I’ve also learned to never say never.”

The interview hits newsstands Friday, when Obama turns 50. She told the magazine she feels more self-assured than ever, crediting her vitality to being healthy, which means being on top of her medical exams. She has never missed a mammogram or Pap smear, and she also has had a colonoscopy. Obama, whose "Let's Move!" initiative targets childhood obesity, also eats healthy, although she said she doesn’t “obsess about what I eat.”

Obama said she recently tweaked her workout routine, shifting away from her usual weight-bearing and cardio exercises toward doing more yoga to help keep her flexible.

MANDEL NGAN / AFP - Getty Images

Obama told People magazine she recently shifted her workout routine away from cardio exercises to include more yoga.

Obama said she would like to one day be the type of grandmother her mom, 76-year-old Marian Robinson, has been to her teenage daughters, Malia and Sasha. She said she would like to one day help her daughters raise their own kids, especially during the early baby years when balancing family and career can be difficult. 

“I want to be that grandma. But I also might be still peaking,” she said. “I’ll have to balance it all — being a good grandma with doing the work I care about.”