Jolie and Pitt to Split?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's relationship is on the verge of coming to an end following a furious fight between the pair, according to reports.

The couple, who have been dating since 2005, were allegedly involved in an argument that saw the Tomb Raider star throw a glass of red wine over her beau after Pitt accused her of being "immature" during a vacation in France.


Claims have also surfaced the pair have discussed a custody plan to be put in place for kids Maddox, Zahara, Pax and Shiloh in the event of a break-up.

A source tells Life & Style magazine, "Angie was cursing him and ending up throwing a glass of wine in his face. Brad was absolutely disgusted by her behavior.

"Brad's had enough of doing what Angie wants to do and following her around the globe."

Funk’s Five to Fab Abs

Funk's Five to Fab Abs

There is nothing like a fine set of abs, with the line that travels along side the groin – what is that line called anyway? – Ahhh yes, the good ole Inguinal Crease – yep that’s it!

Well if you’re like me and many others, having abs and the crease would put the icing on the cake, so to speak. Along with the proper diet, cardio and Funk’s Five Favourite Ab exercises you too can have celebrity like abs.


1. Bicycle Exercise Kicks
The Bicycle exercise is the best move to target the rectus abdominals (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise.

1. Lie face up on the floor and place your fingers beside your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straight the left leg out to about a 45-degree angle while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-15 reps.

2. Exercise Ball Crunches
The exercise ball is an excellent tool to strengthen the abs and for working the 6-pack

1. Lie face-up with the ball resting under your mid/lower back.
2. Cross your arms over the chest or place them behind your head.
3. Contract your abs to lift your torso off the ball, pulling the bottom of your ribcage down toward your hips.
4. As you curl up, keep the ball stable (i.e., you shouldn't roll).
5. Lower back down, getting a stretch in the abs, and repeat for 12-15 reps.


3. Vertical Leg Crunch
The vertical leg crunch is another effective move for the rectus abdominals and the obliques.

1. Lie face up on the floor and extend the legs straight up with knees crossed.
2. Contract the abs to lift the shoulder blades off the floor, as though reaching your chest towards your feet.
3. Keep the legs in a fixed position and imagine bringing your belly button towards your spine at the top of the movement.
4. Lower and repeat for 12-15 reps.


4. The Plank
The plank exercise is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and back, as well as stabilizer muscles.

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.


5. Butterfly Crunches
The butterfly crunch is an effective way to hit the abs and also help with defining the line between the abs

1. Lie face up on the floor Assume the position of a crunch, but with you knees spread out to your sides
2. Your heels should be firmly together throughout the movement.
3. Slowly curl up toward the ceiling so that your shoulder blades come off the floor.
4. Be sure not to bend your chin toward your chest
5. Lower and repeat for 12-15 reps

Do these 2-3 times per week, again with a proper diet and cardio exercise and your Fab Abs will popping out in no time.

Funk Roberts
Don’t Rush the Beat!

AdSense fits FixYa

As a technical support community website, FixYa.com helps people find the solutions and information they're looking for as quickly and as easily as possible. According to Yaniv Bar-Lev, FixYa's VP of user acquisition, this is why integrating AdSense into the site made so much sense. "Combining the contextual power of Google AdSense with our own user-generated content significantly improved the browsing experience, while helping us to easily monetize our complex site of over 700,000 products and several million web pages," he says.

With such a large site, Yaniv believes that the search capability of the site is an important element. "One of the most important things a user can do to help us provide better service is run a search for a problem or a product. The information gathered by the query allows us to quickly get the user to the information he or she was looking for," he comments. "However, it's always good to have a helping hand and provide external information from other sources, which is exactly what AdSense enabled us to do."

Yaniv recently began testing changes to the ad placements and formats on his search results pages. At the same time, he wanted to ensure a positive user experience with the ads on such an important section of his site. He found that by placing a 468x60 banner directly above the search results, an area of high focus for users, he was able to lift his revenue by 200%.

Before:



After:



Yaniv says that the key takeaway from this optimization is to continually test ideas and track the results. He also adds that "there's an added value in providing contextual ads in highly focused positions once you've gathered sufficient information on what the user is actually interested in, such as through a search query."

What's next for FixYa? "We are definitely going to continue working closely with AdSense to find new ways of improving monetization and service."

Posted by Shanie Weissman - AdSense Optimization Team

The Airline Industry - Lawyer Style

In my series that did not mean to become a series, I am going to add this story my recommended links for those trying to keep abreast of the cruel and unusual punishment that is inflicted on the US air consumer. This update comes from travel lawyer Al Anolik (via mytravelrights.com via inFlightHQ). Anolik draws attention to Rule 240 which are the filings that each US carrier makes to the DOT on what your rights are if your flight in the US is cancelled or delayed. The beauty of course is that very few of the airline staff know their own rules. So Anolik and mytravelrights have provided an easy to access and print out list of the Rule 240s for each of the major US carriers. His advice is simple, when flying a carrier take their Rule 240 with you and politely bang it on the desk of the airline counter if they try to offer you something less during a delay.

UPDATE - have a claim that Rule 240 is dead and its ability to save you is now a myth from the 20th Century.

UPDATE 2 - Christopher Elliot is saying that rumours about the death of rule 240 are exaggerated. Post here on four secrets about Rule 240. Thanks to Consumerist.

Do You Have A Home Business Story?

I happened to receive a marketing tip today from Tom, "Big Al" Schreiter that I thought I'd share.

Big Al says that the best way to generate interest in your home business is by telling a story. Stories are an excellent way to connect with people about your product or service. This works because:

-Everybody likes a good story

-They are interesting

-Stories are not threatening. The person you are connecting with is just listening to what happened to someone else.

-Stories are very natural. People will not feel like they are being pitched on your deal.

Big Al says that if you tell the right story, an ordinary person can become a very hot prospect.

This approach, I believe, can work for any home-based business.