Britney to Release New Album on Her Birthday

Britney Spears has arranged a wonderful birthday present for herself: her sixth studio album, Circus, due for release Dec. 2 – the day she turns 27, her label announced Monday.

Coming so soon after her triple victory – for video of the year, best female video and best pop video for "Piece of Me" – at MTV's Video Music Awards on Sept. 7, Circus follows up her well-received 2007 album Blackout and continues the upward spiral the sometimes-troubled pop star has been experiencing.

The Outsyders, described by Spears's label, Jive records, as an up-and-coming Atlanta production team, have produced the first single from the album, "Womanizer," which will drop Sept. 22.

Other producers and writers with a hand in the album, according to Jive, include Dr. Luke (writer-producer of the title track, "Circus"), Danja, Max Martin, Bloodshy & Avant and Guy Sigsworth – who's collaborated with such other artists as Madonna, Alanis Morissette and Bjork.

Overtakes Paris's Record

In all, Spears has sold more than 62 million albums internationally, including 1999's Baby One More Time, 2000's Oops! … I Did It Again, 2001' Britney, 2003's In The Zone and the previously mentioned Blackout. Her sales records include eight No. 1 worldwide singles and four consecutive No. 1 albums.

Also on Monday, Guinness World Records revealed another accolade for Spears: she has replaced Paris Hilton as the Most Searched Person on the Internet in 2007.

Guinness Book of Records: World's Longest Legs, Meet World's Shortest

Talk about having the world at your feet: Svetlana Pankratova has longest legs on record, nearly 52 inches, according to those who know – the people at Guinness World Records.

To celebrate Pankratova's feat – and the publication of the 2009 record book – she was joined in London's Trafalgar Square by another of the volume's entries: He Pingping, from China, and, at 2 ft. 5 in., officially the smallest man in the world. >source:http://www.people.com

Bisphenol A linked to disease in humans

More studies of the controversial chemical are on the way.

High levels of bisphenol A (BPA) — a chemical used in some containers for food and drink — may be associated with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans, a new study has found.

The study, published this week by the Journal of the American Medical Association, is the first large-scale investigation of the controversial chemical's effect on human disease. It is a welcome addition to the body of BPA research, the vast majority of which has been conducted in animals.

But the results do not establish a causal link between BPA and disease, and the study design does not allow researchers to determine which came first: higher exposure to BPA or illness. "I think our study definitely puts a scientific question mark over this compound," says epidemiologist David Melzer of the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter, UK, who led the research. "Still, this is the first study. It has to be repeated.">source:http://www.nature.com

5 Unique Ways to Spend Family Time

Here are 5 suggestions to make family time more creative, imaginative, and fun—and that will appeal to the kid in all of us.
1) Stage a Favorite Picture Book
Particularly for the preschooler and kindergartener set, acting out a treasured emotional story stimulates their creative mind and allows their heart to express tender feelings. Utilize dress-up props (hats, shoes, costumes, jewelry), animal characters, and you, the parent, can act as director and adoring audience members.

Picture books like BLOOM!: A Little Book About Finding Love written by Maria Van Lieshout, the story of a pig in love with an elusive butterfly entices children to dramatize the happy feelings of a crush, or the sadness of a broken heart. No wonder it’s a favorite staging piece in Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden’s household. Harden said the first time she read BLOOM! to her 4-year-old twins, Hudson and Julitta, they were entranced. “Hudson became the boy pig and Julitta was BLOOM, the girl pig.”

But fair warning, be prepared for children’s story acting to inspire surprising side effects. Harden joked, “Let’s hope my twins don’t seek a mud bath with flowers in it or perhaps, let’s hope they do! Exploring life…that’s the ticket!”

2) Show Kids How They Can Make a Difference in the World
What if, at the start of every week, you and your family did something together to make a positive difference? That’s the empowering concept behind the new book, Every Monday Matters by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza. EMM has 52 (a year’s worth of Mondays) suggestions, supported by motivational stats. Here are a few of our favorites:

1) Plant a Tree
One acre of trees produces enough oxygen for 18 people every day. Three trees planted strategically around a house can reduce energy use by up to 50%. One tree planted by every family would reduce 1 billion pounds of CO2 annually from our atmosphere.

2) Adopt a Pet
If your child is ready to help with the responsibility of a pet, visit your local animal shelter and help save an animal. With nearly 8 million dogs and cats are placed in shelters each year, there’s definitely a lovable pet waiting for you!

3) Create and Donate a Back-to-School Backpack
28 million children from low-income families enter school each fall. Children need school supplies to do their schoolwork and homework. Required school supplies can cost between $20 and $100. Help ease the financial burden of low-income families and increase a child’s confidence, self-esteem, and excitement about school with new school supplies. Call a local public elementary school and ask them to select a family for your gift.

3) Encourage Imaginative Storytelling
Trips to the library are always enriching, but try setting the books aside occasionally and making up stories as a family instead. You don’t have to be camping and roasting marshmallows to sit in a circle and weave a good tale. Did you know that young children who play imaginary games or listen to lots of tales spun by parents have better vocabularies than their peers? Casting your child as the hero character in your stories is a great way to ensure a captive audience. If you’re intimidated by original storytelling, buy a copy of Storytelling With Children by Nancy Mellon. Mellon’s book has plenty of ideas to help every parent become a confident, creative storyteller.

A study at Case Western Reserve University found that young children who were creative become adept problem solvers. When these imaginative children were tested later in life, they were more resourceful in coping with challenges and difficult situations.

4) Plan a Monthly Block Party
Think you must live in Middle America to organize a block party with your neighbors? Think again. Even if you don’t know your neighbors yet, isn’t it time you did? Get the kids involved creating invitations and delivering them. With a simple potluck party, you create community camaraderie and a neighborly trade of good food and fun. Who knows, your kids may meet their next best friend or you could discover a reliable teenager, eager for a babysitting job that lives only yards away! When planning your neighborhood gathering, toss party ideas around with everyone on the block. See what gets the kids and the adults excited. What about a progressive dinner up and down the block? One house does an appetizer course, next house salad, next house soup, main course, and dessert. And you’re setting a fine example for the little ones too, showing kids that life isn’t about keeping up with the folks next door, but rather, life is a party for all!

5) It’s Family Game Night!
In her book, The Creative Family: How to Encourage Imagination and Nurture Family Connections, Amanda Blake Soule urges families to imagine a time before computer games, television shows, or even radio. To remember when families gathered after dinner for entertainment and played games together, rather than seeking isolated, individual time in front of electronics. Boule lists several creative, traditional parlor games. Here are a couple of samples:

1) WHATEVER YOU DO, DON’T SMILE!
Everyone gathers in one room, and the person who is “it” walks from person to person saying, “Whatever you do, don’t smile!” to which the recipient replies, “Whatever I do, I won’t smile!” without a smile, hopefully. The “it’ person than moves on to the next person until they get a smile from someone, who then becomes “it.” Children have a marvelous time going from person to person, making ridiculous faces, motions, and voices, hoping to get the other family members smiling and laughing.

2) IMPROV IN A BAG.
Try a twist on charades—keep a bag of props full of random bits and objects like fabrics, kitchen items, tools, small accessories, etc.. One or two players choose an object and have 30 seconds to come up with a short skit based on the object they have. Improv ensues, followed closely by comedy.

Trimester Truths: What Really Happens in Each

You’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time: When the pregnancy test stick reveals the “positive” sign and you learn that you are going to become a mother. It’s easily the giddiest few seconds of your life. But all you know now is that a little being is growing inside you and you’re going to need new clothes (with elastic waistbands and adjustable straps). What’s really in store for your next 40 weeks? Read on for a snapshot of the 9 ½ months ahead.
FIRST TRIMESTER
Queasiness and Cravings
For the first 13 weeks of pregnancy, it’s normal to be nauseous and to experience strong cravings. “First trimester nausea varies hugely from one woman to the next,” says Kimmelin Hull, birthing coach and author of A Dozen Invisible Pieces and Other Confessions of Motherhood. While some are truly debilitated by their morning (er, make that all day) sickness, others breeze through the first trimester with minimal stomach upset, smell aversion or other food intolerance. You may be hungrier than usual but you only need an extra 300 calories a day during pregnancy to support your body—and your baby’s—growing needs. Focus on small, well-balanced meals—every 2 to 3 hours—that offer a mix of proteins, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and essential fatty acids. “An extra granola bar here, another glass of milk there—and you’ll be up to that bonus 300 calories in no time,” says Hull.

SECOND TRIMESTER
The Honeymoon
By 14 weeks, the nausea finally fades and energy levels pick up. You’re starting to look pregnant but aren’t big enough yet to be truly uncomfortable. Many women say their sex drive increases (some experience their first orgasm) and they get a burst of creative energy around this time. “Whether it takes the form of nesting, spontaneously enrolling in community art classes, or picking up a new musical instrument, many pregnant women have an overwhelming need to celebrate the creation of life going on inside of them by indulging in other creative outlets as well,” says Hull. If your doctor gives you the OK, this is also a good time to take a pre-baby vacation. Just be sure, during travel, to drink fluids regularly, empty your bladder frequently and get up and move around every hour or so.

THIRD TRIMESTER
Preparing the Nest
Late in the third trimester you begin to make the mental transition from pregnant woman to mother. Along with that shift can come feelings of fear, according to Tara Brooke, founder and director of Power of Birth, a childbirth education center in New York City. “It’s mainly a fear of the unknown,” Brooke says. “We tend to second-guess ourselves at this stage.” She recommends enlisting the support of your partner, family and friends as you prepare for the big event. Most women also develop some form of nesting instinct that prompts them to prep the “nest” for baby’s arrival. Sometimes the arrival of this instinct is a hint that labor is coming soon!>SURCE:http://pregnancy.glam.com(Romy Weinberg)

Britain's 10 most eligible bachelors

From Earls to actors to tyre fitters, these men are all under 30 and incredibly wealthy. Ladies, form an orderly queue…

1. The Earl of Pembroke

With beautiful stately home, Wilton House, and an estimated fortune of £105 million, this aristocrat needs no introduction. The Earl was gushingly described by one journalist as being: “Tall, thin but not weedy, and with the most beautiful blue-green eyes imaginable. Polite, modest, friendly, charming.” The 29 year old declined to speak to Money Central and is probably trying to keep a low profile.

2. Daniel Radcliffe

He may be known to millions as Harry Potter, but Radcliffe, 18, is all grown up and now worth an estimated £20 million. His critically acclaimed performance on stage in Equus, where he appeared naked, sealed his new reputation as both serious actor and heart-throb. In his spare time he enjoys cricket, watching Fulham FC and playing bass guitar.

3. Mike Welch

Welch, 29, started off as a tyre-fitter in Liverpool when he was 16. Seven years later he set up BlackCircles, selling tyres at 40 per cent less than high street prices. The business now has a turnover of £10 million, with openings in France, Germany, Holland and Italy. He is now based in Peebles, Scotland, and enjoys boxing and watching Liverpool FC in his spare time.

4. Dhani Harrison

The son of the late George Harrison, Dhani and his mother Olivia were left an estimated fortune £160 million. Harrison, 29, seems to have inherited his father’s musical ambitions – he plays lead guitar and performs vocals in his own band, thenewno2, which he formed with Oliver Hecks in 2006.

5. Adam Hildreth

One of our youngest entrepreneurs at 23, Hildreth has already amassed a fortune of £25 million after he set up Dubit, a website for teenagers, when he was just 14. His new venture, Crisp Thinking, based in Leeds, develops online child protection technology.

6. Jenson Button

Aged 28 and based in Monaco, Button won his first grand prix in August 2006 and has a five-year £50m deal with Honda. His relationships with ex-girlfriends, including Fame Academy's Louise Griffiths and socialite Florence Brudenell-Bruce, have kept him on the tabloid radar. Ladies who enjoy camping will be pleased to learn his car collection reportedly includes a 1956 VW Campervan.

7. Cristiano Ronaldo

The scores of teenage girls aspiring to become WAGs will probably not be deterred by the many tabloid tales detailing Ronaldo’s partying lifestyle and sexual indiscretions. The 23 year old Portuguese may be on a £120,000 a week salary at Manchester United – but this bachelor is certainly not for the faint-hearted.

8. James Toseland

Motorcycle racer Toseland, 27, is the 2007 World Superbike Champion and worth about £8 million. When he is not riding his bike at 200 MPH, he plays the keyboard in his band Crash. In 2006, he did a naked photo-shoot in women’s magazine Cosmopolitan, posing on a bike with only the petrol tank to cover his modesty...

9. Jonny Wilkinson

The clean cut golden boy of rugby has been a favourite pin-up since he stormed on to the international stage during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Worth an estimated £11 million, the star is still considered down-to-earth and close to his family – he reportedly lives with his brother in Northumberland.

10. Princes William and Harry

No list of British bachelors would be complete without our very own princes William, 26, and Harry, 23. With their good looks, military careers and an estimated wealth of £35 million, it is not hard to see what Kate and Chelsy found attractive. >Sources: http://timesbusiness.typepad.com

JESSICA ALBA ENGAGED?

Sexy star Jessica Alba has followed up news she's expecting her first baby with a secret engagement, if a slip-up by the actress' "Fantastic Four" co-star Doug Jones is to be believed.

Speaking at the Jules Verne Adventure Film Festival over the weekend, the actor referred to Alba's longtime boyfriend and the father of her baby, Cash Warren, as her fiance.

When asked about Alba's baby news, Jones said, "Jessica and her fiance are wonderful, and they're going to make the most beautiful babies ever."

Alba's representatives are refusing to confirm engagement reports, but the actress was spotted wearing what looked like an eternity band on her wedding finger at an event last week.

In other Alba news, she's reportedly turned down three offers to show off her baby bump in revealing magazine photoshoots.

The 26-year-old has already ruled out the chance to follow the likes of Demi Moore and Christina Aguilera and bare all for glossy covers.

A friend says, "She had three offers on the first day, but she doesn't intend to take any of them."

Surge in health insurance for mature-aged Australians

In 15 February 2005, mature-aged Australians are leading a surge into private health insurance membership, with those aged over 55 accounting for most of the increase in member numbers in the December quarter.

Figures released today by the Private Health Insurance Administration Council (PHIAC) show health insurance membership among people aged 55 and over increased by more than 31,000 in the December quarter.

Among all age groups, health insurance rose by nearly 34,000 people in the December quarter - the second highest quarterly increase since September 2000.

The Howard Government's 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate and Lifetime Health Cover have helped to increase private health insurance coverage from about 30 per cent to 43 per cent.

More than 56 per cent of all surgery is now done in private hospitals. Private hospital admissions are increasing by 6 per cent a year with public hospital admissions increasing by 2 per cent a year and more than 500,000 people a year being treated in the emergency departments of private hospitals.

Dictionary

adult

n.

1. One who has attained maturity or legal age.
2. Biology. A fully grown, mature organism.

adj.

1. Fully developed and mature.
2. Relating to, intended for, or befitting adults: adult education.
3. Containing or dealing in explicitly sexual material; pornographic: adult movies; adult bookstores.

adulthood a·dult'hood' n.
adultness a·dult'ness n.

Business Dictionary: Adult

One who has attained the age of Majority.

Real Estate Dictionary: Adult

One who has attained the age of Majority. This is age 18 or 21, depending on the state.
Example: Abel enters into a contract to purchase land. Because he is 17 years of age he is a Minor (not an adult) and may Void the contract.

Thesaurus: adult

adjective

Having reached full growth and development: big, developed, full-blown, full-fledged, full-grown, grown, grown-up, mature, ripe. Idioms: of age. Seeyouth/age/maturity.

Antonyms: adult

adj

Definition: being mature, fully-grown
Antonyms: adolescent, infant

n

Definition: a mature, fully-grown person
Antonyms: adolescent, infant

Law Encyclopedia: Adult

This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A person who by virtue of attaining a certain age, generally eighteen, is regarded in the eyes of the law as being able to manage his or her own affairs.

The age specified by law, called the legal age of majority, indicates that a person acquires full legal capacity to be bound by various documents, such as contracts and deeds, that he or she makes with others and to commit other legal acts such as voting in elections and entering marriage. The age at which a person becomes an adult varies from state to state and often varies within a state, depending upon the nature of the action taken by the person. Thus, a person wishing to obtain a license to operate a motor vehicle may be considered an adult at age sixteen, but may not reach adulthood until age eighteen for purposes of marriage, or age twenty-one for purposes of purchasing intoxicating liquors.

Anyone who has not reached the age of adulthood is legally considered an infant.

Wikipedia: adult

This article is about the human developmental stage. For the adult insect stage, see Imago. For the band, see ADULT.

The term adult has three distinct meanings:

• Grown man or woman; mature person.
• Plant or animal that has reached full growth.
• One who is legally of age. Opposed to minor.

Adulthood can be defined in terms of biology, psychological adult development, law, personal character, or social status. These different aspects of adulthood are often inconsistent and contradictory. A person may be biologically an adult, and have adult behavioral characteristics but still be treated as a child if they are under the legal age of majority. Conversely one may legally be an adult but possess none of the maturity and responsibility that define adult character.

Coming of age is the event; passing a series of tests to demonstrate the child is prepared for adulthood; or reaching a specified age, sometimes in conjunction with demonstrating preparation. Most modern societies determine legal adulthood based on reaching a legally-specified age without requiring a demonstration of physical maturity or preparation for adulthood.

Although adult education simply means education for adults, not particularly sex education, "adult" also means "not considered suitable for children," in particular as a euphemism for being related to sexual behaviour.

Biological adulthood

Adulthood is generally understood as the time when physical maturation is complete. One reaches their maximum height and secondary sex characteristics form such as body hair and facial hair, voice lowers in pitch (especially noticeable in men), and menses begin (women). Natural sleep patterns change in adulthood, as adults typically require less sleep than during adolescence. One thing people don't specify is what (psychologically) an adult is. A common theory is that adulthood is the real test of life, to experience the world from a first-person standpoint instead of through the parents. Then the adult can pass those experiences down to younger people and they can experience them when they grow up.

Legal adulthood

Main article: Age of majority

Legally it means that one can engage in a contract. The same or a different minimum age may be applicable to, for example, parents losing parenting rights and duties regarding the person concerned, parents losing financial responsibility, marriage, voting, having a job, being a soldier, buying/possessing firearms (if legal at all), driving, traveling abroad, involvement with alcoholic beverages (if legal at all), smoking, sex, gambling (both lottery and casino) being a prostitute or a client of a prostitute (if legal at all), being a model or actor in pornography, etc. Admission of a young person to a place may be restricted because of danger for that person, and/or because of the risk that the young person causes damage (for example, at an exhibition of fragile items).

One can distinguish the legality of acts of a young person, and of enabling a young person to carry out that act, by selling, renting out, showing, permitting entrance, participating, etc. There may be distinction between commercially and socially enabling. Sometimes there is the requirement of supervision by a legal guardian, or just by an adult. Sometimes there is no requirement, but just a recommendation.

With regard to pornography one can distinguish:

• being allowed inside an adult establishment
• being allowed to purchase pornography
• being allowed to possess pornography
• another person being allowed to sell, rent out, or show the young person pornography, see disseminating pornography to a minor
• being a model or actor in pornography: rules for the young person, and for other people, regarding production, possession, etc. (see child pornography)

With regard to films with violence, etc.:

• another person being allowed to sell, rent out, or show the young person the film, a cinema being allowed to let the young person (under 18) enter

The legal definition of entering adulthood usually varies between ages 15–21, depending on the region in question. Some cultures in Africa define adult at age 13.

According to Jewish tradition, adulthood is reached at age 13 (the age of the Bar Mitzvah), for Jewish boys, for example, were expected to demonstrate preparation for adulthood by learning the Torah and other Jewish practices. The Christian Bible and Jewish scripture has no age requirement for adulthood or marrying, which includes engaging in sexual activity. According to The Disappearance of Childhood by Neil Postman, the Christian Church of the Middle Ages considered the age of accountability, when a person could be tried and even executed as an adult, to be age 7.

Personal characteristics

There are some qualities that symbolize adultness in most cultures. Not always is there a concordance between the qualities and the physical age of the person.

The adult character comprises:

Self-control -

• restraint, emotional control.
• Stability - stable personality, strength.
• Independence - ability to self-regulate.
• Seriousness - ability to deal with life in a serious manner.
• Responsibility - accountability, commitment and reliability.
• Method/Tact - ability to think ahead and plan for the future, patience.
• Endurance - ability and willingness to cope with difficulties that present themselves.
• Experience - breadth of mind, understanding.
• Objectivity - perspective and realism.

Social status

Adults, as a class, especially middle-age adults, enjoy an elevated status in society. This so-called “Adult Privilege” works in the same way as “White Privilege” by conferring often unspoken advantages, exemptions or immunities to members of the class; it also takes the form of adultism, which is a predisposition towards adults, inherently biased against children, youth, and all young people who aren't addressed or viewed as adults. For example, while society fixates on the supposedly immoral and destructive behavior of youth, adults are not held accountable when they often display the same if not worse behavior in certain areas such as drug abuse, obesity and crime. Ironically the status we afford adults for their maturity includes the privilege to act immaturely.

With such apparent double standards, some social critics have defined adulthood as an “organization” or “institution” that believes “they should always have the right to command and be obeyed.”