FIFA World Cup Groups-Stage Is Finally Set

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have another date with Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the FIFA World Cup taking place in Brazil next June.

Both countries had met in the world cup, twice before, in USA in 1994 and South Africa in 2010.

Grouped with them are tournament debutants, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran.

Reigning champions Spain will begin their defence of the World Cup with a rematch of the 2010 final against the Netherlands in Salvador on June 12 next year after the finals draw was made on Friday.

Spain, who beat the Netherlands 1-0 in the final in South Africa thanks to a solitary extra-time goal by Andres- Iniesta, were also handed a repeat meeting with Chile, having defeated the South Americans in the group stage last time around.
Australia complete the line-up in a tough-looking Group B, but there were arguably even tougher draws elsewhere.

England find themselves in Group D along with Uruguay, Costa Rica and Italy.

A meeting with Uruguay, the 2011 Copa America winners and semi-finalists at the last World Cup promises to be a hard enough test for England in their second match in Sao Paulo on June 19.

However, before that they must face Italy in their opening game in the heat of northern city Manaus on June 15 in a repeat of the Euro 2012 quarter-final, which Italy won on penalties.

Germany and Portugal were drawn together in a testing Group G that also included Ghana and the United States.

The two European nations will meet in their first match in Salvador on June 16.

The draw was kinder to host nation Brazil, however, as they seek to make up for their failure to lift the trophy when they last hosted the finals back in 1950.

Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side will face Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon in Group A, with their opening match against the Croatians in Sao Paulo in June 12.

That will be the first game of the month-long competition.

After scraping through qualifying via a play-off, France were drawn in Group E with neighbours Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras.
Colombia will face Greece, the Ivory Coast and Japan in Group C, while Belgium, another of the potential dark horses, will meet Algeria, Russia and South Korea in Group H.

THE DRAW IN FULL

1, Group A: Brazil, Croatia, Mexico, Cameroon

2, Group B: Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia

3, Group C: Colombia, Greece, Cote d’Ivoire, Japan

4, Group D: Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy

5, Group E: Switzerland, Ecuador, France, Honduras

6, Group F: Argentina, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

7, Group G: Germany, Portugal, Ghana, USA

8, Group H: Belgium, Algeria, Russia, Korea Republic

Source: pmnewsnigeria

How Men's Brains Are Wired Differently Than Women's

Men aren't from Mars and women aren't from Venus, but their brains really are wired differently, a new study suggests.

The research, which involved imaging the brains of nearly 1,000 adolescents, found that male brains had more connections within hemispheres, whereas female brains were more connected between hemispheres. The results, which apply to the population as a whole and not individuals, suggest that male brains may be optimized for motor skills, and female brains may be optimized for combining analytical and intuitive thinking.

"On average, men connect front to back [parts of the brain] more strongly than women," whereas "women have stronger connections left to right," said study leader Ragini Verma, an associate professor of radiology at the University of Pennsylvania medical school. But Verma cautioned against making sweeping generalizations about men and women based on the results.

Previous studies have found behavioral differences between men and women. For example, women may have better verbal memory and social cognition, whereas men may have better motor and spatial skills, on average. Brain imaging studies have shown that women have a higher percentage of gray matter, the computational tissue of the brain, while men have a higher percentage of white matter, the connective cables of the brain. But few studies have shown that men's and women's brains are connected differently.

In the study, researchers scanned the brains of 949 young people ages 8 to 22 (428 males and 521 females), using a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) known as diffusion tensor imaging, which maps the diffusion of water molecules within brain tissue. The researchers analyzed the participants as a single group, and as three separate groups split up by age.

As a whole, the young men had stronger connections within cerebral hemispheres while the young women had stronger connections between hemispheres, the study, detailed today (Dec. 2) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found. However, the cerebellum, a part of the brain below the cerebrum that plays a role in coordinating muscle movement, showed the opposite pattern, with males having stronger connections between hemispheres.

Roughly speaking, the back of the brain handles perception and the front of the brain handles action; the left hemisphere of the brain is the seat of logical thinking, while the right side of the brain begets intuitive thinking. The findings lend support to the view that males may excel at motor skills, while women may be better at integrating analysis and intuitive thinking.

"It is fascinating that we can see some of functional differences in men and women structurally," Verma told LiveScience. However, the results do not apply to individual men and women, she said. "Every individual could have part of both men and women in them," she said, referring to the connectivity patterns her team observed

When the researchers compared the young people by age group, they saw the most pronounced brain differences among adolescents (13.4 to 17 years old), suggesting the sexes begin to diverge in the teen years. Males and females showed the greatest differences in inter-hemisphere brain connectivity during this time, with females having more connections between hemispheres primarily in the frontal lobe. These differences got smaller with age, with older females showing more widely distributed connections throughout the brain rather than just in the frontal lobe.

Currently, scientists can't quantify how much an individual has male- or female-like patterns of brain connectivity. Another lingering question is whether the structural differences result in differences in brain function, or whether differences in function result in structural changes.

The findings could also help scientists understand why certain diseases, such as autism, are more prevalent in males, Verma said. By Tanya Lewis

Culled from: yahoo-news

FRIEND-SHIP is BLEND-SHIP

What is friendship?
Some term it to be relationship
A few call it partnership
I think I'll just name it blend-ship
Different personalities get to meet
They check out if they actually fit
Its indeed a fact that they have differences
Because  it’s not all about the similarities
But it’s the differences that make the friendship
Often times, we misinterpret the meaning
And then end up hurting each other’s feelings
But when its meaning is digested plainly
Everyday seems like a new beginning.

Friendship is like a bond
You don't need a magic wand
Cause what keeps you together is beyond strong
Its almost like a covenant
Cos when you get hurt its like the sting of an ant.

Friendship is about faithfulness

Off cos there will be playfulness
A lot of time also for seriousness
But the point of all is sincere-ness
When one is in need
The other proves friendly in-deed
Consoles you with words you can't but heed
And helps u so you don't further bleed
When you end up finding that friend
You can't but just blend
Cos together all your worries will mend
Indeed, FRIEND-SHIP is BLEND-SHIP.

So who is your Friend that you are blend with?

Former South African President Nelson Mandela Dead Had Died At 95

Nelson Mandela has died today according to South African President Jacob Zuma at the age of 95, his death marking the final chapter in a life that changed South Africa forever.

The former South African president had been a recurring lung infection. The Daily Telegraph reports that his friends and family had gathered at his bed today.

Mandela's struggle was one of the defining stories of the 20th century. Trained as a lawyer, he became involved in politics after 1948 as South Africa moved into a system of racial apartheid. While initially espousing non-violent protests with the African National Congress (ANC), he eventually founded a militant organization and was behind a bombing campaign in the early 1960s. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison in 1962.

Initially imprisoned in a 8 feet by 7 feet concrete cell with only a straw mat on which to sleep, Mandela's imprisonment soon became an international cause. He was eventually released on 2 February 1990 after intervention by President F. W. de Klerk.

Mandela became president of the ANC in 1991, and was elected president of South Africa in May 1994, a position in which he remained until 1999. During his time in office he led the dismantling of the apartheid system, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela is survived by his wife, Graça Machel, six children, and 17 grandchildren.

From Adenike Salako Blog’s world our thought goes to the South Africans peole and the entire world, Nelson Mandela RIP.

Source: Yahoonews

Father Films Son Born Premature At The Hospital (NICU) And First Year Birthday

One in eight babies in the United States is born premature. Benjamin Scott and wife Lyndsey became parents to one of these tiny miracles when their son Miles was born 15 weeks early weighing just 1.5 pounds. Scott, who is a filmmaker and photographer for Abercrombie & Fitch, picked up his camera and started filming Miles' life, starting with the first time the new mom got to hold her little fighter.

The baby spent 107 days in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) before being able to go home with his parents. The new dad continued his endeavor throughout his son's first year and the result of his labors, aside from one adorable little boy, is this heartwarming film showing his son's life from birth to first birthday. So grab some tissues and get ready to feel warm in your heart parts:

see the video below:

Father Films Son's NICU Experience And First Year

Culled from: thehollywoodgossip

The 6 Things You Didn't Know About Gray Hair

While some women proudly sport a silver mane, most of us face the arrival of new gray hairs with dread. The good news: Scientists are hard at work on how to prevent the salt-and-pepper look. So what do researchers know that you don't?

1. Normal aging is the biggest culprit: Okay, no surprise here. Dermatologists call this the 50-50-50 rule. "Fifty percent of the population has about 50 percent gray hair at age 50," says Dr. Anthony Oro, professor of dermatology at Stanford University. And like skin, hair changes its texture with age, says Dr. Heather Woolery Lloyd, director of ethnic skin care at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

2. Your ethnicity makes a difference: Caucasians tend to go gray earlier - and redheads earliest of all. Then Asians, Then African-Americans. Scientists haven't figured out why yet.

3. Stress seems to play a role: "Stress won't cause you to go gray directly," says Dr. Roopal Kundu, associate professor in dermatology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "But stress is implicated in a lot of skin and hair issues." During an illness, for example, people can shed hair rapidly. And hair you lose after a stressful event - like getting chemotherapy - may grow back a different color.
4. Your lifestyle makes a difference: Smoking, for example, stresses your skin and hair. "Low vitamin B12 levels are notorious for causing loss of hair pigment," says Dr. Karthik Krishnamurthy, director of the Dermatology Center's Cosmetic Clinic at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. By contrast, eating foods such as liver and carrots may be helpful for holding off going gray, says Dr. Wilma Bergfeld, a senior dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

5. Hair and its color are separate things: Hair stem cells make hair, and pigment-forming stem cells make pigment. Typically they work together, but either can wear out, sometimes prematurely. Researchers are trying to figure out if a medicine, or something you could put in your scalp, could slow the graying process. (Hair dye simply coats your hair in color but doesn't alter its structure.)

6. Your hair doesn't turn gray - it grows that way: A single hair grows for one to three years, then you shed it - and grow a new one. As you age, your new hairs are more likely to be white. "Every time the hair regenerates, you have to re-form these pigment-forming cells, and they wear out," says Oro.
Culled from:yahooshine

SOME 5 REGRETS PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE ON THE DEATH-BED

Hello Friends, I stumble on some interesting lesson about life and i discovered that we can live this world without regrets, if we do things right and my personal note. A Nurse reveals the some top 5 regrets people make on their death-bed

1, I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me: This was the most common regret of all. When people realize that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honored even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.  It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it. 

PERSONAL NOTE: Live your life the way you want it, remembering you can never undo what you have done. Think and act wisely, because you have just 1 life to live.

2, I wish I didn't work so hard: This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children's youth and their partner's companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.  By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle. 
 PERSONAL NOTE: No matter how hard you work for an organization, the organization can never take the place of your family or love you like your family. Which is your priority, work or family (wife/husband and children)? Spend your time wisely.

3, I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings: Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result. We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.
PERSONAL NOTES: Expressing your feelings will not kill you, it helps you stay out of worries. Try to speak when you are in love, learn how to speak politely, hiding or keeping your feelings can cause lots of sicknesses. Express yourself!

4, I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends: Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.  It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.
PERSONAL NOTES: We were created for each other, not to live in isolation. Don’t ever joke with friendship, because every friend came to fulfill a purpose in your life, discover it and don’t chase them.

 

5, I wish that I had let myself be happier: This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called 'comfort' of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying. 

PERSONAL NOTES: Let’s get things right, we all have our issues and some of us try to take worries out of our mind and remain happy. No one is actually ugly, its only people who refuse to smile or be happy that are ugly.

Happiness or smiles brightens your day and makes your heart free from all worries or burdens. Don’t kill yourself before your time, it cost nothing or less to smile or be happy. But it is expensive and more costly to frown or be sad.

Culled from Bronnie Ware,  By Ayodeji Anifowose