Fashion Faceoff: Cameron Diaz vs. Michelle Pfeiffer

ollywood A-listers Cameron Diaz, 40, and Michelle Pfeiffer, 54, are both used to playing leading lady. But only one of them will walk away as the winner of this week’s Fashion Faceoff. Time for us to decide ... who wore it best?!

Cameron Diaz (Splash News) Michelle Pfeiffer (WireImage)
What they wore: A satin, strapless knee-length dress from Lanvin – in black for Diaz and bordeaux for Pfeiffer.
When they wore it: Diaz donned the frock while hosting a soiree for watchmaker TAG Heuer last month. Pfeiffer wore hers to the London premiere of "Dark Shadows" in May.
How they styled it: The leggy Diaz pulled her hair back, slipped on some Gianvito Rossi pumps, and accessorized with a Lanvin necklace, Slane bangles, De Beers earrings, and a TAG Heuer watch. Pfeiffer opted for a low-key look, leaving her tousled locks down, and adding only Sergio Rossi slingback pumps and a sparkly bracelet.

Judge's scorecard: Props to Pfeiffer for choosing a color that will get her noticed and not being afraid to wear something that shows off her hot bod. She looks good, and she knows it! However, the fit of her frock isn't great. Diaz, on the other hand, picked great jewelry for the LBD, but is that enough to overtake the competition? You decide!

By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Parenting – Fri, Mar 23, 2012 6:35 PM EDT Email Share Print Yahoo! Editors have selected this article as a favorite of 2012. It first appeared on Yahoo! Shine on March 23, and became one of the most popular articles of the year. Palermo was a front-runner in the strange living-Barbie YouTube trend and posts on YouTube to this day. At 15, Venus Palermo has grown into her doll obsession rather than out of it. Under the screen name Venus Angelic, the London based teenager posts beauty tutorials on YouTube for fans who want to look like her. But that's not why she's the latest viral video star. It's because she looks like a living doll. According to Palermo, you too could be a ball-jointed doll (or BJD as she calls it) with the right over-sized pupil contacts, plastic-sheen-effect powder and pure white eye shadow. Based on her 5 million viewers and the legions of lookalike fans on her Facebook page, people are taking her advice. Video: father's extreme parenting goes viral The modern ball-jointed doll is widely popular in Japan, a country both she and her mother are obsessed with. "Mommy cooks Japanese, thinks Japanese, goes to Japan with me," writes Palermo on her blog. "Because we like it. Liking something, is soooooo GREAT!" Palermo is actually Austrian, Swiss and Hungarian but she's been studying Japanese along with several other languages. Her multilingual background is how she explains her accent, which sounds close to the Midwestern Harajuku-obsessed college kids satirized on Saturday Night Live. Palermo's obsession, however, isn't taken as lightly. Her videos have been labeled "bizarre" and "disturbing" in the media. Her uncanny appearance is sounding off alarm bells for concerned critics. Modern Asian ball joint dolls have become increasingly more life-like, with a line of human-sized, physically mature dolls recently released for the kind of consumer you don't want anywhere near your teenager. Related: when parents turn their kids into online superstars The perverse comments on the 15-year-old's videos is proof she's attracting some unsavory fans. So is the occasional grown man dappling the list of Palermo's Facebook fans. But the teenager's mom doesn't appear to be intervening in her daughter's risky hobby. Mom serves as host of Q&A chats between teenager and fans. In one video posted last year, she sat by while the teenager had an uncomfortable conversation with a 24-year-old male caller who professed his love and then proceeded to belittle her. In text under that video, posted to VenusAngelic's channel, Palermo refers to her fans as "lovers." The title of the video is "Insane Guy in Love." "The case of Venus Angelic is uncomfortably exploitative, as there is clearly a sexual undertone to what she is doing," says Hilary Levey Friedman, PhD, a Harvard sociologist who has written extensively about child exploitation in media. "In general, young girls on YouTube is a disturbing, growing trend," she says noting the recent trend of pre-teen girls asking viewers if they're pretty. In many cases, parents are unaware of their child's webcam usage, until their uploads go viral. But in other instances, the parents are facilitators. "Remember, Justin Bieber got his start on YouTube with the help of his mother," says Levey Friedman. Levey Friedman wonders whether Palermo's mom has similar aspirations for her daughter. The YouTube stage parent is relatively new concept. Most kids have risen to viral fame for just being kids, and if a parent profits off of that they're immediately criticized. The rare performing prodigy, like Bieber, is an exception. But Palermo doesn't fall into either category. She may be bringing a Japanese trend to Western teenagers, but she's also attracting a largely unwanted fan-base. The question then for a parent is whether it's better to support a child's passion or protect her from what could come of it. "I'd hate to rob a kid of her blissful ignorance but I guess the fact is, at 15 years old, innocence is a luxury teens can't really afford," argues The Stir's Jacqueline Burt after watching Palermo's videos. "I guess it's our job to tell our kids when something they're doing could be misinterpreted and why." Better a parent than an "insane guy in love." Related stories: Dangerous new trend: 'Am I pretty?' videos Parents on YouTube teen brawls Homemade videos send kids to hospital All Comments Leave a comment... Comment Guidelines your avatar Post AsOptions 7,371 comments Popular Now Newest Oldest Most Replied Le 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Le • 9 months ago weeboo.......... (=_=)" Reply jugghead 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment jugghead • 9 months ago What would happen if her and Magibon went in the same room? Reply terrence 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment terrence • 9 months ago Welllllll, gee's just another person on the planet of 7,000,000,000 +. and of course if you don't follow the straight and narrow of the social way of thinking and behaving you are bad and nasty things will happen to and you and the teacher won't like you and etc. Reply Ty 1users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Ty • 9 months ago She is Swiss, she was raised in Spain, lives in London and acts Japanese, or at least TRIES to. That's as much as I know from her... It's sad that she started to pile up so much since she was 12. Yeah, she's pretty, but that beauty is not going to last her if she keeps treating herself like... More Reply Jeffrey 2users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Jeffrey • 9 months ago Creepy!! Very Creepy! Reply Carole 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Carole • 9 months ago ok all u peeps out there that found this as stupid as i did. honey is made from the flower pollen that the bees suck up than they upchuck it into their honeycombs, so in reallity she is putting bee puke on her face, ha ha ha Reply sara 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment sara • 9 months ago Barbie on Xanax? Reply Tammi Detweiler 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Tammi Detweiler • 9 months ago ok, I looked at the picture but it didn't fool me. i didn't think she was a doll. check with hollywood about using more plastic. Reply Pemex 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Pemex • 9 months ago O_o (creepy) Reply Meaux B 0users liked this commentPlease sign in to rate a Thumb UpPlease sign in to rate a Thumb Down0users disliked this comment Meaux B • 9 months ago Yep Ol Papa San be sharping the family Wakizashi while checking out Princess Goober. Man that poor girl is strange and creepy! Reply More Post a comment Email Share Recommend Tweet Print MOST POPULAR Letter from Chinese Laborer Pleading … I Found My Long-Lost Brother I Am Beautiful: How to Raise Girls with … Turn a Pack of Ramen Noodles into a … 5 Ways to Get Your Kids to Listen Show More Today on Yahoo! 1 - 6 of 46 Follow Shine Join us on Pinterest Shine on Subscribe to RSS Feed More on Yahoo! Exclusive: Hugh Jackman Is Jean Valjean in 'Les Miserables' PHOTOS: 2013 Golden Globe nominations What a year it’s been: a look back at 2012 Chili recipes for every taste

It first appeared on about all! Shine on March 23, and became one of the most popular articles of the year. Palermo was a front-runner in the strange living-Barbie YouTube trend and posts on YouTube to this day.

At 15, Venus Palermo has grown into her doll obsession rather than out of it. Under the screen name Venus Angelic, the London based teenager posts beauty tutorials on YouTube for fans who want to look like her. But that's not why she's the latest viral video star. It's because she looks like a living doll.
According to Palermo, you too could be a ball-jointed doll (or BJD as she calls it) with the right over-sized pupil contacts, plastic-sheen-effect powder and pure white eye shadow. Based on her 5 million viewers and the legions of lookalike fans on her Facebook page, people are taking her advice.
Video: father's extreme parenting goes viral
The modern ball-jointed doll is widely popular in Japan, a country both she and her mother are obsessed with. "Mommy cooks Japanese, thinks Japanese, goes to Japan with me," writes Palermo on her blog. "Because we like it. Liking something, is soooooo GREAT!" Palermo is actually Austrian, Swiss and Hungarian but she's been studying Japanese along with several other languages. Her multilingual background is how she explains her accent, which sounds close to the Midwestern Harajuku-obsessed college kids satirized on Saturday Night Live.
Palermo's obsession, however, isn't taken as lightly. Her videos have been labeled "bizarre" and "disturbing" in the media. Her uncanny appearance is sounding off alarm bells for concerned critics. Modern Asian ball joint dolls have become increasingly more life-like, with a line of human-sized, physically mature dolls recently released for the kind of consumer you don't want anywhere near your teenager.
Related: when parents turn their kids into online superstars
The perverse comments on the 15-year-old's videos is proof she's attracting some unsavory fans. So is the occasional grown man dappling the list of Palermo's Facebook fans. But the teenager's mom doesn't appear to be intervening in her daughter's risky hobby. Mom serves as host of Q&A chats between teenager and fans. In one video posted last year, she sat by while the teenager had an uncomfortable conversation with a 24-year-old male caller who professed his love and then proceeded to belittle her.
In text under that video, posted to VenusAngelic's channel, Palermo refers to her fans as "lovers." The title of the video is "Insane Guy in Love."
"The case of Venus Angelic is uncomfortably exploitative, as there is clearly a sexual undertone to what she is doing," says Hilary Levey Friedman, PhD, a Harvard sociologist who has written extensively about child exploitation in media.
"In general, young girls on YouTube is a disturbing, growing trend," she says noting the recent trend of pre-teen girls asking viewers if they're pretty.
In many cases, parents are unaware of their child's webcam usage, until their uploads go viral. But in other instances, the parents are facilitators.
"Remember, Justin Bieber got his start on YouTube with the help of his mother," says Levey Friedman.
Levey Friedman wonders whether Palermo's mom has similar aspirations for her daughter. The YouTube stage parent is relatively new concept. Most kids have risen to viral fame for just being kids, and if a parent profits off of that they're immediately criticized. The rare performing prodigy, like Bieber, is an exception. But Palermo doesn't fall into either category. She may be bringing a Japanese trend to Western teenagers, but she's also attracting a largely unwanted fan-base.
The question then for a parent is whether it's better to support a child's passion or protect her from what could come of it. "I'd hate to rob a kid of her blissful ignorance but I guess the fact is, at 15 years old, innocence is a luxury teens can't really afford," argues The Stir's Jacqueline Burt after watching Palermo's videos. "I guess it's our job to tell our kids when something they're doing could be misinterpreted and why."
Better a parent than an "insane guy in love."

Cities with the Highest Rent Spikes in 2012

Home prices might still be recovering, but the price of rentals has skyrocketed in these cities.
Houston, TX

Year-over-year rise: 16.8%
Vacancy rate: 3%
Median monthly rent: $1,270.50
They say all things are bigger in Texas. And now Texans can include what they pay for rentals.

Oakland, CA

Year-over-year rise: 11.6%
Vacancy rate: 1.7%
Median monthly rent: $2,017.50
Oakland saw rents surge, partly fueled by renters priced out of San Francisco, which is still booming with tech talent.

Miami, FL

Year-over-year rise: 10.8%
Vacancy rate: 4%
Median monthly rent: $1,900
The Sunshine State suffered more than the rest of the country during bust of the housing market. Record foreclosures and a weak economy have left many unable to qualify for a decent mortgage, making renting the next best option.

Denver, CO

Year-over-year rise: 9%
Vacancy rate: 2.4%
Median monthly rent: $1,244
In a city where construction of apartments hasn't kept up with demand, rents surged more here than in most U.S. cities.

Philadelphia, PA

Year-over-year rise: 8.9%
Vacancy rate: 2.7%
Median monthly rent: $1,467
The City of Brotherly Love isn't as kind to renters these days, where prices climbed more than its bigger neighbor, New York City.

Polls show movement toward stricter gun control – with major caveats

A new USA Today/Gallup poll taken shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre shows 58 percent of respondents saying they now favor stricter gun laws, up from 43 percent in October 2011. Public attitudes toward private ownership of firearms have shifted over the years. In the 1990s, Americans were more inclined to favor stricter gun control. More recently, that mind-set has shifted toward greater support for Second Amendment protections of gun ownership.

But in the wake of recent mass shootings – especially the Dec. 14 killing of 20 first-graders and six adult staff at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn. by a young man armed with an assault rifle with large-capacity magazines, handguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition – another shift has occurred.

A new USA Today/Gallup poll taken shortly after the Sandy Hook massacre shows 58 percent of respondents saying they now favor stricter gun laws, up from 43 percent in October 2011.

Similarly, a new HuffPost/YouGov poll (also taken right after Sandy Hook) finds 55 percent agreeing that that gun control laws should be made more strict, 13 percent said they should be made less strict, and 27 percent said there should be no change.

2012 enters the record books. Were you paying attention? A news quiz.

In 2011, according to the USA Today/Gallup poll, most of those surveyed favored enforcing existing gun laws over passing new ones 60-35 percent. The latest poll has the number wanting new gun laws increasing to 47 percent. Meanwhile 92 percent in this new poll support background checks for buyers at gun shows, and 62 percent favor bans on high-capacity magazines holding as many as 30 rounds of ammunition – steps favored by the White House and congressional supporters of stricter gun control.

At the same time, however, most respondents (51-44 percent) say they’re against any law making it illegal to manufacture, sell, or possess "semi-automatic guns known as assault rifles.” And a very large majority (74-24 percent) opposes greater restrictions on the possession of handguns.

The bottom line in Gallup’s new polling?

“Americans favor new legislation to limit gun sales, presumably to help prevent the kind of gun violence that became all too familiar in 2012,” writes the polling organization’s Lydia Saad in an analysis. “This is seen in increased support for making the laws covering the sale of firearms more strict, and for passing new gun laws.”

There’s a significant caveat, however, Ms. Saad continues: “Views toward banning semi-automatic guns or assault rifles are unchanged, and – possibly reflecting Americans' desire to defend themselves given the rash of high-profile gun violence – a record-high 74 percent oppose preventing anyone but the police or other authorized officials from owning a handgun.”

This negative attitude toward restricting handgun ownership is seen in the sharp and vocal criticism of the Journal News newspaper’s publishing of names and addresses of 44,000 licensed handgun owners in two New York counties this past week with locations pin-pointed using Google maps.

In response, New York state senator Greg Ball has proposed legislation that would bar the public from learning who the gun permit holders are in their communities. In an online survey, the Journal News finds overwhelming support – 89-11 percent – for the proposal to keep gun ownership private.

Meanwhile, the phones at gun shops across the country are ringing off the hook, according to the Associated Press.

“Demand for firearms, ammunition and bulletproof gear has surged since the Dec. 14 massacre in Newtown, Conn., that took the lives of 20 schoolchildren and six teachers and administrators,” reports the AP. “The shooting sparked calls for tighter gun control measures, especially for military-style assault weapons like the ones used in Newtown and in the Aurora, Colo., movie theater shooting earlier this year. The prospect of a possible weapons ban has sent gun enthusiasts into a panic and sparked a frenzy of buying at stores and gun dealers nationwide.”

In Colorado, reports the Denver Post, the rush to buy guns has become so great that the waiting time for background checks by a state investigative bureau – some 3,000 a day now – has gone from a few minutes to several days.

How the Richest 400 People in America Got So Rich

Yahoo! editors have selected this article as a favorite of 2012. It first appeared on Yahoo! Finance in July and was one of the most popular stories of the month. Readers debated how people really get rich in the U.S., with user One-Eyed Jack commenting that "I would really like to know how many of the 400 were born into millions and how many actually made it on their own." User John replied: "I am a first generation millionaire and also a first generation American. My money came from hard work and smart planning mainly in real estate, but I learned to get by on very little while I was accumulating wealth."
In 1992, the 400th richest person in America made $24 million. In 2007, the 400th richest person in America made $138 million (or $87 million, inflation-adjusted).
Now, that almost certainly wasn't the same guy. There's a lot of churn at the top of the money pyramid. In all of the 1990s, only 25% of the Fortunate 400 made more than one appearance. But the overall message is the same. The rich keep getting richer.
According to the IRS, which recently released 2009 data from the 400 richest individual income tax returns, the real runaway growth in wealth has come from capital gains. In the last years of the bubble, the "Fortunate 400" made nearly half their income from capital gains (a.k.a.: profit from the rising value of an investment, such as stocks or property) and less than 10% of their income from old-fashioned wages.
The average income of a top-400 earner grew by 650% between 1992 and 2007 to a whopping $344 million. Over that time, the average salary didn't even double. But the average capital gains haul increased by 1,200%. So how do the richest get richer? Not from their wages. From their investments.
Here's a look at the average salary and average capital gains income of a top-400 earner since 1992. Y-axis is labeled in thousands of dollars and all-time highs are noted in the graph.

Three last things:
(1) Who are these people? As Tim Noah explained on our business page, a 2010 study studied the top 0.1 percent, who currently make at least $1.7 million. That's 14-times less than our Fortunate 400 group, but it's the closest we've got. Four in ten in this group were executives, managers, and supervisors at nonfinancial firms. Eighteen percent were financiers. Next came law (7 percent), medicine (6 percent), and real estate (4 percent). My guess is that the top 400 skews toward finance and chief exec even stronger. A lawyer/doctor making $2 million I can imagine. But $24 million?
(2) Capital gains absolutely dictate the wealth of the richest Americans. As Matt O'Brien graphed for us, that's why the income of the top 0.1 percent hugs the S&P so closely.
(3) Remember that as this is happening, the long-term capital gains tax rate has fallen from 28 percent in 1990 to 20 percent for the latter half of the 1990s to 15 percent under George W. Bush.

Analysis: After "fiscal cliff" dive, more battles, new cliffs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Whether or not the "fiscal cliff" impasse is broken before the New Year's Eve deadline, there will be no post-cliff peace in Washington.

With the political climate toxic in Congress as the cliff's steep tax hikes and spending cuts approach, other partisan fights loom, all over the issue that has paralyzed the capital for the past two years: federal spending.

The first will come in late February when the Treasury Department runs out of borrowing authority and has to come to Congress to get the debt ceiling raised.

The next is likely in late March, when a temporary bill to fund the government runs out, confronting Congress with a deadline to act or face a government shutdown. The third will possibly be whenever the temporary bill replacing the temporary bill expires.

While Congress is supposed to pass annual spending bills before the start of each fiscal year, it has failed to complete that process since 1996, resorting to stopgap funding ever since.

Influential anti-tax activist Grover Norquist predicted in an interview with Reuters that conservatives would wage repeated battles with President Barack Obama to demand budget savings every time the government needs a temporary funding bill or more borrowing capacity.

The so-called "continuing resolutions" to which a divided Congress has increasingly resorted to keep the government operating, provide a "very powerful tool" to pry out spending cuts, said Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said he will not be satisfied until there are substantial cuts to federal retirement and healthcare benefits known as entitlements, producing savings in the $4.5 trillion to $5 trillion range.

"Unfortunately for America," said Corker, "the next line in the sand will be the debt ceiling."
Most observers see the $16.4 trillion debt limit as the true fiscal cliff in the new year because if not increased, it would eventually lead to a default on U.S. Treasury debt, an event that could prove cataclysmic for financial markets.

The Treasury Department said on Wednesday it would start taking extraordinary measures by December 31 to extend its borrowing capacity for about two more months.

'POISONOUS CLIMATE'

It was a deadlock over raising the debt ceiling in August 2011 that prompted a deficit reduction deal that led to a key fiscal cliff component, the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts on military and domestic programs.

If the fiscal cliff's spending cuts or tax increases are left even partly unresolved on December 31, the political combat over them will carry over into the new Congress, possibly simultaneously with the debt ceiling debate.

"We would be pessimistic of a quick fix" if the deadline is missed, Sean West, head U.S. analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, said in a note to clients. "The political climate will be poisoned. The new Congress will need time to settle in."

"We are concluding one of the most unsuccessful Congresses in history," Democratic Representative John Dingell of Michigan declared in a statement on Saturday, "noteworthy not only for its failure to accomplish anything of importance, but also for the poisonous climate of the institution."

Dingell, 86, is the longest serving member of the House, elected first in 1955.

Historically, bitter struggles in Congress like that over the fiscal cliff lead to further resentment and strife in a cycle of cumulative grudges that now spans nearly 30 years.

Many analysts and lobbyists in Washington believe the strife could get even worse because the new Congress convening on January 3 will include fewer members from moderate or swing districts and more from districts tilted heavily to the left or the right.

Republicans in particular are likely to face their most serious re-election challenges in 2014 not from Democrats but from conservative Republicans challenging them in primary elections.

"Ironically," said a post-election analysis published by the law firm Patton Boggs, "the voters have elected a 113th Congress that may be even more partisan than the 112th."

Brandon Roy will attempt return to NBA after setback following knee surgery

After seriously considering retirement for the second time in three years, Minnesota Timberwolves guard Brandon Roy says he will again attempt to find treatment for his failing knees and try to play in the NBA.

Brandon Roy has played in just five games for the T'wolves this season. (Getty Images) Nevertheless, the chance of the three-time All-Star guard returning to a productive career is remote, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

"….The past two days I have been weighing all of my options as I try to continue my basketball career," Roy said in a statement released by the team. "I have decided to explore additional treatment options and an extensive rehabilitation plan.
"My goal has been, and continues to be, to return to the basketball court as healthy as possible in order to help our team."
After returning to practice for the first time since knee surgery on November 19th, Roy suffered a setback in recent days, and strongly considered forgoing the search for further treatment avenues and another long process of rehabilitation to instead retire, sources said.

Roy developed into one of the NBA's best shooting guards in five-plus seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, earning three All-Star appearances and winning the 2007 Rookie of the Year award.
Several knee surgeries and the erosion of knee cartilage eventually forced his retirement in 2011. The Blazers used the NBA"s amnesty clause on Roy and paid him the remaining $63 million of his contract owed him.
[Also: Kings deny Knicks comeback with wild game-winning three]
After undergoing the platelet-rich plasma procedure that revived the careers of Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, Roy embarked on a comeback over the summer. He signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the T'wolves, but played only five regular-season games before issues with his right knee again required surgery.

8 Signs You're a Control Freak

Control freaks rarely know that they are one. They believe that they are helping people with their "constructive criticism" or taking over a project because "no one else will do it right." They don't see their controlling behaviors as symptoms of what's really going on--their own anxiety has run amuck. Irrational thoughts abound in our high stress world: If I don't get this contract, I'll get fired. If I'm not home by 6:00, I'm a terrible parent. If I don't get that raise, I suck at my job.  All of these thoughts might be true, but probably not. Rather than tackle our own irrational thinking and massage it into more realistic thinking, we attempt to control the situation, usually by trying to control other people.
Want to know if you're a control freak? Here are eight signs for your self-diagnosing pleasure.

• You believe that if someone would change one or two things about themselves, you'd be happier. So you try to "help them" change this behavior by pointing it out, usually over and over.
• You micromanage others to make them fit your (often unrealistic) expectations. You don't believe in imperfection and you don't think anyone else should either.
• You judge others' behavior as right or wrong and passive-aggressively withhold attention until they fall in line with your expectations. Sitting in silent judgment is a master form of control.
• You offer "constructive criticism" as a veiled attempt to advance your own agenda.
• You change who you are or what you believe so that someone will accept you. Instead of just being yourself, you attempt to incept others by managing their impression of you.
• You present worst-case scenarios in an attempt to influence someone away from certain behaviors and toward others. This is also called fear mongering.
• You have a hard time with ambiguity and being OK with not knowing something.
• You intervene on behalf of people by trying to explain or dismiss their behaviors to others

You believe that if you can change another person's undesirable behavior, then you will be happier or more fulfilled. You make someone else responsible for how you feel. The thing is, you are only responsible for you. The road to better relationships always starts with you. Rather than attempt to control everyone else, work on becoming a better version of yourself. Here are a few ideas:

• Be vulnerable with people.
• Never compromise your self-respect by altering your core beliefs.
• Be realistic about your expectations of others.
• Quit the passive-aggressive nonsense--be direct.
• Accept that a large portion of life is laced with unknowns.
• Embrace confrontation--it really is sometimes the only thing you can do.
• Take responsibility for your own happiness.

If you work on your own improvement instead of trying to control others, healthier relationships at work, as well as everywhere else, will then come to you as a result.

Celebrity couples who dress alike

1.Aishwarya Rai & Abhishek Bachchan

Junior Bachchan and new mommy ash steal the show any day, and it only gets better when they are colour co-ordinated.

 

2. Akshay Kumar & Twinkle Khanna
Bollywood Khiladi and his wife Twinke Khanna not only share their love but their taste of dressing as well.

3. Amitabh Bachchan & Jaya Bachchan
Black seems to be the pick of the day for this B’wood couple. 

 

4. Shilpa Shetty: 

Yes, red is ‘the’ colour for any wedding, but have you ever spotted a couple more color-coordinated? We haven’t  

5. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson: 

Back in town as a couple, after the bitter breakup, this Hollywood couple looks simply perfect together! 

 

6. Anjelina and Brad Pitt: 

Can you point out the difference? Except for Jolie’s dashing red lipstick, we don’t see a thing different.

 

7. Rooney Mara and Charlie McDowell: 

Looks like they picked those winter hats on a ‘buy one, get one’ sale!  
8. Jennifer Anniston & Justin Theroux :
Phew! What perfection! Justin’s satin tie just needs a bit of glitter in it.  
9.Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber: 
 Everything’s just perfect, but did Justin not find nude shoes? Or maybe he thought it was too feminine!

10. David and Victoria Beckham: 

All David needs is a little bit of shimmer in his suit and voila, their outfits are just indistinguishable.

 

11. Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt: 

Looks like they enjoy shopping together. So much so that they pick the same stuff!
12.Jim Toth and Reese Witherspoon:
The white satin lining on Reese’s dress gives a finishing touch to the couple’s attire!

13. Drew Barrymore and Will Kopelman

It’s so true, the longer a couple stays together, the more they begin to resemble each other.

 

14. Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green

The couple that wears blue together! 

15. Kate Beckinsale and Len Wiseman 

Did they share the same black material and got it tailored?

We have heard your voice, Sonia Gandhi tells protesters

New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) Congress president Sonia Gandhi Saturday said the government had heard the people's voice demanding an end to crime against women.

"I want to assure you that your voice has been heard," she said in a statement after the death of the 23-year-old gang-rape victim died in a Singapore hospital.

Sonia Gandhi said she was aware that people had taken to the streets in large numbers in support of the victim.

"As a woman and a mother," she said, she shared the "people's concerns" following the Delhi gang-rape and growing violence against women.

She urged the people to remain calm and "help strengthen our collective resolve" to stop such crimes.

Stating that the young woman's death won't go in vain, she said all Indians were grieving today.

"It is our resolve to fight with all our might and all the powers of our laws and administration for the safety and protection of all women of our country and to ensure swift and fitting punishment for the perpetrators of such brutal acts," Sonia Gandhi said.

"We pledge that she will get justice and that her fight will not have been in vain. All Indians grieve as though they have lost their own beloved daughter, their cherished sister. Our hearts go out to her parents and her family. The whole country shares their pain," she said.

She added that the government was determined "to battle the pervasive shameful social attitudes and mindsets" that allow men to rape and molest women and girls with such impunity.

Miffed selectors put Dhoni on notice?

New Delhi, Dec. 28: Indian selectors conveyed their disappointment to skipper MS Dhoni after the Test series defeat against England, indicating his leadership in the longest format is under review, a report said on Thursday.
The selectors reportedly asked Dhoni to give them a plan for the 2015 World Cup, with the report suggesting that Dhoni keeping the captaincy could well depend on India's showing in the ongoing limited-over series against Pakistan, the NDTV channel said, quoting sources.
Dhoni is already under pressure after the Test series routs in England and Australia. The loss to England, the first Test series reverse at home in eight years, has only added to the clamour that he be replaced by Virat Kohli.

Police seal off Delhi's heart to foil protests

New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) In a move to ward off mass protests in the city centre following the death of the gang-rape victim, Delhi Police said Saturday that India Gate and nearby areas would be out of bounds for the public.

"Entire Central Vista including Rajpath, Vijay Chowk and all roads leading to India Gate will be closed for general traffic. All travellers are advised to avoid these roads," Delhi Traffic Police tweeted.

On a police request, Delhi Metro also announced the closure of 10 stations spread over three networks -- Yellow, Blue and Violet.

The stations are: Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhavan, Race Course, Jor Bagh and Khan Market.

A metro official said the inter-change services would, however, continue at the Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat stations. But no one would be allowed to enter or exit from any of these stations.

Delhi Police spokesperson Rajan Bhagat said people could stage protests at Jantar Manar, about a kilometre from parliament, and the Ramlila ground, a usual protest site.

There have been several protests in the heart of the capital, one of which left a policeman dead, since the woman was gang-raped in a bus Dec 16 and dumped to die by a roadside,

The physiotherapy intern died in a Singapore hospital Saturday after battling for life for 13 days.

Wake up India, B'wood celebs express angst

New Delhi, Dec 29 (IANS) Bollywood celebrities are "angry" and "ashamed" following the death Saturday of the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim in a Singapore hospital, where she had been airlifted for treatment. Her fight for life must not be forgotten and India needs to "wake up", they said.

Several film celebrities took to Twitter to express their anguish over the young woman's 13 days of struggle, and the ensuing protests across the nation. The fire within each person, they said, must continue to rage until change happens.

B Town Mourns Gang Rape Victims Death

Here's what they tweeted:
Abhishek Bachchan: I have always been a very proud Indian. Today, we should ALL be ashamed. Will it always take an innocents death for a nation to awake?
Ajay Devgn: Why does someone need to be sacrificed to start a revolution? I hope her sacrifice is not in vain. The b*****ds should be hanged! Jai hind.
Boman Irani: She was like a soldier of revolution. If forgotten, the shame on us is greater than the one's we accuse!
Shabana Azmi: And SHE PASSES AWAY in Singapore. RIP. Our impotence stares us in the face. May SHE become the wake-up call our country needs. We must soul search. Female foeticide; inequal access to nutrition, education, health; no decision making powers; dowry demands; rapes rampant. INDIA WAKE UP.
Kabir Bedi: 'Nirbhaya' will live forever in India's heart. Her ordeal moved us deeply. She raised the consciousness of a nation. RIP.
Amitabh Bachchan: 'Amanat', 'Damini' just a name now... her body has passed away, but her soul shall forever stir our hearts.
Mini Mathur: A young life tormented and snuffed out by six deranged animals in human garb. India will find it difficult to find a new low. Angry. Just angry. India's rate of growth, diplomatic breakthroughs mean nothing till we clean up the muck within. It's still the f****ing dark ages in here.
Sonu Sood: Few condolence messages from our politicians and THAT'S IT!! The brave girl who lost her life will just be a topic of debate for some.
Kunal Kapoor: Heartbroken by the news... RIP braveheart. We should not rest though, till there is a change in our system. Just demanding justice for her not enough, there are 20,000 women like her waiting for justice. We need to raise our voice for all of them. I really hope the anger that we all feel, does nOt disappear after a couple of days and a few emotional tweets.
"I am so sorry that I am a part of this society and culture", and "I am so sorry that I am a man", Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan said Saturday following the death of a 23-year-old trainee physiotherapist who was brutally gang-raped and tortured in the national capital. I'm sorry I'm a man: says SRK,
Anubhav Sinha: ASHAMED that I belong to a race that commits such heinous acts. My apologies to all women. RIP would be such a farce. All men, let us hang our heads in shame and apologise to those who feel threatened in the world they give birth to.
Anupam Kher: This is death of human dignity, death of being an Indian, death of innocence and this is also death of a system. This is not the time to shut down metros, India Gate or India. This is the time to apologise and to say sorry for letting people down.
Vishal Dadlani: We must be non-violent, yet strong, focussed and determined! The law must change. The mindset must change. The country MUST CHANGE!!
Karan Johar: RIP to a brave girl who fought in a weak and paralysed country... Shame on all of us.
Madhur Bhandarkar: RIP Damini, today is a dark day in our democracy. We should pledge not to let dust settle on this fight till the end.
Ashish Chowdhry: Shame. Shame on humanity. Shame on our country. Shame on justice... even god's justice. Shame. And I don't think she'll "RIP". She'll need answers.
Sophie Choudry: So angry, upset, ashamed, helpless! We need to change mindsets, we need strong anti-rape laws, we need to value human life... NOW!
Onir: Zero tolerance to crime against women should be the new year resolution of the nation.
Mahesh Bhatt: Shut all temples where you pretend to worship the female form. Cry India! Your hands are drenched with the blood of your own daughters.
Gul Panag: Let's not forget the many many other unsung women and girls who have also been victims of sexual violence. Outrage shouldn't be selective.
Sophie Choudry: Her plight made the nation rise up and address an issue that's been ignored too long! She must not become another statistic. Keep the momentum alive.

Protest intensifies in Delhi

Protesters poured out onto the streets of Delhi, demanding justice for the 23-year-old gangrape victim.

A protester with gags tied around his mouth and forehead, takes part in a demonstration to mourn the death of a rape victim, who was assaulted in New Delhi, in Mumbai December 29, 2012. The Indian woman, whose gang rape sparked protests and a national debate about violence against women in India, died of her injuries on Saturday, prompting a security lockdown in New Delhi and an acknowledgement from India's prime minister that social change is needed.

Demonstrators paste pamphlets on the billboard of a bus stop during a protest march in New Delhi December 29, 2012Onlookers stand next to a flyover as they listen to a speaker during a protest in New Delhi December 29, 2012.

Undertakers remove the body of an Indian rape victim from a van as they prepare to embalm her at a funeral parlour in Singapore December 29, 2012. The woman, whose gang rape sparked protests and a national debate about violence against women in India, died of her injuries on Saturday, prompting a security lockdown in New Delhi and an acknowledgement from India's prime minister that social change is needed. 

 

Undertakers and hospital staff carry the body of the Delhi rape victim into a van as they leave Mount Elizabeth Hospital for the morgue in Singapore December 29, 2012. 

 

Indian High Commissioner to Singapore T.C.A. Raghavan speaks to journalists about passing of the Indian rape victim outside the ICU ward of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore December 29, 2012.