"Every parent would like their child to be blessed with many fine attributes"

BeautifulPeople.com, the dating site with a strict ban on ugly people, has launched a virtual sperm and egg bank for people who want to have beautiful babies.

The Beautiful Baby service - which is also available to non-members - was created for people who want to maximise their chances of having good looking children.

Managing director Greg Hodge said: “BeautifulPeople.com has launched a fertility introduction service to help members and non-members alike procreate. There are no financial benefits for us in doing so - we are simply responding to a demand for attractive donors. Every parent would like their child to be blessed with many fine attributes, attractiveness being one of the most sought after. For a site with members who resemble Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Angelina Jolie you can imagine the demand”.

Founder Robert Hintze added: “Initially, we hesitated to widen the offering to non-beautiful people. But everyone - including ugly people - would like to bring good looking children in to the world and we can’t be selfish with our attractive gene pool.”

Since its creation in 2002, BeautifulPeople.com has become the world’s largest community of beautiful people with over 600,000 members from 190 countries. 

Jean Smith, cultural anthropologist said: “BeautifulPeople.com is doing what people are doing anyway, which is securing what they believe to be the highest level of genetic material they can, to ensure the best chance of success for their offspring.

“This service makes it easier for those who subscribe to the same ideal of beauty as those of ‘Beautiful People’ to find donors whom they perceive to supply appropriate genetic material."

Already, over 600 beautiful babies have been born to couples who met through the site, a fact which is attracting the attention of broody individuals and fertility clinics.

Dr. Mohamed Menabawey, media director at The London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre is positive about the BeautifulPeople.com donor service. “The removal of donor anonymity has created the massive UK shortage. The cost, confusion and damage of what many believe now to be failed anonymity legislation is there for all to see. It is manifested in the shortage of donor gametes and growing fertility tourism.”

BeautifulPeople.com member James Frederiksen is just one of many singles who have used the fertility forum and expressed an interest in donating sperm.

“I’m from Norway and it’s very common for young, healthy men there to donate sperm. There seems to be a shortage worldwide and being a BeautifulPeople.com member I wanted to do whatever I could to help others create beautiful babies”.

How the virtual sperm bank will work

The BeautifulPeople.com virtual sperm bank is a forum where members register and state their procreation interests. A number of members already registered on the forum are married or in a relationship where for many reasons, an external donor is required. Likewise, many men have been able to register to help infertile couples or single women to conceive healthy, attractive offspring.
 
There are many levels on which this virtual sperm bank can benefit the community. As well as non-members, men and women from within the BeautifulPeople.com community who are seeking more than romance or social interaction are able to use the forum as an additional facility where they are able to enter relationships but with an upfront attitude to their family goals.

Members wishing to donate will be able to access information on which clinics to contact and gather information on the donor protocol.

A quarter of men will forgo making love whilst the World Cup is on

Pre Match Tension (PMT) is seriously affecting the lives of most men in the UK, making at least 58 per cent moody, lying awake at night and having no interest in sex, a new study has revealed.

So serious is the problem that 13 million men across the UK are currently too stressed to sleep as a result of PMT, and are only getting around six hours of sleep per night - which is two hours less than what the sleep experts recommend.

In addition a quarter of men reported they will forgo making love whilst the World Cup is on due to being too stressed about England’s performance.

The survey of 6,000 Britons by hotel chain Travelodge found many men believe the World Cup is one of the most stressful events of their lives. When male respondents were asked to rate important events in their lives against watching England play a World Cup match, 40 per cent stated watching England play is more stressful than going for a job interview.

A quarter of men (25%) reported moving house is easier than watching England play a World Cup game while 15 per cent of men stated watching England play is more stressful than getting married.
      
Leigh McCarron, Travelodge Director of Sleep said: "All the excitement and hype around the World Cup is clearly taking its toll on British men. Pre-Match Tension can become a serious issue especially if Brits do not top up their sleep quota on a regular basis during the World Cup. A lack of shut-eye can cause irritability and concentration problems making it more stressful to watch World Cup matches. Therefore I would urge Britons to make a concerted effort to get a good night's sleep so that they feel revitalised, resulting in improved physical, mental and emotional health.”

The survey also revealed that since the World Cup started on 11th June 2010, more than half (54 per cent) of British men have dreamt of being an England football player and scoring a winning goal. Fifteen per cent of guys have dreamt of being the England team manager and leading their team to victory by winning the World Cup.

Results also revealed that it is not just women who dream of footballers, 37 per cent of men admitted they had dreamt of Wayne Rooney whilst 35 per cent of chaps stated they have dreamt of Stephen Gerard and 19 per cent of men confessed to dreaming of Frank Lampard since the World Cup started.   

The survey also revealed that a quarter of men have woken up in a cold sweat because they dreamt they had to take a penalty shot for the England football team in a crucial World Cup game.

At the same time, 23 per cent of blokes have recently dreamt of being an England goal keeper and letting the winning goal in from the opposing team in a qualifying World Cup game. 

The World Cup also seems to have made people more religious. The survey revealed that one in ten men have begun praying every night at bedtime since the World Cup started, asking God to help the England team win the World Cup this year. 

The study also investigated how men feel after an England World Cup match. Fifty four per cent of men struggle to get to sleep after watching an England World Cup match because they are too stressed to sleep.

Over a third of men (36 per cent) reported they have trouble sleeping after an England World Cup game because they have drank too much alcohol whilst watching the game in order to steady their nerves.

Thirty one per cent of males find it hard to concentrate at work the day after an England World Cup match due to being too tired.

Fifteen per cent of men will take a day of sick following an England World Cup match because they are too tired to go to work.

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'Bring Back Britain's Lunch Hour' campaign

Courgette, goat’s cheese and toasted pinenut tart

Makes 6 slices
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

For the pastry
225g plain flour
100g butter, ice cold and cut into cubes
1 free range egg

or 500g packet of shortcrust pastry

for the filling
3 egg yolks
150ml double cream
100g Parmesan cheese, grated
a small handful of mint, finely chopped

1 green courgette, sliced into ribbons with a potato peeler
1 yellow courgette, sliced into ribbons with a potato peeler
100g good soft mild goat’s cheese
50g toasted pinenuts

If making the pastry place the flour, butter and a pinch of salt into a food processor and blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs. Crack the egg and bring together until it forms a pastry ball. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface then line a 25cm tart case. Chill in the fridge or freezer for 20 mins.

Heat oven to 200C. Line the case with baking paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 20 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and finish baking for a further 10 minutes until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool in the case, then carefully trim the edges of the pastry.

Gently beat together the eggs and cream. Add in the Parmesan cheese and mint, then season with salt and pepper. Fill the tart case with the filling. Mix together the courgette ribbons and Heap into the tart. Dot with the crumbled goat’s cheese and pine nuts, then pop in the oven to bake for 20-25 mins until just set and golden.

By celebrity Chef Gizzi Erskine

Next week’s recipe:
Smoked salmon, avocado and Brie on Rye

For further information about 'Bring Back Britain's Lunch Hour', please log on to http://www.bbblh.co.uk

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Employers now paying more attention to what time workers arrive

Being at late in today's tough economic climate can easily cost you your job. Productivity and resources are now being closely scrutinized, and employers are taking more notice of punctuality.

Thirty-nine per cent of business leaders in the UK reported they are paying more attention to what time workers arrive than they had in healthier economic cycles.

Fifteen per cent of employers said they would terminate an employee who was late two or three times while 12 per cent would terminate the employee for being tardy four or five times.

The study was conducted from 29th April to 7th May 2010 on behalf of CareerBuilder.co.uk and included more than 100 UK business leaders across industries.

While employers would prefer workers to clock in at their designated start time, many are willing to afford workers with some flexibility. Forty-six per cent of UK employers said they didn't care if their employees are running late as long as their work is completed on time with good quality.

When asked to share the most unusual excuses workers gave to explain their late arrivals, European employers offered the following real-life examples: Employee said there was a bank robbery in front of his house; employee was delayed by volcanic ash; employee was concerned about an impending comet impact; employee reported that a horse jumped over a hedge straight on top of her car; employee's cat was stuck in the cat flap; employee's house was on fire; employee's car was blocked in by a stolen car and the police were taking fingerprints; employee had difficulty adjusting to the climate change from winter to summer; employee said someone moved his teeth; and employee said; "I always leave at the same time. Sometimes I'm late, sometimes I'm not. I can't figure it out."

"Arriving late can impact perceptions of your professionalism and reliability not only in the eyes of your employer, but in the eyes of your co-workers who may have to pick up the slack," said Tony Roy, Managing Director for CareerBuilder UK. "Getting organized and preparing for the upcoming day the night before can help to improve punctuality and make the commute less hectic."

Three Tips for Getting to Work on Time

1. Plan ahead. Set everything you need to get out the door in one place the night before. If you drive to work, make sure you have a full tank of gas.

2. Limit distractions. Turn off the TV or computer. Save phone calls for the commute.

3. Consider an alternate work arrangement. Telecommuting enables you to start your work day right away.