From reality stars like Paris Hilton to supermodels like Carolyn Murphy to actresses like Rebecca Gayheart, RadarOnline.com compiled a list of the most beautiful women who have spent some X-rated time in front of their own cameras.

Such tapes are often released without consent of their subjects and can damage celebrities’ careers. In 1988 a sex tape aided the downfall of Rob Lowe‘s career. However, in recent years many celebrities have benefited from the publicity of the release of a sex tape

Carolyn Murphy

Supermodel Carolyn Murphy’s sex tape was filmed during her 1999 honeymoon in Barbados with then-husband Jake Schroeder. Check out more stunning photos of the supermodel here.

Chelsea Handler

Comedian Chelsea Handler’s sex tape was created before she hit it big, and the funny lady still jokes about it! See more of Chelsea at RadarOnline.com

Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton’s sex tape with Rick Solomon employed the use of night vision to catch the action. The tape catapulted her from party girl obscurity into reality show superstardom. View more bikini photos of Paris at RadarOnline.com

Pam Anderson

The queen of celebrity sex tapes, Pamela Anderson has had more than one sex tape released with more than one rock star. See sexy bikini photos of Pamela here.

Nicole Narain

Nicole Narain appeared with Colin Farrell in a fourteen-minute sex tape that was quickly taken off the market. View more revealing snaps of Nicole here

Jenna Lewis

In 2004, a 42-minute sex tape of Survivor contestant Jenna Lewis and her husband Travis Wolfe surfaced. Scope out these shots of Jenna

Carrie Prejean

Former beauty queen Carrie Prejean apologized for her sex tape, saying it was the worst mistake of her life. Take a look at stunning bikini photos of Carrie in this gallery

Kendra Wilkinson

Kendra Wilkinson shot her sex tape just a few months before her introduction to Hugh Hefner at a Playboy Mansion party. The rest is sex tape hsitory, as her video could be the most-watched ever. Take a look at these smokin’ photos of Kendra

Mindy McCready

Earlier this year, country star Mindy McCready’s sex tape with an ex named Peter was released. See more of Mindy at RadarOnline.com

Rebecca Gayheart

Rebecca Gayheart and Eric Dane filmed a nude video of themselves with former beauty queen Kari Ann Peniche. Check out Rebecca in a bikini here

Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian reportedly settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million over the release of her sex tape with then-boyfriend Ray J. Check out hot bikini photos of Kim here

E*Trade, Scottrade, and Ameritrade are today’s leading online brokerage companies that offer a simple way to buy and sell stocks. If you’re not an experienced investor, but still want to take a plunge into the stock market, learning about different options available can help you find out the benefits of each. Still, each brokerage offers different types of accounts and fees depending on the level of activity each period. Some also charge inactivity fees on top of variable commission rates and balance requirements. Knowing where to invest is the first step to building a successful portfolio. Here’s a quick comparison of E*trade, Scottrade, and Ameritrade so you can make the best investment decisions:

E*Trade offers an extensive line of trading and investment services, covering many options in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, IPOs, Futures, and Options. The online resources are substantial, but may be intimidating for the beginning investor. E*Trade does offer a user-friendly help center to guide you through rates, news, and different account options but requires a fair amount of review to get started. Highlights of E*Trade offerings include:

• $6.99-$9.99 flat rates depending on number of stock and options trades with fees up to $12.99 for anything less than $50,000

• Mutual fund transaction fees of $19.99

• 1,000+ ‘no-load, no-transaction fee funds’ for each account (but early redemption fees do apply)

• Asset allocation tools available online

• Access to advisors to help with asset allocation

Bottom line: E*Trade offers a variety of options for the seasoned investor, with premium services available for active traders. However, beginning investors may not find rates competitive enough to stick with them in the long term.

Scottrade is ideal for average and inexperienced stock investors, and offers competitive startup rats as well as low monthly fees. Highlights of scottrade accounts include:

• $500 account minimum requirements

• $7 flat rate for market and limit orders-no extra fees to worry about

• No inactivity fees; you can leave your account alone for a period of time without worrying about stacking up fees

• Three platforms to choose from: Scottrade.com, scottrader, and scottradeElite.

Bottom line: Scottrade is a great place for beginning investors to get started, and can help build a portfolio in a short amount of time.

Scottrade Free Trades Coupon Code:

Referred by: KALLAL PAUL
ReferALL code: DBCP6171

Ameritrade offers a very easy trading platform with its online services. It boasts $9.99 internet equity trades with no maintenance fees, so you don’t have to pay any additional fees to get started with an account. Other highlights of Ameritrade include:

• Easy-to-access reporting and stock analysis each day

• Access to Ameritrade representatives throughout your state if you need advice or guidance

• A ‘Command Center 2.0′ to make trading very easy and simple to follow

• Free trades for $45 and a $100 bonus

Bottom line: Ameritrade offers plenty of options for beginning investors, and is a great choice if you’re looking for something simple and straightforward. The flat-rate is competitive, but do read the guidelines on which types of trades qualify under this program. If you need to speak with a representative or advisor, Ameritrade does make it easy to locate someone to guide you through the process.

Today’s online stock trading websites enable you to buy and trade stocks with ease; you don’t have to depend on a middleman to guide you through the process, and each one offers helpful tutorials to take you through the steps. Still, the services come at a price; be sure to read the terms and conditions of each brokerage to calculate the ‘real’ cost of your transactions. Ameritrade and Scottrade offer convenient accounts for beginners, while E*Trade is best suited for a seasoned investor.

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1. Scottrade Free Trades- Coupon Code

According to a report in The Times, Honda’s creation, a decade in the making, restores Japan’s reputation as the most fanatical of mad inventors.

The thousands of tiny movements the human hand instinctively makes to keep the broom upright are simulated in the U3-X by a lattice of motion sensors and Honda’s new omni-directional wheel.

The new Honda drive system can do all sorts of useful things ordinary wheels cannot, such as moving sideways.

The compact electric personal mobility device fits between the rider’s legs to provide movement forward, backward, side-to-side, and diagonally. It is made to easily use, carry, or store.

The 10-kg unicycle’s most spectacular feat is that it can stand upright on its own.

The unicycle has a foldable seat and footrests – and a body that functions as the frame in which users can retract the various components.

When unfurled, riders jump on and go – adjusting speed and motion by simply shifting weight.

Taken off its charging stand and held in the starting position for a few seconds, the U3-X quivers to life. It will not fall over as long as its batteries last.

Even while in motion, the unicycle is nearly impossible to topple and makes no balancing demands.

The driver merely leans the torso in the desired direction of travel and the single wheel compensates improbably for the shifting weight of its master, rumbling off with a puny electric whirr.

The machine is far more portable than a fold-up bicycle and takes up no more pavement space than a pedestrian.

According to Shinichiro Kobashi, an engineer, one day, polo matches will be played on these machines.

For the moment, though, any match would be a slow one. Honda has limited the unicycle to a maximum speed of 4mph (6km/h) – a speed at which it makes considerably more sense to walk.

Some disease-causing microbes are becoming resistant to existing antibiotics. As a result, scientists worldwide are searching for new antibiotics.

Previous studies have hinted that pumpkin, long used as folk medicine in some countries, might have antibiotic effects.

In the new study, Kyung-Soo Hahm, Yoonkyung Park and colleagues extracted proteins from pumpkin rinds to see if the proteins inhibit the growth of microbes, including Candida albicans (C. albicans).

That fungus causes vaginal yeast infections, diaper rash in infants, and other health problems.

One protein had powerful effects in inhibiting the growth of C. albicans, in cell culture experiments, with no obvious toxic effects.

The study suggests that the pumpkin protein could be developed into a natural medicine for fighting yeast infections in humans.

The protein also blocked the growth of several fungi that attack important plant crops and could be useful as an agricultural fungicide, the researchers found.

The study has been published in the current issue of ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry , a bi-weekly publication.

The dust seems to be settling now after two eventful years that witnessed many financial giants drop out of the top-50 safest banks list. Those banks that showed their grit amid an apparently insurmountable financial crisis topped the chart in this year’s ranking.

At the same time, the big name banks that lost their safest bank ranking during the credit crunch are still absent from the list as they struggle to rebuild their credibility.

How the selection was made

The ‘World’s 50 Safest Banks 2009′ were selected through a comparison of the long-term credit ratings and total assets of the 500 largest banks around the world. Ratings from Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch were used.

Global Finance has published its ‘World’s Safest Banks’ listing for 18 years and this ranking has become a recognized and trusted standard of creditworthiness for the entire financial world. Here’s the list of the world’s safest banks with an overview of the top 10. Read on. . .

1. KfW (Germany)

Founded in 1948, KfW is a German government-owned development bank based in Frankfurt. The bank was formed after World War II as part of the Marshall Plan.

Earlier, it went under the name: Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau, or Reconstruction Credit Institute.

The bank’s revenue stood at Euro70.6 billion in 2008. Number of its employees stood at 4,228 in the same year.

Recently, KfW tied up with the Industrial Development Bank of India to help Indian companies identify projects, fund them and help earn carbon credits.

2. Caisse des Depots et Consignations (France)

Created in 1816, Caisse des Depots et Consignations is a French financial organisation under the control of the Frnech Parliament.

The Caisse des Depots consists of the public institution Caisse des Depots and its subsidiaries. Its subsidiaries are involved in the competitive area.

It operates throughout France and in over 80 countries.

3. Bank Nederlands Gemeenten (Netherlands)

The Bank Nederlandse Gemeenten is a Dutch bank which was founded in 1914 in The Hague. It specialises in providing financing for (semi-)publicly owned organisations.

Ranked by assets alone, it is ranked as the 4th bank in the Netherlands. The company is owned for 50 per cent by the Dutch state, while the remainder is owned by the municipalities and provinces.

In the first half of 2009, the net profit of Bank Dutch Municipalities stood at Euro 114 million compared to Euro 73 million in 2008.

4. Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank (Germany)

Rentenbank, based in Frankfurt am Main, is Germany’s development agency for agri business. Rentenbank provides refinancing to banks within the European Union involved in financing agriculture, related sectors thereof and rural areas.

Rentenbank’s roots go back to the days of the Deutsche Rentenbank, founded in 1923 to combat the hyperinflation problems of the times. In 1925, it became Deutsche Rentenbank-Kreditanstalt (RKA) and the central refinancing institution for the agricultural sector.

The bank’s total assets in 2008 decreased slightly to Euro 87.9 billion while its total capital stood at Euro 3047.2 million.

5. Zuercher Kantonalbank (Switzerland)

On February 15 1870, the Zurich Cantonal Bank opened its first switch.  Mortgages and other capital needs for workers, artisans and clerks, for agricultural and industrial enterprises and for small and medium industrial enterprises have been largely neglected by the former private banks.

Towards the end of the 19th and at the beginning of last century, the Zurich economy experienced a remarkable boom. The result was an increased demand for housing and rising rents. As a result, the bank saw substantial growth.

In 2008, the bank’s total assets stood at 113 billion francs and its net income at 503 million francs.

6. Rabobank Group (Netherlands)

Rabobank Group is an international financial services provider operating on the basis of cooperative principles.

It offers retail banking, wholesale banking, asset management, leasing and real estate services. The bank focuses on all-finance services in the Netherlands and on food & agri internationally.

Rabobank Group comprises 152 independent local Rabobanks plus Rabobank Nederland, their central organisation, and a number of subsidiaries.

Rabobank’s roots lie in agriculture. In 1898 two separate cooperative banks — the Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Bank in Utrecht and the Cooperatieve Centrale Boerenleenbank in Eindhoven — were founded by enterprising rural folk, who, with little access to the capital market, decided to help one another.

The two banks served their rural communities independently for three-quarters of a century, both successfully practicing cooperative banking principles.

Therefore, their 1972 merger was a logical partnership.

In the first half of 2009, the bank’s net profit stood at Euro 1.3 billion.

7. Landeskreditbank Baden-Wuerttemberg-Foerderbank (Germany)

It is a former public-law institution, which is wholly owned by the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. The bank is headquarterd in Karlsruhe, and a branch office is located in Stuttgart.

The bank was founded in 1922 by Eugen Bolz, interior and finance minister, Wuerttemberg. The bank started its work in 1924 to counter the housing shortage especially after the World War I.

8. NRW Bank (Germany)

This is development bank for North Rhine-Westphalia.

North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s largest province and is among the 15 largest economies in the world.

The bank’s net income in 2008 stood at Euro 32.4 million whereas its net interest income stood at Euro 509.1 million.

9. BNP Paribas (France)

BNP Paribasis a major European bank. It was created on May 23, 2000 through the merger of Banque Nationale de Paris and Paribas. As on January 31 2008, the bank’s assets stood at $1,899.186 billion.

It’s history can be traced back to 1869, when a group of bankers and investors, including Adrien Delahante, Edmond Joubert and Henri Cernuschi, founded the Banque de Paris.

The bank employs 162,700 people and operates in 87 countries. The bank is active in the finance, investment and asset management markets.

10. Royal Bank of Canada (Canada)

The Royal Bank of Canada is the largest financial institution in Canada, measured by deposits, revenues, and market capitalisation.

The company’s primary corporate offices are located in Toronto, Ontario, while it is officially headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. The bank was founded in 1864 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The bank serves 17 million clients and has 80,000 employees worldwide.

In Canada, the bank is branded as RBC Royal Bank in English and RBC Banque Royale in French

The bank’s revenue stood at $25.34 Billion CAD in 2008 and net income at $4.64 billion CAD.

The other 40 banks that made it to the 50 safest banks’ list are:

11. National Australia Bank (Australia);
12. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Australia);
13. Banco Santander (Spain);
14. Toronto-Dominion Bank (Canada);
15. Australia & New Zealand Banking Group (Australia);
16. Westpac Banking Corporation (Australia);
17. ASB Bank Limited (New Zealand);
18. HSBC Holdings plc (United Kingdom);
19. Credit Agricole S.A. (France);
20. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (Spain);
21. Nordea Bank AB (publ) (Sweden);
22. Scotiabank (Canada);
23. Svenska Handelsbanken (Sweden);
24. DBS Bank (Singapore);
25. Banco Espanol de Credito S.A. (Spain);
26. Caisse centrale Desjardins (Canada);
27. Pohjola Bank (Finland);
28. Deutsche Bank AG (Germany);
29. Intesa Sanpaolo (Italy);
30. Caja de Ahorros y Pensiones de Barcelona (Spain);
31. Bank of Montreal (Canada);
32. The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (United States);
33. DnB NOR Bank (Norway);
34. Caixa Geral de Depositos (Portugal);
35. United Overseas Bank (Singapore);
36. Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. (Singapore);
37. CIBC (Canada);
38. National Bank Of Kuwait (Kuwait);
39. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.(United States);
40. UBS AG (Switzerland);
41. Societe Generale (France);
42. Wells Fargo & Co. (United States);
43. Credit Suisse Group (Switzerland);
44. Banque Federative du Credit Mutuel (France);
45. Credit Industriel et Commercial (France);
46. Nationwide Building Society (United Kingdom);
47. US Bancorp (United States);
48. Shizuoka Bank (Japan);
49. Northern Trust Corporation (United States);
50. National Bank of Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)

LinkedIn

Founded in 2003, LinkedIn is the most popular social networking site for professionals. It was valued by its investors last year at $1 billion and has annual revenue beyond $100 million. Subscribers provide their professional background on line as a way of meeting others in their field and as a way for companies to help hire.

The company has 43 million members, half outside the United States, and adds 1.5 to 2 million monthly. It turned profitable in 2008.

Solyndra

Founded in 2005, Solyndra is a clean tech company which makes solar electric installations for commercial rooftops. It has a unique system using tubes that make it more efficient than standard photovoltaic systems and cheaper to install.

The company’s latest round of growth capital came from the US Department of Energy, which gave it a $535 million loan guarantee in March. It will use the money to increase its annual production capacity to 610 megawatts (MW) from 110 MW.

Zynga

Established in 2007, Zynga in less than two years has grown to be the largest casual online gaming company in the world with 76 million users a month.

It was profitable almost from the beginning, advertising on Facebook and MySpace to tell users about how it works. Games are played between friends and there is no charge to play.

“We think this is going to be a major industry,” said Chief Executive Mark Pincus. But he said he is “being careful” and “not rushing for the door” to sell the company.

Silver Spring

Founded in 2002, Silver Spring is a clean tech company that provisions “smart grid” utilities networks, Silver Spring sells smart electric and gas meters and software to conserve energy, minimize interruptions and cut carbon emissions.

The utilities that are the company’s clients represent more than 20% of the US population, and its staff of 300 employees is growing.

“We’ve added well over 100 people this year and are projected to add well over that,” said CEO Scott Lang. The company sees opportunities for growth in plug-in electric vehicles, which could create problems on the grid if they become widely used. It is also looking at acquisitions. Lang said a deal could come in less than two months.

LiveOps

Established in 2000, LiveOps operates call centers in the cloud, connecting them with than 20,000 people who work at home as private contractors.

Chief Executive Maynard Webb came to LiveOps after being chief operating officer of eBay. He said the company’s revenues are accelerating in double digits this year, despite the recession, and its revenues are above $100 million for the third year running.

Webb said he will take the company public but only when it hits internal benchmarks, because his company has no need for money beyond what it generates.

Guidewire

Founded in 2002, Guidewire writes the core software for property and casualty insurance companies, replacing decades-old installations that used the old COBOL language.

Guidewire does in insurance what Oracle and SAP do for enterprise software. Guidewire’s applications run on the Web, both as an intranet for internal company use and as an Internet for consumers and claims adjusters. It is designed to handle underwriting, claims and billing.

“We’ve just had our best year ever by far,” said CEO John Raguin. He said the company, whose 70 customers include Geico, AAA and Tokio Marine Nichido Fire, grew by over 40% in the latest fiscal year.

When stars pass away unexpectedly, fans all over the world are left shocked and stunned. And more often than not, conspiracy theories often spring up around the deaths of some of this celebrities – be it Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley or John Lennon.

In the case of Jackson, who died of cardiac arrest five days back, it took hours for the first conspiracy theories to start circulating. The most popular is that he faked his death to escape the media glare and impending bankruptcy — despite medical reports blaming an overdose of prescription drugs.

Heath ledger‘s death in last January (2008) shocked fans, family and friends alike. The Australian actor, who apparently died of a drug overdose, was discovered by his housekeeper and his masseuse in his apartment.

Two weeks after his death, a report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York concluded that the death was accidental ‘resulting from the abuse of prescription medications.’

A case against Ledger’s close friend Mary Kate Olsen, who was alleged to have supplied Ledger with the drugs, was also closed.

Image: A picture of Heath Ledger at makeshift memorial outside the apartment where he died in New York
Photographs:Nicholas Roberts/Reuters

Natasha Richardson had it all — a loving husband in actor Liam Neeson, two sons, Micheal and Daniel and a successful career.

But on March 16, tragedy struck when the Parent Trap actress died of a head injury while taking a skiing lesson at the Mont Tremblant Resort in Quebec.

The most shocking part was that Richardson seemed to be fine after the fall, and even turned back paramedics and an ambulance which initially responded to the accident. But three hours later, after returning to her hotel room, she complained of a headache and was taken to a local hospital. Seven hours later, she was in a critical condition.

The next day she was flown to Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, where she died on March 18.

An autopsy conducted by the New York City Medical Examiners Office the following day revealed the cause of death was an ‘epidural hematoma due to blunt impact to the head’, and her death was ruled an accident.

Anna Nicole Smith‘s death was shocking too.

The model and former Playboy Playmate died of drug overdose on February 8, 2007, in Florida, at the age of 39.

A month later, her boyfriend Howard K Stern and doctors Sandeep Kapoor and Khristine Eroshevich were charged with giving her drugs from June 5, 2004 to January 26, 2006.

In 1962, Marilyn Monroe‘s shocking death at her home in Los Angeles led to a number of conspiracy theories.

An autopsy found a cocktail of drugs in her system and the county coroner recorded the cause of death as acute barbiturate poisoning by accidental overdose.

However, speculation over Monroe’s death continues to this day and centres on her relationships with US President John F Kennedy and his brother, Robert Kennedy. Most of the theories allege she was murdered either by the CIA or the Mafia as she knew too much about the Kennedy links to organised crime.

Conspiracy theories have surrounded the demise of the Elvis Presley, who was found dead on his bathroom floor in Graceland in 1977.

Two autopsies into the death of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, whose prescription drug abuse was widely documented, concluded that he was killed by a sudden heart attack. And, yet there are many theories surrounding his death — by far the most persistent being that he somehow faked his own death in a bid to boost flagging record sales.

Hundreds of thousands of supposed sightings of the legend have been claimed in the three decades since.

The 1980s witnessed conspiracy theories surrounding the death of the former Beatle John Lennon.

He was shot dead outside the Dakota building in New York where he lived, by Mark David Chapman, on December 8, 1980.

Chapman was jailed for murder and is still in prison. But the most popular conspiracy theory over Lennon’s death is that he was killed by a remote control. And those who believe this claim that Chapman was programmed by US government agents to kill Lennon and that they used the novel Catcher in the Rye as a signal to go ahead with the operation.

August 29, 1958: Born in Gary, Indiana. 

August 1962: Singing debut with his brothers, The Jackson Five.

March 1969: First Jackson Five contract with Tamla Motown, Detroit’s black-owned record label. Michael’s voice propels the group onto the hit parade with “ABC” and “I’ll Be There”.

1970: Launch of solo career alongside that of the Jackson Five.

August 1979: Release of “Off The Wall” album, produced by Quincy Jones, which sold 11 million copies.

December 1982: release of “Thriller” album, whose seven hits included “Billie Jean” and “Beat It,” pushing sales to 50 million copies worldwide.

1984: Jackson’s face gets burnt during filming for a Pepsi ad.

1985: Buys ATV Music — a company with rights to John Lennon and Paul McCartney songs — for 47.5 million dollars.

1985: Jackson writes “We Are The World,” which benefited the fight against hunger in Africa.

1987: Release of “Bad,” which sold 26 million copies and marked the end of his collaboration with Quincy Jones.

1988: His autobiography “Moonwalk” comes out.

1990: Michael Jackson is seen for the first time wearing a surgical mask in public/

1992: Release of “Dangerous,” which sold 22 million copies/

August 1993: A father accuses Jackson of molesting his 13-year-old son, but settles out of court/

May 1994: February 1996: marriage to Lisa Marie Presley, daughter of Elvis

June 1995: Release of “History” album

November 1996-October 1999: Marriage to Debbie Rowe, a 37-year-old nurse with whom he has two children, Prince Michael and Paris Michael Katherine
.
October 2001: Release of “Invincible”.

July 2002: Jackson accuses record labels of exploiting artists, especially African-Americans.

November 19, 2002: Scandal after Jackson dangles his third son, nine-month-old Prince Michael II, from a Berlin hotel balcony.

January 31, 2003: Sotheby’s auction house sues for non-payment of 1.7 million dollars for two paintings.

February 3: In documentary “Living with Michael Jackson” broadcast on ITV, Jackson claims never to have abused a child, merely to have shared his bed.

February: The singer’s manager brings a 13-million-dollar lawsuit for back salary, which is settled out of court in June.

November 18: Police raid Jackson’s Neverland ranch in California as “Number Ones” album is released.

November 19: Warrant issued for Jackson’s arrest on several counts of child molestation.

November 20: Jackson is arrested and handcuffed after surrendering to police, held briefly then released on bail.

December 18: Michael Jackson is formally charged with child molestation.

January 16, 2004: Jackson pleads not guilty during his first appearance amid a media circus.

January 31, 2005: Michael Jackson trial begins with jury selection.

February 28, 2005: Opening arguments begin in trial.

June 4, 2005: Jurors begin considering their verdict.

June 13, 2005: Jackson acquitted on all charges against him.

March 5, 2009: Jackson announces series of comeback concerts in London — billed as the “final curtain” — his first major shows for more than a decade.

May 20, 2009: Jackson delays comeback shows. Concert organizers say singer’s health is “fantastic”.

June 25, 2009: Jackson dies in Los Angeles.

Debbie Rowe: Michael Jackson and his second wife Deborah Rowe-Jackson. The world found out in November 1996 when Jackson and the 37-year-old assistant to the singer’s dermatologist confirmed news that they were expecting a baby together. Ten days after learning he was going to be a dad, the King of Pop married his 6-months-pregnant companion in a civil ceremony Down Under.

Diana Ross: She first got a glimpse of Jackson’s talent when she saw him performing at the age of 10. More than a decade later, the pair starred in 1978′s ‘The Wiz, an all-black version of The Wizard of Oz’ (Getty Images)

Tatum O’Neal: Though Michael had off and on connection with her. O’Neal met the singer at an L.A. club when she was 12 and he was 17, according to her book ‘A Paper Life’. The two developed a friendship, talked frequently and also shared a kiss at her home. Jackson later described in ABC’s ‘Living with Michael Jackson’ documentary that O’Neal attempted to seduce him, which she denied. (Getty images)

Elizabeth Taylor: Through all the child molestation allegations Jackson faced, he had the staunchest support from his longtime friend Dame Elizabeth Taylor, who the singer told Oprah Winfrey in 1993 was the one who anointed him the King of Pop – a moniker that stuck. What bonded the seemingly mismatched pair? Taylor told Larry King in a 2006 interview that “both had horrible childhoods.”

ALSO SEE: Michael Jackson- Life and Times

Different master traders use different methods and approaches. But what is that one aspect that the greats all agree on, masters ranging from George Angell, day-trader, technical analyst par excellence; Gerald Appel, father of MACD, one of the most widely followed timing tools; Bruce Babcock, developer of trading software; George Lane, father of stochastics and one of the most experienced technical analysts in the world; Robert Prechter, the pre-eminent Elliott Wave analyst whose forecasts are followed by traders throughout the world; Welles Wilder, the man behind Delta and RSI and developer of technical tools that have revolutionized the trading world; and Larry Williams, colorful, controversial – a legend in his own time.

No, it’s not some glamorous or sexy new fail-safe technique. Rather the one aspect of universal agreement among master traders is the importance of discipline. Discipline is probably the most worn-out term in trading. But that doesn’t alter its importance. Also, saying the word is one thing; truly understanding its dimensions on an operational or behavioral level is another. Here are the golden rules of disciplined trading.

Be persistent

This is perhaps the single most important quality a trader can possess. Trading requires the ability to continue trading even when results have not been good. Due to the nature of markets and trading systems, good times frequently follow bad times, and bad times frequently follow good times. Some of a trader’s greatest successes occur following a string of losses. This is why traders must be persistent in applying their trading methods and continue using them for a reasonable period of time.

Accept losses

Another important quality that the market masters emphasise is the ability to accept losses and to take them promptly. Perhaps the single greatest downfall of all traders is the inability to take a loss when it should be taken. Losses have a nasty habit of becoming worse rather than better. Unless they are taken when they should be, the results will not be to your liking.

Avoid overtrading

Too many traders feel that they must trade every day. Such traders are addicted to trading. The fact is that some days offer few if any trading opportunities. The trader who wishes to preserve capital and avoid losses as well as unnecessary commission charges should understand that trading, other than mechanical day trading, is not an everyday event. There will be days when no trades are indicated. This is for the best.

Specialise

Successful trading is a time-consuming undertaking that requires close attention. Which is why many market masters specialize in certain markets. In most cases, successful trading requires diligence, follow-through and persistence. Because most trading techniques require close attention, traders should not be involved in too many markets at one time.

I suggest that five to seven markets are sufficient for most traders. In fact, for new traders, I recommend specialising in one or two markets and attending to them thoroughly to develop your skills and increase your overall profits.

Begin with sufficient capital

Perhaps one of the worst blunders that any trader could commit is to trade with insufficient capital. Virtually all the market masters agree on this point. The argument may be made that the futures trader does not need to have substantial capital in his or her account since trades are closed out at the end of the day and therefore the necessity for sufficient margin to maintain positions is eliminated.

While this may be true, those with limited funds cannot play the game as long as those with larger funds. In any venture it is important to start with sufficient capital so that the trader will not feel pressured to perform and can allow the particular trading system or methods sufficient opportunity to ride through periods of poor performance.

Use news to your advantage

Many a trader has learned the hard way that following the news frequently leads to losses. However, I have discovered ways in which the trader can use the fundamental news or developing international, domestic or political news to his or her advantage.

Do not be a follower of the news; rather ‘fade’ the news. Use the news to exit positions that you probably established before the news became public knowledge. I firmly believe in the old market dictum: Buy on rumor, sell on news.

On an intra-day basis, markets are very sensitive to news well before the news is known by most traders. Insiders buy and sell on expectation, sometimes based on rumor, frequently based on fact. They establish positions before the general public is aware of the news; once the news has become public knowledge, they take advantage of the surge or the drop in prices to exit positions.

Take advantage of brief price surges

At times, markets will drop or rally quickly, seemingly in response to no news. What may be happening is a rumor on the trading floor, a large buyer or buy order, or large seller or sell order of which you are unaware. Such brief price surges or drops are opportunities for you to exit positions at a profit or to establish a new position. It is important to develop this quality as a futures trader since it is entirely consistent with the futures trading objective.

Stick to your goals

Above all, remember that as a trader you have one major goal: to make money. To do so, you must be particularly aware of your net profits at all times. My advice, which is based on many years of trading, is to set yourself specific standards and conditions under which you will begin to liquidate positions. Do so while the trend is still in your favor. You may either begin to close out your positions at that time or you may use a follow-up stop loss procedure to ‘lock in’ existing profits.

Use market sentiment to find short-term and day-trading opportunities

I have already discussed the importance of going against the majority opinion to find profitable trading opportunities. I believe that this is one of the most important qualities a trader can possess. While there is certainly a great deal of money to be made in trading with the existing trend, it is also important to know when the existing trend has reached a possible turning point.

One of the best ways, if not the best way of doing this, is through the use of market sentiment. The trader must also be a contrarian. This does not mean that you must buck the trend, but it does mean that you must always be aware of whether sentiment is very high or very low.

This will give you important clues as to whether you should be quick to take profits, whether you can allow profits to run and whether you should look for trading opportunities on the opposite side of the existing trend.

I have learned, after many years of trading, that the major difference between those who are successful traders and those who are not is found in their discipline, their psychological makeup and in the skills they have acquired as traders rather than in the trading systems, they use.

Excerpt from Market Masters by Jake Bernstein.