Jasper and Silver - A Winning Combination for Jewelry

Jasper is a common stone that is found in many countries and all continents around the world. The great abundance of this jasper is attributed to it composition. This stone is a form of micro-crystalline quartz and chalcedony. Since quartz or silicon dioxide is the most common mineral found on the earth, it stands to reason that jasper occurs commonly around the world. Jasper usually also contains traces of other minerals and metals including iron, manganese, chromium, etc. These impurities or secondary minerals as they are sometimes called, often control the color and appearance of the stone. The term micro crystalline means that the crystals in quartz are so small that they cannot be seen by the human eye even with the assistance of low magnification. Micro crystalline or crypto crystalline quartz is in contrast with macro crystalline varieties such as amethyst, where large and well developed crystals are the norm. Jasper occurs in nature in a wide variety of colors such as red, pink, yellow, grey, white, and blue. The exact origin of the world "jasper" is unknown at this time. Most believe that it has its origin in the Greek language and is a transformation of the Greek word for "spotted stone". It is unusual to find a uniformly colored specimen of jasper. Most stones have some pattern on them. In many cases, the particular variety of jasper is named after the patterns on the stone, and each variety is believed to have its own metaphysical and healing powers. Dalmatian jasper, as the name suggests, has a white or light grey background with small dark spots, much like the skin of the Dalmatian dog. This particular type of jasper improves emotional stability, helps a person be calm under trying circumstances, makes a person more patient, and keeps away nightmares. Fancy jasper is usually colorful and has bright swirls of greens and lavender over a white or other light colored background. The swirls give the stone a cheery appearance, and is therefore believed to help with depression. Similarly, ocean jasper often has a wavy pattern which is believed to calm a person and help with meditation. Landscape or picture jasper is another interesting variety of this stone, although it is not frequently used in jewelry designs. Picture jasper is usually found brown, beige, and cream. The combination of colors results in a landscape-like pattern on the stone. the colors and patterns are similar to the hills and valley relief often seen in the desert Southwest. The true beauty of the specimen is brought out when cut in the form of a lapidary slab that captures the nuances of color and shapes. Some believe that green jasper provides a bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds, while red jasper heightens the olfactory senses. Leopard jasper has an orange or orangish-tan background with either red or brown spots. Poppy jasper resembles a poppy field because of its yellow and red dotted pattern. Jasper is often used to make a sterling pendant and other pieces of fine and fashion jewelry. The wide range of patterns and colors of this stone means that jewelry designers can probably find specimens to satisfy every taste and fancy. The stones are quite inexpensive and a cut and polished cab about one inch is size of most varieties will cost less than five dollars. This makes it very cost effective for fashion jewelry. Framed in sterling silver settings, jasper jewelry is quite popular with teenagers and young adults. Another reason for the popularity of this stone is that it is quite hard and resilient. It requires little maintenance and can be easily cleaned using warm water, a mild soap, and a soft cloth.

Reasons to Consider Fake Diamonds

Some people are instantly turned off by the term "fake diamond." Many of them think "no way! That's not for me!! I only want a real diamond!" Or they think only a real diamond "is forever." Much of that opinion, however, comes from being influenced by advertising. For the open-minded consumer, there are many good reasons to consider getting a fake diamond instead of a real diamond. Some of these reasons include: Cost - The most obvious reason is that fake diamonds are significantly cheaper than real diamonds. A high quality cubic zirconia can be purchased for under $100 whereas a similarly sized high quality diamond would be around $10,000. Moissanite, another type of gem used in place of diamond, might be between $1,000 and $2,000 for the same characteristics. Clarity - Cubic zirconia can be produced without inclusions (a term called "flawless" in the diamond world). This means that light passing through the gem will not be altered by imperfections in the stone and will sparkle much better. A diamond with a rating of "flawless", on the other hand, will be drastically more expensive than a normal diamond. Color - Cubic zirconia are colorless. With diamonds, only the best, rarest, and most expensive diamonds are colorless (a color rating of "D" on the diamond scale). If you are even able to find a diamond with color of D, it will be extremely expensive compared to a normal diamond. Some People May Choose to Not Support the Diamond Industry - Ripe with claims of artificial price inflation and slave labor, some people do not wish to support the industry. People Cannot Tell It's Fake - There are ways to tell if a diamond is fake or not, but most of them require looking at the gem under magnification, or doing some tests with the loose stone (meaning not mounted on a ring). To the common observer, a fake diamond or a real diamond on a ring is indistinguishable, even if they examine it up close. The only way anyone will every know it is fake is if they are told so. In the end, it's always a personal decision whether to get a fake diamond or a real diamond. But as they are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye, more and more people are choosing to go with a fake diamond mainly for financial reasons, especially during this time of economic recession.

Coffe Natilla Cup

RECIPE DETAILS

Coffee Natilla Cup
Heavenly dessert with layers of lady fingers, custard, and baked meringue
Preparation Time: 00:20Cooking Time: 00:20Servings: 24
Ingredients
Coffee-Custard:2 tbsp NESCAFE Classic1 can 378ml evaporated milk3 tbsp sugar2 tbsp brandy4 pcs egg yolks1 tbsp cornstarch dispersed in1/4 cup waterMeringue:4 pcs egg whites3/4 cup sugarlady fingers
Procedure
1. For the Coffee-Custard: Combine NESCAFE CLASSIC, evap, sugar, brandy, and egg yolks in a double boiler. Cook stirring constantly for about 5 min. Stir in cornstarch and cook until thick. Set aside to cool.2. For the Meringue: Beat eggwhites until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and continue beating until stiff but not dry.3. Arrange lady fingers in a 12inches x 6inches x 2inches oven-proof dish. Pour in prepared custard then pipe meringue on top. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 20 min. or until meringue is golden brown.

Pudding Cake Mix Recipes

Cakes are a weakness for people who have a sweet tooth. Be it a birthday, wedding or an anniversary, people love to have cakes and pastries as their dessert. Baking a cake is an art, at which some people are experts. But, people who are apprentices at cooking, can have a difficult time while baking one. Baking a cake is a long procedure and needs a lot of time and patience, as one wrong measure can ruin the cake. However, now one can make use of the ready made cake mix packets (flour, sugar, baking powder and flavoring), that are readily available in grocery stores. Cake mixes were introduced in 1947-48, by General Mills and Pilsbury, and since then, many companies have come out with their own cake-mixes. Combining pudding with the cake mix has also become common among many people. Let us look at some of the mouthwatering pudding cake mix recipes. Lemon Pudding Fruit and Nut Cake Ingredients
3¾ ounces lemon pudding mix, instant
¼ cup apricot brandy
1 package spice cake mix
4 large eggs
2/3 cup apricot nectar
8 ounces sifted powdered sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
4 ounces candied pineapple
2-3 tablespoons apricot brandy
4 ounces candied cherries
8 ounces walnuts
8 ounces datesPreparation
Preheat the oven at 350° F. Chop the pineapple, cherries, walnuts and dates and keep them ready.
In a small bowl, break the eggs one by one, stir well and set aside.
Take cake mix in a large mixing bowl, and add ¼ cup apricot brandy, pudding mixture, apricot nectar and vegetable oil. Pour the eggs into the mixing bowl for at least 2 minutes, till it becomes smooth. Sprinkle chopped nuts and stir again.
Grease a 10 inch baking pan, and spread the batter in it evenly. Keep it in the oven and let it bake for 55 minutes. Before taking it out, check whether the cake is completely baked.
Let it cool for 10-15 minutes. In a small bowl, take 1 cup sugar and add apricot brandy to it. Mix well and pour over the cake. Your fruit and nut cake is ready to be eaten.Choco-Chip Pudding Cake Ingredients
8 ounces chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 packet chocolate pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 packet chocolate pudding mix, instant
4 ounces nuts, choppedPreparation
Cook pudding with 2 cups of milk, as instructed in the packet cover and keep aside for cooling.
In a large mixing bowl, empty the contents of the cake mix and combine it with the eggs. Beat it to make a soft and fluffy batter. Pour in the pudding and stir till it blends completely.
Grease a 9x13 sized baking pan and spread the cake batter into it. Drop in chocolate chips and nuts and bake in a preheated oven at 350° F, for not more than 30-35 minutes.Banana Pudding Yellow Cake Ingredients
¾ cup mashed banana
1 package banana flavored pudding, instant
4 eggs
1 cup water
1 packet yellow cake mix
1 dash vanilla extract
¼ cup vegetable oilFor Glazing:
16 ounces confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
4 ounces chopped walnuts
white icingPreparation
Take a large bowl, and mix pudding and cake mix together. Make a hole in the middle of the batter and put in eggs, water, mashed bananas and oil. Stir till all the ingredients are mixed well.
Transfer the batter into a 10 inch greased baking pan and bake it in a preheated oven for 50-55 minutes at 350° F.
Take it out of the oven and keep aside for cooling.
In a small bowl, take sugar and mix it with milk. Pour over the cake and top it with white icing. Decorate it with chopped nuts and your banana pudding yellow cake is ready.Baking a cake has surely become a simple task with the use of cake mix. Try these pudding cake mix recipes and come out with cakes as delicious as homemade cakes, made in the traditional way.

Gifts for Grandma

Purchasing gifts for grandparents can be difficult, at least most of us feel so. They are elderly and you need to put a real good thought about what you can buy for them. While deciding a gift for your grandma, you will need to consider her likes and preferences. You will be astonished to know that, as you go shopping, there are quite a number of options available in the market. Here are some ideas on some of the unique and useful gifts for your grandma. Album to Capture Memories An album can be a unique gift as your grandma can relive those past memories. Photographs of the past and present can certainly help her go down the memory lane, especially to cherish those treasured moments. Your Presence As your grandma is aging, she will give very less importance to materialistic things. She will really appreciate if her whole family is with her on festivals and, especially on her birthday. Spending time with family is what grandparents cherish the most. Old Habits Die Hard This is usually said about elderly people. Your grandma will continue do what she has been doing for many years. You may at times be amazed by how much she enjoys little things like having a cup of tea and biscuits. You can gift her things that she finds joy in; even if they seem to be little. Perfumes and Bouquets Gifting her a nice perfume with an excellent fragrance would be a marvelous idea. As some grandmothers like lovely fragrances, a bouquet of flowers could do wonders. Pretty Eyeglasses It is most likely that your grandma will have poor vision. You can gift her a pair of pretty eyeglasses. Light Purses You can present her with a beautiful purse which is light and easy to carry around. Personalize With Quotes You can give her a T-shirt with the quote "Grandma Rocks" or gift her a pillow cover with the quote "I Love grandma". Scarf or a Warm Shawl She would appreciate if you present her a silk scarf or a warm shawl. Gorgeous Handkerchief Let your grandmother know how much you love her by gifting her with a gorgeous laced- handkerchief. You can embroider it with the word "Grandma" on it. Occasional Outings If your grandma prefers to go on occasional outings, you can take her out on one. You can book a lovely resort for a couple days. If she prefers to be in a calm and serene environment, make sure that the resort has such an ambiance. Misplaced Heirlooms You can gift antiques and heirlooms that were misplaced or had been sold long ago. You will have to put in a lot of effort to locate it, no doubt. However, the joy it can bring to your grandma will make it all worthwhile. A Keepsake Box She can do with a keepsake box that will help her keep small things that are very dear to her. You can also gift her coffee mugs. History Map Gift Box This box contains a historic map. A magnificent historic map, will give your grandma the fascinating opportunity to see how her country was, a century ago. She will also be able to discover the various changes that have undergone since then. Family History Gift Box This gift box will enable your grandma to discover the history behind her surname and look into the origin of her family tree. This information can be provided by researchers who have explored more than 80, 000 different names. There is also a blank family tree enclosed wherein your grandma can add names as she discovers and try to complete the family tree. There will be a very special bond between you and your grandma. A bond of storytelling sessions, experience sharing etc. As a grandchild you have the privilege of experiencing a very informal relationship with her. These are of course a few of the gifts that you may choose to give as there are many more products that can enhance your special bond with her.

Back to School Home Organization Tips

As your kids go back to school, crazy schedules challenge your ability to keep up and mountains of school paperwork begin to take over your home. There are some simple home organization tips and strategies to help you keep track of it all and keep your home in order. 1. Make a master schedule. It is a lot easier to keep track of everyone if there is just one place in your home where everyone’s schedule lives. My personal preference on this one is having a whiteboard calendar where I can easily put in appointments and erase them as necessary. If everyone in your family has a different color on the calendar that can help keep straight who is where. This is one of my favorite home organization tips because it helps immediately streamline scheduling for the whole family. 2. Create some organizational routines into everyone’s day. Taking time every day to get organized is a great habit to instill into your kids. Take some time to help them organize their schoolwork projects. Help them figure out how they need to plan out their day and their week so they can get everything done that they need to do. Who knows, with this home organization tip, maybe you will even pick up some things that will help keep you organized every day. 3. Make sure that schoolwork that comes into your home has a place to go. Because if it does not, chances are that it will end up in all sorts of odd and unusual places in your home. If you want to keep clutter at bay, this is one of those vital home organization tips. You need to make sure that your kids know where their schoolwork belongs and what the consequences are if it is found elsewhere in your home. Making sure that schoolwork has a place in your home will save you headaches and wasted time looking for schoolwork at the last minute in the morning. 4. Have a "needs action" board or place in your home. If your kids need permission slips signed, a doctor’s note, a picture for a class project, money for lunch, etc, having a board or place where all of these kinds of things live is a great time saver. Make it a house rule that everyone checks the board daily. That way you can make sure that you kids get what they need from you and you do not have to try to track them down to get them what they need. Home organization tips like these can not only be great time savers but also help eliminate last minute headaches for you and your kids.

Sleepwalking Causes

Sleepwalking is a type of parasomnia. A parasomnia occurs when a person is asleep and often, it results in a disruptive event that is known as an arousal disorder. The scientific name for sleepwalking is 'somnambulism'. A person suffering from sleepwalking disorder, gets out of his or her bed and engages in perfectly normal activities that are basically supposed to be done when one is fully awake. Sleepwalkers indulge in activities like cooking, eating, making phone calls, wandering in the streets, moving objects within the house, bathing, etc. What is Sleepwalking Sleepwalking is associated with sleep-related problems. It must be noted that sleepwalking occurs in deep sleep. The behavior of the sleepwalker is unintentional and he/she does not happen to know exactly what is happening in his surroundings. So much so that once the sleepwalker wakes up, he does not recall his stroll at all. No exact cause behind sleepwalking has been determined. However, the usual causes are largely said to be medical, environmental, hereditary and also psychiatric. Most of the times, the tendency of sleepwalking is hereditary, and occurs mostly in boys, in the childhood and teenage years. Sometimes, it also occurs in grownups and people suffering from some environmental or medical problems. Some of the prominent causes of sleepwalking are as follows: Sleepwalking Causes - Genetic As mentioned above, causes of sleepwalking may be genetic. The genetic cause of sleepwalking is profoundly observed in twins. Researches also state that the frequency of sleepwalking increases, if a first-grade relative suffers from the disorder. Sleepwalking Causes - Environmental The environmental causes are the ones where the body reacts to an abnormal lifestyle by sleepwalking. The first and the most common reason for sleepwalking is deprivation of sleep. More often, sleepwalking is linked to other sleep-related problems, like chaotic sleep schedule, restless sleep, and congested or stuffy surroundings while sleeping. Stress is also one of of the most important causes of sleepwalking. Often, if the sleepwalker is under stress from anything, like for example, an exam, then the person will get up and start studying. Intoxication also increases the phenomenon of sleepwalking. If the person is an alcoholic and also, has a family history of sleepwalking, then he is sure to walk in his sleep. An alcoholic suffers from sleepwalking after consuming excessive quantities of alcohol, even though he may not have any family history of this disorder. Sedatives and any kind of drugs that help in relaxation, if consumed very regularly over a long period of time, are sometimes also the reason behind the frequent sleep strolls. Similarly, the consumption of neuroleptics (medicines which are used to treat psychosis), stimulants and antihistamines (drugs that are used to cure allergic reactions), can also cause sleepwalking. Sleepwalking Causes - Medical There are also some medical causes that result in walking during sleep. Arrhythmia patients tend to sleepwalk, when they experience an abnormal pulse. This is not exactly normal sleepwalking; however, it is a very natural reaction of the human body against an internal abnormality. Sleepwalkers often wake up during the stroll. Similarly, fever is also one of the causes of sleepwalking. Nighttime asthma and seizures can also cause a person to sleepwalk. Another reason could be obstructive sleep apnea (respiratory problem). It is a situation, where breathing abruptly stops, temporarily. Psychiatric disorders, like multiple personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic attacks etc., are also some common sleepwalking causes. Most causes of sleepwalking disorder, whether genetic or medical, are totally natural and there is no need to panic, though you can opt for therapies. If you are suffering from sleepwalking caused by environmental reasons, then it is better that you see a doctor as soon as possible because if your nighttime strolls continue, it might affect your health in the long run.

Battery Recycling - A Way To Curb Pollution

Lead has become a necessary part of our life as it has numerous features as compared to other metals. Lead is one of the most commonly used metals, being used in manufacturing of lead based products or as ingredients of the many actual products. Today the annual production of lead is about eight million tones. Peru, USA, China, Australia, Sweden, Morocco are one of the leading countries who are involved into maximum lead production. We can find lead in every aspects of life whether it is inside the home or outside. Most of the famous civilizations have the history of using lead in their lives as ornaments or other structural things. Due to lead’s important uses it can’t be avoided or ignored. Lead has a unique properties and characteristic to be used in various manufacturing or manufacturing processes. The most common use of lead today is to manufacture automotive, industrial and domestic batteries. It’s been a very important factor in today’s lead-acid battery manufacturing. These batteries give power in various situation and condition. Three basic uses of lead-acid battery are to give start to our vehicles, power to electrically operated vehicles and when power fails it powers our offices, hospitals, homes and many of the places in emergency. Many of us are still not aware of the fact about the dangers of lead in our lives. We have been exposing ourselves to lead for many a century as it is easy to extract and a widespread metal. Now time has come to have a think on its disadvantages. Lead has both merits and demerits. Demerits are associated with our health aspects. Consumption of lead in any form and exposure to it causes many health problems. It can cause serious health problems to both animals and us. It is considered as a poisonous metal if taken can affect our nervous system, kidneys, reproduction, bones and cause brain disorder as well. It causes harmful environmental pollution. Both soil and water are being spoiled by the uses of lead in paints, solder, fuel etc. Government has taken a correct step to curb out the toxic effects of lead at a large scale. Few years ago, when the dangers of lead in our lives was observed clearly by the scientists and environmentalists, the government took a strict action to reduce the effect of lead on our health up to the some extent. We had been using lead in petrol also for many years to make the engine smoother before the action was taken by the government. Many industrialists came forward to recycle the lead wastes especially lead battery recycling was at high priority. By recycling the lead battery waste and scrap, they thought, environment can be saved for the future generation. Those who run authorized battery recycling plants, pay off for the spent or used batteries they get from any source. Recycling of the lead based used or spent products especially lead-acid batteries can be a factor to reduce pollution to the some extent. Battery recycling aims to lessen the contamination of both the water and soil from the lead based products. Recycling of lead-acid batteries helps reducing the mining and extraction of new lead. The more it will be mined or manufactured the more it will be present on our earth. So it is very important that to use the already existing lead (lead scrap or lead wastes). In India there are many recycling plants providing an unequaled battery recycling service. They have their own lead scrap melting furnaces where they recycle the lead based batteries. These lead battery recycling plants have their own state of art machines and equipments to recycle lead battery scrap or wastes into reusable lead and other substances. Battery Recycling can diminish the dangers of environmental pollution for our up coming generation and the survivals of present.

Life Cycle of Bean Plant

The bean plant or the common bean is one of the most ancient crops that was isolated from the wild for cultivation by the Native American civilizations of South America. A bean can be described as a large seed that belongs to the Fabaceae or legume family. The other members of this family are peas and pulses. The members of the genus Phaseolus are all included under the terminology of bean. Some of the prominent examples of beans are the soybean, lentils, kidney beans, common bean, etc. The bean family is probably the fastest growing family of the plant kingdom. Let's take a brief look at the life cycle of the bean plant. Germination of the Bean Plant The process of germination in a bean is rather quick. After the bean has been planted in the soil and is watered, it takes only a week for it to germinate. During this process, a sprout appears on the bean, indicating that the bean is growing into a plant. The shoot of the plant that emerges is known as the hypocotyl. The hypocotyl resembles a bent hairpin and shoots up in an upward direction. Growth Stage of a Bean Plant After the bean plant sprouts in about a week, it starts to grow into a plant. Once the hypocotyl reaches the surface of the earth, it is exposed to sunlight. Once exposed to sunlight, the process of phototropism starts. Due to this process, the bent hypocotyl, straightens out. To reach this stage, the bean seedling needs only six weeks. One can see the plant shoot up out of the soil in these six weeks. At the end of this time period, the plant enters the reproductive stage. Stage of Reproduction and Flowering The stage of reproduction is, often also, known as the stage of flowering. During this stage, the flowers start appearing and also fertilizing. After the stage of fertilization is over, the flower starts withering and vanishes after all its petals dry out. When the flower starts withering, the ovaries of the flower, begin to grow into bean pods. The Green Bean Stage At this stage, the bean pods are very delicate and green in color. If the pods are allowed to ripen, then they evolve into bulging pods that are full of seeds that are succulent. Many a times, these pods are harvested, when the development of the seeds inside the plant is completed. These seeds are an excellent form of protein and can be consumed raw in large quantities. Around the world, these seeds are used to make delicious, protein-rich delicacies. A New Bean Plant! For the purpose of letting the community thrive, some of the pods are not harvested. After they are fully matured, these pods dry up and burst, letting the seeds fall on the ground. These fallen beans in turn germinate and start the process that is known as a seed-to-seed process, which is the annual life cycle of a bean plant. The beans are a legume and require nitrogen for survival, which they procure from the process of nitrogen fixation, that is done by bacteria which are present in the soil. Nowadays, beans are commonly cultivated all over the world. Their production as compared to crops like wheat and rice is less, but they form an important part of the diet of many cultures throughout the world.

Stomach Palpitations

Stomach palpitations is a type of stomach problem that is linked to indigestion or unhealthy eating habits. This disorder causes stomach discomfort and pain. People experiencing stomach palpitations feel something similar to a pulse around their stomach area. For some people, stomach palpitations may be a mild nuisance, but for others, it can be a serious condition. The stomach is one of the most important organs of the body, as it digests the food we eat, and supplies nutrition to different parts of the body. Stomach problems also affect the normal functioning of the lungs and heart. When indigestion occurs, the stomach expands or swells with gas. In such cases, the person is likely to have stomach palpitations and may even experience shortness of breath. Causes of Stomach Palpitations Causes of stomach palpitations can range from poor digestive health to a serious medical condition. Unhealthy eating habits are considered to be the main cause of stomach palpitations. Exposure to undue stress (job related pressure) can also cause this stomach problem. Other causes of stomach palpitations are as follows:
Excessive consumption of beverages that contain high levels of caffeine
Alcohol abuse: Too much drinking, or consuming alcohol on an empty stomach
Irritation in the stomach due to gastrointestinal upsets
Constipation
Junk food: With the increasing popularity of fast food, stomach problems such as stomach palpitations have become common. The younger generation's penchant for junk food is putting them at a greater risk of various diseases related to the stomach. Spicy food should not be a part of your daily menu. Heavy meals or overeating must be strictly avoided as it can cause a stomach upset, which may lead to insomnia, and ultimately to stomach palpitations.
No fixed meal time: An irregular eating schedule causes a negative impact on the wall of the stomach, leading to a burning sensation and the occurrence of stomach ulcers. This gives rise to discomfort in the form of stomach palpitations.
Starvation: The stomach secretes juices to help digest food. However, for people who do not eat food, or starve, these juices may harm the stomach wall, giving rise to stomach palpitations.
Change of Emotions: Over excitement, moments of nervousness, sadness or happiness can give rise to the feeling of stomach palpitations. Some people are very nervous before conducting an important event. These fluttery, nervous feelings can often lead to this stomach problem, commonly known as "butterflies in the stomach".
Medications: Consuming unsuitable medicines, or taking medicines on an empty stomach is also known to cause this problem.Treatment for Stomach Palpitations If the stomach is not healthy, it not only causes stomach palpitations, but also leads to weakness and anemia. A slight change in the choices of food can restore stomach health. People suffering from stomach palpitations should keep an eye on their diet. Excessive smoking should be avoided, as it can cause stomach upsets. Diet should include foods rich in fiber to release the stomach from the burden of accumulated excreta. Vegetables such as broccoli, peas, carrots, and, fruits such as oranges, strawberries and bananas can easily move through the digestive tract, thus helping the digestive system to function properly. Stomach palpitations caused due to excitement is temporary and disappear quickly. Lifestyle modifications that include fixed eating hours, along with regular exercise can prevent stomach palpitations and help you to lead a better life.

Having a companion for your child!

What studies suggest Researchers have tried to tackle this question and according to studies it is best for you and for your baby to wait for 22-34 months after birth of the first child. Doctors found that babies conceived less than six months after the birth of a previous child are 40 per cent more likely to be born prematurely or underweight. Doctors suggest that a mother's body may need that much time to recover from the stress and replenish all the nutrients she lost as a result of the first pregnancy. How old is your other child If you have a child who needs continuous care and attention then it is not advisable to go for a second child. Pregnancy and post pregnancy, a woman undergoes lots of physical stress and pregnancy literally tires her out. Under such circumstances if you get pregnant gain your body will not be able to cope. Therefore it is always advisable to wait till you first child is say 3 or 4 yrs and is able to take care of himself. Studies suggest older your other children, the better. That way they've had plenty of time with you and they can understand and even talk about the effect another child might have. This will in a way result in good bonding between the siblings. Does your partner like the idea of having another baby Remember baby making is a joint effort. And therefore it is very important to know how your partner feels about having another baby. Sit down together and discuss your points of view. If he is not agreeable then it will not be a wise thing to toss the birth control pills in the trash as yet. By talking and discussing the issue you may not solve anything at that moment but you'll have a better understanding of the issues. What’s your financial situation This is also one of the most important consideration. Though you might argue that money isn’t everything but it is necessary to raise a family. If having another baby is going to create a lot of problems and your financial stability is likely to go for a toss then you might want to postpone your pregnancy until your financial situation is stable. It's important to consider your work situation, too. Many women find it more difficult to keep up with full- or even part-time work once the second child comes along. Can you afford to stay at home or to pay for the new baby's childcare if you want to stay in your job? You have to take all these points into consideration before you plan on a second child. How will another child change your lifestyle You think that you are finally settled down with life, job and kids. You even get time to spend with you husband and everything is perfect. Well now think are you ready to give up all of this. These are all important considerations when you're thinking of having another. Remember, a newborn will take over your life. You will have to forget about the job and your perfect lifestyle. Consider whether you have the time and energy an infant requires, and whether your children are ready to deal with the reality of a baby in the house. The age factor Age is also an important factor for women who are planning to have more than one child. The older a woman gets fertility level drops. Many women can still get pregnant in their early 40s but fertility rates do drop dramatically once you reach 35. Thus if you are under 30 and you don't have any health problems that could make conception difficult, you can be flexible with your timing. But if you are above 35 then you obviously need to hurry.

Advantages of Donating Blood

Blood donation, the voluntary act of allowing one's blood to be drawn out of body has many advantages besides giving that wonderful feeling of saving someone's life. Most of the time it is an act of charity, though sometimes many people donate blood for money and other incentives. The blood donated is stored in blood banks, to be subsequently used for transfusion. No doubt the first and foremost advantage of donating blood is the exalted feeling of saving someone's life. If we donate the little excess blood in our body, it could save someone's life without creating any problem for us. Instead it would help to alleviate some major health problems like heart diseases. Blood donation is an excellent way to get rid of excess iron accumulated in our body due to its overconsumption. Excess iron in the body can stimulate the formation of free radicals, which are responsible for causing damage to body cells and tissues. Free radicals are also associated with many diseases like heart diseases and cancer. Iron overloading is also thought to increase the risk of heart diseases. Besides, iron oxidizes cholesterol, which is harmful for the arteries. Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease characterized by excess accumulation of iron in the tissues due to improper metabolism. The disease can cause damage to many organs like pancreas, adrenal glands, etc. It may also cause diabetes, liver diseases and heart diseases. So, donating blood on a regular basis would help you to regulate the level of iron in your body. Studies have shown that donating blood regularly can be beneficial for the heart and circulatory system and can reduce the risk of heart diseases, especially among young people. Besides, blood donation also burns the extra calories and reduces your cholesterol level. After donating blood, the count of blood cells decreases in our body, which stimulates the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells in order to replenish the loss. So, it stimulates the production of new blood cells and refreshes the system. Before donating blood, your hemoglobin level will be tested. If it is low, then you will not be allowed to donate blood. Besides hemoglobin, your blood pressure level and body weight will also be checked. In addition, your blood will also be examined for detecting the presence of five diseases, namely, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Syphilis, HIV/AIDS and malaria. If you are not suffering from these diseases, only then you will be allowed to donate your blood. There are no major disadvantages of donating blood, except that sometimes one may experience a drop in blood pressure due to hypovolemia (a state of reduced blood volume), which may necessitate cancellation of donation. Sometimes, one may also experience mild nausea or dizziness for a short while. But if you compare the health benefits and mental satisfaction that comes from saving a life, you will feel that benefits of this act of charity is not only restricted to the recipient, but also helps the donor immensely.

How Intolerable Life Would Be Without Books and Bookshops

I love a beautiful book, but its market price is what interests me least. The monetary importance of a first as against a second edition leaves me cold.Yet I'd claim to be a raving bibliomane. In literature, politics, science and art, the most valuable things I have acquired in 50 years of being alive include my books. I've got a few paintings. There are, now I think about it, a scatter of warm-blooded human beings - relatives, that sort of thing, a friend or two - to whom I owe some kind of allegiance. But the books, racked, stacked, ordered, disordered - are at the heart of being me. What makes a valuable book? Let's assume to begin with that the book must be well written or, at the minimum, usefully informative. Let's take that as read. The next essential is that it must be legible. I've inherited a beautifully bound Edwardian set of Ruskin, in light blue leather and gold covers, which I never open and don't very much care for because the print is too small and dense. This rules out quite a lot of paperbacks, particularly as they age. Cheap paperbacks can still be little caskets of value in a different way if they represent the first time one came across, say, Turgenev or Hesse as a teenager. They become memory aides. I'd give up every school photo, every report card, every letter for the crumble-spined, faded paperbacks that set me on fire at school. The principles of sturdiness, legibility and a cracking read apply to earlier books too. I recently finished a three-part film project for the BBC about the history of Darwinism and at the party we had to celebrate, I was presented by the wonderful team with a John Murray three-volume edition of Darwin's Life and Letters, from 1888. I have no idea of how valuable they are and I don't want to know, because I want to be able to carry them with me on to the tube or into pubs and carry on reading. Does all of this sound too utilitarian? If so, I've failed because the sensual and aesthetic sense is an essential part of a valuable book. Ugly books abound - shiny paper, crass typography, poor illustrations. A great book has excellent words, important thoughts and perhaps beautiful pictures, but it must also feel right to the fingers, smell good and sit snug in the palm of your hand. It's a piece of technology and one of the finest mankind has come up with, but "fit for purpose" means helping the reader - and we are all sensual beings. Books exist to transmit ideas, as bread is for eating; but darkly lustrous ink and downy-white paper make life worth living as surely as poppy seed and butter. Modernity has brought great comforts and freedoms, but it brutishly smashes down, too. The internet (and this recession) is destroying fine old local papers. Higher booze prices and the smoking ban are destroying pubs. Similarly, we all know how hard the world of Amazon and Google has hit the small bookshop. Life without papers and pubs is an intolerable prospect. Would there be any point in leaving home at all if bookshops went too? I've spent more hours than I care to admit searching them out, inhaling their aroma and leaving with bundles of new friends under my arm. Let's hope this is a pleasure still available to children and grandchildren. Books don't need to be plugged in. One day, the best of today's will be antiquarian and treasured. And that's as it should be, for here is the original and ultimate democratic technology. Books have specific values and a very sophisticated market place. But a good book's worth a lot more than money.

Why Infertility Treatment is Booming in Ukraine

In Ukraine, where Elizabeth Adeney was helped to conceive her child, the infertility treatment business is booming. There are eight clinics in the capital Kiev and about a dozen others ­elsewhere in the country. Many have slick English language websites to attract foreign clients. One clinic in Odessa said it receives two or three requests a week for IVF from British women. "You can get help with infertility in every corner of our country," said Alexander Yuzko, president of the Ukrainian Association of Reproductive Medicine. While state clinics in Ukraine were limited by law to ­providing IVF to women aged between 18 and 49 (using their own eggs), there were no restrictions on private clinics. Igor Livshits, head of the ­reproductive medicine at the Genesis clinic in Simferopol, said up to 10% of his patients were foreigners, and patient numbers were growing by 20% per year. He said the clinic could organize treatment with donated eggs. "The donors are young, healthy women of fertile age who are thoroughly tested," he said. He added: "If tests show that a 66-year-old woman has no health problems and can carry to term, why not do IVF?

Female Truckers in South Africa Brave the Night Shift

Eunice Sikhunyaneclocks on at 5.30pm for one of the loneliest jobs in the world. The single mother climbs into her cabin, turns on the ignition and spends the next nine hours driving a 16-wheel, 28-tonne truck through the African night. Eunice is part of a growing occupational group in South Africa: the female trucker. Women are in demand for a job once synonymous with masculinity because of the devastating toll of HIV/Aids on male truck drivers. About one in four truckers are estimated to be HIV positive. It is a transient lifestyle notorious for long stopovers far from home and easy access to prostitutes. About 3,000 truck drivers are lost annually to Aids as well as accidents, armed hijackings, alcoholism and other causes. The industry says it needs 15,000 new recruits each year. Women are often seen as more likely to take care of themselves and their vehicles. Eunice, 36, used to drive tractors and fire tenders but joined the Rennies haulage company three years ago because it paid better: 4,700 rand (£350) a month. She has seen the culture of promiscuity among male drivers. "Most of the guys sleep with prostitutes and don't know if she's sick or not sick," she said. "Maybe he will buy a lady and the next day he'll go with his wife. Someone asked me: 'So, will you buy a man?' I said: 'No, I have a boyfriend'." Truck driving can be dangerous for men and potentially more so for women on deserted, poorly lit roads. But Eunice prefers to work night shifts so she can care for her young son and two daughters during the day. "I've seen lots of hijacks and accidents but it hasn't happened to me," she said. "I once saw a driver who had been shot. I once saw a crash and it was terrible. On another day, it could have been me. "There was a lady I used to see very often. One day I heard she had a breakdown and called for help. Before they could get to her, some guys came and raped her. "Most of the guys know my truck is 'the lady's truck'. Maybe they'll try to rape me, but I'm keeping my truck … I'm not afraid, I know God is with me, guiding my truck. I don't think anyone can touch me." Her employer is among many haulage companies hoping to take on more women. Preggie Odiari, senior transport controller at Rennies, said: "We're looking forward to more. Women are reliable and work equally hard. We want to treat them equally and fairly." Long-distance truck drivers were widely seen as unwitting agents in accelerating the spread of HIV/Aids. After becoming established in the Great Lakes region in the 70s, the virus rapidly moved outwards on transport and trade routes, with truckers and prostitutes among the biggest victims. An industry initiative called Trucking Wellness is aimed at South Africa's 70,000 truck drivers. It runs 15 wellness centers on major routes, including two border crossings, and four mobile clinics offering advice, condoms and free anti-retroviral treatments. Trucking Wellness estimates that between 19% and 28% of male truck drivers are HIV positive. The problem is the subject of research by academics Clara Rubincam and Scott Naysmith for KwaZulu-Natal University. One employer told the study: "There are a lot of drivers dying from Aids. One driver is at home. He is paper thin." Some employers resist hiring women, claiming pregnancy would interfere with the job. But companies that did employ women gave positive responses, saying they were less likely to engage in risky behavior. "Ladies don't pick up ladies and ladies don't pick up men." Concerns about safety remain. Rubincam said: "A lot of women prefer to be out at night so they can look after their kids, but it's risky to be on the road in the middle of the night. Surprisingly, most of the women we spoke to admitted not having any weapons in the cab. They lock the doors and hope for the best." Happiness Sibisi, 27, became a truck driver after leaving school. She is one of two women drivers, alongside 58 men, employed by Unitrans in Durban. "They treat me like a kid because all of them are very old," she said. She had one terrifying experience when she was being followed. She called her depot and was told to return. "I went faster but they kept following me. "I do worry but a job is a job. My husband wonders whether I'll come back in the morning. When someone wants to steal a truck you give it to them, because a truck can be replaced and you can't."

Hindu Death Rituals

Hindus, who perform a myriad of rituals in their lifetime, believe that humans are reborn according to their karma and hence, perform many death rituals to ensure that the soul rests in peace. According to Hindu beliefs, when a person dies, his soul lingers around near the relatives, the body, and his materialistic possessions. They also believe that some rituals need to be performed, for the soul to break the bond with the body, and start a new life elsewhere. Often, we wonder why Hindus burn or cremate the body, instead of burying it. The answer lies in the belief, that by burning the body, the soul does not feel the physical association with the body anymore, which it could have, had the body been buried. The rituals that are performed after the death of a person, are, in a way, a message to the departed soul, indicating that the people miss the departed person, remember his qualities, and are trying to get on with life. Therefore, a lot of religious rituals like prayers, bhajans (religious songs), havans (purifying rituals involving a fire ceremony), etc., are carried out so that the closure of life for the soul is confirmed. The Hindu death rituals which are followed all over are almost similar, and are drawn from the Vedas. All the family members, including the children, take part in the rituals which are performed with the help of a Hindu priest. An outline of some of these rituals is as follows: As Death Approaches For the Hindus, dying at home, among loved ones, is considered better than dying in a hospital. When death, due to any reason, is inevitable, Hindu people bring the dying person home, place him in his room with his head facing the east, and light a lamp near his head. Family members and all the loved ones chant hymns, until the soul of the person departs. At Death If the person is unconscious, several mantras (group of words which can create spiritual transformation) are chanted in his left ear. Sandal paste or holy ash is applied to the forehead and few drops of milk, or water of the river Ganges are dribbled into his mouth. The body after death, is kept with the head facing the south direction. The top of the head, and the area under the chin, are tied with a cloth. A Hindu priest is called for the death ceremony. Under a shelter that is built, a fire ritual is performed, which is also known as homa, to bless nine kumbhas (water pots). The chief mourner (the person who leads the fire rites) is the eldest son in case of father's death, and the youngest in case of mother's death. Preparing the Body The chief mourner is then made to perform some rituals, like arati (a ritual in which light from wicks soaked in purified butter or camphor, is offered to deities), and passes the oil lamp over the body, while offering flowers. The relatives then carry the body back to the porch and cover it with a white cloth. The body is bathed with the water from the nine kumbhas and placed in a coffin. Women walk around the body offering puffed rice into the mouth, which is to nourish the soul in the journey ahead. The homa, fire ritual, can now be performed at the crematorium. Cremation To perform the ritual of cremation, only men go to the crematorium. The clay kumbha and the pot containing the burning homa are carried to the site. The body is removed from the coffin and is carried around the pyre thrice in the counterclockwise direction. Now, men offer puffed rice, the way women did earlier. The chief mourner, with the clay pot on his shoulders, circles the pyre; while, a relative knocks holes in the pot at each round, to let the water pass. This signifies that the soul is leaving the body. After taking the three turns, the mourner lights the pyre without turning to face the body. Bone-gathering Ceremony The family returns to the cremation ground after 12 hours to collect the remains (ash and bones) of the body. First, water is sprinkled over the ash and then the ash is collected in a vessel. Later, the ash is offered in the holy river, Ganges. Post Cremation: Ritual Impurity After the cremation ceremony, everyone takes a bath and cleans the house. During these days of ritual impurity, family and close relatives do not visit each others' houses. They do not attend any marriages, they do not celebrate festivals, nor do they visit temples or priests for a year. Various Memorial Rituals On the 3rd, 5th, 7th or 9th day, people gather for a meal, in which the deceased's favorite food is cooked. The food is first offered to the photo of the deceased person. On the 31st day, a ceremony is held, in which cleaning of the house is required. A Hindu priest is called who performs the sapindikarana (a rite to mark the transition of the deceased and merging with the ancestors). Once the ritual is finished, the ritual impurity ends. The shraddha rite (carried out so that the deceased soul rests in peace) is performed at the end of the year. Hindu death rituals are many and confusing. The younger generation often do not carry out all traditional rituals, but if these steps are followed devotedly, the soul is surely to find peace and a new life after death.

What causes a Yawn

Yawning, a reflex or involuntary action, involving inhalation of large amounts of air followed by its exhalation, is often associated with fatigue, sleepiness, overwork, stress or simply boredom. What causes yawning or why do people yawn are questions that have given rise to a number of answers over a period of time. There are many different theories which explain the reasons behind yawning. It may also be possible that yawning is triggered not by a single, but by multiplicity of factors. Out of all possible factors that can stimulate yawning, two are considered by scientists as primary reasons. One important reason behind yawning is thought to be the increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide or low levels of oxygen in the blood or lungs, especially the alveoli of the lungs. So, yawning is a reflex action that helps the body to increase the intake of oxygen into the lungs and consequently the bloodstream by the alveoli. However, many researchers do not regard this as a satisfactory explanation, as according to them, oxygen intake is less while yawning than during normal respiration. A second opinion in this regard is that yawning controls the temperature of the brain and thereby helps in cooling the brain. It generally occurs when one is tired or has not had enough sleep, as both these conditions have been found to increase brain temperature. While some believe yawn to be a mechanism to cool the body, others think, it occurs to stabilize pressure on either side of the eardrums. Yawning is also regarded as an action quite similar to stretching, as it also flexes the muscles and joints of the body, besides increasing blood pressure and heart rate. Yawning is believed to be induced when the level of glucose supplied to the brain decreases, as in the state of hunger. It is also thought to be a mechanism of clearing the lymphatic system, mainly before and after sleep. Another assumption in this regard is that yawning is caused by some chemicals found in the brain, like, serotonin, dopamine, glutamine, glutamic acid and nitric oxide. These chemicals are also responsible for affecting emotions, mood, appetite and certain other states. Activation of these chemicals in the brain is found to increase the frequency of yawns, while some other chemicals such as opioid neurotransmitters, e.g., endorphins, can reduce yawning. A yawn is contagious, in the sense that it can easily spread to the person who is observing the other person yawning. Besides observing, even reading or thinking about it is also found to stimulate yawning in some individuals. Some are of the opinion that it may be caused by mirror neurons present in the frontal cortex of the brain, which imitates the action of others. These neurons get activated when exposed to a stimulus or action performed by another individual usually from the same species. As yawning keeps the brain cool and alert, it is also thought to be an evolutionary development, through which a group of animals can be kept alert and vigilant against possible danger. Many researchers also believe that yawning is an empathic behavior that happens naturally. Contagious yawning is also considered to be a herd instinct used to communicate tiredness and time to sleep, to other individuals in a group. Thus, yawning is not only associated with tiredness, sleepiness and some physiological conditions, but is also a form of non-verbal communication that can be interpreted to mean several different things. Apart from these, it has given rise to some really interesting beliefs or superstitions. To the ancient Greeks and Mayans, yawning was a sign which indicated that the soul of the person yawning was trying to run away from the body. Another common belief is that one should always cover the mouth while yawning, otherwise the soul may escape from the body. These beliefs may have originated to discourage public yawning, and also to maintain public health, as yawning might facilitate the spread of diseases.

Is Alcoholism Hereditary?

Alcoholism is an addiction, that develops when a person over indulges in consumption of alcohol. In 1991, the American Medical Association declared alcoholism as a disease which can be fatal, if not stopped at the proper time. Imbibing alcohol has existed in our society since ages and even today it is considered as a part of the social life. Although drinking moderately is not harmful, it becomes a problem when a person consumes alcohol excessively, affecting not only his health but also the people around him. When an individual overly indulges in alcohol, it leads to alcohol abuse, where a person does not stop drinking even though he or she has to face problems in personal, social and professional life. Alcohol abuse, if not given timely treatment can lead to alcohol dependence, where the person cannot stay away from alcohol, though the individual knows its consequences. A frequent question being, "Is Alcoholism Hereditary?", is area of concern for most of the people. The answer to this is a dicey one. Extensive researches have been conducted to understand whether there is really a connection between alcoholism and genetics. Research has found that children who are born to alcoholics are more prone towards alcoholism than the others. However, it is not necessary these children will definitely become alcohol addicts. Other than genetics, there are other factors also, like a person's nature, family background and perception towards life, that makes him addicted to alcohol. Scientists and researchers who think there is a connection between alcohol and genetics have conducted studies on families, adopted children and twins. They have found that even if children of alcoholic parents are raised by non-alcoholics, they can turn alcoholics. It was also seen that children born to non alcoholic parents, but adopted and raised by alcoholics, did not become alcohol addicts. This surely proves that genetics plays a significant role in a person becoming alcoholic. However, it was seen that many children of alcoholic parents did not become alcoholic themselves and also not all alcoholics come from families with a background of alcoholism. Some research studies suggest, that the environment in which the child grows determines whether he would become an addict. If one of the parent in the family is an alcoholic, there may be tension and conflict within the family. The parent himself may be facing some emotional and psychological problems that affect the children upbringing. This may lead to the development of mental and emotional problems that can make the child an alcoholic. Studies have also found a strong link between alcoholism and antisocial behavior. It is said, that people who are rebellious by nature tend to do things that are considered bad by the society. Such people are likely to become alcoholic addicts. There are also cases of people who get addicted to alcohol because they are unable to overcome problems in their lives. People who are born in families having a history of alcoholism should be aware of certain things that would help them in preventing themselves from turning alcoholics. They should avoid consuming alcohol at an early age, as it is likely that under-age drinking can make a person alcoholic. If they become social drinkers as adults, care should be taken so that they do not become excessive drinkers. Looking at the researches done by scientists, it cannot be said that only genetics are responsible for an individual to become an alcohol addict. Another important thing to remember is that even though genes play an important role in alcohol addiction, it depends on a person's inner ability and strength, which helps to determine whether the individual would turn alcoholic.

Facts about Dwarf Hamsters

Dwarf hamsters are scientifically not considered dwarfs. The epithet is mainly attributed due to its miniature-like resemblance to the wild hamster. Dwarf hamsters make great pets and are very sociable. Depending on the variety, a dwarf hamster displays the following traits: Campbell's Dwarf Hamster: This variety enjoys an average age span of 2.5 years, during which it reaches a length of nearly 10cm. Chinese Hamster: The Chinese hamster reaches a length of approximately 12cm during its lifespan of 3 years. Roborovski Hamster: This is a smaller hamster that measures only about 5cm during its entire lifespan of 3.5 years. Facts about Dwarf Hamsters The dwarf hamster is a rodent that enjoys a classification that spans across twenty-four species and seven genera. The tiny creature sports a name that is derived from the German 'hamstern', which means 'to stack'. This epithet is awarded to the rodent on account of its inherent ability to stack a lot of food within its expandable cheek pouches. The classification of the rodent dates back to 1839, but it was only in 1930 that the animal was successfully bred and domesticated. The process is credited to the name of noted zoologist Israeli Aharoni, in Syria. He highlighted the fact that dwarf hamster behavior varies according to the immediate natural environment, extent of interaction with humans and genetics. The dwarf hamster is crepuscular. The animal displays the tendency to burrow during daytime, to avoid predators. The dwarf hamster diet comprises berries, nuts and scraps of fresh fruits and vegetables. It is also known to consume small insects, like meal-worms and crickets. When domesticated too, dwarf hamsters display the preference to look for food after dusk. These tiny versions of the wild hamsters are stout-bodied and have tails that are much shorter than the length of the body. They have furry ears and short, stocky legs. Dwarf hamsters have thick fur that varies between hues of black, white, brown and yellow, depending on the species. Some of them have a dark stripe that runs down the length of the body, from head to tail. Dwarf hamsters have poor eyesight and are mostly nearsighted. They are colorblind, but display an acute sense of smell and hearing. It is these very inherent traits that the tiny creatures use to detect scraps of food, movement around and gender. Dwarf hamsters are highly sensitive to high-pitched noises. They have the ability to communicate ultrasonically. These rodents are very flexible and have fragile bones. When adopted as pets, the pet owner has to be very careful and alert and keep the animal away from rapid temperature change. The animals are hindgut fermenters and the eating of their own feces is actually a natural way of aiding digestion a second time. This practice also enables the dwarf hamster to make the most of food nutrients available. Dwarf hamsters are omnivorous. They eat almost anything edible with the help of their sharp incisors. These teeth never stop growing during their lifespan and are consistently put to use as the dwarf hamster regularly chews on food stored in its cheek pouches. In fact, when these storage chambers are full to capacity, the animal appears to have a swollen head. Hamsters are naturally endowed diggers. In the wild, they are known to spend much time constructing burrows, designing entrances and galleries and generating tunnels for temporary hibernation. They keep themselves busy with creating stockpiles of large amounts of food. Interestingly, they can survive for days without food. Today, dwarf hamsters are very popular in the pet trade. They are either bred in pairs or small groups.

Why Everyone Should Take Risks

Do you consider yourself to be a person who always plays it safe? If your answer is yes, I have another question for you: Are you experiencing the best life possible? Chances are, if you routinely choose not to take chances, you haven't achieved your dreams and are not living the lifestyle that you have always wanted. The Benefits of Taking Risks If you take a chance that could lead to something good, that good thing may happen. Starting a business, for example, can prove to be the source of financial freedom for you. Asking that person out for a date may lead to marriage (eventually). With every risk, there is a chance that good things will happen to you. Taking risks can make you a better person. If you can face the fears that would hold you back from achieving your goals, it can build your confidence. Learning to embrace possibility can make you a more positive and energetic person. Sometimes taking a chance, regardless of how crazy it seems, can make your life more enjoyable. Trying new things that you have always wanted to try, but were too afraid, can free your spirit. The Danger Factor Of course, there is a possibility that things won't go as planned. Your business could fail. The person you like could reject you. Yes, these things could happen. There would be no such thing as a risk if there were nothing to lose. The most difficult part about taking risks is knowing that something bad could happen. It is in fact this danger factor that keeps people from ever stepping out and making the moves that could lead them to success, happiness and freedom. The key is not to dwell on the negative possibilities, but the positive ones. Sometimes, there are ways that you can minimize the danger. Educating yourself about what you plan to do can help. Preparing yourself for the negative can ease the pain if things go wrong. There is a fine line between preparing for a negative outcome and expecting one. If you plan well, sometimes you can avoid the danger. For example, starting a business can have minimal risk if you create a solid plan and do your research. Learn the difference between good and bad risk. Calculate what you could lose and make sure that you can do without whatever it is you may lose. Is it truly worth it? Consider others in your life who are important to you. Will they be at risk as well? Taking risks can be wonderful, but not at someone else's expense. Just Try It Why should you take certain risks anyway? You will never know until you put yourself out there and try. Give yourself a fair chance. If you fail you fail, but if you succeed, you succeed. Author Peter McWilliams says, "To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the biggest mistake of all." Not taking the chance that could bring you what you want in life can haunt you in the form of regret. Every great success story includes some risk taking. If you want to reach your goals and dreams, you have to take risks.

Fear Grips Venezuela As Even the Poor Are Seized By Kidnap Gangs

A wave of kidnappings across Venezuela is spreading fear and anger among communities who say that criminal gangs are out of control. Hundreds of men, women and children have been swept off the streets in broad daylight and held for ransom, forcing their families to sell homes and other assets to buy their freedom. The national assembly debated a bill last week that would make sentences of up to 30 years mandatory for kidnapping, as part of a long-promised government crackdown. Official figures released last week recorded 166 abductions so far this year, more than one a day. Most of the kidnappings go unreported and the real figure is estimated to be up to four times higher. "It's horrific. We have had four students abducted from the campus," said Briceida Morales, a lecturer at Santa María University in Barinas, the worst hit state. "People are snatched from shopping malls. Women, children, pensioners, it doesn't matter if you're wealthy or not, they take anyone." In one incident, three men seized a three-year-old girl from her mother at a bus stop in a Barinas slum. The mother gave up the family's most valuable possession, a fridge, to pay the ransom. The plague afflicts much of Latin America, where criminal gangs have easy access to guns and little to fear from corrupt or ineffective police and courts. Honduras came under the spotlight last week after police uncovered the body of what is thought to be the brother of the Tottenham Hotspur footballer Wilson Palacios. Edwin Palacios, then aged 16, was abducted in October 2007. Despite a reported £125,000 ransom payment, he remained a captive and appears to have been murdered. Colombia is notorious for abductions by guerrillas and paramilitary groups. Political hostages such as Ingrid Betancourt have dominated media attention, but such high-profile victims are in a minority. Most are abducted for money. The virus infected neighbouring Venezuela about a decade ago when armed groups started seizing victims - especially farmers - in remote border areas. "Even if they don't kill you, you've got nothing left. Your home, your livelihood, everything you've built, gone," said César García, 58, a rancher held for four months until his family paid a ransom. The gangs realised that even poor families could drum up thousands of dollars by selling household possessions. "Insecurity has got worse and there is a sense of impunity," said Jhonny Campos, a police commissioner in Caracas. The topic inspired a former justice minister, Fermín Mármol León, to publish a thriller detailing four kidnappings. One family with showbusiness links ran a comedy night to raise a ransom. The relative was freed last month. Some of the gangs use unlicensed taxi operators at the arrivals terminal of Caracas airport. European diplomats and American journalists have been among those who have had guns pulled on them. So-called "express kidnappings" can end within days, or even hours, if the ransom can be drawn from cash points. A 2005 hit film, Secuestro Express, depicted a young couple's terrifying night in a gang's clutches in a seedy Caracas underworld. "Kidnappings are so common in Caracas I first thought they weren't movie material," said the writer and director, Jonathan Jakubowicz. "Every year Venezuela gets more violent. What has risen the most is kidnappings done by cops." Of 12 kidnap gangs identified by a special police unit, the CICPC, nine are linked to Colombian armed groups and three are home-grown, including one comprised of police officers. Local crime reporters say the proportion of home-grown groups is higher. They have nicknames such as "Los Invisibles" and "Los Rapiditos". The government hopes that freezing the assets of victims' families, as well as tougher sentences, will curb the epidemic. Amid a rash of new abductions police celebrated one victory: two brothers, aged 14 and 16, were freed in Caracas after detectives intercepted a gang member collecting a bag he thought contained a £96,000 ransom. On his way there the kidnapper, Carlos Guerrero, texted his mother: "Mum I'm on my way to work, send me a blessing."

As Charlie's Angels Star Lies Dying, She Begs for Camera to Keep Rolling

Farrah Fawcett, the 70s television star and sex symbol, wants to live her life on camera until the very end. That is why the actress has allowed her best friend, Alana Stewart, to film even the rawest moments of her battle with terminal cancer – including one when she writhed in agony, clutching a rosary, in a hospital bed. "She was projectile vomiting and she looks up at me and says, 'Why aren't you filming this? This is what cancer is'," a tearful Stewart recounts in the harrowing film, Farrah's Story, which aired in the early hours of yesterday morning. Now commentators in America are saying the heartrending documentary – effectively Fawcett's curtain call – could result in an Emmy for the actress, named as an executive producer. It is an industry honor that has eluded her so far. Fawcett, who soared to fame as the blond bombshell private eye in the original Charlie's Angels TV series, appears close to death in the final scenes of the film, so ill and sedated that she doesn't recognise her own son.Her longtime companion, film star Ryan O'Neal, is seen on camera sobbing and shaking as he says: "We had all ­better brace ourselves." Fawcett first began a simple video diary of her treatment in the early days after she was diagnosed with a rare anal cancer in September 2006.But it soon turned into an extraordinary, unsparing record of a painful two-and-a-half-year rollercoaster ride of hopes raised and dashed repeatedly throughout grueling treatments. Fawcett turned the project into a documentary after fellow cancer sufferers urged her to go public with her fight in an effort to highlight the need for early detection and more research. There are hopeful moments in the film and Fawcett shows incredible resilience, but even as she vows to fight on the tale becomes progressively bleaker. The 62-year-old is shown most recently in bed at home, barely conscious under a heap of bedclothes, after O'Neal said she had "pretty much" stopped receiving treatment. He said he would wake her up to watch the documentary. After many treatments had caused her agony but spared what her Los Angeles doctor Lawrence Piro called "the most famous hair in the world", Fawcett is seen late in the film with her hair falling out in clumps. She shaves most of it off, then shows her head to the camera, bald but for a remaining blond fringe. The actresses who played her fellow "Angels" in the 1976 series, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, are both shown rallying around their former co-star. "Hair or no hair, she is Farrah and I never heard her complain once," says Smith. Fawcett opens the film by saying to camera: "In September 2006 I heard three words I thought I would never hear – malignant, tumour and anal." She underwent intense chemotherapy and radiotherapy and was declared cancer-free in February of the following year. But in May 2007 there was grim news. "That's when I heard the fourth word I never thought I would hear – recurrence," Fawcett tells the camera. She films a roomful of nervous doctors telling her that a peanut-sized tumour in her rectum had spread cancer cells to her liver. "Suddenly there were nine tumours in my liver," she says. The LA doctors could not operate on the original tumour without a colostomy. So Fawcett is documented beginning multiple trips to Germany for delicate surgery and several alternative chemotherapies and laser treatment on the liver tumours. Stewart films the excruciating procedures as surgeons push long needles through her rib cartilage to inject chemicals directly into the liver tumours. Fawcett groans and cringes in pain. O'Neal stands quietly weeping nearby. "I'm scared. Farrah taught me how to live," O'Neal sobs. He has been her on-off boyfriend since they got together in 1982.In her Charlie's Angels days she was Farrah Fawcett-Majors – married to Lee Majors, who played a bionic man in the equally popular science fiction TV show Six Million Dollar Man. They separated in 1979 and there is no mention of him in the documentary. But O'Neal, whose biggest screen hit was the 1970 blockbuster Love Story, is now her constant companion. "I've loved her more these last years than ever... she doesn't want anyone to pity her or worry. She puts up a brave fight as if everything is fine, when it's not," said O'Neal. Fawcett also had to battle the gossip sheets after a hospital insider sold copies of her medical records to the National Enquirer tabloid. At the height of her fame, Fawcett posed for a cheesy but iconic swimsuit poster that became synonymous with American glamour and sold 12m copies worldwide. Less well known is that after Charlie's Angels she had a respectable movie career and won acclaim for stage acting off Broadway in New York. The irony of a famous sex symbol suffering from what many regard as an unmentionable type of cancer may be bitter, but Fawcett breaks barriers by being the anal cancer sufferer prepared to bare herself on camera. She is seen flying back and forth to Germany, at times joking, at others wrapped pathetically in a blanket and injecting herself with painkillers, or being pushed in a wheelchair through the airport with a bowl on her lap to vomit into.Satirist PJ O'Rourke suffered the same cancer, but has been successfully treated so far. He wrote wittily about it and called it "ass cancer". Fawcett does not reveal if she knows what caused her cancer. Most cases of anal cancer are sparked by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. Smoking can also be a factor. Fawcett is seen in the documentary cele­brating with whoops of joy and a Mexican holiday a year ago, after treatment breakthroughs prompted her German doctors to call her a walking miracle. But it was short-lived. She sobs on camera when a scan last summer showed a new tumour in her anus and fresh tumours in her liver. "I feel like a dog who has been to the vet too many times," Fawcett says weakly as last-ditch surgery in Germany and trial treatments in LA fail. Her 91-year-old father Jim flew in from Texas earlier this month, reportedly to bid her goodbye. Meanwhile, it had been kept from Fawcett that her son with Ryan O'Neal, Redmond, 24, was in jail on charges of possessing heroin. Just days ago, Dr Piro wrote to the judge in Redmond's case asking if he could be released to see his mother for what might be the last time.Redmond O'Neal is seen on camera in his prison jumpsuit, having his handcuffs taken off by an accompanying guard, but remaining shackled at the ankles as he bends close to his mother over the bed and says: "Mommy? It's Redmond. It's your son." When asked if she had recognised him, he says: "I hope so."Fawcett finishes the documentary with a commentary explaining its purpose, recorded before she became bedridden, and asking: "Why is there not more research into certain types of cancer? Why doesn't our health system embrace alternative treatments that have proved successful in other countries? I have got cancer, but I'm alive. What are you fighting for?"Celebrities and friends who attended a screening were in tears. "It's intense. Everyone should see this film," said actress Melanie Griffith as she dabbed her eyes.

Lasagna Gardening

Bored with the age-old methodology of gardening which requires digging and tilling the earth. Here is a radical approach to gardening which requires less energy, work and money. Use lasagna gardening, a type of organic gardening, that is time-saving and environment-friendly. What is Lasagna Gardening As the name may suggest, lasagna gardening has nothing to do with growing lasagna in the garden. The name actually comes from the way the garden beds are grown with the help of layers, in much the same way that we make layers of ingredients in a pan of lasagna. Lasagna gardening is often referred to as 'no-dig gardening'. The method of growing the layers is called as sheet composting. In this layering method, the layers quickly build up soil that is rich in nutrients, more than in any average garden. This differs from the normal average garden because the organic material 'cooks down' overtime. Lasagna gardening is environment-friendly, as it uses your yard and kitchen waste. You find it easy because there is no removing of sods and weeds, no digging and most importantly, you do not have to soil it. The first layer of the lasagna garden is of brown, corrugated cardboard or 3 to 4 layers of newspaper, put directly on the top of the grass or weed. Make sure to wet the layer before putting up the layer of newspaper. Watering the layer makes the area moist and attracts the earthworms that will loosen the soil. Materials Required for Lasagna Gardening You can put almost anything into the compost pile of your lasagna garden as everything breaks down providing rich soil and nutrients. Some of the materials required are:
Leaves
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Grass clippings
Coffee grounds
Tea leaves and tea bags
Manure
Peat moss
Compost
Seaweed
Shredded newspaper or junk mail
Pine needles
Straw
Hay
Bark chips
Coconut husks
Wood ashWeeds that have gone to seed, animal fats and feces should not be put into the compost layer. When and How to Make a Lasagna Garden Lasagna garden can be grown at any time of the year. Gardeners consider fall an appropriate time because of the availability of the organic materials they get from falling leaves and the general yard waste. Then you can let your garden break down and be ready by the spring time. The fall rains and winter snow keeps the garden moist assisting it to break down faster. One thing that the gardener must keep in mind is that the lasagna garden should be in such an area, where there is maximum sunlight and no shade at any time of the day. The layer above the newspaper or cardboard should consist of 2-3 inches of peat moss. Next layer should be a 4-8 inches thick layer of organic compound such as compost. After that add a layer of peat moss, and above it, an organic layer of grass clippings and so on. The process should be repeated until the beds are 18-24 inches high. The top of the bed should be sprinkled with wood ash. Planting and Maintaining a Lasagna Garden While planting, just dig down the bed. If you have used newspaper, gently shovel it. Or, if you have used cardboard, you will have to cut holes where you want to plant something. To maintain the garden, add mulch at the top in the form of bark chips, straw, grass clippings or leaves. Keep adding the mulch, as the time goes on. This maintains the composted garden sheet. Benefits of Lasagna Gardening
There are less weeds, as the newspaper or cardboard suppresses them below.
Water retention capacity is better than the average garden soil because of the compost.
Less requirement of fertilizers.
Soil is loose, fluffy and easy to work.
No tilling or digging.
Environment-friendly as sheet compost reduces the volume of trash, that is the gardener can put kitchen scraps in it.Most of the materials required for this kind of gardening are easily available at home and you save a lot of money, while putting up a fertile garden. Almost every vegetable and fruit can be grown in your lasagna garden. New gardens can be made fairly easily and it is time you tried it.

Uses of Chromium

Chromium is a chemical element (atomic number 24), which belongs to the category of transition metals. This hard, steel-gray colored bright metal is placed in group 6 of the periodic table and is represented by the chemical symbol Cr. It was discovered by Louis Nicholas Vauquelin, in the mineral crocoite, which consists of lead chromate. The name chromium is derived from the Greek word chroma, which means color, owing to the different colors produced by its compounds. Cromium is the 21st most abundant element found on the Earth's crust. However, it never occurs as a free metal and is extracted from the mines as chromite ore. Chromium occurs in many oxidative states like +1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, out of which +2, +3 and +6 are most common, while +1, +4 and +5 are the rare oxidation states. Uses of Chromium Chromium has found a wide range of applications, mainly due to its hardness and resistance to corrosion. It is also known for its remarkable magnetic property. It is mainly used in the manufacture of stainless steel, along with nickel, as it prevents corrosion and discoloration of steel. Today, chromium is a very important alloying material for steel. Acidic chromate or dichromate solutions are also used for surface coating. This is usually done with the help of electroplating technique, in which a thin layer of chromium is usually deposited on the surface of metals. However, for imparting wear resistance quality, a thick layer is required to be deposited. Another method of doing this is the chromate conversion coating process, through which chromates are used to deposit a protective layer on certain metals like aluminum (Al), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), silver, magnesium (Mg), etc. Salts of chromium are used for their toxic properties in preserving wood from decay and damage caused by fungi, insects, termites, etc. Chromium (III) salts are also used in leather tanning. The high melting point and resistance to heat makes chromite and chromium oxide an ideal refractory material. They have found applications in blast furnaces, cement kilns and metal casting. Besides, many compounds of chromium are also used as catalysts. Chromium (IV) oxide is used to produce magnetic tapes, which are used in audio tapes and cassettes. Chromium is also used as a pigment. Chrome yellow, made of lead chromate was widely used as a pigment in the past, but due to environmental issues, its use has significantly declined as it contains lead, which is a toxic material. Other pigments of chromium include chrome red, chrome oxide green and chrome green, which is a mixture of chrome yellow and Prussian blue. Chromium oxide is used for imparting greenish color to glass. Besides, emeralds also owe their green tint to the effect of chromium. Chromium oxide is also used in manufacturing synthetic rubies. Chromium (III) or trivalent chromium is required in the human body, but in very small amounts. It is mainly required for carrying out lipid and sugar metabolism. Nowadays, chromium is used in many dietary supplements claiming to have several health benefits. But, some compounds of chromium can be harmful to health and should be avoided. For example, hexavalent chromium or Chromium (VI) is known as a toxic and mutagenic (causing mutation) substance, while chromium (IV) is known for its carcinogenic or cancer causing properties. Chromate salts have also been found to induce allergic reactions in some individuals. Due to these health and environmental issues, restrictions have been imposed on the use of certain chromium compounds in many countries.

Facts About Diatomaceous Earth

Before dwelling into the facts about diatomaceous earth, it is necessary to understand what diatomaceous earth is all about. There are many single-celled algae found in plankton called "diatoms". Diatomaceous earth is a natural product that is made by powdering the shells of the diatoms. The diatomaceous earth is white crystalline powder that has a wide array of uses. A Few Facts About Diatomaceous Earth Diatoms or the unicellular algae-like plants are a part of earth’s ecology since prehistoric times. There are evidences, which say diatoms built chalky deposits known as diatomite around 30 million years ago. Today, diatomites are mined and powdered for multiple purposes. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a natural pesticide with inherent mineral content. Some of the minerals present in diatomaceous earth are magnesium, calcium, sodium, iron, silicon and traces of boron, manganese, copper, zirconium and titanium. Another interesting fact about DE is nitroglycerin acid is made more stable if it is absorbed in diatomite. You can safely transport the nitroglycerin if it is mixed with diatomite. Alfred Nobel discovered this in 1866 and in 1867, he got a patent for the mixture of diatomite and nitroglycerin that he named as dynamite. In the scientific field, diatomite is used to remove the DNA from a chromosome in the presence of agents such as, guanidinium hydrochloride, guanidinium thiocynate and sodium iodide. Diatomaceous earth is mostly used as an insecticide. The dust of diatomaceous earth has razor sharp edges that are lethal to the insects. The insects are killed because the sharp edges of Diatomaceous earth cut through them when it is sprayed on them. Diatomaceous earth is used to kill intestinal worms in cats and dogs. You can mix one teaspoon of DE with the cat or dog feed. In large dogs, give approximately 1 tbsp. The fact is diatomaceous earth grinds a worm to death. The silicon content in diatomaceous earth dissolves in the mouthparts of the worm and kills it. One of the facts about Diatomaceous earth is it used to control insects such as silverfish, ants, cockroaches and mites. You could also use it on fleas, beetles and snails. Another application of Diatomaceous earth is, it can be used in areas under stoves, inside the cabinets, sinks and garbage cans. It can be used to treat the pests and insects that hide between the frames of windows and doors and also in drains and cracks. Are you aware of the fact Diatomaceous earth is used as a polish? It is used to clean metal. Because of its non-toxic nature, it could be used to clean cooking vessels. Diatomaceous earth is one of the ingredients used in toothpaste. An interesting fact about diatomaceous earth is it is used to clean spills because of its absorbent nature. Its high porosity makes it an important absorbent in cleaning toxic chemicals. Diatomaceous earth is a natural pesticide and insecticide that could be used as a spill cleaner and an efficient filter. However, it is one of the most under-appreciated natural pesticides.

Understanding the Fixed Annuity Basics

A fixed annuity is an insurance contract with a future promise to pay income. It is based on the life of an individual, known as the annuitant. The annuitant is the same as the insured in a life insurance contract. A payment or series of payments accumulates in the annuity until such time that it is received as income. Fixed annuities that pay income after the initial payment is received with one year’s time are called single pay immediate annuities. An annuity that receives a series of payments and pays it in the future is a fixed deferred annuity. Fixed annuities have a guaranteed interest rate that is set by the insurer based on an underlying bond index. Because these annuities are backed by the guarantees of the insurer, their rate of return is lower than a comparable Variable Annuities. Variable Annuities are investment products that pass the return’s risk to the annuity owner. The potential for higher returns is offset by the risk of losing value. This is not the case with a fixed annuity since the insurer must provide the return. When money is deposited into an annuity and grows with interest this is called the accumulation phase. During this period, taxes are deferred on the interest building up inside the contract. When the annuity owner decides to take an income distribution, the contract is annuitized. This payout of income takes place immediately or over years based on one or more lives. You should not compare the returns received in an annuity with that of a mutual fund. A fixed annuity has certain fees and charges that are not found in investment products. These fees and charges encourage the owner to keep the money in the product for a period of time. Fixed Annuities are not subject to market or investment risk as mutual funds are. The only real risk would be insolvency of the insurer, which rarely occurs. To receive the tax advantage of an annuity, an owner should be prepared to leave the money until close to age 60. Distributions of income prior to age 59 and a half result in taxes and penalty fees. Insurance companies also use surrender charges as a way to discourage premature distributions. Other than, for special purposes surrender charges last for up to 20 years at rates up to 30 percent. This makes fixed annuities idea tools for long-term goals such as retirement. The high fees and potential penalties levied also distinguish annuities from investment products. Individuals receiving a large inheritance or lottery winning may use a special type of Fixed Annuity. These are known as structured settlement annuities and help to distribute income from large payments evenly over time. The rates on most fixed annuities tend to be higher than a standard bank CD. A true comparison of the two should also look at fee structures and expenses as well. Purchasing a Fixed Annuity may be an appropriate decision for most individuals. Meeting some future needs such as retirement while reducing the potential downturns in the market make them idea. You should consult with a licensed professional for more information about a fixed annuity.

Employee Rights

Anywhere in the world, employees or workers have some basic rights in common. Different countries have different rules and regulations in supporting these rights; however, some fundamental rights as mentioned above, are uniform the world over. The rights of employees at a workplace include fair compensation, privacy and freedom from discrimination. The employee should not be discriminated on the basis of nationality, race, religion, gender or age. The employee also has a right to privacy, which means that nobody else can have access to his possessions and also the telephonic conversations in the office. However, this does not apply to the usage of e-mail and other Internet applications. The employer can track the Internet usage history of his employees. The employer cannot check the employee's background or credit history without his permission. The information regarding laws and Federal regulations is useful to know various employee rights. Names of the different Federal laws are enlisted below.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
Fair Labor Standards Act
Family and Medical Leave ActLayoffs A situation in which the employer needs to temporarily suspend the service of an employee or may have to permanently terminate it, is known as a layoff. An employee who is laid off is entitled to some benefits such as health insurance and pension. According to the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), the firm employing more than 100 employees in his firm has to notify them at least sixty days in advance before the job cut. The final pay has to be issued by the employer, immediately or within 30 days after the employee is laid off. Wages until the final day of services, commissions, bonus if any, overtime and vacation pay may be included in the final pay. Employee Rights - Termination Termination of an employee can be lawful as well as unlawful. If the services of an employee are terminated by unfair means, he can carry out legal proceedings against the employer, provided that the legal proceedings are followed in the purview of laws of that particular country. In case of a termination that is legal, the employee may have access to certain benefits, that have been specified in the contract. Severance packages are offered by most of the employers. Generally a salary amounting to that of one week of the month, for every year is offered as a severance package to the employee. The topic of employee rights is subject to various factors including the laws and rules of a particular country, contracts and terms specified by the concerned employer and the constantly changing work environment across the world.

Greek Myths of Sagittarius

People who are born between 22nd November and December 21st belong to the zodiac sign Sagittarius. Sagittarius is the ninth sign of the zodiac sun sign chart. The zodiac symbol of Sagittarius is a centaur (the upper half is a man holding a bow with an arrow that points towards the sky and the lower half is a horse). A centaur signifies that a Sagittarian is hunting to discover the meaning of life. Sagittarians are adventurous people and truth-seekers, and aim their thoughts towards divine realms of the heaven. Read characteristics of Sagittarius. In Greek mythology, Sagittarius is known as the Centaur Chiron. The ancient Greeks believed a centaur is not only adventurous and brave, but also wise. Chiron, the centaur was a great friend of Hercules, the Greek hero. In Greek myths, Sagittarius is shown as the representative of the Greek god Zeus. Sometimes, Sagittarius is also associated with the Greek goddess Tyche and the Norse God Thor. Another Greek myth connects Sagittarius with Crotus, the son of Pan, the goat-god, and Eupheme, the nurse of the Muses. The Greeks considered the centaur Chiron as the King of Centuars. According to Greek myths, Sagittarius is a wild and uncivilized centaur that was wise. The kings of Greece would send their sons to Chiron for their education. Chiron was not only a teacher, but also a philosopher and a hermit. According to the Greeks, Sagittarius, the archer, is the son of Saturn. Chiron, the Sagittarius, was popular among the Greek gods and goddesses.

Minotaur in Greek Mythology

Minotaur, in Greek mythology, was a creature who was half-man and half-bull. He resided in Labyrinth, a structure of maze which was built by King Minos of Crete, with the sole aim to confine this monster. The name Minotaur is derived from Greek word Minotauros, wherein mino is used to portray King Minos, while tauros means a bull. Minotaur is also known as the 'Bull of Minos'. After ascending to the throne of Crete, Minos had to fight his brothers for his right over the throne. He prayed to Poseidon, the God of the Sea, to send him a white bull, which he would sacrifice in honor of Poseidon. The white bull was to be a gesture from the gods, approving his right over the throne of Crete. Poseidon sent him a beautiful white-bull, but mesmerized by its beauty, Minos decided to keep it and instead sacrificed a different bull, thus calling upon Poseidon's wrath. Poseidon made Minos' wife, Pasiphae fall madly in love with the white bull. She ordered the Athenian inventor Daedalus to make a wooden cow, which would be hollow from inside. Daedalus made a masterpiece and covered it with a hide of a cow. Pasiphae got inside the cow, after which it was set in the meadows. Assuming it to be a real cow, the bull was lured into copulation with her. Eventually, Pasiphae gave birth to Minotaur. When King Minos came to know about his wife's illicit affair, he imprisoned Daedalus for misusing his skills. The Minotaur had a body of a man, but the head and tail of a bull. He grew up to be a ferocious monster. Eventually, King Minos ordered Daedalus to construct a labyrinth to confine this monster. This labyrinth consisted of passages that were very confusing and hence it was difficult for any individual to find his way out of it. In the meanwhile, Androgeus, the son of King Minos was killed by Athenians. Minos waged a war over Athens to avenge the murder of his son and defeated them. Having lost the war, Athenians were forced to send seven youths and seven maidens as a feast for Minotaur, confined in the labyrinth, every year. As time went by, most of the young men and women of Athens were already sacrificed to Minotaur. At this point, Theseus, the son of the King of Athens Aegeus, came forward and volunteered to kill the monster. He was sent to the labyrinth along with a group of young men and women, who were to be offered as a feast to Minotaur. In Crete, Adriane, the daughter of King Minos, fell in love with Theseus. She gave him a ball of thread, which helped him to retrace his path back from the maze. In a valiant battle that followed, Theseus killed Minotaur with the sword of Aegeus and escaped from Crete. He eventually went on to become the King of Athens. The fierce contest between Minotaur and Theseus has been frequently depicted through various forms of Greek art. The ancient Greek mythology is full of characters such as Minotaur; Cerberus and Nemean Lion are few other characters to name.

Concentration Techniques

There are other times when your thoughts are scattered, and your mind races from one thing to another. It's for those times that you need to learn and practice concentration strategies. They involve (1) learning mental self regulation and (2) arranging factors that you can immediately control. Rest/Stretch Time Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that's about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But, that's just an average. Your concentration time-span might be less (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes). When you take a break, oxygenate (get more oxygen to your brain)! Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. When we sit for long periods, blood tends to pool in our lower body and legs (because of gravity). Our calves serve as pumps for our blood when we walk, getting blood flowing more evenly throughout the body. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you are more alert. 1. Jot down things that are on your mind before you study, then set this list to the side. Add to it anything that distracts you as you are studying. Take care of the list later. 2. Study at the same time each day. A regular schedule can help you frame this as "study time". 3. Set a timer for an hour, don't allow yourself to stop studying until it goes off. 4. Take breaks. A three minute break for every 30 minutes of study is a good guideline. Take a longer break after 90 minutes. 5. Set goals for your session that are realistic (number of problems to solve, pages to read, etc.) When you have met one of your study goals, reward yourself with a short break. Then, return to your study area. 6. Study in an area away from distractions such as a library, study lounge, or an empty classroom. 7. Make sure you have everything that you need before you begin. 8. Make sure your environment is conducive to studying, no TV, no telephone, no roommate, no boyfriend/girlfriend. 9. Make studying an active process; take notes and make review sheets. Intersperse different kinds of study into one session, e.g. reading, writing, taking notes, memorizing, etc. 10. Identify how what you are studying is relevant to your life. Draw connections between things you already know. 11. Insure that you are sleeping enough, eating well, and getting regular exercise. Your mind will be more alert, and you will be less likely to fall asleep or daydream. Change Topics Many students aid their concentration by changing the subject they are studying every one to two hours. You pay more attention to something that's different. And you can give yourself that variety by changing the subject you study regularly.

The Importance of Bread in Daily Life

Even if in the last year the price of bread has continuously increased, a lot of families did not want to renounce to have bread every day on their table. This food sector, in fact, is one of the fundamental sectors for our nutrition; bread is a food rich in carbohydrates, in balanced diet carbohydrates should provide about 50-55% of the whole calories. Bread, as all food taken one by one, is not a complete food; it is rich in fibers, particularly the integral one. So some people have decided to learn how to make bread at home, of course they do not use the usual bakery machines, but they satisfy themselves with smaller and less refined appliances. And sometimes results are not exactly how expected but leave a lot to be desired. In a modern bakery, there are a lot of machines used every day, according to every moment of the production there is a precise machine, as the mixer or divider, or doser and blender, but also the different types of ovens that can be used. And the same applies to pastry machines, so it is obviously not possible to improvise a bakery or a pastry. The pastry is an art that belongs specifically to the European culinary traditions and to the ones generated from it, such as American or Creole. High Middle Age represents an essential step towards the concept of bakery as it is intended today, thanks to the flourishing trade that brought several key ingredients to the courts of nobles. Among these can sugar, cinnamon, ginger, rice, sesame seeds, nutmeg and clove. From the half of 16 century a real taste revolution had started, from here Europeans brought a lot of completely new ingredient, including cocoa, destined to find a place of absolute importance in modern bakery, but also coffee, sugar and vanilla. It is from here that also the art of pastry had assisted to a real huge expansion, defining its autonomy from the gastronomy as globally intended. In Italy every region has its own bakery tradition. There are, in fact, a lot of types of bread typical of some specific Italy region, as for example the "michetta or "rosetta", a round shape bread, with a flat base and the typical star shape incision, it is empty in the inside due to the prolonged leavening of the dough. It is original from Lombardy. Or the "biova", originally from Piedmont, which is produced by a long-leavened dough, but with less water. The crumb is usually very soft. Or even the rye bread, the most widespread in South Tyrol, flavored with cumin seeds. Then also the "ciriola", of Roman tradition, has an elongated shape and a very soft crumb inside, while the "coppia", from Ferrara, has a particular shape with four points and is made of hard dough. It has almost no crumb. We also have to refer to the "carasau" or "paper music", the ancient Sardinian tradition, it appears as a thin disk of light color, crisp and crumbly, and it is obtained with semolina and very little leavening. Often now these regional breads can also be found in other regions, but if you do not find them but you want to taste them, you will surely find some in the numerous bread fairs.

Time Management for Families

Juggling everything in our busy lives now requires so much time management that often I have felt that I am running a military camp. The fact is, if you want to achieve even the basics when the kids are little; you almost have to run a military camp, to ensure you fit in the have to do things like feeding, hygiene, bill paying etc and the want to do things like a walk to the park, allowing time to look at the flowers etc do the shopping and all this before little people are over tired. With our big kids the "must dos" and "want to dos" change, however time management remains critical and often effects more people if you don’t keep to a time schedule and be close to punctual! Between all the trainings for sport, part time jobs, parties, music lessons, etc each child needs to realize that even though there is one of them and they want to have a busy life there are other kids in the family too, along with each parents needs and just in general what has to happen daily to run a family. Time management and team work run interlinked together and as soon as the kids understand the more they help you with the running of the home the more you can ensure they arrive where they want to be on time. Allow consequences of tasks not completed run their course naturally - which is hard but worth it in the long run. Going to school in a damp uniform that was not brought in off the clothes line the night before is generally enough to remember to bring in the washing the next night! There are many systems you can use - a personal diary, a calendar in the kitchen or near the phone. We have a set family roster of jobs that are flexible in its time line expectations. For example the kids have a weekend list that is expected to be completed by Sunday night and for the rest of the week if a task you are on presents itself and needs to be attended to then you do it that day i.e. The washing needs hanging out or the bin needs emptying. Many people do and you could too have set days for set jobs. This type of system just didn’t work for our family but I know it does work well for others. The calendar is where the family can see all that is going on and coming up. The kids keep their own school diaries and only update the family calendar with times changes for sports, job, or social items. They update on a Saturday and then I go through and arrange my week on a Sunday. My husband works a rotating roster system so often I have to arrange for other parents to help out with the different sports runs. At the start of each month I look at what is on the calendar and write up a monthly to do list and it will have on it anything and everything i.e. birthdays to shop for, family events to cook for, clothes to buy or repair, a ‘to phone list’ all of which I then weave into my weekly list on a Sunday and break it down into daily tasks. This way although it may sound a bit messy I can group tasks together and do them in one day i.e. gift buying, sewing repairs, cooking, work tasks etc, I have a daily list of tasks that I prioritize from 1-3 as the most pressing to do for business, home or family, I then have my home chores and extra little bits that need doing anytime soon, which is often completed in the evenings. If your time management is out of balance, maybe for the sanity of everyone you may need to back off on some commitments and learn to say no to some things. Have a look at what is overloading you and how you can better manage it. This may mean saying no to some things the kids do, just until you get a good family culture happening. Kids although they do object to jobs and accountability in the beginning; when they see how committed you are to the "family project" they settle down and actually like knowing exactly what is expected of them. Organization is a kind of security for us at work, at school, in voluntary roles so there is no reason why we shouldn’t have the same feeling from our family life being managed with purpose. Also we need to be aware that home is where the heart is, it is where everyone has the right to relax.

List of Famous Serial Killers

A Serial Killer is defined as a person who kills several people one after the other, seemingly in a random fashion. However, all of the killer’s victims share a common trait – usually they have activated some psychological trigger in the killer’s mind, or they have similar physical appearances. Many serial killers are found to have come from a dysfunctional family. Often they may suffer from complex emotions such as feeling inadequate or worthless. Some of them kill compulsively due to power or sexual urges. Most of these serial killers have a rich imaginary life where they are superior and powerful, women are attracted to them and they are successful people. Here is a list of famous Serial Killers: Men: Jack the Ripper: Responsible for the murders of prostitutes from the Whitechapel Area of London in 1888, Jack the Ripper’s identity is yet unknown. His victims were prostitutes and they were brutally murdered and some of their internal organs were surgically removed by the killer. Ed Gein: He was a famous serial killer and proved to be an inspiration for Thomas Harris for creating the famous character of Hannibal Lecter in "The Silence of the Lambs". Ed Gein would skin his victims, exhume corpses and then decorate his home with parts of their bodies and use the skin to make clothes and furniture items. He died on the 26th of July, 1984 in a mental institution. The Zodiac Killer: He was responsible for five known murders in North Carolina in the 1960s. His identity remains unknown till date. He would target men and women between the ages of 16 and 29 and would leave a taunting sign of a crosshair like symbol in subsequent letters to the Police Department. A few of his cryptic messages are still not de-coded. Charles Manson: This serial killer has re-defined evil. He was the leader of a hippie cult in San Francisco called as "The Family" formed around 1967. Members were mostly men and women who were rebelling against their parents and in deep emotional trouble. He used drugs and convinced them to go on killing rampages to rob the wealthy to provide for "The Family". They would then write messages soaked in the blood of the victims on the walls of the house. Ted Bundy: One of the most notorious serial killers in history, he was responsible for the rape and murder of several women between 1974 and 1978. An educated and charming young man, he either raped and then killed the women or killed and then raped them. His method of killing was either by strangulation or by bludgeoning the women. He was arrested on the 16th of August, 1975, but escaped within 17 hours of his capture. He was subsequently arrested on the 15th of February, 1978. On the 24th of January, 1989, Ted Bundy was sent to the electric chair. David Berkowitz: Known as the "Son of Sam", he was responsible for killing six women and wounding several others in shootings using a .44 caliber pistol in the 1970s in New York City. He was arrested by the Police on the 10th of August, 1977 outside his apartment in New York. Here is a list of Famous Female Serial Killers: Mary Ann Cotton: She was an English Serial Killer and had killed more than 20 people, including her own children, by using arsenic and then collected their insurance money. She was hanged on the 24th of March, 1873 at the Durham County Jail. Marybeth Tinning: Working as a nurse’s aide, she was notorious for having killed nine of her own children by strangulating them and taking them to the hospital almost dead. She went un-noticed by the hospital authorities for a very long time, since they thought that these deaths were a genetic problem in the family. When she brought her adopted son to the hospital in an unconscious state, and he was later declared to be dead, the doctors began to suspect foul play. She was convicted on the 17th of July, 1987 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Nannie Doss: Also known as the "Giggling Granny" she was responsible for the killing of 11 people between 1920 and 1954. Her victims included her two sisters, her mother, a grandson, a nephew and her four husbands. She was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1955 and died 10 years later of leukemia. Belle Gunness: Born in 1859, her whereabouts still unknown, she was responsible for the killings of more than 20 suitors and all of her children. Belle was also famous for burning down houses and collecting insurance money for the property and for her dead husbands. Later on, she progressed to placing an advertisement for a husband in a newspaper and luring prospective suitors to her home and killing them. She would bury the bodies in her farm and hog pen. Dorothea Puente: In 1988, this 60 year old woman was sentenced to serve two terms of life imprisonment for the murders of at least 9 people. She would run a boarding house for elderly disabled people, and rob them of their benefit money. She would also kill them and keep on taking the government benefits by forging their checks. Aileen Wuornos: An American Serial Killer, she was a prostitute and was put to death by lethal injection on the 9th of October, 1992. She was charged with killing seven men, who she claimed (attempted to) rape her while she was working as a prostitute.

10 Pros and Cons of Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is the death penalty given by the government of a country, to people who have committed hideous crimes like homicide, rape, etc. Capital punishment has been a way of punishing people since ages. Although there are some countries that have abolished death penalty from their law, there are still many which still practice the act of killing a person for crime. Capital punishment is prevalent in the US, Asian and Middle Eastern countries. Some of the ways of executing criminals are hanging, shooting, electrocution and giving lethal injections. People have different opinions on the issue of capital punishment given to a convict. While some think that death penalty is necessary for those who have committed a terrible crime, there are others who consider it as an immoral act that goes against the values of humanity. Pros of Capital Punishment
A person who has committed a crime like killing or raping another person should be given death penalty, which is as severe punishment as the act. It is said that when a criminal is given a capital punishment, it dissuades others in the society from committing such serious crimes. They would refrain from such crimes due to fear of losing their lives. This would definitely help in reducing crime rate in society.
If a criminal is jailed, he may again commit the same crime after being released from prison. Giving him capital punishment would make sure that the society is safe from being attacked by criminals. It seems to be an appropriate punishment for serial killers and for those who continue to commit crimes even after serving imprisonment.
Some believe that instead of announcing life imprisonment for the convicts, where they would have to live a futile life behind closed bars, it is better to kill them. It is said that imprisoning someone is more expensive than executing him. Rather than spending on a person who may again commit terrifying crime, it is better to put him to death.
Capital punishment is equated as revenge for pain and suffering that the criminal inflicted on the victim. Some people strongly believe that a person who has taken the life of another person does not have a right to live. Sentencing such a criminal can give relief to the family members of the victim that their loved one has obtained justice.
It is also important for the safety of fellow prison inmates and guards, as people who commit horrifying crimes like murder are believed to have a violent personality and may, in future, attack someone during imprisonment. These reasons emphasize the importance of capital punishment for the betterment of human society. However, there is another section of people who believe that it is an immoral and unethical act of violence.Cons of Capital Punishment
If we execute a person, what is the difference between us and the criminal who has committed the horrifying crime of killing another individual.
Capital punishment is not always just and appropriate. Usually, it has been seen that poor people have to succumb to death penalty as they cannot afford good lawyers to defend their stance. There are very rare cases of rich people being pronounced capital punishment. Also, an individual from minority communities are more likely to be given death penalty.
Every human being is entitled to receive a second chance in life. Putting a convict behind bars is always a logical option than killing him, as there is a chance that he may improve. People who have served life sentences are reported to have bettered their earlier ways of living and have made worthwhile contribution to the society.
There is also a chance that an individual is innocent and is wrongly charged for a crime he has never committed. There have been cases where individuals were released after being given death sentence, because they were proved innocent. There are also cases where a person's innocence was proved after he was put to death. Hence, it is best to avoid executing a person.
It is reported that there is no relation between capital punishment and crime rate i.e giving death penalty does not decrease crime rate in the society. Crimes are prevalent in countries where capital punishment exists and also where it has been abolished.The question whether capital punishment is a moral or an immoral act in a cultured society, does not have a definite answer. Whether to give capital punishment to a criminal or not, may depend on his previous criminal records and the seriousness of the crime he has committed. But, do we really have the right to take the life of our fellow human beings?

Transgender - Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS)

Transgender literally means 'involving partial or complete reversal of gender'. The term can be applied to any individual or a group having tendencies that diverge from the normal gender role. These are people who are unable to identify with the sex that they have been born with. Some of these people suffer from Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and hence, undergo a sex change operation or, technically speaking, Sex Reassignment Surgery. What is Sex Reassignment Surgery? The sex or gender of a person cannot be truly changed. That is the reason why this procedure is known as Sex Reassignment Surgery (SRS), and not 'sex change surgery'. The process of SRS involves changing the physical look of a person's anatomy and making it similar to the anatomy of the opposite sex. The procedure also includes changing the existing sexual characteristics to that of the opposite sex. SRS is also known as gender affirmation surgery, gender reassignment surgery, sex reconstruction surgery, genital reconstruction surgery and gender confirmation surgery. Besides these, the surgery has other scientific names too. People who undergo SRS are usually referred to as transsexuals. SRS is generally performed between the ages of 18 to 21. This is because the earlier transsexuals undergo the surgery, the more time they have to recover and adjust themselves according to the new gender identity and sexual orientation. There are two kinds of SRS; one that involves male to female (transwomen) surgery, where genital reconstruction involves surgical construction of the vagina; and the other that involves female to male (transmen) surgery, where genital reconstruction involves surgical construction of the penis. SRS: Male to Female Sex Reassignment Surgery from male to female involves operating and reconstructing the male genitals to a form that resembles as well as functions like the female genitalia. The vagina can be successfully constructed surgically from either a skin graft or an isolated loop of intestine. Prior to the surgery, transwomen undergo hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and facial hair removal; to procure and enhance feminine characteristics. Post surgery, female hormones help stimulate the growth of breasts and reshape the body. For transwomen undergoing the SRS, facial feminization surgery and breast augmentation become a medical necessity. SRS: Female to Male Sex Reassignment Surgery from female to male involves creating a functioning penis from the tissue available in the female genitals. Penis construction surgery isn't attempted for up to a year after a preliminary surgery, known as hysterectomy is done, in which the female genital organs are removed. Many transmen undergo bilateral mastectomy, the removal of breasts and shaping of masculine chest. Female to male surgery has achieved a lesser level of success due to the less amount of clitoral tissue available in the female genitals which is essential for the construction of a penis. Drawbacks of SRS One major drawback of Sex Reassignment Surgery is that male to female transsexuals cannot become pregnant. While research is still on, it will take time for scientists to come out with new techniques that would enable transwomen to become pregnant. Also, some transwomen are dissatisfied with this procedure as they retain some bodily features like large feet and hands, quality of voice, and prominence of the Adam's apple. Also, existing health conditions such as obesity and diabetes can increase the anesthesia risk and post-surgery complications. People suffering from HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C cannot easily find doctors who will willingly perform the surgery on them. This is due to the fact that post-surgery, doctors are forced to dispose the surgical equipment used in the surgery in order to curb the AIDS and hepatitis viruses from spreading. As the cost of surgery is also high, transgender patients from advanced countries like Germany, France and USA opt for SRS in Thailand, where the cost of this surgery is comparatively lower. While complications do exist, research and the progress in the field of medicine will help scientists come out with a way to solve all the problems that still hinder the success of Sex Reassignment Surgery. However, making transwomen conceive children will be the most demanding and challenging task for scientists and doctors to overcome.

Acne Bacteria: The Myth And The Facts

The first thing that we must understand is that acne breakouts occur due to an imbalance in our body’s function. An acne bacterium does not cause acne but is responsible for the inflammation in and around the acne. Medication applied to the acne kills the bacteria superficially thereby reducing the inflammation but does not assure you of acne free skin permanently. For that we need to tackle the problem from within. Acne is not just a skin problem Dermatologists refer to acne as an inflammatory disease of the skin. Superficial factors like an oily skin due to excessive production of keratin and sebum by the oil-producing sebaceous glands results in inflammation. This results in blocked pores which facilitate the growth of acne bacteria causing inflammation visible as blackheads on the skin’s surface or whiteheads which are below the surface of the skin. However, acne formation is due to a combination of various factors like overactive sebum glands, skin type, blocked pores and acne bacteria together with malfunctions inside our body which makes the skin susceptible to acne breakouts. That is why medical practitioners refer to it as a disease of the skin. Is acne a skin disease? Acne is the body’s way of telling us that all is not right with the internal functioning of our various organs. Always bear in mind that acne is the result or symptom of a malfunction of our system and is not a disease of the skin as most medical experts would like us to believe. However, if you go along with the doctors views then you will fail to look for the root cause of the problem which is causing the acne. You will not understand that your body is giving you signals via the acne to look for the inner imbalance. The inner natural balance needs to be restored so that your skin becomes acne free and your health returns to its normal state. You will not need to use the creams, ointments or antibiotics that the skin specialist prescribes. This naturally will make you wonder why doctors insist on treating acne and acne bacteria as a skin problem. It suits them to have a captive patient who will continue buying the antibiotics and lotions. The specialists will also earn brownie points from the manufacturers of the medications since their sales are increasing at your expense. The usefulness of the acne bacteria Yes acne bacteria, like all other types of bacteria are there for a purpose. These organisms or p acne bacteria as they are called are found on everybody’s skin. Their job is to attack other more virulent bacteria and to protect and maintain the natural balance of our skin. Even if you don’t suffer from acne you will find that the acne bacterium is present on your skin. It has a very important role as guardian of our skin and also in ensuring the skin’s elasticity. In the normal biological function these acne bacteria feed on the oil from the sebum glands and on perspiration. That is why they were created to protect the skin. An acne bacterium does not spread and since it is not infectious it does not cause an acne breakout. Which brings us to the question that if all of us have acne bacteria then why don’t all of us suffer from acne? The reason is that for a bout of acne to occur everything has to come together including low internal immunity to create conditions that will encourage acne to strike with all its attendant symptoms. Conditions that assist acne Certain pre-conditions are necessary for acne to develop. Whenever the natural balance of our system, like an imbalance in our hormonal profile for example, gets upset, the sebaceous glands produce excess oil. This oil combines with the toxins that the body has not been able to flush out because of the blocked skin pores. This condition helps the acne bacteria to increase at an alarming rate resulting in an acne breakout with all its side effects. To get rid of acne and its recurrence you must ensure that such a condition is not allowed to develop. The acne cannot be stopped by trying to destroy the bacteria with superficial medication. This will only put a temporary halt in the proliferation of acne bacteria unless you treat the root cause. Antibiotics like benzoyl peroxide, monocycline or tetracycline only destroys the acne bacteria but does not treat the condition that is causing the bacteria to increase. How to tackle acne We know what conditions cause the acne bacteria to flourish superficially on the skin. Now we need to find out what causes hormonal imbalance or the build up of toxins in our body. Only then can we get rid of the acne permanently. The combination of excessive oil production and toxin build up helps the bacteria to thrive and multiply on the skin. But within our body biological changes, nutritional deficiencies, psychological or hormonal imbalances are the culprits responsible for the acne eruptions on the skin. To ensure that your skin remains acne free permanently you need to restore the internal balance of your system. Simultaneously, the bacteria on the surface of the skin should be maintained at the normal level so that your complexion becomes radiant once again.

Home Remedies to Lighten Your Hair

Take a look around you and you are bound to witness the ever-changing hair trends! Beautiful blondes with shades of brown, ravishing brunettes with streaks of red… hair colors are available in a range of shades to pamper the needs of clients who want to discover their wild side! There are many professional hair care products that are used to add highlights or change the entire color of the hair. These hair products are growing in demand, as more and more people are fashion conscious and wish to attempt various looks. The beauty industry is booming like never before as women in particular want to make a style statement. Hair thus becomes one of the most important assets a woman loves to work upon to look attractive and desirable! However, there are many women who wish to avoid lightening or highlighting their hair with harsh chemicals. There are many permanent hair dyes and other such chemical treatments that promise to give you gorgeous light hair causing no damage to the natural tresses. But, not many products do live up to their expectations causing many other problems to the natural growth of the hair. Generally, such chemicals and dyes tend to open the hair shafts. This makes one’s hair more susceptible to damage. Well, women desiring to have lightly shaded hair or locks with beautiful highlights can heave a sigh of relief! The good news is that there are many home remedies to lighten hair. If you are prone to allergy or have extremely sensitive skin, you would need to perform an allergy test before you opt for these home remedies. All you need to do is place a few ingredients on the wrist for a few minutes. Then check for any specific irritation on that particular area. In case that portion of the skin shows no reaction, you can go ahead with the home remedies to lighten hair. Easy Tips to Lighten Hair the Natural Way: Lemon juice has always been the preferred choice for hair care. This juice is also used to lighten hair naturally. Lemon juice should always be diluted with water before using it on your hair. This is because, lemon juice makes hair very dry in texture or can even cause graying of hair if not used in the right proportion. Therefore, mix one tablespoon of lemon juice with a gallon of water. Rinse your hair thoroughly with this solution on a daily basis. Gradually, you shall see your hair turn into a lighter shade. Reduce the usage once you see the required effects taking shape. Flowers can also be used effectively to lighten hair. Chamomile flowers can be used for this particular process. You can prepare this very easily at home. Place the flowers in a cup of boiling water. Leave it for half an hour. Then strain the mixture. Once it cools down, rinse your hair with this solution. While rinsing, ensure you let the water fall back into the container so that you can use it for a repeated rinse. Do it for about 6 times and then let the solution remain in the hair for 15 minutes. After this, ensure you rinse your hair thoroughly with water. These home remedies would help you to lighten hair effectively with time. It’s always better to avoid harsh chemicals. You can be rest assured of healthy natural locks with these remedies.

Decomposition of Dead Bodies

When a living organism dies, the process of decomposition or degeneration of tissue helps to recycle finite chemical composition. This not only helps to generate additional physical space within the biomes of the world inhabited, but also helps in maintaining the balance of life in the ecosystem. The bodies of all living organisms begin to break down or decompose immediately after the condition referred to as death. The process is gradual and involves a phase cascade. Decomposition of Dead Bodies The bodies of all creatures that inhabit the planet, movable and immovable, decompose on expiration. The process involves distinct phases that are broadly categorized into:
Production of vapor.
Formation of liquid mass.The science of taphonomy studies the progression of decomposition of dead organisms as autolysis or fresh, putrefaction or bloating, decaying and diagenesis or drying up. The decomposition takes place under certain conditions such as:
Exposure to the elements and insect activity.
Medium for waterborne breakdown and marine bacteria.
Temperature of the surroundings.All living organisms, including plants decompose on biological death. In the case of animals, the process of decomposition begins from the moment of death. The main controlling factors, in the case of animals are autolysis or the tissue breakdown due to internal enzymes and putrefaction or bacterial breakdown. The released gases emit a putrid odor, attracting scavengers and insects such as flesh-flies and blow-flies. What Happens to Dead Bodies? In the case of human beings, once death occurs, the process of decomposition or tissue breakdown takes place in distinct stages. In the first stage, though there are no physical signs of the tissue breakdown, homeostasis ceases and triggers cellular changes. The condition of algor mortis sets wherein the body's temperature cools down considerably, more than that of the surrounding environment. The oxygen-less or anaerobic environment thus created provides the right conditions for bacteria to breakdown proteins, carbohydrates and lipids and create gases, acids and volatile organic compounds. In the second phase, the corpse's color changes and there is a distinct odor. The body bloats due to putrefaction and the abdomen turns green. The green color is due to the presence of bacteria in the cecum. The bacteria generates sulfhemoglobin. Gases enter the abdomen and force feces and liquids out. Once these gases enter the face and neck regions, they swell up or bloat. This causes misconfiguration of features. The red streaks observed during this phase are the result of blood hemolyzing. The skin becomes fragile and hair comes off easily. In the third phase of body decomposition, the body cavity bursts, gases escape and the color of the body darkens. It is in this phase that scavengers and insects are most attracted to the decaying body. The bones of the corpse become apparent and the phase lasts for a period that is largely determined by the outside temperature and degree of exposure to the elements. The mummification process thereafter is gradual. The body begins to dry and goes through a process called adipocere formation. There is a sudden loss of body odor and the skin and bones begin to shrink. The fourth phase witnesses the total breakdown of soft-tissue, prior to skeletonization. This is also the longest phase of the decomposition process. The deterioration of the remains is very slow and involves the loss of bone-stem strength. Bone diagenesis finally gives way to mineral composition.

Swine Flu Could Be Less Severe Than Feared, Us Health Secretary Says

The swine flu virus could turn out to be less severe than previously feared, the US government said today as one more new case of the outbreak was confirmed in the UK. Kathleen Sebelius, making her first speech as the US health secretary, said: "We are cautiously optimistic that what we are seeing right now is presenting itself as a much milder virus than the initial cases that presented themselves in Mexico." But the British government's chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, today warned it would be "premature" to assume the virus was a mild infection. His comments came as the World Health Organization said it had started to distribute 2.4m treatments of antiviral drugs to 72 countries "most in need". It declined to name the countries but confirmed that they included Mexico, which has been hardest hit by the outbreak with 590 laboratory-confirmed cases and 25 deaths, according to WHO figures. Donald predicted that a second, larger wave of infections could be expected during the usual flu season in the autumn and winter. Health officials today announced one more new confirmed case of swine flu in Britain, taking the national total to 28. The unnamed patient, from south-east England, had traveled to Mexico. Every household in the UK has been sent a leaflet advising how to prevent the spread of the virus in what is the biggest public health campaign since the 1980s. The leaflets suggest ways in which people can reduce their chances of catching swine flu and gives advice on what they should do if they develop symptoms. Donaldson said officials were closely monitoring the progress of swine flu in southern hemisphere countries such as Australia and New Zealand, which are currently experiencing their winter. Earlier, five year seven pupils at Alleyn's school in Dulwich, south-east London, tested positive for the virus. The school will close for a week on Health Protection Agency (HPA) advice. The new cases were people who had come into contact with a pupil who had recently returned from the US and was diagnosed with the virus at the weekend. All the new patients are recovering well at home. "Our advice is: please don't panic," Antony Faccinello, the senior deputy head at the school, said. "Parents should keep reading our website for advice, and stick to that advice. "We want them to come in to the school to collect their child's preventative dose of Tamiflu." Alleyn's shares facilities, including buses, with at least two other schools, James Allen's girls' school and Dulwich College. The HPA said about 1,200 people, including Alleyn's pupils and staff, would be offered the antiviral treatment. A course of Tamiflu involves a pill a day for 10 days, but younger children will be given smaller amounts. Donaldson said there was no need for the public to stock up on antiviral drugs. Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether people should buy Tamiflu over the internet, he said: "No, they should not. "We have a very large stockpile of antiviral drugs – the largest in the world." Commenting on accounts from some swine flu victims who had suggested the virus was no more severe than a cold, he said: "At the moment, we don't know enough about this virus to draw any conclusions about its severity. "There have been deaths in Mexico … it is premature to conclude that is a mild infection." In addition to the five Alleyn's cases, two further children – siblings who came into contact with a separate confirmed case in London – were confirmed as being infected. Yesterday their school, the Dolphin school in Battersea, south-west London, said it would be closed for a few days as a precautionary measure. Over the weekend independent schools were issued with advice about what to do in the case of a pandemic, mirroring that already supplied to state schools. They are advised to set up text message systems to inform parents of school closures, and web access for pupils to work from home if necessary. The advice, drawn up by lawyers for the Independent Schools Council, says: "Consider whether extra space will be required for effective quarantine of suspected victims." Melvyn Roffe, chairman of the Boarding Schools' Association, said the organisation had been in daily contact with government officials monitoring the potential for an outbreak among boarding pupils. "We are stocking up on cleaning equipment and making contingency plans," he said. Later this week the exams watchdog, Ofqual, and the Qualification and Curriculum Authority will meet exam boards and representatives from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly to discuss this year's exams. Next week's Sats tests are expected to go ahead as planned in primary schools. A-level and GCSE exams are scheduled from now into June. Another suspected case of H1N1 came to light in Scotland, the fifth in eight days. A traveller from Fife, thought to have contracted the virus in Las Vegas, is under voluntary quarantine. Health authorities issued an alert for passengers on board a FlyBe short haul flight from Birmingham to Glasgow on 30 April after a man from Ayrshire and Arran fell ill. The man tested positive for swine flu and is being treated at home. Meanwhile, a relative of the first Britons to catch the virus, Iain and Dawn Askham, from Polmont, near Edinburgh, has been flown home from a North Sea oil rig as a precaution. He is not showing any symptoms, and is not among the 19 other "possible" cases in Scotland. According to the WHO, 21 countries had officially reported 1,085 cases of H1N1 infection.

UN Report Accuses Israeli Military of Negligence in Gaza War

A UN inquiry accused the Israeli military today of "negligence or recklessness" in its conduct of the war in Gaza. The summary of the UN report, commissioned by the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, censured the Israeli government for causing death, injuries and damage to UN property in seven incidents involving action by the Israeli defense Force (IDF). It said: "The board concluded that IDF actions involved varying degrees of negligence or recklessness with regard to United Nations premises and to the safety of United Nations staff and other civilians within those premises, with consequent deaths, injuries, and extensive physical damage and loss of property." However, in a blow to human rights campaigners, Ban said there would be no further investigation despite the report calling for a full impartial inquiry. Although the full, 184-page findings of the UN board of inquiry will not be made public, the 27-page summary emphasized that UN premises are inviolable, and that inviolability cannot be set aside by the demands of military expediency. "UN personnel and all civilians within UN premises, as well as civilians in the immediate vicinity of those premises, are to be protected in accordance with the rules and principles of international humanitarian law," the summary says. Among the incidents for which the Israeli government is held responsible are: • The deaths of three young men killed by a single IDF missile strike at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Asma school in Gaza City on 5 January; • The firing of heavy IDF mortar rounds into the UNRWA Jabalia school on 6 January, injuring seven people sheltering in the school and killing up to 40 people in the immediate vicinity; • Aerial bombing of the UNRWA Bureij health centre on the same day causing the death of a patient and serious injuries to two others; • Artillery firing by the IDF into the UNRWA field office compound in Gaza city on 15 January that in turn caused high explosive shells to explode within the compound causing injuries and considerable damage to the buildings. The summary notes that it disrupted the UN's humanitarian operations in Gaza; • Artillery firing by the IDF into the UNRWA Beit Lahia school on 17 January, causing the deaths of two children • Aerial bombing by the IDF of the Unesco compound on 29 December causing damage to UN buildings and vehicles. In his accompanying letter to the summary, Ban noted that the Israeli government had significant reservations and objections to the document. He said he was reviewing the inquiry boards recommendations "with a view to determining what courses of action, if any, I should take". Those recommendations include demanding from the Israeli government that it retract earlier claims that Palestinians had been firing at the IDF from within UN premises, and that the UN should pursue Israel for reparations and reimbursement for all expenses incurred. Those reparations would cover the death or injury of UN personnel or third parties, and the repair of UN property. Israel had dismissed the report, given to an Israeli foreign ministry official, as "tendentious" and "patently biased". The UN investigation is the first into the war, and looked only at deaths, injuries and damage caused at UN sites in Gaza during the three-week conflict. The document was compiled by a board of inquiry – a team of four led by Ian Martin, a Briton who is a former head of Amnesty International and a former UN special envoy to East Timor and Nepal. Israel's foreign ministry attempted to pre-empt the report today, saying the Israeli military had already investigated its own conduct during the war and "proved beyond doubt" that it did not fire intentionally at UN buildings. It dismissed the UN inquiry. "The state of Israel rejects the criticism in the committee's summary report, and determines that in both spirit and language the report is tendentious, patently biased, and ignores the facts presented to the committee," the foreign ministry said in a statement. It said the inquiry had "preferred the claims of Hamas, a murderous terror organization, and by doing so has misled the world". International human rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused Israel's military and Palestinian militant groups of serious violations of international law and possible war crimes during the conflict. The UN board of inquiry report has limited scope: it is confined to investigating death or injuries or damage at UN buildings or during UN operations. The UN human rights council is also to dispatch a fact-finding mission to Gaza, but Israel has already suggested it will not co-operate, saying the council is biased.

Dog Portraits - Tips for Choosing the Best Artist

Dog portraits are an excellent way to preserve your dog's memory for a lifetime. A beautiful oil painting of your favorite four-legged friend is probably not as difficult or expensive to order as you might think. By choosing the right company for your portrait, you can have a lovely painting to display in your home. This article will give you three valuable tips to consider when choosing an artist for your pet portrait. At the end of this article we will provide a website link for a company that specializes in stunning handmade custom dog portraits. The first factor to consider when commissioning an artist to paint your dog portrait is experience. Many artists may say they do animal portraits but not all will paint them on a regular basis. Choose an artist that specializes in this type of painting. Ask the dog portrait artists how many years they have been painting and how many pet pictures they have completed. This will give you an idea of whether a particular artist has the experience to create the kind of painting you are looking for. Once you have two or three artists to choose from, ask to see examples of their dog portrait paintings. Most experienced artists have a gallery online or in their studio for potential clients to peruse. Determine whether the paintings are high quality first and foremost. Take some time examining the paintings to see if they offer the styles and poses that you would like to see in your own portrait. Choose a couple of your favorites to point out to the dog portrait company so they have an accurate idea of the type of painting you would like. It is also important to choose pet portrait artists that will give you some guidance in the photos you will be submitting for the painting. Taking pictures of your canine can be much harder than it sounds. Look to the artist or company for guidelines on where to stand to take the photo and the best backgrounds to use for dog portraits. Many artists recommend taking photos outdoors on a cloudy day for best results. Find out what your artist recommends and follow the guidelines as best you can. Choosing the right artist will make all the difference to the quality of your dog portrait. You want to use professionals who can guide you through the process so that you have the most special memory of your best friend. Portrait Kingdom is the number 1 online store for handmade dog portrait paintings. They employ world-class artists, who create your masterpiece from scratch (nothing but a blank canvas) using high quality paints and materials. All you need to do is upload your photo and place your order, and a professional artist will do the rest.

Hermit Crabs for Sale

For anybody from the adolescent to the most senior, land hermit crabs make gratifying pets given the fact that they are very easy to take care of. Unlike some other pets suchlike dogs, cats and fish, hermit crabs are regarded to be one of the most favorite, low upkeep fantastic pets sold nowadays. You could even discover the next door neighbor taking care of one. Perhaps one reason why some one select hermit crabs as pets is because they survive for a real prolonged time. Some hermit crab pets may live up to a couple of years at the very least and close to 30 years the most. Resolved to go for one of the hermit crab as a pet? You might consider about where these fantastic hermit crabs for sale may be purchased. A very unusual type of family pet, hermit crabs are viewed to be one on the list of exotic pets that any pet owner might have. Also having an simple set up for this type of pet, hermit crabs are hypoallergenic, very clean, quite, low maintenance and may be taken in and out of the habitat for some bonding time with the owner different then fish. Just as these critters have advanced popularity among individuals who are anticipating for a unique kind of pet, there is more to unravel and discover from the hermit crab conduct. For people dwelling close to the ocean or beach region, it is uncomplicated to have one to take care of at your home. Hermit crabs could be obtained wandering by the sea-coast. Given for instance that you live in the city or somewhere away from the ocean, hermit crabs for sale might be located in pet stores. If the dilemma is you likewise have to travel many miles before reaching a pet storehouse you may consider whether it is nevertheless best to get to a pet store to buy the crab or journey to the ocean and just pick one instead. The hermit crab is thought an exotic pet and because it’s not one of the more common family pets, not all pet shops provide hermit crab equipment. Nonetheless, there are specialty stores that carry a ample assortment of hermit crab accessories from the cage to the hermit crab gravel in their stocks. Among the most essential of all hermit crab supplies along with any pet need is nutrient. Although hermit crabs are natural scavengers and might eat almost anything, no not giving them nutrient that has chemical and preservatives that can hurt their real small-scale digestive system. Hot, spicy and preserved foods are not good for these types of pets. Apart from the established crab nutrient in the listing of hermit crab provisions in the pet store, you can dish up them worms, fresh shrimp, krill and various seafood. Fish can also along the upper diet options. Fruits like apples, banana, pears, grapes and the suchlike might likewise be part of the food diet. Gaining a hermit crab for a pet does not necessitate to be a complex undertaking. If you maintain ample food and a acceptable home, the land hermit crabs will have everything he calls for to survive and flourish.

Drakensberg - South Africa’s best kept secret

South Africa offers tourists coming to our country a huge choice of holiday destinations. But its Drakensberg Mountains that are still kept as an secret place that’s seems a bit off the normal beaten track and while some folks do make it to the Drakensberg most don’t. The best place to start your journey would be to download the free Drakensberg Tourist Map which will give you a great idea of where everything is. This is the only to scale tourist map that’s available for the region. It shows all the back roads, indicates which are recommended and which are not and indicates how far things are. But what I like about the map is that it’s freely distributed, includes all the activities that the region offers and a great selection of the best accommodation that the Drakensberg has to offer. The Drakensberg starts in the North with Clarens and the Golden Gate National Park and ends in the South at Bushmans Nek. Inbetween you will find the Royal Natal National Park with its Amphitheatre, Mweni the wildest part of the mountains, Cathedral Peak, Monks Cowl, Injasuti, Giants Castle National Park, Kamberg with the best bushman rock art site in the whole Drakensberg Mountains, Loteni, Sani Pass, Cobham, and Garden Castle. There is lots to do in the region but the main reason you come to the Drakensberg is because of the mountains. While every part of the Drakensberg is special and has its own uniqueness there are a few spots you don’t want to miss. The best place to get to the top of the escarpment is at Sentinel peak. The return hike is 5 hours and takes you the top of the Tugela Falls which falls some 948 meters into the Royal Natal National Park below. The view from on top of the Amphitheatre is probably one of the most spectacular views in the world. Most tourists tend to walk at the bottom and while its worth the visit is just not the same as the top. The Central Drakensberg and Northern Drakensberg form one region and by far the best example of this section of the Drakensberg Mountains is Giants Castle National Park. Essentially the experience in any part of this region is the same where you have the opportunity to hike the lower reaches of the Drakensberg Mountains or otherwise stay low in one of the valleys. What make Giants Castle more interesting is the large choice of trails and the lack of other people. I suppose it won’t stay that way forever but the experience of walking in the mountains and not seeing another sole can still be found here. From Giants Castle looking south the mountains become softer, less dramatic but make no mistake hiking trails in the gentler landscape is just as good and should be included in your trip. Kamberg is a really good spot where the added attraction of the best site of bushman rock art is available. Bushman Rock Art is most defiantly a reason to visit the Drakernsberg Mountains The excellent video presentation before the 3 hour guided tour at Kamberg gives a great explaination of the history of the people as well as the rock art at game pass shelter. The rock art at Giants Castle at the main caves is also good and is a very easy walk. The Didima Rock Art Centre at Cathedral Peak offers a great presentation although the paintings are reproductions. All rock art must be viewed with a guide. Horse riding through the foothills of the Drakensberg is an experience not to be missed. Sengani horse trails offers safe trails for beginners and experienced alike. Spionkop game reserve even offers game viewing on horse back. Steeped in history, the Battlefields Region offers enthralling tales of British, Boer, Zulu and Voortrekker history. The Anglo Boer War reached as far south as Mooi River and the many sites are best visited with a specialist guide. The region offers a fun and fascinating collection of art galleries, craft shops, cheese tasting, leather work, antiques, clothing, gifts and pottery. All the activities represent a unique collection of South African creativity. Take a slow journey to view outstanding galleries such as Millgate, Indigo Fields Gallery, and Zombeza. Community development projects like Eyethu Ceramics and Thandanani Craft uplift local communities allowing tourism a wider benefit. A trip up Sani Pass into Lesotho and a visit to the highest pub in Africa is a must. It’s a dramatic 4x4 trail climbing 1330m in 6,5km’s Passports required. Game viewing is available at Weenen, Spionkop, Umgeni Valley and Golden Gate. For Birders the Lammergeyer hide at Giants Castle the Crane Foundation at Kamberg and the bird of prey display at Falcon Ridge are highlights. Fort Durnford in Estcourt offers one of the most complete bird egg collections in South Africa. For adventure seekers the region offers white water rafting and quad bikes, the longest cable slide in South Africa, a gorge swing and a flying trapeze, bicycle tours and even hot air ballooning The Drakensberg Boys Choir is a world renowned choir which performs most Wednesdays at 3:30 pm. Bookings 036 / 468 1017. Don’t miss this enriching cultural experience. Another enriching cultural experience is Mpopomeni Zulu tourism experience where tourists have the opportunity to meet local people, hear a bit of the history of the settlement and taste some of the traditional food. What’s great is that the experience is about real people and does not feel touristy at all. Or just pamper yourself at one of the region’s many health spas. For a difference Indigo Fields offers a real Africa day spa experience.

The Treasure Island Kilwa Off Tanzania

Kilwa and all other centers were politically independent, but spiritually and commercially linked to centers of Arabia, notably Hadramawt in Yemen. On any given day, Kilwas fine harbor was packed with Arab dhows loading and unloading goods that circulated through the ecumenical trading sphere. Colonists, resident merchants, and visiting traders, and scholars from Arabia and India mingled on its streets with locals. In 9th century a Swahili owner sold the island to a Persian prince of Shiraz named Ali bin Al-Hassan who build Kilwa most likely upon the site of the ancient Greek colony of Rhapta. From 11th century onwards to early 15th century Ali bin AlHassan managed to create a powerful city Kilwa Kisiwani, what was to become a major trading center along the East African coast. He also built a great mosque, established close trading links with the African interior of southern Africa as far as Nyasaland and Zimbabwe. Kilwa Kisiwani was to became the main trading port of the Indian Ocean. Its wealth came from the exchange of gold and iron from Great Zimbabwe and other part of Southern Africa, ivory, and slaves from mainland Tanzania, textiles, jewelry, porcelain and spices from Asia. By the 13th Century Kilwa had become the most powerful city along the Coast, exercising political and trading domination as far as Pemba Island in the north and Sofala, the present day Beira in Mozambique, in south. An Arab chronicle lists over forty sovereigns who reigned at Kilwa in a period of five hundred years. Pedro Alvares Cabral, the Portuguese navigator, was the first European to visit it. His fleet, on its way to India, anchored in Kilwa in 1500. Kilwa was then a large and wealthy city, possessing, it is stated, three hundred mosques. It is the offshore location and the tidal currents that isolate the island from the mainland and protect it from a landslide attack. Thus Kilwa Kisiwani, that is old Kilwa which means "on the island" is graced with the two most magnificent medieval architectural monuments, one is the Great Mosque with its arched, vaulted and domed extension which was constructed in the early fourteenth century, and following collapse was rebuilt a hundred years later. The other is the palace complex known as Husuni Kubwa which with its courtyard annex and the adjacent Husuni Ndogo were built in the same period. Husuni Kubwa, as spacious as any roofed stone building south of the Sahara until modern times, appears to have been intended as a palace, combined an emporium and warehouses under the Sultans control, of al Hasan bin Sulaiman of the Mahdali dynasty. It was probably this very sultan who commissioned the building of the Husuni complex. Here a stone inscription commemorated his power and virtues together with the title Abu al-Mawahib, the "Father of Gifs". It was him whom the celebrated traveler Ibn Battuta visited having heard like other scholars and students of the splendor and hospitality of the court of Kilwa, known well beyond the Equator, to this southerly limit of the Muslim faith. This Sultans wealth, generosity and praises are further sung in the Kilwa Chronicle, written down two centuries later during revival which is remembered as the "New Rain". Ibn Battuta left Mogadishu by sailing south towards the land of the "Sawahil" (Coasts) and the city of Kilwa, which is one of the cities of the land of Zunuj, he observed. After an overnight stay in Mombasa, Battuta continued on to Kilwa by ship. Most of the inhabitants of Kilwa are black, and many had decorative scars on their faces, notes Battuta further. He was amazed with beauty of Kilwa, and writes further: "The city large and elegant, its buildings as typical along the coast, constructed of stones and coral rag. Tapestries and ornamental niches covered the walls and the floor were carpeted. Their robes are simple loincloth, their dinner millet porridge" There was plentiful rain in the region, writes Ibn Battuta. Kilwas glittering wealth thoroughly impressed also an European scribe who arrived in Kilwa harbor with Portuguese explorer Pedro Alvares Cabral in 1500. The man reported seeing fine houses made of coral stone, the most imposing of which was the Sultans 100-room palace. In this land, the scribe wrote, there are rich merchants and there is much gold and silver and amber and musk and pearls. Those of the land wear clothes of fine cotton and of silk and many fine things. Kilwa derived its prosperity from its monopoly of the flow of goods in and out of the Zambezi River region in the southern African interior. It was the major exchange point for gold, ivory, iron and coconuts from the Kingdom of the Mwene Mutabe, jewelry and textile from India, and porcelain from China. Kilwas ruler maintained a mint that produced coins in several foreign denominations, and exacted stiff tariffs from visiting Arab and Indian traders. Kilwas local culture illustrates close association between commerce and the spread of social and religious customs across the map of the Old World. Islam permeated daily life in Kilwa. Many of the cities African born businessmen claimed descent from aristocratic Arab and Persian families. The city multi-storied houses were architecturally of Middle Eastern design. Portuguese visitors in the 1500 s compared Kilwas mosque built between the 1110s and 1400s to Spains famous Cordoba Mosque. * There are three Kilwa.s: The oldest is Kilwa Kisiwani, which lies on a small island. This is where the ruins of the medieval city of Kilwa are located, and from where the legend of King Solomons mines originated. Kilwa Kisiwani is famous for its ruins, and the finest and most intact of Islamic architecture. A small fishing villages along the coast lies unchanged. Kilwa Masoko is now a regional headquarter. A market is held daily on the square at Kilwa Masoko. Men in white robes and women and black veil gather together to barter fresh produce and a variety of other products. Kilwa Kivinje was one the southern caravan route from Lake Nyasa. The water and clear but shallow waters at the harbor of Kilwa Masoko. Ibn Battuta had arrived by dhow at this very channel. This side is part of the East African mainland and the mangrove ringed island over there is Kilwa. It has an additional name of "Kisiwani", on-the-island, in order to distinguish it from its successors Kilwa Kivinje. Ibn Battuta visited Kilwa in 1331 and the Portuguese sailors about 170 years later. They described Kilwa as a flourishing and powerful city. The wind is blowing now constantly and moderately from south-south. The winds bring news. The fresh green island mangrove shores are gleaming in a distance. The sun is radiating from a friendly blue sky. A wonderful silent and fresh sea breeze that carries across the Ocean and back in time. There were pillars that fell, leaving a blue space and clouds were rising like leaves. The fortification reflects Kilwas more recent history, when the Portuguese had destroyed and sacked the proud city of Kilwa in 1505. At this vitally important harbor site, they constructed a fort with an observation tower and abandoned it in 1513. By the end of the 18th century, the Omani rulers established a trading post on the island of Kilwa. From 1843 Kilwa Kivinje, 20 km further north on the mainland proved to have a more adequate harbor location. Since that time this "gereza", the prison, has been reduced by wind and weather into mysterious, romantic ruins. In the inner courtyard, next to the Portuguese tower, a young baobab on the towers platform lifts its leafless branches above the crenellations. A few steps further, is the Great Mosque. Its building history reflects Kilwas economic success and decline over the centuries. The northern part, roofless today, stood there already in the 12th century when the gold trade with Zimbabwe started. It used to have a flat roof, supported by wooden pillars. In the 14th century the demand for gold in India and Europe rose, and, in accordance, Kilwas wealth. The mosque was enlarged considerably, and the city could afford a domed and vaulted roof which rested in thin, eight-sided stone pillars. Though elegant, they were not very stable and caused parts of the roof to collapse. In the Middle Ages they were replaced by pillars built of coral limestone blocks. Two buildings are especially striking here. They are considered to be the Sultans palaces. The southern palaces may have been the one which fell victim to the Portuguese assault in 1505. The east and west wings of the Palace had long, narrow rooms. Their width was limited by the measure of the standard mangrove poles by which the ceilings were covered. Also in the upper floor were living quarters. Several of the other buildings which gave new life to Kilwa from 1780 onwards seem to have been defensive in character. Thick baobabs, with their mighty silver-gray trunks, that take a lot of room between remains of the palace, underline the heaviness of the dark gray ruins. A few smaller mosques are scattered around the city area. Many of the town houses are now gone because they were constructed of less durable materials. Husuni Kubwa is the Great Palace which stands here, since about 1300, on a protruding, hardly conquerable rock ridge. It overlooks the passage between the island and the mainland: Hallways, galleries, bathing places, staircases and rooms. Reefs that are traveling with clear power in the sun. From the commanding position on this side, every intruder sailing in from and from the Ocean could be sighted. There was fear and pride of age before beauty. Just to the east across a deep gully, lies Husuni Ndogo or Small Palace. Both Palaces were abandoned already in the 14th century. Its 13th century stairs lead to the sandy sea shore. The area is now covered with mangroves, yet it is very well imaginable, how, in former times, dhows were steered onto the shore, and their goods were unloaded. The Seven Seas sang for them, sunlight entered their hands for the purple – blue water. For those to whom history is the presence of ruins, there is green nothing. Then breeze treshed the plams of the cool road. In the meantime, low tide has come. A walk along the wide, sandy beach strip on the way back to the harbor. Uncounted crabs flee toward the water into the shelter of the mangrove thicket, as soon as they sense steps. The sun has sunk rather low. A marvelous day, a day that has taken into present times and into the many ups and downs of centuries past. Ibn Battuta reported about the friendliness of Kilwas inhabitants. In this respect nothing much has changed here during the past seven centuries. The fisherman, hearing the cries from the ochre shores, and yearing for a sound that is missing. This does not pretend to be the whole story in respect to either the origin of Kilwa about twelve hundred years ago or the reign of its most renewed ruler alHasan bin Sulaiman (1315-1335). There seem to be whiter and more whiter beaches and palm trees that smile. Everything was forgotten. The Ocean has changed around every name, tree, man. Since the Ocean had to live because it was life.

Fears of Rat Plague in Uk Grow

Rats are becoming resistant to existing poisons, according to pest control experts who warn that the government must allow the use of more powerful pesticides if the burgeoning rodent population is to be contained. Amid concerns that the number of rats is soaring out of control, the British Pest Control Association says it has identified two unnamed towns in Berkshire where it claims the local rat population is now almost completely immune to existing poisons. Oliver Madge, chief executive of the association, said: "We are very concerned about this from a public health point of view." The trade body will hold urgent talks with the Department of Health this week about introducing measures that it claims are needed to halt the spread of the rodents, thriving after years of mild winters and wet summers. Britain's rat-catchers want the law changed so that two powerful rodenticides, brodifacoum and flocoumafen, which the law only allows to be used indoors, can be applied outdoors. Other EU countries let pest controllers use the more powerful poisons outdoors but the UK believes this could endanger birds and pets. In the worst-hit cities, such as York, reported infestations have more than doubled in the past 12 months. Exeter council reported a 66% rise in vermin call-outs last year, while there was a 40% rise in Salford. There are concerns that some water companies have dispensed with putting poison down sewers. Madge said that recycling food and water was also playing a part. "We are encouraged to recycle, but the rats tunnel under compost and they find it's nice and warm and they have food."

Burma Worst for Blogger Bans

sssssssBurma has been judged the worst country in the world for online restrictions in a report looking at the repression faced by bloggers. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, which has compiled a list of the 10 worst countries to be a blogger, says it wants to shame those governments which are most aggressively attempting to curtail and censor web activity. Bloggers inside Burma proved invaluable in passing out information during the September 2007 uprisings, leading to the ruling military junta blocking the internet completely for a period. Iran, where a young blogger died in prison last month, was named as the second-worst country. Omid Mir Sayafi died in Tehran's Evin jail, which is known to hold political prisoners, after being arrested for allegedly insulting Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a blog he posted. The "roll of dishonour" goes on to name Syria, where internet cafe owners were ordered to report on customers; Cuba, where 21 bloggers are in jail; Saudi Arabia, where an estimated 400,00 sites are blocked; Vietnam; Tunisia; China, where the most comprehensive online controls are in place; Turkmenistan, where the nation's first internet cafe was guarded by troops; and Egypt where more than 100 bloggers were detained last year alone. All of the countries have burgeoning blogging cultures despite extensive monitoring, censorship and repression by the authorities.

How Easy it is to Select the Right Perfume for Men

Perfume has always been a passion for male fashion aficionados. These days, men are showing equal interest towards perfume as the women and are becoming picky while choosing their perfumes for special occasions. If you visit a perfume store, you will be spoilt with choices among the numerous varieties of perfumes for men manufactured by different reputed companies. But the difficulty lies in choosing the perfume that matches your personally. If you consider in a broad sense you will find types of fragrance such as sweet, spicy and exotic. Although, these fragrances are widely used by men you can also find various sub-categories of these smells. Often, men ask about the use of perfume for them. If you are perfectly dressed and have a good choice of perfume you can drive any woman nuts without doing much. Experts are unanimous about the idea that perfumes give a twist to the personality of the man who wears it and add fragrance to his appearance. In fact, perfumes are essential body accessories for men. Hence, you must be extra careful about choosing your perfume if you want to attract every attention towards you. Experts suggest that your choice for perfume should be based on your social stratum. It is not the brand that matters: Sometimes, men prefer reputed brands for selecting their perfumes. But, you should understand that the perfumes manufactured by well-known brands are not always the right ones for you as it may not suit your personality. If you are choosing perfumes considering only the brand, you might be wasting your money and time. With a wrong choice of perfume you may end up creating negative impression on others. In fact, you have to select your perfume the way you choose your clothes- the one that enhances your personality. Have you considered your body chemistry? Yes, every man has a unique body odor and that the reason why different kind of perfume smell different on every individual. Having a good understanding about the chemistry of the body helps you make wise choice of perfume. Some companies supply sample perfume products for the customers to test and select. You can try them. If the perfume matches your body odor, it will enhance your mood and attract the opposite sex towards you as well. So, the next time you go for a midnight dinner make sure that your perfume smells the best and is able to invoke the feelings of romance. It is true that if you learn the art of buying the best perfume for you, you can feel that life has taken a new turn. If you still lack the idea about selecting a perfume for you that can reshape your masculine appearance, you can take the help of the shopkeeper of the store where you are purchasing the perfume. He or she can assist you make the best choice of perfume if you explain the occasion for which you are buying it. Alternatively, if you are an active internet user, you can start forum threads and ask the experts about making right choice of perfumes for men. Your choice of perfume plays a vital role in setting your mood as well. So before purchasing a perfume take some time to surf the net and go through the reviews about the products and feedback of other customers. Visit the websites of different perfume manufacturers and know more about the perfume products for men that they are selling. Once you form a precise judgment about the perfume quality, you can make an informed decision while purchasing the right perfume for you.

Preventing falls

I decided to write this article after seeing a man, roughly 40 years old jogging to jog to catch a bus. The man tripped, fell and lay injured on the floor. He soon got up with a look of pain stricken all over his face. The occasional fall is bound to happen. However I would say that you could almost completely eliminate falls if you followed the techniques below. I would point out that age is irrelevant, the fact the older you get the more likely you are to fall is more to do with allowing the body to become sedentary rather than physiological reasons. Follow these tips what ever your age to help improve your ability to avoid falling. If you know someone who is always spraining their ankle send them this link also. 1) Stretch An active and static stretch routine in combination are so powerful that it will make the chance of you falling almost impossible. Active stretching improves coordination, flexibility and balance while static stretching improves posture. This enhances your core and overall body strength through efficient mechanics and operation of the muscles. Everyone should be doing this regularly. 2) Brush your teeth on one leg. So many falls happen as the ankle rolls over thus causing the person to come tumbling down. This is more likely to happen if you have done this same accident previously. The reason it is more likely is that the proprioceptors (sensors in the ankle) that tell your brain where the foot is in space lose their sensitivity. The results is the brain gets the signal you are about to fall over when you hit the floor! A bit too late you may agree. Standing on one leg, with your eyes closed if necessary will greatly reduce your risk of falls. Do this when brushing your teeth is much more of a challenge. Children love this too, makes brushing your teeth fun. WARNING: Do not shoot yourself in the foot by falling over when doing this exercise. Take it steady and begin gently at your own pace. 3) Learn to engage your core. Balance comes from within. More specifically the muscles that hold the spine rigid. To improve your balance you can therefore look to reactivate the muscles of your core and ensure they are working and helping you. Here is an experiment, stand on one leg, note how you feel. Now repeat, but first stop yourself going to the toilet at the back and front, then pull your lower stomach in like you are putting on a tight pair of trousers. Now see how much more balanced you feel. The extra balance in the second test is because the mid section is now stable. Practice engaging the core in this way whenever you can. 4) Develop all over strength and coordination Taking the above point further, many falls occur because you are unable to hold (through lack of strength) your body in a certain position or perform a correct movement pattern. This causes you to lose balance and fall. Tripping is a good example, when you trip a lot of weight is forced onto the other leg. If this leg is weak you will be guaranteed to go down. A strong leg could push you back up and allow you to regain balance. 5)Discover your metabolic type. As strange as it may seem the nutritional status of your body affects your fall rate. Eating in accordance to your metabolic type will increase your reaction time, allow greater responses from training and ensure the joints are healthy and better prepared to take any falls that do occur.

Discover Where to Meet and Find Eligible Men

There are millions of women out there looking and wondering where to meet and find eligible men. If you are one of these women and looking for a man, then you should find a way to be ahead of other women to meet your dream man. Whatever kind of man you are looking for; there is one available for you out there if you know where to find him. Decide what type of men you want to meet. Are you looking for a long term relationship? A husband or just someone to be with and no commitment involved? Whatever type of men you want to meet, you have to know what you want before creating a plan on how to find your dream man. If you already know what you are looking for then you know where to start to find eligible men. Here are some tips on where to meet and find eligible men: Singles bars and restaurants. Of course this is a very common place where to find eligible men. However, the type of bars and restaurants you visit will also determine the type of men you will meet. Men who are more financially stable can be found in five start hotel bars and first class restaurants. Clubs, associations and activities. Health clubs, charity activities, single parents association, sports clubs, fitness clubs, dance clubs, etc. are good venues to meet and find eligible men with the same interest as yours. Use your hobbies and interest for your advantage to meet and find eligible men. You will enjoy and at the same time meet exciting single men. Evening classes in your local schools. If you are a single woman who has all the time for yourself, it is much better to upgrade yourself and your education. Most eligible working men preferred night classes. Inquire on how to get into night classes, upgrade your education and at the same time find eligible men. Church. You will find God-fearing men in attending church and participating in church activities or social gatherings. Of course, you have to be religious or at least enjoy going to church to be able to enjoy church activities and at the same time find eligible men you want to meet. Through friends and relatives. Of course one safe way to find eligible men is through friends and relatives. They will surely recommend someone who is really likeable and what is best is that this man already has the approval of your friends and relatives making the connection easier and hassle free. Dating services. Getting dating services is also another way to find eligible men. Although this is not free and in some cases the charges are really unreasonable, but if you are game with it then this one is another option for you. Although the success rate of dating services is not that high, there is still a fraction of women population who were able to find partners through dating services.