Kim Knott/Camera Press/Retna
A top journalist goes beyond the gossip and tells the inside story of a wounded and exploited princess -- including her secret love, her true enemies and her desperate need for attention.
By Tina Brown
Friday, August 17, 2007
The Real Diana
Kim Knott/Camera Press/Retna
Stacking the deck! Bryan Berg.
Bryan Berg, the acknowledged inventor of cardstacking on the grand scale, embarked on a month-long project with Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL to create a new Guinness World Record category with the World's Largest House of Cards. A self-taught artist, Berg uses no tape, glue, or other tricks in his work. With 3,000 decks of freestanding playing cards, some scaffolding, and a view of the real building, he worked for a month on the Disney grounds to build the company a 450 pound card version of Cinderella's Castle. The structure was 14 feet tall and 14 feet square, detailing all the turrets and tunnels of the actual castle. Even the artist was surprised at how strong his huge construction turned out to be when a renegade squirrel ran in the room, destroying most of the supporting grand entry while the rest of the castle's cards stood unaffected. Now, Berg- 13 year running record winner for Tallest House of Freestanding Playing Cards at over 25 feet high- is a double title holder. Upcoming 2006 appearances include dates in San Francisco, New York City, Las Vegas, Boston, and Dallas. Check back for news on events in your area.www.cardstacker.com
DRAGON FRUIT - NUTRITION FACTS*
Source www.gasing.com
Food Value Per 100g Serving for RED Pitaya:
Moisture 82.5 - 83 g
Protein 0.159 - 0.229 g
Fat 0.21 - 0.61 g
Crude Fiber 0.7 - 0.9 g
Carotene 0.005 -0.012 mg
Calcium 6.3 - 8.8 mg
Phosphorus 30.2 - 36.1 mg
Iron 0.55 - 0.65 mg
Vitamin B1 0.28 - 0.043 mg
Vitamin B2 0.043 - 0.045 mg
Vitamin B3 0.297 - 0.43 mg
Vitamin C 8 - 9 mg
Other 0.54 - 0.68 g
Food Value Per 100g Serving for RED Pitaya:
Moisture 82.5 - 83 gProtein 0.159 - 0.229 g
Fat 0.21 - 0.61 g
Crude Fiber 0.7 - 0.9 g
Carotene 0.005 -0.012 mg
Calcium 6.3 - 8.8 mg
Phosphorus 30.2 - 36.1 mg
Iron 0.55 - 0.65 mg
Vitamin B1 0.28 - 0.043 mg
Vitamin B2 0.043 - 0.045 mg
Vitamin B3 0.297 - 0.43 mg
Vitamin C 8 - 9 mg
Other 0.54 - 0.68 g
*Facts Supply by Malaysia Local Authorities. It might be vary from country to country due to the climate, ways of the cultivate, and type of the Pitaya.
Hylocereus Undatus (Dragon Fruit , Pitaya)
A member of the cactus family, the dragon fruits is relation to the night blooming cereus. There are many types of the fruit from the South East Asia and South America. The fruit is oblong or over coated with a bright-red or yellow skin with small scales. It has a white, juicy, sweet, pulp containing many tiny black seeds. Hylocereus species has been commercially grown in the America's and in Vietnam. Early imports in Australia from Columbia are recorded as Hylocereus Ocampensis (red pitaya) and cereus triangularis (yellow pitaya). Cereus triangularis is a synonym of Hylocereus Undatus.
It can grown organically, without any pesticide & chemical fertilizer. The Pitaya is rich in vitamins and helpful to our body especially in digestion, preventing colon cancer and diabetes. The fruits also help to neutralize heavy metal toxic and reduce cholesterol level and high blood pressure. Consume regularly, it can fight against asthma and caught.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Peace Maker
Written by Tom Roderick, Executive Director of Educators for Social Responsibility Metro
Reprinted with permission from New York Newsday, September 22, 1993
- Slow down the action. Many fights and arguments get out of control very fast. Before reacting, take a deep breath, count to 10 to buy time to think. If possible, find a way to excuse yourself from the situation for a moment so that you can collect yourself.
- Listen well. Don't interrupt. Hear the other person out. Making eye contact, nodding, and saying "uh-huh" are ways to show you are listening. It helps to paraphrase or state in your own words what you hear the other person saying.
- Give the other person the benefit of the doubt. In a conflict between two people, each person has feelings, each person has a point of view. You may not agree with the other person, but try to understand where s/he is coming from. Ask open-ended questions to get information about how the other person sees things. Try to listen with an open mind. If you see that you have done something wrong, don't hesitate to apologize.
- Acknowledge the other person's feelings. When people believe they've been listened to, they generally become less angry and more open to listening to what the other person has to say. Statements like "I can see you're angry" or "You really feel strongly about this" tend to diffuse the anger and open up communication.
- Be strong without being mean. Express your needs and your point of view forcefully, but without "dissing" or putting the other person down. Use "I-messages" to communicate how you are feeling rather than "You-messages" that put the blame on the other person. Name-calling, blaming, bossing and threatening tend to block communication and escalate conflict.
- Try to see a conflict as a problem to be solved, rather than a contest to be won. Attack the problem, not the other person. Try to get away from fighting over who's right and who's wrong. Ask instead: What do I need? What does the other person feel they need? Is there a way we can both get what we want?
- Set your sights on a "win-win" solution. In a win-win solution, both parties get what they want and come away happy. This requires good listening on both sides and creative thinking. If a win-win solution is not possible, you many have to settle for a compromise, where each person gets something and gives up something. A compromise is a lot better than violence.
- If you don't seem to be getting anywhere in solving a conflict, ask for help. Of course, you'll need agreement from the other person that help is needed and you'll have to agree on who the third party should be. But a third party can be helpful. Try to find someone who is a good listener. Tell the third party their role is to help the people in the conflict talk with each other, not to take sides.
- Remember that conflict, handled well, can lead to personal growth and better relationships. Try to see the conflict as an opportunity. Working through the conflict with a friend can lead to greater closeness. Hearing other points of view can introduce us to new ideas and increase our understanding of ourselves and other people.
- The true heroes and sheroes of today's world are not the Rambos. They are those who have the courage and intelligence to deal with conflict in creative, nonviolent ways.
http://www.esrnational.org/keeppeace.html
Studies on Yogurt's Health Attributes*
http://www.aboutyogurt.com
Because of its traditional association with healthful properties and an emerging body of scientific research, live and active culture yogurt continues to command the interest of scientists around the world. Researchers are exploring how yogurt and its cultures may have a beneficial effect on the immune system, and how yogurt may help play a role in reducing cholesterol levels and preventing certain diseases. More research is needed, but the results so far are promising.
The following summarizes some of the important medical research conducted to date on the potential benefits of yogurt. Note that more studies need to be done before all of the evidence is considered conclusive.
- Yogurt and the Immune System
- Yogurt and Lactose Absorption in Lactose-Deficient Patients
- Yogurt and Vulvovaginal Candidal (Yeast) Infections
- Cultural Model for Healthy Eating
- Childhood Diarrhea and Milk Products
- Colon Cancer and Yogurt
- Cancer Chemotherapy Patients and Yogurt
Yogurt and the Immune System
A report from Tufts University indicates that the potential health attributes associated with eating yogurt stretch beyond protein and calcium. According to an article by Simin Nikbin Meydani, Ph.D. in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2000; 71:861-72), yogurt may help make the immune system more resilient. Given the right circumstances, eating yogurt may help protect the intestinal tract. As a result, yogurt has great potential as a protective, anti-infection agent. Preliminary research indicates that increased yogurt consumption might help increase one's resistance to immune-related diseases such as cancer and infection, particularly gastrointestinal infection. This is believed to be in part due to the live and active cultures (LAC) found in yogurt.
Yogurt and Lactose Absorption in Lactose-Deficient Patients
Beta-galactosidase, an enzyme that is contained in some yogurts, helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient patients. C.M. Kotz et. al. (J. Dairy Sci. 1994 Dec: 77 [12]; 3538-44) illustrated this point in a study that administered equivalent amounts of milk and yogurt to subjects. Those subjects who consumed yogurt showed considerably better lactose absorption than those who consumed milk alone.
Yogurt and Vulvovaginal Candidal (Yeast) Infections
This study assessed whether daily ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus prevents Vulvovaginal Candidal infections, commonly known as yeast infections. The study, conducted by E. Hilton et. al. (Ann. Intern. Med. 1992 March 1: 116 [5] 353-7), found that such yogurt consumption decreased infections three-fold. The study concluded that eating eight ounces of yogurt containing L. acidophilus on a daily basis decreases candidal colonization and infection.
Cultural Model for Healthy Eating
Research has shown that populations in the Mediterranean regions, particularly Greece and Southern Italy, in the early 1960s have had the highest adult life expectancies due to lifestyle factors. Additionally, they have had the lowest incidences of coronary heart disease, certain cancers, and other diet-related diseases. The study by Beaudouin et. al. (Am J. Clin. Nutr. 1995 Jun: 1402S-1406S) cited the region's lowfat diet containing yogurt as being one of the major health benefits of a Mediterranean lifestyle, along with regular physical activity.
Childhood Diarrhea and Milk Products
Babies are less likely to experience childhood diarrhea if given breast milk without interruption throughout their infancy. On the other hand, according to a study conducted by J.L. Lembcke (Acta Paediatr. Suppl. 1992 Sept: 381 87-92), infants and children fed with non-human milks tend to have more severe illness than those receiving milk-free or lactose - limited formulas. The exception to this rule is fermented milk products, such as yogurt, which may reduce the severity of lactose malabsorption. Additional information is needed to substantiate yogurt's positive effects on acute childhood diarrhea.
Colon Cancer and Yogurt
More than 1,400 subjects with colon cancer from the Los Angeles area were examined in a study that sought to determine which foods were associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Results (R.K. Peters; Cancer Causes Control 1992 Sept; 3[5] 457-73) indicated that yogurt intake is associated with a significantly decreased risk of colon cancer.
Cancer Chemotherapy Patients and Yogurt
Lactose malabsorption, a common side-effect among cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy, may be lessened by a diet high in yogurt, according to a study by the University of Naples Department of Pediatrics (M. Pettoello-Mantovani. et. al.; J. Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1995 Feb: 189-95). The study, which tested 20 children during cancer chemotherapy, concluded that there is a decrease in lactose malabsorption when yogurt is given to subjects as part of their treatment.
*The information contained in this section is intended to provide a balanced presentation of health-related information, including emerging scientific information. Because studies may be preliminary and ongoing, readers should not interpret this information as conclusive. This information does not constitute labeling or advertising for any specific products, and is not intended to endorse any particular products or types of products.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
The Real Ratatouille
Written by Steve Buchanan
Monday, 23 July 2007
A rodent in a restaurant? That sure doesn't sound like a good premise for a movie, especially when the rodent is a rat.
But this particular rat, named Remy, is not only the lovable animated star of the new Disney-Pixar movie "Ratatouille," he seems quite at home whether scurrying behind a 12-burner range or seasoning a pot of potage.
More than anything, Remy wants to be in the kitchen. Not going through the garbage, mind you, rather, this rat wants to be a gourmet chef, and his goal — to get his gustatory groove on at Gusteau's, a five-star Parisian restaurant — is deliciously entertaining.
As I watched Remy foster a friendship with Linguini, the garbage boy, and begin his culinary adventure, I was struck by the incredible dedication to detail of everything from the gleam of the copper pots in the kitchen and the crackling crust in a baguette to the wine that was so perfectly poured you could almost smell the fruit in the Bordeaux.
Disney spent time getting the cooking details right. The studio sent its animators to cooking classes, and it enlisted celebrated chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville and Per Se in New York for advice.
When Remy needs to create the movie's namesake meal — ratatouille (a popular French vegetable dish made with eggplant, peppers, onions, tomatoes and summer squash) — to please an important restaurant critic, Anton Ego, Keller (who also provides the voice of a restaurant patron in the movie) came up with the idea of basing the dish on "confit byaldi," a stacked melange of paper-thin vegetables.
Remy uses produce that looks so fresh, your eyes will practically water when the onion is chopped.
While ratatouille is certainly not as challenging to make as the movie, there are about as many recipes for it as there are hairs on Remy's colorful head.
You can serve it warm or at room temperature as a main dish, or toss it with pasta. Mound it on slices of crusty bread for an open-faced sandwich, serve it as a salad or as an appetizer with crackers or chips for dipping.
Get the Recipe Inspired by 'Ratatouille!'
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=3317589Friday, August 10, 2007
Blue Cheese and Mushroom Fettuccine
Source San-Remo.com.au
Serves 4 - 6
- 500g San Remo Fettuccine
- 40g butter
- 350g thinly sliced mushroom flats
- 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
- 125mls cream
- 125mls water
- 125g crumbed blue vein cheese
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons almonds, roughly chopped
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushroom flats and garlic cloves. Cook on high, stirring frequently until soft.
Add cream and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. Stir through 100g crumbled blue vein cheese until melted.
Turn off heat, add spinach leaves, salt & pepper. Toss through pasta. Serve sprinkled with almonds and remaining 25g crumbled blue vein cheese.
Tips to Making Perfect Pasta!
Source San-Remo.com.au
To get the best result for your San Remo pasta dish follow these tips from the experts:
- A larger pan filled with a good amount of water is better than a pan that just fits the pasta and water. The pasta needs room to cook properly. Use 1 litre for every 100g of pasta, so a 500g pack of pasta which feeds four people will require 5 litres of water. By using more water you will avoid having the pasta sticking together after it is cooked.
- Adding salt to the water adds flavour to the pasta. We recommend using 1-2 teaspoons per 500g of pasta, but you can use more if you prefer.
- Never rinse the pasta once it is drained as this will remove the starch, which helps the sauce cling to the surface of the pasta. If you need to keep the pasta aside while the sauce is still being prepared, return it to the pot, spray with a little olive oil and cover with a lid or cling wrap. Or, add the drained pasta straight into the pan where the sauce has been made and toss gently.
- If you need to boil vegetables to go into your sauce, just add them to the pasta half way through the cooking process. This saves time and less pans need to be cleaned.
- If you are making a soup pasta, there’s no need to cook the pasta separately. Just add the pasta to the pan in which you have made the soup, adding it around 8-10 minutes before the soup is finished cooking. Ideal San Remo pasta shapes for soups are Soup Pasta, Risone, Macaroni, Cavolini or Small Shells.
- Use a good quality Olive Oil if you can, it carries a more intense flavour and enhances the taste of the pasta.
- Prepare ahead for quick mid-week meals. Cook a large quantity of pasta – San Remo 750g pasta has enough serves for 8 people – and when cooled pour individual servings into plastic bags and freeze. When you want a quick meal, simply drop the contents of the bag into hot water.
WORDS & PHRASES
Source http://www.backroadstouring.co.uk/phraseorigins.htm
'A Square Meal'
The saying 'having a square mea'l comes from the English Royal Navy during the time of Nelson. In order to stop the plates/ dishes slipping around on the table when the ship was at sea, four pieces of wood were nailed to the benches in the shape of a square to stop the plates from slipping... hence 'having a square meal'.
'Sincere'
The word "sincere" has some interesting roots. One story is that it comes from the ancient marble quarries of Rome. Apparently, unscrupulous stone dealers covered the marble's imperfections with wax. The practice eventually became illegal, as the Roman Empire certified that all marble must be "sine cera" or "sincerus," meaning without wax - genuine. So, to be sincere is to be genuine.
'Crack a smile'
Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term . Also, when they sat too close to a fire the wax would crack and drip!
'A Square Meal'
The saying 'having a square mea'l comes from the English Royal Navy during the time of Nelson. In order to stop the plates/ dishes slipping around on the table when the ship was at sea, four pieces of wood were nailed to the benches in the shape of a square to stop the plates from slipping... hence 'having a square meal'.
'Sincere'
The word "sincere" has some interesting roots. One story is that it comes from the ancient marble quarries of Rome. Apparently, unscrupulous stone dealers covered the marble's imperfections with wax. The practice eventually became illegal, as the Roman Empire certified that all marble must be "sine cera" or "sincerus," meaning without wax - genuine. So, to be sincere is to be genuine.
'Crack a smile'
Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term . Also, when they sat too close to a fire the wax would crack and drip!
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Axolotl
I came across a blog where it catched my attention with a picture which is so alienated to me. It looks like a lizard + fish + dragon.
The Axolotl (or ajolote) (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the best-known of the Mexican neotenic mole salamanders belonging to the Tiger Salamander complex. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate most body parts, ease of breeding, and large embryos. They are commonly kept as pets in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Japan (where they are sold under the name Wooper Rooper (ウーパールーパー, Ūpā Rūpā?)), and other countries.
Axolotls should not be confused with waterdogs, the larval stage of the closely related Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum and Ambystoma mavortium), which is widespread in much of North America which also occasionally become neotenic, nor with mudpuppies (Necturus spp.), fully aquatic salamanders which are unrelated to the axolotl but which bear a superficial resemblance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/petsaxolo.htm
The Axolotl (or ajolote) (Ambystoma mexicanum) is the best-known of the Mexican neotenic mole salamanders belonging to the Tiger Salamander complex. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. The species originates from the lake underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate most body parts, ease of breeding, and large embryos. They are commonly kept as pets in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Japan (where they are sold under the name Wooper Rooper (ウーパールーパー, Ūpā Rūpā?)), and other countries.
Axolotls should not be confused with waterdogs, the larval stage of the closely related Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum and Ambystoma mavortium), which is widespread in much of North America which also occasionally become neotenic, nor with mudpuppies (Necturus spp.), fully aquatic salamanders which are unrelated to the axolotl but which bear a superficial resemblance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl
http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/petsaxolo.htm
Monday, August 6, 2007
Quickly removing scratches from CDs and DVDs
by Paul Michael
I used to look in wonder and amazement at some of the CDs and DVDs in my best friend's collection. How could he let them get in such a state? "Dude, treat them with more respect" I'd say. Then I had children, and found my CDs and DVDs were perfect replacements for frisbee toys, coasters and anything else they could think of.
Recently, I found several of my favorite music CDs and movies were unplayable due to some innocent playtime fun. Kids will be kids, there's little you can do to avoid that (especially if your CDs and DVDs are at kid-height). But before I reluctantly bought replacements, I figured I had nothing to lose by going to the web and finding remedies. If they worked, great. If not, I had lost nothing anyway.
I had heard of toothpaste, which was the first remedy I tried. But I found other methods, too. Below are the results of my exploration, complete with my own experience with the remedy. Remember, I can't guarantee results. If your scratches are very deep you're probably out of luck. But if a few scratches are giving you some skipping or the CD/DVD is unreadable, this may save you a trip to your local Best Buy.
Note: NEVER clean any CD or DVD in a circular motion. Always clean in straight lines from the center of the disc outwards. Otherwise, you'll just make things even worse.
Toothpaste.
I had heard about this one, but I never really knew what to do. Here are a few of the videos I found on the subject.
Remove Scratches From Anything Using Toothpaste - video powered by Metacafe
How To Remove CD Scratches With A Little Magic - video powered by Metacafe
My results: 3/5
The toothpaste did indeed help with some scratches but only very small ones. The deeper scratches were unaffected. On another note, my CDs now smell minty!
Banana.
Yes, banana. I had to watch it twice to make sure I wasn't missing something.
How To Remove CD Scratches With A Banana - video powered by Metacafe
Results: 2/5
Not quite as good as the toothpaste, but it did help with a few tracks that had skipped. It's a lot more messy though, and a waste of a good banana.
Chewing Gum.
This could have been a great way to find an extra use for a bit of gum. Here's the video.
Repair CDs Using Chewing Gum! - video powered by Metacafe
Results: 0/5
This worked. NOT! I tried it on a DVD that was unreadable and it remained that way unitl I tried the next method.
Brasso (metal polish).
I have always called this Brasso regardless of brand name, but any liquid metal polish will work.
Remove Scratches From ANYTHING! - video powered by Metacafe
Results: 4/5
This was excellent. I remember my dad using Brasso to remove scratches from his plastic eyeglass lenses so I figured it had a good chance of working. But this worked great for me. On the two discs I tried it on, it returned them to their former glory. Very happy.
As I've said, don't try this on CDs that are 95% ok becuase I can't guarantee results. But if you have a highly-scratched, almost unplayable disc, you've got nothing to lose.
Photo by Pulpolux . Thanks!
I used to look in wonder and amazement at some of the CDs and DVDs in my best friend's collection. How could he let them get in such a state? "Dude, treat them with more respect" I'd say. Then I had children, and found my CDs and DVDs were perfect replacements for frisbee toys, coasters and anything else they could think of.
Recently, I found several of my favorite music CDs and movies were unplayable due to some innocent playtime fun. Kids will be kids, there's little you can do to avoid that (especially if your CDs and DVDs are at kid-height). But before I reluctantly bought replacements, I figured I had nothing to lose by going to the web and finding remedies. If they worked, great. If not, I had lost nothing anyway.
I had heard of toothpaste, which was the first remedy I tried. But I found other methods, too. Below are the results of my exploration, complete with my own experience with the remedy. Remember, I can't guarantee results. If your scratches are very deep you're probably out of luck. But if a few scratches are giving you some skipping or the CD/DVD is unreadable, this may save you a trip to your local Best Buy.
Note: NEVER clean any CD or DVD in a circular motion. Always clean in straight lines from the center of the disc outwards. Otherwise, you'll just make things even worse.
Toothpaste.
I had heard about this one, but I never really knew what to do. Here are a few of the videos I found on the subject.
Remove Scratches From Anything Using Toothpaste - video powered by Metacafe
How To Remove CD Scratches With A Little Magic - video powered by Metacafe
My results: 3/5
The toothpaste did indeed help with some scratches but only very small ones. The deeper scratches were unaffected. On another note, my CDs now smell minty!
Banana.
Yes, banana. I had to watch it twice to make sure I wasn't missing something.
How To Remove CD Scratches With A Banana - video powered by Metacafe
Results: 2/5
Not quite as good as the toothpaste, but it did help with a few tracks that had skipped. It's a lot more messy though, and a waste of a good banana.
Chewing Gum.
This could have been a great way to find an extra use for a bit of gum. Here's the video.
Repair CDs Using Chewing Gum! - video powered by Metacafe
Results: 0/5
This worked. NOT! I tried it on a DVD that was unreadable and it remained that way unitl I tried the next method.
Brasso (metal polish).
I have always called this Brasso regardless of brand name, but any liquid metal polish will work.
Remove Scratches From ANYTHING! - video powered by Metacafe
Results: 4/5
This was excellent. I remember my dad using Brasso to remove scratches from his plastic eyeglass lenses so I figured it had a good chance of working. But this worked great for me. On the two discs I tried it on, it returned them to their former glory. Very happy.
As I've said, don't try this on CDs that are 95% ok becuase I can't guarantee results. But if you have a highly-scratched, almost unplayable disc, you've got nothing to lose.
Photo by Pulpolux . Thanks!
Cigarette Tax May Fund Child Health Plan
By Maureen Groppe
Gannett News Service
WASHINGTON -- Hoosier smokers adjusting to the recent 44-cent state tax increase on cigarettes may face an additional 61-cent per pack increase from the federal government.
That's one way some lawmakers want to pay for a proposed expansion of a 10-year-old health insurance program for children of the working poor.
Smokers and lower-income families aren't the only ones who could be affected by the debate. Taxpayers, senior citizens and two of the state's biggest companies might be as well.
The House version of the legislation -- supported by only two of the state's nine House members -- would redirect Medicare money to the program by scaling back federal payments to private insurers that offer an alternative form of Medicare coverage.
That could change coverage options available to seniors. It also could cut into the profits of companies like Indianapolis-based WellPoint that offer the Medicare Advantage plans.
Drug companies, like Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co., could have to give bigger discounts on the drugs they sell to Medicaid.
Alternatively, if the administration gets it way, the children's health care program could shrink. States like Indiana that recently expanded eligibility to families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level would not get federal reimbursement for providing care to those in families making more than 200 percent, which is $34,340 for a family of three.
President Bush has threatened to veto both the House and Senate versions.
The Senate proposed paying for its $35 billion expansion primarily by increasing the federal portion of the cigarette tax 61 cents, to $1 a pack. Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., voted for the bill, which passed 68-31 Thursday night.
The House bill would increase the cigarette tax by 45 cents.
Indiana's state cigarette tax recently rose 44 cents, to 99.5 cents, to pay for a new state health insurance plan for low-income Hoosiers.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal-state effort, began in 1998 to provide coverage to children whose parents earned too much to be eligible for Medicaid but found it difficult to pay for insurance.
Gannett News Service
WASHINGTON -- Hoosier smokers adjusting to the recent 44-cent state tax increase on cigarettes may face an additional 61-cent per pack increase from the federal government.
That's one way some lawmakers want to pay for a proposed expansion of a 10-year-old health insurance program for children of the working poor.
Smokers and lower-income families aren't the only ones who could be affected by the debate. Taxpayers, senior citizens and two of the state's biggest companies might be as well.
The House version of the legislation -- supported by only two of the state's nine House members -- would redirect Medicare money to the program by scaling back federal payments to private insurers that offer an alternative form of Medicare coverage.
That could change coverage options available to seniors. It also could cut into the profits of companies like Indianapolis-based WellPoint that offer the Medicare Advantage plans.
Drug companies, like Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co., could have to give bigger discounts on the drugs they sell to Medicaid.
Alternatively, if the administration gets it way, the children's health care program could shrink. States like Indiana that recently expanded eligibility to families earning up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level would not get federal reimbursement for providing care to those in families making more than 200 percent, which is $34,340 for a family of three.
President Bush has threatened to veto both the House and Senate versions.
The Senate proposed paying for its $35 billion expansion primarily by increasing the federal portion of the cigarette tax 61 cents, to $1 a pack. Sens. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Evan Bayh, D-Ind., voted for the bill, which passed 68-31 Thursday night.
The House bill would increase the cigarette tax by 45 cents.
Indiana's state cigarette tax recently rose 44 cents, to 99.5 cents, to pay for a new state health insurance plan for low-income Hoosiers.
The State Children's Health Insurance Program, a federal-state effort, began in 1998 to provide coverage to children whose parents earned too much to be eligible for Medicaid but found it difficult to pay for insurance.
Parent Call for Crackdown on Junk Food Ads
Food Week online
A group of more than 17,000 parents is demanding a ban on "predatory" junk food advertising targeting children.
Pull the Plug is a coalition that includes the Australian Medical and Dental Associations, the Cancer Council and nutritionist Rosemary Stanton.
The group is calling for a national crackdown on the barrage of high-sugar and high-fat foods advertising during peak television viewing times.
Stanton told The Sunday Telegraph that allowing children to become overweight by eating junk food every day was becoming the norm.
She said advertisers acted like predators by targeting "trusting" children with sophisticated sales techniques.
Children's TV viewing hours are classified as being between 4pm and 5pm, but more than six times as many watched TV from 7pm to 8pm.
A group of more than 17,000 parents is demanding a ban on "predatory" junk food advertising targeting children.
Pull the Plug is a coalition that includes the Australian Medical and Dental Associations, the Cancer Council and nutritionist Rosemary Stanton.
The group is calling for a national crackdown on the barrage of high-sugar and high-fat foods advertising during peak television viewing times.
Stanton told The Sunday Telegraph that allowing children to become overweight by eating junk food every day was becoming the norm.
She said advertisers acted like predators by targeting "trusting" children with sophisticated sales techniques.
Children's TV viewing hours are classified as being between 4pm and 5pm, but more than six times as many watched TV from 7pm to 8pm.
Friday, August 3, 2007
Migraine
http://www.whfoods.com/
Migraine headache is a painful and sometimes debilitating condition that strikes many people in the United States.
Although researchers are not certain of what exactly happens to bring on an attack, it is believed that the headache itself is caused by the overfilling of blood vessels around the brain and their rebound reaction to this overfilling.
The blood vessels in turn put pressure on sensitive nerve endings in the head, causing the throbbing and excruciating pain of migraine.
Many migraine patients report that certain foods are often related to the triggering of migraine attacks.
Fortunately, identifying and avoiding these foods can help to significantly reduce the frequency of attacks.
In addition, by incorporating certain foods and nutrients into their menu plans, migraine patients may be able to decrease the number of migraines they experience.
Eat more
Cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel and halibut for their beneficial omega 3 fatty acids.
Avoid foods that cause allergic reactions; vasoactive amines such as chocolate, aged cheese, fermented sausage, red wine, sour cream, and picked herring; salt; and excessive saturated fat.
Migraine headache is a painful and sometimes debilitating condition that strikes many people in the United States.
Although researchers are not certain of what exactly happens to bring on an attack, it is believed that the headache itself is caused by the overfilling of blood vessels around the brain and their rebound reaction to this overfilling.
The blood vessels in turn put pressure on sensitive nerve endings in the head, causing the throbbing and excruciating pain of migraine.
Many migraine patients report that certain foods are often related to the triggering of migraine attacks.
Fortunately, identifying and avoiding these foods can help to significantly reduce the frequency of attacks.
In addition, by incorporating certain foods and nutrients into their menu plans, migraine patients may be able to decrease the number of migraines they experience.
Eat more
Cold water fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, mackerel and halibut for their beneficial omega 3 fatty acids.
Avoid foods that cause allergic reactions; vasoactive amines such as chocolate, aged cheese, fermented sausage, red wine, sour cream, and picked herring; salt; and excessive saturated fat.
Baldness and Hair Loss (Alopecia)
http://www.pathlights.com/
SYMPTOMS—It is hair on the head that we are concerned with here. There are several types of hair loss: baldness or loss of hair (alopecia). Loss of all scalp hair (alopecia totalis). Hair falling out in patches (alopecia areata). Another type of hair loss is localized and is due to scarring. Alopecia most frequently occurs in men, but occasionally in women. Most common of all is the standard male pattern of baldness and the female pattern of baldness.
A single hair generally lasts 2-6 years, and is then replaced by a new hair. When baldness begins, there is an excess of shorter, thinner hair—the kind babies have on their head.
Remember that it is normal to lose as much as 100 hairs a day. Once the hair follicle dies, it never again produces hair. But there are instances in which the follicle has not died, but only has stopped producing hair. Careful treatment restores hair growth.
CAUSES—Heredity (especially in men), hormonal factors, aging, or local or systemic disease. Localized hair loss could also be caused by scarring following a wound or an operation.
Other factors include poor circulation, high fever or other acute illness, surgery, radiation (X-ray therapy), medicinal drugs, anesthesia, drastic reducing diets, stress (depletes B vitamins), poor diet, skin disease, sudden weight loss, iron deficiency, thyroid disease, obesity, birth control pills, diabetes, or vitamin deficiency. A nourishing diet should be eaten daily.
A significant cause of baldness is the use of hair dyes. Another is using hot air dryers.
Hair loss in women most often occurs after menopause. Some women lose some hair 2-3 months after childbirth because hormonal changes, during late term, tended to block normal hair loss; this is reversed within 6 months.
Hypothyroidism can cause hair loss. Too little vitamin A can cause hair loss, and too much can do it also.
TREATMENT—
• The circulation in the scalp (which is poorer in men than in women) needs to be improved. Massaging the scalp daily helps. Keep the scalp and hair clean; however, do not wash the hair too frequently. Avoid excess shampooing.
• There should be adequate protein in the diet (especially vegetable seeds, such as sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, almonds), brewer's yeast and fresh brewer's yeast; but, as with everything, do not go overboard. (People in the U.S. eat more protein than anyone else, yet they have the greatest hair loss.)
• A variety of factors affect hair loss. Minerals and vitamins are also important for hair growth. Take a good supplement at least twice a day. Drink fresh vegetable juice at least once a day. Take vitamin A (50,000 units daily). Several B vitamins especially affect hair growth and color. Eat sea kelp or dulse. biotin, inositol, niacin, vitamin E, and PABA are also important.
• Oatstraw and horsetail tea are rich in silicon and trace minerals. Rosemary helps prevent premature baldness and stimulate head circulation. Sage is an astringent, and helps stimulate growth. Yarrow helps liver activity.
• Avoid salt, sugar, tobacco, and alcohol. Overconsumption of salt and sugar increases dandruff and hair loss. Avoid large amounts of vitamin A (100,000 units daily over long periods).
• Beware of the drug, minoxidil. Although given to restore scalp hair, it is high-priced and may cause heart damage. The hair it produces is of a poor quality, and tends to fall out when the drug is terminated.
• Some people put a little cayenne pepper on their scalp. It surely will bring the blood, and might even produce some hair! But it may get in the eyes! Most people are not prepared to deal with this extreme method.
• There are others who stand on their head to bring the blood there! It is reported that this also helps. Do not do it at work, or folks will think you are crazy. (And, of course, too much of this would not be good for the brain.) Others lie on slant boards for a time each day.
Here are more suggestions:
• Try rubbing the juice of a quince on the bald area every day. Eat flaxseed and drink sage tea. Iodine (in Norwegian kelp or Nova Scotia dulse) in your diet may help. Rub bald spots with kerosene once a day. For falling hair, try wetting the scalp daily with strong rosemary, sage or white oak bark tea.
• But, first and foremost, you need to go on a cleansing juice program for a couple days, and clean the bowels. Then only eat nourishing food, and no more processed junk.
• It is said that you must faithfully do your selected hair treatment for two months before you will see results.
• Never use strong soaps or hair sprays. Only use mild castile soaps.
• Hats and wigs are apt to cause hair to fall out faster, since they limit the air to the scalp.
• One natural remedies expert gives this advice: "Eat all raw food, massage your scalp often in the sun, wiggle your ears a lot, and stand on your head or lie on a slant board."
SYMPTOMS—It is hair on the head that we are concerned with here. There are several types of hair loss: baldness or loss of hair (alopecia). Loss of all scalp hair (alopecia totalis). Hair falling out in patches (alopecia areata). Another type of hair loss is localized and is due to scarring. Alopecia most frequently occurs in men, but occasionally in women. Most common of all is the standard male pattern of baldness and the female pattern of baldness.
A single hair generally lasts 2-6 years, and is then replaced by a new hair. When baldness begins, there is an excess of shorter, thinner hair—the kind babies have on their head.
Remember that it is normal to lose as much as 100 hairs a day. Once the hair follicle dies, it never again produces hair. But there are instances in which the follicle has not died, but only has stopped producing hair. Careful treatment restores hair growth.
CAUSES—Heredity (especially in men), hormonal factors, aging, or local or systemic disease. Localized hair loss could also be caused by scarring following a wound or an operation.
Other factors include poor circulation, high fever or other acute illness, surgery, radiation (X-ray therapy), medicinal drugs, anesthesia, drastic reducing diets, stress (depletes B vitamins), poor diet, skin disease, sudden weight loss, iron deficiency, thyroid disease, obesity, birth control pills, diabetes, or vitamin deficiency. A nourishing diet should be eaten daily.
A significant cause of baldness is the use of hair dyes. Another is using hot air dryers.
Hair loss in women most often occurs after menopause. Some women lose some hair 2-3 months after childbirth because hormonal changes, during late term, tended to block normal hair loss; this is reversed within 6 months.
Hypothyroidism can cause hair loss. Too little vitamin A can cause hair loss, and too much can do it also.
TREATMENT—
• The circulation in the scalp (which is poorer in men than in women) needs to be improved. Massaging the scalp daily helps. Keep the scalp and hair clean; however, do not wash the hair too frequently. Avoid excess shampooing.
• There should be adequate protein in the diet (especially vegetable seeds, such as sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, almonds), brewer's yeast and fresh brewer's yeast; but, as with everything, do not go overboard. (People in the U.S. eat more protein than anyone else, yet they have the greatest hair loss.)
• A variety of factors affect hair loss. Minerals and vitamins are also important for hair growth. Take a good supplement at least twice a day. Drink fresh vegetable juice at least once a day. Take vitamin A (50,000 units daily). Several B vitamins especially affect hair growth and color. Eat sea kelp or dulse. biotin, inositol, niacin, vitamin E, and PABA are also important.
• Oatstraw and horsetail tea are rich in silicon and trace minerals. Rosemary helps prevent premature baldness and stimulate head circulation. Sage is an astringent, and helps stimulate growth. Yarrow helps liver activity.
• Avoid salt, sugar, tobacco, and alcohol. Overconsumption of salt and sugar increases dandruff and hair loss. Avoid large amounts of vitamin A (100,000 units daily over long periods).
• Beware of the drug, minoxidil. Although given to restore scalp hair, it is high-priced and may cause heart damage. The hair it produces is of a poor quality, and tends to fall out when the drug is terminated.
• Some people put a little cayenne pepper on their scalp. It surely will bring the blood, and might even produce some hair! But it may get in the eyes! Most people are not prepared to deal with this extreme method.
• There are others who stand on their head to bring the blood there! It is reported that this also helps. Do not do it at work, or folks will think you are crazy. (And, of course, too much of this would not be good for the brain.) Others lie on slant boards for a time each day.
Here are more suggestions:
• Try rubbing the juice of a quince on the bald area every day. Eat flaxseed and drink sage tea. Iodine (in Norwegian kelp or Nova Scotia dulse) in your diet may help. Rub bald spots with kerosene once a day. For falling hair, try wetting the scalp daily with strong rosemary, sage or white oak bark tea.
• But, first and foremost, you need to go on a cleansing juice program for a couple days, and clean the bowels. Then only eat nourishing food, and no more processed junk.
• It is said that you must faithfully do your selected hair treatment for two months before you will see results.
• Never use strong soaps or hair sprays. Only use mild castile soaps.
• Hats and wigs are apt to cause hair to fall out faster, since they limit the air to the scalp.
• One natural remedies expert gives this advice: "Eat all raw food, massage your scalp often in the sun, wiggle your ears a lot, and stand on your head or lie on a slant board."
How Good Is Your Memory
http://www.e-articles.info/
Your memory is phenomenal.
1. Most people remember fewer than 10 per cent of the names of those whom they meet.
2. Most people forget more than 99 per cent of the phone numbers given to them.
3. Memory is supposed to decline rapidly with age.
4. Many people drink, and alcohol is reputed to destroy 1000 brain cells per drink.
5. Internationally, across races, cultures, ages and education levels, there is a common experience, and fear of, having an inadequate or bad memory.
6. Our failures in general, and especially in remembering, are attributed to the fact that we are 'only human', a statement that implies that our skills are inherently inadequate. Your memory does decline with age, but only if it is not used. Conversely, if it is used, it will continue to improve throughout your lifetime.
There is no evidence to suggest that moderate drinking destroys brain cells. This misapprehension arose because it was found that excessive drinking, and only excessive drinking, did indeed damage the brain.
Across cultural and international boundaries 'negative experience' with memory can be traced not to our being 'only human' or in anyway innately inadequate but to two simple, easily changeable factors: negative mental set and lack of knowledge.
There is a growing and informal international organisation, which I choose to name the 'I've Got an Increasingly Bad Memory Club'.
How often do you hear people in animated and enthusiastic conversation saying things like, 'You know, my memory's not nearly as good as it used to be when I was younger; I'm constantly forgetting things'. To which there is an equally enthusiastic reply: 'Yes, I know exactly what you mean; the same thing's happening to me ...' And off they dodder, arms draped around each other's shoulders, down the hill to mental oblivion. And such conversations often take place between thirty-year-olds!
Consider the younger supermemoriser to whom most people romantically refer. If you want to check for yourself, go back to any school at the end of a day, walk into a classroom of a group of five to seven-year-old children after they have gone home and ask the teacher what has been left in the classroom (i.e. forgotten). You will find the following items: watches, pencils, pens, sweets, money, jackets, physical education equipment, books, coats, glasses, erasers, toys, etc.
The only real difference between the middle-aged executive who has forgotten to phone someone he was supposed to phone and who has left his briefcase at the office, and the seven-year-old child who realises on returning home that he's left at school his watch, his pocket-money and his homework is that the seven-year-old does not collapse into depression, clutching his head and exclaiming, 'Oh, Christ, I'm seven years old and my memory's going!'
Ask yourself, 'What is the number of things I actually remember each day?' Most people estimate somewhere between 100 and 10,000.
The answer is in fact in the multiple billions. The human memory is so excellent and runs so smoothly that most people don't even realise that every word they speak and every word they listen to are instantaneously produced for consideration, recalled, recognised precisely and placed in their appropriate context. Nor do they realise that every moment, every perception, every thought, everything that they do throughout the entire day and throughout their lives is a function of their memories. In fact, its ongoing accuracy is almost perfect. The few odd things that we do forget are like odd specks on a gigantic ocean. Ironically, the reason why we notice so dramatically the errors that we make is that they are so rare.
There is now increasing evidence that our memories may not only be far better than we ever thought but may in fact be perfect.
Your memory is phenomenal.
1. Most people remember fewer than 10 per cent of the names of those whom they meet.
2. Most people forget more than 99 per cent of the phone numbers given to them.
3. Memory is supposed to decline rapidly with age.
4. Many people drink, and alcohol is reputed to destroy 1000 brain cells per drink.
5. Internationally, across races, cultures, ages and education levels, there is a common experience, and fear of, having an inadequate or bad memory.
6. Our failures in general, and especially in remembering, are attributed to the fact that we are 'only human', a statement that implies that our skills are inherently inadequate. Your memory does decline with age, but only if it is not used. Conversely, if it is used, it will continue to improve throughout your lifetime.
There is no evidence to suggest that moderate drinking destroys brain cells. This misapprehension arose because it was found that excessive drinking, and only excessive drinking, did indeed damage the brain.
Across cultural and international boundaries 'negative experience' with memory can be traced not to our being 'only human' or in anyway innately inadequate but to two simple, easily changeable factors: negative mental set and lack of knowledge.
There is a growing and informal international organisation, which I choose to name the 'I've Got an Increasingly Bad Memory Club'.
How often do you hear people in animated and enthusiastic conversation saying things like, 'You know, my memory's not nearly as good as it used to be when I was younger; I'm constantly forgetting things'. To which there is an equally enthusiastic reply: 'Yes, I know exactly what you mean; the same thing's happening to me ...' And off they dodder, arms draped around each other's shoulders, down the hill to mental oblivion. And such conversations often take place between thirty-year-olds!
Consider the younger supermemoriser to whom most people romantically refer. If you want to check for yourself, go back to any school at the end of a day, walk into a classroom of a group of five to seven-year-old children after they have gone home and ask the teacher what has been left in the classroom (i.e. forgotten). You will find the following items: watches, pencils, pens, sweets, money, jackets, physical education equipment, books, coats, glasses, erasers, toys, etc.
The only real difference between the middle-aged executive who has forgotten to phone someone he was supposed to phone and who has left his briefcase at the office, and the seven-year-old child who realises on returning home that he's left at school his watch, his pocket-money and his homework is that the seven-year-old does not collapse into depression, clutching his head and exclaiming, 'Oh, Christ, I'm seven years old and my memory's going!'
Ask yourself, 'What is the number of things I actually remember each day?' Most people estimate somewhere between 100 and 10,000.
The answer is in fact in the multiple billions. The human memory is so excellent and runs so smoothly that most people don't even realise that every word they speak and every word they listen to are instantaneously produced for consideration, recalled, recognised precisely and placed in their appropriate context. Nor do they realise that every moment, every perception, every thought, everything that they do throughout the entire day and throughout their lives is a function of their memories. In fact, its ongoing accuracy is almost perfect. The few odd things that we do forget are like odd specks on a gigantic ocean. Ironically, the reason why we notice so dramatically the errors that we make is that they are so rare.
There is now increasing evidence that our memories may not only be far better than we ever thought but may in fact be perfect.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Pick your nose and eat snot to stay healthy!
http://weirdnews.about.com/
Sunday April 11 2007, 4:09 PM
Washington, Apr 11(ANI): It may sound weird, but an Austrian doctor believes that picking your nose and eating what you retrieve is one of the best ways to stay healthy.
Dr. Friedrich Bischinger, an Innsbruck-based lung specialist believes that people who pick their noses with their fingers are healthy, happier and probably better in tune with their bodies.
He says society should adopt a new approach to nose-picking and encourage children to take it up.
"With the finger you can get to places you just can't reach with a handkerchief, keeping your nose far cleaner.And eating the dry remains of what you pull out is a great way of strengthening the body's immune system," Ananova quotes Dr. Bischinger, as saying.
"Medically it makes great sense and is a perfectly natural thing to do. In terms of the immune system the nose is a filter in which a great deal of bacteria are collected, and when this mixture arrives in the intestines it works just like a medicine," he added.
He pointed out that children happily pick their noses, yet by the time they have become adults they have stopped under pressure from a society that has branded it disgusting and anti-social.
"I would recommend a new approach where children are encouraged to pick their nose. It is a completely natural response and medically a good idea as well," he said. (ANI)
Sunday April 11 2007, 4:09 PM
Washington, Apr 11(ANI): It may sound weird, but an Austrian doctor believes that picking your nose and eating what you retrieve is one of the best ways to stay healthy.
Dr. Friedrich Bischinger, an Innsbruck-based lung specialist believes that people who pick their noses with their fingers are healthy, happier and probably better in tune with their bodies.
He says society should adopt a new approach to nose-picking and encourage children to take it up.
"With the finger you can get to places you just can't reach with a handkerchief, keeping your nose far cleaner.And eating the dry remains of what you pull out is a great way of strengthening the body's immune system," Ananova quotes Dr. Bischinger, as saying.
"Medically it makes great sense and is a perfectly natural thing to do. In terms of the immune system the nose is a filter in which a great deal of bacteria are collected, and when this mixture arrives in the intestines it works just like a medicine," he added.
He pointed out that children happily pick their noses, yet by the time they have become adults they have stopped under pressure from a society that has branded it disgusting and anti-social.
"I would recommend a new approach where children are encouraged to pick their nose. It is a completely natural response and medically a good idea as well," he said. (ANI)
Freedom of Speech
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the general concept.
Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship.
It is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies.
The right to freedom of speech is guaranteed under international law through numerous human rights instruments, notably under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, although implementation remains lacking in many countries.
The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes preferred, since the right is not confined to verbal speech but is understood to protect any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.
In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country, although the degree of freedom varies greatly.
Industrialized countries also have varying approaches to balance freedom with order. For instance, the United States First Amendment theoretically grants absolute freedom, placing the burden upon the state to demonstrate when (if) a limitation of this freedom is necessary.
In almost all liberal democracies, it is generally recognized that restrictions should be the exception and free expression the rule; nevertheless, compliance with this principle is often lacking.
This article is about the general concept.
Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship.
It is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies.
The right to freedom of speech is guaranteed under international law through numerous human rights instruments, notably under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, although implementation remains lacking in many countries.
The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes preferred, since the right is not confined to verbal speech but is understood to protect any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.
In practice, the right to freedom of speech is not absolute in any country, although the degree of freedom varies greatly.
Industrialized countries also have varying approaches to balance freedom with order. For instance, the United States First Amendment theoretically grants absolute freedom, placing the burden upon the state to demonstrate when (if) a limitation of this freedom is necessary.
In almost all liberal democracies, it is generally recognized that restrictions should be the exception and free expression the rule; nevertheless, compliance with this principle is often lacking.
Humans Body Facts
http://www.funology.com/
This is weird but true!
While sitting at your desk make clockwise circles with your right foot. (go ahead no one will see you) While doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction.
Can you feel the pulse in your wrist? For humans the normal pulse is 70 heartbeats per minute. Elephants have a slower pulse of 27 and for a canary it is 1000!
If all the blood vessels in your body were laid end to end, they would reach about 60,000 miles.
In one day your heart beats 100,000 times.
Half your body’s red blood cells are replaced every seven days.
Coughing can cause air to move through your windpipe faster than the speed of sound — over a thousand feet per second!
It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile.
That dust on rugs and your furniture is not only dirt. It’s mostly made of dead skin cells. Everybody loses millions of skin cells every day which fall on the floor and get kicked up to land on all the surfaces in a room. You could say, "That’s me all over."
It takes food seven seconds to go from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus.
The width of your armspan stretched out is the length of your whole body.
The average human dream lasts only 2 to 3 seconds.
Your tongue has 3,000 taste buds.
Your thigh bone is stronger than concrete.
Your fingernails grow almost four times as fast as your toenails.
You blink your eyes over 10,000,000 a year.
This is weird but true!
While sitting at your desk make clockwise circles with your right foot. (go ahead no one will see you) While doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction.
Can you feel the pulse in your wrist? For humans the normal pulse is 70 heartbeats per minute. Elephants have a slower pulse of 27 and for a canary it is 1000!
If all the blood vessels in your body were laid end to end, they would reach about 60,000 miles.
In one day your heart beats 100,000 times.
Half your body’s red blood cells are replaced every seven days.
Coughing can cause air to move through your windpipe faster than the speed of sound — over a thousand feet per second!
It takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile.
That dust on rugs and your furniture is not only dirt. It’s mostly made of dead skin cells. Everybody loses millions of skin cells every day which fall on the floor and get kicked up to land on all the surfaces in a room. You could say, "That’s me all over."
It takes food seven seconds to go from the mouth to the stomach via the esophagus.
The width of your armspan stretched out is the length of your whole body.
The average human dream lasts only 2 to 3 seconds.
Your tongue has 3,000 taste buds.
Your thigh bone is stronger than concrete.
Your fingernails grow almost four times as fast as your toenails.
You blink your eyes over 10,000,000 a year.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Caribbean's reef-building coral at risk
New Sabah Times
10th June, 2007
by Danica Coto
Six species of reef-building coral could vanish from the Caribbean due to rising temperatures and toxic runoff from islands’ development, according to a study released Thursday.
Nearly two dozen scientists from U.S. and Caribbean universities, as well as nonprofits, identified the threatened species while reviewing studies and scientific data at a March conference in Dominica.
The species — about 10 percent of the 62 varieties capable of forming reefs in the region — include staghorn and elkhorn corals, which were once among the most prominent.
“One of the Atlantic Ocean’s most beautiful marine habitats no longer exists in many places because of dramatic increases in coral diseases, mostly caused by climate change and warmer waters,” said Michael Smith, director of the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative at Conservation International, a U.S.-based nonprofit.
Peter Edmunds, a biology professor at California State University-Northridge, said the study provided a broad perspective that is “terribly important” but does not indicate how close a particular species is to dying off in the region.
“It begs the question, is there a part of the Caribbean where the story is different?” he said.
Researchers have blamed rising temperature, disease and pollutants for damage to the coral reefs, which host countless marine plants and animals.
“The numbers of the population are so diminished that it might take a long, long time, given the right conditions, for them to recover,” said William Precht, a Florida-based scientist with the Battelle Memorial Institute who participated in the study.
The team also reported significant damage to mangroves, which filter pollutants, reporting the plants cover 42 percent less area in the Caribbean than they did 25 years ago.
Conservation projects are under way to protect coral colonies in the Caribbean. The U.S. government’s Coral Reef Task Force is helping officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands cut back on pollution and recreational activities that could threaten coral.
The study was sponsored by the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative, along with the nonprofit World Conservation Union in Switzerland and the Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Ocean Fund.
10th June, 2007
by Danica Coto
Six species of reef-building coral could vanish from the Caribbean due to rising temperatures and toxic runoff from islands’ development, according to a study released Thursday.
Nearly two dozen scientists from U.S. and Caribbean universities, as well as nonprofits, identified the threatened species while reviewing studies and scientific data at a March conference in Dominica.
The species — about 10 percent of the 62 varieties capable of forming reefs in the region — include staghorn and elkhorn corals, which were once among the most prominent.
“One of the Atlantic Ocean’s most beautiful marine habitats no longer exists in many places because of dramatic increases in coral diseases, mostly caused by climate change and warmer waters,” said Michael Smith, director of the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative at Conservation International, a U.S.-based nonprofit.
Peter Edmunds, a biology professor at California State University-Northridge, said the study provided a broad perspective that is “terribly important” but does not indicate how close a particular species is to dying off in the region.
“It begs the question, is there a part of the Caribbean where the story is different?” he said.
Researchers have blamed rising temperature, disease and pollutants for damage to the coral reefs, which host countless marine plants and animals.
“The numbers of the population are so diminished that it might take a long, long time, given the right conditions, for them to recover,” said William Precht, a Florida-based scientist with the Battelle Memorial Institute who participated in the study.
The team also reported significant damage to mangroves, which filter pollutants, reporting the plants cover 42 percent less area in the Caribbean than they did 25 years ago.
Conservation projects are under way to protect coral colonies in the Caribbean. The U.S. government’s Coral Reef Task Force is helping officials in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands cut back on pollution and recreational activities that could threaten coral.
The study was sponsored by the Caribbean Biodiversity Initiative, along with the nonprofit World Conservation Union in Switzerland and the Royal Caribbean Cruises’ Ocean Fund.
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