Samsung Mobile Phones - A Style symbol

Mobile phones created a new trend in the world of communication. As the creative minds are producing the most advanced and awesome features mobile phones, people started using mobile phones not only for communication purpose but also using for various entertainment purposes like playing games, playing music and browsing whenever they want.

To please the demands of modern handset lovers, the mobile manufacturers are trying their level best to provide mobile phones with seamless and endless features. Among these mobile manufacturers Samsung is one of the fastest growing mobile company in the present day mobile world. All the mobiles from Samsung come with highly sophisticated features as well as trust worthy. These Samsung mobile phones come with multi-functions like camera, FM radio, calculator, Internet facility, Video recorder, Voice recorder, music player and storage memory. This mobile company is well-known for its slider mobile phones. These mobile phones come with stylish looks and high tech features to satisfy the needs of personal as well as official requirements of the mobile users. Samsung released numerous mobile phones with unique features such as the Samsung Tocco, the Samsung u600i, the Samsung Armani and the Samsung U900 Soul.

For instance, the latest technology mobile phone, the Samsung tocco lite contract that comes with all the features and is also known as the Samsung F480. This mobile contract deals provide the splendid display quality with its 2.0 inches TFT touchscreen that comes with 256K colours and has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels, besides its stylish looks and slim shape. Its power-packed camera of 5.0 mega pixels with 2592E1944 pixels offers high-quality images. This GSM-enabled mobile phone has dimensions of 98.4 x 55 x 11.6 mm and comes in a just light weight of 100.6 grams. Samsung F480 Tocco supports all types of music format files like MP3/AAC/ AAC player and H.264/H.263/MPEG4 player. The microSD (TransFlash) expands the storage memory of this mobile phone. It comes preloaded with all the connectivity features such as class 10 GPRS, class 12 EDGE, 3G - HSDPA, Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP and USB v2.0 support. Besides these features, it also comes with Document viewer, organiser, WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML and JAVA.

One more mobile phone from Samsung is the Samsung u600i that comes with unique features to fascinate the mobile phone lovers. This is one of the parts of the Ultra Edition-2 mobile phones from Samsung. This mobile phone all users the people with its reliability, flexibility, price and durability. This ultra-stylish mobile phone has dimensions of 103.5 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm and has a just feather weight of 81 grams. The Samsung u600i 34 x 44 mm TFT screen display with 256K colours and has a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels. The messaging options like SMS, MMS, Email that allows the users to stay connected with their near and dear ones. This stylish mobile has all the advanced features in it such as class 10 GPRS, class 10 EDGE, Bluetooth v2.0 and USB v2.0 support. The MP3/AAC/eACC/WMA player and FM radio with RDS offer high-quality music sounds to their users. The 3.15 mega pixels camera of this mobile helps the users to capture the most precious moments in their life. This mobile is available in Sapphire Blue, Crystal Blue, Platinum Silver, Copper Gold, Garnet Red, Neutral White and Soft Black colours in the market.

If you are looking for the slim and stylish mobile phone with high-fi features, you can go for Samsung mobile phones that come with unparalleled navigational ease and you can get these phones at a reasonable price. Samsung offers a lot of choice to choose like Samsung galaxy s contract. To get the best deal, just you visit the related site on the Internet. It is the best source to have a better view of the latest mobile phones than other mobile phone brands..

Surely, Samsung mobile phones are the best choice for all types of mobile users.

Article Source: Ezine Articles

Car Racing - Many Types

There are many types of racing and can be categorized as follows:

(1) Rally Racing: Rallying involves racing in off-road areas where general people don't drive their vehicles. The drivers and the co-drivers rally at some point and then leave the place at regular intervals to reach a particular point. The drivers and their co-drivers can explore the track beforehand in order to have a better idea of the roads. The co-drivers help the drivers to choose the best possible way to reach the destination. World Rally Championship is the most popular championship in this type of race.

(2) Single-seater Racing: This is one of the most famous motor sports and involves a lot of specially designed high-speed cars. These are open-wheels cars and generally the cars have aerofoil wings in the front and as well as rear to have a better adhesion to the track. Formula One is a World Championship that is now known to every motor sport enthusiast. This championship is the highest level of motor sport and every car racer wants to participate in this competition.

(3) Ice Racing: This type of racing takes place in snow or on frozen lakes. Obvious requirement for such race is extreme weather conditions and this motor sport generally takes place in high latitudes. These cars involve full rubber and studded tires for a better adhesion.

(4) Touring Car Racing: This type of race involves highly modified production cars and it is comparatively slower than the sports car racing or the single-seater racing. The most popular championship is the World Touring Car Championship.

(5) Stock Car Racing: This type of car racing is similar to Touring car racing and is an American version of the same. The car racing series popular in this type of racing is the NASCAR. This is generally conducted on ovals and the cars used in racing are similar to production cars but are specifically built for racing.

(6) Drag Racing: Drag racing involves completing a particular distance in the shortest possible time. Generally this distance is 400 m and the range of cars participating in this race can be everyday car to high class racing cars. It depends on which type of car is being used for drag racing as a street racing car can cover 400m in 15 sec and the same distance can be covered by a specially designed fuel dragster car in 4.5 sec.

(7) Sports Car Racing: Sports car racing takes place in a closed circuit and in this race, purpose-built cars and sports cars production versions compete with each other. This race is particularly for long distances like 1000km and that is why this race involves more than one driver switching between them.

(8) Off-road Racing: The name tells it all, the racing of some modified cars takes place off road i.e. away from city traffic. Off road famous championship series is CORR.

(9) Hill Climbing: This type of race involves racing for the best time completion. The cars have to climb the extremely steep hills and the car with the best completion time is the winner.

(10) Kart Racing: Generally, most motor sport enthusiasts start their career from Kart racing. The racing tracks are quite small and the karts used in the race are quite different from the normal cars that run on roads.


Article Source:Ezine Articles

The Martial Science Of Boxing And Its Contribution To Military Close Combat

INTRODUCTION
This paper will examine the more obscure aspects of Boxing as a martial science. It will illustrate that the martial history, tradition and virtue of boxing is an undeniable fact albeit one that is rarely. If ever, seriously acknowledged and understood. It will concentrate upon the military applications rather than the normal sporting elements (although it will touch upon certain aspects of sporting competition where deemed appropriate) demonstrating how it has been an integral part of the training of a warrior since ancient times. It will explore how it was used to develop "fighting spirit" and" how it has continued in contributing to the origins and development of modern military close-combat techniques in much the same way as some oriental martial arts.

THE ANCIENT WORLD
Boxing is one of the most ancient of all the martial arts, and has quite a clear and traceable history when compared to other forms of combative systems. The term boxing derives from the box shape of the closed hand, or fist. In Latin, the fist is called pugnus (hence the alternative terms pugilism). Pugnus itself derives from the Greek pugme, meaning "fist."

Boxing was practiced in one form or another by most of the classical civilisations of antiquity including those of Egypt, Sumer (A form of boxing can be seen in Sumerian Carvings from the 3rd millennium BC, while an Egyptian relief from about a thousand years later actually shows both participants and spectators. In each case the boxers are bare-fisted) and Crete(where it is even possible to see boxers depicted wearing a primitive type of glove). Even more ancient than this, In 1927, Archaeologist called Dr E. A. Speiser discovered a Mesopotamian stone tablet in Baghdad, Iraq that depicted two men preparing for a boxing match. This tablet is believed to be some 7000 years old!

Fighting with the fists is also described in several ancient Indian texts including the Vedas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Evidence has also been found in certain excavations carried out at the sight of two ancient cities called Mohenjadaro and Harappa in the Indus valley. However. Although fighting using the closed fists would seem to come naturally to most human beings, it was perhaps in Greece that the both the sport and science of Boxing began to gather wide-spread popularity, and was organised and developed accordingly.

It was in Greece that Boxing became an Olympic sport (688 BC), and it was in Greece that it was refined and recognised as being a valuable tool in the training of the warrior. Boxing is mentioned by Homer in the 13th book of the Illiad (Circa 675 BC) Wherein it is described as being part of the competitions the Mycenaeans used to honour their dead.

At this time, while there were some rules (such as forbidding any clinching or wrestling) there were absolutely no weight divisions, no rings, no rounds and no referee. Boxers simply pummelled each another until one was eventually knocked out or gave up. Consequently, serious injuries and even death were not that uncommon Pythagoras of Samos, who won the boxing crown at the 48th Olympiad (588 or 584 B.C.), is recognised as being the first trully "Technical Boxer", for he was a relatively small man standing about 5ft7in and weighing in at only 160 pounds who never the less beat numerous much larger contestants.

As might be expected, it was the warlike Spartans who were to capitalise most with Boxing, recognising it as an effective means of instilling the fighting spirit in the recruit through not only building up levels of courage and tenacity, but also using it as a means of teaching the basics of fighting with the sword, spear and shield. In this manner boxing training became not only an effective unarmed fighting style in its own right, but also served in complimenting the effective use of certain weapons as part of an integrated system of combat training.

Spartan society was extremely martial, and they trained hard and long to be efficient soldiers on the battlefield. It is said that they were almost as dangerous unarmed as they were with a weapon. (Persian historical records of the battle of Thermopylae, where the 300 Spartans led by their king Leonidas, fought a desperate and suicidal rear-guard action in order to allow Greece more time to muster and organise her forces, even refers to these fierce and fanatical warriors as actually resorting to biting at their enemy!) As the popularity of boxing grew it became split and divided, with one branch being maintaining the martial aspect in order to compliment the armed prowess of the Hoplite, and the other concentrating upon sporting competitions (albeit quite brutal ones!). Thus, you had the professional soldier on the one hand and the sportsperson on the other. Even Homer tells us of the difference between combat sports and actual combat; he describes the lament of the champion boxer Epeios, who asked that his incompetence on the battlefield be excused because of his success in sport boxing, saying that it was not possible to good at all things and that the only place where he wasn't able to fight well was the battlefield itself! (Iliad XXIII) However, he is also credited with designing and building the Trojan horse with the help of Athena, as is told in the (Odyssey IV.265ff and Odyssey VIII.492ff) so, perhaps the poor fellow had a point after all, and we should let him off!

The Etruscans were particularly fond of boxing and were actually the very first to introduce the term "Pugilism" a word that has since become synonymous with the science and which continues to be used right up to the present day. Later, Boxing became an integral part of the training regime for Roman Legionaries, with a particularly savage form being adapted for use in the so called "games" of the Arena. It eventually became popular throughout Rome, with all types of people participating including members of the aristocracy (A fight between the agile Dares and the towering Entellus is described at length in the Roman national epic Aeneid (1st century BC). In 500 A.D., boxing was banned altogether by Holy Roman Emperor Theodoric the Great as being offensive to the creator as it disfigured the face which was the image of God. However, this edict had little effect outside the major cities of the Eastern Empire, therefore, boxing continued to evolve as both a sport and a method of self defence throughout Europe but particularly in Italy and especially in the British Isles.

PRIZE FIGHTING ERA
Boxing resurfaces in strength in England during the early 18th century as "Bare-Knuckle Boxing" sometimes also referred to as" prize-fighting". The first documented account of a bare-knuckle fight in England appeared back in 1681 in a newspaper called " the London Protestant Mercury" with the first English champion being James Figg in 1719. As a well as being the first boxing champion of England, James Figg was also a very adept cudgel-fighter and swordsman and was to play a pivotal role in the boxing renaissance. When he opened his school in London in 1719 Figg made a reasonable living out of teaching young gentleman the art of self-defence by applying the precepts of modern fencing-footwork, speed, and the straight lunge-to fist-fighting.

This is interesting in that, as we remember, Boxing was originally used in order to augment and enhance training with weapons in ancient Greece, whereas now, Boxers learned to throw straight punches, the basis of modern boxing, from fencers. To some extent, it could even be said that boxing replaced duelling with swords and pistols, allowing men of all social classes to defend themselves and their honour without necessarily having to severely maim or kill each other. Despite this connection with fencing, boxing encounters during this early modern era were largely unstructured and highly uncivilized. Boxers fought bare-knuckle (without gloves), and wrestling, choking, throwing, gouging, and purring (stomping on one's opponent with spiked boots) were commonplace, so that, in some respects at least, it bore much more of a resemblance to the ancient Greek Pankration or Japanese Jiu-Jitsu than to the sport we all now know and accept as being boxing.

Also, again like its early predecessor, prize-fighting had no written rules: There were no weight divisions, round limits, or referees. In general, it was extremely savage and very chaotic. The first boxing rules, called the London Prize-Ring Rules, were introduced by the heavyweight champion Jack Broughton in 1743 in an attempt to safe-guard fighters from serious injury and even death. Under these rules, if a boxer was knocked to the ground and was not able to continue after 30 seconds, then they would be considered to have lost the bout. Striking an opponent while they were down and grappling below the waist were strictly prohibited.

Although bare-knuckle fighting was in almost every aspect far more brutal than modern boxing, it did allow the fighters a single advantage not enjoyed by today's boxers: The London Prize Rules permitted the fighter to drop to one knee to begin a 30-second count at any time. Thus a fighter realizing he was in trouble had an opportunity to recover. Intentionally going down in modern boxing will cause the recovering fighter to lose points in the scoring system. Furthermore, as the contestants did not have heavy leather gloves and wrist-wraps to protect their hands, a certain amount of restraint was required when striking the head.

In 1838 the London Prize Ring rules were expanded and were subjected to further revision in 1853 eventually being replaced by the Marquess of Queenberry rules in 1867. It was the introduction of this modern set of rules, together with a High-Court ruling in 1882 which declared that bare-knuckle matches were "an assault occasioning actual bodily harm, despite the consent of the of the fighters, that saw the demise of prize fighting and gave birth to "modern boxing". Even so, the effectiveness of even this modern, refined boxing as a martial science cannot be denied. For example: On December 31, 1908, in Paris, France, heavyweight boxer Sam McVey knocked out Jiu-Jitsuka Tano Matsuda (Jiu-Jitsu) in ten seconds. And, in another bout held on January 12, 1928, in Yokohama, Japan, Packey O'Gatty, a bantamweight boxer, knocked out another Jiu-Jitsuka called Shimakado with one punch in less than four seconds!

THE MILITARY
It was this obvious effectiveness, together with its strict set of "Gentlemanly rules" that caused the military, especially the officer class, to recognise it as being of real worth in the basic training and battlefield prowess of their soldiers. However, there was one particular officer who saw even further: Captain William J. Jacomb.

The First World War has gone down in history as being the worst managed conflict in history. This was largely due to the fact that most of the senior officers involved had undergone their basic training and fought their first military campaigns in the 19th century.

They had cut their soldierly teeth upon massed cavalry charges and infantry organised into lines and squares, and had thought that they could continue to engage the enemy in this manner in the 20th century, even with its machine guns, air support, communications, mustard-gas and modern artillery pieces. These outdated and obsolete strategies and tactics were to soon turn the battlefields into muddy, bloody acres of "no-mans-land", honeycombed with thousands of trenches that actually joined up in some cases.

In such an inhospitable and dangerous type of terrain it was not uncommon for patrols from opposing sides to "bump" into each other with little or even no warning. Consequently, the fighting was often of a very desperate nature at extremely close-quarters. It is as a direct result of this that both sides began experimenting with various hand to hand combat systems including Jiu Jitsu, in order to help provide their troops that much needed "edge" on the battlefield.

William J. Jacomb was an officer in the Canadian army who had a lot of experience as a boxing coach at various universities as well as in the military. It had come to his attention that it was the soldiers who had a basic knowledge of boxing also seemed to make the best bayonet fighters. He immediately started to design a programme of instruction for the army that combined standard boxing drills with the efficient use of the bayonet and put forward a proposal to his superiors that this training should be made available to as many troops as possible. In 1916, Jacomb was appointed as an instructor to the Bayonet fighting and Physical Training Staff of the Canadian Army in order to teach his methods of boxing/bayonet to a specially selected group of soldiers most of whom already possessed a certain amount of boxing training and experience, with the idea being that they would then return to their individual units as instructors in close-quarter combat.

The students were divided into classes of 20 with each course being of 21 days duration during which time a lot a material had to be covered and learnt. Jacobs himself says:

"Physical courage is perhaps the most common of virtues, but the courage of a soldier, and especially in the bayonet fighter, is a courage borne of confidence and ability to fight and to defend himself. I do not believe there is any other form of exercise which develops this as quickly as the practice of boxing. Secondly, and fortunately, bayonet fighting is so near akin to boxing that the practice of boxing develops skill in bayonet in less time, with less expense, and with fewer casualties."

As already stated, the urgent need and importance for effective hand to hand fighting (particularly Bayonet) had already been identified and acknowledged due to the nature of the conflict, so Jacombs endeavours in this area were both supported and encouraged. The official 1916 manual on Bayonet Training says that: "The spirit of the bayonet must be inculcated into all ranks so that they will go forward with the aggressive determination and confidence in superiority borne of continual practice, without which a bayonet assault will not be effective."

From the outset, Jacombs course was well received and deemed to be an outstanding success turning out as it did confident and competent instructors for the army. Later, in 1918, Jacomb published a book titled "Boxing for Beginners" outlining his methods. It consisted of three parts with the first describing how to box, the second describing the relationship of boxing to bayonet fighting and the third on how to organise a boxing tournament. In his conclusion to the chapter regarding the relationship between boxing and bayonet fighting, Jacomb states the following:

"Every man who is going to carry a rifle and bayonet should learn to box to help him use the bayonet. He should be taught by men who have had experience in boxing. His bayonet fighting should be taught by a teacher of that subject. If the instructor is good at both, so much the better. The pupil must always be taught that the point of his bayonet is the best end of his weapon."

This is very similar to telling a boxer to keep his opponent on "the end of the Left-jab" or to concentrate on long-range "Outfighting". However, Jacomb did also demonstrate and teach how "In-fighting" boxing tactics and techniques could be adapted for use with a rifle and bayonet, especially by utilising the butt- end of the rifle to deliver "Hooks" and "Upper-Cuts" to dispatch a foe quickly and efficiently.

CONCLUSION
Boxing is, without a doubt, a true martial science. It has contributed to the training of soldiers almost since the beginning of recorded history. Whether it be aiding a Hoplite in effective sword and shield drills, affording the officer class a non-lethal alternative to duelling, or enhancing the use of the bayonet in 20th Century warfare. It has demonstrated its effectiveness on the battlefield, in the sporting arena (against other martial arts) and as an effective means of self defence, as taught by James Figg and others.

I, myself, have experimented with boxing drills as a means teaching basic short-blade techniques, and have found this to be extremely worth-while. As a martial science that has proven itself consistently over literally thousands of years, it is my opinion that boxing still has a great deal to offer. At the very least, it is a splendid method for keeping fit, healthy and focused and also improves balance, coordination and confidence in the individual. Thus, by learning boxing a person will be far more able to defend themselves both on the street and in battle (we should remember here that successful bayonet charges have been recorded in both the Falklands (Gurads/Paras July 1982) and Iraq (Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, May 2004).

Boxing should be regarded as being much more than the sport we see. It is a bona fide martial science, and should, therefore be accepted and respected as such.




Article Source:EzineArticles

Street Racing Game Madness

Unlike other racing games that you may find on the Internet a street racing game will combine racing and gambling in a way that will turn each and every street race into a new challenge for you. Before you start to download racing games you can start an online search to find the street racing game that you prefer. You can choose from a long and diverse list of street racing games which includes games like Street Racers Syndicate (SRS), Midnight Club, Tokyo Xtreme Racer, Speed Devils and many more.

Midnight Club is a street racing game that brings you deep within the world of illegal street racing. The cars featured in the game are not models of real cars because no car manufacturer wanted to be associated with a game that involves illegal street racing. In spite of this draw back, Rockstar managed to create a captivating, successful street racing game that has an ever growing fan base. The Street Racing edition of Midnight Club takes the player to the streets of New York City and London where he starts racing with a rather slow vehicle and he has to win as many street races as possible to gain access to better, more powerful cars. The Midnight Club II edition provides a change of scenery and moves the action to the streets of Los Angeles, Tokyo and Paris. In this edition of Midnight Club Rockstar features vehicles that resemble real life cars: the Veloci which is modeled after the Saleen S7, the Victory which is modeled after the Aston Martin Vanquish and the Jersey XS which is modeled after the Dodge Viper.

Another street racing game you will find on your search is Speed Devils which is a fairly simple street racing game but with some interesting features. The goal is to race against as many rival drivers as possible and win to ascend to the next level of the game. Unlike it is the case with other street racing games you can also challenge your opponent to perform certain feats while driving and bet on whether on not he will succeed. An interesting feature is that the obstacles that the game throws your way may sometimes take the form of dinosaurs.


Article Source: Ezine Articles

Rock Climbing Gear

There are a number of different outdoor sports that people enjoy. For those who enjoy adventure, Rock climbing offers the most challenging experience of all outdoor activities. An experienced rock climber knows how important it is to have good quality rock climbing gear.

A serious rock climber will always have safety on top of their list of priorities. Choosing the right set of rock climbing gear and equipment is the first step to ensuring a safe and successful climb. f you purchase gear that is inferior, you could be putting your life at risk.Rock climbing can be a dangerous sport. The participants start at the bottom of the mountain and climb to the top by using equipment that is powered by physical strength. It takes a person who is physically fit to perform a successful rock climbing expedition.

Rock climbing equipment can be found in any sporting goods store or can be ordered over the Internet. There are several wholesale and discount rock climbing stores across the country. By checking local directories and the Internet, you can find them easily.

The prices of rock climbing gear range from $30 and can go as high as $1200 dollars. There are wholesale and discount stores that offer huge discounts in order to retain your business. The majority of owners are either former or current rock climbers and can give you helpful advice.

It is recommended that you buy your rock climbing equipment in a sporting good store because you need to make sure that everything fits you properly. Your safety depends on it. It is possible to buy your climbing gear used, but it is not recommended. Especially your shoes. You need to you're your rock climbing shoes fitted to your feet, with used rock climbing shoes, the are already formed around someone else's feet. When you are climbing, the last thing you need to worry about is the safety of your gear.

When you first get started with rock climbing, there are specific recommendations for those who are new the sport. Taking a course in rock climbing will give you the instruction that you need to make your climb successful. Rock climbing shoes are possibly the most important piece of equipment you will purchase. Making the right choice is critical.

Ordinary sneakers will not afford you the grip that you need to ensure your safety. Rock climbing shoes are designed with special grip that are needed for this dangerous sport. A harness is your safety net when you're rock climbing. It can act as a pulley to get you over surfaces that are too horizontal for you to get around, and it can prevent you from plummeting if you lose your footing.
You may be hanging in the air until you can get your footing again, but you will not fall.

Ropes and chocks are also necessary in rock climbing, Ropes also protect you from falling, and chocks are the grips that create handholds as you climb the rock or mountain. All of this equipment, except for the climbing shoes, is sold separately, or it is sold in packs. When you buy it in a pack, you may pay less than you would if you bought it separately. Another item that is optional is a climber's toolbox. It is a box that you can put your rock climbing equipment in and makes it easily accessible. It is carried in your backpack.

There are many different types of rock climbing equipment available on the market today. It is crucial that you choose the correct rock climbing gear to suit your needs. There is even rock climbing equipment that is made especially for children. If you are not sure what type of equipment you will need, talk to an experienced rock climber. They can advise you of everything that you will need to have a safe but adventurous climb. You need to be dedicated to learning every aspect of it and train on simulated mountains before you undertake the real thing. This right rock climbing equipment could save your life.



Article Source: Ezine Articles

Mount Kenya - Up High at God's Mountain

Mount Kenya is Africa's second highest mountain, after Kilimanjaro. It is estimated to be 2.5 million years old, and Kilimanjaro at 750,00 years of age is really an upstart. Time has really taken its toll, and the peak is thought to have dropped from 6,500 m those millions of years ago to 5,199 m today. The mountain is an extinct volcano, whose plug forms what is today the peak area. The crater was long ago, done to death, by nature's untiring erosion agents.

Mount Kenya is an awe-inspiring spectacle that dominates the central Kenyan highlands. It is perhaps understandable that the Kikuyu people who reside on its lower slopes thought it fit for Gods' abode. And it inspires people in strange ways. In 1943, Felice Benuzzi, an Italian prisoner of war held at Nanyuki at the base of the mountain, and two companions, escaped and attempted to scale the summit. With just a few handmade climbing tools, he managed reach Point Lenana, the mountain's third highest peak.

But Benuzzi was at least an accomplished mountaineer. In 1988, the Mount Kenya Rescue Team discovered and retrieved an elder of the Meru people way up at the chilly heights of Peak Nelion (5,188 m). Only experts, with proper equipment and guides reach Nelion. He appeared unaware of the feat he had accomplished and was perturbed by the fuss his rescuers raised. He explained his mission was "going to God". He was kitted in a manner you will not see recommended in any guide book- in a single blanket and open sandals. The animals do weird things too: a few years ago, the frozen bodies of a leopard and colobus monkey were discovered at Nelion.

Mount Kenya is located 180 km to the north of Nairobi. The mountain falls within Mount Kenya National Park. The park is made up of a protected area above 3,200m altitude, together with two small salients reaching to 2,450 m along the Naro Moru and Sirimon trails. It was set up in 1949 and covers an area of 715 sq km. It is further surrounded by the Mount Kenya National Reserve, which extends over 2,075 sq km. The park has the distinction of being simultaneously a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve.

The mountain is made up of three main zones: the rocky peak region, the afro-alpine moorland with its scattering of giant vegetation, and the extensive lower slopes covered in mountain forest and bamboo. The astonishing ecological diversity is one of the attractions of this giant. The ecological processes that have brought about the afro-alpine flora in particular intrigue scientists. There are 81 species of plants here that are found nowhere else in the world.

In the lower forest zone, there is plenty of wildlife including buffalo, elephant, sykes monkey and bushbuck. The animals are however generally difficult to see. Further up, the animals are even scarcer though hyena, leopard, buffalo and civet cats have been sighted. The only animal you are likely to see in the upper
alpine zones is the rock hyrax. Though it is the size of a domestic cat, it resembles a rat more. The seemingly humble rock hyrax has some powerful relatives in the animal kingdom and it counts the elephant as its biological kin.

The mountain attracts over 30,000 enthusiasts every year. Point Lenana (4,985 m), the so-called trekkers peak, can be reached by any reasonably fit and suitably prepared person. The summit has the twin peaks of Batian (5,199 m) and Nelion (5,188 m), and is accessible to only those with technical mountaineering and rock climbing experience. This mountain is not an easy one to conquer and each year not more than 100 climbers make it to the twin summit peaks. Mount Kenya is in fact considered to be more technically challenging than the higher Kilimanjaro (5,894 m). But those who make it to the top experience some of Africa's finest rock and ice climbing.

The mountain has very many fans and especially fascinates technical climbers. The author and mountaineer, Rick Ridgeway - author of the Seven Summits, declares that of all the worlds' mountains this is his favourite. Halford Mackinder planned and led the first expedition on record to reach the summit in 1899. But if the Meru elder mentioned above is anything to go by, the locals must have long ago been to the mountaintop. The Mackinder trip was a great success and his party discovered many species of animal and plant life then unknown in Europe. A new species of eagle owl, for example, was first recorded by this expedition and subsequently named after Mackinder.

Though Mount Kenya is practically on the equator, you will find snow and ice and even glaciers. However, in the one hundred years since Mackinder conquered the mountain, the number of glaciers has dropped from 18 to only 7 that remain today. The culprit for this is the global climate change that has accelerated in recent years. Scientists tell us that during the ice ages large glaciers reached below 3,000 m. Today the largest glacier is the Lewis Glacier at 4,600 m. The continuing retreat of glaciers is expected to have a negative impact on downstream eco-systems, not to mention the scenic appeal of the mountain.

Mount Kenya is the source of Tana River- Kenya's biggest river- and was for many years seen as an inexhaustible water fountain. Not any more- the loss of glaciers and forest cover has brought this assumption into disrepute. The loss of forest cover is particularly worrying, because it is avoidable. How to save the forests of Mount Kenya has long engaged environmentalist Wangari Maathai-the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner. She was born on the lower slopes of the mountain and has in her lifetime witnessed the changes up at the mountain.

You can reach the peak area by taking one of three routes: Naro Moru, Sirimon and Chogoria. Good roads will get you form Nairobi to Naro Moru, Nanyuki and Chogoria - the base towns for each of the trails. There are alternative routes but most have fallen into disuse and you need superior navigation skills and stamina to attempt them. This includes: Burguret, Meru, Kamweti, and Timau. It is highly recommended that you stick to the three popular routes. But if you have a good reason for doing otherwise, or indeed for pioneering your own route, you are required to register with the park authorities.

The Naro Moru route approaches the mountain from the west and is easily the most popular. The trail is well serviced with rest huts and is the fastest way to the peaks. It is however the steepest and climbers vulnerable to AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) may experience difficulties. The hike will take 4 days, though you may opt for an additional day at the summit. You start with a fairly steep 5-hour walk from Park Gate to Met Station (3,050 m). This is where you spend the first night and acclimatize to the thinning mountain air.

The next day is the longest and you will walk, under varying terrain, for anywhere between 8 and 10 hours. You spend the night at Mackinders Camp (4,200 m), in the vicinity of the peak area. You really should have an early night on this day. Very early the next morning -2.00 a.m is the usual time- you set out to attempt Point Lenana. The mountain is generally clear in the morning and stormy in the afternoon- so, the idea is for you to ascend and descend the peak when you have good traction. This is the part of the hike where some experience symptoms of altitude related ailments.

It will take you about 5 hours to reach Lenana. Here you must take some photos, to show the folks back home how you fared at the top of God's Mountain. Afterwards, you descend in 3 hours to Mackinders Camp for breakfast. Then ascending back to Teleki Valley via Camel Rocks, you reach Met Station in about 4 hours. The night rest is at Met Station, before the final descent to Park Gate.

The Sirimon route has its base at Nanyuki to the north of the mountain. The route offers easier climbing than the Naro Moru trail and is also more scenic. It normally takes 5 days up and down the mountain. You start with a 3-4 hours walk through rain forest to overnight at Old Moses camp (3,300 m). Next day after breakfast you hike through the moorland and the Liki and Mackinder valleys. You reach Shipton's camp (4,200 m) after a 6-7 hour hike. You spend the night here before setting out very early the next morning to attempt Point Lenana.

The Chogoria route begins at the town of the same name to the west of the mountain. This is the by far most beautiful and scenic of the popular routes. You will enjoy dramatic views of waterfalls, valleys, tarns and rugged rock formations. But the trail is not so popular because it is also the longest and therefore toughest. It will take you 6 days to ascend and descend the mountain. There are no usable service huts along the route and you must carry a tent along. Whichever route you use, you can prolong your enjoyment of these heights by taking a day to do the Summit Circuit Path.

It is important that you take enough water - about 4 to 6 litres daily- to keep dehydration at bay. Dehydration makes you more vulnerable to altitude sickness and hypothermia. Hypothermia is lowering of body temperature and symptoms include clumsiness and disorientation. Victims of the condition need to be quickly provided with a warm and dry environment. At heights above 3,000 m, oxygen levels reduce and altitude sickness stalks the trekker. That is why a fast climb is not advised, as you have no opportunity to acclimatize. The symptoms for Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) are nausea, headache, fatigue and general malaise. You should always descend to lower altitude with the onset of symptoms.

Other more severe medical conditions that can arise are High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE) and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). The coming of HAPE is betrayed by a dry cough and difficulty in breathing. HACE is marked by slurred speech, severe headache and disoriented behaviour. HACE and HAPE are both potentially fatal and you should always descend to lower altitude and seek treatment. To reduce chances of mountain sickness, it is advisable to acclimatize by spending an extra night near Park Gate or at the mountain huts above 4,000 m. If you temper your zeal for the peaks and take a slow sensible hike you will enjoy the adventure and will be all right.

You will generally need a guide and porters so that you can concentrate on the hike. Always go for those who have high altitude experience and are accredited by the park authorities. They will know the routes, and a good one is worth his weight in gold, in event of sickness and other contingencies. The porters shoulder the heavy stuff while you carry a daypack with essentials such warm clothing, fire making capability, some food and drinks, a flashlight and first aid kit.

The stuff you must bring along includes: warm clothing, waterproof hiking boots, rain suit, sleeping bags, flashlights, sunglasses and hand gloves. Many climbers find it expedient to buy a Mount Kenya climbing package in order to take advantage of those with local knowledge. Such a package will include transport, accommodation in the mountain huts, meals while on the climb, park entry fees, services of an experienced mountain guide and porters and cooks.

The main rainy season in the Mount Kenya region falls from late March to June, with secondary rains appearing from late October to December. You can climb the mountain at any time of year but the most comfortable climb is achieved in the dry months of January and February and from July to October.

After your climb, you can relax at some of the excellent hotels and resorts in the Mount Kenya area. Before you leave the country, take to heart the sentiments of the Italian climber Carlo Spinelli, who said: "I consider myself a nature lover more than a mountaineer, and for this reason Kenya has the best of both mountain and wilderness". Take time to see wildlife on a Kenya safari in this region or in other parts of the country.



Article Source:Ezine Articles

Chartering A Private Jet Plane

Air traffic has certainly changed since 911 with higher security, longer lineups, and restrictions that are often hard to comprehend. That's why you need to know the advantage of chartering a private jet plane.

If you are a CEO, executive, or business traveler that's been using commercial airlines I don't need to tell you what a hassle that's become since 911. Never mind what you can't bring along, and then there is all the wasted time before boarding. And then trying to get some work done on the laptop can be touch and go due to confidentiality issues and a snoopy person in the seat beside you. It's enough to make you decide to not go.

The problem is staying home is not an option. Your traveling is an integral part of your successful business. But you do have options and one of those is to charter a private jet plane. There are many advantages to doing that. In fact many corporations already know the advantages which why they spend thousands on chartering a private jet plane for their company.

There are three main reasons to do just that - speed - security - convenience - comfort.

A private jet plane can get you there much faster than a conventional airplane. For example lets look at the Boeing 747 which is one of the fastest consumer airplanes at 550 mph or 880 kph, however there you can charter a private jet plane like the Citation X or Cessna that can do 600 mph which is almost the speed of sound. 50 mph adds up really quickly. Combine that with no wasted time at the airport.

Security is actually tighter for a private jet plane with everyone having to be screened but that also means you don't have to worry about security risks. This is incredibly helpful if you are a politician or a foreign dignitary, or a powerful executive that could be targeted. And the good news is that these are very realistic security checks. No worrying about the nail file with more concern for real threats.

Speaking of speed when you charter a private jet plane you won't be wasting hours standing in a line to check your luggage in and get screened. With a private jet you have your own area to check in and it save a great deal of time.

And then there is comfort. When you charter a private jet plane you can stretch out, relax, or get some serious work done in comfort. Enjoy the finest wine or a great meal depending on how far you are flying. The attendant is at your beck and call and the plane is like your personal office. No cramped feet, no lineup at the washroom, no sore back from sitting in uncomfortable seats.

A private jet plane is the way to travel if you are a frequent traveler that wants to get to their destination safely, quickly, conveniently, and in comfort. And the best news is a private jet plane is more affordable than you might think.


Chartering A Private Jet Plane

Male Stamina Enhancement - Are You Expecting Too Much?

Some men are obsessed with their sexual stamina. Whether it is a result of watching too many adult movies or their unachievable dream of satisfying their over-eager partners, one thing you got to get it straight and that is 'stamina; to a large extent is a relative term. This brings us straight to the question when we talk of male stamina enhancement, what is the yardstick by which you measure 'stamina'? Would we get the answer from women? You may take this up as a market research project and ask 50 women what they think of the right kind of 'stamina'. You would be surprised at the variety of answers you get. You would also be surprised at the kind of worries which men go through when it comes to preventing a premature ejaculation as most of them aspire to win a sexual marathon the next time they make love. Now for the most realistic news - and that is that most independent studies have revealed that the average 'stamina' which a sexually healthy and active man is expected to possess is between two and five minutes. This could be startling news for most men, since the average time a woman takes to reach a successful (and not fake) orgasm is about twenty minutes. Thus if you are within this average range of male stamina or fall short of this time span, you could do well with some male stamina enhancement tools.

Talking about some realistic male stamina enhancement tools, there are several actually. Starting from Kegels' exercises to creams and lotions, there are several products and gadgets available in the market, which promise to make every user a friendly neighborhood Eros. But if you probe a bit deeper, the word 'male stamina' perhaps has a lot to do with your mind, and body and both of them working in perfect harmony and in perfect health conditions. This would naturally bring you to your body upkeep, which can be done perfectly with a balanced diet and regular physical exercise.

When your physical body is in perfect state of health, the mind functions better, your moods are more positive and all this would naturally show in your performance in bed. Some of the factors you need to keep in mind though, when you are thinking of male stamina enhancement are things, which promote its loss. Incidentally, alcohol may trigger desire but it severely hampers performance. A drunken man is a disaster in bed and so is a chain-smoker. To get and sustain an erection you need flexibility of the penile muscles, which can expand, allowing blood to flow in, and this would also affect your stamina during performance. Smoking tightens these muscles, which do not permit muscles to be elastic. Not only does erection suffer, but also stamina and performance.

Having said so far, in case premature ejaculation and lack of male stamina is spoiling your love life, here are some foods which guarantee male stamina enhancement:

1. Red meat, if there is no bar on such items from doctors on health grounds, contains 'complete' proteins and creatinine, which makes us stronger as well as more energetic. It also contains the nutrient coQ10, which is not only good for our heart but also for our sexual health.

2. Fish like Alaskan Salmon, Mackerel, Trout, or Sardines, contain a host of omega-3s, which help you keep good sexual health.

3. Eggs according to many are good to improve overall stamina, including male stamina.

4. Male stamina enhance can be achieved if you have raw and organic milk which are great sources of protein, calcium and vitamin D. These ingredients work wonderfully for developing sex stamina.

5. Nuts like almonds and walnuts, which are full of nutritious Omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, fiber, and potassium, along with many other beneficial minerals are good for maintenance of sex health. Other good alternatives to your daily 'snacks' are pecans, macadamias, cashews, and Brazil nuts.



Article Source:Ezine Articles

Interview With By Dr Thienna Ho, Author of "Unlocking the Mystery of Skin Color"

Dr. Thienna Ho was born in Saigon, Vietnam, in April of 1968, just three months after Viet Cong Forces attacked that city during the infamous Tet Offensive. Eleven years later, her family fled communist Vietnam in a 50-foot wooden boat carrying 285 passengers. During their harrowing ocean voyage to Indonesia, this vessel was attacked five times by pirates. Less than a year later, Dr. Thienna's family immigrated to the United States and settled in San Francisco. She went on to earn a number of academic degrees, including a BA in Economics, a BS in Microbiology, a Graduate Certificate in Genetic Engineering, an MA in Business Administration, and a Ph.D. in Scientific Nutrition. She also has performed significant additional study in the fields of chemistry, biology, and molecular biology.

Dr. Thienna is the founder of THIENNA, INC. She is the World Leading Authority on Human Skin Color. After seven years of independent scientific research, Dr. Thienna solved one of the most enduring mysteries on earth that had intrigued scientists for centuries-the causes for the variation in human skin color! She is here to talk about that work and her new book "Unlocking the Mystery of Skin Color."

Tyler: Welcome, Thienna. I have to admit I'm very curious to talk to you because you claim in your book that people have the ability to change or control the color of their skin. To begin, will you tell us how you first discovered this possibility?

Thienna: Thank you for having me here today. It is a treat. Tyler, this question is a very emotional one for me to answer as my mother just passed away last year and I want you and everyone to know how much I love her regardless of what I am about to say. I must admit I am very embarrassed to say this, but I was envious of my mother and siblings for having been born with beautiful light complexions, and I was the only child born with dark skin in the family. Since I was about four years old, I already knew that neighbors and friends always praised them for their beautiful fair skin but not mine. I learned at an early age from my family that my dark skin looked "dirty and unclean"-because my skin tone was so uneven that I counted at least seven distinct shades and the skin on my elbows, knees, feet, and ankles was embarrassingly alligator-like, rough, thick and dark ashen gray in color. I actually hated my skin. Every time, I looked at my mother, I longed to have her beautiful fair skin.

During my adult years here in the U.S., I tried every skin product under the sun to lighten and even out my total body complexion, but these products only darkened my skin color even more! When I was studying microbiology at San Francisco State University as an undergraduate student and genetic engineering as a graduate student, I was disappointed to discover that scientific research had not reached the stage that would help me to alter my skin color. I was so frustrated that I made it my mission to learn everything I could about the science of the human skin so that I could solve my own skin problems and eventually help others who had the same problems that I did and this was how I solved the mystery of human skin color.

Many people are skeptical that I was born dark. I must say I had to have a problem to solve a problem and to passionately see the world the way I see. People said, "Vietnamese people are not dark" and if I were dark it was because I must be hanging out in the sun! And when I moved here, the weather is colder so I would naturally get lighter or get back to my natural color. Well, this did not apply to my case. See the photos in my book and on my website http://thienna.com/thiennaphotos.html of when I was 12 years old and a photo taken with my brother when I was 18 years old. There was not much of a difference in my skin color after six years of living in the U.S. and I did not expose myself to the sun. Even when I was 30 years old, my skin color was the same from avoiding the sun.

In my book, I will prove to you that genetic heritage, solar radiation, and how close you live to the equator, do not have as important an influence on the development of skin color as we previously believed. You will learn that not all people native to the equator are jet black and not all people native to the Polar Regions are exactly white. Thus, living under a sun-deprived environment will not guarantee the development of light skin. You can cover your body up all you want and avoid the sun; you will still be dark unless you know my method!

Tyler: And what is the secret, Thienna? How does a person change his or her skin color?

Thienna: One of the most important factors in the determination of skin color and one that is commonly overlooked is the amount of sulfur in your skin. When skin of any color has less sulfur available for its use, it develops a darker shade. When skin of any color has plentiful supplies of sulfur available for its use, it develops a lighter shade. Thus, by changing the amount of sulfur in the pigment-producing layer of your skin, you can change your skin color!

What I must point out here is we need sulfur to survive. Sulfur is a natural mineral that is as fundamental to life as water and salt are. It is the eighth most abundant chemical element in all life forms and the third most abundant mineral in your body. You cannot live without it. Sulfur is found in every cell in your body. Your body needs sulfur to create skin, hair, nails, muscles, bones, and teeth. Without sulfur, your body cannot regulate its blood sugar or transmit messages from one nerve cell to another. Your body also requires sulfur to digest, absorb fat, and to excrete cholesterol. Therefore, factors in your lifestyle and diet do affect the amount of sulfur that your body uses.

In my book, I teach people how to enrich their diet with sulfur-rich foods and how to adopt behavior patterns that will maintain high sulfur levels in the body in order to lighten one's skin color or to maintain a flawless complexion.

Tyler: Thienna, I admit I've never heard sulfur discussed when we talk about minerals and vitamins and our body's makeup. Why haven't we heard more about sulfur in the past? What is an example of a sulfur-rich food?

Thienna: Sulfur is not extensively studied in human nutrition. It is solely required by your body to neutralize and eliminate toxins to keep you HEALTHY! Your survival depends, I believe, strictly on how well you combat poisons/toxins before they damage your tissues which could potentially lead to chronic illnesses or cancers and what not. It is one of the most overlooked essential nutrients for our body. Why we have not heard of it? Haha... That is a great question. Example of a sulfur-rich food is cabbage.

Tyler: You said a person's distance from the equator doesn't make a difference in their skin color. Are the diets of certain people, such as Europeans, more full of sulfur than those of people in Africa? Is geography in any way responsible for skin color?

Thienna: Diet and lifestyle of the Europeans play a good part in the development of their skin color but more importantly the secret is in the book. There is a loophole that helps them save more sulfur for the body.

Geography is not at all responsible for the outcome of skin color. Take for instance, 2 population groups: one lives at 4,500 feet above sea level and the other at 8,000 feet above sea level where every 1,000 feet, there is a 6% increase in the intensity of UV radiation. You would assume that the group that lives at 8,500 feet would have darker skin but this is not the case. As a matter of fact, the group who lives at 8,500 feet has white skin and the group who lives at 4,500 feet above sea level has brown skin. I am referring to the cases in my book-the Hotan and the Hunzakuts. These are not isolated incidences. There is no lack of variation in human skin color no matter where you look. To sum up, as long as the sulfur intake outweighs the toxin intake, light skin development is favored regardless and visa versa.

Tyler: Thienna, how radical of a color change is possible? Can a South African be made to look like someone from Finland or vice-versa?

Thienna: From my own research and feedback from people who have been practicing my Natural Fairskin Method for the past 2 years, people got many shades lighter, like myself. For example, they can go from a brown to a light brown, a dark olive to a light olive and light olive to the light range in a period of 12 to 18 months. As for me, I have been practicing my method for 7 years; I was able to go from a dark olive to the light range. As of today, I cannot say that my Natural Method can make a South African to look like someone from Finland or vice-versa because people are still testing the method and only time will tell.

Tyler: What sort of evidence is there that this change is possible?

Thienna: There are many intriguing scientific evidences in my book, which show you that skin color is not fixed and the skin lightening process could be a very recent phenomenon (recent would mean a few thousand years). Take for instance, recent genetic research showing that the ancestors of modern Germanic people did not have light skin. Visual evidence left by artists 10,000 years ago from caves in France show men with dark brown skin hunted light brown deers. Other fascinating evidence can be seen in recent research of short lived creatures! Believe it or not, research showed that even a single nutrient can affect the color development of the furs or coats of animals! You have to wait and read my Nature's Proof from my book. It will knock your sock off!

I am also a proof right here and people who have used my method can testify to this too. And whether you have used my method or not, you may have unknowingly directed the development of your own skin color to a certain degree! Some people do get lighter with age and some people get darker with age.

Tyler: You claim to have lightened your own skin. Will you tell us a little bit about this change and how much of a change you actually made?

Thienna: Well, people often thought that I was Cambodian but now they think that I am Japanese. It is definitely a visible change! I do apologize if I offended anyone with labels. I must say skin color is one of the hardest and most touchy subjects to talk about and I am always in the line of fire. I hope people will understand where I came from, why I did it, and not be judging me before they read my book. I am glad I was born into this perfect situation which has propelled me to solve one of the most puzzling scientific mysteries on earth.

Tyler: What are the most common reasons why people use this change of skin color?

Thienna: For esthetic reasons and I will leave it at that. It is the same like someone likes to have a tan.

Tyler: Thienna, without meaning to offend anyone, may I ask if people have reacted to your work as having some sort of racist agenda?

Thienna: Absolutely! They think my work is evil. As evil as the theory of evolution! As you know, science has no moral judgement. If we stray from logic, we cannot solve anything.

Tyler: That's a perfect response, Thienna. Of course, we have heard of white men who dress as black men to see if they are treated differently. In your own experiences, have people treated you differently than they used to because of your lighter skin? May I ask why you think your family even made your skin color an issue?

Thienna: Tyler, this is a very interesting question indeed. To be honest, in my own experiences, I never had any problems whatsoever with how people treated me when I had a dark complexion. People genuinely love me and I can feel their love and kindness. However, it is strange enough to say, but many women just do not like me when I am lighter. I am sure it is nothing new whether I am dark or light, there is a war among women since eons which I will not go into. As for men of color, I will not comment on this as I can only listen, learn, and provide solutions that would help us all.

Again, I love my mom greater than the ocean, the sky, and the stars altogether and I would go to the ends of the earth for her in life and in death. When she left me, she took my heart and my soul. My mom is my everything but she is not without flaws. As to my dark skin color, I truly believe it was not intentional and not directed toward me at all. But if you are growing up hearing how dark skin is dirty, eventually, you know you are dirty as well. That is as much as I want to share for now. Maybe one day I will tell my story. I must say I am proud of myself. With struggles come rewards. I would not change anything and I don't have any regrets. Although I do hold grudges through eternity. Anyway, this is the spice of life. I live, learn and see life with all its beauty and its ugliness. This is what makes life the more interesting and beautiful.

Tyler: What methods can be used for people who are aging, concerned with such signs of old age as liver spots?

Thienna: They can practice my Natural Fairskin Method and their liver spots will naturally lighten. My Natural Fairskin Method utilizes diet and lifestyle alone without the use of toxic chemicals, drugs, or steroids to undo any skin problems. Some may say...well, I do not want to get lighter than I already am. I want to emphasize that you need sulfur to keep your skin clear and vibrant. To have a therapeutic skin lightening effect, you need a lot and I mean a lot more sulfur in your diet. In a nutshell, if you have a great surplus of sulfur in the body after the body uses the sulfur for all the necessary biological processes, the sulfur can then be allocated to your skin. Skin lightening is a side effect of a high sulfur intake. This is why you can control your own skin color development depending on how much sulfur you give your body and how much you save for use by your skin. If you do not want your skin to lighten, do not eat too much sulfur! But eat enough to keep your skin nice and clear into your old age!

Tyler: What about people who have suffered from serious skin damaged from sun exposure over the years. Is there hope for them?

Thienna: Damaged skin, either from toxic chemicals, poisons generated from the body or sun-damaged skin, is very difficult to correct. However, people can use my method to undo the damage to their skin to a large degree and restore its youthful vibrancy. Using toxic chemicals to correct the damaged skin may make the situation worsen in many cases. Chemical peels and other methods such as microdermabrasion may help correct the damaged skin to some degree but people still need to change from the inside out so the underlying problems will not surface again.

Remember, what you put in your body, on your body, or what affects your body from your environment will affect the mechanism that controls your skin health and its color. It does not matter where the source comes from; in the end, toxin is toxin and the body will use sulfur to clear toxins from the body, leaving less sulfur for the skin which in turn affects your skin health.

Tyler: Having a tan and using tanning salons has been a big fad in the United States in recent years, yet we are constantly warned about skin cancer. Is there another way to tan the skin naturally?

Thienna: Yes. There is a chapter in my book about how to use diet to tan your skin naturally. There is no need to expose your skin to the dangerous UV rays! Indigenous people of the world are always darker than their modern counterparts in the developed world. You will have to read the book to see what they do to achieve their dark complexions and maintain their dark complexion for thousands of years even if they live in sun deprived environment!

Tyler: In referring to indigenous people, did you find in your research that any previous cultures had the knowledge you have found-that some ancient culture perhaps had worked out the secret of skin color?

Thienna: Definitely ancient cultures do have the wisdom and the knowledge as to how to keep their skin color light but they do not know why scientifically. For instance, to make the skin lighter, ancient Egyptian women bathed themselves in milk. The Tibetans would avoid eating butter, the South Indians would avoid drinking black tea, for the Chinese, don't eat too much soy sauce if you don't want skin of the same color, etc...

In this book, I show you the science behind "the how." Any questions that you were curious before are all in this book. Even if the answers are not written in this book, the book will speak for itself effortlessly.

I have to point out that sulfur has been used since the ancient times to treat skin ailments. What I found that was truly interesting to me was how sulfur is portrayed in Ancient Christianity. Christianity conceptualized sulfur as the fuel that produces the fire of hell and in the New Testament, Hell is called the fiery lake of burning sulfur. Sulfur was known in the ancient time as a substance that cleanses pollution and purifies the sin.

Tyler: Thienna, you also comment that the poorest countries tend to have the darkest skinned people. Why is this?

Thienna: Your body's toxin-clearing mechanisms greatly depend on sulfur... Meaning whatever you put in your body, on the molecular level, it will affect your sulfur status. Changes in your skin color are the result from changes in your environment, diet, behavior, lifestyle, culture, tradition, cooking methods and emotional and psychological factors such as stress.

I discovered that, everything else being equal, a population group exposed to relatively low levels of toxins over a long period of time will have a lighter skin color than a comparable group exposed to high levels of toxins over the same period. Toxins rob the body of sulfur, which leaves less sulfur for the skin.

This is why skin color is not uniform within a population group either. This is difficult for me to say but the wealthy, high status people often have a lighter complexion than the less wealthy people even if they share the same genetic makeup. City people are also lighter than their ethnic counterparts. This is not just my observation but skin scientists also observed this phenomenon. (I must warn people about our discussion. It could be really disturbing?.

Tyler: You promise, Thienna, to give us the answers to some intriguing questions, including why do some African-American celebrities seem to get lighter over time. I have to ask, what do you think has happened to Michael Jackson's skin color?

Thienna: Some African-American celebrities do get lighter over time because money and status take a load of stress off their body, mind, and soul. They eat and live well and also do what they passionately love. Fewer toxins bombarded their bodies. Thus, these factors naturally enhance the development of lighter skin color. When we do not have money, it does not come with just the emotional and psychological stress of everyday life but we eat cheap and malnourished foods laden with toxins. (If you listen to the latest news...foods and merchandises from cheap retail outlets are packed with poisons!-I'm not going to name names-and who are the buyers?) Our skin naturally gets darker with time and if we keep on this pattern from one generation to the next, the skin of population groups just get darker and darker overtime until it reaches equilibrium. Let me explain something very important here. Most of us are taught as a fact that the sun is one of the major contributing factors that affects how your ancestors and you develop your skin color and that is...the closer you live to the equator the darker your complexion and the closer you live to the North Pole the lighter your complexion. This is not so! Skin color is not uniform worldwide wherever you look. You can remove the sun altogether and you still evolve to have a dark complexion. Other factors mentioned above (diet, lifestyle, behavior, culture, and tradition) can have as much or greater an influence on the development of skin color than the sunrays and not to mention genetics!

As for Michael, I do not know him but I will say this... Michael would have naturally gotten lighter by many, many shades over time with his money and power. That is all I can comment on about Michael.

Tyler: I have to admit when I first heard about your book, I felt skeptical about the matter. Will you tell us a little bit about the kind of research you put into the book so we are more convinced?

Thienna: The findings presented in "Unlocking The Mystery of Skin Color" are the results of my extensive research in the fields of molecular biology, chemistry, genetics and nutrition as well as my own personal observations and experiences. I applied the strict standard of scientific method to solve my skin problems and my research is backed by over 500 reputable scientific sources. The advantage of applying the scientific method is that it is unprejudiced. My results are reproducible by anyone who wants to determine whether my results are true or false in human or even animal models. Since 2005, many people worldwide have applied my method and they got the same results as I did. I am very confident to say that I did it. I solved the mystery of skin color!

Tyler: Thienna, who has been your biggest influence?

Thienna: I have to say that my dad has the biggest influence on me. Because I was born with a dark complexion, my dad always pushed me harder than my other siblings to sharpen my mind. He provided all the vehicles for me to excel since I learned to walk-from music, sport, dance, and down to my education. He made me believe in myself-an immeasurable value that helps me excel both in work and in life.

Tyler: Thank you, Thienna, for joining me today and sharing these amazing techniques to change skin color. Before we go, will you tell us what additional information about "Unlocking the Mystery of Skin Color" readers might find at your website?

Thienna: At my website (www.thienna.com), people can find additional information about my company, what I do and of course questions and answers about the book from readers. I also provide nutritional supplements to assist individuals to obtain a healthy, clearer, and brighter complexion...that is if people cannot follow my Natural Fairskin Diet strictly, they can supplement their diet with my dietary sulfur.

Tyler: Thank you, Thienna, for the fascinating information. I wish you lots of luck in your continued research.




Article Source:Ezine Articles

Influences on Face Recognition

O'Toole, Deffenbacher, Valentin, and Abdi (1994) reviewed several factors that influence face recognition. Typicality, one of these factors, refers to how similar a face is to a prototypical face. A prototypical face is a blend of typical or homogeneous features that are "normal." A prototypical face is a conceptual tool used to describe similarity of features. Closely related faces of an individual's concept of the prototypical face blend with the features of that prototype, whereas unusual features or non-prototypical faces would tend to "stand out" in memory.

Faces are retained in a manner that enhances the prototypical features of the face. Thus an exemplar is encoded for recognition. Accuracy in recognition occurs where the facial detail differ from the exemplar. Faces that are considered unusual are considered more familiar than typical faces. For example, glasses, facial hair, a facial scar, or tattoo would create a specific memory that could be easily recalled. Lewis and Johnson (1997) found that distinctiveness of a face predicted miss errors, failure to identify a face as seen previously, whereas familiarity of a face predicted false positives, identifying a face as seen previously that was new. As little as the addition or removal of glasses, or the growth of or shaving of a beard can drastically reduce accuracy of face recognition.

Facial attractiveness and memorability are related (Vokey & Read, 1992; O'Toole, et. al). Moreover, faces judged as likeable or neutral are more easily recognized than faces judged unlikable.

Attractiveness is related to typicality or homogeneity of faces. Faces that are viewed as attractive are those closely related to the prototype. A negative correlation exists between facial attractiveness and memorability. Less attractive faces are more easily remembered because they deviate from typical and are more distinct than attractive faces. They are more distinctive. Attractiveness is positively correlated with typicality. Facial distinctiveness may be affected both locally (e.g., scars) and globally (e.g., unusual facial proportions) with regards to the attractiveness of the face.

Additionally, different races find different aspects of the face attractive. Cultural groups have different criteria for judging attractiveness. Social/cosmetic cues such as plucked eyebrows or hairstyles affected sex recognition for Japanese versus Caucasian subjects. Japanese women tend to pluck their eyebrows more heavily than Caucasian women, which is an identifiable cue as to race and gender. O'Toole, et. al also found that males and females use different cues for identification of sex of another face. A same sex bias exists for females but not for males (Vokey & Read, 1992).
Females rate female faces as more typical than male faces. However, the rated familiarity of faces was not related to recognition judgments. This suggests that familiarity judgment out of context is not the source of the effects of typicality on face recognition.

A question in face recognition is whether individual facial features have a role in recognition. Experimentation with cardinal features (e.g., hair, shape, age) has shown that individual features, while important for recognition, are not individually weighted for re-cognition. It appears that multiple features and combinations of features are considered when making a judgment of recognition.

Subjects show a strong preference for eyes and eyebrows, followed closely by the hairline above the temples, the mouth and upper-lid area, and the lateral hairline beside the temples. Although preference was shown for these areas, subsequent recognition testing argued strongly against feature lists as a means of recognition. By changing the spatial location of the eyes, it has been found that subjects' recognition of the face was impaired, which further emphasizes the holistic face representation model.

The upper-face features of hair and eyes were recognized better by subjects than the lower-face features of nose, chin, and mouth. Using composite pictures (pictures where one or several features have been changed) changes in the upper area of the face affected recognition significantly more than changes in the lower area. Participants in this study were worse at recognizing composite faces or old faces, and judged them as new.

Expressions also have an effect on recognition (Oda, 1997). Recognition of happy expression took less time than recognition of angry expressions of the same face. Confident recognition of facial expressions took 100-250 milliseconds. Face recognition was significantly better than expressional recognition. However, subjects were better at recognition of happy faces than neutral faces. Expression and mood of facial expression appear to be independent of identity. However, both expression and mood can affect delays in recognition.

Stereotypes and preconceived ideas can affect recognition ability. When subjects believed that male targets were defectors in a prisoner's dilemma game, defectors were more likely to be recognized than cooperators a week later. However, both cooperators and defectors that happened to be female were equally likely to be recognized a week later. Gender evaluations and stereotyping were also found to be a factor in recognition. They found an interaction between recognition of faces and gender stereotyped words presented to subjects. Gender stereotyped words were more easily recognized after seeing the presentation of the same gender face.

Context of the seen face has been shown to impair memory of that face (O'Toole, et. al). People tend to associate a face with other items in the environment, such as hairstyle, clothing, location, or even time of day. When viewed in another context, such as another location, the memory of the face is impaired. Memory is impaired because the viewed face tends to be "chunked" with its surroundings. The face is encoded with the other information in its environment, such that hair, location, or clothing becomes part of the memory of that face. When chunked, the memorability of the face depends on if that face is viewed in the same or similar context.

There is evidence that clothing may have a role in identification of suspects that look similar to a perpetrator. They found that false identifications of a look-alike suspect were greater when the suspect wore the same clothing as the perpetrator. Dissimilar suspects were correctly rejected in target absent lineups, even when dressed in the same clothing as the perpetrator.

REFERENCES

Cohen-Pager, D., & Brosgole, L. (1992). The recognition of faces and expressions. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 30, 191-193.

Lewis, M.B., & Johnson, R.A. (1997). Familiarity and false positives in face recognition. European Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 9, 437-459.

O'Toole, A.J., Deffenbacher, K.A., Valentin, D., & Abdi, H.(1994). Structural aspects of face recognition and the other-race effect. Memory & Cognition, 22, 208-224.

Oda, R. (1997). Biased face recognition in the prisoner's dilemma game. Evolution & Human Behavior, 18, 309-315.

Vokey, J.R., & Read, J.D. (1992). Familiarity, memorability, and the effect of typicality on the recognition of faces. Memory & Cognition, 20, 291-302.


Article Source:Ezine Articles

The Magic Mirror

Have you looked in the mirror lately, that is a full length mirror that shows your full body contour especially after that Gorgeous meal last evening? If the image confronting you is a pleasure to look at then there is no further need to read this article but should you see a strange creature that resembles what you use to look like, but is in some way, an inflated distortion of what of what you should be, then you may be obese.

We have had it drummed into us what the dangers of obesity can belay us so there is no point in boring any one with a repeat of the dangers and, of course it can be very expensive. It is also well known that obesity arises from having too much of what you l like with the wrong sort of food without getting enough exercise.

Obesity seems to be a modern epidemic probably because we can afford more more luxuries including booze but we also have the luxury of television and computers that bring entrainment into our living rooms, that in many cases makes dinning rooms redundant except for special occasions. So we have moved away from starvation through lack of food to starvation of exercise that is necessary for us to balance our intake calories with our use of energy.

There are of course those of us who cannot exercise but most of us can control our food intake. For those of us that are overweight we have trained our systems to accept more food than is normal for our daily regimes, which means that we will have to retrain our stomachs to accept less food. This can be achieved by reducing the our food intake gradually then our energy storage around our bodies is reduced bring back into focus that person that you use to know when you looked into the mirror. It is dangerous to reduce your weight too quickly so therefore a controlled reduction of weight is required.

There is plenty of help to be obtained on the internet with numerous emails giving advice and telling you how much you can loose in some wishful time. A more careful approach will be to web sites that specialise in weight loss or obesity problems, especially those that have expert advice by specialists. You will also find web sites that give advice on exercising and, again it would be prudent to use those sites that are backed by expert advice.

One piece of advice that is generally published is to leave the car at home and walk or use bicycle. There appears to be little point in taking the car to the gym doing an hours exercise and then drive home again when some of this time could be used in getting more exercise and perhaps saving some money. Personal gym equipment at home is away around this but not every one can afford it or have the space to install it without loosing useful living area. This now leaves walking, jogging, or the bicycle or other means of natural exercise that enables you to reduce your weight to the right level.

What ever your choice of, slimming, exercise, or both I wish you good luck with your efforts but be sure that you that take qualified advice in whatever you do. What you will need is dedication to succeed so that once again you can look in that magic mirror and see once again that person you use to be.



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Recumbent Exercise Bikes - Advantages

There are so many exercise bikes available that it's easy to be overwhelmed. Spinning bikes, stationary bikes, dual action bikes, and recumbent bikes are probably some of the terms you've heard. It's almost as though you have to be a fitness equipment engineer to understand the differences! Here's a quick summary of these confusing terms.

o Spinning Bikes

You've probably heard about the spin craze that has become so popular in health clubs. Spinning bikes usually have at least a front wheel that spins (which is why they are so brilliantly named spinning bikes). These bikes might be the current fad, but they aren't very comfortable. The seats are small and hard. The classes make these boring bikes more interesting, but as home exercise bikes, they quickly become tedious.


o Stationary Bikes

Stationary bikes (or upright bikes) are the exercise bikes that most people can identify. It's the same basic model as in the 1980's. Once again, it's fairly uncomfortable. You can't really do anything like read or watch TV because you're leaning left and right and bouncing, so it, too, quickly gets boring.


o Dual Action Bikes

Dual action bikes are aptly named, as they give you both an upper and lower body workout. There are handles that move independently - much like an elliptical machine. It's a good workout, but a bit tough for beginners, and as usual, the time on the bike will eventually get boring.
You can also get dual action bikes that allow you to adjust the machine to create an arm-pedaling workout. It's usually fairly difficult to make the adjustments. It's also two separate exercises, which create a longer workout. Most people aren't as likely to keep up such a routine.


o Recumbent Bikes

Recumbent bikes are the exercise bikes with the comfortable bucket seats. You sit back and lower to the ground as you pedal. These exercise bikes are easy enough for even the most sedentary beginners, and they usually offer workout programs to keep the workouts from becoming mundane.

The Experts Recognize the Advantages of Recumbent Bikes

Most physicians and personal trainers recommend recumbent bikes. Recumbent bikes are better for people of all different fitness levels. You are more likely to keep up a recumbent bike routine over time, the bikes are safer, and there are different benefits for both men and women.


o Recumbent Bikes for All Fitness Levels


Even the most sedentary person will find a recumbent exercise bike easy to use. You can adjust the settings to offer little or no resistance as you pedal. People who are overweight will definitely find the seat much larger and more comfortable than other exercise bikes.

Athletes will find the recumbent exercise bike a challenge. The resistance can become incredibly difficult. The bike can simulate pedaling up hills. Most recumbent bikes offer various programs that will require you to sprint and tackle hills. If you want an upper body workout as you pedal, you can easily add weights and do repetitions as you sit back in the recumbent bike seat.


o Recumbent Bikes Offer a Sustainable Workout


The programs offered by most recumbent exercise bikes definitely keep the workout from becoming boring. You can simulate a course that is easy or difficult, flat or hilly. When shopping for exercise bikes, it's better to get a bike with as many variations as possible.

The fact that a recumbent bike is suitable for all levels will keep you getting back on the bike. If you're feeling particularly tired or lazy one day, you can have an easy workout where you can read a book or newspaper. If you really want to test your limits, you can crank up the music, set the machine to more difficult levels, and add some weights for an upper body workout.


o Recumbent Bikes are Safer


Because you sit back and lower to the ground in a recumbent bike, it is better for your body. Most exercise bikes force you to hunch over, causing a stiff back. Some dual action bikes are back injuries waiting to happen. Recumbent bikes require that you sit with good posture as you pedal.

Recumbent bikes also offer one of the few cardio workouts that put no pressure on your knees and other joints. You can't "cheat" on a recumbent bike and stand up when you're finding it more difficult to pedal. Standing like that on other types of exercise bikes puts unnecessary pressure on your knees and ankles. Recumbent bikes let your body exercise at an angle where your body weight is not stressing your joints. Even people with back and knee problems will find a recumbent bike easy to use.


o Why Men Should Choose Recumbent Exercise Bikes


So many men neglect their lower bodies when they workout, especially in strength training. It's common to see buffed out men with giant biceps and tiny little bird legs. That's because it's easier to get an upper body workout at home. If you just invest in a recumbent bike, you can set the machine to high resistance. You will build leg muscle, and you can even do curls while you pedal.

Recumbent bikes can also allow men to get a great cardio workout without the discomfort that only a man knows on regular bikes or other types of exercise bikes. With the large, comfortable seats of recumbent bikes, you are much more likely to enjoy your workout pain-free.

If you move the seat of a recumbent bike up a bit to bring your legs higher, you can even target the lower abs and have to do less crunches to get the bottom of your six-pack!


o Things Women Should Know About Recumbent Bikes


Two words, ladies: legs and bottoms. Recumbent exercise bikes are so comfortable and easy to use that eventually you can do workouts giving you results like you've spent hours a day on a stair-stepper.

Recumbent bikes can give you a fat burning cardio workout with enough resistance to help you build long, lean muscle. Picture Tina Turner legs. Recumbent bikes also are great for your inner thighs. Using different programs and settings, you will be able to target different muscle areas in your legs for longer looking, leaner legs.

According to most polls, women claim in higher numbers to not have time for exercise because of more responsibilities in the home. With the positioning of a recumbent bike, you can multi-task to more easily fit in a workout. You are able to read, catch the news, and even use a phone or your handheld organizer.

Finding a Recumbent Exercise Bike

With prices between $200 and $3000, there is quite a variety of recumbent bikes available. Use the Internet to find great deals (including free shipping most of the time). Because the bikes are great for any level and help you to finally be able to stick with a safe and effective workout routine, you can splurge a little. This is definitely one of the best investments you can make for your health.

Wholesale of Electronic Goods - Are Wholesalers to Blame For Cheap Electronic Products?

The electronic industry is now witnessing the invasion of cheap electronic products. A random survey among online sellers will lead you to find a DVD player sold at half its usual price or a mobile phone with all its trendy design and mouth-watering features sold at 50% to 70% less than the price of similarly manufactured ones. One reason given to explain the sudden drop in the price of electronic goods is that they were sourced from wholesalers and purchased at a discounted price!

Critiques of the low-priced electronic items will argue that they are not good buys, saying that cheap products are low in quality and standard; that they do not even provide after-sales service. This line of argument is misplaced and inaccurate. It not only fails to consider the latest developments in the electronic industry but also completely glossed over the positive impacts of wholesalers and drop shippers of electronic goods. Of course, poor quality electronic products are cheap. Very cheap even. But cheap electronic goods are not necessarily poor in quality. Latest advances in technology and the contributions of wholesalers and drop ship companies have helped bring down and significantly cut the prices of electronic products.

Online retailers of electronic goods who bought their supplies from wholesale drop shippers can afford to sell their products at a relatively lower price. They bought their supplies at a discounted price allowing them to re-sell the same at a value much lower than the standard price in the market. They also avail of the drop ship arrangements offered by wholesalers. In this wise, retailers do not have to retain supplies or display them in trendy and pricey stores. With wholesale drop shippers, they do not have to hire personnel to man display centres or do the packaging and delivery of the sold items. Wholesale drop shippers had re-shaped the conventional retail industry. Most of these tasks are now assumed by the drop shipper. With a lower operating cost, online retailers can really afford to cut the price of their wares and attract more online customers. The retailers can do this without having to sacrifice the quality and standard of their products for doing so will ultimately cause the demise of the online retail industry.

Clearly, to say that cheap electronic goods are poor in quality is a short-sighted attempt to down-grade the positive influence of wholesalers and drop shippers. The consuming public should not be confused. Poorly-manufactured electronic goods are necessarily cheap but the reasonably-priced electronic products supplied by wholesalers and drop shippers continue to retain their quality and good value.

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