The 11 Effective Ways of Fighting Depression 12 Sep 2013 3:10 AM (11 years ago)

Depression is a widespread mood disorder that ruins the lives of at least ten percent of the U.S. population or more than 20 million people! I suspect that this percentage is much higher, since only those that submit to lifelong pharmaceutical treatment are included in these sad statistics. Depression is, indeed, a torment. It sucks out energy, happiness, the desire to socialize, create, love and give. It is a slow, cruel killer that transforms living into a bland and incomprehensible desert. It is known that women suffer from depressive episodes twice as often as do men – another injustice imposed by the natural forces which shape our cyclic hormonal realities.

Women are more prone to:

• bipolar depression, when feelings of elation and euphoria suddenly give way to episodes of profound sadness and hopelessness;
• chronic depression with recurring episodes;
• seasonal mood disorder, when depression hits us during the cold, dark fall and winter months; and,
• simply clinical depression, when darkness seems all-consuming and there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel unless we get help.

Additionally, many women may also suffer from:

• postpartum depression, which captures us after giving birth and sometimes stays with us for a long period of time thereafter;
• premenstrual dysphoric disorder, when the sadness of depression is a regular caller, occurring about a week prior to each monthly period; and,
• menopause-induced depression, that hits us during the mid-life hormonal transition.

When a woman is depressed, she may constantly feel:

• sad and withdrawn;
• anxious and nervous;
• isolated and lonely;
• irritable;
• passive;
• fatigued;
• overly critical towards herself and others;
• discouraged;
• hopeless;
• lost; or
• she may not feel anything in particular at all besides existing bodily in a gloomy, dark place, depleted of any light or hope…

Depressed women weep frequently and may gain weight because they tend to binge on junk food ‘treats’. It is a sad and negative circle. They begin to stay away from friends and the activities they used to enjoy. In cases of severe clinical depression, a woman might even end her precious life, because she is incapable of making her way out of the grinding distress. In these unfortunate circumstances, she feels overwhelmed by life, the reality that has become wholly unbearable.

Ironically, depression is one of the “markers of civilization” – one of the most typical mental disorders in our “advantaged” industrialized world. Statistics also show that people born after the Second World War suffer from depression much more often than those of previous generations.

Medical literature tells us that a typical depressive episode usually lasts about half a year, and tends to recur in a cyclic pattern during various stages of our lives. This is especially when we experience high levels of stress or go through significant “life changes,” such as:

• divorce or entering a new relationship;
• change of country, culture, home, job, or status;
• death of a friend or relative;
• “mid-life crisis”; or even,
• loss of a pet.

Despite numerous studies and theories that attempt to ascribe the causes of depression and explain why “civilized” populations frequently suffer from it, the true roots of the disease have not been pinpointed for sure. Some scientists suggest that the modern epidemic of depression is caused mainly by unnaturally stressful lifestyles and typical supermarket diets consisting of “plastic,” devitalized foods that do not nourish us properly. Overpopulation and high levels of chemical, informational, and technological pollution, as well as our heavy reliance on pharmaceutical “pills”, are also part of the picture.

My own research makes me think that nutritional factors play a much bigger role in the development of depression than is currently believed. When I browse through popular “women’s magazines” and a plethora of web sites purporting to give advice to women suffering from depression, I am often shocked by their appalling dietary recommendations. Depressed women are told to avoid butter and eggs, beef and cream, liver and cheese, and to embrace a “politically correct,” low-fat, semi-vegetarian dietary regimen. This emphasizes “whole grains, fresh fruit, vegetables, greens, nuts, and small amounts of canola oil,” which will supposedly “provide the brain with the essential vitamins and nutrients needed to regulate function.” Although I have nothing against properly prepared plant foods in moderate quantities, their nutrients are hard to absorb, particularly if a woman does not eat enough quality animal fats. In fact, the above nutritional advice may only make depressive symptoms worse.

After analyzing a number of scientific findings concerning causes that may predispose us to contracting depression, I arrived at the following list:

• Low-fat diets. This may be surprising, but, in fact, Nathan Pritikin, one of the “fathers” of the current “politically correct,” low-fat hypothesis – that says a “healthy diet” should be based on plant foods and devoid of animal fats – discovered firsthand that low-fat diets caused a variety of health problems including fatigue, mineral deficiencies, weight gain, AND depression. Nathan Pritikin was following a Spartan, low-fat dietary regimen when, in the prime of his life, he committed suicide after contracting cancer and severe clinical depression.

• Vitamin D deficiency. Naturally-occurring vitamin D not only protects the health and strength of our bones, it can also be very helpful in fighting depression which could be triggered by low-fat diets and a lack of sun exposure during cold and sunless winter months.
• Low cholesterol. Low cholesterol levels are not actually as healthy as the manufacturers of statin drugs and most MDs are trying to persuade us. In fact, cholesterol is an antioxidant and natural healing compound that protects arteries from damage, supports cell membranes and intestinal walls, and acts as a precursor to various hormones, bile salts, and vitamin D. Cholesterol is also needed for adequate production of the “feel-good” brain receptor, serotonin. People with low levels of cholesterol tend to succumb to depression, anxiety, violence, and suicide much more often than those with “normal” or “elevated” cholesterol readings.

• Lack of Vitamin B12. This is a very important vitamin that can ONLY be found in animal products and which plays a number of crucial roles in the body. Some of the most noticeable symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are depression, irritability, anxiety, and panic attacks. A vast body of evidence shows that vitamin B12 enhances production of the anti-depressive receptors serotonin and dopamine, and that both depression and migraine headaches quickly improve with a sufficient intake of vitamin B12.
• Hyperinsulinemia and hypoglycemia. Wide fluctuations of blood sugar, mainly caused by overconsumption of dietary carbohydrates, are at the roots of elevated productions of cortisone and adrenalin, the hormones of stress. Repeated over-stimulation of these hormones eventually leads to adrenal exhaustion and full-blown depression. A warning: chronic hypoglycemia is very typical for nervous, “Type A” women eating carbohydrate-loaded, supposedly “healthy” diets, and drinking a lot of caffeinated beverages.
• Underactive thyroid. Some typical indications of an underactive thyroid include weight gain, edema, mood swings, and depression. Specific foods can directly influence the health of the thyroid gland. Soy products (e.g. soy milk and veggie burgers), cruciferous vegetables (e.g. cabbage and broccoli), and a lack of dietary iodine are known to inhibit thyroid function. Middle-aged women are particularly susceptible to developing thyroid deficiencies.
• Lack of sunlight. Depressive episodes tend to be exacerbated during dark winter months.

• Celiac disease, or a widespread allergy to gluten-containing grains, such as wheat, rye, and oats. Celiac disease can manifest itself in a number of symptoms, including chronic fatigue and depression, as well as intestinal disorders and skin rashes.
• Lack of essential Omega-3 fatty acids. Already a decade ago, studies conducted by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln made it known that the Japanese, who eat substantial amounts of oily fish that are rich in Omega-3 fats, suffer lower rates of depression than Americans, who rarely eat fish. Supplementation with Omega-3 fatty acids has been proven to quickly reverse many cases of post-natal, bipolar, and seasonal types of depression.

In view of the causes of depression above, the following dietary and lifestyle changes appear to be the most effective ways to fight depression:

• Do not follow low-fat diets. Make sure that your daily menu includes plenty of natural butter, full-fat dairy products as well as extra-virgin coconut and olive oils. Always eat meats with the fat attached. If you are striving to lose weight, try cutting down on carbs instead of animal fats. Also, beware of processed vegetable oils and artificial trans-fats typically contained in margarines and many other commercial products, since they can aggravate the symptoms of depression.
• Supplement your diet with adequate amounts of essential Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, even more so during dark winter months. The best sources are cod liver oil, shrimps, oily fish, lard from pastured pigs, and egg yolks from free range hens. In the summer, get a healthy dose of daily sunlight, just like our ancestors did, to ensure that your body produces adequate vitamin D.

• Do not be scared to eat some cholesterol-rich foods. Cholesterol is a vital substance and our grandmothers ate plenty of it without suffering the rates of depression or cardiovascular diseases that we have now. Goose liver, traditional pâtés, egg yolks, and different organ meats are most valuable foods in helping your body overcome depression.
• Be sure that you ingest adequate amounts of Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 can only be obtained from raw or lightly cooked animal foods, with raw beef liver being the richest source. It is therefore not easy to get enough of it, especially if you typically eat the Standard American Diet (ironically, also known as SAD). Vitamins B6 and B12 are almost completely destroyed by prolonged cooking and pasteurization. If you do not have access to raw milk, or do not like eating sashimi or raw meat appetizers, be sure to take vitamin B12 supplements. Sublingual supplements are the most effective.

• Limit amounts of coffee, tea, and simple and complex carbohydrates (e.g. grains, starches, sugar, honey, and fruits) you eat, especially if prone to frequent “sugar drops”, weight gain, or adrenal exhaustion. A carbohydrate and coffee restriction is one of the most effective dietary measures against mood swings and depression.
• Check your thyroid gland, particularly if your depression is accompanied by muscle pains, severe fatigue, and edema. Eliminate all thyroid-depressing soy products from your menu, with the exception of small amounts of traditional, naturally-fermented soy condiments, such as tamari or miso. Season food with unrefined sea salt to get enough thyroid-supporting iodine. Do not eat proportionally big amounts of cruciferous vegetables.
• Get tested for celiac disease, especially if, in addition to depression, you suffer from intestinal disorders and skin rashes. If you test positive, eliminate all sources of gluten from your diet – for life.
• Walk in nature, express your emotions and meditate. Stored anger, sadness, grief, and other negative emotions need to be expressed and worked through. Do not suppress your emotions, cry if you feel like crying and do not be afraid of asking for support from friends or family when you need to. Connect with nature – go out for long walks in parks or forests, watch the flows of streams and rivers, observe the seasons and the wildlife. At the end of every day, try engaging in a relaxing yoga session with quiet meditation. Simple lifestyle changes can help to pacify, balance, and harmonize your mind and soul and successfully bolster your defences against depression.

As the last piece of advice – beware of antidepressants. Although these laboratory produced drugs can temporarily “manage” some symptoms of depression, they have a long list of unpleasant side effects including drowsiness, gastrointestinal problems, nausea, fatigue, and sexual dysfunction. Antidepressants do not cure depression, they just suppress its manifestations as long as you take them. Doctors often use a combination of medications to inhibit depressive symptoms: serotonin-enhancing drugs (Prozac, Zoloft), tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil), lithium carbonate, anti-psychotic and anti-anxiety pills, etc., most of which are extremely toxic. In some cases, antidepressants can even increase the desire, especially in children and women, to commit suicide.

As an alternative to synthetic antidepressants, a traditional herbal remedy that some studies have proven effective in reducing various symptoms of clinical depression.

Source

Animal Friendships 27 May 2012 12:06 PM (12 years ago)

The inventors of the Pentagon: of the science fiction in the reality 27 May 2012 9:41 AM (12 years ago)

1 – Remote-controlled insect

This beetle is a spy. Electrodes in his brain make of him a guided insect. A giant flower beetle wears an electronic backpack that allows researchers to wirelessly control its flight. [Credit: Hirotaka Sato and Michel Maharbiz, University of California, Berkeley]

In a large, empty room at the University of California, Berkeley, a giant flower beetle sits on the floor. Like most beetles, it has a segmented body, six legs, and a pair of wings. But there’s something a little different about this one: it’s wearing an electronic backpack that’s wired to its wing muscles and brain.

An engineer in the room taps a button on his laptop and instantly the beetle’s wings begin to vibrate, rousing it into flight. Pressing another key stops all wing movement mid-flight. The beetle drops to the floor — a little stunned, perhaps, but unharmed. If it sounds too bizarre to be true, just check out this video on YouTube or view it below.

Read More: Source

2 – Hypersound plane

The bird is called Falcon HTV-2 and has already lived a test flight. It is capable of moving in a 26 000 kph speed, that is the crossing of the United States in 12 minutes.

The DARPA, the agency of the Pentagon specialized in the emergent technologies, had to make steal, on Thursday, its hypersound plane Falcon HTV-2, a monster capable of moving in 26 000 kph and thus of crossing the United States in 12 minutes! The machine must be thrown since the base of Vandenberg, in California, by a rocket to the very military speeds. Not surprising: it is about a by-product of the strategic missile LGM-118 Peacekeeper, of Martin Marietta, removed from the service by the US Air Forces in 2005.

Henceforth conscript Minautor IV Lite, this thrower is exploited by the company Orbital Sciences. He takes Falcon HTV-2 in his  headgear. When it opens, the automatic plane begins its flight to Mach 20. This flight would be the second realized by Falcon. He has to serve to validate his instrumentation and to refine the studies on the aerodynamic and thermal aspects of the hypersound flight, which produces a heat superior to 2 000 °. The equipments of communication, control and navigation owed.

Read More : Source

3 – Neuronal interface

It is past the time when prostheses were only sluggish repercussions. Thanks to a neuronal interface, the prostheses of Darpa are articulated and directly ordered by the brain of the carrier.

The Revolutionizing Prosthetics program will create a fully functional (motor and sensory) upper limb that responds to direct neural control, within this decade.  This revolution will occur by capitalizing on previous DARPA investments in neuroscience, robotics, sensors, power systems, and actuation.  In particular, this program builds on DARPA’s Human-Assisted Neural Devices program, which recently decoded the brain’s motor signals with such fidelity that movements of a robotic arm can be controlled entirely by direct brain control.

Revolutionizing Prosthetics research teams from DEKA Integrated Solutions Corporation and Johns Hopkins APL recently updated representatives from more than 10 federal agencies on their efforts—including advances in socket systems and implantable devices that will be used to allow direct brain control of the arms by amputees and by others affected by stroke, spinal cord injury or neural degenerative disorders.  The update included a review of the lessons learned from DEKA’s amputee trials in Manchester and from participants in a Department of Veterans Affairs-led study at VA medical centers in New York and Tampa, and at the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio; over thirty-one volunteer provided feedback for the development of the DEKA Gen-3 Arm System.

Read More : Source

4 – Nanodrone

Drones take a more and more important part on the grounds of fight, we were able to see it in Libya or in Iraq. Soon, they can have the size of a hummingbird and move easily in town, or even indoor.

The Nano Air Vehicle (NAV) program is developing an extremely small, ultra lightweight air vehicle system (less than 15 centimeters and less than 20 grams) with the potential to perform indoor and outdoor military missions.  NAV is exploring novel, flapping wing and other configurations to provide warfighters with unprecedented capability during urban operations.

NAV will push the limits of aerodynamics, power conversion efficiency, endurance and maneuverability for very small air vehicle systems.  These platforms will be revolutionary in their ability to harness low Reynolds number physics, navigate in complex environments, and communicate over significant distances.  Flight-enabling nano air technologies include aerodynamic design tools to achieve high lift-to-drag airfoils; lightweight, efficient propulsion and power systems; guidance, navigations and communication subsystems; and advanced manufacturing and innovative subsystem packaging and configurations layouts.

Read More : Source

5 – Boosted learning

We all dreamed to learn the Latin declensions in three minutes. The program of Darpa aims, thanks to the neurosciences, at optimizing radically the apprenticeship by deactivating magnetically certain functions of the brain.

Warfighters must master a diverse set of physical and mental skills, often in a very compressed period.  Measures of learning in this military environment often rely on qualitative and subjective assessment, with little opportunity to correct or redirect learning in midcourse.  Recent discoveries in neuroscience, modeling and analysis techniques laid the foundation for neuroscience-based noninvasive strategies with potential to dramatically accelerate transition from novice to expert in key military tasks. The Accelerated Learning program will develop quantitative and integrative neuroscience-based approaches for measuring, tracking and accelerating skill acquisition while producing a twofold increase in an individual’s progress through the stages of task learning.  Accelerated Learning will identify the neural basis of expert performance by integrating behavioral data with neurophysiological measures to track the progression of novices on the training path to expertise.

Accelerated Learning will develop reliable, quantitative methods to track task progression based on noninvasive measures of brain activity, including neurophysiologically driven training regimens, neurally optimized stimuli and stimulatory or modulatory interventions.  Complementary components to help attain this goal include development of neurally based techniques to maintain acquired skills, prediction of skill acquisition based on real-time neural activity, preferential brain network activation, and strategies for understanding relationships between cognition and emotion in skills learning.

Read More : Source

6 – Dog robot

BigDog – The Most Advanced Rough-Terrain Robot on Earth. BigDog is capable of walking on all the surfaces, and even of restoring his balance without falling when we kick him in the side. It sniffs, is capable of recognizing the ground and is possible carry 100 kilos.

BigDog is the alpha male of the Boston Dynamics robots. It is a rough-terrain robot that walks, runs, climbs and carries heavy loads. BigDog is powered by an engine that drives a hydraulic actuation system. BigDog has four legs that are articulated like an animal’s, with compliant elements to absorb shock and recycle energy from one step to the next. BigDog is the size of a large dog or small mule; about 3 feet long, 2.5 feet tall and weighs 240 lbs…

Read More: Source

7 – Programmable material

Imagine a material which, on an impulse, exchange of shape and becomes the chosen object? It is the project on which Darpa works which ends, for the moment, in an origami which complies alone.

The Programmable Matter effort represents the convergence of chemistry, information theory and control into a new materials design paradigm—“InfoChemistry”—that focuses on building information directly into materials.
To achieve the Programmable Matter vision, key technological breakthroughs will center on the following critical areas:

• Encoding information into chemistry or fusing materials with machines
• Fabrication of mesoscale particles with arbitrary complex shapes, composition, and function
• Interlocking/Adhesion mechanisms that are strong and reversible
• Global assembly strategies that translate information into action
• Mathematical theory for construction of 3D objects from particles

The goal of this program is to demonstrate a new functional form of matter, based on mesoscale particles, that can reversibly assemble into complex 3D objects upon external command.  These 3D objects will exhibit all the functionality of their conventional counterparts.  Of critical importance are radical new material architectures that maximize the efficiency of information processing and transfer and design rules for the optimal number, size and shape of particles required to create objects of a specific size, and spatial feature resolution.

Read More : Source

8 – Z-Man

While copying the lizard which the man will eventually walk on walls. Z-Man is a kind of miniature, but real Spiderman.

The Z-Man program will develop biologically inspired climbing aids to enable soldiers to scale vertical walls constructed from typical building materials, without using ropes or ladders.  Geckos, spiders and small animals are the inspiration behind these climbing aids.  These creatures scale vertical surfaces with unique systems that exhibit strong reversible adhesion via van der Waals forces or hook-into-surface asperities.  Z-Man seeks to build synthetic versions of those biological systems, optimize them for efficient human climbing, and use them as novel climbing aids. The overall goal is to enable a soldier to scale a vertical surface while carrying a full combat load using Z-Man technologies.

Read More : Source

9 – Exoskeleton

Before, it was of the science fiction, today, the exosquelette really exists. It weighs 70 kilos, and allows to carry without any trouble its own weight and additional 90 kilos.

The widespread usage of exoskeletal robotics to augment human beings moved a step closer this week when Raytheon demonstrated its second generation Exoskeleton, the XOS 2. The new robotic suit (think of it as wearable robot guided by a human brain) is lighter, faster and stronger than the original proof-of-concept XOS 1, yet uses half the power.

While Raytheon’s development is primarily focused on military usage, exoskeletons for the mobility-impaired are already at market and industrial exoskeletons from Japan, Korea and Isreal are not far behind. One day in the not-too-distant future, one of these suits will enable us all to have superhuman strength, speed and endurance…
Read More : Source

‘Apple-1′ computer sold by Steve Jobs goes on sale for £150,000 6 Oct 2011 1:42 AM (13 years ago)

Honors to #SteveJobs who died “peacefully” on October 6th, 2011. He was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family…www.apple.com

The first ever Apple computer that company founder Steve Jobs sold from his parents’ garage is up for sale – for a whopping £150,000. There were about 200 examples of the original ‘Apple-1′ that were launched in 1976 and only a few survive today. They were the forerunners of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and everything else that Apple has produced over the years.

Where it all began: The Apple-1 went on sale in July 1976 at a price of $666.66. About 200 units were produced in total. The one above has been customised with an after-market wooden enclosure with carved name, and keyboard

They came with a tiny 8K memory – 524,000 times less than is standard with today’s Apple computers. It would not have the capacity to store one song. This example will be the first ever to be sold by a major auction house when it goes under the hammer at Christie’s of London. It proves the growing interest in early computer technology and highlights how quickly home computing has advanced in the last 30 years.

Up for auction: The lot, above, which is on sale for £150,000 by Christie’s, comprises components from the Apple-1 machine, original manual and a letter from Steve Jobs. They were the first fully pre-assembled computer to be produced, but did not come with a monitor or keyboard.

Boglione, the president of a holding company that owns European clothing line trademarks, is said to have the Apple I restored to working condition before adding it to his collection of Apple computers. The computer was auctioned in its original box, containing the motherboard, various components such as a microprocessor and extra RAM, and a sales letter signed by Steve Jobs. Steve Wozniak was present at the auction and also added an autographed letter to the lot.

Incredibly it comes with the original packaging, instruction manuals and a signed letter by billionaire Jobs, who is still head of the company. The Apple-1s were the first fully pre-assembled computer to be produced, but even so did not come with a monitor or keyboard. Museums and a new breed of collector are desperate to get their hands on these early examples. Early geeks would have had to part with $666.66 (£410) to buy one of the first Apples. Its designer, Steve Wozniak, liked repeating digits -
and it was sold to a local shop for $500 plus a one-third mark-up.

Co-founders: Steve Jobs, left, and Steve Wozniak, right, with the Apple-1 computer in 1976

But few realised what a good investment it would be. Julian Wilson, from Christie’s, said: ‘Before the Apple-1 you would have to put together your own motherboard and would need soldering skills. ‘This is the forerunner of the iPod, iPad and iPhone. It worked straight out of the box, which was the original concept. ‘Apple’s lineage can be traced back to this model and as far as we know there were about 200 made and perhaps a quarter survive. ‘Not only does this come with the packaging and manuals but also a letter from Steve Jobs. ‘He appears to be answering questions from the customer about what monitors and keyboards are best to use.

‘The computer technically allowed you to programme and it was like a high-performance calculator. ‘This one comes with an extra cassette interface, which meant you had a read-write capability. ‘At the time it famously cost $666.66, and the cassette interface was an extra $75. ‘Steve Jobs sold these from his parents’ garage and there is a growing appreciation of the history of computing – and this is where home computers started. ‘And finding one in this condition is unheard of.’ The sale at Christie’s in London is on November 23.

The Apple I was officially discontinued in October 1977.  Only about 50 Apple I computers still survive, and while rare, the remaining models are usually sold for much less,  in the $15,000-$50,000 range, which might make this the most expensive Apple I ever. Boglione’s extraordinarily high price has probably more to do with the original documents – the return label has Jobs’ parents’ address, as Apple Computer, Inc. was set up in their garage – than the actual computer. Which kind of makes sense, too, since the Apple I has one-thousandth of the computing power of the iPad.

Steve Jobs was the visionary and innovator behind the idea for the first complete personal computer, but it was Steve Wozniak, the former HP computer engineer, who actually designed and engineered the first Apple I computer.   For his part, Steve Wozniak is often overlooked and receives little fame, most of it going to Steve Jobs.

Here’s a link to John Calande’s blog with some great pictures of the Apple I personal computer.

Top 10 of the copies of cars or hardly disguised plagiarisms.. 15 May 2011 9:59 AM (13 years ago)

Whether it is to surf on the wave of an accomplished success or due to the lack of imagination, the plagiarism has of the voucher. Certain  more or less considered car manufacturers,  understood well him it as proves him it to us this classification of  copies of renowned models which will not persuade us at random.

1. Mercedes C vs Geely Merrie 300 :

We can be the biggest private car manufacturer and miss imagination for the design of its models.

2. Smart Fortwo vs CMEC City Smart :

Not need to rack itself to find a name when we want be been supposed to be for the eccentric.

3. Toyota Land Cruiser vs Dadi Shuttle :

This Dadi Shuttle, looks like well and truly Toyota of his Japanese neighbor. We cannot say so many its capacities about it cross-country vehicle.

4. Daewoo Matiz vs Chery QQ :

Of the fruity making Chery Automobile, Chery QQ created the debate because General Motors found
him a vague resemblance with Matiz. If little…

5. BMW 7 vs BYD F6 :

BYD is the acronym of “Build Your Dreams”

6. Nissan XTrail vs Greatwall Sing :

It is not in its first try with this plagiarism there. This  Manufacturer has already created the controversy for ” extreme resemblance ” with certain models of the brands Fiat, Toyota and Isuzu.

7. Rolls-Royce Phantom vs Hongqi HQD :

Associated with the experience in copy,  A known manufacturer created a vulgar HQD, very inferior clône of famous Phantom.

8. Neoplan Starliner vs Zonda A9 :

Buses are often alike, but it is particularly the case here.

9. Honda CRV vs Laibao SRV :

This manufacturer pushed the imitation up to the name of his model. We shall also note the semi-logo Audi for a discreet mixture of the genres.

10. Vauxhall Frontera vs Landwind :

The copy will have waited at least for the cessation of marketing of the eccentric to be born. It is not the case of all.

Testimony: my wife does not want to make love any more! 5 May 2011 6:24 AM (13 years ago)

It sometimes happens that the desire runs out in a couple. How make it be reborn and find a spread sexuality?  Mike’s testimony, age 57, married: ” my wife does not want to make love any more! “

Mike’s testimony, in lack of love..

” My wife is 55 years old. We are married since about thirty years and we have 3 children. Since a few months, she does not want more than me gets her and tells not to want it any more. I am saddened with this situation. How to react? “

Why the desire falls it?

What you describe is good a lack of desire, certainly, but not only. Your wife does not have preliminary desire? But the problem is that she does not answer any more yours.

A woman who does not want to make love can very well “activate” her desire if her partner seeks her. At the women, the sexual envy is often born in echo in the envy for the other one. She corresponds to the pleasure to feel wished.

Your wife has no impulsive desire,  nor no desire of answer. More still, she is not capable of envisaging a sexual relation without preliminary appetite.

Most of the women can nevertheless begin to make love, by simple pleasure to get closer to the other one, to be pleasant to him, and “appetite comes with eating..(”the more you have, the more you want”) … Your situation thus looks like a sexual blocking and this total impossibility to make love has necessarily one or several causes.

How to make the desire be reborn ?

It is maybe about a disorder bound to the menopause. Given the age of your wife, she is certainly in full menopause, moment of the life where sex hormones can pull disorders of the humor and the desire.  I advise you to speak to her about it, if only to make her understand that you are present by her side, ready to help her. Encourage her to consult a gynecologist to evoke the problem and find solutions if the cause is physiological.

In about fifty, certain women try suddenly the feeling furthermore to be desirable. It is then very important to show her and to say to her that you love her and that you wish it, that you find her beautiful.

A sexual blocking can, naturally, be the sign of relational difficulties in a couple. Does she feel a resentment to you? Did you hurt her? Ask her openly the question. And ask her about what it is exactly. When a woman wants it with its spouse, her desire freezes immediately, sometimes for a long time. You have something make you maybe forgive, even without knowing it! Something who could seem to you perfectly harmless, even if for her it is important.

Also think of explaining to her how much the sexuality is a factor of harmony and love between you.  Make her understand that you are afraid of going away one of the other one if you do not have spread
sexual life anymore.

“The marriage is somersault in the future” (Carmen Sylva)

Red Tibetan Mastiff becomes world’s most expensive dog! 2 Apr 2011 1:24 PM (14 years ago)

They say money can’t buy love – but £1million will get you man’s most expensive best friend. A red Tibetan mastiff has become the priciest dog in the world after being sold for 10 million Chinese yuan, or £945,000. Big Splash, or Hong Dong in Chinese, was bought by a coal baron from the north of China. And it’s lucky his new master is a multi-millionaire, because the hefty price tag doesn’t factor in Big Splash’s diet – enough chicken and beef to fill a growing 180lb dog, spiced up with Chinese delicacies such as sea cucumber and abalone.

Pricey pup: A Red Tibetan Mastiff called Big Splash has become the world’s most expensive dog.

His owner will need a big house too, as adult Tibetan Mastiffs have been known to weigh as much as 286lb, or more than 20 stone – the same as a sizeable rugby player. However the typical weight for a fully grown Tibetan Mastiff is around 13 stone. But according to breeder Lu Liang, Big Splash is a ‘perfect specimen’ and the extravagant price for the 11-month-old is completely justified. He said: ‘We have spent a lot of money raising this dog, and we have the salaries of plenty of staff to pay’ – adding that the new owner could charge almost £10,000 a time for Big Splash to breed with a female. The high price paid for the dog is a sign that the red Tibetan mastiff has become a status symbol in China, replacing jewellery and cars as a way for the super-rich to show off their wealth. Not only is red considered a lucky colour, but Tibetan mastiffs are thought to be holy animals, blessing their owners’ health and security. Tibetans believe the dogs have the souls of monks and nuns who were not good enough to be reincarnated as humans or into Shambhala, the heavenly realm.

Owners of the breed have included Queen Victoria, King George IV and  Genghis Khan – who supposedly took 30,000 of the dogs with his army in his bid to conquer Western Europe.

Ancient breed: The dog is a descendant of animals kept by nomadic Chinese tribes.

These days there are only around 300 Tibetan mastiffs in the UK, and puppies sell for a more reasonable £850 to £1,000. James Pally, a Tibetan mastiff breeder from Pantymwyn near Mold in Flintshire, North Wales, said: ‘They are very smart and they think for themselves and can sense danger very acutely. ‘Tibetan mastiffs were originally used to guard the livestock and they are very good with other animals and they love children. ‘I have six of them and if you don’t give them enough attention they sit in front of the TV.’ The title of most expensive dog in the world was previously held by a Tibetan mastiff called Red Lion, who was valued at £915,000 last year.

Nouveau riche: Red Tibetan Mastiffs have become a status symbol for newly wealthy Chinese, with the country’s economic boom evident in the changing Beijing skyline

The ‘wolf girl’ delighted to be named the world’s hairiest girl.. 2 Apr 2011 12:35 PM (14 years ago)

Her nicknames may include ‘wolf girl’ and ‘monkey face’. But 11-year-old Thai girl Supatra Sasuphan today insisted that she was after being officially recognised as the world’s hairiest girl. Although the schoolgirl from Bangkok has faced merciless teasing at school, Supatra says being given a Guinness World Record for her hair has helped her become extremely popular.

‘I’m very happy’: Supatra Sasuphan, 11, is one of only 50 people ever to have Ambras syndrome which makes  hair grow all over her face. She has now been recognised by the Guinness Book of Records.

‘I’m very happy to be in the Guinness World Records! A lot of people have to do a lot to get in,’ she said. ‘All I did was answer a few questions and then they gave it to me.’ Supatra is one of just 50 known sufferers of Ambras Syndrome – caused by a faulty chromosome – to be documented since the Middle Ages. Before the disease was understood, sufferers were branded ‘werewolves.’ She has thick hair growing over her face, ears, arms, legs and back. Even laser treatment has failed to stop the hair growth.But while most sufferers have been shunned, Supatra has gradually been embraced by her community, and became a popular and outgoing child.

‘One of the most popular girls in school’: Supatra with classmates at Ratchabophit school, where she says getting the record for world’s hairiest girl has helped her win more friends.

They don’t tease me anymore: doctors tried to remove Supatra’s hair with laser treatment but it quickly grew back.

She said: ‘There were a few people who used to tease me and call me monkey face but they don’t do it any more. ‘I’m very used to this condition. I can’t feel the hair as it has always been like this. I don’t feel anything. ‘It does sometimes make it difficult to see when it gets long.I hope I will be cured one day.’ In other ways Supatra is the same as other children her age – she loves swimming, dancing to her favourite music and playing with friends. But more than anything, Supatra loves perching in front of the TV at her tiny one-bedroom family home in Pranakom, on the outskirts of Bangkok, to watch cartoons.

Happily families: Suptara with her sister 15-year-old Sukanya, left, her father Sammrueng and mother Somphon.

Still attracting stares: strangers look at Supatra on the streets of Bangkok, but her neighbours say her sweet nature quickly won over her local community.

She said: ‘I like to watch anything on TV, whatever is, I like having it on. I like to watch Bugs Bunny.’ The bubbly little girl is also determined not to let her condition prevent her from leading a normal life. She said: ‘I like to study maths so I can be good at it and teach it to younger children so they can do it too. ‘I want to become a doctor so I can help patients when they get injured. ‘I want to help people who get hurt and help cure people.’ But Supatra’s future didn’t always look so promising. When she was first born she had to undergo two operations just to breathe. Her father Sammrueng, 38, said: ‘We found out Supatra’s condition when she was born – we did not know before. ‘She was not very healthy because her nostrils were only one millimetre wide. For the first three months she was kept in an incubator to help her breathe.She was in the hospital for a total of ten months. We were very worried about her.’

Time for a trim: Supatra’s hair grew longer as she got older and her mother now cuts it with scissors, above.

Outgoing child: Supatra  during a PE lesson with classmates.

Supatra has another operation when she was two-years-old and can now breathe normally. But when Sammrueng and his wife Somphon, 38, brought Supatra home to live with them and their other daughter Sukanya, now 15, they faced more problems. ‘When neighbours first saw Nat they asked what kind of sin I had done. I was very worried about what she would be when she grew up because of other children teasing her,’ he said. But Supatra’s sweet nature quickly won over people in her community. Sammrueng, a jewellery maker, said: ‘She gets along with others really well and is very generous. She has a lot of friends. ‘She is just the same as any other little girl her age. ‘But her teeth grow slowly and she can’t see very well.” Doctors tried to remove the hair with laser treatment when she was two-years-old but despite numerous sessions it kept growing back as thickly as before. Supatra’s hair has got increasingly thicker as she has grown up so her mother has to cut it back regularly for her. She uses baby shampoo to wash her hair as she is allergic to stronger brands. Sammrueng said: ‘I still hope one day she will be cured. We will do anything we can if it will help her.’

The 10 Most Popular Places to Have Sex.. 2 Apr 2011 8:59 AM (14 years ago)

Here, the 10 lustiest locales. Check out our advice for each rendezvous…and then start checking off what’s left on your where-to-do-it list!

10. In the laundry room: 29%

Wanna try? We recommend sitting on the washer instead of the dryer. When the spin cycle starts, let loose with your guy.

9. In your parents’ bedroom: 34%

Wanna try? Ask your guy ahead of time to refrain from any phrases like “Who’s your daddy?” That’s just too close to home for this setting.

8. In a tent: 37%

Wanna try? Since you’re screened in and the tent walls may be flimsy, we suggest you keep your sex positions simple.

7. At a park: 42%

Wanna try? We’ll leave you to your own devices for this one. Just be courteous and wipe down the swing when you’re done!

6. On the kitchen table: 48%

Wanna try? That spatula isn’t just for flippin’ burgers. Swat your guy’s ass with it to make this romp even more playful.

5. In the woods: 49%

Wanna try? Your two biggest risks are bugs and poison ivy. To fend off bugs, spray yourself with insect repellent beforehand…just not on your neck, breasts, or anywhere else your man may kiss or lick. As for poison ivy, remember: If there are leaves of three, let it be.

4. In the pool or a body of water: 54%

Wanna try? Ironically, water sex can actually dry up your natural lubrication. Use a silicone-based lube (which is waterproof)

3. In your childhood bedroom: 65%

Wanna try? If your parents are in the next room, keep quiet with a sex position that is still ultra-pleasurable but won’t shake the headboards.

2. In a car: 80%

Wanna try? People often think the backseat is best for car sex. But there’s not much leg room. Recline the passenger seat instead and try a girl-on-top position.

1. In the shower or bathtub: 82%

Wanna try? Take turns lathering each other up and teasing yourselves into a frenzy before going all the way. Have two, warm fluffy towels handy — or one big one that you can wrap yourselves in — to keep the comfy after-sex buzz going.

Cancer: the good food and those to avoid really ! 2 Apr 2011 2:09 AM (14 years ago)

Numerous food protects from the cancer while the others increase the risks by it. The point on some recent studies on the anti-cancer food and those whom it is better to avoid.

1. Cancer: no soft drink for the pancreas.

Researchers of the University of Minnesota discovered a link between the consumption of soft drinks and the cancer of the pancreas. Having followed the health of 60 000 Indonesians, they realized that the persons who developed a cancer of the pancreas were also regular consumers of soft drinks. The researchers think that the strong rate of sugar of these drinks increases the rate of insulin made by the pancreas, what increases then the risk of development of cancer cells. The cancer of the pancreas is a part of the rarest cancers but it is one of the most mortal with a rate of survival in 5 years which is only 5 %.

2. Cancer: some green tea for your lungs.

To drink some green tea could reduce the risks of contracting a lung cancer even if you smoke. It is that revealed a study presented during a conference of the American Association for Cancer Result.The polyphenols of the green tea are powerful antioxidants, and the preparations with tea have already shown their capacity to prevent the formation of tumors.

For this study, the researchers examined the habits of 170 patients affected by lung cancer and by 340 healthy patients. The results showed that, every confused patients, those who do not consume green tea have five times more risk of contracting a lung cancer with regard to those who consume at least a cup a day. Among the smokers, the risk is twelve times as raised .

3. Cancer: no carrots for the smokers.

A study carried out in Israel showed that the more we consume of caroténoïdes, the less the risks of cancer of the colon are raised. However, at the regular smokers, we observe an opposite effect: the caroténoïdes of fruits and vegetables would favor the appearance of cancers of the colon. So, the smokers should be informed that the beneficial potential effects of an important consumption of fruits and vegetables are hindered by a regular consumption of tobacco.

In this study, it was turned out that it exists an inverse relation enters the consumption of caroténoïdes and the risks of colorectal cancer. However, the reduced addiction to smoking significantly even knocks down this effect on the base protector of the ingestion of caroténoïdes on the risks of colorectal cancer.

4. Cancer: do not skimp on the turmeric.

The turmeric and the pepper are studied for a long time as potential treatments against the cancer, but a new study lets hear for the first time that these spices could prevent the cancer by aiming specifically at stem cells.

The researchers of the center of cancer research of the university from Michigan to the United States discovered that when the curcumine, a chemical element being in the turmeric, and the pipérine, which results from the black pepper, are added to a cell culture, the number of stem cells is reduced whereas the normal cells  are saved. The researchers consider that the elimination of the cancerous stem cells and the reduction of the number of normal cells are essential in the fight against the cancer. The pipérine strengthens the effects of the curcumine, and both elements stop the process of renewal of the cancerous stem cells.

5. Cancer: avoid the salt of the butchery.

Certain butchery would favor the appearance of the cancer of the colon: it is the conclusion of a study presented in July by researchers of the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) for Toulouse. By being interested in the link between consumption of  pork-butchery and cancers of the colon, the researchers discovered that 4 gathered factors  that are: the coloring of the butchery, the addition of nitrites, the cooking and the oxidation, could provoke a significant increase of the precancerous hurts at the level of the colon. Cancer: THE INRA reminds that 100 new persons are affected by a cancer of the colon every day.

Top 10 the Youngest Billionaires of the World ! 30 Mar 2011 8:56 AM (14 years ago)

” In the very born souls, the value does not wait for the number of the years “. A proverb that these budding fabulously rich young people have to repeat every day.  That they were born well and owe remercierpapa, or that they have to ask the Internet god and Facebook in particular for having known how to pull the best. Here are some “young fellows” among the richest in the world according to Forbes who should distrust their close circle of acquaintances: an accident so fast arrived …

1. Dustin Moskovitz (USA): 2.7 billions $ in 26 years. The coloc ‘ from Zuckerberg to Harvard and the third employee of Facebook. Of 8 days his younger child, Dustin is the youngest billionaire of the world. He left Facebook since to launch his  own company. If however that came not to work, he should be able to recover from it. An advice if you have a coloc ‘: be gentile with him, you never can tell.

2. Mark Zuckerberg (USA): 13.5 billions $ in 26 years. The second older bus of a few days, its fortune is nevertheless sharply superior to that of his “opponents” of this classification. It is official, Mark Zuckerberg cannot finish thus always the first one everywhere. In passing your a few hours a day on Facebook, you contribute to make that Mark never takes out this kind of classification.

3.  Albert von Thurn und Taxis (Germany): 2 billions $ in 27 years. Stemming from a German noble family, he
makes his first appearance in classifications Forbes at the age of 8. A difficult childhood thus. Since his  majority,
we find him systematically in this classification and he should never leave him. With such a fortune, he thought
nevertheless never of buying himself a new name.

4.  Scott Duncan (USA): 3.1 billions $ in 28 years. His father, king of Pipelines, throned in 75 ème place  of the classification of the men the richest in the world last year. Scott Duncan had his part of the cake and lives his dream in Dallas since Houston. ” You will be a rich man my son “.


5. Eduardo Saverin (Brazil): 1.6 billions $ in 29 years. You know him without knowing how his name is. It is him the co-founder of  Facebook, the one of which we say to ourselves during all the movie ” The Social Network ” that he is missing  something. Any proportion kept all the same: he gained in justice against Zuckerberg and obtained 5 % of the box and his name as co-founder. And 200 000 fans on his page.

6. Yang Huiyan ( China): 4.1 billions $ in 29 years. Wealthy heiress of his rich and dear father, doubtless now one of the persons the richest in China. The real estate, it is not a myth, that walks everywhere.

7.  Fahd Hariri ( Lebanon): 1.5 billions $ in 30 years. The son and the heir of fire(light) Lebanese Prime Minister and billionaire Rafik Hariri, personal friend of Chirac. That helps to start. Ladies, he would be a single man and would live in Paris, remain on the alert.

8.  Sean Parker (USA): 1.6 billions $ in 30 years. Founder of Napster, clearly implied  in Facebook his character is played by Justin Timberlake in “The Social Network”) and today investor among others of Spotify, the other big recent cardboard of Web. If one day you fall on his e-mail address, add at once to your address book.

9.  Ayman Hariri ( Lebanon): 1.5 billions $ in 32 years. This name is familiar to you is – this step? His brother is seventh of the classification. In the family Hariri, the transmission for the generations which follow, we know how to make.

10.  Yoshikazu Tanaka ( Japan): 2.2 billions $ in 34 years. A kind of Asian Mark Zuckerbeg, mister Tanaka being, among others, the founder of Gree, the equivalent of Facebook in Japan. A fortune was estimated at 2 billions certainly, but in 34 years, it is almost already an old man in this classification. If is 34 years old you have two billions, we can say that you missed your life?

And Y ou, are you the following One ?

The top 10 of the most frequent causes of rupture.. 25 Mar 2011 3:21 PM (14 years ago)

Cosmo’s British version asked to 1400 women to give the reasons of their last rupture to make a classification.

Little are the ones who have never lived on rupture. Leaving of this report, the British version of the women’s magazine Cosmo questioned 1 400 women to know the reasons of their last rupture. If some are logical and known, the others are nevertheless more surprising.

10th – The sex is one of the most wide-spread causes of break. So, they are 15,7 % to have broken because their partner was not really a stallion under the braid.

9th – The problems of agreement with the family and the friends are crippling for 18,9 % of the women. To estimate the mother-in-law or the best friend can thus be sensible if you want to keep your lady-love.

8th – A move caused the break of a couple to 20,2 % of the questioned women. The remote relations are not really their cup of tea.

7th – The career is something important for certain women, so much that they do not support the fact that their man does not want to evolve professionally. For 20,6 % of the women, this lack of ambition is a cause of rupture.

6th – To keep your soul a sister, know sirs to preserve your romantic side on the alert. 21,1 % of the women broke because their spouse did not pay any more attention on them.

5th – Equally (21,1 %) with the romanticism comes the desire to be single. Indeed, there is only the men who sometimes want to meet free to pick up and to seduce as they think best. The women also want to be able to live alone when they want it.

4th – By means of quarrels, 29,1 % concluded that they were not made to live with their companion at that time.

3rd – The confidence is something important for a woman. So, they are 29,7 % to have already ended a relation because she did not rely any more on their man, or because he had lied.

2nd – 36,6 % of the women broke because their companion was unfaithful. A result which does not arrange the reputation of the men…

1st – It can seem commonplace, but the lake of love arrives at the top of this poll  39,7 % of the questioned women explained to have already broken for this motive.

To note that among the given answers arrives in good position the fact that the man wanted to cross in the superior stage in the relation but not the woman (12,7 %). The opposite is less common on the other hand (9,1 %). Finally sirs, do not be too sticky and do not look at too many porn movies, because some make a motive for break.