Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Foods to Avoid when you have Hyperacidity

Hyperacidity is a very uncomfortable condition to have, especially as it seems to affect just about every area of your life. Not only will you have trouble eating certain foods that you enjoy, certain amounts may also become intolerable. Extreme cases of hyperacidity can bring about nausea or dizziness that can even keep a person from performing as optimally as he can at an otherwise healthy moment. It can also sometimes manifest as heartburn that you may worry about a more serious condition behind it.

In any case, if ever you suspect yourself to have hyperacidity, it will be best to steer clear of the following foods, at least until it seems to have cleared:

1. Acidic fruits – Citrus fruits like oranges and lemons are high in ascorbic acid, which can irritate your stomach all the more. It would be best to avoid these fruits, including their juice form. Mangoes and apples are also slightly high in acid content. Fruits that are relatively easy on a tummy with high acid levels are bananas and cantaloupes. Grapefruit, cranberry, and tomato juice are also a strict no-no. Other fruit like blueberries, peaches, raspberries, grapes, strawberries, and apple cider may be consumed, but preferably with discretion, as too much of these can also trigger heartburn.

2. Certain vegetables – Raw onions are found to be a big trigger of gas and hyperacidity. When cooked, onions may be consumed but only in limited quantities. Garlic, scallions, and leeks should also be taken with discretion. However, Asian studies show spring onions to help a lot with improving hyperacidity.

3. Hot and spicy foods – If you are a fan of hot and spicy foods, this may be the best time to say a temporary farewell to your palate’s best friends. Spicy foods are known to trigger the release of acids in your stomach, and during severe hyperacidity it would be best to avoid eating much of them.

4. Dairy products – Certain dairy products have been linked to worsening heartburn symptoms, likely because they are a bit more difficult to digest. When you are suffering from symptoms of hyperacidity, it would be best to reduce or avoid intake of sour cream, milk shakes, ice cream, and cottage cheese. Dairy products like yogurt, skim milk, and low-fat cottage cheese may be taken, but not in large quantities.

5. Heavy grains and similar by-products – Pasta is typically difficult to digest when one has hyperacidity. As such, meals like macaroni and cheese or spaghetti would best be avoided. Muffins and granola cereals may also pose a risk when taken in large quantities, as is garlic bread.

6. Sweets or desserts – While hyperacidity does not mean you need to fast, you may need to steer clear of high-fat and high-sugar treats like brownies, chocolates, doughnuts, corn chips, and potato chips.

7. Alcoholic beverages, sodas, coffee, and tea – Although some people recommend teas for clearing an upset stomach, in reality, tea is on the same plane as liquors and coffee in terms of not being friendly to hyperacidity. As much as possible drink plenty of water instead, as it seems nearly all beverages offered in this generation are high in acid, from colas to coffee, tea, and alcoholic drinks.

8. Great quantities of food – In this case, it is no longer the nature of the food but rather the quantity of food in question. Hyperacidity means your stomach is releasing more acid than usual, so during this time, please refrain from indulging too much in food as it will be difficult for your stomach to digest the large quantities. If anything, give your stomach time to rest between meals, and preferably take small servings across the day instead of having three big meals.

Of course, this list is just a guide to help you make wise choices. The main thing to consider if you really cannot avoid eating some of these foods is to make sure you don’t overdo consumption of any of the items on this list. Also, if your hyperacidity persists, be sure to consult your doctor, as serious cases might require prescription of antacids or similar medication.

The Benefits of Exercise on your Skin

The primary reason why people go the gym and exercise is to burn fat and build muscles. But do you know that regular exercise does not just benefit your heart and your muscles but your skin as well? You do not always meet people in your dance class or in the gym who make sweating out as part of their skin care routine. However, studies suggest that regular physical activity such exercising can improve the skin’s complexion. According to experts, exercise can prevent the development of acne and the early signs of aging such as skin sagging and wrinkling. That means by exercising regularly, you can be sure to have healthy and beautiful skin at all times.

Not all people realize that regular exercise is very essential for the improvement of the skin’s health. Your skin needs an adequate amount of oxygen and essential nutrients in order for it to stay healthy and aglow. Through exercise, the circulation of blood in your body is improved, and so is the provision or both oxygen and nutrients to the cells in your skin. Exercise also promotes heavy sweating, which is very important for the flushing out of toxins and wastes from your body. Sweating itself helps cleanse the skin’s pores so that it becomes free from dead cells, dirt, and sebum. Experts advise people to take a bath right after heavy sweating as it helps get rid of bacteria from the skin and eliminate bodily odor.

Dehydration is very common to people who loves to exercise a lot. Athletes most especially are at a high risk for dehydration as a result of working out that’s why it advised that you drink lots of water after working out. During exercise, your body loses a huge amount of fluid, which should immediately be replaced to keep the skin and other organs of the body well hydrated. Drinking water also promotes the excretion of bodily wastes, which is essential in keeping the skin and body in top shape.

Not only is exercise beneficial to your skin and muscles, it also plays a role to improve your general well-being. The ability of physical activity to boost the mental health has been well documented, and today, we all know that exercise is one of the best stress busters and mood lifters. Every time you exercise, your brain releases what we call endorphins, hormones that help you feel good for long periods of time. This is the reason why exercise is perfect for people who are suffering from depression or stress. In fact, if you start your day with exercise, you will have a lower chance of being moody for the rest of the day than when you don’t exercise at all.

Too much exercise can be bad for your health too. Aside from overexerting your muscles from long periods of intensive trainings, you can also compromise your immune system by going to the gym every single day without rests in between. Scientists who conducted a study on several volunteers found out that moderate exercises can actually boost the immune system, but overdoing it can result to the opposite. Before ever applying for a workout program, make sure you hire your own personal trainer who will guide you with the right kind of exercises that will actually help you rather than hurt you. Your body has limits so learn to recognize them and stick to simple routines that you can perform without putting your health at risk.

Whether you are a child or an adult, exercise should be part of your daily activity as it is crucial not only for the development of your bones and muscles but for the improvement of your skin’s complexion. You don’t necessarily need to register to the nearest gym but simply set aside a few minutes of your time each day for exercise or some physical activities. A simple routine such as jogging or even walking can offer your body multiple benefits so get the most out of it as much as you can. In the end, you will realize how such simple activity can actually boost not just your skin tone but your health in general.

Massage Therapy – An Excellent Way to Get Rid of Cellulite

Cellulite is a problem faced by most women today. While it may seem to be a medical condition, it is actually just a term used to refer to the dimple like appearance of the skin as a result of the accumulation of fat deposit in the subcutaneous glands. Also known as cottage-cheese skin, cellulite does not pose any kind of threat to the human health, but most women prefer to have it surgically removed because of its unsightly appearance. However, for those who do not want to go under the knife, surgery is just a last resort.

Besides surgery, another ideal way to deal with cellulite is massage therapy, also called a cellulite massage. Massage has been used as therapy for several health conditions for thousands of years now, and today, many women try it to get rid of cellulite. This method works by improving blood circulation in areas of the body were cellulite usually forms, such as the buttocks, thighs, and the legs.

According to those who believe in the effectiveness of massage for removing cellulite, what causes cellulite to form is a poor lymphatic system. Since the lymphatic system is the one responsible for the elimination of toxin from the body, its malfunction can lead to fat, fluid, and toxin to deposit underneath the skin, resulting to the formation of cellulite. Massage, however, helps break down these fat deposits so that the skin’s firmness is restored.

A cellulite massage consists of several different techniques. For a basic massage, the session is usually initiated by the pulling or the pinching of the skin, which is done for five minutes. This is followed by the wiggling of the skin. Certain levels of force and pressure are applied to the skin to make sure that the tissues separate from the skin layers. The purpose of these actions is actually to warm the skin up for the actual session.

One session of a cellulite massage can last up to an hour, depending on how severe the cellulite formations are. Sometimes, it would only take 30 to 40 minutes to complete a session especially if the cellulite problem is not that serious. To increase the effectiveness of cellulite massage, therapists use cellulite lotions or creams. This is one of the most important factors that determine the result of a cellulite massage, because without lotion or cream, it would be very difficult to work on the skin due to the friction. In addition, the lotions and creams used for cellulite massage are not of an ordinary kind but are the ones designed for the removal of cellulite. Aside from acting as lubricants, these products also contain ingredients that help reduce the appearance of cellulite by tightening the skin.

While massage therapy may be an ideal way to deal with cellulite, it is in no way the ultimate solution to such a problem. The result of such method usually depends on how long the treatments go and how severe the cellulite problem is. If you decide to undergo a series of massage therapy, see to it that you are realistic enough to understand that there is not a single formula for cellulite, because until today, experts haven’t discovered the ultimate cure for cellulite yet. The good thing is that you actually can depend on cellulite massage to reduce the appearance of cellulite on your skin.

Usually, focusing on a specific part of your body with a series of massage therapy sessions would give you more positive results. You may be able to see some amount of changes to the appearance of your skin after only three successive sessions but if you want more significant results, you may need to undergo more sessions. Prior to a session with your therapist, you can perform exercises for firming and toning the muscles to increase the efficiency of the massage. Some of the best firming exercises include stationary biking, brisk walking, and Pilates. These exercises are proven for tightening muscles in the buttocks, legs, and thighs.

Most massage parlors and salons today offer cellulite massage, but make sure your massage therapist is certified and is a professional. In a nutshell, massage therapy is one of the best ways to eliminate cellulite and improve your skin’s condition, so don’t hesitate to try it especially if surgery is not in your options.

Early Signs of Pregnancy

Many couples who are hoping to have a baby will likely react to the very slightest discomfort that they hope might signal that the woman is finally pregnant. Of course, pinpointing pregnancy so early on is typically difficult, as some of the discomfort that the lady feels may be attributed to something other than pregnancy. The following symptoms may be present but they may not necessarily be caused by a pregnancy:

1. Tiredness or fatigue – Extreme tiredness can happen as early as a week following conception. But this is more difficult to use as a gauge because fatigue can be caused by many other things, such as lack of sleep or a general physical exhaustion from a busy week or weeks.

2. Breast tenderness – You may notice your breast starting to feel tender, swollen, or simply more sensitive than usual. Although this also happens just before you get your period, as a sign of pregnancy, it can happen about one to two weeks following conception.

3. Irritability or moodiness – Hormonal changes can cause mood swings that are more pronounced than usual. Of course, you need to remember that you may also feel moody when your period is approaching. As such if this is a symptom of pregnancy it is usually disregarded in the absence of the other symptoms.

4. Headaches – Raised levels of hormones may cause headaches; as such, some women experience headaches early on in a pregnancy. But this symptom is a little too common to attribute directly to a pregnancy, as it can be caused by any myriad of factors.

5. Food cravings – Although cravings are generally joked about around someone who is pregnant, it may not be an accurate gauge of pregnancy minus other confirmation. After all, a woman may just happen to have a mood-directed choice of food, such as yearning for comfort food like ice cream during a particularly depressed moment. Women happen to be among the most emotionally-driven eaters, so this may not be too accurate.

6. Frequent urination – Some women experience a need to empty their bladders more frequently than usual. However, this is usually not noticed as a sign as many women feel it to be too normal a change.

However, there are also early signs that are more definite in telling you that you are indeed pregnant. Among these are:

1. Missing a period – This is typically the main sign that women take before they buy a pregnancy test. Of course, an important thing to remember is that you may also miss your period, if you have it regularly, due to hormonal changes in rare cases, such as if you suddenly lost a lot of weight. It may also happen when you are taking anti-pregnancy pills, as some of them curb the production of egg cells, which eventually result in amenorrhea.

2. Morning sickness or nausea any time of the day – This is the most commonly portrayed symptom for pregnancy in movies and books. This is because you don’t normally undergo this when you are about to have your period, except for severe cases of dysmenorrhea. This can happen at about two to eight weeks following conception as your hormone levels reach higher levels than usual.

3. Implantation bleeding – When the fertilized egg cell is implanted onto the uterus, some women experience implantation bleeding. This typically happens between six to twelve days following conception, and the bleeding is not as pronounced as a period. It is aptly described as spotting.

Although these are typical early signs of pregnancy, with the exception of a missed period, not all women experience them, as every pregnancy is unique. So if you find yourself experiencing most, if not all, of these symptoms, it might be the best time to buy yourself a pregnancy testing kit. If you don’t and yet confirm yourself to be pregnant, do not worry, as these signs are in no way an indication of a healthy pregnancy. In any case, just celebrate the new life growing within you and enjoy every step of the journey as you welcome a new member into your family.

Healthy Eating: What It Really Means

Many people are familiar with strict dieting as a means to lose weight, but most have never really heard of healthy eating. While both may seem to be the same thing, healthy eating is far different from strict diet programs that require you to cut back on certain types of foods in order to maintain a healthy weight. In fact, healthy eating doesn’t restrict you from eating any type of food that you want. This may sound too good to be true but there is actually a way to stay fit without starving yourself to death.

Simply put healthy eating this way: during breakfast, try to eat like a king, filling your plate with every nutritious and delicious food you can feast on. At lunch time, limit your meals as if you’re a prince. And when dinnertime comes, eat as if you’re a pauper and there’s very little food left for you to eat. This way, no matter how much and what type of food you eat, you will have very little chance of becoming obese or even sickly. Healthy eating doesn’t require you to cut back on all food; however, you still have to make sure you’re eating the right type of food at the right time of the day.

Do your best not to skip meals during breakfast. Most people think that by not eating in the morning, they can actually lose weight fast. Nothing could be further from the truth because studies show that skipping breakfast can actually increase a person’s risk for becoming obese. The reason is that when you miss your breakfast, there’s a huge chance that you’ll get hungry even before lunch time comes, and when that happens, you will be tempted to snack on junk food and consume more calories than you should. Again, eat breakfast like a king, filling your plate with eggs, oats, mushroom, bacon, and a piece of fruit. These types of food contain all the essential nutrients and energy you need throughout the day.

When lunchtime comes, you can limit your eating since you’ve had a huge breakfast. There’s no need for a heavy meal during this time so you can basically go for fruits, vegetables, and fish. There will also probably not be many healthy choices of food in your office pantry or cafeteria so it would be a good idea to pack your own lunch especially if you don’t have time to look for a restaurant that serves nutritious dishes. In the same manner, instead of drinking coffee or soda during your break in the afternoon, why not try some fruit juice or shake instead? Coffee can indeed give you a boost but only for a moment, while fresh orange, pineapple, or mango juice can not only quench your thirst but also replenish lost bodily energy. If you want to snack out, go for fresh fruits or nuts. This, too, will help you eliminate the urge to eat more at dinner.

Since you’ve had a well-balanced meal during the day, you won’t feel as hungry anymore when nighttime comes. During dinner, try not to overeat, as having a full belly a few hours before going to bed might give you some hard time falling asleep. At the same time, having too much to eat at night will give your body some difficulty to digest food and your metabolism to function properly. Perhaps the best time to eat dinner is three to four hours before bedtime, so that your body will have enough time to digest your food and burn some unwanted fat.

It’s not easy to adjust to this kind of practice especially if you’re used to indulging your every food whim. However, once you get use to it, you will realize that the rewards your body will reap will surpass any difficult things you will undergo in the whole course. So what does healthy eating really mean? It means simplifying your eating habits; choosing the right kind of food, and eating them at the right time during the day. Not even the strictest of diet can help you achieve a healthy mind and body, but if you can provide your body with the nutrition it needs through healthy eating, you can enjoy a quality kind of life for a very long time.

The Best Way to Care for Skin with Eczema

One of the most common skin problems faced by thousands of people all over the world today is eczema. Also referred to as atopic dermatitis, eczema is a chronic condition that results when the skin is exposed to certain allergens or irritants that causes inflammation in the epidermis. While the exact cause of such skin condition is not clearly known, experts believe that eczema can be inherited and is most of the time linked to asthma and rhinitis, the other two most popular allergic conditions known to man. Scientists are yet to discover the ultimate cure for eczema, but while dealing with such a problem may be easier said than done, overcoming eczema is not at all impossible. In fact, by following very simple guiding principles, you can stop eczema on its tracks.

Keeping your skin well-moisturized is a very effective way of preventing flare-ups. Since skin dryness is one of the contributing factors of eczema, applying moisturizer regularly will help you deal with it. There are many reasons why you should wear a high quality moisturizer every day especially if you have skin problems like dermatitis. For one, a good moisturizer helps maintain the moisture level in your skin, making sure that it is well-hydrated at all times. It also helps increase your skin’s capacity to retain moisture and strengthening the protective barrier of your skin. When looking for a moisturizer, choose a brand name that you can trust, and one that contains ingredients that are not harsh to your sensitive skin and will be able to protect it not just outside but also from within.

Furthermore, look for a moisturizer that contains a combination of these ingredients: glycerin, silicone, hyaluronic acid, mineral oil, panthenol, propylene glycol, butylenes glycol, petrolatum, stearyl alcohol, tacopheryl acetate, cetyl alcohol, and prolipids. These ingredients make a good moisturizer that should be able to protect your skin from irritation, keep its moisture level at the top, and help promote cell turnover and skin rejuvenation, a very important factor that contributes to healing and stopping eczema.

Hydrocortisone should also be part of your ammunition when battling with eczema. Known for its anti-inflammatory properties, hydrocortisone is often applied in the form of a cream or ointment. According to studies, almost 80% of people suffering from eczema have full recovery from the condition by using hydrocortisone as part of their treatment. In treating mild eczema, hydrocortisone with strength of 1% should be enough. However, a higher strength may be needed if you are dealing with severe eczema that affects tough skin.

Significant results are usually seen within 3 days of using hydrocortisone, although it may take some more time for the skin’s original state to be completely restored. Using hydrocortisone may be indeed one of the best ways to deal with eczema, but always remember to consult with your skin doctor before trying it as there are reports of how hydrocortisone may produce some negative side effects when not administered properly.

Another simple yet very effective way to deal with eczema is regular bathing. Water has a soothing effect on the skin that helps reduce inflammation and irritation that occurs during flare-ups. However, you should keep in mind that excess washing of the skin will also strip your skin off of its natural moisture so limit your bathing to once a day and three to four times a week. Using soap that’s specially designed for skin with eczema is advisable, as most ordinary soap contain harsh chemicals that can dry your skin and exacerbate your condition. Such harsh ingredients can also cause some damage to your ski’s barrier, leaving your skin susceptible to various conditions. In the same manner, avoid bathing for too long and use only lukewarm water, as hot water can dry the skin. Some experts suggest that adding oatmeal to your bath water can be helpful as well. Most importantly, never forget to apply moisturizer after every bath to restore moisture that has been stripped off by water.

Dealing with a skin condition such as eczema should neither be difficult nor expensive, since there are plenty of natural and safe ways to treat it. As long as your doctor gives you the go signal to try a certain method, you will have no problem at all.

Answers to Common Pregnancy Stretch Mark Questions

Besides gaining too much weight, having stretch marks is one of the aftermaths of pregnancy that women wish to avoid. If you are an expectant mother, you might be wondering if there’s a way for you to get exempted from acquiring these ugly marks. Perhaps, you are one of those who are finding some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about pregnancy stretch marks.

Probably the most commonly asked issue is how you can avoid having stretch marks during pregnancy. But before that question is answered, you may want to ask first: what exactly causes these stretch marks? Studies say that 6 out of 10 pregnant women get stretch marks. This is brought about by genetics, which means developing it runs in the family. Next is rapid or too much weight gain during pregnancy. Ideally, women should acquire less or maximum 35 pounds for the full term through a slow and gradual manner. If not, then quick changes in weight would force the skin to keep up with the growth and result to tears in the skin, which are called “striae”. However, if a woman is bearing large babies or having multiple babies, she is more likely to have stretch marks.

Other causes include skin color wherein fair-skinned women show more development of marks as compared to dark-skinned women. Having dry skin is also vulnerable to pregnancy scratches because of its lack of elasticity. Knowing the causes of stretch marks will help answer the most asked question about pregnancy stretch marks – how to avoid it! But, you have to know that there are no proven ways to prevent this from happening. However, there are certain precautions that you can try so you won’t end up wallowing about what you could have done to avoid it.

First off, you have to keep your skin healthy and moisturized. One of the most popular and experts swear to be very effective in preventing belly marks is cocoa butter. Palmer’s brand of cocoa butter has specially created stretch marks cream and lotions that you can buy at any drugstore. Apply this cream every day after taking a shower on all spots that are prone to stretch marks like the belly, butt, thighs, breasts and hips. You will get better results if you apply the cream using a circular massage motion. It will not just keep the skin moisturized, but it can also relieve the itch and encourage cell reproduction. Most stretch mark creams contain other ingredients as well like collagen and elastin that make the skin more pliable.

A great way to avoid rapid weight gain and somehow prevent striaes from forming is for you to strictly follow a diet plan. Getting the right food and nutrients is important for you and your baby’s health. This will also make sure that you are gaining weight in a safe and gradual manner. If you follow this well, you will have lesser chances of getting belly scratches. In terms of creating a pregnancy meal plan, consult your practitioner or a pregnancy nutrition specialist. Your doctor may also recommend food supplements that will help you gain the right amount of vitamins and minerals that you cannot get alone from the food that you eat. These supplements can also benefit your skin especially Vitamins E, A and essential fatty acids.

There are also a lot of available stretch mark creams in the market today that claim to be effective in keeping the skin smooth and stretch mark-free. But, you might want to know if these creams contain ingredients that are safe for expectant moms. Some of these stretch mark removal creams contain Retin-A but in small amounts that may not be harmful for the baby. But, in any case, consult your physician first before using any of these products.

However, if all these precautions fail and you still end up with stretch marks, there are cosmetic treatments available like non-invasive laser treatments and retinoid creams. You have to remember though that there is no absolute way to fade marks completely. These cosmetic procedures are meant to lessen the appearance but not actually remove the pregnancy marks. They are also quite expensive and needs several sessions for you to get the best results.

Fight the Common Cold Effectively!

Millions of people suffer from the common cold each year. It starts off from a single sneeze, and then later on you realize that you are already having a headache and a runny nose. Usually, a cold would just leave on its own accord after a few days or so, but while there is no definite cure for it, there are some things you can do hasten your recovery. The common cold is actually caused by a virus, which takes advantage of a compromised immune system. If your immune system is in top condition, there will be no way the cold virus can affect you.

Getting enough sleep and rest is one of the most effective ways to boost your immune system and in turn help ward off colds. In one study, two groups of healthy volunteers were exposed to a cold virus. The researchers found later on that the group who got less than seven hours of sleep was three times more likely to acquire the cold than those who were able to sleep for eight hours. According to the researchers, even a single disturbance during sleep had a huge impact on a person’s susceptibility to the illness. Their advice: get to bed as early as ten in the evening and get at least eight hours of sleep. It is during the period between 10pm to 6am that the healing and repairing activity of the body is at its peak.

Aside from sleep, exercise too, has been found to greatly boost the immune system. Each time you exercise, the number of immune cells in your body increases by up to 300%, according to scientists. It means that even if you can only spend 15-30 minutes of your time each day exercising, you can greatly boost your immune system in such a way that viruses like the ones that cause common colds cannot affect you. Moderate exercises such as brisk walking or biking are especially effective in bolstering the immune system and are required for people who always fall susceptible to the common cold. However, you may want to go easy on exercise especially when you are sick, because over-activity can have a reverse effect on your immune system.

So what do you do in case you get infected with the cold virus? Aside from practicing the proper hygiene of washing your hands and avoiding touching your mouth and nostrils, there are a number of ways on which you can recover from the common cold fast and easy. One is by drinking plenty of water. Water works by flushing out waste and toxin out of your body and promote the production of mucus. When you have colds, your body will use more fluids than usual, so by drinking plenty of water, you are preventing yourself from being dehydrated. If you have cough and phlegm to go along with your cold, water can help thin out mucus in your lung area and help loose phlegm for a less difficult time when coughing.

In the same manner, adding salt to warm water can help if you find yourself having sore throat as well. Salt has anti-bacterial properties, and whether you drink or gargle it, you’ll be amazed at how effective it is in soothing pain associated with sore throat.

Drinking fruit juice rich in vitamin C is also ideal when you have the colds. While there’s very little evidence on the effectiveness of vitamin C in preventing and fighting the cold virus, taking it regularly will help boost the immune system and help alleviate any illness.

If you’re a smoker or a drinker, you might want to get rid of the habits ultimately since both are found to greatly lower the immune system. According to statistics, people who smoke and drink alcohol regularly have frequent occurrences of severe colds than those who do not.

Finally, do your best to give more time for resting and de-stressing. Stress is probably the largest factor that can contribute to a compromised immune system. On the other hand, if you can learn the art of resting and relaxing, you can actually activate your immune system by will. Scientists found evidence that cold and flu virus-fighting cells increase in the bloodstream each time a person tells his mind and body to relax.

Baby Eczema: What you Need to Know

Baby eczema or its medical term atopic dermatitis affects twenty percent of the population of babies and small children in America. It is characterized as tiny, itchy, dry, red and scaly rashes on the skin. It is commonly seen on the forehead, face or scalp but it can also be seen on the arms, legs and chest. The very cause of this skin disorder among infants is still a mystery. But experts can tell that it is genetically transferred and can be triggered by an allergic reaction to dust, food and various external factors.

Baby eczema is quite a difficult skin disorder to handle and unfortunately, it is easier to make it worse if one does not know how to take care of it or if the baby is left alone to scratch on the affected parts. If your baby is suffering from eczema or you are simply preparing yourself in case you face this disease with your child in the future, then here are some basic treatments that you can learn to effectively manage baby eczema.

First, it is important that you find the culprit that may have triggered the rashes. This is essential information because once your child gets in contact with it again, the condition might worsen. Be keen to remember the happenings of the day before you saw the signs of eczema on your child’s face. List down the foods that baby ate and what you ate—this is crucial if you are breastfeeding. You may also want to consider the weather if it was the time of the year to change seasons. Pets and dust are also some of the common culprits. Perhaps, you have bathed your baby too much which made her skin dry and more sensitive to the surroundings.

There are so many possible irritants that your child might have encountered or can possibly encounter, these stuff are almost all found inside the house. Food is by far the most common allergen and this includes chocolate, nuts, cow’s milk, egg whites and citrus fruits. As previously mentioned, animal hair and dust are also very common particles that cause allergic reactions. The usual laundry detergent and fabric conditioner that most people use to wash clothes can also be too harsh on baby’s skin. You need to be careful as well with the material that touches your child’s sensitive skin such as those of his or her clothes, your clothes, beddings and diapers. Lastly, baby bath products can also cause skin reactions especially if they are fragranced and not soap-free.

Baby’s skin becomes sensitive and dry when plagued with eczema. So, one of the first rules is to keep the skin moisturized. Avoid long baths that can remove the skin’s natural moisture. Instead, doctors advice to give the child quick lukewarm soaks without using any soap. Then, as soon as your baby is out of the water, gently pat his skin dry with a soft towel and apply baby moisturizers or lotion. Make sure that you lather some more during the day and just before the infant retires at night. Using a humidifier may also help to keep the skin from getting too dry and itchy.

Baby eczema is difficult to treat mainly because it is impossible to teach a baby not to scratch on something that itches. So, as a parent, you must help your child not to scratch at all cost. You can try covering his or her hands with cotton mittens or keeping the nails short. Keeping the baby comfortable, cool and distracted may also help him or her stop the urge to scratch.

Last but not the least and this may not come as a surprise, breastfeed your child. Breastfeeding may help heal or avoid eczema altogether. Breast milk contains natural disease-fighting ingredients that also works double-time in strengthening the infant’s immune system.

No parent would like their child suffer from baby eczema. Learning these simple steps is very important if you want your child to grow out of this skin disorder completely. Do not hesitate to go directly to your trusted physician to get full advice on what to do and get the best and most effective baby eczema treatment for your child.

Stress Solutions for Women

Studies have proven that working women experience higher stress than men. There is also evidence that women are more likely to bring work-related stress at home than their partners. The reason behind is that women’s responsibilities do not end at the workplace. It’s quite normal for men to grab a can of beer and relax in the sofa while watching TV once they get home from work, but most women still have to finish a lot of household chores such as prepare dinner and take care of the kids after office. While there’s nothing wrong with multitasking, women who put too much pressure on themselves by doing too many things at a time have a chance to snap and succumb to severe stress.

The thing with stress is that it can be a silent killer. Most experts agree that stress is the root of most chronic disease known to man, and when left unchecked, it can lead to several health problems such as obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and many more. Not only does stress affect a woman’s health but also her time with her family. When pressured by a deadline or a presentation, a mother will usually end up giving all her time to work. In this kind of situation, she loses quality time that should otherwise have been spent with her children. And when she gives little priority to her chores such as preparing a healthy meal for her family, it is the latter that suffers.

Stress can also affect a woman’s mood. Upon arriving from work, she might either be too tired physically or grumpy that she couldn’t enjoy time with her husband and kids anymore. Some mothers might try to fight stress, but more often than not, they are the one who lose the battle. So what does a working mother do to manage her stress load and be the woman that she ought to be – to her husband and children?
When it comes to managing work-related stress, the first key is to leave your work at the office. This may be easier said than done especially since most women have the tendency to play superwoman and try to finish everything at a time. However, the same way that you don’t bring your household chores to the office, so should you not bring your paperwork at home. Whether you’re single or married, you should consider going home as a reward for a long day at the office and not an extension of it.

If you know how to set your priorities, you should have no problem dealing with stress at all. “There is a time for everything”, as the old proverb goes. There is no point spending all your energy into office work if it’s going to give you a heart attack in the end. Your company can easily replace you if you die, but to your family, there is no one out there who can take your place. It is simply not wise to pour out your efforts into something that is not stable as your career, and it’s never worth it in the long run. Therefore, focus your time and energy to spending time with your family and consider your career only as second priority. The more you are happy with your family life, the healthier you become, and the more productive you will be in the workplace. It’s not the other way around.

Making time for yourself is also a good way for a working mother to beat stress. Each day, set aside even just an hour doing something you love – on your own. It could be going the spa, getting a facial or a manicure, or even reading a good book. And when your “me” time is over, engage in some relaxing activities with your family like strolling in the park, playing in your backyard, or just enjoying a good movie. The key is to keep your mind off work and just enjoy.

Finally, do your best to stay healthy by living a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you get eight hours of sleep every night. A good night’s sleep is enough to work magic for a tired mind. It also helps you become more productive in the workplace. In the same manner, see to it that you load up with nutritious food so that you’ll have the energy you need to face the day ahead.

Tuesday, 24 May 2011

Libya: NATO Steps Up Air Strikes on Tripoli

The night skies light up as NATO bombed Tripoli

BBC

NATO planes have launched a series of air attacks on Libya's capital Tripoli, with correspondents saying they may be the largest so far of the campaign.

Some of the strikes appear to have targeted Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.

They came after France announced it and the UK would also deploy attack helicopters to escalate strike power, reports the BBC.

NATO is enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians, following the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule.

Between 12 and 20 explosions were reported in the early hours of Tuesday.

The BBC's Andrew North, in Tripoli, said the first blasts were in the vicinity of Bab al-Aziziya and were followed by more in other parts of the city.

He says the hotel journalists have been staying in was shaken to its foundation by some of the blasts.

After each a NATO aircraft could be heard in the sky.

Plumes of smoke were rising from the area of Bab al-Aziziya and anti-aircraft guns were firing.

Libyan government spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim said three people were killed and 150 wounded in the strikes.

Ibrahim said barracks of a volunteer unit of the Libyan army had been targeted but most of the casualties were civilians living nearby. The statements could not be independently verified.

Our correspondent says he has not been taken to the barracks but was escorted to a hospital and shown people said to have been injured in the strikes.

He says people have come out on to the streets to show support for Col Gaddafi.

The attacks came after French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet confirmed media reports that France was deploying attack helicopters to NATO's Libya mission.

He also said Britain would send helicopters. He said both countries would deploy the new forces as soon as possible.

The UK has yet to confirm the deployment.

Earlier, France's Le Figaro newspaper said that 12 helicopters were despatched to Libya on the French carrier Tonnerre on 17 May. The helicopters involved were allegedly Tigre and Gazelle.

The deployment would increase pressure on Col Muammar Gaddafi's forces, as helicopters can hit targets on the ground more accurately.

BBC defence correspondent, Caroline Wyatt says using attack helicopters marks a significant escalation of the campaign.

She says the UK's Apache attack helicopters would deploy from HMS Ocean, the Royal Navy's largest warship. Our correspondent says the BBC understands their use was authorised by Prime Minister David Cameron at a meeting of the National Security Council.

NATO jets have been targeting Col Gaddafi's military infrastructure, but have been unable to stop the fighting.

Rebels control much of Libya's east, while Col Gaddafi's forces control most of the west of the country.

Vuvuzelas 'May Spread Diseases'

Vuvuzelas came to global prominence in the 2010 World Cup

Vuvuzelas - the horns used by football fans celebrating last year's World Cup - not only cause noise pollution but may also spread diseases, say experts.

A short burst on the instrument creates a spittle shower similar to a sneeze, travelling at a four million droplets a second, a PLoS One journal study shows.

According to the BBC, in crowded venues one person blowing a vuvuzela could infect many others with airborne illness like the flu or TB.

Organisers are considering whether to allow them at the 2012 London Olympics.

Critics say they are anti-social and unsafe because of their potential to generate a din louder than a plane taking off.

Dr Ruth McNerney, who carried out the latest work at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said a "vuvuzela blowing etiquette" may be needed rather than a ban.

"Just as with coughs or sneezes, action should be taken to prevent disease transmission, and people with infections must be advised against blowing their vuvuzelas close to other people," she said.

Her team investigated the vuvuzela hazard using a laser device to measure how many droplets were produced by eight volunteers using the horns.

On average, 658,000 lung particles, or aerosols, per litre of air were expelled from the instruments.

The droplets shot into the air at the rate of four million per second.

In comparison, when the volunteers were asked to shout, they produced only 3,700 particles per litre at a rate of 7,000 per second.

"When attending a sporting event and surrounded by vuvuzela players, a spectator could expect to inhale large numbers of respiratory aerosols over the course of the event," Dr McNerney warned.

Afghan Blast Kills 10 Labourers

Afghan National Army

BBC

At least 10 road workers have been killed and 28 injured in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar when their truck hit a roadside bomb, hospital officials say.

No group has said it carried out the attack. Last week gunmen shot dead 35 highway workers in Paktia province.

According to the BBC, road workers are frequently targeted by Taliban militants.

The Taliban recently declared a "spring offensive" of attacks. This is the fourth attack in as many days.

The labourers were on their way to work when the blast struck in the rural Panjwayi district of Kandahar province, according to the AFP news agency.

Kandaharis considered to be the spiritual homeland of the Taliban. Earlier this month the city effectively came under siege as insurgents attempted to seize control of several government buildings.

There are also frequent attacks on security forces, both foreign and Afghan, operating across the province.

Soldier arrested

Over the last week there has been a dramatic escalation in the frequency of attacks nationwide.

On Saturday, a suicide blast at a hospital in Kabul killed six people and on Sunday gunmen stormed a government building in the city of Khost, also killing six. On Monday, a suicide blast killed four people in a crowded market place in eastern Laghman province.

A spokesman for Afghanistan's NDS intelligence agency told reporters on Monday that several insurgents had been arrested in connection with Saturday's attack.

One of those arrested is an Afghan National Army soldier working at the hospital. The spokesman said the soldier had provided the attacker with a uniform and valid ID card to help him get into the hospital.

Correspondents say that although NATO says it is making progress against the insurgents, the Taliban are still able to strike at will including at the heart of the Afghan government, in its most heavily guarded bases

Casualties in Suicide Bombing in Kazakhstan

Nurzhol Boulevard is seen in the Kazakhstan capital, Astana

AFP

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a building of the security services in Kazakhstan's capital Astana early Tuesday, causing casualties, the Interfax news agency said.

"The car blew up at around 3:40 local time on May 24. As a result the person in the car died," a source in law enforcement told the agency.

"The investigators are looking into the possibility that it was a terrorist attack, but this is not their main hypothesis," the official said, adding that the blast was caused by explosives.

Initial reports said the blast happened outside the headquarters of the security services, but officials later said it was outside a detention centre run by the security services, reports AFP.

A police spokeswoman told the RIA Novosti news agency that "there were people in the car" but could not confirm the number of casualties.

Interfax said witnesses told the agency there were one or two people in the car and that body parts of the passengers were blown out by the force of the blast.

One witness had a video filmed on a mobile phone showing the headless body of a man lying around 10 metres (11 yards) from the car.

A press secretary for the KNB security services told Interfax, however, that a car simply caught fire outside the entrance to the detention centre.

"A car just caught fire and blew up. Nothing special happened here. Any car can catch fire in any place," said spokesman Kenzhebulat Beknazarov.

The blast came just days after a suicide bombing outside the headquarters of the security service in the north-western Kazakh city of Aktobe on May 17, which wounded three people including a member of the security services.

Such attacks until now have been rare in Kazakhstan, the most stable state in Central Asia which has been run since even before the fall of the Soviet Union by strongman President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Obama to Get Royal Welcome on UK Visit

President Obama was given a warm welcome in Dublin at the start of his week-long tour of Europe

BBC

The US-UK partnership is "an essential relationship for us and for the world", the countries' leaders have said ahead of the US president's visit to Britain.

Barack Obama is to meet the Queen at Buckingham Palace later at the start of his packed, three-day state visit, reports the BBC.

He will meet Prime Minister David Cameron for talks on Wednesday likely to focus on Libya and the Middle East.

Obama arrived in the UK a day ahead of schedule on Monday, to avoid any disruption from a volcanic ash cloud.

He flew into Stansted, in Essex, with wife, Michelle after leaving the Republic of Ireland, where his week-long tour of Europe began.

The couple will receive a ceremonial welcome later, before visiting Westminster Abbey and Downing Street.

In a joint article in the Times, Obama and Cameron said of their countries' relationship: "Ours is not just a special relationship, it is an essential relationship - for us and for the world.

"When the United States and Britain stand together, our people and people around the world can become more secure and more prosperous.

"The reason it thrives is because it advances our common interests and shared values. It is a perfect alignment of what we both need and what we both believe."

"We will not stand by as their aspirations get crushed in a hail of bombs, bullets and mortar fire," said the two leaders.

"We are reluctant to use force, but when our interests and values come together, we know we have a responsibility to act."

Obama's week-long tour of Europe began in Dublin on Monday where he delivered an open-air speech to thousands of cheering people, reaffirming US-Irish ties.

Speaking in stilted Gaelic, he told them he was happy to be in the Republic of Ireland.

"Whenever peace is challenged... America will stand by you always in your pursuit of peace," he said.

The president's Air Force One jet landed at Stansted airport just after 2215 BST on Monday.

The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall were originally due to greet the Obamas but because of their early arrival the couple were met instead by the Lord in Waiting, Viscount Brookeborough.

Mr and Mrs Obama will stay at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday but are spending their first night in the UK at Winfield House, the American ambassador's residence in central London.

Security will be tight during the three-day trip which comes ahead of the G8 summit of world leaders in France.

The state visit to the UK is the 101st to be hosted by the Queen but only the third involving a US president in 100 years. The last US leader to come to the UK on one was George Bush in 2003.

The president's itinerary starts with joining the Duke of Edinburgh to inspect a Guard of Honour in the palace gardens, before a private lunch with the Queen.

The public will get their first chance to see President Obama and the First Lady when they arrive at Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

The couple will then go to Downing Street to meet the prime minister and his wife, Samantha, before returning to Buckingham Palace to meet Labour leader Ed Miliband.

In the evening there will be a state banquet for the Obamas at Buckingham Palace, where they will stay overnight.

On Wednesday, Obama will hold talks with Cameron at Downing Street.

He will be joined later by Michelle for a barbecue at Number 10 with British and American military veterans.

There will be a news conference, before the president departs for the Houses of Parliament, where he will give a speech about US foreign policy to MPs in Westminster Hall.

The day will be rounded off with a return banquet at Winfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador, where the Queen will formally say farewell.

Later this week President Obama will visit Poland and France, where he will attend a meeting of the Group of Eight (G8) major world powers.

A Letter to God Following the Cancellation of the Rapture

You screwed me. Not in a literal sense -- though I suppose your omnipresence raises interesting questions about our shared levels of intimacy. But that's outside the point. You gave the Earth a terminal prognosis -- a window of certain death on May 21st -- and then on a whim, you just changed your mind and canceled it. So while you bask in praise over the next few weeks for saving millions of people, I also want you to remember that you made me look like a complete idiot. That's on your shoulders now and you have to live with that. I put a lot of stock into your promise of that rapture, and certainly didn't anticipate seeing anyone I know ever again. Yet here I am ... still, left with nowhere to go and standing on the opposite side of awkwardness from girlfriends, neighbors and coworkers, watching what's left of a bridge burn between us. I think I deserve to know what happened.

I was assured by billboards weeks ago that this was a done deal. Billboards, God.

When a billboard tells me I can anticipate a La Quinta Inn in 12 miles, that advertisement and I enter a tacit trust with each other. I rely on the truth of that information to inform my decisions. If it fails to deliver on its promise, then the consequences could be catastrophic; I could fall asleep at the wheel or get lost or end up sleeping at a local campground. That's what's at stake. But you've made a mockery of that trust, and quite honestly, now I don't know what to believe anymore.

It's not just me you've disappointed either, take a minute to consider all the other people you've let down or hurt, indirectly, through me. I made a lot of promises I can't possibly keep. Did you know, for instance, that I agreed to be in a local play? Yeah. Not a good one either. You can't possibly imagine the hours and dedication that a play demands, and all without any real sense of accomplishment or financial reward. But I'm roped in now to three solid months of community theater, thanks to your wishy-washy approach to world-wide catastrophe.

I quit recycling too. I gave it up completely. I stopped separating plastics or buying energy-conscious products because I assumed it was pointless now. Well it wasn't pointless, was it? Now I look like a dick. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to invite a woman to your house with whom you'd like to sexually fuse, and to have her notice that your bulbs are not florescent? I'll save the trouble of guessing and tell you that the answer is: Very. It's very embarrassing. Now I have the hassle of hiring someone to pick through my trash and re-separate everything. Plus, I genuinely have no idea how many six-pack rings I let slip into landfills and oceans, uncut, over the past two weeks. Your lies make me feel terrible about myself and that's not something that friends do to one another. Couples maybe, but not friends.

Oh, and I have kittens now. Not a kitten -- a litter. I never planned on owning a cat in my entire life and now I have eight. I collected them on a whim from a shelter because I canceled my Internet and had no medium through which to watch baby animals do devastatingly adorable things. Well it turns out that kittens are only adorable about two percent of the time and the other 98 percent they are shredding your cultural treasures and cramming poop in between your piano keys. They are shitting, allergy-inducing balls of clawed hatred.

Why would you design an animal like that? That seems inordinately cruel, even by Old Testament You standards. Right now, I'm letting them claw stuff and pee on each other out in the garden in the hopes that they will be eaten by hawks. That's on you. Given your infinite knowledge, however, I'm sure you're already aware, or are you too busy right now breaking promises to sick kids in hospitals to notice?

Incidentally, I now have to go back to a bunch of hospitals and tell cancer patients that, no, I can't hit home runs for each of them in my next league softball game. You and I both know I'm not a good enough hitter to fulfill that promise. When I tell them, it's going to be me watching their faces fall, not you; I have to wipe away those carcinogenic tears. That is, unless of course you could see your way clear of providing one tiny miracle for the sake of everyone, by killing each of them before the game. I think you owe me that much.

And that right there is the worst part: You haven't promised any kind of recompense at all. Generally, when a band has to cancel a show, it makes some effort to compensate the fans. It reimburses everyone for tickets or plays a makeup performance. So imagine my shock over your unwillingness to reschedule the event, especially given your massive loyal following. In fact, all we've heard from you over the last few days has been silence. I can only assume that it was your intention all along to cancel doomsday and frankly, I'm disappointed with your strategy. You knew full well that most of the planet wasn't ready for a reckoning and that you could earn some admiration points by promising something awful and then reneging on it, essentially leaving everything exactly as it was and still coming out a hero. Well guess what? That trick only works once and New Coke already beat you to the punch about 25 years ago.

All you've done is alienate the people who took you at your word, and you hurt your own credibility. I think you're going to find that we're a little more hesitant to believe you the next time you threaten a rapture. And because I can't trust you, that means the next time one of these rolls around I probably won't lie nearly as much to dying children or purchase animals on an impulse or any of the countless awesome things I did recently because your lies have effectively sucked all the fun out of the End of Days. I hope you're happy with yourself. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of cleaning up to do.






Monday, 23 May 2011

The Amber Room

Built in 1701, the Amber Room was one of Russia's greatest treasures, and had even been called "the eighth wonder of the world." A spectacular chamber constructed out of amber, gold leaf and mirrors, it is exactly the kind of thing Indiana Jones would fight Nazis to obtain.

The entire piece changed palaces a few times until it landed in a St. Petersburg Palace, where Hitler's army stumbled across it in 1941. Unable to move it to safety, the evacuating Russians had simply wallpapered over it, hoping the Germans wouldn't ask why a room in a palace would have such tacky wallpaper. But they did and brought the entire room back home to Germany.

Once in Konigsberg, the room was set up in a castle and proudly displayed. By 1945, with the Russians advancing, Hitler personally ordered it to be taken down and sent to a secret location. The record indicates that the room was taken to a railway station, packed up and then the record screeches to a stop like someone told a racist joke at the Apollo. That was the last anyone ever heard of it.

How exactly do you lose an entire room full of gold and amber? Some say it was put on a boat that was sunk by the Allies. Other reports place it in a hidden bunker under the city. Meanwhile, the Russians have been searching for it like crazy. Since the end of the war, several expeditions have been mounted all over Europe, with sightings supposedly in abandoned mines, lagoons and caverns. And new investigations even go so far as to say the whole room was destroyed, and the Soviets covered the entire thing up.

The room has since been reconstructed in St. Petersburg, but certain pieces of the original pop up now and then just to keep the mystery alive, including a piece of a mosaic a German soldier took out when he helped move the room in 1945. Whoever finds it is going to be able to be rich enough to, we don't know, build a room out of freaking gold.







Hitler's Body

In 1945, with Berlin about to fall to the Soviets, Adolf Hitler decided to kill himself, his new wife Eva Braun and their dog, Blondi (he also ordered her puppies shot. What did you expect? It was Hitler.) The Soviets came in and found the bodies in a bunker about seven hours after he died. After they were buried, Stalin figured Hitler shouldn't get off that easily, so he had their burned corpses exhumed and reburied, then took a part of his skull and his jawbone, because evidently Stalin didn't think much of photographic evidence.

Via Hyperborean Vibrations
"That could just as easily be Charlie Chaplin."

Later, in 1970, the site that held the remains was set to be given back to East German control, but fearing a shrine or monument to their former adversary, the Soviets had a KGB team come in the middle of the night, dig up the bodies again, cremate them and spread the ashes in the Elbe River. For the Russians, the case was finally closed.

That is until 2009, when testing on "Hitler's skull" revealed it to have belonged to a woman under 40. Whoops. Either they got the wrong skull or Hitler was hiding a huge secret.

Getty
"And this is where the Fuhrer's high-heels and extra brassieres were buried."

This hastily reopened the question: What happened to his body? The jawbone, also alleged to be Hitler's, is also in Russian possession, suspiciously being guarded under the pretense that it is "too fragile." With pressure building on the Russians to release it for testing, the mystery remains open. And there's always the outside chance that we'll find a 120-year-old Hitler living comfortably in a mansion in Argentina.

Getty
He finally gave up genocide for a shot at engaging his true passion: performance art.

Read more: 6 Objects You Won't Believe People Managed to Lose | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19201_6-objects-you-wont-believe-people-managed-to-lose.html#ixzz1NAOzFjU0




The From Hell Letter

In October 1888, all London was aflutter about the granddaddy of serial killers, Jack the Ripper, whose identity to this day has never been discovered. The Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, an organization of volunteers, was doing its best to keep the streets safe at night (or at least a little less murdery than usual), as was the London police department.

Via Wiki Commons
George Lusk, president of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, ready to examine the shit out of things.

One day, the head of the Committee, Dean Lusk, received an unmarked package. Inside were two things. The first was a note from Jack taunting the Committee and gloating about the other item in the box. That other item was a half-cannibalized human kidney.

Unlike the hundreds of other letters supposedly written by Jack the Ripper, many scholars believe this letter, signed "From Hell," to be one of the few likely authentic ones. Partly because it was packaged alongside a kidney, which are not exactly easy to acquire. Based on the fact that the Ripper was a known kidney thief, the letter was generally agreed to be from the killer. It was subsequently put in a file in the police station and was never seen again.


He either misspelled Mister or the killer was Sean Connery.

Today, with modern analyzing techniques with ink types, paper types and possibly even century-old smudged fingerprints, it's conceivable that we could put the mystery of Jack the Ripper to rest once and for all. At least we could let the cast of CSI give it their best shot. But with the letter and the preserved kidney both lost to terrible record-keeping procedures, we may never know.

Getty
Seriously, we understand losing a piece of paper, but a kidney?





The San Jose

In 1708, old adversaries, the British and the Spanish, were fighting the War of Spanish Succession. One fateful day in the Caribbean, the Spanish ship San Jose was going back to Spain when passing English ships casually blew it up off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia, and continued on their way.

Via Wiki Commons
They probably just wanted to see the awesome explosion.

What the British didn't know was that the San Jose was carrying six years of accumulated treasure on board the ship, including 344 tons of silver and gold, 116 chests of emeralds and pretty much the entire life savings of the Viceroy of Peru. All in all, it is worth about $2 billion in today's market, and some estimate that collectors might cough up as much as $10 billion to secure it. Despite many desperate searches in the area they're pretty sure it went down, nothing has been found.

As the years have passed, more and more people have been trying to find this elusive treasure. By the 1980s, actor Michael Landon and former Nixon aide John Ehrlichman got in on a few expeditions to find it. But since 1984, legal expeditions have dropped dramatically ever since the Colombian government dropped the finders share slightly, from 50 percent to, well, five percent.


And if 70s television star Michael Landon can't do it, what hope is left?

However, there is one imposing nonlegal hurdle to all this: We still don't know where the hell the wreck is. The Colombian government doesn't really allow things like SONAR and other remote methods of searching, so all treasure hunters really know are vague descriptions given by a few British sailors who helped deep six the boat, as well as a few murky videos from 1982 that may or may not be the San Jose. So the $2 billion is still out there, waiting to be rediscovered.

Getty
"Once we find that ship, we'll be filling our oxygen tanks with caviar."

Read more: 6 Objects You Won't Believe People Managed to Lose | Cracked.com http://www.cracked.com/article_19201_6-objects-you-wont-believe-people-managed-to-lose_p2.html#ixzz1NAM8ALAC




The 18 1/2 Minute Gap in the Watergate Tape

If there is one thing that defines the Nixon presidency, it's the Watergate Scandal.


If there were two things, it would be that and getting to meet Tom Hanks.

Richard Nixon resigned as president in 1974, after it was discovered he kinda knew and approved of breaking into and bugging democratic party offices. This was due in part to the fact that Nixon was so chronically obsessed with bugging things that he recorded all his own conversations to later be used in his memoirs. The tapes were then listened to, and evidence piled up, including one tape where Nixon asked his aides to tell the FBI to stop its investigation, which for those of you who don't know, is obstruction of justice -- a severe criminal offense.

Via Wiki Commons
This is the most innocent we've ever seen Nixon look, and we're still pretty sure that piano is filled with strangled puppies.

While the taped evidence sealed Nixon's fate, there were several noticeable missing gaps in the tapes, including an almost 19 minute gap in a tape of Nixon talking to his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman. His same chief of staff who helped orchestrate the break-ins and who was later arrested and imprisoned for 18 months.

Via Wiki Commons
No word what his hair got.

When the commission in charge of the case asked why over 18 minutes had been erased, many weak excuses were given, including putting the blame on Nixon's secretary. Since the tapes were probably not "accidentally" erased, it is generally viewed that something unlawful was recorded. But what was it? Nixon giving the orders to bug the offices? Nixon ordering an assassination? Nixon telling Haldeman to follow the clues to lead him to the treasure? We'll never know, as they are lost to history.

Via Wiki Commons
We're forced to assume it was the location of the San Jose treasure.

Or maybe not. While the exact words are still lost, they may not be for long. The National Archives is currently trying to find the exact point in the tapes where it was erased and, with the aid of future technology, maybe restore it. Several attempts have already been made. They know where it is, but not how to find it. Someday, we may get to hear what Nixon did not want us to hear.






Nuclear Bombs

Via Wiki Commons

Militaries are very good at hurling bombs at each other, but not so good at cleaning them up. This is why, for instance, 90 years after WWI over 900 tons of unexploded bombs are still being found around Europe. Even with today's advanced remote-sensing technology, many bombs are not found until a farmer clips one with a plow. And because bombs sank into the soil over time, they appear each spring after the frozen earth pushes them back to the surface. This is what the locals call the "Iron Harvest," as each year brings a new "crop."

Via Simon Farr
WARNING: Do not stir-fry.

And these are not the simple "hit them and they explode" bombs, either -- many of them contain mustard gas and other dangerous chemicals that can murder you from a distance. The bombs are still so dangerous that sometimes entire towns have to be evacuated. But still, you know, it's not like there are nukes laying around out there.

Via Wiki Commons
Are we the only ones who think this would make a badass kitchen table?

Ah, about that ...

The United States has officially acknowledged 11 nuclear weapons lost over the years, while the Russians have had several weapons just go missing, with hundreds of attempts to steal weapons from their facilities. But according to several watchdog organizations, including Greenpeace, there are about 50 nuclear weapons currently unaccounted for, most of them at sea. That's basically misplacing an apocalypse.

Via Wiki Commons
"So ... should we just keep this thing in Steve's storage shed, or what?"

In case you are thinking of making an expedition to find one of these, most of them are in areas that humans cannot easily get to. One such place is in British Columbia, where a bomb was lost on the way to a simulated strike of San Francisco. Another bomb, accidentally lost when a U.S. Air Force B-52 crashed in 1968, is in the middle of Greenland, so we can't find it until global warming kicks in.

But then, a lot of these missing bombs, lovingly termed "broken arrows" by the U.S. military, are lost at sea and eerily close to civilization. One bomb was lost in 1965 when the jet it was attached to simply rolled off the loading elevator into the ocean, only 80 miles off the coast of Japan. Then there is the case of the hydrogen bomb lost in 1958 in the ocean less than half a mile off the coast of Georgia. As in the U.S. state of Georgia.

Via Wiki Commons
Odds are, a few of you live within miles of this bomb.

But not to fret, the military powers that be say that most do not have sufficient material for a nuclear blast. So don't worry, most won't explode probably!

Getty
Probably.

For more things lost to the ages, check out 7 Insanely Advanced Weapons History Somehow Forgot About and The 6 Most Important Things Humanity Just Plain Forgot.







Nuclear Bombs

for more details visit: www.gjnrfamilyfriends.blogspot.com

Sunday, 15 May 2011

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Warehouseman
Salary: KD, 150/ + Free Accommodation + Free Transport + Free Medical & Life Insurance + Overtime (beyond 8 hours of work)
Requirement: Smart Professionals with exceptionally Good command on English Language (both Verbal & Written) and hands on with basic computer knowledge
Qualification: Post Graduates / Graduates / Under Graduates
Experience: 1-3 Years
Age: 21-30 years
Passport: Valid Passport is must
Job Responsibilities: It is neither a desk job nor a laborious job, Rather it would be an great experience of working with a highly professional team. There would be Equipment Operators and Labours working under you. Candidates will be responsible for:

Activities associated with the operation of the warehouse and performance of distribution services.
Handling electric warehouse trucks and small electric for klifts
Managing a large store with millions of items.

Supply chain logistics forms the backbone to any strong economy, come be a part of U.S. Based operations in Kuwait.

Documents Required for Interview
Original Passport, Passport size photographs, educational Documents along with an updated CV

Kolkata 29-30 April - 11
Satyam Building, S.M. Travels, 46D, Rafi Ahamed Kidwai Road, Kolkata - 700016
Basement (Park Street & Wellesley Crosing) Oppsite - West Bengal Madhyamik Board
Ph. 033 2226 8369. Fax: 033 2212 8928

Trehan International Conslt. & Engg. Pvt. Ltd.
B.O. in: New Delhi | Mumbai | Jalandhar | Gorakhpur

Very Nominal Placement Fees, Includes Visa Fees
Lic No. 003880/DEL/COM/1000+/3/5374

computer ITjobs

computer ITjobs

Required For

Air Conditioning Company - Maintenance Project

Kuwait

Interview with foreign Delegates on 28th April 11 (10 am onwards)

General Foremen
Electrical Foremen
Civil Foremen
Medical Gas Foremen
HVAC Techns. / A/C Techns.
HVAC Control Techns.
Boiler Operators
Electrical Technicians
Medical Gas Techns.
Natural Gas Techns.
Fire Alarm Operators
Fire Alarm Technicians
HVAC Foremen
Mech. Foremen
Plumbing Foremen
Diesel Generator Techns.
Lift Technicians
Plumbing Techns.
Chiller Operators
Civil Technicians
Aluminium Techns.
Carpenters
Painters
Telephone Techns.

Interested candidates may report strictly. Within 2 days with CV, original Passport. Copy of educational & working certificates. 2 Passport Photos to:

Active Consultants,
Mumbai - 400 053

C/o. M/s. Sharp Human Resources
75, 1st Floor Swapnalok Complex,
S.D. Road, Secunderabad -3
Tel: 040-66315785, 27818829,
66313922. Fax: 040-27897029.

(Lic. No. 3247/MUM/PER/1000/3/5329/99)