Blackheads! Why Do They Keep Coming Back?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6-taHSErKuB_ymtfoDjgBSzfXVidK2myzCxnUKogBpm4r4gfx6NSeAQruVMp9nJ5ZO42OHEjJ7d012Ph_ZZfcySK6_jPjcXNdFiLXVtL_E6pHTr1sIEi4ucyONph0RnVRFbSn9Q1r8M/s1600/blackheads-on-face.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6-taHSErKuB_ymtfoDjgBSzfXVidK2myzCxnUKogBpm4r4gfx6NSeAQruVMp9nJ5ZO42OHEjJ7d012Ph_ZZfcySK6_jPjcXNdFiLXVtL_E6pHTr1sIEi4ucyONph0RnVRFbSn9Q1r8M/s1600/blackheads-on-face.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> Beautiful and charming from afar, but when looked at closely.. why is that face so dirty?<br /> <br /> Blame blackheads! Yes, those stubborn blackheads that makes your face look dull. Even after facials, you can sometimes still find trails of blackheads behind. How annoying! Blackheads are very disturbing, especially the black ones while the white ones can be found around the nose and under the lip of the chin area. <br /> <br /> Rather than complaining about stubborn blackheads, how can we cure them and take preventive action?<br /> <h3> 1. Diligent face wash</h3> In the morning while taking a shower, after lunch and before going to sleep. At least twice a day should do the trick. Frequently washing your face also isn’t suggested as the soap and natural oils can cause the skin to dry up and can even cause breakouts. <br /> <br /> <h3> 2. Scrub</h3> Use a facial cleanser with a scrub. If not, clean your face with a natural scrub with freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar, or coffee, or cinnamon. Scrub works to remove dead skin cells and regenerate new skin cells. Dead skin cells can make blackheads worse if it is not promptly removed. You can scrub your face in the forehead, nose and chin area. Those three areas are the main areas for the growth of blackheads. <br /> <br /> <h3> 3. Warm Towel</h3> After cleaning your face, warm your face up with a hot towel that is soaked with hot/warm water. The heat distributed from the towel will help eliminate soreness when peeling off the blackheads. In addition, hot towels can reduce the chances of infection due to the removal of blackheads, for example using a facial strip or a scrub. <br /> <h3> 4. Additional cream</h3> If the stubborn blackheads are starting to get out of control, visit your doctor as soon as possible for further treatment. If not, you can get yourself a product that contains Benzoyl Peroxide. Benzoyl Peroxide is a great for killing bacteria, absorbing oil and quickly getting rid of blackheads and acne. <br /> <br /> <h3> 5. Facial</h3> Already have a facial clinic that you regularly go to? Great! Pay them a visit at least once a month for regular maintenance of your facial skin care. With the help of experts, blackheads will be removed from the skin in a more safe and professional manner. Facial clinics also have maskers and creams that can make your skin brighter instantly.

Blackheads! Why Do They Keep Coming Back?

Beautiful and charming from afar, but when looked at closely.. why is that face so dirty? Blame blackheads! Yes, those stubborn blackhe...

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Almadel, Altar, Amulet and Ankh Symbol

<br /> <h2 class="left"> A<small>LMADEL</small></h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOFyVDY4-tnux0rZ3m06HAYPvk7xSUDe04ZSKUqSsqfBZ5QFlbtSGdV5AngLXMwgD8Jbq0y8-j0ztYFvjtREy1-gD1esAIkCVq3cKeWTxfm3HjYYZcDv1Pa8Fuh65i3PqSIAVVXufdnw/s1600/symbol-almadel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNOFyVDY4-tnux0rZ3m06HAYPvk7xSUDe04ZSKUqSsqfBZ5QFlbtSGdV5AngLXMwgD8Jbq0y8-j0ztYFvjtREy1-gD1esAIkCVq3cKeWTxfm3HjYYZcDv1Pa8Fuh65i3PqSIAVVXufdnw/s1600/symbol-almadel.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="noindent"> This is a particular kind of magical amulet, made of wax so that the secret names of demons can be written or engraved upon it. The whole is then melted so that its creator need never reveal the secret. The color of the almadel should correspond to its magical intention.</div> <div class="noindent"> <br /></div> <div class="noindent"> </div> <h2 class="left"> A<small>LTAR</small> </h2> <div class="noindent"> The root of the word “Altar” means “high” or “high place,” and therefore the altar is symbolic of the Holy Mountain, given that it is raised above its immediate surroundings and is used as a focus for holy rites and sacred practices. Altars, as such, exist in all religions and cultures, the symbolic meaning remaining unchanged across diverse belief systems. Altars certainly provide the main focus within churches, but they are not confined to large public buildings; many faiths have a small domestic altar in the home.</div> <h2 class="left"> A<small>MULET</small></h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3bjvGmQ9ZBJgEEdRzpo17DSxB2mw9TzlY2KFEZ0DZPF1Kgzbl3YBzEa2zVgOMwVOly_58IahuakbiCfokdGWhDBFZNg8tagm3EToh0cI-OvZGUlwXX12jQftFzc8H87FaFub6_nTT0s/s1600/symbol-amulet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja3bjvGmQ9ZBJgEEdRzpo17DSxB2mw9TzlY2KFEZ0DZPF1Kgzbl3YBzEa2zVgOMwVOly_58IahuakbiCfokdGWhDBFZNg8tagm3EToh0cI-OvZGUlwXX12jQftFzc8H87FaFub6_nTT0s/s1600/symbol-amulet.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="left"> Although it is worn on the body as a piece of jewelry, the amulet is different from “normal” jewelry in that it holds a magical significance that is peculiar to its owner or wearer. Generally, the powers of the amulet fall into two specific categories, either to bring luck or to avert evil; either of these qualities arguably reflect a positive or negative attitude on the part of the owner. The talisman is effectively the same thing as an amulet although its name derives from an Arabic word meaning “magic picture.” Therefore a charm made specifically and inscribed with the names of the spirits, the Seal of Solomon, and other mystical symbols is more likely to be referred to as a talisman. </div> <div class="left"> <br /></div> <div class="left"> </div> <div class="indent"> Significant symbols for use as amulets include birthstones (or other gems according to their magical powers), astrological signs, specific symbols such as the Hand of Fatima or the cornus, and symbols specific to the religious and spiritual beliefs of the wearer, such as the cross, the star, words, names, and numbers.</div> <div class="indent"> Incidentally, both amulets and talismans are referred to as “charms;” the origin of this word has the same root as the Latin word for “song,” indicating the link between a magical sound and a magical intention.</div> <h2 class="left"> A<small>NKH</small></h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5dpl424ZhpijCWyTUecOeJvrhG72fZ_Z0syWBr14n7s4x9r_DmNxXPZf7brIOchDij9Qld-YMpNg-RS5WQRSadqossp8302ummRm3syP9o6GtzKsScIfU_5Oi6BRUM2rE8dFqMdJZmY/s1600/symbol-ankh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5dpl424ZhpijCWyTUecOeJvrhG72fZ_Z0syWBr14n7s4x9r_DmNxXPZf7brIOchDij9Qld-YMpNg-RS5WQRSadqossp8302ummRm3syP9o6GtzKsScIfU_5Oi6BRUM2rE8dFqMdJZmY/s1600/symbol-ankh.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="noindent"> </div> <div class="left"> Essentially the tau cross surmounted by a loop or circle, the ankh is a prominent feature of Ancient Egyptian reliefs, artworks, and funerary paraphernalia. Like the tau, the ankh is a letter; specifically, it is a hieroglyph meaning “life.”</div> <div class="noindent"> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="indent"> The volume of meaning that can be squeezed from such a simple symbol is awe-inspiring. The ankh represents the male and female genitalia, the Sun coming over the horizon, and the union of Heaven and Earth. This association with the Sun means that the ankh is traditionally drawn in gold—the color of the Sun—and never in silver, which relates to the Moon.</div> <div class="indent"> <br /></div> <div class="indent"> Putting aside the complexities of these separate elements, though, what does the ankh look like? Its resemblance to a key gives a clue to another meaning of this magical symbol. The Egyptians believed that the Afterlife was as meaningful as the present one, and the ankh provided the key to the gates of death and what lay beyond.</div> <div class="indent"> <br /></div> <div class="indent"> Powerful symbols frequently stray across into other cultures despite their origins, and the ankh is no exception. Because it symbolizes immortality and the Universe, it was initially borrowed by the fourth-century Coptic Christians who used it as a symbol to reinforce Christ’s message that there is life after death. The ankh is used by the Rosicrucians too. Even though its actual invention is shrouded in thousands of years of mystery, the ankh symbol can be bought in any high street jewelry store anywhere in the world. When Elvis Presley was criticized for wearing the “pagan” ankh among his many other crosses, he commented, “I don’t want to miss out on Heaven because of a technicality.”</div> <br />

Almadel, Altar, Amulet and Ankh Symbol

A LMADEL This is a particular kind of magical amulet, made of wax so that the secret names of demons can be written or engraved upon...

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5 Best Apps for Business Travelling

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivB0hoaA5Y8PtfMXmX81owAgveUKlMnGI-huqtitDIVQ7rNOGlzCyydopllPA1fxP0xy39dNio_DUGp7BdIAs-DhrH6p_QfEZHQPTXIGqQQy74F4ZyprlvUGtPoiDHlQUC_kLMADKWPTQ/s1600/apps-for-travel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivB0hoaA5Y8PtfMXmX81owAgveUKlMnGI-huqtitDIVQ7rNOGlzCyydopllPA1fxP0xy39dNio_DUGp7BdIAs-DhrH6p_QfEZHQPTXIGqQQy74F4ZyprlvUGtPoiDHlQUC_kLMADKWPTQ/s320/apps-for-travel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Traveling for business must not be troublesome. Having a smartphone and the right apps in your hand will make business traveling easier.<br /> <br /> Inner Circle Labs compiled a list of must-have apps to help travelers avoid headaches while on vacation and to make sure everything goes smoothly. All of these applications are available for iPhone and Android devices<br /> <ul> <li>Check MySeatFinder before you get on a plane. This app can help you get a better seat after you booked a ticket, even if you ordered them too late. Once you have identified the empty seats, SeatGuru automatically would book it for you.</li> <li>You don’t need to rush while in the airport to find the gateway to further flight, just use GateGuru to guide you directly. This app will tell you where you need to be, so that you can quickly toward the gate of the destination as soon as your plane lands.</li> <li>When you arrive at your destination, Room77 can help you find a hotel. If your flight is delayed, the application can find an empty room of the hotel nearby if you need to spend the night. And this application includes all the hotel information and reservation at one place</li> <li>Want to document your trip? InstaPlace is an app that uses GPS coordinates to label the location information to your photos, and can even turn your photos into fun postcard design. Meanwhile, InstaWeather will provide weather information label to your photos to give friends and family members better know how it feels to be where you are. (BusinessNewsDaily)</li> </ul> <br />

5 Best Apps for Business Travelling

Traveling for business must not be troublesome. Having a smartphone and the right apps in your hand will make business traveling easier. ...

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Using A Bra Without A Strap? Here Are Tips To Ensure That Your Breasts Won’t Shift!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHjWzVMtRxbnw9Fx-kU5zj0qdYgiZhq99yxbPT_7gNRTzl2HPbkFR93n3l7g_Y1Wqv5LxYlUDbo9yYZj5UOGVnCroebMuxaBRzSGXDefEdIi9UyUgXa6anXXxLr6JhgXDq-BfMc7GIak/s1600/tips-strapless-bra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHjWzVMtRxbnw9Fx-kU5zj0qdYgiZhq99yxbPT_7gNRTzl2HPbkFR93n3l7g_Y1Wqv5LxYlUDbo9yYZj5UOGVnCroebMuxaBRzSGXDefEdIi9UyUgXa6anXXxLr6JhgXDq-BfMc7GIak/s320/tips-strapless-bra.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> Certain dresses such as a tube dress, a sabrina collar or a one shoulder dress “forces” a woman to use a strapless bra. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, this type of bra often makes women uncomfortable because of the fear that their breasts will shift. <br /> <br /> Acknowledging the difficulties that many women experience, Jacqui Stafford, a Style Director for Shape USA, shared strategies on how to wear a strapless bra comfortably and safe from embarrassing moments, such as when a bra shifts downwards. Oh no! <br /> <br /> When buying a strapless bra, make sure that the size is in accordance to your bust. Ensure that your bra isn’t too small or too loose. Most women think they need a brace or a tighter bond. Therefore, most women choose a bra with a smaller size, with the aim that their bra won’t have room to shift. <br /> <br /> This is the incorrect way because the wires in the cup or the panel below the cup are the ones supporting your breasts. According to Stafford, it turns out that 7 out of 10 women wears the wrong bra size. <br /> <br /> After finding the right size for a strapless bra, check the strength of the wire that is coiled around the cup. Using your logic, when holding the wire, determine whether the wire can withstand the “load” of your breasts. <br /> <br /> If you’re not too confident in wearing this type of bra, but still want to look perfect with dresses that exposes your shoulders, the most appropriate alternative would be to use a bra with transparent plastic straps. Ensure that the straps are patternless and does not have any label printings on it.

Using A Bra Without A Strap? Here Are Tips To Ensure That Your Breasts Won’t Shift!

Certain dresses such as a tube dress, a sabrina collar or a one shoulder dress “forces” a woman to use a strapless bra. Unfortunately, ...

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WHAT BROKE? THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE CRISIS

<h3> Background of <u>Financial Crisis</u></h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw93URb2gQuTsdKKsA1iy1SVtd_nX5IIudJwl2A_XCJb22PiP8dVUgaOonigqwtDvg1Lwn56G6Nf2EaK3539k3X3ZeODqsJCCcada790RaTU_HasCIcpZKdYeiD21byLk9Nl4bvr98TE/s1600/financial-crisis-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVw93URb2gQuTsdKKsA1iy1SVtd_nX5IIudJwl2A_XCJb22PiP8dVUgaOonigqwtDvg1Lwn56G6Nf2EaK3539k3X3ZeODqsJCCcada790RaTU_HasCIcpZKdYeiD21byLk9Nl4bvr98TE/s1600/financial-crisis-1.jpg" /></a></div> <b>The<u> financial crisis</u> that is wreaking havoc in financial markets in the U.S. and across the world has its origins in an asset price bubble</b> that interacted with new kinds of financial innovations which masked risk,with companies which failed to follow their own risk management procedures, and with regulators and supervisors who failed to restrain excessive taking. We start by giving the factors that we judge contributed to the bubble in home prices and its interaction with financial markets.2 We then turn our attention to the issue of increases in capital requirements for financial institutions. Lack of capital, or excess leverage, was only one of the culprits in the disaster; however, raising capital requirements is an important step towards a more stable financial sector.<br /> <br /> <h3> The Causes of the Crisis</h3> <b>1. Home prices were expected to keep rising</b><br /> Nominal or dollar prices for residential housing had, on average, followed an almost unbroken upward path over the decades leading up to the financial crisis. Housing price declines had hit specific geographic<br /> regions, but these were local or regional events and did not overcome the rising certainty in the minds of many people that there was little or no risk of sustained price declines in a well-diversified portfolio of assets underwritten by the value of residential housing.<br /> <br /> <b>2. Long and short interest rates were low</b><br /> The combination of low interest rates sustained by the Federal Reserve after the 2001 recession and the availability of large public and private pools of funds in the global capital market ensured that mortgage interest rates would be low, increasing the demand for housing. Low interest rates also fueled a desire for yield among investors, encouraging them to take on greater risks.<br /> <b><br />3. Housing demand built on itself to create a bubble in prices</b><br /> Declining interest rates and the greater availability of mortgages were key drivers of the growth in housing demand, but demand can also build on itself. As people witness price increases year after year, and witness those around them investing in homes, a “contagion” of expectations of future price increases can (and did) form and perpetuate price increases. Buying a house, buying a bigger house, or adding on to an existing house not only provided people with more (tax-advantaged) consumption, i.e., the benefit of having more space or amenities; it also provided an investment with a great expected return. In the late 1990s, investing in stocks, especially technology stocks, became the rage and there was a bubble in<br /> equities. Once the technology bubble burst in 2000, however, the alternative investment of buying a home or a second home became even more attractive.<br /> <br /> <b>4. Shifting types of lending and the erosion of standards</b><br /> As the economy recovered from the 2001 recession, the expansion of lending was in conformable and other prime mortgages; but as the boom proceeded, a larger fraction of the lending was for subprime, Alt-A, and home equity lending. In 2001, there was US$2.2 trillion worth of mortgage originations, with 65% of these in the form of conventional conforming loans as well as Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans. An additional 20% were prime jumbo mortgages, issued to those with good credit buying houses that were too expensive to be conforming, meaning that 85% of originated loans in 2001 were of prime quality. There was a huge expansion of mortgage lending over the next couple of years, and in 2003 nearly US$4 trillion worth of loans was issued, but the share of prime mortgages remained steady at 85% as the volume of conformable mortgages soared.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYmVyBC-aflG2D-pTniOJvBJvs7zhAS_hz3vIHhmI_WncnMJitpT0lZliJjCfoKo0Toy80RXr672X1Ok1vZbwT96V0xh8qA9IwlSLX28MNGi9zIkpFGsmhuNWMm3ABs9z1HjMCvAWnL4/s1600/financial-crisis-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYmVyBC-aflG2D-pTniOJvBJvs7zhAS_hz3vIHhmI_WncnMJitpT0lZliJjCfoKo0Toy80RXr672X1Ok1vZbwT96V0xh8qA9IwlSLX28MNGi9zIkpFGsmhuNWMm3ABs9z1HjMCvAWnL4/s1600/financial-crisis-2.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1hZv55hhyphenhyphenFhFtElZMrVbiDtsADyDrLay-25uU4CwY0lvxTCGToKB5PQIJwNmNOfgKitxwpoYHY8CbvlB4hY_FJY64wacu7RoJBCYqXS-0jB-_TrtSOptm7i6r5rjMI3SEtzGfjUEGX4/s1600/financial-crisis-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div> <br /> The total volume of mortgage lending dropped after 2003, to around US$3 trillion a year in 2004–2006, but the share of subprime and home equity lending expanded greatly. Prime mortgages dropped to 64% of the total in 2004, 56% in 2005, and 52% in 2006, meaning that nearly half of the mortgage originations in 2006 were subprime, Alt-A, or home equity loans. It is clear that there was a significant change in lending patterns apparent in the composition of loans going back to 2004. In addition, there was an expansion of loans to lower-income, higher-credit-risk families, including from the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as they sought to expand home ownership for the benefits it brings in terms of sustaining neighborhoods. <br /> <br /> Lending standards deteriorated around 2004 or 2005. Families that lacked the income and down payment to buy a house under the terms of a conforming mortgage were encouraged to take out a mortgage that had a very high loan-to-value ratio, perhaps as high as 100% (often using second or even third mortgages). This meant that they started with no initial equity, and thus no true financial stake, in the house. <br /> <br /> As it became easier to borrow using a home as collateral and as home prices continued to rise, families started using their homes as an ATM, refinancing and taking out any equity that had built up. Americans were tapping into the rising wealth they had in their homes in order to finance consumption. Greenspan and Kennedy (2007) estimate that homeowners extracted US$743.7 billion in net equity from their homes at the peak of the housing boom in 2005, up from US$229.6 billion in 2000 and US$74.2 billion in 1991. The increase in house prices allowed a borrowing spree.<br /> <b><br />5. Economic incentives in the housing and mortgage origination markets</b><br /> In many U.S. states, it is possible to repay a mortgage early without penalty. This option meant that households were encouraged to take out mortgages with terms that looked good in the short run, but were unfavorable in future years. They expected to refinance later on better terms, and without incurring a prepayment penalty.<br /> <br /> The most perverse incentive in the mortgage origination market, though, was the ability of originators to immediately sell a completed loan off their books to another financial institution. Most mortgage loans were originated by specialists and brokers who did not provide the funding directly. One institution provided the initial funding of the mortgage but then quickly sold it off to another financial institution, where it was either held on a balance sheet or packaged with other mortgages to be securitized (see below).3 The key issue here is that the institution which originated the loan had little or no financial incentive to make sure the loan was a good one. Most brokers and specialists are paid based on the volume of loans they process; therefore, they had an incentive to keep the pace of borrowing rolling along, even if that meant making riskier and riskier loans.<br /> <br /> <b>6. Securitization and the funding of the housing boom</b><br /> Securitization was seen as a solution to the problems with the old savings and loan (S&L) model, as it freed mortgage lenders from the liquidity constraint of their balance sheets. Under the old system, lenders could only make a limited number of loans based on the size of their balance sheet.<br /> <br /> The new system allowed lenders to sell off loans to a third party, take it off their books, and use that money to make even more loans. The GSEs, notably Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, were created by the federal government in 1938 and 1970, respectively, to perform precisely this function: the GSEs bought mortgage loans that met certain conditions (called “conforming loans”) from banks in order to facilitate mortgage lending and (theoretically) lower mortgage interest rates.<br /> <br /> The GSEs could then either sell the mortgage-backed securities (MBS) on the open market, or they could issue their own bonds, use the revenue to buy the MBS, and hold them on their own books. They earned<br /> a profit because they earned a higher interest return on the mortgage assets than they paid on the bonds that they had issued. This has some similarity to the S&L model, except that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could hold much larger pools of mortgages that were geographically dispersed. In addition, the GSEs were seen as implicitly guaranteed by the federal government (a guarantee that has since become explicit), so they paid only a few basis points above Treasury yields on their bond issuance. This implicit government backing lowered their cost of borrowing and allowed them to inflate their balance sheets enormously. The GSEs became major participants in the mortgage market; and by 2008, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac held or guaranteed US$5.4 trillion in mortgage debt.<br /> <br /> The GSEs were allowed to operate with very little capital, which made them very vulnerable to an increase in defaults. In addition, their problems also came from their efforts to meet the affordable housing goals set by Congress. Congress pushed them to provide more loans to low-income borrowers to justify the capital advantage they had because of the implicit federal guarantee. They did not buy subprime whole loans directly, but they bought large amounts of subprime MBS from private issuers that they then kept on their books. Indeed, the two GSEs bought between US$340 and US$660 billion in private-label subprime and Alt-A MBS from 2002 to 2007.<br /> <br /> Many have pointed to the combination of the GSEs and Congressional pressures to make loans to low-income borrowers as one of the main culprits in the financial crisis (see, for example, the comments by Peter Wallison at this conference). Moreover, some critics of the GSEs argue that these institutions were  not telling the truth about the extent of their purchases of bad loans. Offsetting this view, however, is data reported by the Federal Reserve that indicate that the foreclosure rates on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage portfolios are lower than the foreclosure rates on mortgage portfolios held by private sector banks. Getting to the bottom of this issue fully is a project that goes beyond the scope of this paper.<br /> <br /> this issue fully is a project that goes beyond the scope of this paper. Securitization played an increasingly important role in financing the housing boom, especially as it created assets that could be sold to overseas<br /> buyers. The real boom in securitization since 2001 came from subprime and Alt-A loans (Alt-A mortgage loans are made to borrowers with pretty good credit ratings but who do not provide full income and asset documentation), as the share of these loans that were securitized jumped 75% after 2001. By 2006, securitization was funding most of the mortgage loans in the lower-rated categories — the loans that are now in trouble.<br /> <b><br />7. More securitization and more leverage — CDOs</b><br /> Over time, the financing of mortgage-backed debt grew more complex and opaque. Not only did the market become riskier and less transparent, but it shifted into areas that were unregulated or weakly regulated. Banks, brokers, hedge funds, and other institutions utilized financial innovations to<br /> increase their holdings of these products; and large amounts were sold overseas, particularly to European financial institutions. Securitization has been an extremely positive innovation for credit markets; but as the securitized assets were sliced and diced and placed in off-balance-sheet entities, the increases in risk were being obscured by the complexity of the instruments.<br /> <br /> As the securitization of mortgages increasingly became an affair of the private financial sector, it spurred further innovation in products that in good times generated large profits but have also been the source of some of the biggest losses since the crisis unfolded in 2007. Collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) represented a further step into the new world of securitization that exploded after 2000. A CDO is an instrument that redistributes the underlying risks from a mortgage or other assets lying beneath it. CDO<br /> issuers purchased different tranches of MBS and pooled them together with other asset-backed securities (ABS). In fact, it became possible to build a highly rated CDO from a pool of assets, each one of which alone was quite risky. By giving first claim to the senior tranche and “overcollateralizing” the pool (so that a portion could default before any tranche was affected), the issuers were able to create AAACDOs even when they were starting out with pools of risky assets. The issuers worked directly with rating agencies to structure the CDO tranches, so that they could optimize the size of highly rated tranches in order to lower the funding costs of the CDOs.<br /> <br /> There is a general perception that there was “grade inflation” by the rating agencies who worked with the issuers, a perception we agree with. There were also conflicts of interest by the rating agencies who were<br /> advising the issuers and being paid for that advice, even as they were deciding what rating to give. There may also have been some collusion on the part of the groups buying the CDOs to raise the rating. Some financial managers are restricted by law to holding only investment-grade securities, and that means highly rated tranches. The fund managers were paid at the end of the year on the basis of the returns achieved in their funds, and the AAA CDOs carried attractive rates of return and made them look good — until the crash.<br /> <br /> <b>8. Structured investment vehicles and off-balance-sheet entities</b><br /> One of the constraints on banks and some other institutions is that they must meet capital requirements, that is to say, they must fund a given percentage of their assets with shareholders’ capital rather than with some form of debt. Capital requirements for banks are mandated jointly by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and the Federal Reserve. Capital requirements lower the profitability of banks, since they limit the extent to which banks can leverage any initial shareholder investment (plus accumulated retained earnings). Naturally, therefore, banks looked for ways to circumvent the requirements. The favored means of getting around these mandated capital requirements became what were known as structured investment vehicles (SIVs), an off-balance-sheet special purpose vehicle (SPV) set up by banks to hold MBS, CDOs, and other long-term institutional debt as their assets.7 By dodging capital requirements, SIVs allowed banks to leverage their holdings of these assets more than they could on their balance sheets. SIV assets reached US$400 billion in July 2007, according to Moody’s Investors Service (2008).<br /> <br /> <b>9. Leverage and the push to short-term borrowing</b><br /> The increase in leverage over the course of the subprime bubble was widespread, spanning across many financial institutions and across many forms of instruments. Adrian and Shin (2007) illustrate the perhaps counterintuitive, but extremely important, empirical insight that when financial institutions are forced to mark to market, meaning they must assign a value to an asset based on its current market valuation, rising asset prices immediately show up on banks’ balance sheets, which increases the banks’ net worth and directly reduces their leverage ratio.<br /> <br /> Investment banks were not supervised like deposit-taking commercial banks and did not have the same capital requirements; thus, they were able to increase leverage to a greater extent. Investment banks were also not subject to the regulatory restrictions that accompany the capital requirements. Institutions such as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers borrowed at very short term and held risky longer-term assets, with low levels of capital or reserves to cover changing market conditions. Greenlaw et al. (2008) calculate that, while commercial banks are on average leveraged at 9.8:1, brokers/dealers and hedge funds are leveraged at nearly 32:1 (the GSEs were leveraged at 24:1 even though they were regulated).<br /> <br /> One of the favorite instruments of short-term borrowing for investment banks became the overnight repurchase agreement or “repo loan”. Overnight repos are a form of collateralized borrowing, whereby a bank pledges its assets as collateral in an overnight loan with another bank.<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1hZv55hhyphenhyphenFhFtElZMrVbiDtsADyDrLay-25uU4CwY0lvxTCGToKB5PQIJwNmNOfgKitxwpoYHY8CbvlB4hY_FJY64wacu7RoJBCYqXS-0jB-_TrtSOptm7i6r5rjMI3SEtzGfjUEGX4/s1600/financial-crisis-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1hZv55hhyphenhyphenFhFtElZMrVbiDtsADyDrLay-25uU4CwY0lvxTCGToKB5PQIJwNmNOfgKitxwpoYHY8CbvlB4hY_FJY64wacu7RoJBCYqXS-0jB-_TrtSOptm7i6r5rjMI3SEtzGfjUEGX4/s1600/financial-crisis-3.jpg" /></a><br /> <b>10. Credit insurance and the growth in credit default swaps</b><br /> The process of securitization was further aided by the growth of credit insurers and derivatives called credit default swaps (CDS), which in principle allowed the default risk to be taken out of MBS and CDOs<br /> before they were marketed to general investors. The first forms of credit insurance were developed by so-called monoline insurers. Having developed this line of business, the mono line companies — along with banks, hedge funds, and financial guarantors such as AIG — expanded their business model into structured products related to the housing market, selling CDS to insure holders of MBS, CDOs, and other assets against mortgage default risk. However, many of these transactions were not overseen by<br /> any regulatory body. They were done in over-the-counter (OTC) markets, so that no one other than the two parties involved knew the terms of the contract.<br /> <br /> AIG became the biggest player in the CDS market, and its operations were carried out through an AIG subsidiary in London. After 2000, the business of insuring mortgage-related assets, along with corporate bonds and other assets, grew exponentially. The size of outstanding CDS reached US$60 trillion in 2007. As of September 2008, AIG, a financial guarantor, had itself sold nearly US$500 billion worth of CDS with little capital in place to protect against widespread losses.<br /> <br /> <b>11. The failure of company risk management practices</b><br /> Many financial companies have lost huge amounts of money in the aftermath of the crisis, and many CEOs have lost their jobs. The crisis reflects poor internal corporate governance, poor infrastructure in and oversight of opaque financial markets, and, most of all, mistakes made by decision makers in the private sector.<br /> <br /> There have been two important assessments made of the failures (and successes) of risk management practices at financial institutions in the wake of the crisis. On March 6, 2008, the Senior Supervisors Group (2008) issued a report based on a survey of 11 of the largest banking and securities firms (plus a roundtable meeting that included five additional firms). The report identifies risk management practices that helped some of these institutions avoid the worst of the losses as well as practices that led to failures. The failure of financial institutions to follow sound risk management practices was a major cause of the crisis. The second assessment was the report to shareholders prepared by the Swiss bank UBS (2008) at the request of regulators that described in great detail the risk management failures that took place at the bank prior to the crisis.<br /> <br /> <b>12. Regulation and supervision</b><br /> Despite a general move towards deregulation in the United States, there was still an extensive regulatory apparatus in place in financial markets leading up to the crisis. As described by a senior executive at one of the large U.S. banks, there were “roomfuls of regulators” going over the books. The failure of regulators to force financial institutions to follow sound risk management practices was also one of the most important reasons for the financial crisis. The widespread belief developed over the past 20 years or so that markets can regulate themselves may have contributed to the regulatory laxity, which in turn contributed heavily to the crisis. An additional reason for regulatory failure was a significant share of subprime mortgages — those that are at the root of the current financial crisis — which were originated by independent mortgage companies, or non-depository companies unaffiliated with any bank. These independent companies were not covered by the FDIC, the Federal Reserve, or federal regulation, but rather only by state regulation. <br /> <br /> This concludes our discussion of the causes of the crisis. We now turn to summarize the impact of raising capital requirements, which might have prevented or at least eased the crisis.<br /> <br /> <h3> What Is the Impact of Increasing Capital Requirements?</h3> One of the regulatory reforms with the strongest support among policy analysts and regulators is to significantly increase the capital requirements for banks. All else equal, this should make the banks safer by providing a greater cushion to survive the mistakes and accidents from which they inevitably suffer. Higher capital requirements should also discourage transactions of lower economic value by creating a higher hurdle rate, since the extra units of capital need to be paid for by additional expected return. Some of the regrettable transactions that seemed attractive during the bubble might not have been undertaken at a higher hurdle rate. <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, higher capital requirements are not free. At the margin, the increased hurdle rates are likely to make it harder for businesses and individuals to obtain loans, raise the cost of loans, lower the interest rates offered to depositors and other suppliers of funds, and reduce the market value of the common stock of existing banks. One of the keys to determining the exact right size for an increase in minimum capital levels is to quantify these effects.<br /> <br /> We take a pragmatic approach to answering a more specific question: what are the likely effects on loan pricing and availability of an increase in minimum capital requirements for U.S. banks over the next few years? The specificity allows us to focus on the key variables and relationships as they exist here today. Thus far, the debate and analysis surrounding bank capital increases have been heavily qualitative. There is a need to supplement these important considerations with numbers. Given space requirements, we cannot present our analysis of the numbers, but we will summarize the conclusions. It should be noted that this section of the paper is excerpted from a far more detailed analysis and, therefore, a great deal of the commentary has been left out in the interest of space. For the full-length version, please visit the Brookings Institution website.<br /> <br /> Our analysis strongly suggested that the U.S. banking industry could adjust to higher capital requirements on loans through a combination of actions that would not wreak havoc on the system. Not surprisingly, the adjustments would need to come from a range of actions, since the rebalancing appears tough to achieve with the adjustment of any single factor. Fortunately, the banks do have a variety of levers to pull, which should allow them to make the transition. These findings imply that there would likely be relatively small changes in loan volumes by U.S. banks as a result of higher capital requirements on loans retained on the banks’ balance sheets. The various actions required to restore an acceptable return on common equity appear unlikely to be large enough, even in the aggregate, to significantly discourage customers from borrowing or move them to other credit suppliers in a major way.<br /> <br /> These findings may seem counterintuitive, given the large percentage increase in required common equity devoted to lending considered here and the strong focus of bank managers on rationing that common equity. Three points may help clarify the results. First, banks are highly levered institutions: a great bulk of the funding for a loan comes from deposits and debt. Even though common equity is expensive, it accounts for less than a fifth of the cost of a typical loan. Second, higher equity levels reduce the<br /> risk of a bank and therefore lower the returns demanded by debt and equity investors, reducing the cost of each dollar of debt or equity supporting the loans. Third, as shown in detail below, reasonable actions by the banks can restore returns on equity to levels that are attractive to investors. Thus, there should be the ability for banks over time to raise new equity sufficient to maintain their loan volumes. It is true that large amounts of capital would need to be raised, but this appears quite feasible given a reasonable phase-in of the new rules. A four-percentage-point increase in the level of common equity as a percentage of the roughly US$7.5 trillion of loans in the U.S. banking system would require about US$300 billion of new equity. This would represent an approximately 20% increase in the existing US$1.4 trillion of equity.10 Put another way, this could be obtained by retaining roughly two years’ worth of the system’s earnings, assuming even a 10% return on equity for the banks as a whole. In practice, a mixture of capital raising and earnings retention would likely provide the needed capital.<br /> <br /> We side with the large majority of policy analysts who favor higher capital requirements for banks as a key step in providing greater stability to the financial system. So, we are heartened by these initial findings, which strongly suggest that a significant increase in bank capital requirements would have substantially smaller effects on lending than some have argued.<br /> <br /> <h3> Conclusions</h3> Some people have argued that the cause of the financial crisis was greedy banks. Others have argued that government policies, notably towards the GSEs, caused the crisis. Yet another argument is that government regulators failed to stop bad behavior by greedy banks and other institutions. Our view is that all of the above factors contributed to the crisis, and we would further add that excessive borrowing by consumers was also a factor.<br /> <br /> It is proposed that higher capital standards would help avoid another <u><b>financial crisis</b></u>. We agree and argue that reasonable increases in capital standards would not undermine the ability of banks to provide financial intermediation.<br /> <br /> By: Martin Neil Baily and Douglas J. Elliott<br /> <br /> <br />

WHAT BROKE? THE ROOT CAUSES OF THE CRISIS

Background of Financial Crisis The financial crisis that is wreaking havoc in financial markets in the U.S. and across the world has i...

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Eugenics, Hitler's dream in Creating the Perfect Race

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpIdpLo7RxJBTXVQ1GVAbUxZ8Njlh7LIG2uXWKBaON9Hw-U-5ivFzdMwUdIEPGoGRaCCWJvw40b9mgzPw7UPVMqWy-AKoCYxNjBGCY82mGlcjB3zTQAcs5KhFd2enpL8-6INCReat1Hw/s1600/Eugenics+-+Hitler%27s+dream+in+Creating+the+Perfect+Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpIdpLo7RxJBTXVQ1GVAbUxZ8Njlh7LIG2uXWKBaON9Hw-U-5ivFzdMwUdIEPGoGRaCCWJvw40b9mgzPw7UPVMqWy-AKoCYxNjBGCY82mGlcjB3zTQAcs5KhFd2enpL8-6INCReat1Hw/s1600/Eugenics+-+Hitler's+dream+in+Creating+the+Perfect+Race.jpg" /></a></div> Stories about Adolf Hitler are endless. One of those stories are about his dreams in the concept of Eugenics,  a concept to improve the human race from diseases and disabilities and to increase the amount of healthy individuals.<br /> <br /> When Nazi’s, which he led, began to exist in Europe, he blindly and horrifically tried to realize his dream of “creating” the perfect human being  based on that theory of Eugenics. Even in his book titled “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle), he likened non-European races as apes.<br /> <br /> Darwin’s Theory certainly infiltrated his brain when Germany was defeated in World War I (1914 – 1918). During that time, Germany was in a difficult condition because everything was organized in a variety of agreements that was controlled by the Allies of the victors of World War I.<br /> <br /> As a result, the hatred began to grow inside of Chancellor Hitler. One of the principles that inspired him was that every single living thing must struggle for its survival. This principle was implemented by Hitler in starting a war against neighboring countries such as Austria, Czechoslovakia, France and  Russia. Victories that he continues to achieve made him stubborn and wanted to conquer the world. <br /> <br /> In the end, the concept of Eugenics was finally used. Eugenics can be defined as improving the human race by increasing the amount of healthy individuals and discarding those who are disabled or ill. A healthy individual can be produced from the mating of healthy individuals.<br /> <br /> Hitler applied the concept with an iron fist, and the result was horrifying. The elderly, physically and mentally disabled, and people who had a variety of illnesses from all over Germany, were gathered in one specialized sterilization center. Here, they were massacred because they were considered as parasites.<br /> <br /> In order to get pure the Aryan (Germany) race, he recommended that blondes and blue-eyed youngsters to have free sex. Until 1935, as a dictator, he established fields specifically  for human reproduction. Inside it, German youths were gathered and must serve every man of the Aryan race that entered, in order to get superior offspring.<br /> <br /> Even worse, the size of German skull’s, especially for the newborn’s, were also measured. This is because according to Darwin's theory of evolution, the size of the brain of living beings will increase as it reaches the next stage of evolution. As a result, babies that do not have the required brain size will also be discarded. Thus, will be obtained a really perfect human to be the future soldier of Germany.<br /> <br /> <i>Source: google </i><br /> <i> Advertising - Read also:<br />- <a href="http://www.dongenganakdunia.com/2016/02/sang-ayam-dan-permata-dongeng-yunani.html" rel="nofollow">Sang Ayam dan Permata - Dongeng Yunani</a></i><br /> <i>- <a href="http://sekertarisku.com/tips-kecantikan-untuk-pergi-ke-kantor/" rel="nofollow">Tips Kecantikan Untuk Pergi Ke Kantor</a></i>

Eugenics, Hitler's dream in Creating the Perfect Race

Stories about Adolf Hitler are endless. One of those stories are about his dreams in the concept of Eugenics,  a concept to improve the hu...

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Animal Camouflage Part2 - Legend of the Land and the Sea

We will continue our blog on animal camouflage. <a href="http://www.articlemostwanted.com/2013/07/animal-camouflage-sneaky-secrets-of.html">Previously</a> we talk about the basic method on how animal commonly using disguise. The following we will explain more details on some amazing animals.<br /> <br /> <h2> Jungle Illusionists</h2> An Impressive game of hide and seek takes place among the trees. There are the animals who lives deep in the jungle and how they did camouflage.<br /> <br /> <h3> Jackson’s chameleon</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVLnQrks-VA7sPKhE6kiM-2h5o7CYMOl2iReFUCtICvJclXFwo9IIyNCk3IhzJ4Hwn6vuXJ1PDSqU8qHl0Ug8ahMhFPlOaetHpO5YS8ix1_g9OBClLgVcTXF_ON-ZAlsyU8BSjV_MMkw/s1600/animal-camouflage-jackson-chameleon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtVLnQrks-VA7sPKhE6kiM-2h5o7CYMOl2iReFUCtICvJclXFwo9IIyNCk3IhzJ4Hwn6vuXJ1PDSqU8qHl0Ug8ahMhFPlOaetHpO5YS8ix1_g9OBClLgVcTXF_ON-ZAlsyU8BSjV_MMkw/s320/animal-camouflage-jackson-chameleon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhfOqdyGH02yzKL92qewsNmTh9-OMRIEV-F5M4Z4RuiIZq_sy4bxaPA1mu_SLZWroVFVF3ab4vq3lytVYgKQTH0faYeUdqUBKupwVJmfuwBkctU1A8hBBDSgUOGzz5C-2Ty6ltnzuADY/s1600/animal-camouflage-Tawny+Frogmouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique:</b> Colour and movement <br /> <b>Reason:</b> Hunting<br /> In the lush, high-altitude forests of Kenya and Tanzania, the bright green skin of the jackson’s chameleon blends with the mosaic of thick waxy leaves. Their skin is mottled to break up the animal’s outline and has very rough scales to create a thorny, irregular texture. When they perch, their long tail is coiled into a tight circle to help the chameleon look more like a leaf, and they move with a swaying motion to mimic the effect of the breeze through the branches.<br /> <br /> <h3> Tawny Frog mouth</h3> <h3 style="text-align: center;">  <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhfOqdyGH02yzKL92qewsNmTh9-OMRIEV-F5M4Z4RuiIZq_sy4bxaPA1mu_SLZWroVFVF3ab4vq3lytVYgKQTH0faYeUdqUBKupwVJmfuwBkctU1A8hBBDSgUOGzz5C-2Ty6ltnzuADY/s1600/animal-camouflage-Tawny+Frogmouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHhfOqdyGH02yzKL92qewsNmTh9-OMRIEV-F5M4Z4RuiIZq_sy4bxaPA1mu_SLZWroVFVF3ab4vq3lytVYgKQTH0faYeUdqUBKupwVJmfuwBkctU1A8hBBDSgUOGzz5C-2Ty6ltnzuADY/s320/animal-camouflage-Tawny+Frogmouth.jpg" width="320" /></a></h3> <b>Technique: </b>Disruptive color pattern <br /> <b>Reason: </b>Defensive <br /> This distant relative of the owl and cuckoo lives in Australia and New Guinea. It eats insects and small frogs by sitting still until food comes within range, and then pouncing. It feeds at night, so the camouflage is to protect it during the day. Perched motionless in the crook of a tree branch or on a dead log, the pattern of its feathers mimics the texture of tree bark.<br /> <br /> <h3> Bird Dropping Spider</h3> <h3>  <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmfpmzkpBb39ze7kh3-tB_BvL1axTkeZbNhREO-WfsAhYKUzhniiQGn5_sUJ_xOofOv-67ubj_fVrtgx02f5Oc0t0Oal44pst-EeNq1AHZ3eCCZsjztIUgIbYdaiX-wEBP1lj56SGWTw/s1600/animal-camouflage-Bird+Dropping+Spider.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgmfpmzkpBb39ze7kh3-tB_BvL1axTkeZbNhREO-WfsAhYKUzhniiQGn5_sUJ_xOofOv-67ubj_fVrtgx02f5Oc0t0Oal44pst-EeNq1AHZ3eCCZsjztIUgIbYdaiX-wEBP1lj56SGWTw/s320/animal-camouflage-Bird+Dropping+Spider.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </h3> <b>Technique:</b> Mimicry <br /> <b>Reason:</b> Defensive <br /> This Australian spider catches moths at night by luring them with their own sex pheromones, but during the day it is vulnerable to being eaten by birds. So it disguises itself as the least appetizing thing for a bird: their own droppings! The creamy-colored abdomen with brown stippled patches closely resembles the guano of a bird that feeds on insects.<br /> <br /> <h3> Jaguar</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTuW5s8iE-vNIppyip8fd_GJY0u13pxhkXYyanVaUV3MdhQuRyCkyOt154UuGRLH0ZyIj2I0XroKHRL16VuIDavBgD7k4kU0_ecLbN2BXoH0LuHjlcK2CXD4w8JYOGDo8I2nJ7HHdf-Y/s1600/animal-camouflage-Jaguar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbTuW5s8iE-vNIppyip8fd_GJY0u13pxhkXYyanVaUV3MdhQuRyCkyOt154UuGRLH0ZyIj2I0XroKHRL16VuIDavBgD7k4kU0_ecLbN2BXoH0LuHjlcK2CXD4w8JYOGDo8I2nJ7HHdf-Y/s320/animal-camouflage-Jaguar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique:</b> Disruptive pattern <br /> <b>Reason: </b>Hunting <br /> Hiding 100kg of big cat in the dense forests of south America isn’t easy, but if you are an ambush predator, it’s vital that  you succeed. Jaguars use a similar rosette pattern on their fur to the African leopard but the rosettes are larger, darker and have a small spot in the middle. The effect is similar to the dappled shade cast by the thick jungle foliage on the forest floor. This makes it very hard to trace the outline of the jaguar, until it moves. And by then, it’s too late.<br /> <br /> <h3> Israeli Sand Gecko</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiya70epOSQKaoCA9tpVlnsu2BSd0PWZzGI0KvkziZ7qYaNk_xELyqvT9DaC95DH3-m-_q8gJzk7tJMZpcLR9AKr_XBa4egmCUX2s3L1qSmLFmMl6Te8IWPyZocU-cReDntDwdZJzpwG2Y/s1600/animal-camouflage-Israeli+Sand+Gecko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiya70epOSQKaoCA9tpVlnsu2BSd0PWZzGI0KvkziZ7qYaNk_xELyqvT9DaC95DH3-m-_q8gJzk7tJMZpcLR9AKr_XBa4egmCUX2s3L1qSmLFmMl6Te8IWPyZocU-cReDntDwdZJzpwG2Y/s320/animal-camouflage-Israeli+Sand+Gecko.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique:</b> Color and counter shading<br /> <b>Reason: </b>Protection and hunting<br /> Sand Geckos use the huge surface area on their finger pads to cling to the walls or roofs of the rock crevices in the desert. The mottled sandy color that covers all of their upper surface, including their eyelids, blends against the gritty sandstone rocks. When they are the right way up, hunting insects on the desert floor, their white belly appears to neutralize the shadow cast by their upper body.<br /> <br /> <h3> Zebra</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC3WqPJ3vG_q_HRkuQCbbw3bOhuuayWcfPzg5aQ0A6XCmB5cjIiJvWiOGJ21pU7EU-ydeMayNsOoxEjhsJ8u_uDLeN3WS47tmh-4MBbovg2OQeycaw-s9jHmhZCXZ-5XDrBkEuMtHw9I/s1600/animal-camouflage-zebra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkC3WqPJ3vG_q_HRkuQCbbw3bOhuuayWcfPzg5aQ0A6XCmB5cjIiJvWiOGJ21pU7EU-ydeMayNsOoxEjhsJ8u_uDLeN3WS47tmh-4MBbovg2OQeycaw-s9jHmhZCXZ-5XDrBkEuMtHw9I/s320/animal-camouflage-zebra.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique:</b> Dazzle pattern <br /> <b>Reason: </b>Confusing predators <br /> The African savannah is a difficult place to hide, but the bright stripes of the zebra work in a different way. Instead of making the animal blend into its surroundings, they make it blend into the herd. When threatened, zebras huddle together and the stripes make it difficult to tell where one startsand another ends. Lions and other predators rely on splitting one target away from the herd. The visual clump created by the stripes confuses and acts as a survival technique for the zebra.<br /> <br /> <h3> Snowshoe hare</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjMp3_GiptWk2SbguI81NkxlQ3QMR7P9jtMOx9jozf9JMWEET2haZL29D428CaGu5BtjMiU_3KS8_JKWSMgcbTUwmH59jEOEkQlznnHiLEHLl6-ZiQCPYd2qY-7TZMLJeqnGozc98CPM/s1600/animal-camouflage-Snowshoe+hare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjMp3_GiptWk2SbguI81NkxlQ3QMR7P9jtMOx9jozf9JMWEET2haZL29D428CaGu5BtjMiU_3KS8_JKWSMgcbTUwmH59jEOEkQlznnHiLEHLl6-ZiQCPYd2qY-7TZMLJeqnGozc98CPM/s320/animal-camouflage-Snowshoe+hare.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique: </b>Seasonal Color<br /> <b>Reason:</b> Defensive<br /> During the short Alaskan spring and summer, the snowshoe hare has fur that is standard "rabbit brown" to blend against the leaves and heather. But this hare doesn't hibernate and a brown animal wouldn't last long on a carpet of snow, with lynx and great horned owls patrolling. So it moults to a winter coat, which is pure white except for a black tip on each ear. <br /> <br /> <h3> Egyptian night jar</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Xgw4QkyQzm4mi2ZXI9YphDtotnsHysI5KFJvIYofAIaF7-7A5Xg86qd2uH1LF0h6eyMoLJrxe2GqVM0imarqKtucsnHXtfhEimFxGgR_7fmff36Df7c5YXdg8XsfhUF1wcVuQvTT74/s1600/animal-camouflage-Egyptian+nightjar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB1Xgw4QkyQzm4mi2ZXI9YphDtotnsHysI5KFJvIYofAIaF7-7A5Xg86qd2uH1LF0h6eyMoLJrxe2GqVM0imarqKtucsnHXtfhEimFxGgR_7fmff36Df7c5YXdg8XsfhUF1wcVuQvTT74/s320/animal-camouflage-Egyptian+nightjar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique:</b> Color and pattern<br /> <b>Reason:</b> Protecting its eggs<br /> Birds normally defend themselves against predators by flying away, but the Egyptian night jar lives in the desert, where there are no trees for roosting. It also eats moths, which means it is active by night. In the day it rests on the sandy ground, but its mottled brown, rather scruffy-looking plumage is almost impossible to spot. The night jar just looks like a stone or a piece of dried wood. Egyptian night jars don’t even build nests, hiding their eggs ; beneath their own camouflage.<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <i>Do you know - Chameleon changes<br />The word ‘chameleon’ is a by-word for invisibility and camouflage, but most chameleons don’t change color to match their surroundings. Their default color is already an excellent camouflage and color changes are used to signal their mood to other chameleons.</i></blockquote> <br /> <h2> Invisible Mysteries of the Deep</h2> Below the surface of the water lurk a talented band of beasts.<br /> <br /> <h3> Mackerel</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgnoAmW91_hDbeKFRWyMZkSSa3L1aDrxoef-QqIg-FvQXDcdOZNq8BzeAji82ReSPbh_54jQgN99_bgw9UP1vZt9T-BnSt3ezF_9afKtP3j3vXnxDdhEBABA-IjrG1Qqqtci-KbUGagY/s1600/animal-camouflage-Mackerel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFgnoAmW91_hDbeKFRWyMZkSSa3L1aDrxoef-QqIg-FvQXDcdOZNq8BzeAji82ReSPbh_54jQgN99_bgw9UP1vZt9T-BnSt3ezF_9afKtP3j3vXnxDdhEBABA-IjrG1Qqqtci-KbUGagY/s320/animal-camouflage-Mackerel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique: </b>Stripes and counter shading<br /> <b>Reason:</b> Defensive <br /> Mackerel swim in huge schools. Seen from above, the distinctive striped pattern resembles the rippling pattern of shadow seen shallow seas. At close range the effect may be similar to the zebra’s stripes and make it hard for predators to lock on to any single fish. The counter-shaded belly common to most fish, making them harder to spot from below against the lighter surface.<br /> <br /> <h3> Cuttlefish</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEypRk5fRSh4xj3RyUsBYcP52tk4nwpIwTuELnCEdqXa1ToomXa8ab_1uUIPAoC8UH9c8l4Bd07gFL-cbno6oYnWdN-4M-m-KGRUntf8Ap09R3beJlGNB8NZLM5a2QUjelXziW9duwg6k/s1600/animal-camouflage-Cuttlefish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEypRk5fRSh4xj3RyUsBYcP52tk4nwpIwTuELnCEdqXa1ToomXa8ab_1uUIPAoC8UH9c8l4Bd07gFL-cbno6oYnWdN-4M-m-KGRUntf8Ap09R3beJlGNB8NZLM5a2QUjelXziW9duwg6k/s320/animal-camouflage-Cuttlefish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique: </b>Color changing <br /> <b>Reason: </b>Signalling, hunting and protection<br /> Cuttlefish have the most advanced color changing system of any animal. Not only can they change their color in less than a second, but they can also move from static camouflage patterns to rapidly pulsing displays to hypnotize prey or communicate with other cuttlefish. Their skin can also change the polarization of the light reflecting off it, important because many marine animals are sensitive to the polarization angle of light.<br /> <br /> <h3> Indonesian mimic octopus</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2x8GjwY5fEv26W7g2Lmdu8hrJKwspfe89dVwaT-c6pNjIzEbq-wiFyrOUxyzWKD2z2YlsMxItT1Xs161t-qrS1fKrW_9RCoaPFtDjNSMpy_LQstMQ1TOyCi4I9W_I35IZk19ltKh6lE/s1600/animal-camouflage-Indonesian+mimic+octopus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2x8GjwY5fEv26W7g2Lmdu8hrJKwspfe89dVwaT-c6pNjIzEbq-wiFyrOUxyzWKD2z2YlsMxItT1Xs161t-qrS1fKrW_9RCoaPFtDjNSMpy_LQstMQ1TOyCi4I9W_I35IZk19ltKh6lE/s1600/animal-camouflage-Indonesian+mimic+octopus.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <b>Technique: </b>Color changing and behavioral mimicry <br /> <b>Reason:</b> Protection and hunting <br /> The mimic octopus is an active predator and can’t afford to spend long periods sitting on the seabed pretending to be a rock. But it does have lots of predators outs own, so uses its camouflage abilities to imitate more than 15 other animal species. As well as changing the color and patterning of its skin, it can also radically alter its texture from smooth to spiny and contort its arms and body to change shape.<br /> <br /> <h3> Stone fish</h3> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQn5ixEkwqwIIc-mDuqwlyN2Msv5vhLd1-LqArMW3eQST6botV8ER83S-qpi2G3ag83dtoH0OCAbYnFetJgeMGokDIiUJ1Vi0Rwx6hka32ZJz0fozFahAoQU4P9ljJkmcm4MH5XBwQunQ/s1600/animal-camouflage-Stonefish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQn5ixEkwqwIIc-mDuqwlyN2Msv5vhLd1-LqArMW3eQST6botV8ER83S-qpi2G3ag83dtoH0OCAbYnFetJgeMGokDIiUJ1Vi0Rwx6hka32ZJz0fozFahAoQU4P9ljJkmcm4MH5XBwQunQ/s320/animal-camouflage-Stonefish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <b><br /></b><b>Technique: </b>Color and spines<br /> <b>Reason: </b>Ambush<br /> The stone fish catches small fish and shrimp by lying still on the seabed and resembling a stone. When food swims close, it pounces and then goes back to being a stone. To defend it self from its own predators, the stone fish has 13 poisonous spines. Whereas most poisonous animals are brightly colored as a warning, the stone fish camouflage means that it’s often trodden on by accident, killing a human in two hours.

Animal Camouflage Part2 - Legend of the Land and the Sea

We will continue our blog on animal camouflage. Previously we talk about the basic method on how animal commonly using disguise. The follow...

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6 Beautiful Hotels Located in a Cave

These are the hotels and resorts that are located in caves. Although located inside a cave, all of the hotels looks beautiful and comfortable.<br /> <br /> <h2> 1. Sala Silver Mine – Sweden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoTKS2HznCKvKuTsPlbBbJkRngqmL0-JzMER1vvatfhLZFffRQ9-thptdPAxwzFZL-S7p_qWma1EKBPlv8ttz9o7HwiX9T4O2G5XM20MOVG9WpiLHprgzFGdw2NuU9GOPIDwIJeZ2ufg/s1600/sala-silvermine-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeoTKS2HznCKvKuTsPlbBbJkRngqmL0-JzMER1vvatfhLZFffRQ9-thptdPAxwzFZL-S7p_qWma1EKBPlv8ttz9o7HwiX9T4O2G5XM20MOVG9WpiLHprgzFGdw2NuU9GOPIDwIJeZ2ufg/s320/sala-silvermine-hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </h2> This hotel is located on an area that used to be a silver mine, which is no wonder why this hotel was named Sala Silver Mine. The unique part of this hotel is that it only has one bedroom that is located 154 meters below ground surface. Besides the bedroom, we could find other facilities in the hote; such as a gallery, caves filled with water and an underground lake. Here you will feel warm and comfy. <br /> <br /> <h2> 2. Kokopelli’s Cave – New Mexico<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4svi4TUt5PAYWK2WEZxXspozBTrFKYlaZ642CY-WjneRq7iPL_hrVvHTZ92E5ZyPc7Img7-Ri4yhCBpbt6S3wtxlG-m96a_v6c5uKKeOQJnqjjpxMbpDiCL_pgOfk3Qn-cENGHCDhJA/s1600/Kokopelli%E2%80%99s+Cave-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU4svi4TUt5PAYWK2WEZxXspozBTrFKYlaZ642CY-WjneRq7iPL_hrVvHTZ92E5ZyPc7Img7-Ri4yhCBpbt6S3wtxlG-m96a_v6c5uKKeOQJnqjjpxMbpDiCL_pgOfk3Qn-cENGHCDhJA/s320/Kokopelli%E2%80%99s+Cave-hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </h2> This hotel was built from a stone formation that is 65 million years old. Same as the Sala Silver Mine, Kokopelli’s Cave is also located in New Mexico and only offers one bedroom. Not to worry however, as even though it is located in a cave, inside you will be pampered with waterfalls for showering, Jacuzzi, television and others. <br /> <br /> <h2> 3. Museum Hotel – Turkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP72VbJEc4HFkUndCb_N4QOtKZxL_Vfxrh2BFhyp99alirxS34oIQZc1i94qqQjNPSJYCY748diamAA0tOv4cdyePh_MRpBqfL6hyphenhyphen5Y98cackRVwP87Vr1k6aSgHJ1veiB2W9iGAYzCnM/s1600/Museum+Hotel-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP72VbJEc4HFkUndCb_N4QOtKZxL_Vfxrh2BFhyp99alirxS34oIQZc1i94qqQjNPSJYCY748diamAA0tOv4cdyePh_MRpBqfL6hyphenhyphen5Y98cackRVwP87Vr1k6aSgHJ1veiB2W9iGAYzCnM/s320/Museum+Hotel-hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </h2> The rooms in this hotel not only looks like a cave but are also full of history. Inside you will find looms, unique grills from the 18th Century and also unique and beautiful decorations from Cappadocia. Even though the hotel has a concept of a historical cave, the rooms in the hotel also has windows. You will be able to view mountain and hill sceneries from your rooms, bars, balconies and other areas.  <br /> <br /> <h2> 4. Serrin House – Turkey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YiXNzb6pi733WX7k2SgXKSvxDJYpZtmx73oJ4le_4j7IWruCoeILNJJ_CiXfYiCTffAUYLQccXlYDQMYB5zwL2sN9sirbZIBb8kI1sP5yHS_rDfGzz9UWEGf0dN0_a5W_ky46BTcfNo/s1600/Serinn+House-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6YiXNzb6pi733WX7k2SgXKSvxDJYpZtmx73oJ4le_4j7IWruCoeILNJJ_CiXfYiCTffAUYLQccXlYDQMYB5zwL2sN9sirbZIBb8kI1sP5yHS_rDfGzz9UWEGf0dN0_a5W_ky46BTcfNo/s320/Serinn+House-hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </h2> This cave hotel is often disguised by the rocks around the area. Even so, Serrin House will always provide customer service and decorations that are charming and comfortable. Inside this cave hotel, you will be treated to modern designs provided by the company Moooi from England. In short, this hotel combines the concept of Stone Age with modernity.  <br /> <br /> <h2> 5. Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alcarcon – Spain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ak0JR1d1HnGT7Y6sAiIAirVD9D6KgfjRQ1CzMdoLkNbl_vMdmHlEqM3J67dBaai3HCwCyhZQBdW_yLxYsB5jKHXMkJEYID8iENNUinUDxeE4mY0OsO9iSufkGC78Q9OpwfWns0GwxZs/s1600/Cuevas+Pedro+Antonio+de+Alcarcon-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ak0JR1d1HnGT7Y6sAiIAirVD9D6KgfjRQ1CzMdoLkNbl_vMdmHlEqM3J67dBaai3HCwCyhZQBdW_yLxYsB5jKHXMkJEYID8iENNUinUDxeE4mY0OsO9iSufkGC78Q9OpwfWns0GwxZs/s1600/Cuevas+Pedro+Antonio+de+Alcarcon-hotel.jpg" /></a></div> </h2> This one cave hotel only has 23 rooms. This cave that was used as hotel has existed from the 15th Century, when the people of Moore was looking for refuge. Currently, this hotel has changed into something like an apartment that has television and kitchen utensils. In addition, a swimming pool also opened here during the summer.<br /> <br /> <h2> 6. Perivolas – Greece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pQIEfkRBmJeZ4sUlGqxqQ10-vdyJ9RtWIbKyvjJswt6ff1iqQ6OhRJc6_PrYuL42oGFeTKGZ0E4gME5O1utVKjkDKmmxuax6AvUzhuUA4JqHIanJZc9NroyJ6yUcLcY8spF9opkLTnY/s1600/Perivolas+%E2%80%93+hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4pQIEfkRBmJeZ4sUlGqxqQ10-vdyJ9RtWIbKyvjJswt6ff1iqQ6OhRJc6_PrYuL42oGFeTKGZ0E4gME5O1utVKjkDKmmxuax6AvUzhuUA4JqHIanJZc9NroyJ6yUcLcY8spF9opkLTnY/s320/Perivolas+%E2%80%93+hotel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </h2> This cave hotel is quite unique in that you need a boat to get there. The hotel is located on top of a mining cave that has existed since the 19th Century. In a cave hotel located in Santorini, Greece, you will be greeted by a minimalist cave room, without television. But don’t worry, with sceneries of Santorini’s sea and dazzling white colored caves, you won’t need a television here. <br /> <br /> Interested in staying there?

6 Beautiful Hotels Located in a Cave

These are the hotels and resorts that are located in caves. Although located inside a cave, all of the hotels looks beautiful and comforta...

Read more »

Daredevil - Elektra - The No Fear Factor Part 2

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHteFVWLSX_6eYPcRIXL5SrczfCMWmJKohteEWd3mTit64R7uJWNFZhdBbsmhTTgqHfXuLF8zcghcOYSjVSO9pouE8G3c89uG_tY0f00ffzaKskShV4udrDh0Z4MCfsEqpaoE3NiJK0Hk/s1600/ahaggar-mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN01BkwUrhx903dUzdFSZWFyUKgJ2F3qkEE8Dy_kWE-RYiuANVyLylGt1wTMcZOM6tMhTv-lm0nreGSuq-MsWCsZoI59a4XoLlGqhgHLoZN12o6hjA6EUW-yO31gsX5B2rik_fpIn3Ww/s1600/daredevil-elektra.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN01BkwUrhx903dUzdFSZWFyUKgJ2F3qkEE8Dy_kWE-RYiuANVyLylGt1wTMcZOM6tMhTv-lm0nreGSuq-MsWCsZoI59a4XoLlGqhgHLoZN12o6hjA6EUW-yO31gsX5B2rik_fpIn3Ww/s320/daredevil-elektra.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZfM06yszvVDPMtRqdaKwpyQgY4jl6UHWFGZezcTpFOnWc-thiF-LACdX8R6pOdMuH9GsLQ875nmwjPihNNQ-RRw78qOTXYp14EmwHiZapkeJoL0SJZ77uQghiSBWmuU3658C6iV-Jp-4/s1600/daredevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> The names Kingpin and Electro are a tipoff that Daredevil’s stomping grounds are not simply New York City but Spider-Man’s New York City, Stan Eec’s New York City. Spidey and Daredevil haunt the same steep canyons and dirty dead-ends.<br /> <br /> Their paths cross often. J. Jonah Jameson is the editorial voice of the city, and the Kingpin’s influence is felt from Gracie Mansion down to Hell’s Kitchen. Stan lee’s New York, the New York of Spider—Man and Daredevil, is as powerful a fictional portrait of the city as the New Yorks of John Cheever, Torn Wolfe and F. Scott Fitzgerald. It’s the biggest city around, and the most cynical and paranoid — perfect for a couple of non-conformist antiheroes.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisN01BkwUrhx903dUzdFSZWFyUKgJ2F3qkEE8Dy_kWE-RYiuANVyLylGt1wTMcZOM6tMhTv-lm0nreGSuq-MsWCsZoI59a4XoLlGqhgHLoZN12o6hjA6EUW-yO31gsX5B2rik_fpIn3Ww/s1600/daredevil-elektra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <br /> A lot of this sounds familiar, like old Detective comics stuff There’s some Batman in Daredevil; the difference that matters is that Batman was created with limited powers, but initially no weaknesses. He is one of the worlds wealthiest men. Mart Murdock was first a struggling college student, then a successful but not terribly wealthy lawyer, and blind. Batman had to have his weaknesses created after the fact; Daredevil had them as original equipment. DC had to play catch—up with its characters to get them to where Marvel had Matt Murdock all along.<br /> <br /> Daredevil’s flown under the radar for much of his existence. While Marvel’s big-name comics — Spider-Man. the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk — drew the crowds and spun off the underwear deals, Double-D simply trucked along delivering tough, taut story lines illustrated with appropriately angular art. Read a decade’s worth of Daredevil comics, and their internal consistency amazes you. Beyond the flat-out ingenuity it takes to make a blind super hero believable — not to mention keep him alive — Daredevil’s New York moves along at the pace of life. Foggy Nelson gets elected DA and eventually names Matt his special assistant. Matt’s relationship with Karen Page blows hotter and colder than a hotel air conditioner. People within Daredevil’s sphere keep discovering his identity — which is gonna happen when you’re a city-bound super hero who has friends with brains.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2fzCJLx6Lo83QNOyOjz_fK8A5ebwOq-MsCgpHW94PWVFSm8hWRGmJlz7MRDflFIeLSgYy0ucT7Eb2fgJnmc_YmbnkN3iguyfZDAm7NgM4fzafJVMyCTuWfewXPPit_FDftI0niCD45I/s1600/daredevil-elektra2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG2fzCJLx6Lo83QNOyOjz_fK8A5ebwOq-MsCgpHW94PWVFSm8hWRGmJlz7MRDflFIeLSgYy0ucT7Eb2fgJnmc_YmbnkN3iguyfZDAm7NgM4fzafJVMyCTuWfewXPPit_FDftI0niCD45I/s1600/daredevil-elektra2.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Even when Daredevil has stepped to the fore, it’s been retroactive. Frank Miller rook over with #158 and stayed for 34 issues, taking the title even deeper into noir-land and bringing Daredevil huge critical acclaim. Eventually. Most of the appreciation for Miller’s work on Daredevil came after he left the comic to give a toughening-up treatment to Batman (The Dark Knight Returns.) and create the definitive Elektra series, Elektra: Assassin (more on that later). The great work being done by today’s Daredevil writers starts here. So do 100 other rough-’n’-gritty super-hero comics. prank Miller’s run on Daredevil is more than just a redefinition of a classic character; it’s a turning point in comics history.<br /> <br /> Daredevil has supplied other memorable moments, none punchier than the "outing" of Matt Murdock as Daredevil in a recent Bendis story arc. The comic makes you slap your forehead and say, Secret identities? in this day and age? Geez! This stuff should be happening all the time!” It’s biting-the hand—that-feeds-you work of the most ingenious kind. And in Bendis’ hands, it works great.<br /> <br /> Daredevil is a comic that flaunts its pulp roots the way a death-metal-head flaunts a lip ring. The challenge for Matt Murdock is staving alive from issue to issue in a city where he can tell everyone’s out to get him. The challenge for Daredevil’s creators is to devise ingenious ways to get him to the next issue in one piece, or in several attachable pieces, and to make it believable. It’s been 40 years, and everyone’s succeeded so far.<br /> <br /> If only Matt Murdock could find a woman who couldn’t be shot out from under him. Actually there was one — a Greek diplomat’s daughter named Elektra Natchios. She couldn't be killed. They tried. She could kill, though. Could and did. Can and does.<br /> <br /> This make you feel old: Elektra and Daredevil has been intertwined in comic-book history for almost a quarter-century. It was January 1981 when Frank Miller revealed Elektra as Matt Murdock's first true love - a beautiful, exciting, pitiless woman that Foggy Nelson and Stick immediately labeled as pure danger, a stacked, black-haired vial of blow fish toxin. Trained in the ninja arts and transformed into a killing machine for hire to anyone for the right price, Elektra became Daredevil's occasional foe, a sometime torchbearer, and one of the few Murdock girlfriends who didn't die and stay dead.<br /> <br /> The language of the previous paragraph is necessary because Elektra was killed once, by the hired killer Bullseye, and then brought back to life by the shadowy ninja organization called the Hand, to kill again. She has the wounds to prove it, and doesn't mind showing them off. That's just the kind of girl she is.<br /> <br /> Elektra is the yin to Matt Murdock's yang. Murdock is 100 percent conscience; Elektra has no conscience. Elektra kills any and all for money; Murdock/Daredevil spare criminals from death. Elektra drifts with the wind; Murdock is firmly rooted in New York. Elektra is completely female; Murdock is totally male. Daredevil is old school; Elektra is new. They couldn't be more different. Maybe that's why their love runs so deep.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUrTanqVNXdXy9STOnFc8vHtOqzuvreU3NK1IWD_4nUV8iQ-O2fNJ6icehheS6smF_24MOdteXhoIjRXhcKZS6iMivjS37ePqeur81ZhuFkJSY3hGxz7PpTlc3EGzJkuKbQV7uthUvkk/s1600/daredevil-elektra3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUrTanqVNXdXy9STOnFc8vHtOqzuvreU3NK1IWD_4nUV8iQ-O2fNJ6icehheS6smF_24MOdteXhoIjRXhcKZS6iMivjS37ePqeur81ZhuFkJSY3hGxz7PpTlc3EGzJkuKbQV7uthUvkk/s320/daredevil-elektra3.jpg" width="179" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Forget Wonder Woman; Elektra is the root from which 90 percent of the current crop of stacked-lay-super-hero comics - Avengelyne, Whitchblade, Fathom, et al. - has sprung. Credit her run in Daredevil for that, but also send extra props to Frank Miller for spinning her off as a standalone. At a time when comic-book characters from the early '80s just weren't being spun off into their own series', Miller artist Bill Sienkiewicz delivered Elektra: Assassin, eight issues of fever dream blood and guts that still throw a wicked left hook. This is some serious noir, folks, with Miller's zip-gun writing and Sienkiewicz's wacked palette playing off each other like Charlie Parker playing off Miles Davis. It's seminal work - and while the possibility exists that someone may come along and create a better  book by playing off the one that started it all, the original riffs are still the freshest. Who's going to come along that can do a better job with film-noir looks and potboiler plots than Frank Mimller and Bill Sienkiewicz?<br /> <br /> Miller wasn’t done with Elektra after Assassin. She returned in a graphic-novel collaboration with Lynn Varley called Elektra Lives Again. It’s great, dark stuff not the sort of book you want to be reading if you need your faith in humanity restored. But plenty of other books do that.<br /> <br /> Elektra is not the most complex character out there, especially compared to the mentor and first love. She's ruthless and single-minded. Events play out around her while she moves inexorably to her target. She's darn easy on the eyes, sough, and the current Elektra title does as well as can be expected creating continuity for a character whose life is best viewed as a series of one-shots - to the jugular, the aorta, the femoral, the spinal column...<br /> <br /> It’s hard to think of a more intriguing relationship between a Silver Age character and a member of the supporting cast than the relationship between Elektra and Daredevil. Given the way film noir works, you’d have to say this is one tough relationship that’s far from over.

Daredevil - Elektra - The No Fear Factor Part 2

The names Kingpin and Electro are a tipoff that Daredevil’s stomping grounds are not simply New York City but Spider-Man’s New York Cit...

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Head Case - Skull - Body Part

The most complex part of the skeleton is the skull. It is made of many bones that fit together tightly, to protect the brain and support the face.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPyTjiOgJocDfey8WrI13UYM5gWEMUQullO_Jlb8qeDF9oAKcoLScpzUn626L8GYyI7B1V_j5bX4fZRfSykMt9mBZbisSBhIOJPdbz3HJKqUkQVSOI3bkpldj_itfL2vCi3NaydnJQag/s1600/head-case-skelleton-body-aprt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcPyTjiOgJocDfey8WrI13UYM5gWEMUQullO_Jlb8qeDF9oAKcoLScpzUn626L8GYyI7B1V_j5bX4fZRfSykMt9mBZbisSBhIOJPdbz3HJKqUkQVSOI3bkpldj_itfL2vCi3NaydnJQag/s320/head-case-skelleton-body-aprt.jpg" width="219" /></a></div> <br /> The cranium is the domed part of your skull, the brain fills most of the cranium. The frontal bone forms your forehead. Eye sockets are made up of seven different bones. The front of the nose has no bones. Teeth are set into the upper and lower jaws.<br /> <br /> <h2> Helmet</h2> The upper part of the skull is like a helmet that protects the brain. The lower part forms a structure for your facial features to attach to.<br /> <br /> <h2> Facial features</h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6dWcDflr-uufu2Ho01x0hShCjUv2KojyetsoyysMgdoNyl1lhmunTLI4S4XFStCB6l4Tgc4KxiFz2C9h8ULB7ctniB3ZhfpjJmH-b-m7EzNxIkGfZmVASobXz9pTSw_hfeN6mprcl-o/s1600/facial-skelleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb6dWcDflr-uufu2Ho01x0hShCjUv2KojyetsoyysMgdoNyl1lhmunTLI4S4XFStCB6l4Tgc4KxiFz2C9h8ULB7ctniB3ZhfpjJmH-b-m7EzNxIkGfZmVASobXz9pTSw_hfeN6mprcl-o/s1600/facial-skelleton.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> This image shows the relationship between your skull and face. There are no bones shaping the front part of your nose, your lips, or your ears. Your nose and ears are shaped by cartilage.<br /> <br /> <h2> Jigsaw</h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJjrOxn1xwSQcLluv4ny-tuH_DXUZ7joSBUt8pcL9-YN5wWSZ3gsRjVVZl8qExPJb5_H2paNM_roMMxiI2lhyphenhyphenyJxE8nuxd3tdvw6ZpSbzvoxjeOp3P_eH6RBMd0sTTCUV9Kikiev0dPY/s1600/jigsaw-skelleton.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJjrOxn1xwSQcLluv4ny-tuH_DXUZ7joSBUt8pcL9-YN5wWSZ3gsRjVVZl8qExPJb5_H2paNM_roMMxiI2lhyphenhyphenyJxE8nuxd3tdvw6ZpSbzvoxjeOp3P_eH6RBMd0sTTCUV9Kikiev0dPY/s320/jigsaw-skelleton.jpg" width="256" /></a></div> <br /> The skull bones fit together like the pieces of a jigsaw. All but one of the bones are locked in place. This makes the skull very strong. The lower jaw is<br /> hinged. It is the only skull bone that can move. There are two parts to the upper jaw.<br /> <br /> <h2> Hole in the head</h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvj2U_K14_p-BSaRIIsFAlMaJAd_BQL_nOykiLT4NcC6leurd-Yhyphenhyphenq5Uh7fzfCuo957btOXmrMKlw4ysr-ckZielRj0yzUFklGXT9_mjJxnA4Z2xqZ0aOJhkFtLLxWyg2lYjMDrQU3LZA/s1600/back-of-the-sckull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvj2U_K14_p-BSaRIIsFAlMaJAd_BQL_nOykiLT4NcC6leurd-Yhyphenhyphenq5Uh7fzfCuo957btOXmrMKlw4ysr-ckZielRj0yzUFklGXT9_mjJxnA4Z2xqZ0aOJhkFtLLxWyg2lYjMDrQU3LZA/s1600/back-of-the-sckull.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> From underneath you can clearly see the big hole at the bottom of this skull. The spinal cord – which runs down your back – meets your brain here. Blood vessels pass through small holes in the skull.<br /> <br /> <h2> Meet the relatives</h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99sszSLLxtdmMLSlaMFEwEqgq9CE7rq_pp8w66-JJvrW5VrA-pMFtOk1Fv0PTIEDkxDtglKCu2w8bebYj_lgsKWCWCkX2aiU_x-E80tfmhVcMNIeSsgQ2M6hL2HCjmz_hw4xY4VBuzTs/s1600/skull-relative.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99sszSLLxtdmMLSlaMFEwEqgq9CE7rq_pp8w66-JJvrW5VrA-pMFtOk1Fv0PTIEDkxDtglKCu2w8bebYj_lgsKWCWCkX2aiU_x-E80tfmhVcMNIeSsgQ2M6hL2HCjmz_hw4xY4VBuzTs/s320/skull-relative.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> Chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor. However, chimps have smaller brains than humans so their craniums are smaller. Chimps also have a large ridge above their eyes, and a jutting jaw.<br /> <br /> <h2> Face from the past</h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uXRuOWmO4kTbYVc2fi7dFYwX0DdnWKOGJThB5O4EK_LPhHheuDCmLXR7fOBfB8A9dpp3xKMbMpPza9EA6cHjYp0j0-S_pzJpwtEGbbo4MubaQ2HzkwunH9hdT-v1vb1jGpqZgdNdUN8/s1600/muscle-skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4uXRuOWmO4kTbYVc2fi7dFYwX0DdnWKOGJThB5O4EK_LPhHheuDCmLXR7fOBfB8A9dpp3xKMbMpPza9EA6cHjYp0j0-S_pzJpwtEGbbo4MubaQ2HzkwunH9hdT-v1vb1jGpqZgdNdUN8/s1600/muscle-skull.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> Scientists can work out what a dead person’s face looked like from their skull alone. They examine the facial bones and build up artificial cartilage, muscle, and skin over them.

Head Case - Skull - Body Part

The most complex part of the skeleton is the skull. It is made of many bones that fit together tightly, to protect the brain and support the...

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ALL SEEING EYE

<a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page6"></a><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJ9rVtY5CNcX-bzbYHcxkD1OQPNx44LN-O2IqqiFTde1aqkF6O3drdCclkPuQd3T5XjrmWag_O9KCOlXL030IIaBx2OUiO5FRYRQxiHfAr-G0X-sVP-wkG5W3jqbxG7NiWR02lkh-8_A/s1600/all-seing-eye-symbol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIJ9rVtY5CNcX-bzbYHcxkD1OQPNx44LN-O2IqqiFTde1aqkF6O3drdCclkPuQd3T5XjrmWag_O9KCOlXL030IIaBx2OUiO5FRYRQxiHfAr-G0X-sVP-wkG5W3jqbxG7NiWR02lkh-8_A/s1600/all-seing-eye-symbol.jpg" /></a></div> <div class="noindent"> <br /></div> <div class="noindent"> Probably the best-known use of the All Seeing Eye symbol is as a part of the design of the Great Seal of the United States of America, which appears on the US dollar bill. Set within a triangle, a single eye is surrounded by rays of light; on the Seal, the whole rests on top of an unfinished pyramid.</div> <div class="noindent"> <br /></div> <br /> <div class="indent"> There is something quite sinister about this disembodied, ever-watchful eye, although its symbolic meaning is simple; it represents God watching over humankind, and is also known as the Eye of Providence.</div> <div class="indent"> <br /></div> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"> </a> <br /> <div class="indent"> The eye itself is a powerful and popular symbol, and the All Seeing Eye has its roots in the Egyptian Eye of Horus. The addition of the triangle represents all the different aspects of the shape, including the Christian Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.</div> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"> </a> <br /> <div class="indent"> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"><br /></a></div> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"> </a> <div class="indent"> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"></a><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"></a></div> <div class="indent"> The fact that the Great Seal was a symbol that belonged to Freemasonry and alchemy prior to its adoption as part of the Great Seal of the USA has given rise to many conspiracy theories. That the All Seeing Eye is also the symbol of the Illuminati, a secretive organization within the Catholic Church, has further bolstered these theories.</div> <div class="indent"> <br /></div> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"> </a> <br /> <div class="indent"> In Freemasonry, God is known as the Architect of the Universe. The first reference to the All Seeing Eye as a Masonic symbol appeared in 1797, although the Great Seal was designed in 1776 and first used in 1782. It is whispered that Masonic influences must have been at work when the Seal was designed; no one will ever know for sure, although those magical symbols that encrust the Seal must have been put there for a reason. What is certain is that when the Eye was adopted as part of the design of the Dollar in 1935, it was as a direct result of the influence of the President, Franklin Roosevelt, who had no reason to conceal his Masonic affiliations.</div> <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/null" id="page7"> </a> <br /> <br /> <div class="indent"> <br /></div>

ALL SEEING EYE

Probably the best-known use of the All Seeing Eye symbol is as a part of the design of the Great Seal of the United States of Americ...

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Ahaggar Mountains - Montains in the Desert

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXEmdciwh6R88_u9ITR0xJ03rmkOmRHCyei4tvenwYt9yCgLbcnKFFgCvVSY-Up2jV781vTvZ8ccfdFrBRRmI66-1TzHybYMN8VCln5b5g-OREqCjQbTlxXU2zcdx7aHW4EgcURk3-Us/s1600/ahaggar-mountains.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXEmdciwh6R88_u9ITR0xJ03rmkOmRHCyei4tvenwYt9yCgLbcnKFFgCvVSY-Up2jV781vTvZ8ccfdFrBRRmI66-1TzHybYMN8VCln5b5g-OREqCjQbTlxXU2zcdx7aHW4EgcURk3-Us/s1600/ahaggar-mountains.jpg" /></a></div> THE AHAGGAR IS a large mountainous plateau region lying on the TROPIC OF CANCER in the north-central SAHARA DESERT. It covers an area of 210,000 square mi(543,900 square km) which is about the size of FRANCE, or of ARIZONA and NEW MEXICO combined. It is about 1,000 mi (1,609 km) east of the ATLANTIC OCEAN, 1,000 mi north of the BIGHT OF BENIN, and 1,000 mi south of the MEDITERRANEAN SEA.<br /> <br /> Most of the Ahaggar lies in southeast ALGERIA about 900 mi (1,450 km) south of Algiers. However, small areas extend into NIGER in the south and LIBYA in the northeast. The Ahaggar is a part of the Mid-Sahara Rise, which stretches 1,300 mi (2,092 km) east to west and 965 mi (1,553 km) south to north. The Mid-Sahara Rise includes the Adrar des Iforhas Mountains in MALI and the Massif de l’Air Mountains in Niger.<br /> <br /> The Sahara lies on the African shield, a thick pre-Cambrian crystalline base. Geological studies have concluded that about 300 million years ago violent earthquakes of enormous proportions pushed up this central massif or plateau region of the Sahara. This was followed by volcanic eruptions that poured enormous beds of basaltic lava over the area.<br /> <br /> The geologic activity underlying the Ahaggar plateau pushed its granite base up thousands of feet above the Sahara. The Ahaggar plateau’s height is above 3,000 ft (915 m). The geologic activity produced enormous cliffs and fissures. These were broken into strange formations. At the heart of the Ahaggar, volcanic eruptions produced pumice and lava beds in many areas, some of which are basaltic. There are also “organ pipes” or volcanic needles or spires of rock that may reach 1,000 ft (305 m) high.<br /> <br /> The Ahaggar Mountain chain, which is also called the Hoggar Mountains, is situated on top of the Ahaggar plateau. The plateau is like a platform covered with lava fields. The Tuaregs call the platform the Atakor, while the Arabs call it the Kudia. The Atakor platform averages 6,600 ft (2,012 m). At the heart of the Ahaggar chain is the Atakor range, which has extinct volcanoes in many places that rise to about 9,000 ft (2,743 m). They rise from the plateau and are the highest portion of the plateau. At the center of the Ahaggar Mountains is the highest peak, Mount Tahat (9,573 feet or 2,918 m). Other peaks include Mount Atakor and Mount Assekrem, which is where the Berber Tuaregs locate the “end of the world.”<br /> <br /> While most of the Ahaggar is waterless and totally bare of vegetation, there are occasional snows. In some places in deep ravines, there are verdant strips that can be seen on aerial photographs. There are two waterfalls in the Ahaggar. One is at Tamekrest and the other is at Imeleoulaouene. A variety of animals live in the mountains along with the nomads, mostly Tuaregs, who frequent the oases located in these rugged reaches.<br /> <br /> <i>BIBLIOGRAPHY. Jeremy Keenan, The Tuareg: People of the Ahagger (Sickle Moon Books, 2002); Louis Carl and Joseph Petit, Mountains in the Desert (Doubleday, 1954); Louis Carl and Joseph Petit, Tefedest: Journey to the Heart of the Sahara (Allen & Unwin, 1954); Claude Blanguernon and Thomas Turner, The Hoggar (Human Relations Area Files, 1970); Douglas Porch, The Conquest of the Sahara (Oxford University Press, 1986). By ANDREW J. WASKEY DALTON STATE COLLEGE</i>

Ahaggar Mountains - Montains in the Desert

THE AHAGGAR IS a large mountainous plateau region lying on the TROPIC OF CANCER in the north-central SAHARA DESERT. It covers an area of 2...

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Dong Quai for Premenstrual Syndrome

<div class="nonindent"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJjG9sIn8VR0DmWjcu7gPfsp39f3F3sbauZzYkqhTBT_wOMGcPZAbS3l5vs58iuEXZxwpCi8irLixc2PeygwvWSznJKzWPyDNEpcvtySFph_J-RMbuDNXvC_VNrzgGcdG0zBlPqfMKPY/s1600/dong-quai-pms-menstrual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJjG9sIn8VR0DmWjcu7gPfsp39f3F3sbauZzYkqhTBT_wOMGcPZAbS3l5vs58iuEXZxwpCi8irLixc2PeygwvWSznJKzWPyDNEpcvtySFph_J-RMbuDNXvC_VNrzgGcdG0zBlPqfMKPY/s320/dong-quai-pms-menstrual.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="nonindent"> <span class="dropcaps">D</span>ong quai, also called Chinese angelica, is a member of the celery family native to cold, mountainous regions of central China. It has been used in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese traditional medicine—as well as in cooking—for millennia. According to legend, dong quai made its medicinal debut as a result of a man’s desire to prove himself. He sets out for the mountains, where he hopes his ability to survive in the wild will attest to his strength and resourcefulness. Before he leaves, the man tells his devoted wife that if he has not returned after three years, she should consider him dead and take another husband. And that is precisely what happens. Shortly after the wife remarries, however, the man returns. Heartbroken, she falls deathly ill. During his mountain pilgrimage, the man collected the root from a plant he’d never seen before. He prepares it as a medicine and gives it to his wife, and she is fully restored to health. The name <i>dong quai</i> is often translated as “return to order,” because the herb is thought to help restore normal, healthy function to various body systems and to the body as a whole. Dong quai is one of the most widely prescribed herbs in Chinese medicine and is used—typically in combination with other herbs—primarily to treat health problems in women. For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as female ginseng.</div> <h2 class="section" id="c11-s01"> <b>Therapeutic Uses</b></h2> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Women’s tonic</i></div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Premenstrual syndrome</i></div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Menstrual cramps</i></div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Kidney tonic</i></div> Dong quai root is still one of the most popular herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is well known for treating women’s health problems, such as painful menstruation and postpartum fatigue and weakness. It gained popularity in the West in the late 1800s when Merck introduced Eumenol, an extract of dong quai, to Europe to treat gynecological complaints. <br /> <div class="indent"> Studies suggest that dong quai may have weak estrogenic activity, and it is often recommended for symptom relief in menopause. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 71 postmenopausal women, however, dong quai was no better than placebo at reducing hot flashes. This study was widely criticized for using dong quai by itself instead of in combination with other herbs, which is how it is used in traditional Chinese medicine. When an herbal mixture containing <i>Angelica sinensis</i> root, <i>Paeonia lactiflora</i> root, <i>Ligusticum</i> rhizome, <i>Atractylodes</i> rhizome, <i>Alisma orientalis</i> rhizome, and <i>Wolfiporia cocos</i> was used in a study of menopausal women, it reportedly reduced hot flashes by 70 percent. Herbal combinations are the rule rather than the exception in many traditional systems of medicine, and clinical trials using just one herb may erroneously lead us to judge an herb as ineffective.</div> <div class="indent"> Dong quai has been used in combination with astragalus <i>(A. membranaceus)</i> to tone and strengthen the kidneys, as well as to enhance the immune system. In one study, this combination significantly reduced the deterioration of renal function and damage in animals with chronic kidney damage.</div> <div class="indent"> Dong quai and other <i>Angelica</i> species are known to contain psoralen, which is sometimes used in combination with ultraviolet therapy as a treatment for psoriasis. Studies have shown that this approach improves psoriasis in 40 to 66 percent of patients.</div> <h2 class="section" id="c11-s02"> <b>How to Use</b></h2> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Tea:</i> Simmer 1 to 2 teaspoons root in 1 cup water for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain. Drink 1 cup, 2 to 3 times per day.</div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Capsules:</i> 1 g, taken 2 to 3 times per day.</div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Tincture:</i> 3 to 5 ml, taken 2 to 3 times per day.</div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>[As stated above, consider dong quai as part of an herbal combination.]</i></div> <h2 class="section" id="c11-s03"> <b>Precautions</b></h2> <div class="section" id="c11-s03"> Those with bleeding disorders or taking anticoagulants should not use dong quai, as it may increase risk of bleeding. Use should be avoided during pregnancy. The psoralen in dong quai could, in theory, cause photosensitivity.<b> </b></div>

Dong Quai for Premenstrual Syndrome

D ong quai, also called Chinese angelica, is a member of the celery family native to cold, mountainous regions of central China. It ...

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Cranberry for Bladder Infections

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WNvOfU_2NiXm9DFCU24Z2iwh_e6XfY1b71EhYLHek3vvg4kdvrwz7ruxXn2nMc8PPXHkL40DVQR9UFPK7UNwy_PFB8cNTzzb75iB_kLiYQGPJOfDwLIugcGTkIX-EuvjqIfhnXPe8ao/s1600/cranberry-bladder-infections.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WNvOfU_2NiXm9DFCU24Z2iwh_e6XfY1b71EhYLHek3vvg4kdvrwz7ruxXn2nMc8PPXHkL40DVQR9UFPK7UNwy_PFB8cNTzzb75iB_kLiYQGPJOfDwLIugcGTkIX-EuvjqIfhnXPe8ao/s320/cranberry-bladder-infections.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="nonindent"> <span class="dropcaps">R</span>uby red and exceedingly tart, the American cranberry is native to the swamps and bogs of northeastern North America. It can still be found growing wild in parts of its native range, which extends from eastern Canada south to the mountains of Georgia and west as far as Minnesota. Most of the cranberries that now find their way into foods and drinks—and grace millions of Thanksgiving tables—are cultivated on large commercial farms. Cranberry shares the genus <i>Vaccinium</i> with a number of other popular berries, including blueberry, huckleberry, and bilberry. The word <i>cranberry</i> is probably derived from <i>crane berry</i>, a term coined by Dutch and German colonists either because the flowers looked to them like the head and neck of a crane or because cranes flocked to cranberry bogs when the fruit was ripe.</div> <h2 class="section" id="c10-s01"> <b>Therapeutic Uses</b></h2> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Bladder infections (prevention)</i></div> <div class="extract"> The herbal remedy most associated with maintaining a healthy urinary tract is the delicious, native North American cranberry. Originally it was thought that cranberry prevented urinary tract infections by acidifying the urine; however, scientists have shown that compounds known as proanthocyanidins prevent harmful bacteria such as <i>Escherichia coli</i> from adhering to the cells that line the bladder and urethra. This is good news, given that <i>E. coli</i> is responsible for 90 percent of all urinary tract infections.</div> <div class="extract"> <br /></div> <div class="indent"> In 2008, researchers reviewed 7 studies of cranberry juice along with 4 studies of cranberry extract tablets. They concluded that both modes of delivery reduced the risk of a urinary tract infection by 35 percent in people who had a history of frequent infections compared with control groups. This research is significant, especially given the statistic that roughly 25 percent of all women will have a recurrent urinary tract infection in their lifetimes.</div> <div class="indent"> <br /></div> While the evidence is very strong for the use of cranberry to prevent urinary tract infections, there is, on the other hand, very little evidence that it is an effective treatment once a urinary tractinfection is contracted. The best treatment for an acute bladder infection is antibiotics. Cranberry juice or tablets can also be a very effective urinary deodorant for those who are incontinent. <br /> <h2 class="section" id="c10-s02"> <b>How to Use</b></h2> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Juice:</i> Cranberry juice is an easy and tasty way to prevent urinary tract infections. One well-designed study used 10 ounces per day of Ocean Spray cranberry juice.</div> <div class="nonindent"> <i>Extract:</i> Cranberry extract in tablet form has been shown to be as effective, better tolerated, less expensive, and lower in calories when compared with the juice. The dose of concentrated juice extract is 300 to 500 mg, taken twice a day.</div> <h2 class="section" id="c10-s03"> <b>Precautions</b></h2> <div class="nonindent"> Given the widespread use of cranberry by the general public, it is safe to say that there are virtually no adverse effects associated with its use. Cranberry is safe during pregnancy and lactation, and it is safe for children. Although several case reports have indicated a concern for a potential interaction between cranberry juice and warfarin, used to prevent blood clots, studies in humans have documented no adverse interactions.</div>

Cranberry for Bladder Infections

R uby red and exceedingly tart, the American cranberry is native to the swamps and bogs of northeastern North America. It can still be ...

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