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  • A Choc A Day Keeps Stress Away

    A small bar of dark chocolate a day can keep stress at bay, according to a small study by international researchers.

    German and Swiss researchers have found that eating about 40g of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced the levels of stress hormones in highly stressed people.

    Dark chocolate, which is rich in a variety of bioactive compounds, also partially corrected other imbalances in the body related to stress, making it a natural way to ease stress.

    “The study provides strong evidence that a daily consumption of 40g during a period of two weeks is sufficient to modify the metabolism of healthy human volunteers,” wrote the researchers led by Sunil Kochhar, from the Nestle Research Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland.

    The study, published online in ASC’s Journal of Proteome Research, comes amid growing scientific evidence that antioxidants and other beneficial substances in dark chocolate may reduce risk factors for heart disease and other illnesses.

    The trial was performed on 30 people who were classified as having low or high anxiety. Researchers measured levels of stress hormones in blood and urine samples collected several times a day from the participants in the trial to measure metabolic changes.

    The participants snacked on 20g of dark chocolate mid-morning and again as an afternoon snack.

    The researchers said people with high anxiety traits had a distinct metabolic profile, and changes that occurred from eating dark chocolate showed up clearly after two weeks with reduced stress hormones and other stress-related biochemical markers.

    But they said the study was small and further research was necessary – while nutrition experts were quick to add that chocolate is high in fat and too much can lead to weight issues.

    – Reuters

  • Longevity Gene May Boost Memory

    Paris – A gene linked to increased life span through calorie restriction also appeared to play a critical role in boosting memory and brain power, according to a study published on Sunday. A protein encoded by the SIRT1 gene has been shown in laboratory experiments to help slow the ageing process in rodents. Called Sirtuin1 in humans, that same enzyme seems to enhance memory and nerve-cell development in the brain as well, according to the new findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature. The work could provide leads for drugs to combat Alzheimer’s and other debilitating neurological diseases, the researchers said. A team led by Li-Huei Tsai, director of the neurobiology programme at MIT in Boston, had earlier demonstrated that Sirtuin1 boosts neuron survival in mice genetically modified to mimic certain degenerative brain disorders. “We have now found that SIRT1 activity also promotes memory and plasticity,” Tsai said, referring to the ability of healthy brain cells to interconnect. “This result demonstrates a multi-faceted role of SIRT1 in the brain, further highlighting its potential as a target for the treatment of conditions with impaired cognition.” Memory tests Tsai examined behaviour and brain development in mice deficient in the SIRT1 gene in experiments. Compared to normal mice, they reacted poorly to electrical stimulation in the hippocampus, which is critical to long-term memory and spatial navigation. In Alzheimer’s, the hippocampus is one of the first regions in the brain to be damaged. The gene-altered lab mice also had reduced density of neuron development, a key measure of brain activity. They were less able to discriminate old from new objects in memory tests. “SIRT1 deficient mice are impaired in all three memory paradigms compared to control mice,” Tsai explained. The study also unveiled a previously unknown mechanism: by keeping certain gene regulators called mircoRNAs in check, the SIRT1 gene allows the memory-enhancing proteins to be expressed. The results are preliminary, Tsai cautioned, saying it was still too early to design clinical trials with humans.

    SAPA

  • The Black Bra

    The Black Bra

    (as told by a woman)

    I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends.
    One is engaged, one is a mistress, and I have been married for 20+ years.

    We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by greeting them at the door
    Wearing a black bra, stiletto heels and a mask over our eyes. We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes..

    Here’s how it all went.

    My engaged friend:
    The other night when my boyfriend came over he found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask.
    He saw me and said, ‘You are the woman of my dreams.
    I love you.’ Then we made passionate love all night long.

    The mistress:
    Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing a raincoat, under it only the black bra, heels and
    Mask over my eyes. When I opened the raincoat he didn’t say a word, but he started to tremble and we had wild sex all night.

    Then I had to share my story:
    When my husband came home I was wearing the black bra,
    Black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes.
    When he came in the door and saw me he said,


    “What’s for dinner, Zorro?”

  • The Master Key To Success – Part Two

    Napoleon Hill’s – The Master Key To Success Video

    Do Not Make A Mistake! Despite it’s Age, This classic – The Master Key To Success – Remains The Timeless Blueprint For Self Development

    You can think and grow rich too – if you really want to!

  • Think And Grow Rich – Part One

    Napoleon Hill’s – Think and Grow Rich – The Original Law of Success Video

    Do Not Make A Mistake! Despite it’s Age, This classic – Think And Grow Rich – Remains The Timelesss Blueprint For Self Development

    You can think and grow rich too – if you really want to!

     

  • Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational

    Here is the Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational,
    which once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition. 

    The winners are:

      1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the
    subject financially impotent for an indefinite period of time.

      2. Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an asshole.

      3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you
    realize it was your money to start with.

      4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

      5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops
    bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows
    little sign of breaking down in the near fut ure.

      6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of
    getting laid.

      7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

      8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person
    who doesn’t get it.

      9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

      10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

      11 Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

      12. Karmageddon: It’s when everybody is sending off all these really bad
    vibes, and then the Earth explodes, and it’s a serious bummer.

      13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day
    consuming only things that are good for you

      14. Glibido: All talk and no action.

      15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when
    they come at you rapidly.

      16. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after
    you’ve accidentally walked through a spider web.

      17. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito, that gets into your
    bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

      18. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after finding half a worm in
    the fruit you’re eating.

      The Washington Post has also published the winning submissions to its
    yearly contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternate meanings
    for common words.

      And the winners are:

      1. coffee, n. the person upon whom one coughs.

      2. flabbergasted, adj. appalled by discovering how much weight one has
    gained.

      3. abdicate, v. to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

      4. esplanade, v. to attempt an explanation while drunk.

      5. willy-nilly, adj. impotent.

      6. negligent, adj. absentmindedly answering the door when wearing only a
    nightgown.

      7. lymph, v. to walk with a lisp.

      8. gargoyle, n. olive-flavored mouthwash.

      9. flatulence, n. emergency vehicle that picks up someone who has been
    run over by a steamroller.

      10. balderdash, n. a rapidly receding hairline.

      11 testicle, n. a humorous question on an exam.

      12. rectitude, n. the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

      13. pokemon, n. a Rastafarian proctologist.

      14. oyster, n. a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

      15. Frisbeetarianism, n. the belief that, after death, the soul flies up
    onto the roof and gets stuck there.

      16. circumvent, n. an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by
    Jewish men.

  • Natural Depression Medication

    Natural Depression Medication Could be Right for You

    The most well-known natural depression medication is probably St John’s wort, although supplement sales of SAM-e are on the rise, as well. Either one is a good alternative to conventional anti-depressant drugs. Research indicates that they are just as effective, but are rarely accompanied by unwanted side effects.

    A less well-known natural remedy is 5 HTP. The body converts the amino acid into serotonin. The goal of most anti-depressant medications is to increase the activity of serotonin, one of the body’s “feel good” chemicals. 5 HTP stimulates the production of serotonin, which is why it is effective.

    A number of clinical studies indicate that omega-3 supplementation is beneficial for post-partum depression, bipolar disorder and similar problems. Omega-3s are good fats. They make up a great deal of the weight of the brain and are necessary for replenishing brain cells and neurons.

    D-Phenylalanine is an amino acid like 5 HTP, but the body uses it to make dopamine, another feel good chemical. It is sometimes recommended as a natural antidepressant and pain reliever, although the evidence is not as strong as it is for some of the other natural remedies.

    If you are interested in trying an natural depression medication, the best choice is to start with a good multi-vitamin supplement. Some of them contain SAM-e, 5 HTP and D-Phenylalanine.

    Omega-3 supplements must be taken separately. But, because of all of the health benefits associated with supplementation, it is a good investment. Just be sure that the label lists the content of DHA, the omega-3 that is particularly important to the brain.

    St John’s wort may be accompanied by side effects and should not be combined with prescription, over-the-counter drugs and some nutritional supplements. Interactions have been seen when taken with:

    –Cough syrup containing dextromethorphan

    –Tryptophan, a nutritional supplement

    –5 HTP, mentioned above

    –Prescription antidepressants

    Otherwise St John’s wort is an excellent natural depression medication and probably has more supporting clinical research evidence than any other herb or nutrient. I personally have had good results with St John’s wort, as well as with the herbs passionflower, lemon balm and lavender. Of course, everyone is different and the only way to know if these herbs will work for you is to try them. They are safe and usually without side effects.

    Another herbal depression treatment is valerian. It is particularly beneficial when insomnia or anxiety accompany the depressed feelings, as they often do. The drug interactions that have been noted with St John’s wort are not seen with valerian. In fact, there are few, if any adverse effects, but it should not be taken in large doses or before driving, as it can cause drowsiness.

    The herbs and nutrients mentioned here can also be combined with other things like increasing your level of physical activity. Most people feel that exercise has a natural anti-depressant effect. If your symptoms are more severe, some type of counseling therapy may be helpful.

    About the Author

    Max Wardlow is an independent natural health researcher who writes from experience about anxiety and depression. He also helps manage a website about natural remedies.

    For a vast range of in-depth information on depression and related problems, please visit 

      (more…)

  • Bruce Lipton – Biology of Perception 1

    Cick Here For More Information On Bruce Liptons Work

  • We Humans Can Mind-Meld Too

    There’s now scientific backing for the old adage that when two people “click” in conversation, they have a meeting of minds. The evidence comes from fMRI scans of 11 people’s brains as they listened to a woman recounting a story.

    The scans showed that the listeners’ brain patterns tracked those of the storyteller almost exactly, though trailed 1 to 3 seconds behind. But in some listeners, brain patterns even preceded those of the storyteller.

    “We found that the participants’ brains became intimately coupled during the course of the ‘conversation’, with the responses in the listener’s brain mirroring those in the speaker’s,” says Uri Hasson of Princeton University.

    Hasson’s team monitored the strength of this coupling by measuring the extent of the pattern overlap. Listeners with the best overlap were also judged to be the best at retelling the tale. “The more similar our brain patterns during a conversation, the better we understand each other,” Hasson concludes.

    There was no match between the brain patterns of the storyteller and the listeners, however, when they heard the same story in Russian, which they could not understand.

    11:42 26 July 2010 by Andy Coghlan

    Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1008662107

  • DNA – New Matter & UFOs

    In February 2008, Science Daily reported an astonishing achievement by scientists from Northwestern University and Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.
     
    The report said the following: DNA is the blueprint of all life, giving instruction and function to organisms ranging from simple one-celled bacteria to complex human beings. Now researchers report they have used DNA as the blueprint, to build a three-dimensional structure out of gold, a lifeless material.
    What these guys basically did was to use DNA as the foundation or backbone to build a living organic structure of their own design, made up of nano-particles of gold. By programming the DNA to take on a specific shape, and immersing it in a solution of nano-particles of gold, which are 15 nanometres in diameter, the gold attaches itself to the DNA in very specific positions to give it form and strength.
    They report that each gold nano-particle has multiple strands of DNA attached to its surface so the nano-particle binds in many directions, resulting in a three-dimensional structure of a new golden organic crystal. One sequence of linker DNA, programmed by the researchers, resulted in one type of golden crystal structure while a different sequence of linker DNA resulted in a different structure. This means that we can now effectively program DNA to form any shape we need it to be, to perform various functions in industry and science – including space travel.
    In fact, it can be called a living organic crystal, because any break or fracture that occurs is immediately corrected by the DNA backbone, as it automatically reconstitutes itself. But we are not restricted to gold nano-particles. We can basically use nano-particles of any substance we choose, to create a different look and feel of the finished product. Copper, aluminium, silica, etc. 
    Furthermore, a multitude of building blocks of different sizes can be used – with different composition. Gold, silver and fluorescent particles, for example, and different shapes – like spheres, rods, cubes and triangles. Controlling the distance between the nano-particles is also key to the structure’s function. “Once you get good at this you can build anything you want,” said Chad A. Mirkin, director of Northwestern’s International Institute for Nanotechnology.
    It is all so simple once you think about it. The scientists can program the DNA to take on a different shape. A different DNA sequence in the strand resulted in the formation of a different crystal shape formation. The researchers say that it’s like building a house. Starting with basic materials, the construction team can build many different types of houses out of the same building blocks and different materials.
    The technique is a major and fundamental step toward building functional “designer” materials using programmable self-assembly materials (DNA), and was published in the journal Nature on 31 January 2008, reflecting more than a decade of work. It is reported that this new discovery will allow scientists to take inorganic materials and build structures with specific properties for a given application, such as therapeutics, biodiagnostics, optics, electronics or catalysis. But I see a much more exciting prospect here – In the area of space travel.
    The novel part of the work is that the researchers use DNA to drive the assembly of the crystal. Changing the DNA strand’s sequence of As, Ts, Gs and Cs changes the blueprint, and thus the shape, of the organic-crystalline structure. The two crystals reported in Nature, were both made of gold, and have different properties because the particles are arranged differently.
    I find this report absolutely amazing because many people now know that GOLD is not a lifeless material and that GOLD has been the obsession humans and their gods since the garden of Eden. And since we also know that gold can be virtually an inexhaustible source of energy in its mono-atomic state, we could be on the verge of creating an indestructible, biological craft that can travel through space for ever, because of the material from which it is constructed… nano-particles of gold.
    It took scientists decades of work to learn how to synthesize DNA. “Now we’ve learned how to use the synthesized form outside the body to arrange lifeless matter into things that are useful. We are now closer to the dream of learning, as nano-scientists, how to break everything down into fundamental building blocks, which for us are nano-particles, and reassembling them into whatever structure we want that gives us the properties needed for certain applications,” said Mirkin. 
    “DNA is the stabilizing force, the glue that holds the structure together. These structures are a new form of matter, that would be difficult, if not impossible, to make any other way” he added.
    Now imagine a spaceship made up of gold nano-particles and DNA – which is basically indestructible, and can travel throughout space forever, as it uses the mono-atomic form of the golden structure, for its source of energy. Very exciting prospect indeed, and I would not be surprised if the black-ops, or secret space bodies behind NASA are not already working on this. 
     
    Keep exploring
    Michael Tellinger
     
    www.slavespecies.com  www.zuluplanet.com  www.adamscalendar.com

    In addition to Mirkin and Schatz, other authors and researchers are Sung Yong Park, a former postdoctoral fellow in Schatz’s lab and now at the University of Rochester (lead author); graduate student Abigail K. R. Lytton-Jean, Northwestern University; Byeongdu Lee, Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory; and Steven Weigand, Northwestern’s DND-CAT Synchrotron Research Center at Argonne’s Advanced Photon Source.

  • 5 Easy Steps On HOW-TO Send Your Website A SURGE Of Amazon’s Traffic For FREE!

    What I’m about to reveal to you in this article will literally change the way you look at ‘Amazon’ forever.

    As you know, Amazon is a buyers market place and is a VERY powerful search engine for products of all sorts, especially Books.

    Now, you’re probably saying to yourself, “yeah, I already know that about Amazon, but how do I get my share of Amazon’s traffic?”.

    Well, I’m going to answer that question in just a few moments, but first, here’s just some of the benefits you’ll receive once you’ve ‘Set-Up’ what I’m about to show you:

    – you’ll position yourself as an Expert within your Niche

    – you’ll receive Highly Targeted traffic to your website

    – you’ll be able to build a HIGHLY targeted ‘Opt-In’ list

    Those are some pretty Powerful benefits wouldn’t you say?

    And who would of ever guessed that Amazon could deliver this to you.

    I only recently learned of this tactic myself from a Very well known Internet marketer who was kind enough to share it with me.

    So now, I’m going to do the same for you.

    Are you ready to see what Amazon can do for your Business and Credibility?

    Enough said, lets get started.

    Step #1. Set up a account with Amazon.

    This is the easiest part of the whole task. Simply go to http://www.amazon.com and set up an account for yourself.

    This should only take a few minutes and is very straight forward.

    Once you’ve set up your account you should have been given a password in order to login to your account.

    step #2. If you’re not logged in already, login now.

    From within the members area there should be a row of tabs at the top of the members area, click on the one that says “Your Profile. This will take you to a different area with a different sub-menu.

    Step #3. Fill in your details as requested and be sure that you include your Domain Name, which will be seen on your profile page, so if someone wishes to find out more about you they can either ‘Copy and Paste or Type’ your domain into their browser. This will bring them to your website where they can either ‘Subscribe’ to a newsletter, free offer, or read  sale copy which will then get them to Opt-In and build your valuable list.

    Click on the tab in the sub-menu that says “About Me”.

    Step #4. Setting up the ‘About Me’ section.

    This is probably the single most important part of this whole process because this is where your potential customer will read about who you are and what you and your business is all about, so do take this seriously.

    You have about 4,000 characters of space to write up a description about who you are and what your business is about, so its up to you on how long you want your description to be.

    This is where the ‘List Building’ starts to take place from the traffic sent through Amazon, when they are interested enough to use your domain that they will see on your profile page.

    We’ve already established that Amazon is a High Traffic website and I’m now going to show you how to direct Amazon’s traffic to YOUR website.

    Step #5. Directing Amazon’s traffic to your website.

    This is where the fun starts. And once you see How its done you’ll probably kick yourself  like I did when I was shown How-To do this.

    What we need to do now is a little exercise so you’ll see for yourself how you’ll tap into Amazon’s traffic.

    We know that Amazon is best known for Books, so click on the ‘Books’ tab within Amazon’s members area. This will take you to a different page.

    In the upper left corner you’ll see a ‘Search Books’ search box.

    Now, for the purpose of this exercise, just so that we’re on the same page, lets use ‘internet marketing’ as the search term.

    So, go ahead and type that in and press GO!.

    You should now see listings on books related to ‘internet marketing’.

    Scroll down and select the  link of a book that catches your interest. This will bring you to its Product Description page.

    Within this Product Description page you’ll find Product Details, Editorial Reviews and most important of all – All Customer Reviews.

    Notice I said “and most important of all – All Customer Reviews”.

    Thats right, all you need to do is ‘Write Reviews’ on books within your particular Niche and when potential customers are reviewing the book you wrote the review on and they scroll down and happen to read your review and click on Your Name to see what you’re all about, guess what they’ll see?

    They’ll see your profile with your Name,  eMail Address, your ‘About Me’ description and most importantly – your Domain Name, which can easily be typed into their browser.

    There you have it, “5 Easy Steps On HOW-TO Send Your Website A SURGE Of Amazon’s Traffic For FREE!”

    I truly hope you see the benefits of writing reviews and how it will make you look in the eyes of your potential customer.

    This is a great tactic to use if you’re looking to establish yourself as an Expert within your Niche and at the same time, build a HIGHLY targeted ‘Opt-In’ list that you can market to for years to come.

  • Backing Up Outlook Express And Other Files

    Has your computer ever crashed on you? I don’t mean the normal everyday, I am a Microsoft Product so I must shutdown crashes, I mean really crashed where you cannot boot back up. Where your hard drive just quit working or some other major problem made you lose all of your data.

    It’s like losing your wallet. Losing your money isn’t so bad, but all that time getting new ID, credit cards, and other important papers is aggravating. On your computer there is a lot of data we take for granted every day.

    Documents we have created, music we have downloaded, pictures we have saved, and so much more. Most people know its wise to back up those items onto a CD-ROM or onto storage space somewhere on the web, but what are some of the other things you should be backing up?

    Do you allow cookies to be stored on your computer to remember your login information for websites that you visit a lot? Then you also need to find the cookies folder on your computer and back that up as well. In Windows 98 its in C:\windows\cookies. In Windows XP, its in C:\documents and settings\username\cookies.

    Do you know all of your passwords by heart? Do you use a program to manage passwords? If you use a program, find it, probably in program files, and back up the files inside that folder that related to your saved password files. If you ever have to reinstall that program you can re-add those files into the new folder and have all of your old password files.

    If you do not use a program, you need to have a system of recovering those passwords if your computer ever quits on you. If you do not have one, create one and add all of your new passwords you create to it. Don’t put it in your wallet.

    Hit F3 on your computer and select search for files on C Drive. Type in (*).PWL(*) without the parenthesis. It’s the asterisk dot pwl asterisk with no spaces. Hit search and windows will find all of the password files for you. To find them manually, check C:\windows. Back up those files if you want your computer logins to remain the same.

    What about your email? Not just the saved email, but the entire folder structure you spent time creating, your address book, and your account information with all of the right settings to send and receive email. You will want to back these up whenever you do all of your other backups.

    First, how to backup all of the email and folder structure in Outlook Express. Open Outlook Express. Go to tools, options, maintenance. There will be a button there that says store folder. Click on that. Highlight the entire path that comes up in the little text box. Now hit cancel and cancel to close all popups.

    Click on start in your task bar. Go to run. Paste the path you just copied into the text box and hit enter. A folder will open. Go to edit, select all, then go to edit again and select copy. Now close that folder. Right click on your computer desktop, select new, folder.Rename that folder mailbackup. Open that folder. Go to edit, paste.

    Leave that folder open so you can backup your mail account settings and information. Now go back to Outlook Express. Go to tools, accounts, mail. You will do the following for each mail account you have. Highlight one account, Click Export. Browse to where the mailbackup file is on your desktop and export it into there. Once you do that with each account, you can cancel out of the open dialog boxes.

    Now, for your address book. Go to Outlook Express one more time. Go to export. Choose address book. Choose text file. Browse again to the mailbackup folder and export it to there.

    Now using winzip or other file compression utility, you can zip the mailbackup folder up and back it up to CD-ROM or to an online storage place. Make a schedule of backing these things I have included in the article. Consider it insurance against a hard drive crash. Believe me, if you use the web a lot, you would almost rather lose your wallet than lose all of your computer data.

    You can download a FREE compression utility HERE http://www.7-zip.org/

    ENJOY

  • Dr. Bruce Lipton Talks About Changing Our Cells By Thought

    Dr. Bruce Lipton talks about Changing Our Cells by Thought

    A renaissance in Cell Biology now provides the cutting edge science – real science – to prove how holistic health therapies work.

    Cick Here For More Information On Bruce Liptons Work

  • Speech Delivered By Dr Christo Wiese To The Members Of The Adele Searll Mount Nelson 100 Club

    Another positive outlook on Africa, which despite the various serious problems we have with corruption, crime etc. clearly shows we are moving in the right direction.

    It’s just that we are still in “wild west’”  mode as such, or as I see it, we live in an exciting, real live Wilbur Smith novel. We live with history in the making. Well, I guess  everybody anywhere does, but ours is certainly one of the more exciting journeys, violent crime apart.

    Enjoy the energy/adrenelin trip. VIVA!!  or whatever turns you on.

    SPEECH DELIVERED BY DR CHRISTO WIESE TO THE MEMBERS OF THE ADELE SEARLL MOUNT NELSON  100 CLUB.       FRIDAY,  7 MAY 2010

    A few years ago I read a very interesting book,  by a Lebanese writer,   one Taleb,  titled The Black Swan.    By now,  I am sure,  we’ve all heard the story of the “once enigmatic” Black Swan  –  but what was the lesson of this story?     Simply,  that  when confronted with incomplete data one often  draws incorrect conclusions,  and therefore –  people often think they know more than they actually do know.     Perhaps one should  pay more heed to what Donald  Rumsfeld,  former US Secretary of Defence said on occasion:

    “There are known knowns.      These are the things we know that we know.   There are known unknowns.  That is to say,  there are things that we know we don’t know.   But these are also unknown unknowns.  There are things we don’t know we don’t know.”

    Being ignorant when it comes to the unknown unknowns is understandable,   but what constantly amazes,  in respect of our continent and our country, is how little many people know of what are or should be, the known knowns.

    Non-Africans, and I suspect even some South Africans,  often fail to grasp that Africa is not a country,  but a continent.    And a very large continent at that;  the land mass of Africa is larger than the combined land mass of China,  India,  the US and Europe.

    This  vast continent with its more than 800 million people is made up of 53 diverse countries whose inhabitants speak more than 2000 languages.  And to mention only a second aspect of Africa’s diversity,   per capita GDP in 2009 for example was 51 times higher in Equatorial Guinea than in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Another common mis-apprehension is that South Africa is a non-African country meaning unsuccessful.

    How does one define a successful country ?

    Would you agree that a country with the following score-card can rightly be defined as successful.   Let us call the country X.

    1.   X has the world’s 26th largest population and 29th largest economy.

    1. X’s per capita GDP, corrected for purchasing power parity,  positions the country as one of the 50 wealthiest in the world
    2. X’s currency is the 2nd best  performing emerging market currency of the 26 monitored by Bloomberg.
    3. The IMF’s World Economic Outlook ranks X in the top 10% of countries in respect of real GDP growth projections for 2010.
    4. X was ranked as the 18th most attractive destination for foreign direct investment by Global Strategic Management Consulting Firm AT Kearney.
    5. In the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Survey of Democratic Freedom, X ranks 31st of 184 countries.
    6. X has sold $1.8bn worth of cars to the US last year,   putting it ahead of Sweden and Italy as supplier to the US auto market.
    7. X,  according to the Open Budget Index,   ranks 2nd worldwide in terms of the transparency surrounding its budgets,    just behind the UK,  it ties with France, and is ahead of New Zealand and the US.
    8. X is ranked 30th  out of 178 countries for ease of doing business ahead of Spain,  Brazil and India according to a joint publication of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation.
    9. X’s media ranks 26th out of 167 countries in the Worldwide    Press Freedom Index 2007,  higher than any country in Asia,  the Middle East or South America,  and ahead of Spain, Italy and the US.
    10. Tax revenue in X has increased by 220%,  over the past 10  years.

    By now, I am sure,  most of you have guessed that the mystery country  of course is South Africa.   Or rather South Africa as we have just analysed  it,  by focusing on the positive aspects.    Of course there is another side to the coin.   Our unacceptably high levels of crime and low level of policing efficiency.   Our inability to achieve the desired output for our vast expenditure on education bearing in mind that – 25% of our non-interest budget expenditure goes to education.    Also the ever present fear of corruption and maladministration, etc.,  etc.   I am sure everyone has his or her own little list.

    I would submit,  however,  that the positive aspects,  that I have briefly referred to (and there are many more) at least prove that contrary to the way pessimists perceive South Africa there are definitely two sides to the South African coin.

    The challenge for every South African appears to be which side of the coin do you wish to focus on  for example when you drive to Cape Town International Airport  –  which is the lasting impression on your mind –   the unsightly (albeit diminishing) shack lands – or the glittering new Airport precinct.    Cape Town International Airport is regularly judged to be one of the best (mid size)  airports in the world.

    But as  pointed out earlier,   South Africa is unquestionably part of Africa.   So we should also look at Africa.

    Firstly,  how is Africa  faring politically.   Fortunately we now have a very handy yardstick with which to measure African Governance.   That is the Mo Ibraham Index established by the like-named Sudanese billionaire and compiled by a team from The Harvard Kennedy School of Government.      The criteria used to compile the index are:  economic stability,  corruption,   security,  rights,  loans,  elections,  infrastructure,  poverty and health.

    The 2008 Mo Ibrahim Index stated that 31 of 48 sub-Saharan nations recorded higher scores than in the previous year’s survey.

    What this index reflects is the reality   –  that  in Africa today the political generation of the Bwana Mkubas (Big Men) is  showing signs of passing – prompting some to speak of Africa’s Second Liberation.

    Those with a clear understanding of modern Africa believe that it is the growing democratization of Africa that allows the warm water of the market to spread within its states – a trend that in turn reinforces the spread of greater democracy.     Economic and Political freedom will  continue to lead as it has already done,   to economic opportunities,   social upliftment and a new place for Africa on the World Stage.

    What are the reasons for Africa’s  democratization?   I would like to mention only four:

    One powerful reason for this welcome change is demographic.  The post 1960’s African population boom means that the continent’s electorate is on average young.   Never having lived under colonialism they are far more likely to hold their politicians responsible for the challenges facing their countries.   Blaming colonialism is increasingly seen for what it is, namely an excuse for bad governance.

    Another reason for the greater democratization is the bigger role played by women in African politics.   In Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia the continent has at last elected its first female president, one with an open style and a technocratic bias. 

    Previously chauvinist parliaments across the continent are seeing the number of women MP’s increasing.    In Rwanda,  a recent African success story,  the ratio is now 56%.   In South Africa it is 33% with females constituting 40% of our Cabinet.

    Further support for the Second Liberation has come from Africa’s increasingly vociferous fourth estate.   In an ever growing list of countries the Media has become the guard dog that barks and that no longer readily responds to being told to shut up. 

    The justice system in a given African country may not yet always be able to bring its former leaders to book.    However Frederic Chiluba in Zambia and Bakili Muluzi in Malawi are welcome exceptions.   In addition,  external institutions,  supported by African Nations are being established to fulfill this role.   Charles Taylor of Liberia is having his day in court in The Hague and the International Criminal Court has even issued an arrest warrant for the sitting President of Sudan,  Omar Bashir.

    Just as Africa’s condition and future development will have a massive impact on South Africa,  so will developments worldwide impact on Africa. So what  will the New World look like that South Africa will likely inhabit in 2020?

    China with a population of 1.5bn by then will be close to overtaking the US as the world’s largest economy.    India (2020 population of 1.3 bn) will be a top 5 economy and Indonesia  will be emerging as an Asian Brazil,  resource-rich and with a population of 275 million.

    Commodity-rich countries from the “New World” – Africa,  the Middle East,  Russia, Indonesia,  and South America will be prospering, because of Asian demand  for their products.   Most of the “Old World” – the US,  Europe and Japan plus their adjacent,  dependant regions such as Mexico and Eastern Europe will be stuck in a low growth economic rut.   Indeed the coming decade may well be the  West’s Japanese-style “lost decade”.   The reason being that the demographic consequences of the ageing of the Old World – coupled to the fact that the US,  UK & Europe – 15% of the world’s population – currently consume 70% of the world’s  mobile savings –   this means that in the West there will be higher interest rates,  a higher cost of capital and consequently lower economic growth.

    Overall South Africa will live in a more globalised,  intensively competitive world economy that will be increasingly focused on an urbanizing, industrialising Asia.  The region which by 2020 will also dominate the growth in global consumption,  driven especially by the exploding middle classes of China and India.

    By 2020 it is projected that South Africa will have a population in excess of 53 million of which 30 million will be under the age of 25.    Forced by intensive competition from Asia on South Africa’s  remaining industrial base our economy will have to refocus on its core,  defensible,  competitive advantages :  mining,  agriculture and tourism.    Sectors that are doubly blessed in that they are all labour-intensive  and export orientated.

    South Africa’s trade focus will by then have diversified significantly from the West.     Asia will have become by far our most important trading partner  –  China most obviously but with English-speaking India a strong number two.   Indeed the Indian Ocean Basin – from South Africa in the West to Australia in the East will have become a very prosperous trading basin.

    South Africa’s economic status will be secured by its natural-resource based development with targeted value-added propositions added on to this foundation further enhanced by the development of tourism  –  a “magic” industry in that it is an export-earning service sector capable of absorbing large numbers of lower skilled workers  –  especially in rural areas.

    But then optimise these opportunities we South Africans will have to learn to think out of the box socially,  politically and economically  –  designing policies that are made for South Africa and that are good for South Africa.

    Events over the last two years have illustrated that the capitalist way is not only to be found in the West.   We must and I believe we will develop a 2020 vision for South Africa that is much more globally relevant than to-day in the Asia-centred,  commodity-hungry world we will live in by 2020. 

    Sceptics of course will have grave reservations as to our ability to develop and implement such a vision.   The answer to such sceptics (perhaps the same people who were hoarding bully-beef and candles in the run-up to the 1994 election) is to point to the many successes we have achieved as a country  –  in 1994 and in the sixteen years since.

    As Roelf Meyer recently wrote in Die Burger.    In taking stock we should compare ourselves with comparable countries in the rest of the world.  We should not compare ourselves to the developed or Western World,  because we were never part of that world.   We should compare ourselves with developing countries and  also countries that recently emerged from internal conflict.   In the latter group we are a shining star and within the international community South Africa is still hailed as a beacon of successful conflict resolution.

    Roelf refers to a 2009 issue of the Economist in which comparisons are drawn between 180 countries and specifically the 65 best economies in the world.         

    According to the survey:    South Africa has the 25th largest purchasing power,  is the 39th largest exporter,   is the 25th largest manufacturer of goods and the 28th largest supplier of services.  On the competitiveness Index we rank no 45.   Not great,  but it looks a lot better when one notes that Brazil, considered one of the leaders of the developing world and with a much larger population ranks 43.

    But these are the achievements of yesterday and today.   And we have to get from 2010 to the 2020 Vision.    Other countries or societies will not do it for us.   The Government on its own cannot do it.

    Inter alia, because as Henry Kissinger once said:  

    “No policy  –  no matter how ingenious  –  has any chance of succeeding if it is born in the minds of a few and carried in the hearts of none” and Ronald Regan said: “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government and I am here to help”.

    Every South African who has the best interests of this country at heart,  will need to do his or her bit.    As general pointers I would like to leave you with a few suggestions:

    “Make a positive difference, no matter how small, inter alia, by developing a positive mind set : Perhaps along the lines of what George Bernard Shaw said “You see thing and you say “WHY?, but I dream things that never were and I say “WHY NOT?”

    1.                  Harness the power of community

    2.                  Engage in constructive participation

    3.                  Do not be overwhelmed by all that is still unacceptable or sub-standard.   Look around at the great things that are happening  –    Soccer World Cup.

    We should not only see the positive  – but embrace it and contribute to it.    Surely then,  but only then will exponential benefits flow to all of us who share this beautiful country.

    CLICK HERE FOR “THE BLACK SWAN” BY NASSIM NICHOLAS TALEB

  • SixPack Abs – Rock-Hard Body Exercise

    Get a rock-hard body from head to toe, and ripped sixpack abs with this exercise!

    by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

    The Front Squat (a surprising exercise not only for legs, but also rock hard body and ripped sixpack abs!) 

    As you may have already discovered, the squat is at the top of the heap (along with deadlifts) as one of the most effective overall exercises for stimulating body composition changes (muscle gain and fat loss).  This is because exercises like squats and deadlifts use more muscle groups under a heavy load than almost any other weight bearing exercises known to man.  Squats and deadlifts use hundreds of muscles throughout your entire body to move the load and also to stabilize your body while doing the drill. 

    Hence, these exercises stimulate the greatest hormonal responses (growth hormone, testosterone, etc.) of all exercises.  

    In fact, university research studies have even proven that inclusion of squats into a training program increases upper body development, in addition to lower body development, even though upper body specific joint movements are not performed during the squat. Whether your goal is gaining muscle mass, losing body fat, building a strong and functional body, or improving athletic performance, the basic squat and deadlift (and their variations) are the ultimate solution.  

    If you don’t believe me that squats and deadlifts are THE basis for a lean and powerful body, then go ahead and join all of the other overweight people pumping away mindlessly for hours on boring cardio equipment.  

    Squats can be done with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, or even just body weight. Squats should only be done with free weights – NEVER with a Smith machine! My program, The Truth About Six Pack Abs contains the full story on why machines are so inferior and even potentially DANGEROUS compared to free weights. 

    The type of squat that people are most familiar with is the barbell back squat where the bar is resting on the trapezius muscles of the upper back.  Many professional strength coaches believe that front squats (where the bar rests on the shoulders in front of the head) and overhead squats (where the bar is locked out in a snatch grip overhead throughout the squat) are more functional to athletic performance than back squats with less risk of lower back injury.  

    I feel that a combination of all three (not necessarily during the same phase of your workouts) will yield the best results for overall muscular development, body fat loss, and athletic performance.  Front squats are moderately more difficult than back squats, while overhead squats are considerably more difficult than either back squats or front squats. I’ll cover overhead squats in a future newsletter issue. 

    If you are only accustomed to performing back squats, it will take you a few sessions to become comfortable with front squats, so start out light. After a couple sessions of practice, you will start to feel the groove and be able to increase the poundage. 

    To perform front squats: 

    The front squat recruits the abdominals to a much higher degree for stability due to the more upright position compared with back squats. It is mostly a lower body exercise, but is great for functionally incorporating core strength and stability into the squatting movement. If you’re doing front squats right, you’ll feel a hard contraction in your abs during these. 

    It can also be slightly difficult to learn how to properly rest the bar on your shoulders. There are two ways to rest the bar on the front of the shoulders. 

    In the first method, you step under the bar and cross your forearms into an “X” position while resting the bar on the dimple that is created by the shoulder muscle near the bone, keeping your elbows up high so that your arms are parallel to the ground. You then hold the bar in place by pressing the thumb side of your fists against the bar for support.  

    Alternatively, you can hold the bar by placing your palms face up and the bar resting on your fingers against your shoulders. For both methods, your elbows must stay up high to prevent the weight from falling. Your upper arms should stay parallel to the ground throughout the squat. Find out which bar support method is more comfortable for you. 

    Then, initiate the squat from your hips by sitting back and down keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then press back up to the starting position. Keeping your weight more towards your heels is the key factor in squatting to protect your knees from injury and develop strong injury resistant knee joints. 

    Keep in mind – squats done correctly actually strengthen the knees; squats done incorrectly can damage the knees. Practice first with an un-weighted bar or a relatively light weight to learn the movement.  Most people are surprised how hard this exercise works your abs once you learn the correct form. 

    For complete descriptions of over 50 of the most effective full body exercises for stripping away body fat while developing a rock-hard body and great sixpack abs, download my world-famous program  –  The Truth About Six Pack Abs  (used by over 263,000 readers in 154 countries currently).

    Click Here!

     

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