Binkis Weblog

It’s crazy how people become prisoners of life surrounded by invisible wall. Travel when you get a chance people. The world is bigger than that block, chick or dude and job you tripping about on the daily

In Namibia, there is a desert where the sands sing and ships go to die. Called “The Land God Made in Anger”

by the Namibian bushmen, the Skeleton Coast is one of the most arid places on Earth, seeing less than half an inch of rain a year. The region is named for the whalebones that littered the shore in the whaling era, but still applies to the thousand-plus shipwrecks that litter the shore, foundered in fog and heavy surf. Still, its looming ochre dunes are among the most picturesque in the world, trod only by oryx, desert elephants and a few hardy travelers. read

How much can vitamins and supplements help your skin?

By Stephanie Watson

WebMD Feature Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD

Age takes its toll on our skin, just as it does on other parts of our bodies. Exposure to sunlight and oxygen throughout the years produces unstable molecules called free radicals, which cause inflammation, damage skin cells, and can ultimately increase the risk of developing skin cancer.

While no magic pill can make you look 20 years younger, you can help your skin look as young as possible in a variety of ways. You probably already know the three surest ways to ensure youthful skin: protect your skin from the sun, don’t smoke, and eat a healthy diet.

Vitamins and Antioxidants for Skin
In addition to lifestyle changes, a variety of vitamins and antioxidants may also improve the health and quality of your skin. While some vitamin and antioxidant treatments work from the outside in, others work from the inside out, targeting the harmful effects of sun damage and free radicals under the skin’s surface.

Eileen Ross started taking antioxidants to improve her health but shifted the focus to her skin when she started reading up on their benefits. “I developed a cocktail of vitamins and supplements so that I got the ones that were most beneficial for me,” says the 46-year-old preschool director from Smyrna, Ga.

After she started taking her “cocktail,” which includes vitamins E, C, B-12, and selenium, Ross noticed that she was getting more comments on her skin. “I’ve heard that my skin is flawless or it looks very beautiful, very smooth,” she says.

Research is finding that some vitamins and antioxidants can reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, improve the look of the skin, and protect against further sun damage. Here are a few of the most effective vitamins and antioxidants for the skin:

Vitamins C and E, and Selenium for Your Skin
Research has found that vitamins C and E, as well as selenium, can help protect the skin against sun damage and skin cancer and can actually reverse some of the discoloration and wrinkles associated with aging and sun exposure. These antioxidants work by speeding up the skin’s natural repair systems and by directly inhibiting further damage, says Karen E. Burke, MD, PhD, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s department of dermatology.

Although you can find these nutrients in skin creams, the challenge with applying vitamins E and C to the skin is that the concentration in most creams tends to be low, and they can lose their effectiveness when exposed to air and light.

Burke recommends taking supplements containing 1,000 to 3,000 milligrams of vitamin C, 400 international units of vitamin E (in the D-alpha-tocopherol form), and 100-200 micrograms of selenium (l-selenomethionine) to gain the most benefit. (Don’t give selenium to children until they have all of their adult teeth because it can interfere with the proper formation of tooth enamel).

If you do use a topical form of these antioxidants, the most potent products contain 15% to 20% of vitamin C (non-esterified), 2% to 5% of vitamin E (D-alpha-tocopherol), and .02% to .05% selenium (l-selenomethionine).

Coenzyme Q10 for Your Skin
Coenzyme Q10 is a natural antioxidant in the body that helps the cells grow and protects them from the ravages of cancer. A drop in natural levels of coenzyme Q10 that occurs in our later years is thought to contribute to the skin aging process. A study published in the journal Biofactors found that applying coenzyme Q10 to the skin helped minimize the appearance of wrinkles. Most studies conducted so far have used a 0.3% concentration of coenzyme Q10.

Retinoic Acid for Your Skin
Retinoic acid is the active form of vitamin A in the skin, and the “gold standard” in anti-aging skin care, according to Burke. Topical retinoic acid (brand names Retin-A and Renova) treats fine wrinkles, age spots, and rough skin caused by sun exposure. In a study conducted at the Skin Research Institute in Korea and published in the Journal of Dermatological Science, researchers found that treatment with retinoic acid restored the elastic fibers that keep skin taut, and reduced the appearance of wrinkles.

Retinoic acid comes in gel and cream forms, which are typically used once a day. Although dermatologists used to believe that retinoic acid made the skin more sensitive to the sun, now they know that it actually protects against further sun damage. Retinoic acid can cause side effects, however, such as redness and peeling, if you apply it in too high of a concentration and too often. Burke recommends starting with a low concentration (retinoic acid products range from 0.01% in gels to 0.1% in creams) and applying it once every second or third night to reverse photo-damage more slowly.

Flavonoids (Green Tea and Soy) for Your Skin
Green tea, soy, and yes, even chocolate, just might help improve your skin. Research suggests that the flavonoids in green tea might protect the skin from cancer and inflammation. A German study in the Journal of Nutrition found that women who drank hot cocoa with a high flavonoid concentration for three months had softer, smoother skin than women who drank hot cocoa with a lower flavonoid concentration.

Another study, this one in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, found that women whose skin was treated with green tea extract were more protected against the adverse effects of sunlight exposure. Although the results look promising so far, more research is needed to prove that flavonoids work and to determine the best dose, according to Burke.

B Vitamins for Your Skin
The B vitamins are essential for cells throughout the body, including skin cells. It’s important to get enough of foods rich in B vitamins, such as chicken, eggs, and fortified grain products, because a B vitamin deficiency can lead to dry, itchy skin.

Research is showing that some B vitamins are beneficial when applied to the skin.

For example, in one study of hairless mice, researchers in Kawasaki, Japan, found topical application of an antioxidant derived from vitamin B-6 protected against sun-induced skin damage and decreased wrinkles.

Evaluating the Claims on Vitamins for Skin Care
Companies often claim that their products can give you miraculous results, but don’t believe all the hype. Although nutritional supplements and cosmeceuticals (products that combine cosmetics and pharmaceutical ingredients) are tested for safety, their benefits aren’t necessarily confirmed in studies.

Even though a product may claim to contain useful antioxidants such as vitamins C or E, it’s often difficult to know exactly how much of these vitamins and antioxidants are in the bottle. Vitamins and antioxidants need to be in strong enough concentrations, and in the correct forms, to remain stable and to be effective. If you are thinking about using a vitamin or antioxidant for your skin, it’s best to ask your dermatologist for advice before buying it.

Lifestyle Solutions for Beauty and Skin Care
Don’t forget: Practicing healthy lifestyle habits is the most important step you can take to protect youthful skin.

“Staying out of the sun and wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen have been shown to reduce photo-aging and to have anticancer effects,” says Robin Ashinoff, MD, director of cosmetic dermatology and Mohs surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey.

Choose a sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 25 (30 or more in the summer), and one that protects against both ultraviolet A and B rays. Reapply the sunscreen at least every 90 minutes. Stay in the shade or indoors when the sun is at its strongest (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), and avoid tanning beds. When you do go outside, wear sun-protective clothing and a hat with a wide brim all the way around. As part of your skin care regimen, use only moisturizers with an SPF of 15 or more to keep your skin hydrated and protected.

Diet is another potent way of practicing good skin care. Skin nutrition includes a diet low in saturated fat and rich in fruits and vegetables, which not only will help keep you healthier on the inside, but also may protect your skin from cancer. Healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, help produce the skin’s natural oil barrier, critical in keeping skin hydrated, plumper, and younger looking.Load up on foods high in omega-3s and vitamins and antioxidants for the skin, including:

Selenium — Brazil nuts, turkey, cod
Vitamin B-2 — Milk, enriched grain products, eggs
Vitamin B-6 — Chicken, fish, nuts
Vitamin B-12 — Clams, liver, trout, fortified cereals
Vitamin C — Citrus fruits, red peppers, broccoli
Vitamin E — Sunflower oil, whole grains, nuts
Omega-3s — Salmon, flaxseed, safflower oil, walnuts
Lifestyle Solutions for Beauty and Skin Care continued…
Get the vitamin D you need to protect your bones from dairy foods and supplements, rather than from spending hours sun worshipping. Adults 19 to 50 years need 200 international units (IU) of vitamin D daily; adults 51 to 70 need 400 IU/day and after age 70, adults needs 600 IU/day.

Finally, ditch the cigarettes. Smoking not only leads to wrinkles on your face, but research in the Archives of Dermatology finds that it also can lead to skin damage in areas (such as under the arm) that haven’t even been exposed to the sun.

DAMN Natalie Cole! I’m sorry baby!

Natalie Cole has Hep.C, likely from past drug use!

LOS ANGELES — Grammy-winning singer Natalie Cole has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C and probably contracted the liver disease from drug use more than 30 years ago, according to her publicist.

“The virus, found during a routine examination, is likely the result of her drug use many decades ago,” her publicist Lellie Capwell said in a statement released on Wednesday.

Cole, 58, the daughter of legendary singer Nat King Cole, is responding well to treatment but is suffering what doctors called “significant side effects” including fatigue, muscle aches and dehydration.

The singer, whose father died of lung cancer when she was 15, documented her addiction to cocaine, heroin and alcohol in her 2000 autobiography “Angel On My Shoulder.” She overcame her addiction after a lengthy stay in rehab in the early 1980s.

“I’ve been so fortunate to have learned so much from my past experiences,” Cole said in the statement.

“I am embraced by the love and support of my family and friends; I am committed to my belief in myself and in my abiding faith to meet this challenge with a heartfelt optimism and determination. This is how I intend to deal with this current challenge in my life,” she said.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease that is often without symptoms and can cause inflammation of the liver, and in extreme case, liver cancer. It is usually contracted through transfusions of unscreened blood, or by injecting or inhaling drugs.

Dr Graham Woolf, associate clinical professor of medicine at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, said: “Natalie has had a terrific response to her medication and is now virus negative.

“This gives her an increased chance of cure. But, she has also suffered significant side effects from the anti-viral medicine.”

Fans of Cole’s flooded her Web site (www.nataliecole.com) with messages of support and appealed to the singer to speak out on behalf of other Hepatitis C sufferers. “We do need your voice because Hep C is a silent killer. It eventually affects other parts of the body. God speed to you and your family,” wrote vmitch12.

Natalie Cole has won eight Grammys in a 30-year career singing jazz, pop and R&B and releasing hit albums such as “Everlasting” and “Unforgettable…With Love” which featured her singing a duet with her late father via electronic technology.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte, Leslie Gevirtz)

(c) Reuters 2008. All rights reserved.

Peep this Propaganda!!

Fox: Jackson used N-word in crude off-air remarks

CHICAGO — The Rev. Jesse Jackson used the N-word during a break in a TV interview where he criticized presidential candidate Barack Obama, Fox News confirmed Wednesday.

The longtime civil rights leader already came under fire this month for crude off-air comments he made against Obama in what he thought was a private conversation during a taping of a “Fox & Friends” news show.

In additional comments from that same conversation, first reported by TVNewser, Jackson is reported to have said Obama was “talking down to black people,” and referred to blacks with the N-word when he said Obama was telling them “how to behave.”

Though a Fox spokesman confirmed the TVNewer’s account to The Associated Press, the network declined to release the full transcript of the July 6 show and did not air the comments.

Jackson — who is traveling in Spain — apologized in a statement Wednesday for “hurtful words” but didn’t offer specifics.

“I am deeply saddened and distressed by the pain and sorrow that I have caused as a result of my hurtful words. I apologize again to Senator Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, their children as well as to the American public,” Jackson said in a written statement. “There really is no justification for my comments and I hope that the Obama family and the American public will forgive me. I also pray that we, as a nation, can move on to address the real issues that affect the American people.”

A spokeswoman for Jackson’s civil rights organization, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, said she could not confirm that Jackson used the slur.

Jackson has called on the entertainment industry, including rappers, actors and studios, to stop using the N-Word. He also urged the public to boycott purchasing DVD copies of the TV sitcom “Seinfeld” after co-star Michael Richards was taped using the word during a rant at a Los Angeles comedy club in 2006.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has joined Jackson in opposition of the word, said Wednesday he wanted to hear the comments for himself and declined to discuss Jackson specifically.

“I am against the use of the N-word by anyone and I think we must be consistent,” he told The Associated Press. “We must not use the word.”

NIGGER!

Is this word that much feared as we think it is? Yes it is!! Sometimes it depends on the intent though. I would definitely take offense in most situations but when it comes to Nas’s album title… I’m all for it. Matter of fact I heard the joint or most of the songs and it’s bangin!!! A lot of people took offense based off of the title alone without even hearing the songs. That’s ignorant!!! HAAA! Well I’ll say this, it takes a lot to recognize the underline message in things because we base most things on face value. I’m learning to open up about some stuff but don’t expect me to accept everything. And don’t try to use these words against me either! HAAA! For instence, how do these jokes make you feel?

Why did god give niggers rhythm?
Because he fucked up their hair, nose and lips.

Why are so many niggers moving to Detroit?
They heard there were no jobs there.

Why can’t nigger women become nuns?
Because they can’t get used to saying ’superior’ after ‘Mother’.

How do you fit 15 niggers in the back of a Cadillac?
Don’t worry, they’ll figure it out.

What’s yellow and black and makes you laugh ?
A bus full of niggers going over a cliff.

How do you stop a nigger from drowning?
You don’t.

Whats blue and hangs in my front yard?
My nigger I can paint him whatever color I want.

(from:Tightrope.cc)

I don’t like this shit although some were funny! BLAMMMMM!

Peep this:

Japan bureau rules that man died of overwork at 45

TOKYO — A Japanese labor bureau has ruled that one of Toyota Motor Corp.’s top car engineers died from working too many hours, the latest decision against overwork in Japan, where stoic acceptance of extended overtime has long been the norm.

The man who died was aged 45 and had been under severe pressure as the lead engineer in developing a hybrid version of Toyota’s blockbuster Camry line, said Mikio Mizuno, the lawyer representing his wife. His identity is being withheld at the request of his family, who continue to live in Toyota City where the company is based.

In the two months up to his death, he averaged more than 80 hours of overtime per month, the criteria for overwork, according to Mizuno.

He regularly worked nights and weekends, was frequently sent abroad and was grappling with shipping a model for the influential North American International Auto Show in Detroit when he died of ischemic heart disease in January 2006. His daughter found his body at their home the day before he was to leave for the United States.

The ruling was handed down June 30 and will allow his family to collect benefits from his work insurance, Mizuno said.

An officer at the Aichi Labor Bureau on Wednesday confirmed the ruling, but declined to comment on the record.

In a statement, Toyota offered its condolences and said it would work to improve monitoring of the health of its workers.

The ruling is the most recent in a string of decisions against long working hours in Japan, which is struggling to cut down on deaths from overworking, known as “karoshi.” Such deaths have steadily increased since the Health Ministry first recognized the phenomenon in 1987.

Last year, a court in central Japan ordered the government to pay compensation to Hiroko Uchino, the wife of a Toyota employee who collapsed at work and died at age 30 in 2002. She took the case to court after her application to the local labor bureau for compensation was rejected.

(From Associated Press)

Maniac:

ma·ni·ac  (mn-k)

Oh. I use to love this shit when I was little. Don’t laugh, I know you was feeling it too. Stop frontin. Just enjoy. BLAMMMM!!

Oil drops sharply as Mideast fears subside

NEW YORK – Oil prices dropped sharply Monday, erasing many of the previous week’s record gains in a single session as concerns about conflict in the Middle East appeared to ease.

Light, sweet crude for August delivery fell $3.83, or about 2.6 percent, to $141.46 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, the contract sank as low as $139.50, or $5.79 below Thursday’s settlement price.

After the last few weeks’ run-up, however, analysts were skeptical that the drop signaled the start of a long-term decline. Prices set records in each of the last six sessions.

“We’re just moving into a new and higher trading range” of about $140 to $146 a barrel, said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Ill. “We’ll probably consolidate there for a week or two … then probably push back into new record territory.”

In the U.S., record retail fuel prices edged even higher as Americans made their way home at the end of the long Independence Day weekend, typically one of the busiest driving periods of the year.

A gallon of regular gasoline now costs $4.108, a tenth of a penny more than than the previous day’s high, according to AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express. Diesel is also at a record, of $4.801, up nearly a penny.

Americans are now paying more than $1 billion more for gasoline per day than they did five years ago, according to an OPIS report Monday. In June, the world’s largest oil consumer spent about $47.38 billion on the motor fuel _ nearly three times as much as in 2003.

Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at OPIS, said retail gas costs will likely continue to rise. He predicted oil prices will continue to climb, and that could push prices at the pump up by as much as 25 to 30 cents per gallon more before the end of summer.

“It doesn’t look like there’s anything that’s going to drive (oil) prices down at this point, even reduced demand,” Rozell said. “There’s so much momentum with money going into commodities right now, it’s going to continue to go up.”

Fears that a fresh conflict in the Middle East could cut oil supplies eased over the weekend.

Iranian state media reported Friday that EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran’s top nuclear negotiator have agreed to the latest in a series of talks during the second half of July over Iran’s nuclear program and the enrichment of uranium.

“The Iranian situation turned confrontational last week which raised valid concerns in the oil market (over a possible attack). Now that seems less likely and this is a positive development,” said John Vautrain, an analyst with Purvin & Gertz in Singapore.

The contract hit a trading record of $145.85 on Thursday in New York before settling at a record close of $145.29 a barrel. There was no floor trade Friday in the U.S. because of the July Fourth holiday.

OPEC President Chakib Khelil said surging oil prices aren’t likely to fall amid strong demand, especially from China and India.

Khelil also told an energy conference in Algiers on Sunday the steady increases of late were unrelated to supply and demand, blaming the weak U.S. dollar, oil’s primary currency of exchange. Khelil said he believes the reason the dollar has fallen against other currencies is the string of interest rate reductions over the past year to boost the American economy.

A falling dollar has helped boost oil prices around 50 percent this year as investors often buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the greenback weakens. Also, a struggling dollar makes oil less expensive to investors overseas.

The dollar fell marginally against the euro Monday.

In other Nymex trade, heating oil futures fell by 10.9 cents to $3.997 gallon while gasoline futures dropped 6.92 cents to $3.5018 a gallon. Natural gas futures lost 53.6 cents to fetch $13.041 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, August Brent crude fell $1.62 to $142.80 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

___

Associated Press Writers George Jahn in Vienna, Austria, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

The buck doesn’t stop here; it just keeps falling

By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON – Things in the U.S. sure are tough. Brother, can you spare a euro? Signs saying “We accept euros” are cropping up in the windows of some Manhattan retailers. A Belgium company is trying to gobble up St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, the nation’s largest brewer and iconic Super Bowl advertiser.

The almighty dollar is mighty no more. It has been declining steadily for six years against other major currencies, undercutting its role as the leading international banking currency. The long slide is fanning inflation at home and playing a major role in the run-up of oil and gasoline prices everywhere.

Vacationing Europeans are finding bargains in the U.S., while Americans in Paris and other world capitals are being clobbered by sky-high tabs for hotels, travel and even sidewalk cafes. Northern border-city Americans who once flocked into Canada for shopping deals are staying home; it’s the Canadians flocking here now.

Everything made in America _ from goods to entire companies _ is near dirt cheap to many foreigners. Meanwhile, American consumers, both those who travel and those who stay at home, are seeing big price increases in energy, food and imported goods. The dollar has lost roughly a quarter of its purchasing power against the currencies of major U.S. trading partners from its peak in 2002.

Since oil is bought and sold in dollars worldwide, the devalued dollar has made the recent surge in energy prices even worse for Americans, leading to $4 gasoline in the United States. Analysts suggest that of the $140 a barrel that oil fetches globally, some $25 may be due to the devalued dollar.

Further declines in the dollar will add to oil’s appeal as a commodity to be traded.

Oil, suggests influential energy consultant Daniel Yergin, is “the new gold.”

The limp greenback has had one big benefit to the U.S. economy: Since it makes American goods cheaper overseas, it has helped manufacturers who export and other U.S. based companies with international reach. Exports have been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise darkening U.S. economy.

Franklin Vargo, vice president of international economic affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers, welcomes the dollar slide, as do members of his organization.

“We can see that, when the dollar’s not overpriced, that people around the world want American goods and our exports are going gangbusters now,” he said.

He doesn’t see the dollar as undervalued. He sees it as having being overpriced in the 1990s _ and what’s happened since as something along the lines of a correction.

Still, Vargo acknowledges the dollar’s decline has brought a measure of pain to some consumers. “As the dollar has gone down in value, that has added to the dollar cost of oil. No question. So having the dollar decline is not unambiguously a plus. That’s why we say there’s got to be a balance there somewhere. What we want is a Goldilocks dollar. Not too strong, not too weak. But just right. And only the market can determine that,” Vargo said.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, said expanding exports due to a weak dollar are “an important source of growth, but it doesn’t add a lot to jobs, it doesn’t mean very much for the average American household. For the average American, for the average consumer, these are pretty tough times.”

The loss of the dollar’s purchasing power and international respect has some experts worrying that the euro might one day replace the dollar as the so-called primary reserve currency. And that could trigger a dollar rout as foreign governments and international investors flee from U.S. Treasury bonds and other dollar-denominated investments.

Making matters worse: The gaping U.S. current-account deficit _ the amount by which the value of goods, services and investments bought in the U.S. from overseas exceeds the amount the U.S. sells abroad _ and the low levels of domestic savings means that foreigners must purchase more than $3 billion every business day to fund the imbalance.

Since roughly half of the nation’s nearly $10 trillion national debt is held by foreigners, mostly in Treasury bills and bonds, such a withdrawal could have enormous consequences.

Read more “here“