No Harm To Ham

Today, in the year 1961, someone else started an adventurous mission: 3-year old Ham the Chimp, the first (American) higher primate got launched into space. Wolves have not reported, only some loss of pressure, but he was insured/secured by his space suit (and got some good doctors around). Ham survived and lived a long life and reached the respectful age of 27.

When Disability Descents

If it’s true that bad luck runs in packs, you better be well prepared in order not holding one of the wolves by the ears. When social security disability is one of the rough patches you’re about to face, make sure you got your papers at hand and don’t hesitate to get some support of others to help you out with fighting the reverse off and to give advice. A case like this can be a long exhausting run with some unexpected detours. With such a journey, two pairs of hands and eyes won’t be a luxury. But will be a matter of survival.

The Bard’s Birds And Bees

Today, in the year 1595 there was the first performance of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Was it yesterday’s clip for all babies born, this 'Serenade' one is for all today’s Romeo’s and Juliets. Because, without them, there would be no babies, right? Or, do I get some parts in the wrong place again?

The Mean Machine From Modena

The only Ferrari parts I would be able to distinguish are it’s black stallion and red racing colour. The horse was suggested to Enzo Ferrari for good luck by some WW1 Italian ace’s mother, who’s son’s plane had one. By coincidence the coat of arms of the German city of Stuttgart, home of the two most fierceful competitors of Ferrari in those early days, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, had the same horse, and was used by them as well. But it was the Mean Machine from Modena that prevailed. The famous colour has a much more straightforward background: red was the colour for the national Italian racing team, no matter if the car’s name was Ferrari, Alfa Romeo or Maserati. A part I also didn’t know was why a Bugatti was blue. It seems that the Bugatti’s, despite the name, were French. At least that part is familiar to me now as well.

A Notion Of Nappies

This clip is for all the babies born today, and their parents: don’t worry, be happy! The notion of obnoxious nappies won’t remain in the nose for ever.

Squirm Free Baby Showers

With about every three to seven seconds a baby born, one might think it becomes pretty standard, but next to death, it’s giving birth that remains a milestone in a human being’s life. Even without much written knowledge of how it must have been for mother and child during the ages between cages and castles, it surely was of high importance. Very often of life and death. The third party involved, the father, has come to the scene only very recently. Banned as they were, or just chickened out. In some corners of this planet they still are and do. The event has become much more of a celebration. A fact that’s impossible to overlook when one sees all the variations of baby shower invitations. Almost as many as there are babies. With things like maternity mortality cut back to practically zero and with the gender of the baby often known even before the big day, lots of ‘almonds can be broken’ in different fashions. And that’s what I call a cracking start.

Bricks That Bridge

Today, in the year 1958, the Lego Company patents the Lego bricks, still compatible with today’s bricks by the way! Something that all Steve’s and Bill’s of this world could try to remember. I doubt if they’ll ever can claim this kind of achievement.

Jobs’ Half Job

So, it’s finally there: Apple’s latest baby; the iPad. Don’t expect from me technical information, that would be like the blind (wo)man leading the cripple. I’m sure that most of you run much faster and more assured in this world of bytes, than I do. But I do notice, and with me, many others, that despite the iPad was called a combination of iPhone and a laptop, one can’t make a call, or even a picture for that matter, with it. So, which part exactly echoes the iPhone? It’s 1.5 pounds A4-sized touch screen? Impressive as it is, it’s not entirely what I was hoping for. There goes my dream of a one-device-fits-all! I better stick to the much better developed and well balanced ipods for the time being. Maybe we’ll have to give it time, let’s say, the 9 years that Ipods had? It took them a while to get the initial 5 GB hard drive of the first generation of Ipods to the standards of today. Maybe with some tinkering here and there, who knows what we’ll get. A finished job perhaps.

Smoking Gun... Pardon; Brain

Today, in the year 2007, scientists used brain images to find some connection between tobacco smoking and a particular part of our brain, the insula, that’s been related to emotions like anger, fear and happiness, and motor control of, let’s say, hands and eyes. The insula also seems to ‘read’ body signals like pain, hunger and craving. I’m not to be found in the frontline easily, but I’m not an advocate for rather primitive things like getting your stomach smaller via operation either. Wouldn’t it be nice to swollow a pill one day that tells the insula to keep quiet and save you from some extra pounds?

Quotes Aren’t Queer

How much do you get out of life? That might be a rather direct, but not very weird question. But, how about this one: how much do you get out of death? That takes more time to get in, I’m sure. One of the things that cover both extremes are life insurance quotes. Making the second question not that weird as it sounded. Or silly, for that matter. How can it be silly, if it allows the people you love most to continue living, after you’re gone.

Beat Of Bliss

Today, in the year 1858, one of the most known tunes ever got played, not for the very first time, but for (royal) second best: the ‘Wedding March’ by Mendelssohn. Like every era has its beat, here’s a pretty contemporary version of it. Will the bride be able to stride gracefully on this tune, I wonder.

A Gallup Of Growth

When I faced the term human growth hormone for the first time I came to know it was about children who had some growth disorder. And about the serious problems ahead of them because of this. Just think of matters related to anything public, like transport and housing, where the average height and body shape is the standard of all things, from seats to stairs. Being far from that standard makes your life a misery, or at least uncomfortable. So, it’s a thumb up for this treatment. The more I was surprised having a second glimpse: it also concerns adults. That the same therapy could be ‘beneficial to control weight, and even aging’. That made me stop and a bit suspicious. And words like ‘increasing muscle mass’, ‘increasing bone density and energy levels’, and ‘improving skin tone’, gave me a sudden chill. Apart from the skin tones; why did I see images of athletes and drugs out of a sudden?

A Tongue’s Twister

Today, in the year 1922, a crispy delicacy got available to everyone’s tongue: a chocolate-covered vanilla icecream bar wrapped in foil called Eskimo Pie. It was Danish emigrant Christian Nelson, a teacher and a shop owner who got the idea a few years earlier having a customer in doubts whether to buy some icecream or a chocolate bar. I’m sure that he, having been a teacher, would appreciate the statues in this clip, maybe not the ‘tampering’ someone else’s ‘property’?

To Determine Diamonds

Once ‘For Royal Eyes Only’, diamonds have become rather recently within everybody’s reach. But, like with people, not all diamonds are equally valued. And I’m not talking diamonds in their setting displayed in a jewelry shop. Down there, the price tag or the absence of one, will tell. It’s loose diamonds, that require next to a skilled eye, a certificate telling about the essential caracteristics of a particular diamond. Four characteristics, also known as the four Cs, are used: carat, cut, color, and clarity. These four together will determine the value. And guarantee you that the diamond that meets your eye, is the right one for you.

Monkey Manners

Was the previous post’s subject about improving car interiors and about what we incline to pile up in them, the security system that prevents car theft sometimes fails as well. Perhaps this idea could be adjusted and get standard one day?

Mounts That Mend

Sitting in brand new cars very rarely, I still can’t escape the idea that the dashboard lay-outs aren’t getting better, smoother and more practicle. Think of the trouble that navigation systems and cellphones can give you. There are signs of a thrifty and industrious trying, I admit. But it’s not keeping pace with the developments outside the car manufacturer’s world. Perhaps it’s not entirely them to blame. Anyway, it’s good that smaller and more swift industries try to fill the niches. One of them, that of mounts, is particularly rich of ideas and possibilities. Some of them are pretty neat, or are at least useful, but there’s hardly any coordination with the car’s interior. Sitting in a 20 grant and up vehicle, that’s a bit painful.

A Columbian Companion

Today, January 22, the year 1889, was the day that Columbia Records got established, to become one of the cradles of jazz with names such as Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. Almost a century later, Smith’s ‘When You’re Down and Out’ is still sparkling with energy. No matter the set backs that cross your path, this song is a good companion.

Emergency Of Empiric Eminence

With the highest human made structure recently opened, Dubai’s 828 metres tall Burj Khalifa, and its first residents about to move in, I wonder how well the emergency evacuation has been planned and executed. There seem to be fire proof chambers with a self sufficient apply of oxygen. Not that this footnote makes me feel at ease. This 1.5 billion us dollars construction with its 160 floors, 2,909 stairs, 57 elevators and 8 escalators will accommodate approximately 25,000 people each day. They’ll use a whopping 1,000,000 litres of water each day. I haven’t been able to find out if that’s included the water that 36 workers need to clean the 24,348 windows (taking them 3-4 months). What I do know for sure is, that I won’t set a foot in this flashy tour de force. I like to keep both feet on solid ground.

A Tip Of The Iceberg

Iceberg B-15, one of the world’s largest recorded icebergs with the size larger than the island of Jamaica, broke into smaller pieces in the years 2000, 2002 and 2003, with the biggest piece of the size of Luxembourg called B-15A. Collided and ran aground near Cape Adare, it made a redrawing of the Antartic maps necessary and broke into several smaller pieces today on January 21, 2005. The biggest chunk, still called B-15A, became an obstacle for supply ships and for the local population of penguins as it added longer distances to feed their chicks. Scientists are studying this event as an example of how weather in one area effects other parts of the world, with concern over the effects of global warming. The recent abandonment, or the start of it, of some islands of the Tuvalu archipelago threatened by the rise of the sea level could be the tip of the iceberg and be the precursor of many more drifting icebergs.

Buckle Up To Breathe

To suffer from allergies is a burden on itself. If it’s a pollen or pet allergy it can be controlled and lived with. If it’s the house dust mite that bothers you, this little bugger that thrives in houses, especially bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens, requires another strategy for combat. Some cold figures that might make you feel itch: with more than 100 of them in each gram of dust, with the average human shed of 1.5 grams of skin cells each day and the loss of moist between 500 and 1,000 cc each night by perspiration and breathing, which they adore, it’s very clear that allergy bedding is one of the very necessary steps to fight them off. That bedding should be breathable and withstand frequent washing. Also the choice of the matrasses is important, next to the traditional vacuum cleaning. Having provided all that, you’ll be able to take some deep fresh breath of air again.

A Run-Off Roller Coaster

Today, in the year 1885, the first official roller coaster got patented by LaMarcus Adna (1884-1919). But it’s believed by some historians that the first real roller coaster was built under the orders of Russia's Catherine the Great in Saint Petersburg, 1784. Roller coaster design, and I quote: ‘requires a knowledge of basic physics to avoid uncomfortable, even potentially fatal strain, carefully ensure the accelerations experienced throughout the ride don’t subject the human body to more than it can handle. The human body needs time to detect changes in force in order to control muscle tension’. Something similar could be said of this first year of Obama’s presidency, on this Presidential Inaugeration Day. To reckon with what can be handled by the nation itself, sudden rough changes should be avoided. Adna’s 6 mph roller coaster ride costed 5 cents, and surely was ‘tolerated’ by the stomachs of his time. Let’s hope that Obama’s ride rolling from coast to coast, will be a joyful one as well. But with no doubt, it will cost more than a dime.

A Diagnose Disorder

If there’s one disorder without a clear border, it’s Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, in short: ADHD. Making it ‘Almost Darn Hard Diagnosed’. Like with many things that surround us, it’s society, meaning you and me, that draws the line where one matter, or disorder in this case, stops and the next begins. One thing that still amazes me is its sudden appearance in our society. If I’m correct, the way European and American scientists approach this disorder, in diagnosing ADHD, the latter shows 3 to 4 times higher levels of ADHD. That huge difference, and that sudden appearance makes me be on guard. Some people even claim that ADHD was ‘invented not discovered’. It’s also said we all carry symptoms of ADHD, but I’ve not seen figures from Africa, Asia or Latin America yet. How ‘western’ is this disorder? Or am I now ‘distracted’, ‘impulsive’ and ‘restless’?

Tipping Off For Traffic

Something that might make you park the car and stretch your legs: according to the American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the total number of casualties over the last 35 years amounts to 1.5 million killed men, women and children. This number is larger than the total number of American military casualties suffered in all wars ever fought by the USA. It’s also estimated that about 6,000 Americans will die in car crashes only involving distracted drivers texting and talking on cell phones. Each year. Safe journey!

Bolts Near The Bone

Vanity isn’t a word that’s missing in my dictionary. In other words: I do occasionaly fumble the yellow pages or get online to see what can be done, where and by whom. Usually it’s nothing spectacular that I’m looking for. Hairdressers have been the ones that have given me one of the wildest things, so far. Recently, I stumbled upon something out of the ordinary: an implant dentist Plano. If teeth can itch, then that’s what mine did at that particular moment. I wouldn’t dream of, let’s say, a boobs job, but to get some of my teeth fixed with one of those dental implants, yes, I guess I would go for it. But for now I keep my cold feet under the chair.

In Honour Of R. Hood

After all the misery that loads of greedy bankers caused all over the world (and get away with it), there’s a tiny beam of light coming from Detroit, Michigan these days. Called the modern day Robin Hood, former bank manager Patricia Keezer got convicted for her robbing rich clients in favor of the less fortunate. That might been seen as justice, which it is, but, if she gets one year and a day, what about the big sharks, where’s their ‘reward’? A 340,000 bucks joke I can appreciate, the amount pinched by the sharks with so many zero’s more, and got so many people devastated, is harder to take in.

Fibres Are Feel Goods

When I say ‘fatburner’, you’ll probably think of the hard times shortening yourself, of resisting temptations, of many a failure or the occasional flimsy shortlived success. When I say that you’re a cheater of snacks, you’ll likely say ‘no, not me’. But try to be ruthless and honest to yourself: write down all those ‘goodies’ in between meals for just one week. Add them up and get surprised. When I tell you that a fat burner doesn’t have to taste as awful as the actual word sounds, think of pears, grapefruits, almonds, beans, berries and even dark chocolate, to mention a few, what do you say then? Stick to three regular meals a day, and you can eat whatever you like. How does that sound to you?

Take Five

After all the resolutions and other 'heavy-on-the-stomach' subjects of the past week, it's time for some more easy digestible stuff. Have a great Sunday!

Cast Calories, Get The Credit

When you read the available articles that got diet pills reviewed, if you’re able to wrestle through the long Latin names, then one thing you can achieve for free and for sure, is a far better knowledge of what’s going on in this rather vague world of pills and placebos. You’ll notice that certain names will appear time after time, and give you a hint of possible things that could benefit you. Things that have been mentioned with reason but can be found in a less doubtful, and for sure more affordable counter. Take the name ‘antioxidants’ for instance. Hard, if not impossible, to escape from. And you don’t have to, there’s nothing wrong with antioxidants. But the moment you realise they’re to be found in lots of more healthy and tasty stuff that’s waiting for you just around the corner, for a fraction of the price asked for pills that claim to have them as ingredient, you can cast your doubts, like your extra pounds will be casted as well. The only thing that will get bigger, is your wallet. And very likely, your smile too.

The Chicken And The Egg

The month of January seems to be a very favorable time of the year to cloning, genetic engineering and other matters that concern life in general. And because of the impact of them on all of us, it’s not a surprise to see and understand the controversy that they cause. To be in favor, or against, it doesn’t really matter. For both views a lot of sense can be said. Therefor it’s far too early to take side with the idea in mind never to adjust a single inch. Was it about pigs, caddle and goats in the previous post, this time, on January 16, the year 2007, the first genetically modified chickens were bred by some Scottish scientists. With eggs, and I quote; ‘that supposed to help fight cancer’. One could say ‘marvellous’, ‘humbug’ or ‘wishful thinking’, but so many things have been called that way. If we allow serious scientists to go ahead and stop the weirdo’s, many a good thing might surface, if not for ourselves, then for sure for our children and their children.

Bye Bye Blackhead

To the question ‘what are blackheads?’ I wouldn’t have been able to give a straight answer. Till recently. Simply because for once, I’m fortunate. But always on the look out for something that’s beneficial to the mind and body, I stumbled upon them. First I need to explain this very rare fortune of mine: my skin isn’t too dry or too oily. In short: not the battle ground, or should I say ‘oil field’ where blackheads appear to thrive. Having read some information, it seems to me a matter of plumbing (and of the fickleness of faith). Maintain that skin of yours thouroughly, but don’t overdo it. Excess scrubbing and drying your skin make the pores get clogged up with an excess of oil. Result: more blackheads. And it also seems that those guys are just the heralds of some other nuisance: acne. Keep it simple but tidy, is the device. All you have to do then is to kill off an estranged blackhead once every blue moon.

Let Slow Food Score

Today, the year 2008, the FDA, the US food and drug administration, allowed the production and sale of foods derived from cloned animals. Giving the green light to the meat and milk of cloned pigs, cattle and goats. Of course, if there was such meat and milk available. But because the costs for such products, compared with the traditional breeding, are far too high, it will take time before one can expect to find it. And that’s a good thing. A 2005 survey found that more than 60% of US consumers were ‘uncomfortable’ with animal cloning and nearly half of them believed that food from cloned animals to be unsafe to eat. I can see the importance of cloning, but I also agree that speed rarely has improved the taste of food. So, let it ‘simmer’ for quite a while, is my suggestion.

Make One’s Piles

Next to the ‘unmentionables’, (those flimsy but sexy pieces of underwear we more or less all like to see, if not to wear), there’s another group that could be called this way, but is far from popular. Yet, can ‘obstruct’ our way of life, or, to put it more bluntly: be a pain in the bottom! Hemorrhoids is the name, indeed. A pestilence as they can be, the cures for hemorrhoids aren’t that difficult to achieve. Although, that’s what’s said about dieting as well. But, with more attention to what we eat (lots of dietry fiber) and drink (any sugar and alcohol-free fluid), how (much or less) we move (it’s said there are very specific exercises for the muscles underneath the pelvis) must give result in a feeling of relief. One thing that still bothers me: it’s also said that wearing tight clothing and underwear may also contribute to irritation and increase hemorrhoid development. Or would having some (borrowed) boxer shorts in the drawer suit both ends and be a fortunate choice?

Bamboo Under The Butt

Lately I got a ‘Deja Vu’: reading that the American Craig Calfee (with a bit of help of his dog that provided him the idea) had been able to come up with a bamboo framed bicycle. Bringing back the pictures I saw years ago of a bamboo bicycle in some fancy European design and interior magazine. Which is a bit odd, because if there’s one continent that has no bamboo, it’s Europe. So, the idea isn’t new, but between idea and accomplishment a lot of time can be involved. I can’t remember any price given at the time, but seeing the price tag of Calfee’s bicycle of around 2,700 us dollars, that one I saw way back then must have cost a fortune? Not that 2,700 bucks is a bargain. Anyway, what gives me hope for affordable and environment friendly transport, one day, is that Calfee founded ‘Bamboosera’ supporting development that benefits the third world. About a year ago he helped to teach groups in Ghana the basics of bamboo bike frame building. Further projects are planned, including in the Philippines. Now we’re talking. And cycling, I hope. With all the bamboo here, the raw material is ready at hand.

A Fat Burner Fury

Many people aren’t aware of it, but the best fat burner available on this planet, is ready at hand for each of us. Place your hands against your ears, there, right there, from palm to palm, that’s where the fat burner is located! It might have become confused, neglected, asleep or plain lazy. But it’s still there. This standard equipment is able to do the ‘wonders’ falsely and deceivingly promised by many manufacturer, for next to nothing. And is just waiting for the right fuel, and a consistent captain. Now, get online for one hour, snoop around the place, shove all those found goodies in starting tomorrow. Get sober, sweaty and sexy.

A Dallas Detection

Today, the year 1998, some clever people down in Dallas presented the findings of an enzyme that slows down aging and cell death. A neat ‘connection’ with my previous post about face cream. I’m not going to bother you with some tiring explanation, frankly: it would give me wrinkles if I would even try. But what I think is the most clever part of Dallas is they tracked down this one and only enzyme out of the hundreds of billions of cells that we all seem to have. And maybe this estimate is even far too low, considering that between 50 and 70 billion cells in the average human adult die each day. Getting it a bit further: in a year, this amounts to the destruction of a number of cells equal to an individual's body weight. It’s like figuring out the whereabouts of the only yellow New York taxi with a dimple in its rear’s left bottom corner of the indication light... at night, with no lights on!

No Face Cream Fudge

One of the best face protective measurements a human being can take is to stay out of the harsh midday sun, and a good runner-up is to go to bed early. Both free of charge. Other wise things to do: not believing that expensive creams and conditioners are better than the cheaper ones. Or that they really can eliminate wrinkles and penetrate layers of skin. Better is to find out what type of skin you got, and start from there. Then, don’t be shy but creative: try some real home-made organic face cream, to ensure yourself you got harmless ingredients applied on that pretty face of yours. It all comes down to keep moist in the skin, and pretty much of what’s in your fridge can help you to provide this. Think of the juice of vegetables (cucumber), fruit (lemon), and also yoghurt and milk. And keep your wallet smiling. A smile will be beneficial too, by the way! Have some fun and indulge yourself.

Plastic Phantastic

Sometimes an old familiar name appeares to have come up one particular day with something totally weird and unexpected. This day, the year 1942, it was Henry Ford who patented the first plastic car. Although, he cheated a bit. The car had a standard steel chassis. But the weird, and therefor interesting part, were the plastic panels attached to it. Not that those came out of the blue. Starting from the early 1910s, out of successive experiments with agricultural crops like soybeans for instance, car parts like glove-box doors, gear-shift knobs, horn buttons, accelerator pedals, steering wheels and dashboard panels were made. In fact you could say he was taking the first step using plastic from a renewable resource. Something we still haven’t achieved on a mass scale almost a century later. Well done, Henry!

Credits That Count

The learning process of trial and error must have been the first step for humans to get to this very day’s understanding of the world around and beyond us. Since then many other possibilities to gather knowledge have been tried out and established. That is, the successfull ones. By far, the most recent and outstanding example of the latter, are the online universities. Despite some doubts have been raised concerning a few who offer this opportunity, it’s the online college that’s fully accredited, that gives overall satisfaction. Many of them even more than the traditional on-campus colleges. To their credit is the much easier access (sometimes literally), and the offered range of colleges to get a online degree from health care, information technology, to teaching and business management. Last but not least; some are approved by the US Department of Education to offer financial aid, and also a flat-rate tuition is within reach, that can save lots of money. Making it one of the most significant institutions of our time.

Out Of The Cold

Today, January 12, the year 1967, was the day that the American James Bedford became the first cryonically preserved human. In popular terms; got deep frozen. With the idea in (frozen) mind that one day it might be possible to revive. No matter films like ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, ‘Alien(s)’ and recently ‘Avatar’, it’s not looking pretty pausible to me, that it will ever occur. Much more a possibility to success, is cloning. Today, the year 1998, nineteen European countries forbid cloning. And this precaution taken is an indication that those countries have seen it really could be done in pretty short terms. That it’s only a matter of time to see the first human clone stepping ‘out of the cold’. Should we be pleased or horrified? I would allow scientists to procede. Because, if one wants to stop them, what about possibilities that have been brought to us by scientists, such as an appendix operation or a plain asperine? New things always scare us in the beginning. Till we get the hang of it, relax and move on.

Miles Of Mayan Marble

It’s said that the name ‘Yucatan’ comes from the misinterpretation of the Spaniards when they made first contact with the Mayas. It would mean something like ‘i don’t understand your words’. But more likely it has an Aztec origin meaning ‘place of richness’. And that’s not exaggerated: this peninsula is a sheer endless string of beauty. Standing on its white beaches one can watch over the turquoise of the Caribbean and ponder about to have a peek of its richnesses that lie just beneath the surface. Turning around one stares into the lush green of it’s interior dotted with the ancient ruins with names such as Chichen Itza and Tulum. And it’s not a surprise that you’ll need the whole of your holiday to make up your mind which way to go one particular day. And if there’s a day you can’t decide, then one of the riviera maya resorts will pamper you. The danger might be that, in this way, you’ll get a third option making you even more biting your underlip. But, let’s be honest: it doesn’t really matter where you’re having a good time, does it? I would go for all three options.

The Brownie As A Bonus

Although there had been a 1884 edition of some Mrs. Lincoln, it was this day, the year 1896, that American Fannie Farmer (1857-1915) published her ‘Boston Cooking-School Cook Book’, that’s been considered the real first cookbook. It introduced the concept of using standard measuring spoons and cups and it contained over 1,800 recipes. The book's publisher did not predict good sales and limited the first edition to 3,000 copies, published at Farmer’s expense. It’s still available in print more than a 100 years later with nearly 4,000,000 copies being sold, making this one of the best selling cookbooks ever. She also developed a complete work of diet and nutrition for the ill, that ought to be served with a high valued appearance of this food because this would be beneficial for them, having a poor appetite. A refreshing approach in those days. It’s believed possible that Farmer also might have given the States, and not much later, the world, a tasty icon (by mistake or not): the brownie.

The Celebrity Of Ceramics

Something that’s been rarely, if ever, out of fashion, are ceramic tiles. Within living memory the versatility of them only has widened and applicated endlessly in tens of totally different continents, cultures and eras. No matter the fickleness of human nature, ceramic tiles always appeared, as a Phoenix, out of the kilns, rejuvenated and vibrant. Because of the staggering number of advantages, people have used them to line interiors and exteriors of all sorts of buildings: in bathrooms, kitchens, floors, ceilings and walls. The only problem might just be this versatility: because of it, it’s always a golden rule to check out its appropriateness to the particular job that you have in mind.

What Goes Up, Must Come Down

January 4, 1643, the birthday of Isaac Newton. His laws (of gravitation and those of motion) have been verified by experiment and observation for over 300 years, and are still excellent references in everyday life. Especially his first law: ‘An object in motion will stay in motion and an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force’ is what makes me think what possibly happened to car and motorboat racer Donald Campbell, this day, the year 1967, when he was travelling at a speed of more than 300 mph on Coniston Water and his boat, the Bluebird K7, got catapulted 50 feet into the air. He got killed instantly, and his body was only recovered 34 years after the crash. ‘To every action there is always an equal and opposite reaction’...

A Take-In-Tow Thought

Like resolutions are a kind of checklist, or markers on the map of the new year, thorough preparations before you move your ‘wheels’, may it be your car or suitcase, is nothing much else than a bare necessity. No matter how much of a well experienced control-freak you might be, always get packed a portion of improvisation as well. Having some idea of what lies ahead of you is a must. What’s legal in one state or country might be a different cup of tea when crossing the borderline. The infrastructure of, for instance, the vast plains of North America, a Pace’s Paradise, cry for knowledge about things like motorhome towing. But a bit more close to the Equator, this knowledge might not help you much and you could end up in trouble and not at your destination. ‘Go with the natives’ could be a mantra for all travelers. Get equipped according your destination, I think that might be a useful thought for 2010.