Amazing - Worlds Of Bacteria, Alive On Your Skin

clipped from www.npr.org The human body contains 10 times as many bacterial cells as it does human cells Using bacterial DNA analysis, the scientists sampled bacteria found on healthy human skin at 20 different spots on the body clipped from www.npr.org clipped from www.npr.org "We think of the inside of the nose as the rain forest," she says, because it contains the greatest wealth of biological diversity. The nose is also where bacteria stay that often recolonize other parts of the body, Oily parts of the skin, like next to the nose or behind the ear, are host to a whole different ecosystem of microorganisms "Eczema is always inside the elbow. Psoriasis is on the outside of the elbow. Those human cells are the same." Despite their proximity, the microbes that live inside the elbow and outside the elbow are quite different. Psoriasis and eczema don't appear to be caused by bacteria, but they could be a reaction, triggered by a change in the ecosystems of germs

How soup can help you lose weight

a hormone called ghrelin. It is one of the major players in the body's appetite system.
These cells produce a constant stream of ghrelin whenever the stomach is empty. The ghrelin travels via the blood stream to the brain's appetite centre, an organ called the hypothalamus. As a result, the hypothalamus screams "You are hungry - find food."

But whenever the stomach wall is stretched - when the stomach is full - the cells stop producing ghrelin, and the hypothalamus responds accordingly, turning off the appetite signal. The longer the stomach remains full, the longer you feel satisfied and the less you are likely to eat.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk In the battle to lose weight, hunger is the dieter's worst enemy. But research has revealed a simple aid to taming the appetite: soup Imagine a typical lunchtime meal - say, chicken and vegetables with a glass of water. If you eat the food and drink the water, you will feel full for a couple of hours before hunger kicks in. But if you blend the food with the water - to make soup - you will stay hunger-free for much longer, and less likely to snack After you eat a meal, the pyloric sphincter valve at the bottom of your stomach holds food back so that the digestive juices can get to work. Water, however, passes straight through the sphincter to your intestines, so drinking water does not contribute to "filling you up". When you eat the same meal as a soup, the whole mixture remains in the stomach, because the water and food are blended together. The scientists' scans confirm that the stomach stays fuller for longer, The key to this low-tech weapon against hunger is a hormone called ghrelin

boys and their ways

funny

clipped from izismile.com

Bach's Toccata and Fugue played by dancers on a giant piano

clipped from www.boingboing.net

amazing 3D murals painted on the sides of buildings

The incredibly lifelike scenes are actually huge works of art, painted on the side of perfectly intact buildings...
The paintings, which have fooled many, were created by John Pugh, who specialises in trompe l'oeil - or 'trick of the eye' - art.

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk Greek tragedy: But the Doric-style columns apparently exposed in this university hall are nothing but paint Wonder wave: John Pugh's Mana Nalu mural in Honolulu. Fire crews rushed to save the children from the mighty wave - before realising it was an optical illusion Blurring the lines: A mural entitled Art Imitating Life Imitating Art Imitating Life, at the Cafe Trompe L'oeil, in San Jose, California Having a cow: Valentine's Day, a mural unveiled during the Global Mural Conference in Twentynine Palms, California Treasure trove: An Egyptian style mural adorns a wall in Los Gatos, California. Pugh paints people into the mural to heighten the 3D effect Trick of the eye: John inserts a passer-by into the mural painted in Santa Cruz, California, entitled Bay in a Bottle, who is watching the ocean scene Take a pew: This looks like a nice spot to rest your weary feet on a sidewalk in Sarasota County Health Center, Florida

Size of first-home buyers loans inflating

Size of first-home buyers&squo; loans inflating

THE average loan size for first-home buyers has risen by $52,000 - or 23 per cent - in the past two years, raising fears that the much-publicised government incentives for young buyers are artificially inflating the market.

A report commissioned by Brandmanagement, a market research firm specialising in the finance sector, says the average size of loans being taken up by young home buyers is jumping by an "unsustainable" amount, The Australian reports.

Drawing on Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, the report has found the average size of the loans rose by $11,400 in the three months to February, after rising by $18,100 in the three months to November.

In total, the first-home buyer average loan size jumped by $52,000 to $280,600 in the two years to February.

The huge rise in the value of their individual loans in recent months has seen first-home buyers become an increasingly important part of the residential loan market.

The figures show that by February they comprised 26.9 per cent of that market: up from just 17.3 per cent in February 2008.

The actual number of first-home buyers also rose sharply in the year to February 2009: rising from just over 9000 to more than 14,400 in the year to February 2009.

The Federal Government's First Home Owner's Boost scheme - which provides up to $21,000 for new homes and $14,000 for established homes - is now being progressively phased out, and will cut out altogether after the end of this year.

Sydney couple David Halter and Kate Tulip, both 25, are among the thousands of first-home buyers who have entered the market - and taken on a sizeable mortgage - since the beginning of the year.

Last month they bought a two-bedroom apartment in Lindfield, on Sydney's north shore, and Mr Halter said the first-home buyers grant was a major factor in their decision to buy the flat.

But Brandmanagement's principal, Andrew Inwood, said the statistics - which indicate that property prices are rising in line with loan sizes - have raised questions about whether the government incentives were simply being used by consumers to buy into a bubble.

crazy prom ideas

what prom means to some

clipped from funnbee.com When one dude thinks kissing another dude on camera is a good idea. And when these two show up. When cousins break out the spray tan gun on one another the night before. When your date is primarily concerned with taking the most random photo ever. When your buddy hires an escort and tries to convince everyone he’s dating J. Lo. When you get voted Prom Prince to your buddy’s Prom King. When rednecks get a hold of colored duct tape. When one couple takes their Winnie the Pooh obsession a little too far. When one couple needs to be remembered as serious Trailganstas. When your date makes you call him “007″ the entire night. When one couple decides to put the douche into douchey matching outfits. When someone convinces himself he’s “outrageous” enough to pull off the cane and top hat. When one couple really enjoyed The Phantom Menace. When dorks get a hold of colored duct tape. When your date finds out you thought you were getting l**d.