Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog: 07/08/2007 - 07/15/2007

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Saturday 14 July 2007

Movies - Latest Releases + Books - Life Changing Books

For all you movie lovers like myself, here are new movies to go check out...

Harry Porter - Order of the Phoenix
Date of release: July 11th, 2007
Director: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Imelda Staunton, George Harris, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalia Tena, Kathryn Hunter, Evanna Lynch, Gary Oldman, Harry Melling, Richard Griffiths, Fiona Shaw, Sian Thomas, Jason Boyd, Richard Macklin, Charles Hughes, Susie Shinner, Auror Dawlish, Nick Shim, Ralph Fiennes, Apple Brook, James Walters, James Utechin, Alec Hopkins, Jason Piper
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Official site: harrypotterorderofthephoenix.com
PG-13 for sequences of fantasy violence and frightening images

Joshua
Date of release: July 6th, 2007
Director: George Ratliff
Writer: George Ratliff, David Gilbert
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Vera Farmiga, Jacob Kogan, Celia Weston, Dallas Roberts, Michael McKean
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Official site: foxsearchlight.com
Rating: R for language and some disturbing behavior by a child
Time: 105 minutes

Shortcut To Happiness

Date of release: July 13th, 2007
Director: Alec Baldwin
Writers: Peter Dexter, Bill Condon, Nancy Cassaro
Starrring: Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Dan Aykroyd, Kim Cattrall, Ken Murton, John Savage, Jason Patrick
Studio: Yari Film Group Releasing
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Official site: ShortcutToHappiness.com
PG-13 for language and sexual content
Time: 105 minutes

Lake Dead


Date of release: July 13th, 2007
Director: George Bessudo
Writer: Daniel P. Coughlin
Starring: Alex A. Quinn, Tara Gerard, Dan Woods, Vanessa Viola, Kelsey Wedeen, James C. Burns, Jim Devoti, Edwin Craig, Malea Richardson, Kelsey Crane, Cyrus Alexander, Ryan Coughlin, Christian Stokes, Lydia Hyslop, Pat McNeely, Trevor Torseth, Carmen Thompson
Studio: Alliance Group Entertainment
Genre: Horror

Interview
Date of release: July 13th, 2007
Director: Steve Buscemi
Writers: David Schechter, Steve Buscemi
Starring: Steve Buscemi, Sienna Miller
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
Genre: Drama
Official site: interviewthefilm.com
Rating: R for language inculding sexual references, and some drug use
Time: 86 minutes

Captivity
Date of release: July 13th, 2007
Director: Roland Joffé
Writers: Larry Cohen, Joseph Tura
Starring: Elisha Cuthbert, Daniel Gillies, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Laz Alonso, Michael Harney
Studio:: After Dark Films
Genre: Thriller
Official site: captivitythemovie.com
Rating: R for strong violence, torture, pervasive terror, grizzly images, language and some sexual material

Introducing The Dwights
Date of release: July 4th, 2007
Director:Cherie Nowlan
Writer: Keith Thompson
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Emma Booth, Peter Callan, Khan Chittenden, Brendan Clearkin, Russell Dykstra, Rebecca Gibney, Frankie J. Holden, Phillip Quast, Katie Wall, Richard Wilson
Studio: Warner Independent Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Official: introducingthedwights.com
R for sexual content and language
Time: 104 minutes

License To Wed

Date of release: July 3rd, 2007
Director: Ken Kwapis
Writer: Kim Barker, Tim Rasmussen, Vince DiMeglio
Starring: Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, John Krasinski, Eric Christian Olsen, Christine Taylor, JoshFlitter
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Official site: LicenseToWedthemovie.com
PG-13 for sexual humor and language

Transformers
Date of release: July 2nd, 2007
Director: Michael Bay
Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Starring: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Jon Voight, Bernie Mac, Tyrese Gibson, Rachael Taylor, Amaury Nolasco, Kevin Dunn, Ronnie Sperling
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures (Paramount)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Official site: webmaster.transformersmovie.com
PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, brief sexual humor, and language


Books - Life changing books.

Here also are books to read...if you're into motivational/inspirational books...

Girlosophy
If you've ever been in a relationship, ended one, had one ended on you or want to end one, then The Breakup Survival Kit is for you. Bestselling girlosopher Anthea Paul puts her positive spin on the traumas of breakup, offering comfort and practical advice to guide you through the relationship wilderness.The Breakup Survival Kit is divided into three sections - Body, Mind and Spirit - to help you figure out how to change your physical, mental and spiritual gears and get your life back on track as soon as possible. In true girlosophy style, meditations, affirmations and an overview of the chakras are included to give you a focused approach to your healing.The 30-day breakup recovery program at the back of the book shows you how to work out a new daily routine for your new life.

Here's the lowdown on how to:
Look after yourself
Deal with your emotion
Clear your head
Rediscover your spiritual path
Find forgiveness
Embrace the future
Love again

Relationship Rescue
After successfully helping hundreds of thousands of people take responsibility for their own actions, Dr. Phil McGraw now turns his expertise to the primary area of concern troubling most people: their relationships. In his tell-it-like-it-is style that already has influenced millions of Oprah viewers, "Dr. Phil" blows the whistle on the rhetoric of traditional "couples therapy" and instead tells you that -- no matter what state your relationship is in -- not only are you responsible for it, you are responsible for getting it back on track. By doing this, he offers readers the chance for further happiness through meaningful, fulfilling relationships that work.

To Have Or To Be
In response to the materialism of our century and our propensity to reification, psychoanalyst Erich Fromm proposes a mode of living that he argues is the way out of our psychospiritual conundrum. Within the pages of this book, one of the last before his demise, the author of the bestseller _ The Art of Loving_ describes the two modes possible--that of having and being. 20th century culture he says has developed into employing and relying on the having mode--of appropriating things and even humans for oneself. Even love has been turned into an object, when in fact no such thing exists. Only the act of loving is possible. In contradistinction to having is being. It is a mode of active participation in life. While the misnomer 'falling in love' is touted by the world as the norm, Fromm argues that true loving is an effortful activity. While accumulating knowledge is the way of having, the being mode of knowing is a process of understanding. Although written nearly three decades ago, Fromm's worldview continues to be the ideal. This work of his is a timeless caveat against the dehumanization of society

To Be Human

To Be Human presents Krishnamurti's radical vision of life in a new way. At the heart of this extraordinary collection are passages from the great teacher's talks that amplify and clarify the nature of truth and those obstacles that often prevent us from seeing it. Most of these core teachings have not been available in print until now. Besides presenting the core of Krishnamurti's message, the book alerts the reader to his innovative use of language, the ways in which he would use "old words with new interpretations," then gives practical examples, showing that we can clarify our understanding of life itself—and act on this new understanding. The splendid introduction by David Skitt discusses Krishnamurti's philosophy as a guide to knowledge and experience, the roles knowledge and experience should play in our lives, and the times when it is best to cast them aside and "look and act anew." The book's source notes will aid the inquisitive reader who wishes a deeper understanding of this great teacher's message.


Choice Theory - A New Psychology of Personal Freedom
Southern California psychiatrist William Glasser, the author of Reality Therapy, believes that almost all human misery is caused by people trying to control others. In fact, he says, the only behavior we can control is our own; by the same token, no one can make us do anything we don't want to. It's only when we give up spending our energy trying to force others to conform to our ideas or to keep them from doing the same to us that we are able to live the way we want to. Glasser makes this somewhat difficult material easier to understand with examples and case studies from his own practice. For instance, he tells a man whose wife has left him that his only choices are to change what he wants her to do or to change the way he is dealing with her. While doing these things will not necessarily bring his wife back, Glasser says, it will certainly make him feel better. "When we actually begin to realize that we can control only our own behavior, we immediately start to redefine our personal freedom and find, in many instances, that we have much more freedom than we realize," Glasser writes.
Please recommend movies and books you've seen/read, that you think we all need to see and read.

Friday 13 July 2007

The Power Of Prayer

When my younger sister saw me praying some days ago, she said she stopped and stared at me in surprise. Why was she surprised? Because she hasn’t seen me pray in so long. I also haven’t been to church in years…when I say years, I mean years. This is not something I am proud to say…it’s just the truth.

My mum gave up after months of trying to get me to go to church…a few friends told me to be prayerful…I never listened to them. I always told myself that God sees my heart, knows what I need and will provide it without me having to go down on my knees and ask.

I felt my life was going well, so going to church wasn’t something I thought important. Also, I’ve been around people who played down the importance of going to church. I remember one person saying church is in your heart…you can praise and worship God by yourself at your own time.

When I really think of it, I have no excuse for not praying and going to church, it just wasn’t something I thought about. I was always more bothered about how I can better my life and make my business grow…forgetting that only God can do that.

In the last two years, all I do on Sundays is cook, watch TV and go on the internet while every member of my family were in church...but then something happened to me...

Late last month as I was walking down to my office from home, an elderly mad man threw stones in my direction...I tried to dodge it but some of it touched me. Through out that day I couldn't get the incident out of my head. I asked everyone I came across if it meant anything. Everyone said it meant nothing.

I'm not a superstitious person, but for some reason I became uncomfortable with myself in the days that followed that incident. Then one night, four days after the incident, for some reason I still can not comprehend, I went down on my knees and prayed...I was going to pray only about the incident, but then I figured since I was on my knees...I might as well pray about other things in my life...which I did...and I've been doing so every morning and night since then.

Last week Friday, I called my banker to find out my account balance...I knew I was broke, I just needed to know how broke I was...but then my banker calls back and tells me I have so so and so amount in my account. I told him it was not possible because I know how much I've withdrawn...what he told me was five times more money than I expected...I had to go to the bank the following day to confirm what he told me. I found money in my account...don't ask me how it got there...I didn't put it there...just found it there...at a time when I needed cash to get my show on the road. For days I was puzzled...will I make a deposit and forget about it? Who put the money there? Who has my account number? Was it God? Has he already started answering my prayers? Still can't figure it out.

Then this monday, I had too many calls to make...I had to get across to designers, models, musicians, comedians etc and I needed a lot of credit on both my landline and mobile phone. Normally I never buy more than N750 recharge card on my GSM and never more than N500 on my landline, but because of all the people I needed to reach, I got N1, 500 credit on my mobile and N1, 000 on my landline. The following day after making so many calls, I checked my phones for balance and guess what? I found N5, 000 extra on my mobile and N800 extra on my landline. An hour later my service provider told me I was one of the lucky winners in a promotion they were doing, so they credited my account with 5 grand...this was at a point when I needed credit to make my show successful...

Then yesterday, I called the brand manager of one of the companies I've been trying to get to sponsor my event. I'd been trying to see him since last week but he had been too busy to see me...but yesterday he asked me to come over...this was around to six in the evening. I quickly went home, changed into my corporate outfit and headed to the place...there was traffic on the way so I got there a bit a late...about 6:30. The guy I was going to see had already left his office and was at the company lounge, when I called him he asked me to come to the lounge...

Two minutes into talking to this guy, the company's marketing director came to join us. Now this company is one of the biggest companies in Nigeria, if not the biggest and I'd been trying for years to know people at the top to no avail...then all of a sudden I'm sitting, drinking and chatting with the brand manager and marketing director that people hardly see. I told him about my event and asked for any kind of support they can render...the guy smiled and said no problem...right there and then he instructed the brand manager to give my company twice what I was aking for...TWICE I say.

As I was still jubilating inside...guess who joined us? The managing director. It was surreal, here I was, surrounded by the top three executives of one of Nigeria's biggest companies...the MD even bought me goat meat and shared drinks with me...I couldn't believe I was in that kind of situation...but then I remembered my friend Tunji always telling me that 'Your talent will place you before kings' and God will make those kings wine and dine with you. I went home an hour later with more than I'd hoped for. I got sponsorship for Style Night from them...today their promise was fulfilled...

To celebrate yesterday, I went to an eatery to get myself some ice cream...I do that often whenever I'm happy...then at the eatery I ran into a beauty queen whose number I've been looking for for months now...I got it...I needed her for something...she didn't hesitate.

So here I was feeling really good with myself and just when I thought it couldn't get better than this...as I was walking out of the eatery...I ran into someone I haven't seen in four years...then I remembered my prayer that morning...and I smiled.

I won't tell you to go to church, I wasnt a church-goer myself...but I've made up my mind to start going to church...but I'll tell you to PRAY. No matter what it is you're going through today, no matter how hopeless it seems, no matter how disappointed you are in life...please pray, because prayer works. God is a prayer-answering God. If you go down on your knees and talk to him, he will bless in more ways than you can ever imagine.

There are people who have given up on God. Maybe they pray and pray and nothing happens...so they stop. But let me tell you today, if you think God isn't answering your prayer, then think that maybe you are not praying with faith...or maybe he doesn't want to give you what you're asking for because he doesn't want it for you...or maybe he's just waiting for the right time to make all your dreams come true...

God answers prayers...he's answering mine, he'll answer yours...just talk to him.

I wish everyone out there the very best that life can give...

God bless you and yours

lindaikeji@gmail.com

More Pictures...

A few nice girls have shown up since the casting began...I've been able to pick about eight girls so far.

Here are more pictures for y'all to see...do let me know who you think stands a good chance making it as a model...



Betsy
This is my all time favourite. 6 '1', 22, great legs, great smile, nice facial structures, long legs, great personality...and she was in MBGN 2007 top 10. (Miss Niger)


Angela Adams 5 '11', 23


Jane, 21, 5 '10'


Funmi, 24, 5 '8'


Nneka, 20, 5 '9'

Temitope, 22, 6 ft

Beatrice 23, 6feet

Yewande, 22, 5 '11'

Maimunat, 19, 5 '8'


Aishat, 5'9', 21

Mabel John, 20, 5 '10'

Hephzibah, 5 '9', 21

Adenike, 5 '11', 20

Dupe, 5 '11', 21

So, who do you think should be shortlisted from this group? Please let's read your opinion

Top Ten Freaky Festivals

Some countries, some cultures, some people get up to things that are not only weird, scary, dangerous, ridiculous, funny, outrageous...but damn right freaky. I mean, what the hell are these people thinking...they lost their mind or what? lol.

Check out some freaky festivals from all around the world...


1. La Tomatina
Where/when: Buol, Spain: last Wednesday of August
The planet's premier food fight draws thousands to the tiny Spanish town, where as a climax to a week-long festival, trucks unleash 90,000 pounds of tomatoes on a beer-fuelled crowd. For one hour, all hell breaks loose, and people happily bombard each other with tomatoes.
Freakiness factor: High - This gooey mess-fest will make you feel like a kid again. Once the tomatoes are gone and everyone looks like victims of a slasher movie, hoses spray the revellers clean.

2. Danjiri Festival
Where/when: Osaka, Japan: September
Unbelievably unsafe in theory and practice, the Danjiri Festival takes drunken locals and makes them surf on the roof of tall, wobbly vehicles. Since 1703, the towns-folk have designed elaborate floats and, on September 15th, they race them around Osaka's ancient roads and narrow streets. Year-upon-year, bones get smashed as rickety floats topple and over-competitive racers come to blows.
Freakiness factor: High - Although this is meant to be fun, fatalities are a common occurrence.

3. Theemidhi
Where/when: Singapore: late October
In tribute to an Indian goddess who proved her purity by walking barefoot on a bed of scorching coals, the Singapore festival of Theemidhi (fire walk) is an incredible sight. Things kick-off at 2 a.m when the men work themselves into a trance-like state and repeatedly walk across a four-metre bed of red-hot coals. Talk about feet of flames!
Freakiness factor: High - The expressions on the barefooted worshippers as they walk on the coals; they look as if they are peacefully sleeping.


4. World Championship Cockroach Races
Where/when: Brisbane, Australia: January 26 (Australia Day)
If being surrounded by hundreds of scurrying cockroaches isn't your idea of fun, then you're better off avoiding the World Championship Cockroach Races. Roach racing events include the sprint and the steeplechase - and thousands of bug lovers turn up each year to cheer on their favourite parasites.
Freakiness factor: High - Imagine seeing thousands of drunken Aussies worshipping an insect you usually trample on. freaky!


5. Cheese rolling
Where/when: Cooper's Hill, Gloucerster, England: May
At the end of May's Bank Holiday weekend, hundreds of maniacs (many in fancy dress) flock to the westcountry to chase a big block of cheese down a lofty embankment. So if you're sick of staying in and watching the same old boring films on the telly, join the other brave (or foolhardy) folk and bounce your body down the steep slope.
Freakiness factor: Medium - Apart from scolding yourself with a cheese toastie, this must be the most dangerous cheese-related activity on Earth

5. Moose Dropping Festival
Where/when: Talkeetna, Alaska: second weekend in July When life deals you lemons, make lemonade. When nature deals you moose dung, throw it at people from hot-air balloons. And that's what happens in this Alaskan backwater. Staggeringly, no one knows how this festival began. There's something strangely appealing about a town that takes a day to celebrate the digestive waste of a big-nosed beast.
Freakiness factor: - Medium - It's the only place in the world where you can win $1,000 for being pooped on



6. Sydney Fringe Festival Nude Night Surfing
Where/when: Bondi Beach, Sydney: January
Fancy yourself as a bit of a beach bum? Then join 10,000 other exhibitionists and flash your rude bits on Bondi Beach.
Freakiness factor: High - If you think this is a danger-free way to admire fit Aussie women in the buff - think again. Entering Australian waters at night leaves you wide open to a shark attack. Ouch

7. Ivrea Orange Festival
Where/when: Piemonte, Italy - February
Centuries ago, the town's folk rebelled against a twisted count who kidnapped virgin brides and deflowered them on their wedding night. Not only was he beheaded, his guards were also stoned to death. Nowadays, the stones have been replaced by tons of juicy oranges that the villagers pelt at each other. This is quite possibly the wackiest historical re-enaction on Earth.
Freakiness factor: Medium - More bizarre than scary. At the end of the festival, a newlywed woman showers the people with sweets. Tasty!


8. Testicle festival
Where/When: Rock Creek Lodge, Montana, USA: September
Assuming you've escaped Kirkpinar with your plums intact, you might want to check out the world's largest testicle festival. Not only can you taste delicious deep-fried bull's testicles and ogle women in the wet t-shirt competition, you can also get bladdered on the Bull Snort Brew. Nuts - quite literally.
Freakiness rating: High - Putting yourself at the mercy of drunken hillbillies is a recipe for disaster. Just remember - they won't hear your cries up in the Montana hills.

9. Kirkpinar Wrestling Festival
Where/When: Kirkpinar, Turkey: end of June/beginning of July

No, this isn't the aftermath of a Scissor Sisters concert, this is wrestling - Turkish-style. In the 14th century two warriors fighting before the Ottoman Sultan sparred so vigorously that they both died of exhaustion. In honour of this devotion, the city of Kirkpinar has held this tournament ever since.

Freakiness rating: High - Its prison rules where anything goes. Contestants can expect ear-pulling, nipple-twisting and (brace yourself) testicle-squeezing. Arrggh!




10. Raging bull
Spain's fighting bulls have lived up to their terrifying reputation, goring two and crushing at least seven people at this year's running of the bulls. Each year, thousands of thrill-seekers gather on the narrow cobbled streets of Pamplona to take part in the sacred San Fermin festival. The event sees bulls run through the city - preceded by crowds of revellers. But be warned, since records began in 1924, 13 people have lost their lives during the run.


Do these guys do this extraordinary events to add spice to their lives or are they just totally crazy? There are many ways to have fun...I guess they found theirs...freaky though!

Health - Cerebral Malaria


A close relation of mine fell ill some time ago. The family didn't tell anyone about her illness because they initially thought it was spiritual.

After taking her to a few hospitals without any doctor being able to tell what was wrong with her, they took her to the Lagos state teaching hospital (luth), where she's presently receiving treatment.

Some days ago, her older sister called my mum to tell her about the situation. The sick patient had asked to see some of us because she was convinced the illness would kill her.

On Wednesday, my mum, my sister and I went to visit her and immediately she saw us, she started crying. We all started crying. Off all the people in her family, she was the closest to us, the one we loved most. And to see her in that situation was extremely hard to take in.

Not only could she not walk, eat, talk audibly, stand, or sit on her back, she was hallucinating. She told us she sees things at night...snakes, lions, witches...all trying to kill her. Her younger brother told us that the hospital staff had to tie her hands and legs the previous night because she woke up the that night screaming uncontrollably. Our dear friend was beginning to loose her mind.

I asked her brother what was wrong with her and they said malaria. Malaria I asked? I've had malaria before and I didn't go mad...what kind of malaria is this? A doctor came before we left and told us it's called CELEBRAL MALARIA. Never heard of it before. Never met anyone who had it...it was hard for me to believe that malaria could paralise and make one go almost insane.

So I decided to go research about this kind of malaria and this was what I found...

Celebral Malaria


What is cerebral malaria?
Cerebral malaria (CM) collectively involves the clinical manifestations of Plasmodium falciparum malaria that induce changes in mental status and coma. It is an acute, widespread disease of the brain which is accompanied by fever.

The mortality ratio is between 25-50%. If a person is not treated, CM is fatal in 24-72 hours. The histopathological hallmark of this encephalopathy is the sequestration of cerebral capillaries and venules with parasitized red blood cells (PRBCs) and non-PRBCs (NPRBCs). Ring-like lesions in the brain are major characteristics.

There is a clear need for a strict definition of cerebral malaria in order to properly diagnose and assess the condition. A pragmatic definition based on the Glasgow Coma Score exists. Its key elements are:
(1) unrousable coma--no localizing response to pain persisting for more than six hours if the patient has experienced a generalized convulsion;
(2) asexual forms of P. falciparum found in blood; and
(3) exclusion of other causes of encephalopathy, i.e. viral or bacterial.


What are the symptoms?
Clinical manifestations of cerebral malaria are numerous, but there are three primary symptoms generally common to both adults and children:
(1) impaired consciousness with non-specific fever;
(2) generalized convulsions and neurological sequelae; and
(3) coma that persists for 24-72 hours, initially rousable and then unrousable.

What is the cause?
The cause of cerebral malaria is not well understood. Currently, there are two major hypotheses explaining its etiology. They are the mechanical and the humoral hypotheses.

The mechanical hypothesis asserts that a specific interaction between a P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein (PfEMP-1) and ligands on endothelial cells, such as ICAM-1 or E-selectin, reduces microvascular blood flow and induces hypoxia. This selective cytoadherence of PRBCs and non-PRBCs, also known as rosetting, can apparently better account for CM’s histopathological hallmark and its characteristic coma condition. However, this hypothesis is inadequate in explaining the relative absence of neurological deficit even after days of unconsciousness.

The humoral hypothesis suggests that a malarial toxin may be released that stimulates macrophages to release TNF-a and other cytokines such as IL-1. The cytokines themselves are not harmful, but they may induce additional and uncontrolled production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide would diffuse through the blood-brain barrier and impose similar changes on synaptic function as do general anesthetics and high concentrations of ethanol, leading to a state of reduced consciousness. The biochemical nature of this interaction would explain the reversibility of coma.

What are possible treatment options?
As cerebral malaria is fatal within days of malaria infection if left untreated, immediate treatment is crucial. Because natural immunity to malaria is not fully understood and thus cannot yet be artificially imitated by drugs, control and prevention strategies are significant. Two of these are antimalarial chemotherapy and adjunctive measures. Public health interventions are also critical.

Chemotherapy for cerebral malaria now primarily involves the use of quinine, for a patient with severe CM must be assumed to have chloroquine resistance. It is one of the four main alkaloids found in the bark of the Cinchona tree and is the only drug which over a long period of time has remained largely effective for treating the disease.

The research revealed alot but I'll stop here. I'm sharing this because people need to know of this kind of illness and treat it as fast as possible. The doctor told me that a lot of people have died from this kind of malaria out of ignorance. They think it's regular malaria and take regular malaria drugs until it's too late.

So if you know or come across anyone with this kind of malaria, please tell them how risky it is not to go see a doctor asap. Let me say here that not all doctors can treat this kind of malaria, you need to go to a specialist hospital...this kind of malaria is rare but deadly. I've seen first hand what this illness can do to someone. She's lucky to be alive.

Please take care of your health.

Thursday 12 July 2007

Beauty - Top ten tips for looking good + grooming tips for men



1. Cleanse, tone and moisturize







2. Start sleeping: Get eight hours a night to keep your skin glowing and eyes sparkling.





3. The hair: Keep it well groomed and regularly neat and tidy






4. The nail: Pedicure and manicure regularly for perfect nails





5. Get gleaming: Brush, floss and polish your teeth for pearly white smile. Go to a dentist to sort any problem







6. Eat healthy: You are what you eat. For good hair, nails, and skin condition, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables



7. Water: Eight glasses a day keeps the doctor away and you looking sensational


8. Go natural: Do not over dress, over make-up, over do anything

9. Do not drink or smoke: Excessive smoking and drinking make you age faster







10. Be happy always: No matter how beautiful you are, a miserable face is always unattractive. Do things and be with people that make you happy. When you're happy, you glow




Shaving tips for men

Before shaving:
First cleanse your face properly using warm or hot water. It will soften the beards and help open up pores.

A healthy dose of moisturizer before shaving is also a good idea

Do not use foams, gels and products that contain agents such as Benzocaine or menthol. They may give a great lather but can really dry and irritate the skin, close your pores and stiffen your beard.


While shaving:
Use hot water while shaving. It helps soften the beards, open pores and cleanse the skin

Make sure your razor is sharp. Old blunt blades spoil a shave and drag the skin.

Always shave in the same direction as hair growth. This prevents in-growth to a large extent.


Do not apply too much pressure on the shaving razor because this will cause skin burns and irritation. Instead, glide it gently across the face.


After shaving:
Finish by rinsing off with cool water. It will close the skin pores

For cuts, use a moistened alum block to stop the bleeding.

Apply a moisturizing aftershave lotion on the shaved areas.

Use a moisturizer over the neck and face to keep the skin firm and supple.

I hope this post was useful to some people. Ciao!

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