Top Ten Benefits of Water

waterEveryone knows that drinking water is a necessary part of life. We always hear warnings of dehydration, but we often fail to take them seriously. Here is a list of ten positive effects that water has on the body:

1.       Drinking water can help you lose weight by ridding the body of the by-products of fat breakdown. Dehydration also often causes hunger, even though the body does not actually need food. Water also has zero calories.

2.       Drinking water is usually an effective way to eliminate headaches.

3.       Your skin needs water in order to stay hydrated and flexible. Healthy skin makes your whole body look healthier.

4.       90% of the brain is water. Staying hydrated will help you stay more focused and alert during the day.

5.       Water regulates your body temperature. If you stay hydrated, you’ll feel more energetic and exercising will become easier, as your body will stay cooler.

6.       Water is directly involved with and aids your metabolism and digestive system.

7.       Proper hydration ensures that your muscles and joints stay lubricated, lessening the chances of cramps and sprains.

8.       Drinking sufficient amounts of water helps your body rid itself of toxins and waste, which can lessen the chances of getting sick.

9.       The cleansing qualities of the water in the body also help to relieve fatigue.

The health benefits of water directly affect the mood– when your body feels healthy, your mind feels healthy

Planetariums Reach for the Stars with New Technologies

Planetariums are a beloved tradition for family outings which are not only highly educational, but usually a lot of fun as well. But considering the incredible progress society has made in the technology of communications in the past 50 years or so, it seems strange that the technology almost every planetarium uses to display the heavens to observers has not changed in any significant ways since its first introduction in 1923, and that is the ‘star ball.’

Now there is a way of supplementing star balls with digital projectors and software, bringing the beauty of the entire universe into the dome shaped screen, the main even at the planetarium in a new and wonderful way.

The inexpensive change, estimated to cost about $38,000, would create a ‘rich and truly interactive experience’ to visitors. The technology is a team project of the University of Washington and Microsoft, and will bring to planetariums all over the U.S. a WorldWide Telescope, foru Sharp XV-Z15000 digital light processing projectors (DLP); a Navitar Screenstar conversion lens; an Nvidia GTX275 video card; and all the cables, switches and seven computers all running Windows 7 with 1TB hard drives and 6GB RAM.

“Planetariums with image resolution of a few million pixels typically cost several hundred thousand dollars,” said Andrew Connolly, team member and University of Washington associate professor of astronomy.

“Our system is about 8 million pixels, but at a fraction of the cost,” he said.

“Their cost is much less than most commercially available systems,” Mark Sonntag, director of the

Angelo State University (ASU) Planetarium.

Winter Health Tips

Winter is the season when many people get sick with flu, colds or coughs. Hence it is important take care of your health during the season of rain and snow. Here are a few winter health tips that guarantee an enjoyable winter:

First, a balanced diet assures proper health throughout the year and winter is no exception. In winter you should emphasize fresh foods and seasonal food items. Make salads with vegetables and fruit and eat healthy carbs and fats. Make sure to eat from a range of different foods so as to ensure that you get the vitamins you need to maximize your immunity and resistance power.

Although it isn’t hot, so you don’t’ feel thirsty, it is just as important to drink plenty of water duing the winter. Hot soups and herbal teas are also a good source of winter fluids.

Exercise! This is especially important in winter as it invigorates the body and develops the immunity system and resistance power of the body to fight the flu, cold and cough and other illnesses that frequent during the winter.

Dress in layers, with protective garments like sweaters and jackets to shield yourself from the cold winds and falling temperatures. Keep your head and feet particularly warm.

Stay warm and healthy and enjoy the winter!

Apple is Looking for Jobs

In an unusual revelation Apple Inc. filed a claim with the controller’s office of the State of California stating that Apple Inc. owes its own CEO, Steve Jobs, property whose value is stated to be $37.91. What that property happens to be is unknown, listed as ‘other’ because, according to the spokesman for the controller, “that item isn’t public record.”

This bizarre situation came to pass due to a law in California which requires that property which has been ‘abandoned or lost’ for more than three years must be transferred to the State, which then takes over the responsibility of contacting the owner of the property and returning it to him.

Adding more strangeness to the already weird situation is the fact that $37.91 is the equivalent of almost 38 years’ worth of Steve Jobs’ salary at Apple. “What?” I hear you asking. The truth be known, but billionaire Jobs takes a yearly salary of $1 per year; with the rest of his income coming in from his collection of generous stock options.

Other corporations also owe Jobs a bit of property here and there. IBM reported that it owes Jobs $21.45 in stock plus and additional $14.30 in property. Even Time Warner, owner of CNN has gotten into the act, apparently owing Steve as much as 20 cents. Maybe you also owe Steve some money? You can file your claim at the controller’s office of the State of California.

Why You Should Drink Orange Juice

Everyone knows that orange juice is the perfect beverage to go with breakfast, and that it is recommended even by doctors. However, the reasons for this are less known.

Orange juice is in fact incredibly healthy, and here’s why:
• It contains a high amount of vitamin C, which is known to significantly boost the immune system and help prevent illnesses.
• Medical studies have shown that OJ can lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, two problems common in middle aged women
• It is rich in antioxidants, which are believed to prevent certain forms of cancer
• It is rich in potassium, which is a significant nutrient of the body.
• It improves blood circulation.
• It contains Folate, a substance involved in the reproduction of new cells, which can help with healing processes.
• It has anti-inflammatory qualities, and may help relieve arthritis-related pain.