While crocodiles, caimans, alligators, and gharials may look alike at first glance, they are distinct species with unique characteristics.
These reptiles belong to the order Crocodylia, but their differences are rooted in anatomy, behaviour, and habitat.
Crocodylidae family
Crocodiles are typically the largest and most aggressive of the group, known for their long, pointed V-shaped snouts and sharp teeth.
They inhabit both freshwater and saltwater environments, which distinguish them from other species.
Found in regions ranging from Africa to Australia, crocodiles are particularly notable for their abilities to live in brackish waters, thanks to specialized salt glands that allow them to excrete excess salt.
Their size varies greatly, with some species growing over 20 feet long.
Alligatordae family
Alligators are generally found in freshwater environments such as rivers, lakes, and swamps.
They have broader, U-shaped snouts and their teeth are less visible when their mouths are closed.
While alligators are mostly found in the southeastern United States and China, they are less aggressive toward humans compared to crocodiles.
The American alligator can grow up to 13-15 feet, though they are smaller on average than their crocodile counterparts.
Caimaninae family
Caimans are closely related to alligators but tend to be smaller.
These reptiles inhabit rivers and wetlands in Central and South America, with several species growing up to 13 feet long, though most remain much smaller.
Caimans have similar U-shaped snouts, but they tend to be more nimble and adaptive in their environment.
They often coexist with other reptiles, including crocodiles, in tropical regions.
Gavialidae family
Gharials stand apart from the other three due to their distinctive, long, narrow snouts, which are highly specialized for catching fish.
Native to the Indian subcontinent, gharials are mostly found in rivers, where they are excellent swimmers.
These reptiles are highly endangered, with fewer than 250 individuals remaining in the wild.
Their long, slender snouts, lined with sharp teeth, are a unique adaptation for a diet focused primarily on aquatic prey.
Diet
All four are carnivorous, but gharials primarily eat fish, while the others are more opportunistic feeders with broader diets, including larger land animals.
Each of these reptiles plays an important role in their respective ecosystems, maintaining a balance in both freshwater and coastal habitats.
Thirteen people have died in flooding and landslides in El Salvador and Guatemala as heavy rains pound Central America, authorities from the two countries said.
In El Salvador, the hardest hit country so far, five people died Monday in a landslide in the western district of Tacuba, in the department of Ahuachapan, Civil Defence chief Luis Amaya said.
Those deaths follow two fatalities recorded on Sunday after a tree and a pole fell on a car that was travelling on a highway in the capital.
Another four people were killed in flooding and landslides between Friday and Sunday, Amaya added.
On Sunday, Congress approved a state of emergency to facilitate the mobilisation of resources.
President Nayib Bukele said on X that he had asked Congress to make Tuesday a federal holiday to avoid commutes and “reduce the risk of tragedies.”
Rains have been slamming both countries since Saturday.
In Guatemala, a 59-year-old woman and a 68-year-old man died on Sunday in the village of Chacaya, in the western municipality of Sacapulas, when they were buried by a collapsed wall, authorities said.
Dozens to hundreds die each year in Central America as the rainy season leaves extensive damage to countries’ infrastructure.
Additionally, the death toll from a landslide in Ecuador rose from six to seven people, with 22 others injured, authorities said Monday.
The landslide was triggered by heavy rains in the tourist Tungurahua province in southern Ecuador.
Now and then, her right hand swings to her head, scratching away at her hair vigorously.
Her target is louse (plural lice), the common name for any member of the clade Phthiraptera, which contains nearly 5,000 species of wingless parasitic insects.
Lice easily find the hair of children habitable as most of them play with sand, making it dirty, hence breeding lice.
Though, head lice can affect anyone but occur most often among children between the ages of 3 to 11years old.
And most times children with bushy unkempt hair are susceptible to having hair lice.
Yoruba call hair lice, ina-ori, Hausas call it kurajen gashi, and is known as ntutu isi by Igbo.
Hair lice feed on blood from the human scalp.
VeryWell Health
According to experts, the insects usually spread through direct transfer from the hair of one person to another in cases where sharing of items including combs, brushes and hats are involved.
The most common symptom of head lice is itching, especially on the back of the head and neck and near your ears — areas where lice are more likely to live.
Symptoms of head lice include:
• Feeling like something in your hair is moving (tickling).
• Itching.
• Sores from itching and scratching.
• Difficulty sleeping.
Head lice are most active at night, which can disrupt sleep.
Frequent itching can break the skin on your head, which can lead to an infection.
Head lice can’t fly or jump, so they spread by crawling from person to person during close contact. Although rare, head lice can spread through personal items like towels, sheets, hairbrushes or hats.
To prevent hair lice however, it is imperative people keep their hair clean always while shunning the attitude of sharing instruments like combs, brushes etc
You can check for lice at home if you suspect your child has head lice by running a fine-toothed comb or a special head lice comb slowly through your child’s hair to locate nits or head lice.
Lice Doctors
Lice Home Remedies
There are quite a few natural options that you can choose from when treating your household for lice.
Many of these options work well in the form of a hair mask and shampoo, and all options work best if followed with an apple cider vinegar rinse and a daily combing with a good nit comb to remove any eggs that might be left on your scalp.
Lice eggs take 7 days to hatch, so it’s important to be consistent with these treatments and comb for at least 7 days to be sure that you haven’t missed any eggs.
Olive Oil/Coconut Oil
Gentle, conditioning of the hair, and antibacterial, coconut and olive oil make great natural options to rid the scalp of lice and the itching they cause.
Carrier oils are most commonly used to get rid of lice by combining them with essential oils, which are then applied to the hair and left on for hours to smother and kill all of the adult lice. After shampooing the oil out of the hair, it is best to follow with a raw apple cider vinegar rinse and comb with a nit comb.
Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar
While it won’t kill the adult lice, raw apple cider vinegar is the perfect conditioning rinse to use after any of the other natural lice treatments chosen for use. Raw apple cider vinegar is acidic enough to break the glue that binds lice eggs, kills baby lice (called nits), and repel any lice from wanting to live on thehead. After shampooing, spray apple cider vinegar rinse onto the head, completely saturating hair and scalp. Do not rinse out. Follow with a nit comb on wet hair.
Aloe Vera Gel
This stuff rocks in so many ways for the hair, but yet another use of it is to help kill lice on the head (read more ways to use aloe vera here). Just like the carrier oils, aloe vera gel can be used to smother and kill lice. Not only will it condition the hair, but its acidity level also helps to remove the nit eggs. Apply to the hair just as you would the carrier oils, cover the head with a shower cap and letting dry completely before rinsing. Follow with raw apple cider vinegar rinse and comb with a nit comb.
Soapnuts
Soapnut liquid can be used to shampoo and soak the hair, helping to rid your scalp of lice. When used frequently during an outbreak of lice, soapnuts can also be effective lice repellent. Follow with a raw apple cider vinegar rinse and a nit comb after application. Check out my DIY Herbal Goddess Soapnuts Shampoo recipe!
Lemon Juice/Lemon Peel Tea
Just like apple cider vinegar, lemon juice is very acidic and can help loosen and remove eggs and nits from the scalp. The peel of lemons and oranges contains their essential oils. These two citrus essential oils are rich in the chemical constituent d-limonene, a fabulous insecticide that will dissolve the husk of all bugs, good or bad. I use sweet orange essential oil when cleaning my home during the summer to keep fleas away!
Essential Oils
There are many essential oils that can be used to help prevent and kill lice, many of which have been specifically tested for use against lice and lice eggs.
Essential oils that have shown a high percentage of effectiveness are anise seed, cinnamon leaf, tea tree, oregano, red thyme, sweet orange, clove, eucalyptus, geranium, lemongrass, peppermint, and nutmeg.
Essential oils are extremely potent combinations of chemical constituents and great care should be taken when using them. Not all essential oils are safe for all ages, so if treating for lice on children, it is important to make sure that extra precautions are taken for safe use. Do not use essential oils on anyone without diluting them in oil first.
Crickets are medium-sized to large insects. Like their relatives the grasshoppers and katydids, they have chewing mouth parts, and their back legs are larger and stronger than the other two pair.
They have rounded heads, antennae that are long and thin, and their wings bend down on the sides of their body. Unlike katydids, crickets often look flat, or at least the top of their body is flattened.
Cricket called “Irẹ̀” in Yorùbá Language, Kurket in Hausa and Mbụzụ/Abụzụ in Igbo Languages.
Unknowingly to many, edible crickets are packed with numerous nutritional values.
Although, small in size, they are packed mighty nutritional punches.
Crickets are a good source of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and fiber and may help promote gut health.
Also, they could be a more environmentally friendly protein source than other animal proteins such as chicken.
In addition to protein, crickets are high in many other nutrients, including fat, calcium, potassium, zinc, magnesium, copper, folate, biotin, pantothenic acid, and iron.
Report shows that the iron content of crickets is 180% higher than that of beef; crickets were higher in calcium and the B vitamin riboflavin than meat products like chicken, pork, and beef.
Interestingly, crickets are a rich source of fiber, a nutrient that other sources of animal protein lack.
Additionally, crickets provide fat, mostly in the form of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Studies have linked these to health benefits, including improvements in risk factors for heart disease.
Farming insects such as crickets for food may be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than raising animals such as chicken, pigs, and cattle.
For example, some reports showed that broiler chickens were associated with 89% higher greenhouse gas emissions than crickets, per unit of edible protein produced.
According to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), livestock account for 14.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
Reducing your red meat intake and replacing it with more sustainable options like insect or plant protein is a smart way to help the environment.
Including insects as part of the diet may help industrialized countries create a more sustainable food system and make a dent in greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to protein, crickets contain 2.2x more iron than and more calcium than milk, gram for gram, as well as being packed with B-vitamins.
Omega-3s don’t only come in oily fish, either.
This amazing insect is a dense source of omega-3s, rich in essential fatty acids that help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis.
Omega-3s can also assist memory and cognitive performance.
Crickets are no doubt then true super-food, and it’s time they are rediscovered.
In Sichuan province, in Southwestern China, there is a village shrouded in tales and mysteries, which has baffled even the most dedicated scientists.
The reason is one: in Yangsi almost half of the residents are dwarfs.
While the condition itself may not be uncommon, it is the sheer number of people affected by it that leaves many scholars perplexed.
At one point, around 120 dwarfs were even spotted, which simply could not be a matter of chance. After all, it’s not like all the dwarves in China moved to this village (like they do in Kunming). In fact, they were all born and raised in Yangsi.
Today, 36 of the 80 residents are dwarfs. The tallest is about 1.16 metres high and the shortest is 0.64. The explanation, however, is still neither certain nor consensual.
According to village elders, life in Yangsi used to be peaceful and “normal” until it was “ruined” a few years ago when a “terrible” disease hit the region. It mainly affected children aged between 5 and 7, who simply stopped growing. Some residents, however, claim that the area’s poor feng shui is responsible for the stunted growth.
Others say that when the Japanese invaded China, they released toxic gases that caused this problem. However, during the Japanese invasion, Japanese soldiers did not actually reach Yangsi Village.
From examining the inhabitants to testing the area’s soil and water, scientists tried every possible method to come up with an answer but found nothing out of the ordinary. A single rational explanation has never been discovered for why this isolated village should have such an intense rate of stunting.
There are several theories for the origin of the phenomenon.
As a result, several rather strange theories have emerged, we would say. The most bizarre of all, in fact, involvesthe curse of a black turtle.
According to legend, a black turtle with strange feet was spotted by a man named Wang. Undecided whether to let it go or capture it, the villagers ended up killing the turtle, roasted and feasted on it.
It was then that it all began; the inhabitants then began to believe that it was the turtle’s curse that brought wrath upon the children and future generations.
Still, there is, in fact, nothing to prove it, especially because the village itself and its secrets remained hidden from the world for a long time.
This is because, although the Chinese government has never denied the existence of the village, it has also never authorised any foreigner to visit it. Although the condition was officially recorded in 1951, all that exists from the previous time period are a few photographs of the natives andsome very bizarre rumours.
Today, many of the oldest residents are up to 80 centimetres tall, the new generation appears to be unaffected by the strange phenomenon of dwarfism. Still, several inhabitants left the region live in fear of being affected by the strange condition.
Long-chain fatty acids (saturated and unsaturated).
Squalene.
Wax esters.
Alcohol esters.
Healthy earwax ranges in colour and may be:
Off-white.
Yellow.
Orange.
Light brown.
Dark brown.
Earwax has many purposes. For example, it:
Acts as a waterproof lining for the ear canal.
Carries dead skin cells and other debris out of the ears.
Traps dirt and dust.
Prevents the ears from drying out.
Protects against bacterial and fungal infections.
Two types of glands in the ear canal work together to make earwax:
Sebaceous glands: Attached to tiny hair follicles inside the ears, these tiny glands secrete (release) an oily, lubricating substance called sebum. Sebum lubricates the skin and keeps the ears from drying out.
Ceruminous glands: These glands are modified sweat glands. They secrete peptides and antimicrobial proteins that protect the ears.
Like other secretions, it is something that most of us deal with in private.
Yet, it also holds a fascination for many.
In the past, it has been used as a lip balm and salve for puncture wounds.
But it can do a little more than that. Recent research suggests it can indicate a build-up of pollutants in the body and it could even be used to diagnose certain conditions.
The cells inside the ear canal are unique in the human body, they migrate. “You could put an ink dot on the eardrum and watch it move over a few weeks and it would be ‘carried out’ by the movement of the cells.”
This movement also propels the wax produced by the modified sweat glands which line the ear canal towards the outside.
It’s thought that normal movements of the jaw through eating and talking assist with this movement.
Between 1,000 to 2,000 glands produce anti-microbial peptides whilst sebaceous glands close to hair cells add into the mix alcohols, an oily substance called squalene, cholesterol and triglyceride.
The production of earwax doesn’t vary much between men and women, young or old but in one small study, external its triglyceride content decreased from November to July.
Earwax, like many other bodily secretions, can show traces of certain toxins in the body such as heavy metals. But it’s an odd place to look and no more reliable than a simple blood test.
There are also some rare metabolic disorders that affect earwax. The most notable earwax scientific discovery of recent times is that of a 24cm wax earplug from a blue whale, external.
Healthy ears contain wax, which is produced by a special lining in the ear canal. Wax protects the tissues, and helps prevent infection by trapping micro-organisms, dirt and other irritants.
Wax is constantly travelling towards the outer ear where it can drop out. This process may take a couple of months to complete.
The normal amount of wax produced can vary from person to person. Sometimes wax builds up in the ear and requires treatment.
Symptoms of wax build up
The symptoms of a wax build-up within the ear can include:
In most cases, blockage of the ear canal with wax is harmless.
Risk factors for ear wax blockage
Some people are more prone to ear wax blockage than others. Reasons for this include:
a tendency to produce a lot of ear wax
narrow ear canals
hairy ear canals
overzealous cleaning with fingertips or cotton buds, which pushes wax further down the canals
working in dusty or dirty environments
Inflammatory conditions of the skin or scalp.
Minimise ear wax build-up
It is not possible to reduce the amount of ear wax you produce or to widen your ear canals. However, there are ways to reduce the incidence of wax build-up, including:
Avoid cleaning the ear canals with cotton buds or fingertips, as any object poked into the ear can compact the wax and cause damage to the ear canal.
Use wax-softening drops or olive oil twice a week, or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Limit ear cleaning to the outer ear only.
Treat any associated inflammatory skin conditions.
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south.
With a population of 3.17 million people and more than 80 million livestock animals, Mongolia is the world’s second-largest producer of cashmere wool.
Surprisingly, despite the country’s sparse population, Mongolia Produces 50 percent of the world’s cashmere.
The report states that Mongolia has 30 million goats and because of the cold weather and spacious nature, the goats grow the best hair in the world.
The fur from the goats is taken to the factory to be transformed into cashmere, the fur is cleaned, dried, and knitted and the final product is cashmere.
Cashmere is one of the softest, smother warmest, most breathable, and long-lasting fabrics in the world.
This ancient fiber has long been associated with luxury, with earliest documented usage dating back to the 18th century, when Cashmere shawls were being exported to the Western world, particularly France and Britain.
In the 13th century, several caves were discovered in Mongolia, with representations of wild goats domesticated by man. It is very likely that even in earlier centuries, cashmere goats were raised by herders not only for their meat but also for their warm wool.
Today, the global demand for cashmere has been growing steadily across all sectors of the market, especially in Europe, where Italy and the UK are the main importers from China and Mongolia.
The cashmere sector is contributing to 5% of the Mongolian GDP and about 100 textile industries (95 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) are providing more than 20,000 jobs to people, mostly in the capital city.
The increase in consumers’ spending on luxury goods has, however, brought significant negative social, environmental, and economic impacts on the environment, herders, producers, and buyers.
Still, in the transition towards a free market, Mongolian herders face difficulties in adjusting their productive systems to create value, preserve their natural resources, and altogether secure their livelihoods and resilience.
Loss of traditional know-how on collective rangeland management, collapsing extension services, lack of market opportunities, and dysfunctional value chains have contributed to an under-performing livestock sector.
To cope with economic uncertainties, herders have adopted a quantitative strategy, increasing their herds’ size as a safety net for food and livelihoods.
As of 2020, herd size is estimated at 80+ million while carrying capacity is estimated at 45 million.
Its venom is so dreadful that even larger prey animals like water buffaloes may succumb to their wounds after escaping an initial attack from it.
This venom prevents a prey’s blood from clotting, causing massive blood loss and induces shock.
This is what an encounter with the Komodo dragon can lead to!
The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo monitor, is a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae
They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails, reaching up to 10 feet in length and more than 300 pounds, Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth.
The dragon is the largest extant species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 m (9.8 ft), and weighing up to 70 kg (150 lb).
As a result of their size, Komodo dragons are apex predators, and dominate the ecosystems in which they live.
Komodo dragons hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals.
Komodo dragons’ group behavior in hunting is exceptional in the reptile world.
Komodo dragons have thrived in the harsh climate of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years.
They prefer the islands’ tropical forests but can be found across the islands.
Though these athletic reptiles can walk up to seven miles per day, they prefer to stay close to home, rarely venturing far from the valleys in which they hatch.
The diet of Komodo dragons mainly consists of Javan rusa (Rusa timorensis), though they also eat considerable amounts of carrion. Komodo dragons also occasionally attack humans.
Once a year, when they’re ready to mate, female Komodo dragons give off a scent in their feces for males to follow. When a male dragon locates a female, he scratches her back and licks her body. If she licks him back, they mate.
Males also sometimes wrestle one another to earn mating rights. Pregnant females then lay about 30 eggs, which they bury in the earth until they hatch eight months later.
When there aren’t any males around, female Komodo dragons have other means of reproducing: As they have both male and female sex chromosomes, female dragons can reproduce asexually in a process called parthenogenesis.
Mating begins between May and August, and the eggs are laid in September; as many as 20 eggs are deposited at a time in an abandoned megapode nest or in a self-dug nesting hole.
The eggs are incubated for seven to eight months, hatching in April, when insects are most plentiful.
Young Komodo dragons are vulnerable and dwell in trees to avoid predators, such as cannibalistic adults.
They take 8 to 9 years to mature and are estimated to live up to 30 years.
Komodo dragons were first recorded by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation make them popular zoo exhibits.
In the wild, their range has contracted due to human activities, and is likely to contract further from the effects of climate change, due to this, they are listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
They are protected under Indonesian law, and Komodo National Park was founded in 1980 to aid protection efforts.
Palm oil has been used in the skincare industry for many years due to its numerous benefits for the skin.
Palm oil has been used for beauty treatments for thousands of years, and is found in many products today, from soaps and shampoos to cosmetics and lotions.
Red palm oil can be applied directly to the skin while doing a light massage, and a little water can be added to make the substances in it work optimally.
Regular massaging of the body and face while applying red palm oil, can also help lock in moisture.
However, remember that red palm oil could leave yellowish stains on clothes or furniture in your home, so you should be careful when using it.
In addition to body and facial skincare, palm oil can also be used for hair care. You can apply a spoonful of red palm oil to your hair and use it as a mask before shampooing, as it can help protect your hair from sun exposure and exposure to chlorine, salt, or other harmful substances.
Apart from being used as a mask, it can also be used as a conditioner after shampoo or hair vitamins is applied when hair is half dry.
This treatment can also make your hair feel soft. If you have curly hair, red palm oil is also great for your hair.
Before palm oil is processed, it is yellowish-red in colour, which indicates a high carotenoid content.
Carotenoids are one of the most potent substances in protecting your skin from the sun and preventing exposure to UV radiation.
According to the US National Centre for Biotechnology Information, (NCBI), palm oil is one the most abundant natural sources of tocotrienols and tocopherols, part of vitamin E.
Red palm oil also contains Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a natural antioxidant in every human body cell that declines with age. Therefore, increasing the intake of CoQ10 in skin care can help prevent premature aging and make skin look healthy.
Research has shown that CoQ10 can also protect the skin and increase elasticity and collagen content in the skin, which is why it is a popular ingredient in body and facial skincare products.
Benefits of Palm Oil for Skin
Moisturizing: Palm oil is a rich source of vitamin E, which is known for its moisturizing properties. It helps to nourish and hydrate the skin, leaving it soft and supple.
Anti-aging: Palm oil contains antioxidants that help to protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals can accelerate the aging process, leading to wrinkles and fine lines.
Healing: Palm oil contains beta-carotene, which is converted into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is essential for skin health and helps to promote healing of the skin.
Cleansing: Palm oil can be used as a natural cleanser to remove dirt and impurities from the skin. It is gentle on the skin and does not strip the skin of its natural oils.
Skincare Products that use Palm Oil
Soap: Palm oil is commonly used in soap production due to its cleansing and moisturizing properties. It helps to create a rich lather and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth.
Body lotion: Palm oil is a common ingredient in body lotions and creams due to its moisturizing properties. It helps to hydrate the skin and lock in moisture, leaving the skin feeling soft and supple.
Lip balm: Palm oil is used in lip balm production due to its moisturizing properties. It helps to nourish and hydrate the lips, leaving them soft and smooth.
Sunscreen: Palm oil is used in sunscreen production as it helps to protect the skin from UV damage. It also helps to keep the skin hydrated and prevent dryness.
Palm oil has numerous benefits for the skin, including moisturizing, anti-ageing, healing, and cleansing.
However, it is important to use organic and sustainable palm oil in skincare products to ensure that its production is environmentally and socially responsible.
There are a number of brands of palm oil on the market. These include Omnl, 100% pure unrefined red palm oil with a rich, authentic taste with no artificial additives; traverse bay bath and body palm oil, an organic palm oil, also perfect for crafting skincare products; chanty Manteca de Corojo palm oil, with moisturizing properties and delightful scent, the ideal choice for natural skincare solution.
Claim: A Facebook user, Very Dark Man, has claimed that a two-headed man has arrived in Nigeria.
Verdict: Misleading. Available findings showed that the image is an artistic work produced by Onilogbo Hakeem Effect for a movie scene in the Anikulapo series, Rise of the Spectre.
Full Text
Nigeria has creative customs and artistic talents among its citizens. The concept of art can be found in how humans express their feelings, knowledge, and ideas. Sometimes, it is used for creative expressions in movies.
On March 6, 2024, a Facebook user, Very Dark Man, recently posted an image of a two-headed man claiming that he had just arrived in Nigeria.
Screenshot from Very dark Man Facebook page
Source : Very Dark Man page
A screenshot of the post on the Very Dark Man page on Facebook on March 5, 2024. Indications on the profile picture show that the profile is not for the popular Very Dark Man.
“See Gobe! Man wey get two heads don land for Naija! Wonders no go ever finish Dem don discover a man with two heads for Naija. Some people dey talk say na film scene, but we never sabi for sure. Dis tori don scatter ground. We go update una as e dey unfold. Video on my Facebook stories,” he said.
The post has received several engagements, including 998 likes, 416 comments, and 118 shares.
While some readers do not believe the assertion, some appear to think that it might be true.
Patience Peter commented: “Wetin I they see for India don reach Nigeria. God abeg ooo” suggesting belief in the narrative.
Another commentator, Phina Ebi said: “Conjoin twins.”
Due to some readers’ comments that suggest that they believed the narrative, DUBAWA conducted this verification to set the record straight.
Verification
DUBAWA investigation revealed that the artwork originated from famous pyrotechnics and a prop expert, Onilogbo Hakeem Effect. He posted the image on his Facebook page on March 5, 2024, and a video of the art on his Instagram page. The video background also reflected a movie scene, and Hakeem Effect’s caption revealed it is an artistic work for Kunle Afolayan’s movie Anikulapo Series.
“Anikulapo series of the spectre, if you can think the impossibilities @hakeemeffect will bring to life. Thanks to Kunle Afo for thinking out of the box,” part of the Onilogbo Hakeem Effect caption with the video reads.
Hakeem Effects [Hakeem Onilogbo Ajibola] is a Nollywood make-up artist specialising in special effects. He is also the founder and chief Executive of “Trick International,” a special effects and prosthetics company serving a range of productions in the Nollywood Film Industry. He has worked on films like Omo ghetto, King of Boys, and the Sagaf. One of his latest works was on the Anikulapo film.
“Anikulapo: Rise of the Spectre” is a six-part epic TV mini-series based on the successful 2022 movie “Anikulapo”, directed and produced by Kunle Afolayan. The film was launched on Netflix on March 1, in over 190 countries across the globe.
Conclusion
The images in question do not depict a two-headed man arriving in Nigeria. It is an artistic work, used to represent a character in the Anikulapo series. The claim is, therefore, misleading.
The researcher produced this fact-check for the DUBAWA 2024 Kwame KariKari Fellowship, in partnership with Olufisoye Adenitan, FRCN positive fm Akure Ondo state Nigeria, to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.
Hug is a physical embrace of one another in a way of showing pleasantries, calming down a distressed person, showing affection, among others.
People hug in places such as churches, open places, corporate environments, to mention but a few.
According to research, the effect of a hug builds trust, a sense of safety and belonging.
This helps with open and honest communication.
Hugs instantly boosts oxytocin levels, which heals feelings of loneliness, rejection, isolation, and anger.
Medical findings show that holding a hug for an extended time lifts serotonin levels, and also elevates mood.
The psychology behind hugs tells us that, when we hug, our bodies release oxytocin, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that increases bonding, social behavior and closeness between humans that have trust for one another.
Hug builds confidence, and also creates unexplainable happiness in human.
Is hugging an opposite sex unacceptable in the society?
A particular thing could have different meanings to different people, however, from this perspective, hugging an opposite sex is not an offense.
It varies, in western countries, to them, hug is a norm, while some countries frown at it, on religious grounds, instead, they shake hands and peg it there.
Therefore, some men love hugging beautiful women, which they feel makes them feel so good emotionally.
Some men just hug because, it is in their normal act of greeting either the opposite sex or the same gender.
Handsome man embracing woman calms in difficult moment. Husband hugging wife relieves stress from work or health. Friends and couple relationship concept.
According to the explanation above, hug is not a crime except it is done otherwise.
Kissing Humans is the pucker up for all kinds of reasons.
We kiss for love, to say hello and goodbye touch or caress with the lips as a sign of love, sexual desire, or greeting.
Benefits
Healthier mouth – saliva contains substances that fight bacteria, viruses and fungi. Deep kissing increases the flow of saliva, which helps to keep the mouth, teeth and gums healthy. Increased immunity – exposure to germs that inhabit your partner’s mouth strengthens your immune system.
It helps fight cholesterol: Kissing can have a positive impact on your blood lipid levels, according to researchers at the Western Journal of Communication. They say that romantic kissing can decrease serum cholesterol and increase overall relationship satisfaction for couples.
Kissing helps you ascertain how smart your partner is: Sloppy kisses enable you to assess if the person you’re kissing is a potential mate, according to research conducted by Oxford University. Scientists say the chemical makeup of saliva helps your body decide if the person you’re kissing will produce strong offspring.
You experience an adrenaline rush: When you kiss someone for the first time, your body will release a burst of adrenaline (the fight-or-flight chemical) which increases your heart rate, boosts your energy levels and gets the blood flowing.
Plenty of happy chemicals areproduced: It’s not just adrenaline and oxytocin that your body produces. Other chemicals come flooding in too, making you feel happy afterwards. A Harvard professor of psychology, Justin Lehmiller, says when you kiss, your brain is flooded with dopamine — the very same chemical that is released when you do those things that you enjoy doing a lot.
Advantages of kissing
The act of kissing leads to the body producing endorphins or happiness hormones, meaning that the two kissers feel happy and relaxed. Kissing also helps to reduce the body’s cortisol levels, thus indirectly reducing stress
Why should we kiss onthe lips?
Emotional bonding: Lip kissing induces the release of the hormone oxytocin, which has been linked to feelings of affection and attachment with other people. It can help nurture healthy long-term relationships.
Why kissing is important to a woman?
Kissing triggers your brain to release a cocktail of chemicals that leave you feeling oh-so-good by igniting the pleasure centres of the brain.
“Kissing influences neurotransmitters and hormones like oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which also play a significant role in our relationships,” Kirshenbaum says. Oxytocin, for example, is linked with feelings of closeness, intimacy, and security. Showing affection with people you love can boost oxytocin.
Kissing can transmit many germs, including those that cause cold sores, glandular fever and tooth decay. Saliva can transmit various diseases, which means that kissing is a small but significant health risk. It’s not all doom and gloom. Research into passionate kissing has uncovered many valuable health benefits.
Whenever we think of kissing a person, the risk of getting a disease never crosses our minds. A kiss is a display of affection and we hardly associate it with contracting health conditions. Perhaps, this is because the prevalent ideology only bewares us of having sex with someone we don’t know the medical history of. But even before we go for kissing, there’s a need for a similar knowledge. This is because the following health conditions could follow a kiss with an unhealthy person.
What are the side effects of the first kiss?
Influenza
Influenza can be transmitted through an infected person. This can happen when one comes in contact with mucus or saliva. Typically such contact can occur in three ways: sneezing, coughing or kissing. Symptoms include muscle aches, headache, sore throat and fever.
Herpes
Herpes can be transmitted through kissing and can end up giving you cold sores in and around the mouth.
Syphilis
This is another disease that can spread through physical contact, such as kissing and sexual activities. Syphilis can also give you mouth sores. But this is an infection that can be controlled with the help of antibiotics.
Gum diseases
Even though gum diseases do not spread through kissing, the bad bacteria that cause the disease can. Therefore, flossing and brushing are your best buds.
You experience an adrenaline rush: When you kiss someone for the first time, your body will release a burst of adrenaline (the fight-or-flight chemical) which increases your heart rate, boosts your energy levels and gets the blood flowing.
It can expose you to nasty bacteria that make you feel miserable.
“Mouths can serve as a transmission route for germs because there is a close connection with the gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, and these are common sites of infections for germs,” explains Kelly Reynolds, PhD, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona’s Zuckerman College of Public Health. And that goes for people who seem perfectly healthy since humans can shed pathogens through saliva for a few days before and after experiencing symptoms.
As you might imagine, open-mouthed kissing is particularly icky: It transfers more germs than closed-mouth kissing, and the more germs you’re exposed to, the more likely you are to get sick, according to Reynolds.
While not kissing anyone at all is the best protection, simply not kissing people who have a fever (a telltale sign they’re contagious), seem run down, or feel like they’re getting sick can also help. Otherwise, kissing could mean you get a strep or staph bacterial infection, or in some cases, a cold or the flu (although you’re more likely to contract those from inhaling the particles an infected person expels when they cough since germs suspended in the air are more likely to be inhaled deep into the respiratory passage, according to Reynolds).
It can spread viruses like mononucleosis and meningitis that can put you out for weeks, if not months, Bacterial meningitis usually spreads through kissing
They’re two of the most commonly transmitted pathogens via kissing, according to Reynolds. Since the mono virus can persist and cause symptoms like extreme fatigue for upward of six months in some people, and meningitis, the inflammation of the membranes surrounding your brain and spinal cord, can last up to 10 days, sometimes causing permanent and even life-threatening damage, neither conditions are remotely desirable.
It can lead to cold sores.
Kissing can spread cold sores, an infection caused by the herpes virus that’s marked by fluid-filled blisters around the mouth. Since the virus can be contagious regardless of whether sores are visible, kissing someone who doesn’t appear to be affected can still lead to a mouth infection.
It can expose you to blood-borne viruses like HIV.
Kissing can lead to transmission on the off-chance that both you and an infected partner happen to have tears in your gums, which can be caused by brushing too hard, aggressive flossing, or early stages of gingivitis, all of which create an opportunity for blood to be exchanged, according to Reynolds.
It can cause cavities.
Because kissing can expose you to bacteria found in your partner’s dental plaque and cavities, according to Reynolds, cavities are considered contagious. And that’s regardless of whether a partner’s breath seems minty fresh since anyone you kiss can pass an oral infection.
Archaeologists in Turkey say they have discovered the world’s oldest known bread, dating back to 6600 BC.
A largely destroyed oven structure was found in an area called “Mekan 66,” where there are adjoining mudbrick houses, at the archaeological site of Çatalhöyük in the southern Turkish province of Konya, according to Turkey’s Necmettin Erbakan University Science and Technology Research and Application Center (BİTAM).
Around the oven, archaeologists found wheat, barley, pea seeds and a palm-sized, round, “spongy” residue, it said in a press release Wednesday.
Analyses determined that the organic residue was 8,600-year-old, uncooked, fermented bread.
“We can say that this find at Çatalhöyük is the oldest bread in the world,” archaeologist Ali Umut Türkcan, head of the Excavation Delegation and an associate professor at Anadolu University in Turkey, told Turkish state news outlet Anadolu Agency Wednesday.
“It is a smaller version of a loaf of bread. It has a finger pressed in the center, it has not been baked, but it has been fermented and has survived to the present day with the starches inside. There is no similar example of something like this to date,” he added.
Scanning electron microscope images showed air spaces in the sample, with the sighting of starch grains “eliminating our suspicions,” biologist Salih Kavak, a lecturer at Gaziantep University in Turkey, said in the release.
He added that analyses uncovered chemicals found in plants and indicators of fermentation. Flour and water had been mixed in, with the bread having been prepared next to the oven and kept for a while.
“It is an exciting discovery for Turkey and the world,” Kavak said.
The organic matter – both wood and bread – was preserved by thin clay that covered the structure, according to Türkcan.
Çatalhöyük, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was home to approximately 8,000 people during the Neolithic period, between around 10,000 BC to 2,000 BC, and is one of the world’s first places of urbanization, according to BITAM.
Research at the well-preserved site has revealed distinctive housing layouts and extensive features such as wall paintings and reliefs – causing it to be considered “the most significant human settlement documenting early settled agricultural life of a Neolithic community,” according to the UNESCO website.
“Çatalhöyük was already the center of many firsts. The world’s first weavings were already in Çatalhöyük when it was excavated. Wooden artifacts were also in Çatalhöyük. Wall paints and paintings were added to this. Konya and Turkey are very lucky in this sense,” Türkcan said.
People have kept camels for more than 4,000 years and still depend on them for survival all over the world.
There are over 160 words for camel in Arabic alone. There are two types of camels: One humped or “dromedary” camels and two-humped Bactrian camels.
Camels have three sets of eyelids and two rows of eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes.
Camels have thick lips which let them forage for thorny plants other animals can’t eat.
Camels can completely shut their nostrils during sandstorms.
Thanks to thick pads of skin on their chest and knees, camels can comfortably sit in very hot sand.
Their humps let them store up to 80 pounds of fat which they can live off for weeks and even months!
When a camel finally does find water, he can drink up to 40 gallons in one go.
Camels are very strong and can carry up to 900 pounds for 25 miles a day.
The camel can survive up to eight days in 50-degree temperatures without eating or drinking-circumstances that would kill a human in 36 hours.
It usually drinks 4 times in the summer and only once in the winter. Most of the time, the camel is in a state of dehydration but when it gets hydrated, its physiological system quickly adapts to the massive change in body volume.
When the camel does find a source of water it stores it up. Camels can drink up to a third of their body weight of water in ten minutes meaning up to 130 litres in one go.
What is in Camel’s Hump? Contrary to common beliefs, the camel doesn’t store water in the humps, but they consist of about 40 kg of fat! Concentrating body fat in their humps minimizes heat evaporation and creates insulation throughout the rest of their body.
When this tissue is metabolized, it acts as a source of energy and yields more than 1 g of water for each 1 g of fat converted through reaction with oxygen from air.
This process of fat metabolization generates a net loss of water through respiration for the oxygen required to convert the fat.
Camels can travel at up to 40 miles per hour, the same as a racehorse!
Don’t make a camel angry, they can spit as a way to distract whatever they think is a threat camels carry their calves up to 14 months before giving birth.
Some calves are born completely white and turn brown as their adult coat comes in.
Numerous anatomical and physical adaptations have allowed the camel to survive the incredibly harsh environment of the desert.
Heat storage within the body of the camel, selective brain cooling, fur, concentrated urine from unique kidneys, adaptations in the respiratory system, special physical features, unique blood consistency and hormones all serve as important characteristics for the camel in terms of thermo-regulation.
The camel increases its body temperature during the scorching heat of the day.
That way it minimizes water loss from evaporation. At night it cools its body temperature down to 7 degrees Celsius, saving almost 5 litres of water this way.
To protect the brain from overheating, the camel has an ‘air conditioning” system installed.
Special Features The camel’s red blood cells have an oval shape, unlike those of other mammals which are circular. This is to facilitate their flow in a dehydrated state.
These cells are also more stable to withstand high osmotic variation without rupturing when drinking large amounts of water. WOW!
The kidneys of the camel of course play an important role in water conservation.
They have a special shape being able to produce very concentrated urine thus increasing water retention. The concentration of the camel’s urine is higher than seawater, it resembles syrup in consistency.
This also enables the camels to drink salty water without problems. Also, the levels of hormones responsible for water levels significantly increase in the dehydrated camel.
Most of the food sources in the desert are dry and thorny so the camel’s digestive system has been created according to these harsh conditions.
The animal’s teeth and lips are constructed to enable it to eat even sharp thorns with ease. Its stomach, which has a special design of its own, is strong enough to digest almost all plants found in the desert.
How Camels Survive in Sandstorms The eyelids of the camel protect the animal’s eyes from dust and grains of sand.
However, they are also transparent and that enables it to see even with its eyes closed which would come in handy amid a sandstorm. Its long, thick eyelashes are created to prevent dust from getting into the eyes.
There is also a special design in the camel’s nose. When sandstorms blow, it closes its nostrils with special lids. The nostrils are also designed to reduce loss of water through respiration with a unique cooling system and nasal passages that can absorb water that passes through them.
The camel’s feet are specially created for the desert so that it doesn’t get stuck in the sand even if it is carrying hundreds of kilo loads on its back. The animal’s wide toes stop it from sinking in the sand and function just like snowshoes. Its long legs keep its body away from the burning heat of the desert floor.
Protection and Perfection
The camel’s body is covered in thick, hard fur. This protects the animal both from the burning rays of the sun by reflecting the heat and from the desert chill in the night which can go below zero.
Some parts of its body are covered in thick protective layers of skin that come into contact with the ground when it sits on the scorching sand. This prevents the camel’s skin from burning.
These thick layers of skin are not calluses that develop over time; the camel is born with them. The equivalent of a human baby being born with thickened skin on the soles of its feet! This special design brings out the perfection of creation in the camel.
The thickened skin cannot be explained by the logic of the theory of evolution That and all its other extraordinary features reveal one evident truth: That the camel was specifically created by God to help man survive in the desert.
There is a popular saying that ‘the way you are dressed, is the way you will be addressed.
Dressing well starts from the neatness of one’s attire hence the clothes must be without wrinkles.
A lot of times, appearance can be the difference between success and failure as we go about our daily lives. Keeping that in mind, we’ve all been in situations where we are desperately in need of an ironed shirt but there is no electric iron available.
Business people who have to travel a lot fall victim to this, especially when they are in a time crunch and there is no electric iron available. Whatever your reason might be, here are 4 methods that could help if you’re ever faced with this challenge.
1. The Hair Straightener
Hair straighteners can do much more than help with your tangled hair or unkempt locks. They can be very handy tools to help give your clothes a decent touch in the absence of an electric iron. Although cotton fabrics are the safest for this method, hair straighteners with temperature settings can be set to work on lighter fabrics as well.
All you need to do is place the wrinkled part of the cloth in between the lips of the hair straightener and apply light pressure.
2. The Hair Dryer
The hair dryer works with the same principle as the hair straightener. The heat from the dryer is perfect for the removal of wrinkles from fabrics. As with the straightener, a hair dryer with a temperature setting will give an added advantage.
The hairdryer applies the same heat principles as the hair straightener. All you need to do is to hold the cloth in place preferably with a hanger and point the dryer in the direction of the wrinkles on the cloth.
3. The Hot Shower
Any guy reading this might feel left out by the first two methods and I wouldn’t blame him. Thankfully, this method works for everyone and all you need is a hanger and a steamy hot shower. Hang the cloth(es) outside the shower, the door of the bathroom should work and take a hot bath. The steam from the shower should spread around the room and help remove wrinkles from your clothes. The clothes might be a bit damp after so don’t forget to air dry them.
4. The Spray Bottle
This is the simplest of all the methods. All you need is a spray bottle with water and a hanger. Keep the cloth(es) and spray the wrinkled areas lightly with water from a safe distance. Be careful not to get the clothes wet and air-dry them after.
5. The Clothes Steamer
The Clothes Steamer is probably the most obvious choice if it’s readily available. It works well with fabrics that don’t require a lot of ironing and helps remove wrinkles quickly.
The Clothes Steamer works like a hand dryer, all you need is to hold the cloth in place and apply steam to the wrinkled areas.
6. Use a Hot Pot
Get creative by using a metal pan as a makeshift iron. It might not press out the puckers quite as well, but it’s worth a whirl when you’re in a pinch. Follow the steps below for safe success:
Pick a thick metal pan with a spotlessly clean base.
Heat some water in the pan.
Tip the water out once it reaches a boil.
Place a towel down on a flat, hard surface.
As soon as you tip the water out, use the pot base to press your garment on top of the towel.
The pan base cools quickly, so jump to action while being careful not to burn yourself (wearing oven mitts can help). Avoid pressing delicate fabrics or garments with plastic or vinyl, which the heat can warp. Don’t use this method on fabrics that cannot be ironed.
7. Make Your Own Wrinkle Remover
Try mixing up a DIY wrinkle-released solution in a pinch. Blend one or two cups of distilled or boiled water with one teaspoon of liquid fabric softener or hair conditioner. Adding a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol is handy as it helps the solution evaporate from the fabric surface more effectively.
Shake the solution well, test it on an inconspicuous fabric spot, and gently mist the garment with a spray bottle. Alternatively, try mixing one part distilled white vinegar and three parts water. However, it can leave a slightly sour odour on your clothing.
It is imperative to know one of the methods of ironing without an electric iron to survive as the electricity supply has become epileptic.
When tracing human history back over the centuries, many are surprised to learn that ancient people didn’t brush their teeth.
The first record of toothbrush was in Babylonian and Egyptian times.
The earliest chew sticks were discovered in Sumer in southern Mesopotamia in 3500 BC, an Egyptian tomb dating from 3000 BC.
Even as far back as 1600 BC, the Chinese were brushing their teeth with something they called chewing sticks.
The Greeks and Romans used toothpicks to clean their teeth, and toothpick-like twigs have been excavated in Qin dynasty tombs. In the Islamic world, the use of chewing stick miswak is considered a pious action and has been prescribed to be used before every prayer five times a day, and has been used by Muslims since the 7th century.
In ancient Indian, Twigs of Neem Tree was in use, which in its full bloom, can aid in healing by keeping the area clean and disinfected. In fact, even today, Neem twigs called datun are used for brushing teeth in India, although not hugely common.
Before then, brushing teeth wasn’t common. Even archaeologists claim that ancient people didn’t have cavities like we do today. There are a few reasons for this.
The main reason people started to take care of their teeth is because of a change in diet.
As civilizations became more industrial, so did the rise of processed food. With the presence of chemicals and preservatives in the food, the need for dental care grew.
The sugars in processed food rapidly increase the amount of plaque in your mouth. The chemicals erode enamel.
Ancient peoples didn’t have processed food. Their diet relied on fresh food that was full of nutrients.
They also ate a lot of fiber foods that helped scrub their teeth clean while they ate it.
Ancient peoples started to use what they called chewing sticks to brush their teeth. As the name implies, they chew the stick in order to scrub their teeth.
Europeans started to clean their teeth by taking a rag and rolling it in either salt or soot. Then they scrub the rag into their teeth.
The French doctor who is considered the father of modern dentistry, Pierre Fauchard, at first told people not to brush their teeth. Instead, he suggested that they take a toothpick or sponge, soak it in brandy, then rub their teeth and gums with the tool.
Here are a few other ways that people used to clean their teeth in the olden days.
Brushing teeth with a toothbrush made from bones and animal bristles
Using toothpaste made of crushed seashells and essential oils
Using toothpaste mixed with ammonia or chlorophyll
Wine-soaked toothpicks to brush teeth
Using mouthwash made of urine
Ancient Greece used dry toothpaste powder
There are some similarities between traditional ways of brushing your teeth and modern ways of brushing your teeth. The emphasis on scrubbing and brushing remains the same. Even the need to use mouthwash is the same.
The primary difference is the ingredients used.
Thankfully, we no longer use urine in our mouthwash.
However, we do use essential oils to effectively kill bacteria and freshen our mouths. The problem is that some modern types of toothpaste also add chemicals to their ingredients that could lead to some of the dental problems you face.
An oil tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Aden, its operator says, after Houthis said they hit it with a missile.
The Yemeni movement said it targeted the Marlin Luanda on Friday evening.
Operator Trafigura told the BBC the strike caused a fire in one of the ship’s cargo tanks and firefighting equipment was being used to contain it.
The US military said the Houthis hit the tanker with an anti-ship ballistic missile and naval ships had responded to its distress signal.
No injuries were reported, US Central Command said in a statement.
It is the latest attack on commercial shipping by the Iran-backed Houthis in and around the Red Sea. The group says it is targeting vessels in the region in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.
The US and UK have launched air strikes on Houthi targets in response, supported by a number of other countries.
In a statement, a Houthi spokesperson claimed the Marlin Luanda was a British ship and was targeted in response to “American-British aggression against our country”.
The operator of the vessel is registered as being Oceonix Services Ltd, a UK registered company.
The tanker flies under the flag of the Marshall Islands and is operated by Trafigura – a multinational trading company domiciled in Singapore.
The UK government said attacks on commercial shipping are “completely unacceptable” and that Britain and its allies “reserve the right to respond appropriately”.
Underwear, underclothing or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer.
They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled or damaged by bodily excretions, to lessen the friction of outerwear against the skin, to shape the body, and to provide concealment or support for parts of it.
In cold weather season, long underwear is sometimes worn to provide additional warmth. Special types of undergarments have religious significance. Some items of clothing are designed as undergarments, while others, such as T-shirts and certain types of shorts, are appropriate both as underwear and outerwear.
If made of suitable material or textile, some underwear can serve as nightwear or swimwear, and some undergarments are intended for sexual attraction or visual appeal.
Undergarments are generally of two types, those that are worn to cover the torso and those that are worn to cover the waist and legs, although there are also underclothes which cover both. Different styles of underwear are generally worn by females and males.
Undergarments commonly worn by females today include bras and panties while males often wear classic briefs, boxer briefs, or boxer shorts. Items worn by both sexes include T-shirts, sleeveless shirts (also called singlets, tank tops, A-shirts, or vests), bikini underpants, thongs, G-strings and T-fronts.
Oftentimes, people tend to pay little or no attention to washing their underwear for reasons which might not be unconnected with the fact that they are worn underneath another fabric, hence less attention is paid to them.
Findings reveal that some people use undergarments for weeks without washing.
However, more attention ought to be paid to the cleaning of underwear as it is worn closer to the skin which might cause skin infection, if not properly cleansed.
Dirty underwear can cause pubic lice, acne, stains, itching, sores, skin diseases like rashes, eczema and body odour.
It is imperative to take the washing of underwear very seriously to prevent skin diseases and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Underwear should be washed after every use to eliminate dirt which must have accumulated as a result of sweat from daily activities.
People can’t agree on what it is exactly because it looks like a cat but has some features of Viverrids. Recent genetic research suggests that it is an animal of its kind.
The name is fossa described as one of the strangest mammals in the whole world. It is called Fossa, cat-like in look yet not a member of the cat family.
Fossa is a member of the Eupleridae, closely related to the mongoose family, Herpestidae.
It is a carnivorous mammal, the largest mammalian carnivore in Madagascar and has been compared to a small cougar. The fossas are classified as a vulnerable species, with only about 2,500 in the wilderness.
The Fossa and the modern Mangoose come from the same ancestor, one which arrived on the island of Madagascar around 21 million years ago.
It has a slender body and muscular limbs and a tail nearly as long as the rest of the body. It has a mongoose-like head, relatively longer than that of a cat.
Some of them can be almost 7 feet long, from their nose to the end of their long tail. Their tails are as long as their bodies and help them stay balanced when they jump through trees.
Moreover, Fossas have short fur that can be red to dark brown.
They have cat-like eyes and sharp, retractable claws. Their faces are slightly webbed, which helps them move around in the trees.
Both males and females have short, straight fur that is relatively dense and without spots and patterns.
They also use vibrations, noise and even body odours to get to know each other, in this species, males and females have different body odours.
Fossas eat small mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. They also prey on lemurs. Fossa hunt during the day, especially when they lack food, but prefer to spend the daylight hours resting in a hollow tree, cave or an abandoned termite mound.
Traffic congestion can be caused by factors such as accidents, traffic overload, construction and even pedestrians crossing the road incorrectly or holding up vehicles.
In Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, traffic congestion becomes worse due to bad roads, and poor connectivity among other factors.
If you think that what you go through every day while going to and from work is a suffocating traffic jam, then you have not yet heard of the longest traffic jam in history, which lasted 12 days in China in 2010.
On August 14, 2010, something unthinkable happened in China. Beijing witnessed the longest traffic jam in history, extending more than 100 kilometers and lasting 12 days. China was then called “the undisputed queen of traffic jams.”
The congestion began to slow down the movement of thousands of cars, which extended over a length of more than 100 km and continued for 12 days.
Drivers were barely able to move their cars a distance of 1 km each day, and some drivers remained stuck in this traffic jam for more than 5 and 6 consecutive days.
The main reason behind the traffic congestion was some work and maintenance that was taking place on the highway linking Beijing and Tibet near the capital, Beijing, in conjunction with a surge of heavy trucks on the road, which reduced the highway’s capacity by 50% and some accidents exacerbated the problem.
Another important reason for this stifling crisis was the increase in the number of trucks transporting coal from Mongolia to the capital, Beijing, where in 2009 it transported 602 million tons of coal, which rose in 2010 to 730 million tons.
The Chinese authorities tried to find a solution to this problem and asked coal companies to postpone transportation operations and tried to bring more trucks into the capital at night until the situation was eliminated, which the authorities succeeded in doing, as they completely eliminated traffic congestion by the end of August 2010.
Some local residents near the site of the crowding took advantage of the opportunity and began selling food and water to the stranded drivers at double prices. Some drivers even preferred hunger rather than buying these expensive goods.
Corn silk is the shiny, thread-like, weak fibers that grow as part of ears of corn (maize).
The tuft or tassel of silky fibers protrudes from the tip of the ear of corn, and is a key part of the vegetable’s reproductive system and essential to crop pollination.
The fibers trap the pollen that fertilizes the cob and helps kernels grow. Along with the husk, corn silk also protects kernels, helping the ear of corn retain its moisture and sweetness.
Amazingly, corn silk is used as a medicine.
Corn silk is used for chest pain (angina), high blood pressure, preventing a group of eye disorders that can lead to vision loss (glaucoma), and many other conditions.
Corn silk contains proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It also contains chemicals which might work like water pills (diuretics), and it might alter blood sugar levels, and help reduce inflammation.
Most people toss corn silk straight into the compost bin or trash as these silky threads that cover ears of corn can be a nuisance to remove from the cob, your hands and your teeth.
But Native Americans, people in China, Turkey and other countries think differently about corn silk. For centuries, they have been using corn silk as an herbal remedy for medicinal purposes.
Today, corn silk and products like corn silk tea and supplements are growing in popularity.
Studies show that corn silk contains:
Carbohydrates.
Fiber.
Minerals like calcium, iron, sodium, potassium, zinc and chloride.
Protein.
Corn Silk Benefits
Despite centuries of herbal remedy use, there are limited studies on the health benefits of corn silk.
1. Keeps your urinary system healthy
Corn silk extract can act as a powerful diuretic, making you pee more. “Increased urine flow can prevent the buildup of bacteria that leads to urinary tract infections (UTIs) and bladder infections,” says Campbell. And if you do get a UTI or bladder infection, corn silk extract soothes inflammation to ease pain.
Increased urination can also help strengthen your bladder. Healthcare providers sometimes recommend corn silk extract or teas for children experiencing bedwetting and adults with urinary incontinence. Corn silk may also prevent kidney stones and protect against kidney damage caused by certain medications or cancer treatments.
The diuretic properties of corn silk may also lower blood pressure. But Campbell cautions that people who already take diuretics or blood pressure medicine may be at risk for losing too much potassium. This could lead to low blood potassium levels or hypokalemia. “Low potassium is concerning because it can affect the way your heart beats,” says Campbell. “It’s always important to check with your healthcare provider before taking a supplement.”
2. Fights inflammation
The plant pigment or flavonoid that gives corn silks their light green, yellow, brown or red colors is also an antioxidant. In fact, corn silk has as much antioxidant value as vitamin C. “Antioxidants protect against inflammation and the effects of aging, as well as diseases like cancer and diabetes,” notes Campbell.
3. Lowers blood sugar
Corn silk extracts are part of Native American and traditional Chinese medicine for diabetes management. The extract may lower blood sugar levels and help prevent complications like diabetes-related neuropathy (nerve damage), according to one study.
Other studies indicate that corn silk extracts may slow your body’s absorption of starchy foods, preventing spikes in blood sugar.
But if you’re already taking medications to lower your blood sugar, experts advised checking with your provider before beginning to take a supplement. “Blood sugar that is too low can be dangerous, too.”
4. Improves cholesterol levels
The flavonoids in corn silk may improve your cholesterol numbers by lowering triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). “These unhealthy forms of cholesterol cause plaque deposits to form inside your arteries, increasing your risk of heart attacks and strokes,” Campbell explains.
In addition, Corn silk has a mild taste and a sweetness you would expect from corn. It can be saved and use as fresh topping on salads, potatoes, soups, tacos and more. It can also be dried and stored for up to one year.
Here are steps to dry corn silk:
Separate the silk strands as much as possible.
Place the strands on a cooling rack out of direct sunlight until the water evaporates and the strands feel slightly crispy. (This drying step may take a few days or a week.)
Place the strands into a closed jar or paper bag and store in a cool, dry place.
You can grind the dried strands in a blender to make corn silk powder and sprinkle it onto eggs, salads, casseroles and smoothies.
To make corn silk tea:
Fill a pan with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of fresh or dried corn silk.
Cover the pan and cook over medium heat until boiling.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the tea simmer (still covered) for 30 minutes.
Use a strainer to filter out the strands.
Enjoy your tea hot or cold.
It should be noted that not much is known about the risks of consuming corn silk or products like teas and supplements.
In this light, it better to contact your healthcare provider before taking a corn silk supplement, as there currently isn’t a recommended dosage.
Dosage amounts typically vary depending on a person’s sex, age, weight, medications and health issues.
Experts however advised against adding corn silk to your diet if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medications such as:
Anti-inflammatory drugs.
Blood pressure medications.
Blood thinners.
Diuretics.
Insulin or diabetes medications.
But for many people, corn silk can add a healthy, fresh twist to your favorite dishes. So, don’t throw away those corn silks. Save them for your next tea, salad or smoothie!
Proverbs 13:22 says “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”
This aphorism in the Holy Bible is conventional in many respects: society worldwide value bequeathing inheritance to the next generation.
Such properties could be houses, lands, vehicles, farms, money, which parents feel with satisfaction, will help their children and grandchildren get along in life.
To this end, most parents work hard to fulfill the scripture while those who couldn’t meet up feel they are letting their offspring down and often times feel unfulfilled.
Ironically, for parents who had laboured to leave properties behind, the beneficiaries are not able to live unto expectation, as they dispose the properties gotten through hard earned money by their parents.
Some of the reasons are not far-fetched: most children are out of the country, or plan to move outside the country for greener pasture.
Is it then advisable for parents to build houses as part of inheritance for their children/guardian?
A parent, Mr Sola Ifenuga, said though it is Biblical, but parents should not be bent on accumulating cars and houses for their children and wards as times and seasons are changing.
“Yes, as parents we are under obligation to ensure our children and wards are catered for in every area but in the process care must be taken not to go to the extreme in acquiring the assets as most of the children are not after sustaining them”.
“We need to face reality as parents, most of our children are not interested in our properties, most of them want to start their lives independent of their parents assets”.
A graduate, Mr Wale John noted that his aim is to move out of the country as soon as the opportunity surfaces, irrespective of the assets owned by his parents.
“Personally I don’t believe in this country again, I am trying very hard to go abroad to further my education and settle down over there; my parents should not expect me to stay in a country that doesn’t have anything in stock for me”.
The Big Basket building, in Newark, Ohio, was built as the headquarters of the Longaberger Company, an American manufacturer of handcrafted maple wood baskets and other lifestyle products
The Longaberger basket building was birthed by Dave Longaberger
“I figured if Walt Disney could build an empire around a mouse, the Longaberger home office building could resemble a basket,” Longaberger writes in his memoir. “Whenever I talked about it, people looked at me like I was nuts.”
The 180,000-square-foot, seven-story basket has a 30,000-square-foot atrium topped with a glass ceiling.
The basket’s 150-ton handles, which took eighteen months to construct, contain a special heating element to keep ice from forming, and potentially crashing through the roof, in the winter.
Two 725-pound, 25-feet-wide, gold-leaf tags are attached to each long side of the building.
The interior, which is in remarkably good condition, is more conventional than you’d expect from its whimsical exterior.
Although the dimensions vary from floor to floor (it’s wider at the top, like a basket would be), the effect is gradual enough that you almost forget that you’re inside an enormous basket until you look up through the atrium and catch a glimpse of those handles.
There are other subtle nods to the company’s star product sprinkled throughout the building, including a basket-weave wall treatment in Longaberger’s executive suite, undulating cabinets, and “woven” brass plaque informational signage.
Due to the basket weave stucco design, the building could only have a maximum of 84 windows.
“The architects suggested we put a giant basket ‘shell’ around a traditional building,” Longaberger writes. “Each time they mentioned a compromise, I’d point to the basket, and say, this is what I want!”.
The cherry woodwork and trim was harvested from a nearby Longaberger-owned golf course.
In addition to private offices, open-concept work spaces, and conference rooms, the building includes a 141-seat auditorium, 25 underground parking spaces, a fitness centre, medical facilities, a cafeteria, several kitchens, and multiple elevators.
The floral wallpaper, boxy television sets, and outdated computer equipment make it seem as if it was actually abandoned shortly after its construction in the late ‘90s. In fact, there are few hints that it was ever occupied at all let alone for nearly 20 years.
“It wasn’t only the architects who warned against building it,” Longaberger writes. “Everyone opposed it, including local residents, bankers, and even employees. They were certain that I had gone off the deep end.”
Dave Longaberger didn’t finish high school until he was 21.
Although, he described himself as “the least likely to succeed,” he opened a grocery store and restaurant in Dresden, Ohio and sold baskets made by his father. “In 1973, basket making didn’t seem like such a bright idea for a start-up company,” Longaberger writes. “Handmade baskets were relics.”
Even before he convinced architects to build his oversized basket, Longaberger was used to being called crazy. He was also the first to admit that his management style was unorthodox.
A whimsical headquarters had been a dream of Longaberger’s for a long time, but in his mind, that was just the beginning. He also envisioned his sales consultants out on the road in basket-shaped vans, a high-rise hotel in the shape of a hamper-style basket, and a Rockette-style dance troupe called The Basketeers.
“Believe me, I made plenty of mistakes,” Longaberger writes. “I did things my way, which a lot of folks thought was unconventional. But it was my own style, what you could call ‘thinking outside the box.’”
Around the same time that his grandiose dream was becoming a reality, Longaberger was diagnosed with cancer.
He got to spend less than two years in his seventh-floor executive suite. When he died in 1999, 8,000 people attended his two-day memorial service.
Longaberger’s two daughters, Tami and Rachel, immediately took the reins and for a while the company continued to thrive. But without its charismatic founder coupled with an economic downturn and changing home decor tastes the company eventually floundered. On May 4, 2018, the Longaberger Company ceased operations; the brand was revived in 2019 when its intellectual property was purchased by Xcel Brands.
“Thousands who dearly love what Longaberger stands for have reached out to us in hopes that we can reclaim Longaberger,” Tami said in a statement. “Our shared values integrity, craftsmanship, and opportunity for all will move us forward.”
Before he died, Longaberger expressed optimism for the future of his company, and had no regrets about how he had lived his life. “Sure, I’d like to live longer,” he writes. “But when I think about what we’ve accomplished, I look at it and say, I’m so thankful to be able to say I’ve made a difference in other people’s lives and leave a little behind.”
‘Crooked house’, a hot spot for criminals would naturally run through the mind, but wait a minute, it is equally called ‘Drunk house’. Guess the dubious lots in the house are also riotous ale gulpers.
Nope! Crooked house is way out of that, it is rather an architectural magic in Poland.
The Poles call it Krzywy Domek, translated as “crooked house” or “drunk house”.
Krzywy Domek, is a bizarre building that stands right in the centre of the city of Sopot.
It is an out of the ordinary building, a surreal creation with curved and irregular lines that seem to take on an ever-changing springy shape.
The house, which “appears” reflected in a gigantic distorted mirror, is not the result of an optical illusion, but rests on solid foundations and was built thanks to the innovative artistry of architects Szotynscy and Zaleski.
The two architects were inspired by the fairy tale illustrations of the Polish artist, Jan Marcin Szancer and the poet Per Dahlberg, completing construction in 2004, which immediately after the inauguration was nicknamed the Crooked House.
This house, defined as a masterpiece of housing construction, measures approximately 4,000 square metres and is home to residential dwellings as well as the Rezydent shopping center, bars, restaurants and prestigious offices for some of the most well known businesses in the country.
Krzywy Domek is known among the strangest buildings in the world by the Village of Joy portal and is certainly one of the most particular buildings in Europe.
It has become a point of reference for the inhabitants of the city and is a must see attraction for thousands of tourists eager to immortalize themselves in a photo with the background of this architectural magic.
Photos are especially beautiful at night, when the lighting makes its extravagant shape even more suggestive.
At the dawn of the Great Depression, Long Island duck farmer Martin Maurer and his wife, Jeule, were on a road trip and enjoyed a cup of Joe inside a big coffee pot.
They decided, the story goes, that if the world can have a big coffee pot, then it really needs a big duck, and that they would be the ones to provide us all with it.
And so in 1931 was born one of the quirkiest and most influential roadside attractions in American history.
The Big Duck measures 20 feet tall, 18 feet wide, and 30 feet long. It is held together by a wood frame, wire mesh, white stucco cement and 91 years of love, courtesy of countless caretakers and visitors.
The duck’s red eyes come from the tail lights of a Ford Model T.
This was the Great Depression, and it paid to be practical.
To say that the Big Duck remains a popular tourist destination is not to do it justice. A visit to the Big Duck is not just a stop on a vacation itinerary or a side trip during a weekend stay in the Hamptons. Making your way to the Big Duck on Long Island’s East End takes some doing. It is a pilgrimage, something people do because they hear about it and resolve to witness it for themselves.
The Big Duck was made for bucket lists.
That is what a couple and their daughter told ABC’s Localish recently as they took in the splendor of the Big Duck, on Route 24 in Flanders, New York. They had seen it in a book years ago, and now, they were finally seeing it in person.
The Big Duck is a holdover of a time when the East End had dozens of duck farms.
There is only one left today, and it is not the Big Duck. The only ducks you will find being sold from inside its belly these days are of the souvenir variety, but the main draw at the Big Duck has long been the joyful architecture.
Visitors to the Big Duck will likely meet Janice Jay Young, but she is not just ringing up your T-shirt and mug at the cash register. Young has an encyclopedic knowledge about the Big Duck and is one of its proudest promoters. As visitors come in, and they trickle in all day, from far and wide, she is ready with a compressed but compelling history of the Big Duck.
She talks about the Maurer family, who had the pluck to build the duck. She will talk about how this peripatetic Pekin, which first settled in nearby Riverhead, moved a few times over the years, until finally nesting, presumably for good, back in its longtime home of Flanders, at the Big Duck Ranch.
She’ll point to a collage on the wall with dozens of photos, postcards and articles about other examples of programmatic architecture those big coffee pots, big tea kettles, big fish, big ketchup bottles that sprang up across America decades ago, when road trips ruled and plane flights were for the fancy – or were still just flights of fancy.
Richard Martin, director of Historic Services at the Suffolk County Parks Department, explains the term “duck” stuck as a way of describing this kind of architecture – buildings designed to look like the product they sold, hoping to lure motorists off the road to spend a few bucks and maybe snap a picture or two.
As the owner of the duck, Suffolk County is charged with caring for it, with help from Friendslĺ of the Big Duck. The land the duck sits on belongs to the Town of Southampton, and isp0 protected from development. People will be able to visit the duck and the surrounding ranch in perpetuity.
Young said the duck means so much more to locals here in Flanders. In this hamlet, The Big Duck is the center of their community.
“Flanders is kind of a no man’s land. You know, we’re the western part of Southampton Town. And sometimes we just feel a little forgotten here. So there’s no bank, there’s no post office, there’s no Zip Code. You know, we actually have no grocery store,” Young explains.
Flanders does have something nobody else has, she points out.
“We do have a Big Duck.”
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