Exercise Errors

Lifting too much weight. Too much weight will contribute to poor form when lifting and create injury to other areas of the body in addition to the muscle you're targeting. Know your limits. The most effective workout is gradual progressive resistance training.
Jerking while lifting weights. Lifting too much weight can contribute to jerking. The best way to strength train a muscle is by using slow, controlled movement. If you're jerking your weights you're inviting injury, especially to your back muscles.
Exercising too intensely. The days of "no pain, no gain" are gone! If you're looking for effective weight loss, longer periods of moderately intense workouts are most effective. Short periods of high intensity training are fine when integrated into a circuit training workout or when used for athletic training. But for the average fitness enthusiast, too much intensity will only lead to soreness and burnout.
Not exercising intensely enough. If you're looking for results you need to put effort into your fitness program. You don't want to overdo it, but you do want to get your heart elevated into its target training zone.
Not drinking enough water. Contrary to most sports drink advertising, unless you work out for more than two hours per day, water will fill all your fluid needs. Be sure to drink at least 64 ounces of water per day.
Consuming energy bars and sports drinks during moderate workouts. Most fitness professionals agree that unless you're exercising for more than 2 hours a day, energy bars and sports drinks aren't necessary. Unfortunately, high-energy generally means high-calorie when it comes to these products. Sticking to a healthy, well rounded eating plan and drinking plenty of water should meet most exercisers' needs

A Brother Like That

A friend of mine named Paul received an automobile from his brother as a Christmas present. On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office, a street urchin[1] was walking around the shiny new car, admiring it.　　Is this your car, Mister? he said.　　Paul nodded.　　My brother gave it to me for Christmas. The boy was astounded[2].　　You mean your brother gave it to you and it didnt cost you nothing? Boy, I wish . . . He hesitated.　　Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for. He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the lad said jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.　　I wish, the boy went on,　　That I could be a brother like that.　　Paul looked at the boy in astonishment[3], then impulsively he added,　　Would you like to take a ride in my car? Oh yes, Id love that.　　After a short ride, the boy turned with his eyes aglow[4], said,　　Mister, would you mind driving in front of my house?　　Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew what the lad wanted. He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big automobile. But Paul was wrong again.　　Will you stop where those two steps are? the boy asked.　　He ran up the steps. Then in a little while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled[5] brother. He sat him down on the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up against him[6] and pointed to the car.　　There she is, Buddy[7], just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didnt cost him a cent. And some day Im gonna give you one just like it . . . then you can see for yourself all the pretty things in the Christmas windows that Ive been trying to tell you about.　　Paul got out and lifted the lad to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began a memorable holiday ride. 　That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what Jesus meant when he said:　　It is more blessed to give[8] . . .

The Little Green Rabbit

Long ago there was a very rich king who had three sons - three very handsome sons whom he loved very much. The king, however, desired to have this orders obeyed implicitly. One day the three princes went visiting without their father's permission and the king became so angry that he punished them by enchanting them and transforming them into little rabbits. The eldest was changed into a pinto rabbit, the second into a white rabbit, and the youngest into a very pretty little green rabbit.
Furthermore, the king told them, "For an entire year you will not leave the palace and will only assume your human form at night."
Time passed. One day when the three rabbits were nibbling grass in the palace garden, the green rabbit said, "Hermanos, I can't bear this life any longer. Let us crawl through the water pipe and see what surrounds this prison."
The other two rabbits were loath to go. They were afraid of the king. However, the green rabbit insisted so much that finally the brothers agreed. All that afternoon the rabbits ran over the hill and dale. returning to the palace, they heard the beautiful voice of someone singing a happy song.
"Let us go and see who is singing," said the green rabbit.
His brothers refused, even though the green rabbit begged and begged. The green rabbit went alone. He went in the direction the singing came from and found a beautiful palace. Hoping to find a way to get in, he hopped around the garden walls and finally found a crack through which he crawled. Silently he crept into the garden. There he saw that the singer was a beautiful princess with sun-gold hair and sea-blue eyes. Her name was Marisol. The little rabbit dell in love with her at first sight. Unconsciously, he got nearer and nearer to her. The princess, seeing the rabbit, with a single motion captured him. She ran into the palace to show her parents the pretty little green rabbit she had captured. Her parents loved Marisol very much. Besides being good and kind, Marisol was their only daughter. The princess then took the rabbit to her bedroom and imagine her surprise when she heard the rabbit speak!
"Beautiful princess, I am not a rabbit. I am a prince enchanted as punishment for disobeying my father. If you do not let me go, my father the king will kill me tonight. Release me and I promise that as soon as my penalty is over, I will return and marry you. In token of my word, take this ring."
The princess was astonished to hear the rabbit's words, but because she was kind and because she had fallen in love with the rabbit, she took him to the garden and let him go.
Months passed and the rabbit didn't come back to see Marisol! More time went by and Marisol began to pine. To such an extent did her heartbreak increase that her parents became alarmed. They decided that in order to cheer her, a great fiesta would be given in her honor. They ordered musicians and artists to be brought from all over. Perhaps they would cheer her.
In a nearby village there lived an old man who had a daughter. The girl could play the guitar and sing gay and beautiful songs. When he heard the king's proclamation, the old man decided to take Rosita, he daughter, to sing before the princess. The girl and her father, astride their little donkey, set out for the palace. They had to pass through the city where the rabbits lived. When they arrived there, Rosita and her father were very hungry. She went to a bakery near to the palace to buy some bread. The baker was very angry because his bread had burnt, so he hurled the flat loaf of bread at Rosita. She tried to catch it but could not. The round, flat loaf fell to the floor and rolled out of the door. Rosita ran after it, but the bread kept on rolling and rolling. Finally, it rolled through a crack in the palace wall and lodged near the door of a beautiful bedroom in which there were three beautiful beds. Rosita heard a noise and perforce had to hide. She took cover behind the arras in the room, and peeping around it saw three rabbits come in. One was a pinto rabbit, the other a white rabbit and the third a green rabbit. The pinto rabbit jumped on the bed, flipped himself over, and became a handsome prince. The white one did the same and changed into another very handsome prince. Soon, both went to sleep. Finally, the green rabbit jumped on the bed, flipped over, and was changed into a very, very handsome prince. But this last prince did not go to sleep right away; he began to cry. The other two princes awoke and began to talk to him saying, "Forget the Princess Marisol. Our father will never let you marry her."
At last all three princes went to sleep and Rosita managed to make her way out of the palace by the same route she had used in entering.
Dawn was near, so Rosita and her father left for Marisol's village.
Rosita and her father arrived at the palace and went to see the king. Rosita sang and danced but could make no impression on Marisol. At length, Rosita said, "Look Princess, I am going to tell you a tale."
Then Rosita related all that had happened and how she had seen the little green rabbit. Marisol was filled with joy and asked her parents for permission to go and see the green rabbit. Marisol's parents did not want to let her go, but she insisted so much that the king and queen finally agreed.
Rosita and Marisol journeyed to the city where the rabbit lived. When they were near the crack in the wall of the palace, Rosita told Marisol, "Look, my princess, we are going into the palace through this crack in the wall. Do not make any noise, for if the king hears us he will kill us."
Marisol agreed and they entered the prince's bedroom. After some time the pinto rabbit came in, jumped on the bed, flipped over and became a handsome prince. Then a white rabbit came in, did the same, and became another handsome prince. At last the little green rabbit came in, and when he had jumped on the bed and flopped over, marisol could not stand it any longer. She cried and ran towards the prince.
The king, who had been strolling near the hall, heard Marisol cry and immediately rushed to the bedroom. When the king saw her, he was greatly angered, so much that he wanted to kill her. But then the youngest prince told his father, "My liege and my King, this maiden is my fiancée and we are going to be married."
The king's rage knew no bounds but, controlling himself he said, "So you want to get married, eh? And so you have seen each other without my consent, eh? Well, now, before I agree to your wedding you two must do as I say."
"You," he told the prince, "will continue to be a rabbit for seven more years. And you," the king told Marisol, "will not be able to marry the prince until you fill seven barrels with your tears and wear out these seven pairs of iron shoes."
The poor prince and the poor princess had to say yes. They could not do anything else. The rince knelt down and prayed and Marisol tearfully bade him good-bye as she went out into the world to wear out her iron shoes.
After walking and crying a long, long time, Marisol finally arrived at the house where the moon lived. Marisol had already filled the barrels with her tears and worn out the seven pairs of iron shoes. However, the poor girl was so tired and so far from the green rabbit's palace that she had to rest some place. Marisol knocked on the door of the moon's house and the moon came out.
"Niña," said the moon, "what are you doing here?"
Marisol told the moon her story and asked aid in reaching the green rabbit's home.
"Look," said the moon, "at present I cannot travel through that particular part of the world. I am not due on that side of the earth for many more days. But do you see that hill? My compadre, the Sun, lives over there. Go to him, he probably will be able to help you."
Marisol walked and walked and finally arrived at the sun's house. She knocked on the door and th sun came out. "What are you doing around here, niña?" asked the sun.
"I am the green rabbit's fiancée," said Marisol. "I am wondering if you could aid me in getting back to his palace."
The sun stared at Marisol and said, "Do you say you are the green rabbit's fiancée? That is impossible. The green rabbit is going to be married within three days. His fiancée was picked out by the king himself. All the people are praying for me to be in a good humor. They really want me to shine that day."
"Señor Sol," begged Marisol, "please take me to the palace." And the girl told the sun all that had happened to her.
"Look, niña," answered the sun, "I cannot take you because if I held you in my arms I would burn you. But listen! Yonder, on the other side of that hill, lives my compadre, the Wind. Tell him to take you where you are going."
Marisol walked and walked until finally reaching the hill, went to the house where the wind lived. The girl knocked on the door and señora Aire, the wind's wife, came out.
"Come in, hijita," señora Aire said, "what are you doing around here?"
Marisol told señora Aire all that had happened. Suddenly the señor Aire came in, laughing so hard that he shook all over. Señora Aire asked him the reason for his laughter and señor Aire answered that it was because he had destroyed all the preparations for the wedding of the green rabbit and his fiancée. The wind saw Marisol then, and asked her what she was doing there. Marisol told him what had befallen her.
"Oh," said señor Aire, "that's probably the reason the green rabbit has been praying so much in the chapel lately. I think he is asking for your return. take hold of my waist and quicker than you can wink your eye we will be at the palace."
And with whirlwind speed señor Aire took Marisol to the palace where the green rabbit lived.
The king was there also and he asked, "Who is this beggar?"
But the green rabbit recognized Marisol and ran to her, crying at the same time, "My fiancée is here! My true fiancée has come at last!"
Marisol then produced the seven barrels filled with her tears and a handkerchief where the remains of the seven pairs of iron shoes were tied. She gave them to the king.
And since the king had given his word, Marisol and the prince were married and lived happily ever after.

The active ingredient in chocolate can cough

An ingredient in chocolate could be used to stop persistent coughs and lead to more effective medicines, researchers say. The study found that theobromine, found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping persistent coughs than codeine, currently considered the best cough medicine.

The researchers, from Imperial College London (ICL), said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatments. Ten healthy volunteers were either given theobromine, codeine or a dummy pill during the trial, which also involved Royal Brompton Hospital and St Bartholomew's Hospital.
The researchers, writing in the online FASEB Journal, said that theobromine worked by suppressing vagus nerve activity, which is responsible for causing coughing. They also found that unlike standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no adverse effects on the cardiovascular or central nervous systems, such as drowsiness.

Health and long-term consumption of dairy products easy to twins

Women who eat animal products, and specifically dairy, are five times more likely to have twins if they become pregnant, says a new US study. Gary Steinman, an obstetrician and specialist in multiple-birth pregnancies, found the results by comparing the twinning rates of pregnant women on vegan diets and those who ate animal products.
The study, to be published in this month's Journal of Reproductive Medicine, adds to scientists' understanding of how diet may influence pregnancy.
"This study shows for the first time that the chance of having twins is affected by both heredity and environment, or in other words, by both nature and nurture," said Steinman, of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York. The study suggests a protein known as insulin-like growth factor (IGF) may be responsible for the increased twinning rate. It says the amount of IGF in a woman's blood may be directly proportionate to her chance of having twins. IGF is released from the liver of both animals and humans and is found in animal's milk.

No men, women still have children

A new scientific breakthrough raises the prospect that women could have a baby on their own by producing test-tube sperms.
As published in the journal Developmental Cell, scientists at Newcastle University, England revealed that they have turned stem cells from am embryo into sperm which are capable of producing offspring.
In the research, they used the sperm - created from stem cells - to fertilise eggs and produce babies. The babies in question were laboratory mice but the announcement raises the prospect that women could use the technique to have a human baby.
The experts admit it is a long-term prospect. But the breakthrough will allow them to uncover the causes of infertility or testicular cancer, which are laid long before a baby is born.
The professor behind the research believes that, when safe, the advance could help men with certain types of infertility to become fertile, to remain fertile for longer and, controversially, could even one day enable a lesbian couple to have children that, at the genetic level, are truly their own.
The researchers isolated embryonic stem cells from an embryo only a few days old consisting of a cluster of cells. The cells were grown in a laboratory and screened to isolate the spermatogonial stem calls which were grown and then injected into female mouse eggs and grown in early stage embryos.Seven baby mice were produced, six of whom lived into adulthood.
Problems with the procedure remain, however. The six mice that survived were all abnormally large or abnormally small, and were infertile. Many developed lung tumours and none lived for more than five months – well short of the typical three-year mouse lifespan. Also, the sperm themselves had shortened tails and were unable to penetrate eggs on their own.

Team Claims Success With Rocket Launch

A team of rocketeers led by a Bloomington, Minn， man has claimed success in their goal of launching the first amateur rocket into space, sending a 21-foot rocket an estimated 70 miles above the Nevada　 desert.
Ky Michaelson, 65, a former Hollywood stuntman，had been working since 1995 to blast an amateur rocket into space, defined as 62 miles above the earth. His first two attempts, in 2000 and 2002, failed. The third time was the charm.
"I just freaked out，”Michaelson said of Monday's successful launch. "All those emotions after all those years came out of me. I just couldn't believe it."
This year's model, dubbed the GoFast Rocket，was built in six different states and assembled at the launch site in northwestern Nevada.
About 25 members of the team that built the rocket, Civilian Space eXploration Team, or CSXT, were on hand to watch the launch at 11:12 a.m. Everyone held their breaths as the countdown reached liftoff, he said.
"I was concentrating on watching the motor," Michaelson said. "If the motor blows up, it's all over."
Michaelson said they were still working to recover the rocket on Tuesday, and that its telemetry package　should tell them the exact altitude. But he said it reached 4,200 miles an hour in 10 seconds, so the laws of physics would have taken it up about 70 miles. "Once you hit 4,200 miles an hour, that thing's gone into space," he said
The Federation Aeronautique Internationale　 in Lausanne, Switzerland, the governing body that certifies international aviation records, doesn't have a specific category of records for such accomplishments, but sometimes establishes one after a precedent is set, said Thierry Montigneaux, assistant to the secretary general. He said he didn't think the FAI had a record of such a previous unmanned amateur rocket flight in its archives.
Michaelson founded CSXT in 1998, bringing together amateur rocketeers including teachers, students and real rocket scientists. In 2000, they launched a rocket that reached 3,205 mph before wind shear snapped off a fin at 45,000 feet. In 2002, they launched a rocket that soared for three seconds before the motor burned through the casing and it exploded.
Other amateur groups are competing to blast through the same door. Last week, a group led by Burt Rutan launched a piloted rocket from a plane that climbed to 211,400 feet, becoming the first privately funded manned vehicle to reach the edge of space.
The launch in the Black Rock Desert was monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration.
Donn Walker, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration, noted that many private companies already have launched spacecraft such as those carrying satellites. He said CSXT is essentially engaged in a purely amateur space race but has earned the respect of federal regulators.
"They're very legitimate and they do know what they're doing, absolutely," Walker said.
Michaelson, who has more than 200 movies and TV shows to his credit, has been obsessed with rockets all his life. As a young man, he owned a rocket-propelled motorcycle that led to his nickname "The Rocketman."
Michaelson's 4-year-old son is named Buddy Rocketman Michaelson, and Michaelson says his son calls himself "Rocketman Buddy." He also has a 6-year-old daughter, Miracle.
Now that he's reached his longtime goal, Michaelson says, he plans to return home to Minnesota and spend the summer with his wife, Jodi, and their children. They plan to rent a motor-home and visit Alaska.
"Do some fishing," Michaelson said.