Briefly in Borneo A Sight Inspection

I’ve embark on a journey of jet-lag so hard core, it could challenge an astronaut. Borneo beckons because I’ve never been there. A mere 5 hours to LAX, 12 to Tokyo, 7 to Singapore and 3 to Kota. Mind you this is just one way not including layover times.

Seated in economy class, I expect my body will dehydrate to a prune, my muscles atrophy, pores clog and I’ll bloat with “jet belly” but it’s ok. Bottom line is, I love airplanes. The near insanity of this that it’s only a 5 day visit and I’m spending nearly as much time on land as I will in the air.

The best perk of my job are the site inspections, that is to witness first hand what my groups will experience if a destination is new to me. This is far on my globe. Prior to departure, I surveyed friends asking them, “Where is Borneo?” Only 10% answered correctly. This time I bring Terry and wonder of his fortitude in tow. But he proves to be a good aviation warrior.

On our arrival flight in, I see gleaming white beaches, turquoise reefs and coconut trees that spread out as far as the eye can see. At the airport, we are greeted by Martin who will oversee us and answer the 7,000 questions I’ve prepared on this land. It’s sauna hot.

We head out past cocoa and tea plantations for our first resort stay at Shangri La Tanjung Aru, an oasis of luxury right on the South China Sea. In the distance are 5 coral islands. A short jetty ride will deposit you to any one for snorkeling the sea caves and world-class diving. Further out is Pulau Tiga with its mud volcanoes where the first Survivor series was shot.

Here we’re spoiled like a couple of pot bellied pigs with an upgraded suite with fruit and orchids as well as a beachside massage. I feel like I’ve reached Nirvana with a mantra of “I’m not worthy” but I revel in all the amenities. Its pure playtime with activities provided here. And the spectacular Malaysian buffet breakfasts should be filmed by the Food Channel.

Kota Kinabalu (aka KK) is the capital of Sabah with 340,000 inhabitants. My expectations of Borneo were of 5ft. monitor lizards and head hunting tribal chiefs, but here I’m greeted with Starbucks and mega-malls.

The city is worn and struggling hard to develop itself. Established by the British in 1881, it also has a lot WWII history. The city’s backdrop is the breathtaking 13,600 ft. Mt. Kinabalu, UNESCO W.H. Site for being the most bio-diverse mountain on earth.

It holds a complete ecosystem and is a botanical paradise. There’s an astonishing array of rare flora and fauna such as insect eating plants, funky fungi and raffelsia, the worlds largest flower of 3ft. petals. It takes 2 years to bud and lasts just 7 days.

The lush National Park is the size of Singapore. Hillside tribes reside on the slopes. The mountain is scared to them as they believe it is the resting place of their ancestors departed spirits.

For free time we tour museums, handicraft markets and water village. I buy gifts of pearls, organic teas, coffee, batik and baskets. As Americans, we feel like VIP tourists as most visitors are from Australia, UK, Japan and Europe.

The locals are so respectful and polite. There are 30 ethnic groups speaking 80 different languages who live harmoniously together. Many are animists who worship all living things. The main tribes are the Dusuns with their female priestesses, the Bajau’s known as the “cowboys of the sea” and the Murats who live in typical longhouses. They are descendants of the famed head hunters who once fiercely protected their territories and decorated their homes with “trophies” that were severed heads of their invaders.

Many here look Polynesian. Bahasa Malay is the main language, a dialect that sounds to me like they’re speaking in tongues. Second language is English.

In August I bring 2 groups here. We’ll enter the interior to discover the essence of Borneo with its virgin rainforests, lush wetlands and enough wildlife to feel you’ve entered a living zoo.

We’ll learn of the culture and history but the thrilling part for me will be seeing the rare species of pigmy elephants, Sumatra rhino, giant crocs, bearded pigs, gibbons, macaques and omni-present proboscis monkeys (the one’s with Jimmy Duranti noses.)

The highlight will be Sepilok, the largest orangutan sanctuary where we can get close and personal with these “wild men of Borneo.”

Evenings by the ocean here provide a surreal beauty that envelopes one in serenity and it’s totally romantic. I hate to leave but it’s time to visit another resort I have booked for my groups.

The Shangri La Rasa Ria is a slice of heaven where one can do nothing or everything. There’s morning yoga, Tai Chi, golf, ATV’s, horses, parasailing, a huge spa and more. Classes are given in Malay language, cooking, sarong wrapping, beading, blow pipes and weaving. But what makes this resort ultra-special is its Nature Reserve.

The hotel helps fund orphaned orangutans here. If the jungle continues to shrink, these gentile creatures will face extinction in the wild. Dr. Galdikas of OFI (Orangutan Foundation Int.) grimly predicts, “Unless extreme action is taken soon, these forests could be one in 5 to 7 years and the wild orangutan with them.”

We attend a lecture by a ranger to learn about the “man of the jungle”, world’s second largest ape. Genetically they are 96.4% human and are considered the most sentimental creatures on earth. We are led by trail up mountain slopes to view 7 protected baby orangutans, most orphaned from illegal logging that destroyed their homes.

Unlike other primates, they prefer playing over fighting. “Limon” had a tough early life. His mother was killed and eaten by plantation workers. They kept him as a pet chained to the wall of a wooden crate for 4 years until Forest Police rescued him. When he arrived here, he was a sack of bones and dying.

For 10 days he refused to eat until one day, a sweet pineapple changed his life. He devoured it in entirety and since then, Limon hasn’t stopped eating. Now he’s 5 times heavier and stuffs himself silly. Upon graduation, he will be released back into the forest.

I look forward to my return and experiencing the real mystical Borneo. The best journey is always the one going home. As I board Singapore Airlines, I feel I’ve gained 6 kilos from all the seafood I consumed. I sleep like a baby on the long haul home via Taipei. The miracle of it all is that my checked luggage managed to follow me 19,000 miles roundtrip and the fact that I still love airplanes.

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by amanky

Physical Therapy Benefits for Back Pain

Physical therapy benefits for back pain are many, the chief among them being that the patients improve their mobility and are assured a greatly improved quality of life. Complete cure from back pain is a slow process and systematic physical therapy is the best option to achieve total relief from this debilitating condition.

Physical therapy benefits for back pain depend to a great extent on the treatment methods physical therapists utilize. For curing back pain, physical therapists make use of both passive and active therapies. The workouts in active therapies include stretching and strengthening exercises under strict monitoring and the therapists also make use of therapeutic exercises. The passive physical therapy modalities include heat and cold therapy, ultrasound, usage of electrical stimulation, massages and joint mobilization. These forms of physical therapies are far more advanced and more scientific than the ordinary massages.

Physical therapy benefits for back pain can be many, if the patients adopt correct postures when walking, sitting, driving, lifting weights and doing other activities. To obtain the real benefits of physical therapy, the physical therapist will assist the patient in doing a number of exercises which will help to reduce the back pain caused by incorrect postures.

The role of the patient is also important as regards securing maximum physical therapy benefits for back pain. The patient should strictly follow the instructions given by the therapists. The supervision of a trained physical therapist is a must. Physical therapy needs time to show its benefits, and equally important is the fact that the patient has to approach the treatment in a perfectly positive way. In general, the objective of back pain exercises and physical therapy are to reduce back pain, increase function, and provide awareness to patients regarding the importance of maintaining effective care after physical therapy so as to prevent further occurrence of back pain.

To conclude, physical therapy benefits for back pain are great, but to get effective results, care must be taken to follow the treatment in the proper way and strictly under the supervision of an able physical therapist.

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Energizer battery charger is smart’

In the 1960’s family television series “The Addams Family,” Uncle Fester used to put a light bulb in his mouth and it illuminated, demonstrating ability to generate power. These days this would come in very handy with the never-ending portable electronic gadgets we all carry.

A power solution for tech heads wanting reusable power is the new Energizer Smart Charger.

The charger not only charges rechargeable AA and AAA batteries, but it also has an LCD display showing the amount of time remaining until a full charge is achieved, along with a gauge showing how much of a charge the batteries have.

Another smart feature is a HP COMPAQ Business Notebook 6710b battery alert on the display, which lets users know that a battery can’t be charged because its life cycle is used up. It also alerts if the HP 446506-001 battery is a disposable and can’t be recharged.

The batteries are charged in slow and safe cycle, which translates into longer life and many more charging cycles for the batteries.

Energizer rates their NiMH batteries with the ability to be charged up to 250 times.

The Smart Charger is ENERGY STAR certified and uses microprocessor circuitry to monitor specific TOSHIBA PA3399U-2BAS battery parameters while charging.

This includes things such as voltage, temperature and state of charge, which help determine when to terminate the charge.

Protection is also a great thing for many of these gadgets. Most everything these days has an LCD screen and many are touch screens.

ScreenGuardz Privacy Film does a great job of protecting these high priced screens along with providing privacy protection from prying eyes.

Devices such as the iPhone, BlackBerry and the new iPad are often used for private applications such as banking or other financial applications.

With a privacy screen, the device is not only protected from dirt and scratches, but it also eliminates the potential for wandering eyes from either side of you seeing what is on the screen.

The directions, which are printed on the package, are as simple as the applying it: clean your screen and apply the protector.

All you do is peel off the backing from the protector and press down the film from side to side using the included squeegee card.

After I applied a sample to my BlackBerry, I found it to be as clear as the device was before it was applied. Even after using it now for several months, it’s held up nice and hasn’t peeled off.

Users can get the product for any device at www.screenguardz.com. If your gadget isn’t listed, custom cuts are no extra cost.

P

rices range from device to device, with the ScreenGuardz for the Apple iPhone costing .99 and the iPad version going for .95.

ICON has announced the Modus 1, a long-lasting LED flashlight.

The pocket-sized device (4-inches long) has an ergonomic design and powers on/off with the simple push of a button on the bottom.

It also features a dual-output LED flashlight, which includes an Internal Reflection (TIR) lens to shine the light at high lumen output of 50 or a low of 6. This translates to a runtime of 3 and 70 hours respectively.

It has two output lighting levels for precision lighting. With a modern, ergonomic design, Modus has a durable polymer body with a flexible open-architecture grip.

Also included are O-ring seals for a water resistant body, but remember: water resistant is not waterproof.

The ergonomic design includes a rugged and flexible polymer body, which makes for a comfortable grip. Pressing the power button several times will switch the output levels.

A single AA battery will power the Modus 1. The Modus 2 is also available and is powered by a pair of the AA’s.

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by Dekuwa

Halo Rech Latest: Fresh Weapons

The Halo Reach Beta is out and over 1 million players have joined in the Beta examination.

Needle Rifle: A Needler Sniper

The most mostly called as the needle rifle is the T-31 rifle. This kind of rifle sends bullets into the enemy that is on an improper projectile that gives the target more pain. After the projectile has gone into relaxation in a lenient tissue it will involuntarily explode in seconds. This is recent on the Beta version of the Halo Reach. This weapon is your best option to put that opponent down at a long reach. This is a sure kill artillery without getting yourself hurt. I foresee a lot of snipers loving this rifle.

Grenade Launcher: M319 IGL

This is the only shot 40 mm Caliber. This is commonly known as the grenade launcher. Firing 40mm. pulls out a crushing explosion but if and only if somebody walks on it. This load will not burst upon contact on anything but will stay on the ground and waits for the victim. More like the land mines. This deathly weapon could be found in the bathroom stals in the power house. The rounds are somewhat difficult to control but in an experts hands, a lot of damage is going to be done.

The Focus Rifle

The rifle that is amongst the one made with special applications. It is the T-52 rifle or usually called as focus rifle. This weapon is perfunctorily added to the family of snipers for it has a long range execution that effortlessly passes through armor. This weapon lays to lie and waits below the bridge. No one is sure on the mechanisms on this kind of weapon, but when it is geared at an opponent then the ability of this weapon is automatically numbered. The same as the laser guns that are placed on the shoulders of the soldiers. This weapon gets its power from the battery installed in it. This kind of weapon is still in an investigation.

The Plasm Launcher AKA: The Blow Everything Up Gun

This weapon that is on the guided ammunitions category is now known as the plasma launcher in Halo Reach. This weapon releases and at the same time guides the heated plasma unto the target. The plama bolt will constantly uphold to haunt the target until it is killed even if the one handling it is killed.

A lover of the plasma weapons then rest assured that person will really put him out of his misery. As the plasma bolt is released for a target the gun hunts for another target to kill. People or the things near the targeted area with this weapon is surely devastated. It’s located on the middle bridge of sword base so try to be the first one to grab it and take down anyone that makes that threat alert red.

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Gossip Jackal

Calcium pills 'increase heart attack risk' Telegraph.co.uk Taking calcium supplements could increase the chance of having a heart attack by 30 per cent, a study published today indicates. By Stephen Adams Academics at Auckland and Aberdeen universities found the link after reviewing 11 studies covering about … Calcium supplements may raise risk of heart attackReuters Risk of MI May Go Up With Calcium SupplementsMedPage Today Calcium Supplements Linked to Heart AttacksCBS News CNN -BBC News -Bloomberg all 126 news articles »

Health – Google News

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CBC.ca

Fans mixed about Astros trading Oswalt to Phillies Houston Chronicle When was the last time the Astros organization, especially Ed Wade did ANYTHING at all with "prospects"? Great trade for Philly. Don't like it one bit. Oswalt is arguably the best pitcher that the Astros … With Oswalt dealt to Phillies, well is dry for A-list pitchersUSA Today Phillies acquire Oswalt, load up for stretch runKansas City Star Oswalt savors his Astros memoriesMLB.com SI.com -FanHouse -Washington Post all 918 news articles »

Sports – Google News

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Reuters – Actor Mark Wahlberg received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday as part of the promotion for “The Other Guys.”

Yahoo! Buzz US: Top Stories

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(TrendHunter.com) Coming out of Montreal, Quebec, Noémiah is a jewelry line that uses feathers, chains, semi-precious stones and metal to create handmade statement pieces. Typically, 27-year-old designer Noémie of Noémiah…

TREND HUNTER – The Latest Trends

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