Tuesday, August 24, 2010

10 Things Every Man Should Know about a Woman's Brain



10 Things Every Man Should Know about a Woman's Brain


She changes every day based on her cycle

Affecting up to 80 percent of women, PMS is a familiar scapegoat. But women are affected by their cycles every day of the month. Hormone levels are constantly changing in a woman's brain and body, changing her outlook, energy and sensitivity along with them.
About 10 days after the onset of menstruation, right before ovulation, women often feel sassier, Brizendine told LiveScience. Unconsciously, they dress sexier as surges in estrogen and testosterone prompt them to look for sexual opportunities during this particularly fertile period.
A week later, there is a rise in progesterone, the hormone that mimics valium, making women "feel like cuddling up with a hot cup of tea and a good book," Brizendine said. The following week, progesterone withdrawal can make women weepy and easily irritated. "We call it crying over dog commercials crying," Brizendine said.
For most women, their mood reaches its worst 12-24 hours before their period starts. "It is not entirely an issue of free will," Brize

She really is intuitive (though not magic)

Men can have the uncomfortable feeling that women are mind readers or psychics, Brizendine said. But women's intuition is likely more biological than mystical.
Over the course of evolution, women may have been selected for their ability to keep young preverbal humans alive, which involves deducing what an infant or child needs -- warmth, food, discipline -- without it being directly communicated. This is one explanation for why women consistently score higher than men on tests that require reading nonverbal cues. Women not only better remember the physical appearances of others but also more correctly identify the unspoken messages conveyed in facial expressions, postures and tones of voice, studies show.
This skill, however, is not limited to childrearing. Women often use it tell what bosses, husbands and even strangers are thinking and planning.

She hates conflict (but lack of response even more)

Women may also have evolved extra-sensitivity to interpersonal cues as a way to avoid conflict, a state that can feel intolerable to women, according to Brizendine. The flood of chemicals that takes over the female brain during a conflict -- especially within an intimate relationship -- is almost on the same order as a seizure, she explains.
Possibly because of their overachievement in "mind reading," women often find blank expressions, or a lack of response, completely unbearable. A young girl will go to great lengths trying to get a response from a mime while a boy will not be nearly so determined, Brizendine said. For females in particular, a negative response may be better than no response at all.

She responds to pain and anxiety differently

Brain-imaging studies over the last 10 years have shown that male and female brains respond differently to pain and fear. And, women's brains may be the more sensitive of the two.
The female brain is not only more responsive to small amounts of stress but is less able to habituate to high levels of stress, said Debra Bangasser of the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, describing her recent research looking at molecular changes in the brain. Bangasser's research was conducted in rats but is considered potentially applicable to humans.
Stress sensitivity may have some benefits; it shifts one's mental state from being narrowly focused to being more flexibly and openly aware. But if the anxiety is prolonged, it can be damaging. Such findings may help explain why women are more prone to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other anxiety disorders, the researchers told LiveScience.
The research was published in the June 2010 issue of Molecular Psychiatry.

She avoids aggression

Stressful situations are known to spur the "fight or flight" response in men, but researchers have suggested that women, after sensing a threat, instinctually try to "tend or befriend." That is, they skirt physical responses in favor of forming strategic, even manipulative, alliances.
Women may have evolved to avoid physical aggression because of the greater dependence of children on their survival, suggests Anne Campbell of Durham University. (In ancient hunter-gatherer days, men only needed to do the deed to spread their genes, while women had to stay alive long enough to birth and raise the young.)
"It is not that females are not aggressive, it is that they are aggressive in different ways," said evolutionary psychologist Daniel Kruger of the University of Michigan. They tend to use more indirect forms of confrontation, he told LiveScience.

She is easily turned off

"A women's sex drive is much more easily upset than a guy's," Brizendine said.
For women to get in the mood, and especially to have an orgasm, certain areas of her brain have to shut off. And any number of things can turn them back on.
A woman may refuse a man's advances because she is angry, feeling distrustful -- or even, because her feet are chilly, studies show. Pregnancy, caring for small children and menopause can also take a toll on a woman's sex drive (although some women experience a renewed interest in sex after The Change.)
Best advice for a turned-on dude? Plan ahead.
"For guys, foreplay is everything that happens three minutes before insertion. For women, it is everything that happens 24 hours beforehand," Brizendine said.

She is affected by pregnant brain

Progesterone increases 30-fold in the first eight weeks of pregnancy, causing most women to become very sedated, Brizendine said. "Progesterone is a great sleeping pill."
A woman's brain also shrinks during pregnancy, becoming about 4-percent smaller by the time she delivers, according to a 2002 study published in the American Journal of Neuroradiology. (Don't worry; it returns to normal size by six months after delivery.)
Whether pregnancy causes women to think differently is controversial -- one recent study linked memory problems to pregnancy hormones -- but some researchers have suggested the changes prepare brain circuits that guide maternal behavior.
These circuits likely continue to develop after birth. Handling a baby releases maternal hormones, even among females who have never been pregnant, found researchers at Tufts University. While measured in rats, the finding offers a chemical understanding of the bonding that can occur among foster moms and children.
The study was published in the journal Developmental Psychobiology in 2004.

She is affected by mommy brain

The physical, hormonal, emotional and social changes facing a woman directly after giving birth can be monumental. "And because everything else has changed, she needs everything else to be as predictable as possible, including the husband," Brizendine said.
Over the course of evolution, it was rare for our maternal ancestors to be full-time mothers, said Brizendine, because there was always kin-folk around to help with child rearing. And a mother needs a lot of support, not only for her own sake but for the child's as well. Her ability to adequately respond to her infant can impact the child's developing nervous system and temperament, research shows.
One way Mother Nature tries to help is through breastfeeding. Nursing may help women deal with some types of stress, studies suggest. (Too much stress, however, can disrupt lactation.) One study even found that breastfeeding might be more rewarding to the female brain than cocaine. The research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience in 2005.

She goes through adolescence twice

No one wants to go through adolescence again. Its physical changes and hormonal fluctuations not only create mood swings and physical discomfort but nagging questions about self-identity as well.
Women, however, lucky girls, get to do just that. They go through a "second adolescence" called perimenopause in their 40s. It starts around age 43 and reaches its pinnacle by 47 or 48 years old. (Men's hormones also change as they age, but not nearly as abruptly.) In addition to erratic periods and night sweats, a woman's hormones during this transition are so crazed she can be as moody as a teenager.
The duration of perimenopause varies from two to nine years, with most women leaving it behind by age 52.

She loves risk during the mature years

Once The Change has finished, and the body moves into its "advanced" stage, the female brain gets a second wind. While men start to show increased interest in relationships as they age, the mature woman becomes ready to risk conflict ¾ especially if her nest is now empty.
She may continue to feel motivated to help others, but her focus might shift from her immediate family to local and global communities. She may also feel a strong desire to do more for herself, and her career, after decades of caretaking, explains Brizendine.
Whether she sows her newly wild oats with whirlwind travel, going back to school, or by playing the field depends on the individual, of course. But for many 50-plus women the twilight years are characterized by an increased "zest" for life and a hearty appetite for adventure.
So guys ... NOW you know the whole truth and nothing but the truth ! 

Painting by  Edith Dora Rey"a_simple_nude".

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Anti-Semitism Is Alive And Well In The USA

 

Anti-Semitism is alive and well in the USA ...... is this the face of a new Neo Nazis or just the Righteous Right Wing Republicans ? The target ... Muslims , Islam in particular ,anything associated with Islam. The USA has legal freedom of religion but it seems only for the Jews and Christians now a days .Islamic dress ,Islamic TV , Islamic charity, Qurans , mosques ,prayer meetings are all under attack by these mad dogs calling themselves the Face Of America . I , as a American and a Muslim refuse to believe that my country is willing to throw out the basic right that was the founding stone of the formation of America , the freedom to practice your own religion regardless of what it may be .

America needs to wake up and smell the coffee , realize it is being manipulated by a few " special interest "groups that are hiding their true intent behind the cover of misguided patriotism . Who are they? As the Internal Revenue Agency in America always says ... " follow the money trail " and then you will find that answer .Who is financing these attacks against Islam ?Who has a vested interest in seeing it destroyed ?Who stands to benefit ?

 Ask yourself  the next time you see or hear some one slamming a religion, why ? Why are they so afraid ?Do they really have all the correct facts ? Not all religions are the same.Not all members that belong to a religion practices it the way it was meant to be practiced .In EVERY religion you will find the good , the misguided , and the bad. 

Think people , think for yourself . Don't follow blindly behind anyone elses thinking , that way leads to holocausts and ethicnic cleansing ." Read" , this was the 1st commandment God gave to Mohammed ; by it , He was telling Mohammed to think . You think too .

Friday, August 20, 2010

Come Fly With Us

Kulula is a low-cost South-African airline that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Check out their new livery!
 See also the comments of flight attendants and crew listed below the pictures . Hilarious !!!
 


KULULA.COM- South Africa's Budget Airline









































Kulula is an Airline with head office in Johannesburg.

                 Kulula airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight "safety lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples that have been heard or reported:

               ---o0o---
 

On a Kulula flight, (there is no assigned seating, you just sit where you want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing,
when a flight attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find a seat and get in it!"
---o0o---
 
On another flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot said,
"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning down the cabin lights.
This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of your flight attendants."
---o0o---

 
On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings.
If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something we'd like to have."
---o0o---
 
"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."

---o0o---

 
"Thank you for flying Kulula. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
---o0o---

 
As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Durban Airport , a lone
voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

---o0o---
After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in the Karoo , a flight attendant on a flight announced,
"Please take care when opening the overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell everything has shifted."
---o0o---
 
From a Kulula employee: "Welcome aboard Kulula 271 to Port Elizabeth.
To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull tight. It works just like every other seat belt;
and, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
---o0o---

 

 
"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling.
Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face.
If you have a small child travelling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs.
If you are travelling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."
---o0o---
 
Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but
we'll try to have them fixed before we arrive.
Thank you, and remember, nobody loves you, or your money, more than Kulula Airlines."
---o0o---
 
"Your seats cushions can be used for flotation; and in the event of an
emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our
compliments."
---o0o---
 
"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings.
Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight
attendants.
Please do not leave children or spouses.."

                      ---o0o---
 

And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Kulula Airlines is
pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in
the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

---o0o---
 
Heard on Kulula 255 just after a very hard landing in Cape Town :
The flight attendant came on the intercom and said,
"That was quite a bump and I know what y'all are thinking.
I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

---o0o---

Overheard on a Kulula flight into Cape Town,
on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain really had to fight it.
After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to The Mother City.
Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened
while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

---o0o---

Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

---o0o---

An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline. He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the
passengers in the eye, thinking that someone would have a smart comment.
Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question? Did we land, or were we shot down?"

---o0o---

After a real crusher of a landing in Johannesburg, the attendant came on
with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain
Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

---o0o---

Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today.. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of Kulula Airways."

---o0o---

Heard on a Kulula flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

---o0o---

A plane was taking off from Durban Airport . After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293, non-stop from Durban to Cape Town , The weather ahead is good and, therefore, we should have a smooth and
uneventful flight.. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOODNESS!" Silence followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"

A passenger then yelled, "That's nothing. You should see the back of mine!"

Going Mobile

Last night I went out with Khadijateri and her girls to do some Ramadan shopping . We stayed in the car and the girls got out to do their shopping while KT and I visited sitting in the car . It was a ideal shopping trip for me . BUT .... the real fun started BEFORE we left to go shopping , KT handed me a gift bag and told me to open it . I did ,inside I found a Ramadan/Eid/early birthday present ....... a very "pretty in pink" mobile phone that can do everything , including the Hokey Pokey ! OMG ! OMG ! OMG !

I KNOW I always said I would NEVER have a mobile phone BUT what can you do when one just falls into your lap, so to speak ? I HAD to accept it , huh ?I mean it would have been terrible rude not to have taken the phone , don't you think ?  Who refuses a present ? What to do ?What to do? I took the phone ! 

I have been busy every since going crazy trying to learn how to use it . LOL ! I ended up accidentally calling KT at around 6a.m. this morning when I pressed " this button" to see what it would do .Then I didn't know how to end the call , so I just closed to phone entirely , lol .I was horrified I might have awakened her or her husband , whom I am sure would not be all that understanding at 6a.m. to have been woken up by a "dumb blonde" phone call!

Thank you Khadijateri so much for the phone .Once again you have enriched my life by giving me another wonderful present .Call me the next time you and the girls want to go car shopping . I can't wait ! OTE

Urgh !

Men !!!!!!
Sons in particular ! 
Need I say more????

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Ramadan News

And that is basically what my life has been reduced to when ever I try to get on the internet during Ramadan.....urgh !!!! It drives me insane to wait 30 minutes for my computer to do it's thing, the internet to do it's thing , and THEN they MIGHT let me read my e-mails or make a post here . It is crazy .

Well , Ramadan is progressing well for Moe and I .The fasting has been easy and smooth so far . Alhumdulilia ! That's another thing , I can't spell in English worth a hill of beans, and I certainly can't spell Englishized versions of Arabic words ! Why I continue to try beats me . BUT... anyway , back to Ramadan .... we both have made time to reflect on our lives and pray. It has brought a sense of peace to us , a contentment that was lacking before .

Relatives have visited . Neighbors have sent plates of goodies for our meals .Friends want to visit , but I hesitate , the peace is so nice , but then so are friends .Moe has gone out for an evening with the Jahmah ( his group) and I had a whole evening to myself . A rare treat these days since he isn't going to the gym during Ramadan .

His sugar is down and that is a good thing .Maybe fasting should be a everyday thing for him , lol . I KNOW it isn't though . He has had a couple of evenings where he was ill from headaches , but refused to let me take him to the hospital , sigh !!! Thank God he didn't have a stroke again !!! His blood pressure is steady and that is good too . I just worry since he has had 2 strokes already . Other than those few things , all is good here in the Condo .

Hope your life is all good and if you are fasting , that it is easy . Ramadan Kareem !

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Friday, August 13, 2010

Tonight's Special


Things here in the Condo are running smoothly .... so far , hahaha ! Thought I would share my shrimp/crab egg roll recipe that I made up for tonight's special treat to go with the Salmon Scampi spaghetti we will be breaking our fast with at sunset  .

24 egg roll skins, or bureek skins/ crepes
1 1/2 cup cooked pop corn shrimp
1 1/2 cup cooked crab meat
8 oz./ 2 packs of cream cheese
1- 2oz of plain yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 small green onion sliced thinly
1 tablespoon of chopped dill weed

2 cloves of garlic
dash of salt
pinch of red pepper
1/4 cup of bread crumbs

Put all ingredients into a food possessor . Mix until the seafood is small chunks and the mix is smooth . Stir if needed.
Spoon the mix onto the skin , roll, and fry in hot oil until golden . Drain and serve hot . Enjoy !

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Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Ramadan Kareem !

May your fast be accepted . May your prayers be answered.May Allah give you patience and peace this Ramadan.Wishing blessings and joy to all this Ramadan season, OTE .

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

20 Plus Years Now


I can hardly belive it , but yesterday marks the 20th year anniversary of when we moved back to Libya for the 3rd time to live .20 years is a long time . Much has changed here in Libya and in the States .Life has changed from as we once knew it in both places .Much has stayed the same too .I am still amazed that I have lived in Libya all told for over 26 years . I feel sometimes like the flag above , as if I have melded into a hybred ,not of either here nor there .I belong to both places with my heart stretched between the two .

Start Your Engines !


Yes , it is that time of year again. Ramadan fast approaches, starting in a week . Everyone here in Libya that I know , well almost everyone , is busy preparing for the month long daytime fasting , night time feasting.

Grocery  shopping , stocking up on food stuffs normally not seen any other time of the year are appearing on the selves of super markets . Special treats are being made and stored in anticipation of  the month long feasting. Many families also use this time as a excuse to replenish their kitchen supplies , such as dishes, glasses, pots and pans,maybe a microwave oven .

Prayers and contemplation of Allah ( God) are paramount during Ramadan .Special evening prayers are held each night at the neighborhood mosques , broadcast over the loud speakers for all to hear in case one is unable to attend . One may even watch special  prayer programs on TV from the comfort of ones own home.Many families have Quran readings in the evenings . All this serves to remind one of the awesomeness of God and that we are His servants.

We Muslims are told to remember the poor all the time,to give charity , but during Ramadan charity is MUST.Charity not of just money but of our time , our love , patience , forgiveness ,tolerance ,friendship to all, not only to strangers, but to those we love as well .It is a month when we are asked to think of others first , ourselves last . This is the way we are meant to live all the time but fail to do . Families come together forgiving old wounds and sharp words .

Ramadan is a magical month of discovering your inter strenghts and weakness . Testing your faith. Purifing your being . Remembering that we are but a small thing put here on Earth only to worship Allah .