Cocaine hydrochloride

THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF COCAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

History: chewing of leaves from the coca bush (Erythraxylon coca) by South 

Americans dates back to 2500BC at least. To the Incas the leaf was divine 
and was used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. Cocaine only 
really took of in Europe in the mid-nineteenth century when a German 
chemists Freidrich Gaedake and Albert Niemann isolated the main alkaloid of 
the coca leaf and it became known as cocaine. Said to be a wonder drug, it 
was used in medicines, alcoholic and soft drinks and could be bought over 
the counter in pure form. Vin Mariani was wine produced in the latter part 
of the nineteenth century, containing extracts of coca leaves(endorsed by 
the likes of the Tsar of Russia, Sarah Bernhardt and the then Prince of 
Wales, later Edward VII)and, in 1886, Coca-Cola was launched on to the 
market. It contained cocaine until 1903 and still contain de-cocainised 
extracts from the coca plant. The sale of cocaine was only made illegal in 
America in 1914 and in this country in 1917.

Highs: 

in the short term, cocaine makes you feel you can rule the world. 
Users experience increased feelings of well being, excitement, pleasure, 
confidence and energy. The drug also reduces the need to sleep or eat and 
is relatively subtle so, witnessed by the untrained eye, behavioural 
changes will largely go unnoticed.


Lows: 

cocaine increases breathing rate and raises blood pressure, heart 
rate and body temperature. A small number of people have developed severe 
respiratory problems and some of these users have died; other complain of 
over-stimulation. Although for may years cocaine was thought to be only 
psychologically rather than physically addictive, it is now believed that 
prolonged use will lead to physical dependency. Although tolerance does not 
increase with long-term use euphoria is often replaced by restlessness, 
hypersensitivity, nausea, insomnia and weight loss. In some users, cocaine, 
even in small amounts, can cause feelings of anxiety and/or aggression and 
irritability. As with amphetamines, cocaine overdose is extremely rare. 
Symptoms include extreme over-stimulation, racing pulse or palpitations, 
severe chest pains, difficulty breathing, shaking sweating, muscle spasms 
and general stiffness.

TESLA COIL THEORY

TESLA  COIL THEORY









       LINE  VOLTAGE  IS STEPPED UP BY THE HIGH-VOLTAGE  TRANSFORMER  TO  A
    MAGNITUDE SUFFICIENT TO CHARGE THE CAPACITOR AND FORCE THE SPARK GAP TO
    BREAK  DOWN.  THIS ACTION IS REPEATED AT THE 60 HERTZ  LINE  FREQUENCY.
    EFFICIENT  ENERGY  TRANSFER IS ENHANCED BY CHOOSING A  CAPACITOR  WHOSE
    IMPEDANCE IS EQUAL TO THAT OF THE SECONDARY WINDING.
     ESSENTIALLY,  THE  CAPACITOR AND TESLA COIL PRIMARY FORM ONE  PAIR  OF
    TANK  CIRCUTS:  WHEN  THE SPARK GAP ARCS, THE  MOMENTARY  SHORT  CIRCUT
    CREATED  DUMPS  THE  CAPACITOR'S CHARGE INTO THE  COIL'S  PRIMARY.  THE
    RESULTING  L-C  CIRCUT RINGS AS THE CHARGE OSCILLATES  BACK  AND  FORTH
    BETWEEN  THE  CAPACITOR  AND THE COIL.  THE  OSCILLATIONS  DECREASE  IN
    AMPLITUDE  AS  THE  CHARGE IS DISSIPATED  BY  RESISTANCE.  THE  RINGING
    GENERATES WHAT IS REFFERRED TO AS A "DAMPED WAVE". THE NEXT  HALF-CYCLE
    OF 60-HZ RECHARGES THE CAPACITOR, STARTING THE PROCESS ANEW. A TRAIN OF
    HI-FREQUENCY WAVES, SPACED AT 60-HZ INTERVALS, IS THE PRODUCT.
     RESONANCE  MUST  BE  ACHIEVED  TO EFFECT  RINGING:  THIS  DEMANDS  THE
    CAPACITOR AND PRIMARY HAVE THE SAME REACTANCE:
      X(L) = X(C)  THE CIRCUT RESISTANCE (CAPACITOR, COIL AND  INTERMEDIATE
    WIRING) LIMITS THE OVERALL EFFICIENCY OF THE TANK CIRCUT. EFFICIENCY IS
    RATED IN TERMS OF "QUALITY FACTOR", REPRESENTED AS 'Q':
                           Q  =  W(L)/R  =  X(C)/R

      INCREASING  RESISTANCE  REDUCES Q, THEREBY REDUCING  EFFICIENCY.  THE
    EFFECT  IS MINIMIZED BY WINDING THE PRIMARY WITH A FEW TURNS  OF  HEAVY
    CONDUCTOR,  WELL-SPACED,  OVER  A LARGE RADIUS FORM -  THE  LARGER  THE
    BETTER.  THE  CAPACITOR  SIZE AND CONSTRUCTION ALSO BEAR  UPON  Q:  THE
    PHYSICAL  SIZE  AND  AREA SHOULD BE  MINIMIZED.  THIS,  HOWEVER,  WORKS
    AGAINST  LARGE CAPACITANCE VALUES AND DICTATES THE COIL BE  WOUND  WITH
    MORE TURNS. THE GOAL, THEN, IS TO ACHIEVE A WORKABLE RANGE OF COMPONENT
    SPECIFICATIONS RATHER THAN TO STRIVE FOR OVERLY CLOSE TOLERANCES. COILS
    OFTEN ARE WOUND WITH TAPPED PRIMARIES TO FACILITATE FINE TUNING.
     THE SECONDARY COIL IS SITUATED BOTH ELECTRICALLY AND PHYSICALLY WITHIN
    THE  PRIMARY.  THE SECONDARY AND ITS DISCHARGE ELECTRODE,  GENERALLY  A
    SPHERE OR TOROID, MAKE UP THE SECOND TUNED CIRCUT. THE WINDING SUPPLIES
    INDUCTANCE;  THE CAPACITOR IS CREATED BY THE ELECTRODE AND THE  (EARTH)
    GROUND-PLANE.   AIR  IS  THE  DIELECTRIC.  MOST  TESLA   COILS   EMPLOY
    SECONDARIES  OF  1/4-WAVELENGTH AT THEIR  OPERATING  FREQUENCIES.  THIS
    ESTABLISHES  A CONFIGURATION WITH MAXIMUM CURRENT AT ZERO VOLTAGE  WITH
    MINIMUM  CURRENT  AT  THE  ELECTRODE.  THIS  SITUATION  PROVES  TO   BE
    BENEFICIAL, IN THAT IT ENHANCES COUPLING WITH THE HIGH CURRENT PRIMARY,
    AVOIDS  ARCHING  BETWEEN THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY  AND  GENERATES  THE
    DESIRED HIGH VOLTAGE AT THE TOP END.
     THE  "OUDIN  COIL  IS  A 1/2-WAVE VARIATION  ON  THE  TESLA  COIL.  IT
    POSSESSES THE ESSENTIAL TESLA COIL OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS, BUT  IT
    EMPLOYS  A HORIZONTALLY PLACED SECONDARY WITH DISCHARGE  ELECTRODES  AT
    BOTH  ENDS AND A PRIMARY AT THE CENTER. THE OUDIN PRIMARY SOMETIMES  IS
    MERELY  A PAIR OF TAPS ON THE SECONDARY (AN AUTOTRANSFORMER). THE  1/2-
    WAVE ARRANGEMENT AFFORDS A COIL WITH MAXIMUM DISCHARGE AT EACH END  AND
    A VIRTUAL GROUND AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE WINDING(S).
 

Black Holes

B L A C K    H O L E S    I N    S P A C E

-------------------------------------------------------------
 
     There is much more to black holes than meets the eye.  In fact,
your eyes, even with the aid of the most advanced telescope, will
never see a black hole in space.  The reason is that the matter
within a black hole is so dense and has so great a gravitational pull
that it prevents even light from escaping.
 
     Like other electromagnetic radiation (radio waves, infrared
rays, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, and gamma radiation), light is
the fastest traveler in the Universe.  It moves at nearly 300,000
kilometers (about 186,000 miles) per second.  At such a speed, you
could circle the Earth seven times between heartbeats.
 
     If light can't escape a black hole, it follows that nothing else
can.  Consequently, there is no direct way to detect a black hole.
 
     In fact, the principal evidence of the existence of black holes
comes not from observation but from solutions to complex equations
based on Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.  Among other
things, the calculations indicate that black holes may occur in a
variety of sizes and be more abundant than most of us realize.
 
 

MINI BLACK HOLES
Some black holes are theorized to be nearly as old as the Big
Bang, which is hypothesized to have started our Universe 10 to 20
billion years ago.  The rapid early expansion of some parts of the
dense hot matter in this nascent Universe is said to have so
compressed less rapidly moving parts that the latter became
superdense and collapsed further, forming black holes.  Among the
holes so created may be the submicroscopic mini-black holes.
 
     A mini-black hole may be as small as an atomic particle but
contain as much mass (material) as Mount Everest.  Never
underestimate the power of a mini-black hole.  If some event caused
it to decompress, it would be as if millions of hydrogen bombs were
simultaneously detonated.
 
 

HOW STARS DIE
The most widespread support is given to the theory that a black
hole is the natural end product of a giant star's death.  According
to this theory, a star like our Sun and others we see in the sky
lives as long as thermal energy and radiation from nuclear reactions
in its core provide sufficient outward pressure to counteract the
inward pressure of gravity caused by the star's own great mass.
 
     When the star exhausts its nuclear fuels, it succumbs to the
forces of its own gravity and literally collapses inward.  According
to equations derived from quantum mechanics and Einstein's Theory of
General Relativity, the star's remaining mass determines whether it
becomes a white dwarf, a neutron star, or black hole.
 
 

WHITE DWARFS
Stars are usually measured in comparison with our Sun's mass.  A
star whose remaining mass is about that of our Sun condenses to
approximately the size of Earth.  The star's contraction is halted by
the collective resistance of electrons pressed against each other and
their atomic nuclei.  Matter in this collapsed star is so tightly
packed that a piece the size of a sugar cube would weigh thousands of
kilograms.  Gravitational contraction would also have made the star
white hot.  It is appropriately called a white dwarf.
 
     Astronomers have detected white dwarfs in space.  The first
discovery was a planet-sized object that seemed to exert a
disproportionately high gravitational effect upon a celestial
companion, the so call dog star Sirius, which is about 2.28 times our
Sun's mass.  It appeared that this planet-sized object would have to
be about as massive as our Sun to affect Sirius as it did.  Moreover,
spectral analysis indicated the star's color was white.
 
     Based upon these and other studies, astronomers concluded that
they had found a white dwarf.  However, it took many years after the
discovery in 1914 before most scientists accepted the fact that an
object thousands of times denser than anything possible on Earth
could exist.
 
 

NEUTRON STARS AND SUPERNOVAS
Giant stars usually lose most of their mass during their normal
lifetimes.  If such a star still retains 1 1/2 to 3 solar masses
after exhaustion of its nuclear fuels, it would collapse to even
greater density and smaller size than the white dwarf.  The reason is
that there is a limit on the amount of compression electrons can
resist in the presence of atomic nuclei.
 
     In this instance, the limit is breached.  Electrons are
literally driven into atomic nuclei, mating with protons to form
neutrons and thus transmuting nuclei into neutrons.  The resulting
object is aptly called a neutron star.  It may be only a few
kilometers in diameter.  A sugar-cube size piece of this star would
weigh about one-half a trillion kilograms.
 
     Sometimes, as electrons are driven into protons in atomic
nuclei, neutrinos are blown outward so forcefully that they blast off
the star's outer layer.  This creates a supernova that may
temporarily outshine all of the other stars in a galaxy.
 
     The most prominent object believed to be a neutron star is the
Crab Nebula, the remnant of a supernova observed and reported by
Chinese astronomers in 1504.  A star-like object in the nebula
blinks, or pulses, about 30 times per second in visible light, radio
waves, and X and gamma rays.  The radio pulses are believed to result
from interaction between a point on the spinning star and the star's
magnetic field.  As the star rotates, this point is theorized
alternately to face and be turned away from Earth.  The fast rotation
rate implied by the interval between pulses indicates the star is no
more than a few kilometers in diameter because if it were larger, it
would be torn apart by centrifugal force.
 

 
PULSARS
Radio telescopes have detected a large number of other objects
which send out naturally pulsed radio signals.  They were named
pulsars.  Like the object in the Crab Nebula, they are presumed to be
rotating neutron stars.
 
     Of these pulsars, only the Vela pulsar--which gets its name
because of its location in the Vela (Sails) constellation--pulses at
wavelengths shorter than radio.  Like the Crab pulsar, the Vela
pulsar also pulses at optical and gamma ray wavelengths.  However,
unlike the Crab pulsar, it is not an X-ray pulsar.  Aside from the
mystery generated by these differences, scientists also debate the
reasons for the pulses at gamma, X-ray and optical frequencies.  As
noted earlier, they agree on the origin of the radio pulses.
 
 

BLACK HOLES
When a star has three or more solar masses left after it
exhausts its nuclear fuels, it can become a black hole.
 
     Like the white dwarf and neutron star, this star's density and
gravity increase with contraction.  Consequently, the star's
gravitational escape velocity (speed needed to escape from the star)
increases.  When the star has shrunk to the Schwarzschild radius,
named for the man who first calculated it, its gravitational escape
velocity would be nearly 300,000 kilometers per second, which is
equal to the speed of light.  Consequently, light could never leave
the star.
 
     Reduction of a giant star to the Schwarzschild radius represents
an incredible compression of mass and decrease in size.  As an
example, mathematicians calculate that for a star of 10 solar masses
(ten times the mass of our Sun) after exhaustion of its nuclear
fuels, the Schwarzschild radius is about 30 kilometers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
     According to the Law of General Relativity, space and time are
warped, or curved, by gravity.  Time is theorized TO POINT INTO THE
BLACK HOLE FROM ALL DIRECTIONS.  To leave a black hole, an object,
even light would have to go backward in time.  Thus, anything falling
into a black hole would disappear from our Universe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

     The Schwarzschild radius becomes the black hole's "event
horizon", the hole's boundary of no return.  Anything crossing the
event horizon can never leave the black hole.  Within the event
horizon, the star continues to contract until it reaches a space-time
singularity, which modern science cannot easily define.  It may be
considered a state of infinite density in which matter loses all of
its familiar properties.
 
     Theoretically, it may take less than a second for a star to
collapse into black hole.  However, because of relativistic effects,
we could never see such an event.  This is because, as demonstrated
by comparison of clocks on spacecraft with clocks on Earth, gravity
can slow, perhaps even stop, time.  The gravity of the collapsing
star would slow time so much that we would see the star collapsing
for as long as we watched.
 
     Once a black hole has been formed, it crushes into a singularity
anything crossing its event horizon.  As the black hole devours
matter, its event horizon expands.  This expansion is limited only by
the availability of matter.  Incredibly vast black holes that harbor
the crushed remains of billions of solar masses are theoretically
possible.
 
     Evidence that such superdense stars as white dwarfs and neutron
stars do exist has supported the idea that black holes, representing
what may be the ultimate in density, must also exist.  Potential
black holes, stars with three or more times the mass of our Sun,
pepper the sky.  But how can astronomers detect a black hole?
 
 

HOW BLACK HOLES MAY BE INDIRECTLY DETECTED
Scientists found indirect ways of doing so.  The methods depends
upon black holes being members of binary star systems.  A binary star
system consists of two stars comparatively near to and revolving
about each other.  Unlike our Sun, most stars exist in pairs.
 
     If one of the stars in a binary system had become a black hole,
the hole would betray its existence, although invisible, by its
gravitational effects upon the other star.  These effects would be in
accordance with Newton's Law: attractions of two bodies to each other
are directly proportional to the square of the distance between them.
The reason is that outside of its event horizon, a black hole's
gravity is the same as other objects'.
 
     Scientists also have determined that a substantial part of the
energy of matter spiraling into a black hole is converted by
collision, compression, and heating into X- and gamma rays displaying
certain spectral characteristics.  The radiation is from the material
as it is pulled across the hole's event horizon, its radiation cannot
escape.
 
 

WORMHOLES
Some scientists speculate that matter going into a black hole
may survive.  Under special circumstances, it might be conducted via
passages called "wormholes" to emerge in another time or another
universe.  Black holes are theorized to play relativistic tricks with
space and time.
 
 

NASA ORBITING OBSERVATORY OBSERVATIONS
Black hole candidates--phenomena exhibiting black hole
effects--have been discovered and studied through such NASA
satellites as the Small Astronomy Satellites (SAS) and the much
larger Orbiting Astronomical Observatories (OAO) and High Energy
Astronomical Observatories (HEAO).  The most likely candidate is
Cygnus X-1, an invisible object in the constellation Cygnus, the
swan.  Cygnus X-1 means that it is the first X-ray source discovered
in Cygnus.  X-rays from the invisible object have characteristics
like those predicted from material as it falls toward a black hole.
The material is apparently being pulled from the hole's binary
companion, a large star of about 30 solar masses.  Based upon the
black hole's gravitational effects on the visible star, the hole's
mass is estimated to be about six times of our Sun.  In time the
gargantuan visible star could also collapse into a neutron star or
black hole or be pulled piece by piece into the existing black hole,
significantly enlarging the hole's event horizon.
 
 

BLACK HOLES AND GALAXIES
It is theorized that rotating black holes, containing the
remains of millions or billions of dead stars, may lie at the centers
of galaxies such as our Milky Way and that vast rotating black holes
may be the powerhouses of quasars and active galaxies.  Quasars are
believed to be galaxies in an early violent evolutionary stage while
active galaxies are marked by their extraordinary outputs of energy,
mostly from their cores.
 
     According to one part of the General Theory of Relativity called
the Penrose Process, most of the matter falling toward black holes is
consumed while the remainder is flung outward with more energy than
the original total falling in.  The energy is imparted by the hole's
incredibly fast spin.  Quiet normal galaxies like our Milky Way are
said to be that way only because the black holes at their centers
have no material upon which to feed.
 
     This situation could be changed by a chance break-up of a star
cluster near the hole, sending stars careening into the hole.  Such
an event could cause the nucleus of our galaxy to explode with
activity, generating large volumes of lethal gamma radiation that
would fan out across our galaxy like a death ray, destroying life on
Earth and wherever else it may have occurred.
 
 

BLACK HOLES AND GALACTIC CLUSTERS
Some astronomers believe that the gravity pulls of gigantic
black holes may hold together vast galactic clusters such as the
Virgo cluster consisting of about 2500 galaxies.  Such clusters were
formed after the Big Bang some 10 to 20 billion years ago.  Why they
did not spread randomly as the Universe expanded is not understood,
as only a fraction of the mass needed to keep them together is
observable.  NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and AXAF Telescope,
scheduled for a future Shuttle launch, will provide many more times
the data than present ground and space observatories furnish and
should contribute to resolving this and other mysteries of our
Universe.
 
 

BLACK HOLES AND OUR UNIVERSE
Our universe is theorized to have begun with a bang that sent
pieces of it outward in all directions.  As yet, astronomers have not
detected enough mass to reverse this expansion.  The possibility
remains, however, that the missing mass may be locked up in
undetectable black holes that are more prevalent than anyone
realizes.
 
     If enough black holes exist to reverse the universe's expansion,
what then?  Will all of the stars, and galaxies, and other matter in
the universe collapse inward like a star that has exhausted its
nuclear fuels?  Will one large black hole be created, within which
the universe will shrink to the ultimate singularity?
 
     Extrapolating backward more than 10 billion years, some
cosmologists trace our present universe to a singularity.  Is a
singularity both the beginning and end of our universe?  Is our
universe but a phase between singularities?
 
     These questions may be more academic than we realize.
Scientists say that, if the universe itself is closed and nothing can
escape from it, we may already be in a black hole.

AGING AND ALCOHOL ABUSE

Chart showing how the difference in alcohol consumption between men and women widens with age

AGING AND ALCOHOL ABUSE                                               
Alcohol abuse among older men and women is a more                               
serious problem than people generally realize.  Until recently                  
older problem drinkers tended to be ignored by both health                      
professionals and the general public.  The neglect occurred                     
for several reasons: our elderly population was small and                       
few were identified as alcoholics, chronic problem drinkers                     
(those who abused alcohol off and on for most of their                          
lives) often died before old age; and, because they are                         
often retired or have fewer social contacts, older people                       
have often been able to hide drinking problems.                                 
                                                                                
Some families may unknowingly "encourage" drinking in                           
older family members if they have the attitude that drinking                    
should be tolerated because older people have only a                            
limited time left and therefore should be allowed to "enjoy"                    
themselves.                                                                     
                                                                                
As more people learn that alcohol problems can be                               
successfully treated at any age, more are willing to seek                       
help to stop drinking.                                                          
                                                                                

Physical Effects of Alcohol                                                     
Alcohol slows down brain activity.  It impairs mental                           
alertness, judgment, physical coordination, and reaction                        
time -- increasing the risk of falls and accidents.                             
                                                                                
Over time, heavy drinking can cause permanent damage to                         
the brain and central nervous system, as well as to the                         
liver, heart kidneys, and stomach.                                              
                                                                                
Alcohol can affect the body in unusual ways, making                             
certain medical problems difficult to diagnose.  For                            
example, the effects of alcohol on the cardiovascular                           
system (the heart and blood vessels) can mask pain, which                       
may otherwise serve as a warning sign of heart attack.                          
Alcoholism can also produce symptoms similar to those of                        
dementia -- forgetfulness, reduced attention, confusion.  If                    
incorrectly identified, such symptoms may lead to                               
unnecessary institutionalization.                                               
                                                                                
Alcohol, itself a drug, mixes unfavorably with many other                       
drugs, including those sold by prescription and those                           
bought over-the-counter.  In addition, use of prescription                      
drugs may intensify the older person's reaction to alcohol,                     
leading to more rapid intoxication.  Alcohol can dangerously                    
slow down performance skills (driving, walking, etc.),                          
impair judgment, and reduce alertness when taken with                           
drugs such as:                                                                  
                                                                                
*   "Minor" tranquilizers: Valium (diazepam), Librium                           
    (chlordiazepoxide), Miltown (meprobamate), and                              
    others.                                                                     
                                                                                
*   "Major" tranquilizers: Thorazine (chlorpromazine),                          
    Mellaril (thioridazine), and others.                                        
                                                                                
*   Barbiturates: Luminal (phenobarbital) and others.                           
                                                                                
*   Pain killers: Darvon (propoxyphene), Demerol                                
    (meperidine), and others.                                                   
                                                                                
*   Antihistamines: both prescription and over-the-                             
    counter forms found in cold remedies.                                       
                                                                                
Use of alcohol can cause other drugs to be metabolized                          
more rapidly, producing exaggerated responses.  Such                            
drugs include: anticonvulsants (Dilantin), anticoagulants                       
(Coumadin), and antidiabetes drugs (Orinase).                                   
                                                                                
In some people, aspirin can cause bleeding in the stomach                       
and intestines.  Alcohol also irritates the stomach and can                     
aggravate this bleeding.  The combination of alcohol and                        
diuretics can reduce blood pressure in some individuals,                        
producing dizziness.                                                            
                                                                                
Anyone who drinks -- even moderately -- should check with                       
a doctor or pharmacist about possible drug interactions.                        

                                                                                Who Becomes a Problem Drinker?                                                  
In old age, problem drinkers seem to be one of two types.                       
The first are chronic abusers, those who have used alcohol                      
heavily throughout life.  Although most chronic abusers die                     
by middle age, some survive into old age.  Approximately                        
two-thirds of older alcoholics are in this group.                               
                                                                                
The second type begins excessive drinking late in life, often                   
in response to "situational" factors -- retirement, lowered                     
income, declining health, and the deaths of friends and                         
loved ones.  In these cases, alcohol is first used for                          
temporary relief but later becomes a problem.                                   
                                                                                

Detecting Drinking Problems                                                     
Not everyone who drinks regularly or heavily is an alcohol                      
abuser, but the following symptoms frequently indicate a                        
problem:                                                                        
                                                                                
*   Drinking to calm nerves, forget worries, or reduce                          
    depression.                                                                 
                                                                                
*   Loss of interest in food.                                                   
                                                                                
*   Gulping drinks and drinking too fast.                                       
                                                                                
*   Lying about drinking habits.                                                
                                                                                
*   Drinking alone with increasing frequency.                                   
                                                                                
*   Injuring oneself, or someone else, while intoxicated.                       
                                                                                
*   Getting drunk often (more than three or four times in                       
    the past year).                                                             
                                                                                
*   Needing to drink increasing amounts of alcohol to                           
    get the desired effect.                                                     
                                                                                
*   Frequently acting irritable, resentful, or unreasonable                     
    during nondrinking periods.                                                 
                                                                                
*   Experiencing medical, social, or financial problems                         
    that are caused by drinking.                                                
                                                                                                       

HERBAL FIRST AID KIT

HERBAL FIRST AID KIT 





Calendula Ointment
------------------
Use for minor cuts and grazes, red rashes and any minor skin rash.
 

Comfrey Ointment
----------------
Suitable for all bruises and minor damage to external blood vessels
and veins.
 

St. Johnswort Oil
-----------------
Beneficial for itchy skin and irritable psoriasis. Also good for
sunburn when applied at night.
 

Liver Mixture
-------------
Has mild laxative properties and helps with the digestion of rich
food. Take one teaspoon at night or 30 minutes before your main
meal.
 

Parasite Mixture
----------------
Effective against some common internal parasites. If infestation
is suspected abstain from all food for 24 hours. Then take one
tablespoon of the mixture in a little water and repeat this dose
after four hours and then once again after another four hours. Your
parasites should by then have died. You should be able to
recommence eating four hours after the last dose, (Gasp!). May also
be used as a skin wash for external parasites.


Nervine and Sedative Mixture
----------------------------
Take 25 drops 3 x daily on an empty stomach as a general sedative.
If you have trouble sleeping at night take one teaspoon in a little
water 30 minutes before bed-time.

 
Astringent Mix.
---------------
Good for internal bleeding and also as an effective remedy for
occasional diarrhoea. If you are stricken with "the runs" take one
teaspoonful in a little water every two hours until symptoms
subside. Follow up with Echinacea and Goldenseal tincture.

 
Echinacea and Goldenseal
------------------------
Similar in effect to an anti-biotic. Use only in the event of
serious infection etc. Take 25 drops in a little water 4 x daily
half an hour before meals. Continue for at least two weeks. May de
used externally as an antiseptic and anaesthetic lotion.
 

Echinacea Tincture
------------------
Similar to the previous mixture but more suitable for use over a
long period when taken internally. May be taken for up to one month
in order to boost the overall effectiveness of the immune system.
 

Important
*********
These remedies are in no way intended as a substitute for proper
medical care and attention. If your symptoms persist please consult
with a reputable health care practitioner.

 

Top 10 Little-Known Facts About The Undertaker

Top 10 Little-Known Facts About The Undertaker

Mark Calaway, aka The Undertaker, has been a fixture in World Wrestling Entertainment since making his debut at the 1990 Survivor Series.  That night a legend was born and his now 24-year reign in the WWE is unparalleled.  He is a four-time WWE Champion, a three-time World Heavyweight Champion, a six-time Tag Team Champion and the winner of the 2007 Royal Rumble. But of course, as every WWE fanatic knows, his most impressive accomplishment is his 21-0 streak at “The Showcase of Immortals,” WrestleMania.  On Sunday April 6th, he will put his 21-0 streak on the line in a showdown with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 30.

Fans of The Undertaker, and WWE fans overall, mostly know of his numerous in-ring feats and accomplishments. However, there are things that mostly aren’t known to the WWE Universe and things about The Undertaker that are known to a small amount of people. Some of those things are his love for motorcycles, his involvement with charity projects within the church and his large investments in construction and real estate projects.  This list of little known facts about The Phenom are mostly involved with his wrestling career with some other facts mixed in. We hope you enjoy.

10. He Was A Talented Basketball Player

Professional wrestling isn’t the only sport that The Undertaker excelled in. Back in the day, a young Mark Calaway was a promising basketball star during his collegiate years. Calaway played basketball for a two-year college in Texas before eventually transferring to Texas-Wesleyan University to play for the Rams for the 1985-86 season. If it wasn’t for him discovering a little something called professional wrestling, then who knows where basketball might have taken Calaway. WWE would’ve been robbed of a great had he not discovered the world of sports entertainment.

9. Before the Dead…

As with many wrestling superstars, The Undertaker did not start out as the “Man from the Dark Side” that many have come to love (and fear). Back in 1984, he debuted in World Class Championship Wrestling under the name of Texas Red.  As The Master of Pain in 1989, in the USWA, he won his first ever championship in professional wrestling. Also in ’89, he wrestled under the name The Punisher, where he would win his second championship in professional wrestling.  ‘Mean’ Mark Callous was his name when he wrestled briefly in WCW and also during that time he wrestled in New Japan Pro Wrestling as Punisher Dice Morgan. If he continued to struggle to find a gimmick, eventually he would’ve had as many gimmicks as he has years wrestled in WWE.

8. Taking Gold From A King

The first championship The Undertaker ever won came at the expense of a certain well-known king. On April 1st, 1989 as the “Master of Pain,” he won his first ever championship in professional wrestling by winning the USWA Unified World Heavyweight Championship, defeating Jerry “The King” Lawler. Lawler, who was and still is a very important figure in the professional wrestling scene, especially in the south, undoubtedly helped jump-start the early part of Taker’s early professional wrestling career. Taker would go on to win his second ever title in professional wrestling a couple of months later on October 5th, when he won WCWA Texas Heavyweight Championship by way of a forfeit.

7. A Paul Heyman Guy?

When one thinks “Paul Heyman Guy,” the two names that come up automatically, at least recently, are CM Punk and Brock Lesnar. They are the two biggest superstars he has managed as of late and has most certainly been the most vocal for. Other names like Curtis Axel, Ryback, Big Show, Rob Van Dam, Tazz, and others are sure to come up as Heyman has many “guys.” Many don’t know, however, that when Heyman made his debut in World Championship Wrestling (WCW) in 1988 and one of the first guys to be managed by him was, in fact, The Undertaker. Or should I say ‘Mean’ Mark Callous. This partnership wouldn’t last very long though and neither did his time in WCW, as he left the very next year for WWE.

The Undertaker and Paul Heyman have a long history together with most of it being on opposite sides. It’s hard to imagine that their history together started as a manger-client relationship.

6. Kane..The Undertaker

The Undertaker‘s first ever name in the WWE was in fact Kane The Undertaker. Although he was not introduced as “Kane The Undertaker” in his debut at the 1990 Survivor Series, he was introduced as such at a taping of WWE Superstars in 1990. After the announcers at Survivor Series failed to mention the “Kane” part of his name, shortly after the event, it was dropped.  The name Kane would reappear on television in WWE on October 5th, 1997 at Badd Blood: In Your House, but as The Undertaker’s half-brother.

5. Backstage Confrontation With The Heartbreak Kid

This was not on officially sanctioned WWE match. In fact, this wasn’t a match at all. This confrontation between the two happened outside of the ring and the stakes were higher than any prize or championship that a match could offer. If The Undertaker has a problem with a situation or a particular superstar in the WWE, he will let it be known and hold nothing back in doing so. In this case, his problem was with The HeartBreak Kid.

Shawn Michaels was at the height of his career in the mid-90s, and at the time of this particular incident, he was the WWE Champion. Michaels’ backstage behavior didn’t go over too well with many superstars, including The Deadman. Michaels was constantly in the ear of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, especially when it came to his nemesis Bret Hart, who Michaels thought should be put on the back-burner as WWE continued to grow. The Undertaker sided with Hart and felt that it wasn’t Michaels’ place to make a decision like that.

The incident between the two happened in the lead up to WrestleMania XIV. Michaels had suffered a serious back injury at the Royal Rumble the same year (against The Undertaker), that would force him to retire for a number of years from in-ring action after WM XIV. But yet and still, The Undertaker felt that Michaels should drop his title to the fast-rising Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Undertaker would confront Michaels and threaten to knock him out if he didn’t lose the match as planned. And of course with that lovely offer presented to him, Michaels went with the storyline and lost to Austin.

4. Falls Count Anywhere…Even On A Plane

It is a well known fact that The Undertaker has great respect for his boss Vince McMahon and vice versa. If one were to question this, they wouldn’t have to look any further than the incident that took place between Taker and former WWE superstar and current TNA wrestlerKurt Angle on a flight.

Kurt Angle detailed in his autobiography, “It’s True! It’s True!” (great read by the way), the altercation involving him and the American Bad Ass on a flight to London, England. The back-story was that McMahon had taken Kurt Angle down on an episode of Raw Is War and he would not let Angle forget it happened either. On the plane McMahon and Angle had a long conversation with McMahon’s last words to Angle being, “Remember, Angle, I am the only one who’s ever taken you down.” Angle decided to get back at his boss by playfully attacking McMahon from behind and wrestling him to the ground. This commotion apparently had awakened a sleeping Dead Man who came to McMahon’s aid (he later told Angle he didn’t know who was on top of McMahon). The Taker then proceeded to choke Angle out (Angle says he blacked out for about a minute). That had to have sent up a red flag to anyone who witnessed this who thought about attacking the boss, playfully or not.

3. Burned

The Undertaker had a very frightening experience for himself and those who witnessed it. Taker was set to make his way down to the ring at the Elimination Chamber PPV on February 9th, 2010 where he was one of the participants and the World Heavyweight Champion heading into the brutal chamber match.  As he stood at the top of the entrance ramp near the titantron, his pyro unexpectedly went off causing his jacket to catch on fire. The Undertaker quickly ditched the jacket and continued down the ring as if nothing happened, staying in his character. When he got into the ring, referee Jack Doan handed him water to pout on his noticeably bright-red chest.  He would go on to wrestle in the match, but to say he was pissed off is an  understatement.

As he was leaving the ring after the match, he could be seen pointing and yelling at the men in the pyro booth and raised hell in the backstage area about the incident. The Undertaker has a lot of pull in the WWE, so it wouldn’t be too shocking if those guys in the pyro booth found themselves looking for work after the event was over.

2. Taker Is A Fan Of Fighting, Ya Think?

If you were to ask The Undertaker what his top five favorite pastimes are, I’m pretty sure that boxing and mixed martial arts would fall somewhere in there. The Undertaker is an avid fan of boxing and MMA and often attends matches in his spare time away from the squared circle (which should be very often since he’s down to one match a year these days).

The most notable matches in each sports that he has attended in each sport include the epic clash between Mike Tyson and then-IBF, IBO and WBC Champion Lennox Lewis in 2002 (Lewis won by 8th round KO) and the Manny Pacquiao/Hector Velazquez bout in 2005. Taker actually carried out the US flag for Team Pacquiao before Pacquiao went on to win by TKO in the 6th round.

The Undertaker also loves attending MMA events, one of which involved a well documented encounter with “The Beast Incarnate”Brock Lesnar at UFC 121. After Lesnar’s 1st round TKO loss to Cain Velasquez, he and Taker had a stare down to which Taker said to Lesnar, “You wanna do it?” (This can be seen in the video above at 0:45).

Taker has said if he didn’t pursue a career in professional wrestling then MMA would’ve been the path he would’ve chosen.

1. Least Favorite Gimmick: The Lord of Darkness

Finding this out came as a huge disappointment to me because I absolutely loved this version of The Undertaker. It went perfect with the over-the-top nature of the Attitude Era and only made the excellent storylines of the era that much better. But as a very religious person who is involved in the church, this gimmick didn’t sit to well with Taker. The reciting of satanic phrases, being a leader of a somewhat cult-like stable that kidnapped other superstars and sacrificed them on his symbol wasn’t something The Undertaker was too fond of. He also didn’t like the fact that when his Ministry of Darkness fused with the Corporate Ministry, that it became all about the McMahons. Which is true, as it did become all about Vince McMahon and his quest to make sure Stone Cold never won the WWE Championship again.  As you may remember, Shane McMahon as the leader of the Corporation merged with the MOD to take out common foes Stone Cold, The Rock, and Vince McMahon. Vince ultimately was revealed as the much talked about “Higher Power” but after this revelation, the stable didn’t last too much longer.

Although this was his least favorite gimmick, I’m pretty sure that I have many in agreement who feel it was one of his best and most entertaining (certainly better than American Badass…)

15 Scientific Reasons Love Is Bad For You

Love is a sexually transmitted disease you’re better off without

1. The obsessive thinking

people in love and people suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder both have low levels of serotonin, which is what accounts for the “intrusive thoughts” that imprison you in an impenetrable cycle of thinking about your partner.

2. The separation anxiety.

The love-sick also exhibit surges in dopamine, making you hyper-anxious and forcing you to check your phone every five seconds when expecting a text from your beloved, to the annoyance of both yourself and your friends.

3. The intense dependency.

Dopamine is the “desire and reward” chemical; it’s what makes us crave the person who gives us pleasure and flip out when that pleasure is taken away.

4. The sleepless nights.

Surges in adrenaline and nonrepinephrine also cause mania, fear, sleeplessness, and loss of appetite.

5. The psycho behavior.

The chemical cocktail of high dopamine, adrenaline, and nonrepinephrine with low serotonin makes it impossible to control yourself and distorts your sense of reality.

6. The horrible addiction.

As the chemical mix grows stronger, our infatuation deepens and turns into outright addiction. In fact, fMRI scans have indicated that the brain of someone in love looks very similar to the brain of a coke addict.

7. The soul-destroying withdrawal.

And since romantic love is an addiction, the stages of being dumped are similar to getting off crack: tolerance (“I’m fine as long as I can see you once in a while”), withdrawal (“Waaah! I can’t live with you!”), and relapse (“Let’s just have sex once more for old time’s sake”).

8. The crippling jealousy…

Evolutionary scientists believe that romantic jealousy developed in men out of fear of being cuckolded and in women out of fear of being materially abandoned. However it happened, it sucks.

9. …which is usually justified.

Evolutionary scientists posit that we’re somewhat hardwired to cheat, a belief backed up by recent statistics showing 57% of men and 54% of women have cheated in any relationship the’ve had.

10. The sex question.

Studies show that there’s an inverse relationship between testosterone and oxytocin, so the more intimate you get, the less you want to have sex.

11. The “old cow” syndrome.

People, especially men, are sexually attracted to novelty and turned off by familiarity, so if you’re not in love, you can look forward to men enthusiastically undressing you rather than staring at the TV.

12. The bad surprises.

Even while in the infatuation stage, it’s possible to have a first kiss with a hottie and feel like you’re drinking chloride. That’s because when you make out, your body collects genetic information from each other’s saliva to see if you’re a good genetic match, and if you’re not it lets you know pretty forcefully.

13. The rage.

MRI scans indicate that love and rage are intimately connected in the human brain, which is why you can smack your beloved with a pan one minute and nuzzle them the next. .

14. The mind manipulation.

Studies on the caudate nucleus has led some psychologists to declare that love isn’t an emotion but rather a way in which our brain manipulates us into having sex and repopulating the earth. It’s all a mass conspiracy. BY OUR OWN MINDS.

15. The inevitable doom.

Studies have shown that while feelings of attachment and intimacy are often long-lasting, romantic love and passion inevitably wane over time. So if you’re not in love, you’ve got all the good bits to look forward to!

So next time you’re bemoaning your singleness, remember how lucky you are to be healthy and love-free!