Science/Nature

Anyone who is a regular reader of this blog will know I'm quite passionate about cars, it all started when I was a boy, I had a scrap book of newspaper clippings from the auto section with all my favourite cars, I actually wanted to build a collection of photos of every car ever built, and luckily the auto section of newspapers in those days used to cover the auto industry including car shows.

These days I don't bother with newspapers because I get all my motoring news from the web, and websites these days usually offer video and podcasts, aside from written articles about car repair or the latest model.

Actually I enjoy watching videos of cars, especially production model spycams, or race spec custom builds, I think it's only natural, guys like cars and we like to see what designers are testing on the roads even if we never get to drive these autos ourselves. I subscribe to Motorward's RSS feed, and a bunch of other lesser known auto sites, simply because I can't be bothered using search engines to find the latest car news. Read More

Ever since I was a boy I always wanted to be a swash buckling pirate or a medieval knight with a long sword, the ideal of fighting great battles against worthy adversaries has never left me, and of course every film hero carried a knife they could use to free damsels in distress or escape from the clutches of their enemies.

The appeal of Cold Steel Knives has never left me, though these days my need for knives is less about escaping from danger, and more about having a practical use for the knife. Robin Hood and his merry men would use their knives for eating as well as daring escapes, and I do a lot of traveling and working outdoors so a good knife is invaluable.

As well, I'm a writer, although I have to admit no published yet, but I have a lot of good ideas for blockbuster films so it's important I have all the props I need to fuel my imagination. My memories of military service in my teenage years aren't enough anymore, and anyway, I have a genuine need for a good knife.

When you travel or go bush you need a reliable knife for preparing food, and in some places you need it for protection as well, although where I go I mostly need a knife for cutting twigs, twine etc to make my campsite. I've been known to do some hunting in the past, rabbit, possum small birds etc, and believe me you want a great quality knife to make the job easier.

Some people think knives are dangerous and shouldn't be sold, but actually firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and other civilians use knives all the time, and are often used to save lives, like when rescue workers cut web straps from trailers, or seat belts in cars. Wanna check out a good range of knives online, visit The Blade Shop.

Stumbled across a new car tuning website the other day and couldn't stop smiling when I read this line, "Girls are known to have liked high performance and flashy cars for a long time now". LOL, is it true, when they mock our manhood because we spend ours tuning our cars then revving at the traffic lights, are they really saying they like cars?

You can't deny though, for a guy babes and cars go hand in hand, call me sexist or old fashioned, but I like the look of a seriously hot mini skirt wearing babe draped over the bonnet (hood) of a hot little two seater. I digress here, but high heels always make a woman's legs look longer and slimmer, add the arched back as she oozes over the car, well it just doesn't get better does it?

I don't understand these metro guys who think it degrades women, utter baloney in my opinion, and anyway they drool over firemen with sweat and black charcoal on their naked upper torsos, or hunks in boxer shorts, it's pretty much normal for both genders to enjoy seeing the other in seductive poses.

But car tuning is more that babes and bonnets, it's a serious business that generates billions of dollars in jobs every year, and not just for mechanics, there is a whole support industry making things before the product even gets to the workshop (though we can forget about Toyota tuning for a while I guess), plus the modeling and ad agencies that get their cut.

Here in Europe it's rare to see tuning workshops that specialize in muscle cars, most people here drive a car with less than 2 liters engine capacity, VW tuning is popular, so the atmosphere is always different. First, the cars sound different with smaller engines, and almost every car enthusiast also has an awesome sound system, but they only play hard core dance music.

What is a viral infection? And why should you care? The trouble with medical problems is the complete confusion surrounding the origins of illness. Too many people rely on old wives tales, or think that an illness is more or less serious than it really is because they know nothing about how it is contracted and how to treat it.

Viruses are a particular case in point, these aren't an illness the body develops through overwork, cell devision, or stress. viruses are in fact a form of life that enter our bodies from outside and attack our immune system and other organs. The most common type of viral infection you'll be familiar with is the common cold or flu.

Viral Infections such as the common cold are easily spread, similar to bacteria, the virus can live in the air or on objects for as long as three days, long enough you or I to walk by, touch the object, and then rub our faces with our hands. This really simple process is enough to ensure we contract a viral infection.

Of course some viruses are more difficult to spread and cannot live outside a host body, so physical contact may be required. This is how cold sores and STDs are spread, though again the method of contact may require intimacy. Cold sores can be spread from kissing, whilst HIV can only be spread through intercourse.

But does knowing how viral infections are spread actually help? Well it does mean that if you are aware, you can take precautions to avoid contracting a viral infection, but I guess most people want to know how to detect viral infection symptoms and then find viral infection treatment.

Parents are especially keen to know about viral infections because they worry about their children, and I suppose quite a few will also be looking after their own older parents, the two groups most at risk from viral infections, and in weaker bodies can cause a great deal more difficulty than in a healthy active adult.

Part of my New Years resolution is to get fit, so that I can do something I've always dreamed of, walking or cycling long distances and seeing the world. For that I need the right equipment.

The first thing I need is a good watch, after all 6 months walking or cycling is going to be hell on any normal watch, so a rugged timepiece that can handle wet weather and the rigors of sweat and being bashed about is needed, and more importantly I don't want a watch that looks valuable.

Luminox Watches are a good brand used by the US Navy SEALS, and they glow in the dark, they seem like the perfect watch for a rugged trip, and starting at only $138 they're pretty good value, definitely more so than a cheap watch that might need replacing after a few weeks.

Good equipment for long distance walking and cycling isn't much different from the kind of equipment you need for fishing or hunting, and even though I don't do either, I appreciate good quality tools. Setting up a tent in a forest sometimes means having to cut undergrowth, or tie a line for drying clothes.

I've been looking around for tools that I can start buying while I get my body into shape, I hate buying everything at the last minute, and I know I'm going to need a good knife for cutting up meat, maybe an axe for chopping wood, and probably a good sharpening tool to keep the blades sharp.

I quite like when I go hunting around the web and find one shop that carries a decent range of all the stuff I'm likely to need, and I know that Spyderco Knives and Kershaw Knives are excellent brands for what I need.

A simple thing like a camp axe doesn't need to be huge, and I certainly don't need a log splitter, but I will need the ability to chop small branches for cooking. Similarly those multifunction kits with bottle openers, can openers, screwdrivers, a small hammer etc are really useful.

If I bought all the bits I need separately I'd be carrying around a lot of gear so it's worth checking out brands like Spyderco and Kershaw. At least I won't need to worry about the quality of the gear.