Why Apple Should Fear Samsung's New 'Tizen' Strategy Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-and-samsungs-new-tizen-strategy-2014-3#ixzz2pksdRfZg

Samsung's decision to use Tizen, a non-Android operating system, on its Gear line of smart watches has mostly been seen as a blow to Google, Android's developer.

If Samsung adopts Tizen more widely in its lineup of mobile devices — particularly if it extended Tizen onto future iterations of its flagship Galaxy and Note models — then it would cut the market share of Android.

Samsung co-CEO J.K. Shin has said he'd like to see Tizen on "everything" that Samsung makes, including phones.

Such a move would (in theory) transfer 25% of the U.S. market to Tizen from Android, according to comScore, and probably an even larger chunk in Asian countries like Japan and Korea. That would leave Google servicing a bunch of also-ran Android phone brands like HTC, LG and Lenovo.

But another way to look at Samsung's Tizen strategy is to consider it from Apple's point of view, and to ask what Samsung wants in terms of its never-ending battle with iPhone, iPad and the iOS mobile system they operate on.

Tizen solves a pair of problems for Samsung.

For Samsung, there are two huge competitive factors lurking behind Tizen:

1. Apple has no operating system for "wearables" — smart watches, smart glasses and various connected household gadgets. Tizen puts Samsung ahead of the game in terms of building out a system for the "Internet of things." Tizen also uses less battery power than Android, according to some.
2. In developing countries, Samsung's market share could easily get eaten by cheap Chinese Android knockoffs — smartphones that cost just $35 that, for low-end users, are just good enough to deter customers from spending the $700 it can cost to buy a top-shelf Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Keeping the Galaxy brand on Android could leave Samsung vulnerable to cheap competition from China.

Of course, Samsung could make a nice, cheap, competitive Android Samsung phone for the low-end market. But Samsung is a publicly traded company, and thus it needs all the profits it can get. (And as Apple stockholders know, high profits do not come from making cheap phones.)

So Samsung appears to have made a tentative decision: having cornered 32% of the phone market globally — more than Apple — it now needs to make sure that its share, and its profit margins, are protected from both high-end competition from Apple and low-end competition from China.

Samsung is already ahead of Apple in many ways.
It is less obvious how Tizen helps Samsung fend off Apple, however.

So ... consider that Samsung is more nimble than Apple in a bunch of ways.

Samsung launched first into the smart watch business. It has already unveiled three different iterations of its Gear smart watch. The last two of those devices are running Tizen.

Apple has yet to leave that starting gate on watches.

Now consider that Samsung has also led the race in terms of large format "phablet" phones. People laughed when the gigantic Note phone was launched. But talk to Note users and you'll hear, repeatedly, how much they love their big screens.

Again, Apple finds itself stuck in Munchkin Land when it comes to screens. (In fact the iPhone 5 was Apple's runner-up version of a large-screen phone.)

Tizen is being built by an open-source consortium backed by Samsung, Intel and a bunch of wireless carriers — and not Google. As the dominant development partner, Samsung will get to decide how quickly Tizen gets updated. It no longer has to wait for Google (which, like Apple, has not yet rolled out its wearables operating system version of Android). And the wireless carriers (Orange, Sprint and Vodafone) will doubtless support a format they've had a hand in making.

This is key because Samsung has a history of innovating faster than Apple. People criticize Samsung for launching loads of products, only to see many of them fail. But the flipside is that Samsung is very good at shipping new products quickly — and it doesn't matter if many of them fail as long as a handful, like the Galaxy and Note lines, become huge hits. Apple hasn't shipped a new format phone since 2012.

Finally, Samsung has been making smart (or somewhat smart) TVs for years. Apple has yet to sell a single smart TV screen (although it does have the Apple TV digital media player).

The $4 billion challenge to Apple.

Samsung's Tizen phone prototypes have had generally good reviews from critics in part because Tizen looks and feels like Android.

This is important: Samsung could transfer its entire phone user base to Tizen and most customers would not notice. That's one-third of the planet's entire market on a brand-new operating system controlled by Samsung within a handful of product cycles.

In that scenario, Apple has two competitors, Android and Tizen, instead of just one.

Samsung's main challenge to doing this isn't technical. It's environmental. People don't like Apple and Android because of their user-interfaces. They like them because of what they can do — and that means apps, like Facebook, Instagram and Candy Crush Saga. While transferring Samsung's users to Tizen might be technically easy, it would be a massive political problem to persuade hundreds of thousands of Android and iOS developers to populate a Samsung Tizen App Store with all the top apps that consumers want. If Samsung cannot manage this it might end up like Windows Phone: a beautiful device that no one wants.

This, it turns out, is another area where Apple ought to tremble: Samsung's marketing budget is $4 billion, worldwide — four times the size of Apple's. The company has more than enough firepower to promise app developers exposure and media partnerships if they launch on the Tizen platform.

And Samsung itself is a media "platform," of course. Remember when Samsung paid $5 million to launch the new Jay-Z album, just like an app, on Galaxy phones? Samsung is already creating a cozy non-Apple media environment with Milk, its new competitor to iTunes Radio.

It is not inconceivable that top app makers like King and Rovio — which need new revenue from any source they can get — would partner with Samsung for massive launches on new Tizen Galaxy phones.

This would leave Samsung competing against only one company — Apple — instead of a dozen other Android makers. In this scenario, Android would be left with the low-end discount market that neither Samsung nor Apple want; Samsung and Apple would instead split the high-margin premium market between them.

Apple's worst nightmare.
And while Apple fanboys may laugh at the idea that Samsung's devices are on a par with Apple's iPhones and iPads, they may want to consider how much of a head start Samsung has already gotten in terms of solidifying its customer base: Samsung is

Samsung is growing its share of the tablet market, while Apple's share — still top — is in decline. Apple once had 50% of the tablet market in 2011. Now it's barely holding on to a third of sales.

TECHMore: Apple Samsung Tizen

Why Apple Should Fear Samsung's New 'Tizen' Strategy

 

JIM EDWARDS 

  

 
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Samsung's decision to use Tizen, a non-Android operating system, on its Gear line of smart watches has mostly been seen as a blow to Google, Android's developer.

If Samsung adopts Tizen more widely in its lineup of mobile devices — particularly if it extended Tizen onto future iterations of its flagship Galaxy and Note models — then it would cut the market share of Android.

Samsung co-CEO J.K. Shin has said he'd like to see Tizen on "everything" that Samsung makes, including phones.

Such a move would (in theory) transfer 25% of the U.S. market to Tizen from Android, according to comScore, and probably an even larger chunk in Asian countries like Japan and Korea. That would leave Google servicing a bunch of also-ran Android phone brands like HTC, LG and Lenovo.

But another way to look at Samsung's Tizen strategy is to consider it from Apple's point of view, and to ask what Samsung wants in terms of its never-ending battle with iPhone, iPad and the iOS mobile system they operate on.

Tizen solves a pair of problems for Samsung.

Steve Kovach/Business Insider

Samsung's Tizen phone prototype looks just like Android.

For Samsung, there are two huge competitive factors lurking behind Tizen:

1. Apple has no operating system for "wearables" — smart watches, smart glasses and various connected household gadgets. Tizen puts Samsung ahead of the game in terms of building out a system for the "Internet of things." Tizen also uses less battery power than Android, according to some.
2. In developing countries, Samsung's market share could easily get eaten by cheap Chinese Android knockoffs — smartphones that cost just $35 that, for low-end users, are just good enough to deter customers from spending the $700 it can cost to buy a top-shelf Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Keeping the Galaxy brand on Android could leave Samsung vulnerable to cheap competition from China.

Of course, Samsung could make a nice, cheap, competitive Android Samsung phone for the low-end market. But Samsung is a publicly traded company, and thus it needs all the profits it can get. (And as Apple stockholders know, high profits do not come from making cheap phones.)

So Samsung appears to have made a tentative decision: having cornered 32% of the phone market globally — more than Apple — it now needs to make sure that its share, and its profit margins, are protected from both high-end competition from Apple and low-end competition from China.

Samsung is already ahead of Apple in many ways.

Dan Frommer, Business Insider

Samsung co-CEO J.K. Shin

It is less obvious how Tizen helps Samsung fend off Apple, however.

So ... consider that Samsung is more nimble than Apple in a bunch of ways.

Samsung launched first into the smart watch business. It has already unveiled three different iterations of its Gear smart watch. The last two of those devices are running Tizen.

Apple has yet to leave that starting gate on watches.

Now consider that Samsung has also led the race in terms of large format "phablet" phones. People laughed when the gigantic Note phone was launched. But talk to Note users and you'll hear, repeatedly, how much they love their big screens.

Again, Apple finds itself stuck in Munchkin Land when it comes to screens. (In fact the iPhone 5 was Apple's runner-up version of a large-screen phone.)

Tizen is being built by an open-source consortium backed by Samsung, Intel and a bunch of wireless carriers — and not Google. As the dominant development partner, Samsung will get to decide how quickly Tizen gets updated. It no longer has to wait for Google (which, like Apple, has not yet rolled out its wearables operating system version of Android). And the wireless carriers (Orange, Sprint and Vodafone) will doubtless support a format they've had a hand in making.

This is key because Samsung has a history of innovating faster than Apple. People criticize Samsung for launching loads of products, only to see many of them fail. But the flipside is that Samsung is very good at shipping new products quickly — and it doesn't matter if many of them fail as long as a handful, like the Galaxy and Note lines, become huge hits. Apple hasn't shipped a new format phone since 2012.

Finally, Samsung has been making smart (or somewhat smart) TVs for years. Apple has yet to sell a single smart TV screen (although it does have the Apple TV digital media player).

The $4 billion challenge to Apple.

Samsung's Tizen phone prototypes have had generally good reviews from critics in part because Tizen looks and feels like Android.

This is important: Samsung could transfer its entire phone user base to Tizen and most customers would not notice. That's one-third of the planet's entire market on a brand-new operating system controlled by Samsung within a handful of product cycles.

In that scenario, Apple has two competitors, Android and Tizen, instead of just one.

Samsung's main challenge to doing this isn't technical. It's environmental. People don't like Apple and Android because of their user-interfaces. They like them because of what they can do — and that means apps, like Facebook, Instagram and Candy Crush Saga. While transferring Samsung's users to Tizen might be technically easy, it would be a massive political problem to persuade hundreds of thousands of Android and iOS developers to populate a Samsung Tizen App Store with all the top apps that consumers want. If Samsung cannot manage this it might end up like Windows Phone: a beautiful device that no one wants.

This, it turns out, is another area where Apple ought to tremble:Samsung's marketing budget is $4 billion, worldwide — four times the size of Apple's. The company has more than enough firepower to promise app developers exposure and media partnerships if they launch on the Tizen platform.

And Samsung itself is a media "platform," of course. Remember whenSamsung paid $5 million to launch the new Jay-Z album, just like an app, on Galaxy phones? Samsung is already creating a cozy non-Apple media environment with Milk, its new competitor to iTunes Radio.

It is not inconceivable that top app makers like King and Rovio — which need new revenue from any source they can get — would partner with Samsung for massive launches on new Tizen Galaxy phones.

This would leave Samsung competing against only one company — Apple — instead of a dozen other Android makers. In this scenario, Android would be left with the low-end discount market that neither Samsung nor Apple want; Samsung and Apple would instead split the high-margin premium market between them.

Apple's worst nightmare.

Wikimedia Commons

A bit of a nightmare.

And while Apple fanboys may laugh at the idea that Samsung's devices are on a par with Apple's iPhones and iPads, they may want to consider how much of a head start Samsung has already gotten in terms of solidifying its customer base: Samsung is growing its share of the tablet market, while Apple's share — still top — is in decline. Apple once had 50% of the tablet market in 2011. Now it's barely holding on to a third of sales.

Samsung, meanwhile, tripled its share in the same period.

Samsung's Tizen thus threatens to create a new, scary universe for Apple. One in which its main enemy is not a free-to-use platform developed by a search engine company that doesn't make phones. Instead, Apple would face a foe that has the same platform advantages, but with two horrible differences: a faster innovation record and a bigger ad budget.

Read more:http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-and-samsungs-new-tizen-strategy-2014-3#ixzz2pkujr6RM

Child Obesity, the Dangers Involved and How It Can Be Managed

A lot of concern is raised over the increasing rate of obesity in children which is witnessed in the modern society. With the awareness conducted to sensitize people about the dangers that come with being obese persons are striving to maintain the ideal body weight. With the right knowledge adults are maintaining healthy lifestyle but the issue that has been a bother to many medical practitioners is that the children have also started to follow in the trend of adults as far as obesity is concerned.

There are various causes of obesity in children but the most common one is the lifestyle that are led by most people in modern society. This contributes to the reason why children are no longer active and they would prefer staying indoors and engage in activities that do not support high burning of calories. The condition has been enhanced with the availability of fast foods as well as processed foods which add little nutrients to the body. The resultant is calorie imbalance which translates to obesity in children. Lifestyle changes are advocated for if this problem is to be managed or dealt away with all together.

Causes of obesity are many and it is upon a parent or guardian to ensure that the children under their care are well taken care of to reduce the rates of obesity in children. The short term effects of obesity could seem manageable especially if the remedy is available instantly but the situation could change with time.

Children obesity can pose great danger to them as they grow up due to the medical implications that come with having that kind of weight. The medical challenges may not manifest immediately but as they grow up the risks increase unless adequate measures are taken at that tender age. Obese children are likely to suffer from cardioid vascular diseases such as high blood pressure which can be a long term medical condition. High cholesterol levels can be dangerous to the heart and this can easily come with increase in body weight.

Pre-diabetes is the condition where a child shows signs of increase in blood sugar levels which can easily result into diabetes. Stigmatization and low self esteem are known to be common conditions experienced by those children who are overweight especially in the society where people are judged based on the standards that are considered right. Joints and bone problems in children also arise from the overweight issue. These are just but a few of the obesity causes that children are likely to face in their adult lives. Some of the effects of this condition can be severe and detrimental.

Conclusion

Children are at times unable to make the right decisions more so when left on their own to do what they want. It is therefore the responsibility of adults to ensure that they live a healthy lifestyle that will not expose them to suffering from weight related illnesses in their adolescent and adult lives.

US Government freezes $458million Sani Abacha cash

The United States government today March 5th said it had ordered a freeze on $458 million in assets hidden in European accounts by former Nigerian dictator Sani Abacha and his conspirators.
PM News reports that the Justice Department said the corruption proceeds, stashed away in bank accounts in Britain, France and Jersey, were frozen at Washington’s request with the help of local authorities.

Abacha died in office in 1998, but his surviving relatives still include some of the richest and most influential figures in Nigeria. According to a civil forfeiture complaint unsealed in the US District Court in Washington, the department wants the recover more than $550 million in connection with the action.

“This is the largest civil forfeiture action to recover the proceeds of foreign official corruption ever brought by the department,”

said Mythili Raman, acting assistant attorney general.
“General Abacha was one of the most notorious kleptocrats in memory, who embezzled billions from the people of Nigeria while millions lived in poverty,” she said.

 The Justice Department said the assets frozen — along with additional assets named in the complaint — represent the “proceeds of corruption” during and after the military regime of Abacha, who became president of Nigeria through a military coup on November 17, 1993 and held that office until his death on June 8, 1998.

 The complaint alleges that Abacha, his son Mohammed Sani Abacha, their associate Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and others “embezzled, misappropriated and extorted billions from the government of Nigeria and others, then laundered their criminal proceeds through the purchase of bonds backed by the United States using US financial institutions.”

Raman said that the action sends a “clear message” that the United States is “determined and equipped to confiscate the ill-gotten riches of corrupt leaders who drain the resources of their countries.”

The US government’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative “where appropriate” provides for the return of stolen proceeds “to benefit the people harmed by these acts of corruption and abuse of office.”

It did not specify what action would be taken with regard to the Abacha case.
 The funds frozen include approximately $313 million in two bank accounts in the Bailiwick of Jersey and $145 million in two bank accounts in France, the department said.

 Four investment portfolios and three bank accounts in Britain were frozen, with an estimated value of at least $100 million but the exact amounts in the accounts have not yet been determined, it said.
 The Justice Department said that on February 25 and 26, authorities in Jersey, France and Britain complied with the US action to freeze the assets.

 The complaint also seeks to freeze five corporate entities registered in the British Virgin Islands.
 According to the complaint, Abacha and others systematically embezzled billions of dollars in public funds from Nigeria’s central bank on the false pretense that the funds were necessary for national security. They withdrew the funds in cash and then moved the money overseas through US financial institutions.
 Abacha and his finance minister, Anthony Ani, also allegedly caused the Nigerian government to buy Nigerian government bonds at vastly inflated prices from a company controlled by Bagudu and Mohammed Abacha. That operation created an illegal windfall of more than $282 million.
 In addition, Abacha and his co-conspirators allegedly extorted more than $11 million from a French civil engineering company, Dumez, and its Nigerian affiliate in connection with payments on government contracts.

 Funds involved in each of these schemes were laundered through the United States in nine financial institutions, the complaint alleged.  The financial institutions involved include Citibank, Chase Manhattan Bank and Morgan Guaranty Trust Company, now JPMorgan Chase, and New York-based units of Britain’s Barclays Bank and Germany’s Commerzbank.

 Last week, at a ceremony to mark the centenary of Nigeria’s formation by colonial lords, the Nigerian government headed by Goodluck Jonathan honoured Abacha, along with other past leaders for services rendered to Nigeria.

 Source: PM News

Natural Remedy For Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are visible lines on the skin surface, with an off-color hue. Stretch marks are mainly found in the abdominal wall, but can also occur over the thighs, upper arms, buttocks and breasts. Sometimes stretch marks can cover large areas of the body. While pregnancy is the main cause behind stretch marks, other reasons can be sudden gain or loss in weight, rapid growth, heredity factors, stress and changes in physical conditions.

The skin consists of three main layers: Epidermis (the outer layer), Dermis (the middle layer) and Subcutaneous or Hypodermic (the deepest layer). Stretch marks form in the dermis or middle layer of the skin when the connective tissue is “stretched” beyond the power of its flexibility due to rapid expansion or contraction of the skin. As skin is stretched, the collagen is weakened and its normal production cycle is interrupted and damaged. This ultimately results in fine scars under the top layer of the skin. Initially the marks look pink or red, but over time a thin, silvery line appears on the skin surface and a stretch mark is born. Stretch marks appear on the skin surface when someone grows quickly, or puts on weight quickly.

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks Fast

Stretch marks are visible lines on the skin surface, with an off-color hue. Stretch marks are mainly found in the abdominal wall, but can also occur over the thighs, upper arms, buttocks and breasts. Sometimes stretch marks can cover large areas of the body. While pregnancy is the main cause behind stretch marks, other reasons can be sudden gain or loss in weight, rapid growth, heredity factors, stress and changes in physical conditions.

The skin consists of three main layers: Epidermis (the outer layer), Dermis (the middle layer) and Subcutaneous or Hypodermic (the deepest layer). Stretch marks form in the dermis or middle layer of the skin when the connective tissue is “stretched” beyond the power of its flexibility due to rapid expansion or contraction of the skin. As skin is stretched, the collagen is weakened and its normal production cycle is interrupted and damaged. This ultimately results in fine scars under the top layer of the skin. Initially the marks look pink or red, but over time a thin, silvery line appears on the skin surface and a stretch mark is born. Stretch marks appear on the skin surface when someone grows quickly, or puts on weight quickly.

Stretch marks can make you feel self-conscious and uncomfortable about your appearance. Fortunately, there are several natural ways to reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

1. Potato Juice

Potato juice contains vitamins and minerals that foster growth and restoration of skin cells.

1.      Cut a medium-sized potato into thick slices.

2.      Take one of the potato pieces and rub it gently on the stretch marks for a few minutes. Make sure the liquid from the potato covers the affected area.

3.      Allow the potato juice to dry for some time and then wash it off with lukewarm water.

2. Sugar

Natural white sugar is one of the best natural remedies to get rid of stretch marks. You can use the sugar to exfoliate your skin.

1.      Mix a tablespoon of raw sugar with some almond oil and a few drops of lemon juice. Mix it well and apply it on the stretch marks and other skin areas.

2.      Gently rub the mixture on the skin for at least 10 minutes every day before taking a shower.

3.      Do this for a month or so and watch your stretch marks become lighter.

3. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is effective in the treatment of many skin problems. It has various essential nutrients and active compounds that can be used in the treatment of minor burns, while its healing and soothing properties can be used to get rid of stretch marks. There are a couple of ways to apply it.

·         You can directly rub aloe vera gel on the affected skin area, leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse the skin with lukewarm water.

·         Another option is to make a mixture with one-fourth cup of aloe vera gel, oil from 10 vitamin E capsules and oil from five vitamin A capsules. Rub this mixture onto the skin until fully absorbed. Repeat this process daily.

4. Water

Keeping your body well hydrated helps protect the skin from many kinds of problems. Well-hydrated skin results in regular detoxification of skin pores and restores elasticity, which will help a lot in getting rid of stretch marks. Try to drink one to two glasses of water several times during a day. Experts say a minimum of 10 glasses of water per day is the best way to keep the body hydrated. It will also make your skin soft and help maintain its elasticity. It is advisable to avoid coffee, tea or soda as they can cause dehydration.

5. Lemon Juice

Another simple ways to lessen stretch marks is to use lemon juice. Lemon juice is naturally acidic which helps heal and reduce stretch marks, skin injuries, acne, and other scars.

·         Rub fresh lemon juice gently onto the stretch marks using circular motions. Allow the lemon juice to soak into your skin for at least 10 minutes before rinsing it off with warm water.

·         Another option is to mix equal quantities of cucumber juice and lemon juice and apply the mixture on the stretch marks.

6. Olive Oil

Olive oil contains a lot of nutrients and antioxidants that help improve various skin problems including stretch marks.

1.      Massage slightly warm pure olive oil into the affected skin area. This will improve the blood circulation and reduce the stretch marks to a great extent.

2.      Leave it for half an hour so that the vitamins A, D and E present in the oil are absorbed by the skin.

You can also mix olive oil with vinegar and water and use it as a night cream. This will keep your skin stay moisturized and also exfoliate the skin.

7. Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is also very beneficial in treating stretch marks.

·         You must apply cocoa butter over the affected area at least two times a day. After one to two months, the marks will be less visible.

·         Another option is to make a mixture using half a cup of cocoa butter, one tablespoon of wheat germ oil, two teaspoons of grated beeswax and one teaspoon each of apricot kernel oil and vitamin E oil. Heat this mixture until the beeswax melts. You can store the mixture in an airtight container in the refrigerator and apply it to your stretch marks two to three times a day. This mixture will make your skin more hydrated and smooth.

8. Castor Oil

Castor oil, which is used in the treatment of a number of skin problems such as wrinkles, age spots, moles, dark spots, fine lines and pimples, can also be used to quickly get rid of stretch marks.

1.     Apply some castor oil to the stretch marks and gently massage the area in circular motions for at least 15 minutes.

2.     Wrap the area with a thin, cotton cloth. Using a hot water bottle or a heating pad, apply some heat to the affected area for at least a half an hour.

3.     Repeat this process daily for a minimum of one month to notice positive results.

How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks Fast

9. Egg Whites

Eggs are a rich source of protein. For stretch marks, you want to use only the egg whites, which contain amino acids and proteins.

1.      Whip the whites of two eggs gently with a fork. Clean the affected skin area with water and then apply a thick layer of egg whites with a makeup brush.

2.      Allow the egg whites to dry completely and then rinse the area with cold water.

3.      Finally apply some olive oil on the skin to keep it moisturized.

4.      Repeat the process daily for at least two weeks and watch for positive results.

10. Alfalfa

Alfalfa leaves contain eight essential amino acids which are good for overall health of the skin. They are also rich in protein and vitamins E and K, which help in restoring and increasing body tone. The anti-fungal agent present in alfalfa leaves alkalizes and detoxifies the skin, which helps minimize scars including stretch marks.

1.      Mix some alfalfa power with a few drops of chamomile oil to form a smooth paste.

2.      Massage the paste into the affected area two to three times a day.

3.      Repeat this daily for one week and you will notice great improvement.

These natural remedies can help stretch marks fade, but they will not completely remove them. You can always see your doctor if you are greatly concerned about the appearance of stretch marks on your skin.

Simple Tips for Healthy Eyes

Eye Health Tips
Your eyes are an important part of your health. There are many things you can do to keep them healthy and make sure you are seeing your best. Follow these simple steps for maintaining healthy eyes well into your golden years.

Have a comprehensive dilated eye exam. You might think your vision is fine or that your eyes are healthy, but visiting your eye care professional for a comprehensive dilated eye exam is the only way to really be sure. When it comes to common vision problems, some people don’t realize they could see better with glasses or contact lenses. In addition, many common eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration often have no warning signs. A dilated eye exam is the only way to detect these diseases in their early stages.

During a comprehensive dilated eye exam, your eye care professional places drops in your eyes to dilate, or widen, the pupil to allow more light to enter the eye the same way an open door lets more light into a dark room. This enables your eye care professional to get a good look at the back of the eyes and examine them for any signs of damage or disease. Your eye care professional is the only one who can determine if your eyes are healthy and if you’re seeing your best.

Know your family’s eye health history. Talk to your family members about their eye health history. It’s important to know if anyone has been diagnosed with a disease or condition since many are hereditary. This will help to determine if you are at higher risk for developing an eye disease or condition.

Eat right to protect your sight. You’ve heard carrots are good for your eyes. But eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, or collard greens is important for keeping your eyes healthy, too.i Research has also shown there are eye health benefits from eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, and halibut.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing diabetes and other systemic conditions, which can lead to vision loss, such as diabetic eye disease or glaucoma. If you are having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, talk to your doctor.

Wear protective eyewear. Wear protective eyewear when playing sports or doing activities around the home. Protective eyewear includes safety glasses and goggles, safety shields, and eye guards specially designed to provide the correct protection for a certain activity. Most protective eyewear lenses are made of polycarbonate, which is 10 times stronger than other plastics. Many eye care providers sell protective eyewear, as do some sporting goods stores.

Quit smoking or never start. Smoking is as bad for your eyes as it is for the rest of your body. Research has linked smoking to an increased risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, cataract, and optic nerve damage, all of which can lead to blindness.ii, iii

Be cool and wear your shades. Sunglasses are a great fashion accessory, but their most important job is to protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. When purchasing sunglasses, look for ones that block out 99 to 100 percent of both UV-A and UV-B radiation.

Give your eyes a rest. If you spend a lot of time at the computer or focusing on any one thing, you sometimes forget to blink and your eyes can get fatigued. Try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, look away about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds. This can help reduce eyestrain.

Clean your hands and your contact lenses—properly. To avoid the risk of infection, always wash your hands thoroughly before putting in or taking out your contact lenses. Make sure to disinfect contact lenses as instructed and replace them as appropriate.

Practice workplace eye safety. Employers are required to provide a safe work environment. When protective eyewear is required as a part of your job, make a habit of wearing the appropriate type at all times and encourage your coworkers to do the same.

i Age-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. The relationship of dietary carotenoid with vitamin A, E, and C intake with age-related macular degeneration in a case-control study. Archives of Ophthalmology; 2007; 125(9): 1225–1232.

iiAge-Related Eye Disease Study Research Group. Risk factors associated with age-related nuclear and cortical cataract. Ophthalmology; 2001; 108(8): 1400–1408.

iii U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General. The Health Consequences of Smoking: A Report of the Surgeon General (Washington, D.C., 2004).

Onion

Onion is a member of the Allium family and is rich in sulfur containing compounds that are responsible for its pungent odor and for many of onion’s health promoting effects.

Cardiovascular Benefits

Onion

There is evidence that sulfur compounds found in onion work in an anti clotting capacity and help prevent the unwanted clumping together of blood platelet cells. There is also evidence showing that onion’s sulfur compounds can lower blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and improve cell membrane function in red blood cells as well. The benefits of onion in the overall dietary context extend to prevention of heart attack. The outstanding flavonoid content of onions supports these research findings.

 Bone and connective tissue benefits

Human studies have shown that onion can help increase your bone density and may have special benefit on women of menopausal age who are experiencing loss of bone density. Plus, there is evidence that women who have passed the age of menopause may be able to lower their risk of hip fracture through daily eating of onions. In this research on bone density in older women, very rare eating of onion like once a month or less did not provide much benefit. Daily consumption of onion boosts benefits for bone density. So do not skimp on onions when you are incorporating them into your diet plan. The high sulfur content of onions may provide direct benefits to your connective tissue as many of your connective tissue components require sulfur for their formation.

Anti inflammatory benefits

This allium vegetable has nevertheless been shown to provide important anti inflammatory response. A unique sulfur molecule found in the bulb portion of the onion has been shown to inhibit the activity of macrophages- specific white blood cells that play a major role in your immune system and one of their defense activities is the triggering of large scale inflammatory responses. Onion’s antioxidants provide you with anti inflammatory sources. These antioxidants help prevent fatty acids oxidation in your body. When you have lower levels of oxidized fatty acids, your body produces fewer inflammatory messaging molecules and your level of inflammation is kept in check.

Cancer protection

Onion has been shown to lower the risk of several cancers, even when you consume it in only moderate amounts. Colorectal, laryngeal and ovarian cancers are the types for which risk is reduced along with moderate amounts of dietary onion. Do not err on the side of small onion servings or infrequent onion intake if you want to obtain the full cancer related benefits of this veggie. Try to include at least one whole onion in the recipe. In terms of individual portion sizes when you sit down to eat, try to consume the equivalent of half onion.

Other health benefits

Onions have shown potential for improvement of blood sugar balance, help prevent bacterial infection. Along with sulfur compounds, the flavonoid quercetin found in onion helps provide these antibacterial benefits. Some studies suggest that length of storage for onion that has been chopped but not cooked and duration of heat exposure in this case involving exposure to steam for ten minutes can affect some of onion’s health benefits. For these reasons, special care is needed in the storage, handling and cooking of this vegetable.

Have you taken onion today? please leave your comment.

Reverend Jide Macaulay - A Gay Pastor

Nigeria’s first openly gay preacher and the founder of House of Rainbow Fellowship, a secret gay church in Lagos,  Reverend Jide Macaulay recently wrote what he went through after publicly declaring his sexuality in 1994 and his acceptance of his lifestyle many years later.
Reverend Rowland Jide Macaulay relocated abroad some years back after a major newspaper did a story on his homosexual church and he started to get threats. He's still running his gay church in the UK and has been speaking out publicly against the recently passed anti-gay law in Nigeria.
Towards Full Acceptance - By Rowland Jide Macaulay

 I am writing this article to share my story with people who want to reconcile sexuality, faith, and family. It is a sequel to “My Father, My Faith and My Sexuality: The Dialogue” (in Q-zine’s first issue). Readers of that article will understand how much I have looked forward to visiting Nigeria again after years of estrangement. That long-postponed visit finally took place in January 2011, after a three year absence. This is the experience I want to share with you now.

 Some background first. I came out as gay in 1994 after a troubled heterosexual life. My coming out was a disaster of, you might say, Biblical proportions. I was hated and denounced on mainly religious grounds, called a sinner, a defiler, an abomination, etc.

 When my family found out I was gay, many of my siblings stopped speaking with me. My mother was the only one who comforted me. With my father, it was three years of hell. I had to face the fact that I could lose him. I wondered, as a person of faith, what my “heavenly Father” would do if my earthly father could react with such hatred.

 Many people at the House Of Rainbow Fellowship in Nigeria (and a few more outside Nigeria) have met my Dad. He is a wonderful, typical Yoruba man, but when my “gay church” hit the headlines in 2008, he was caught unawares in a Nigerian media frenzy that nearly crippled his reputation as a high-profile pioneer of African Theology.

 I believed that I was wonderfully made, created in the image of God. My only answer was prayer and more prayer. “My Father, My Faith and My Sexuality: The Dialogue” gives an account of the long healing process between my father and me, culminating in our reconciliation at a conference on faith and sexualities in South Africa in November 2009.

 By 2011 we were ready to see each other in Nigeria again. As we sat down for lunch on Victoria Island in Lagos at the beginning of the year, my father announced, “I am pleased that I am having lunch with my gay son.” Even though I knew we were father and son again, I almost fell out of my chair. This is what we all need to hear as we struggle with our relationships, especially with parents and families. If we are not loved at home, we can never find love abroad. But my experience shows that even if being LGBTI is poorly understood in Nigeria, one day those who reject us will accept and celebrate us.

 As far as I can remember, I have always been gay, but my first awareness of it was at about the age of seven. I was interested in being female. All the roles girls played were of great interest to me. I wanted a boy to cuddle me in games such as Father/Mother or Husband/Wife. I had no names to describe these feelings, but they were deeply rooted in my understanding and feelings.
 At 14, I experienced my first same-sex love, but with my upbringing, I could only react with confusion, guilt and personal rejection, feelings that followed me well into adulthood. Growing up in the 1980s in Nigeria, there were no visible gay role models to provide assurance or comfort.
 Still, I am grateful for my upbringing in a traditional African Christian family with no shortage either of love or strict parenting. My only heartache was my sexuality, which, sadly, I could not share with anyone in my family or religious community. I was forced to carry the burden alone for most of my young adult life.

 In the mid 1980s, I went to the United Kingdom and plunged into a new environment with a strange culture, but I made my home in the Nigerian expat community. With strong Nigerian social customs, ethics, traditions and religious focus, it was like a replica of Nigeria. Except, of course, that we were in the UK, surrounded by a much more diverse approach to both private and public lives that I could not ignore. I was a very confused young man. I spent most of my time praying for healing and deliverance from my homosexual feelings, yet the more I prayed the more confused I became.
In 1987, I met the woman who was to become my wife and bear me a son. In all this obscurity, I decided that I should marry this woman I had fallen in love with. I hoped my gayness would be cured when I married, and so in 1991 I stood at the marriage registry taking my wedding vows. I had no one to talk with. I could not approach the Nigerian community on such a delicate and, as I thought, shameful matter.

 Marriage, even fatherhood, needless to say, did not dissipate my feelings for other men. Nothing changed. I had only managed to join the hierarchy of married Africans. I had promised to satisfy, honour and cherish my wife, but married life soon became a nightmare. It took just three years before the relationship broke down. I hated myself more than anyone hated me. I had done what no one should ever do.

 My life felt like a bad dream and a plague on society, but all I could do was leave my community and religion behind and go in search of who I was, all the while with responsibility for a young life I had helped to create. At the time of my divorce, my son was just two years old.
 The bitterest part was that the church and the religious community I had cherished and adored were the first to ostracise me. Indeed, the bitterness was too foul to swallow. This was the beginning of a love-hate relationship with Nigeria, Nigerians and the church. My family’s discovery of my sexuality came later and was the worst of all, when both my father and my son turned against me.
 As a person of faith, my focus was always reconciliation, first with God and then with the people who mattered most to me. It took me several years to come out to my close family members, friends and colleagues. Each step bears its own mark of pain and anguish. I was psychotic at one point. It was difficult for me to trust anyone. I was ill-treated from one African Christian community to another whenever it was discovered that I was gay.

 Yet I knew I was a “child of the living God.” The more strongly I held on to this belief, the more I walked towards my healing. I also found a Christian community, the Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) movement, that accepted and welcomed LGBTI people of faith. It was a joyful experience, and I reveled in this new community, but outside of it I still had to deal with discrimination, not only because of my sexual orientation but also due to racism.
 However, my faith only grew stronger, and I had no intention of giving up. I knew there were many people like me, in Africa as well as in Europe. I went for further theological training with the MCC, and in 2006 I founded the House Of Rainbow Fellowship in my native country, the first Christian denomination to welcome lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and intersex people in a country hostile to all of these.

 I spent the next two years in Nigeria building the House of Rainbow and, by September 2008, we were thriving. Indeed, we became a household name, but for all the wrong reasons!
 The hatred and insecurity these harmless initiatives created were intense. Some of us were threatened with death, and many of our members suffered rejection and violence. Some fled the country abroad. My home was vandalised, and my entire family were threatened for my actions. Leading religious leaders and politicians spoke of me with hatred and incredible malice. But we had grown a movement of LGBTI Christians in a hostile nation, and there was no going back.
 At the same time, I got more involved with my father’s organisation, spent more time with him and introduced as many of our LGBTI members to him as I could, so that he got to meet many LGBTI people. I became part of his daily life again, and he was my mentor and advisor on many issues, my first port of call when it came to challenging conservative theological rhetoric and getting political advice. I spent invaluable time with him, learning from his wisdom.
 I also seized this opportunity to raise the issue of homosexuality and the church and to search for answers to the religious community’s exclusion of LGBTI people. I studied theological texts that spoke to the issues. I laboured intensely, debating these matters with my father, whom I respect dearly and consider a great thinker.

 However, in 2008 I was forced to flee Nigeria. My father was the first to tell me it was time to leave the hostility behind. He even promised to clear up any mess I had to leave behind. I was amazed he was willing to help me in my dark moment.

 Our long dialogue paid off further when he agreed to attend the conference in South Africa that I wrote about in the last issue of Q-zine. At the conference, to my amazement again, he revealed a new openness to the inclusion of LGBTI people in the church.

 But I had been forced to return to England shrouded with hatred, feeling cheated out of my mission. Back in the UK, I embarked on a long journey to raise and address issues of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It is no longer a Nigerian battle but one for the entire African continent, and I believe our persistence will pay off in the end.

 On returning back to the UK, I also focused on rebuilding relationships with my family. It has not been easy, but with the grace of God, I have been making progress.

 I have a son who is now a grown man. For years he struggled to understand why his father was gay. The numerous headlines and snide remarks from the church and the Nigerian community did not help. He was desperate to understand, but he was surrounded by people sending messages of gloom and doom.

 Just before his 18th birthday, he told me he was ashamed I was gay and regretted any connection with me, that he was not proud to mention me or tell people we are related.
 This hurt me deeply, but whatever my son thought about me, I knew that to deny my gayness was to deny God. As a person of faith, I have to believe God will never give anyone a burden they cannot bear, yet my son’s statement made me almost lose patience with God. Nevertheless I have managed to stay firm in my spirituality and prayers. I believe my “investment” in faith must one day pay off, so I have rededicated myself to bringing the gospel of inclusion to everyone.

 In 2011, my son agreed to spend the Easter weekend with me. It was the first time we had seen each other in months, though we had spoken over the phone and I had written him a few letters, working towards understanding and reconciliation.

 At our Easter reunion he told me that he and his partner had discussed my sexuality and that he no longer had a problem with it. I have pondered what caused the sudden change of heart and must admit I was a little confused about it and the prospect of reconciliation after all this time. It was a shock that the most precious people in the world, my father and son, now both accepted me as a gay man, but what a wonderful shock!

 All I am sure of now is that it is never wise to allow the insecurity of our families to cause us to be estranged from them. Deep down, we will always be part of these families, and everyone knows that. Never give up on yourself or your family. Reconciliation is possible. We just have to be willing to pay the price towards full acceptance