Donnette

Upon seeing Mel Gibsons Apocalypto I became fascinated with Mayan Culture. With My background as a cultural anthropology minor in college I decided to do some research into Mayan Civilization particularly from a cultural perspective.

The first thing that struck me was how far back the Mayan Civilization goes. It is believed that they came to our part of the world in the 4th ice age via the Bering Strait. My research has led me to believe that they originally descended from Egypt migrated through Asia and then onto Siberia, Alaska and what we call North America. As the Ice melted they migrated south. Most researchers are split with the Egyptian theory. I find that many of the cultural practices including the building of pyramids and their hieroglyphic language closely mirrored the Egyptian culture at various points of pre-historic and historic history.

As soon as the ice age came to an end we see a shift from humans being total carnivores to include plants in their diets. The early Mayan Descendants started agricultural villages as far back as approximately 9000 BC. Stone tools as well as pottery were found in Guatemala dating back to 9000 BC.

The Mayan Empire was not one homogeneous country. It was a series of independent states that were connected by a common culture that unified them. The root of the Mayan culture was based on the Olmec, to which the Mayan adopted, adapted and expanded upon.

Religion and politics went hand and hand in Mayan Civilization. Kings were born to throne and secondary rulers by nepotism. New Kings were the eldest of the male children to the previous kings. Many time priests and kings were one and the same. The king was usually the head priest also. The ruling class was also either hand chosen or born into the royal family, as were priests. In Mayan belief it was the King and his reigning powers that ensured the continuation of the universe as with the Egyptian belief System. The Mayans were big on bloodletting and the higher the rank in class the more blood one was expected to sacrifice. It was not uncommon for the king to pierce his penis or tongue with the blood being part of the sacrifice.

The Mayan Civilization was the only Mesoamerican pre-Columbian culture to have a written language. They also developed complicated calendar systems as well as astronomy and mathematics. The Mayans did practice human sacrifice in times of extreme difficulty. No one really knows why the Mayan Civilization collapsed even before the arrival of the Spaniards. It is speculated that natural things like natural disasters, disease as epidemics and climate change were part of the environmental factors to help the decline of Maya Civilization. Non-Environmental factors included foreign invasion and warfare, peasant revolt and trade break down. With these factors already present it was easy for the Spanish to come in and finish off the Mayan Civilization.

Reginas new site on Mayan Civilization is a must for those who want any information on that subject. With her background in cultural anthropology she clearly gives a clear and detailed re-telling of the Mayan Civilization. The information is fascinating and covers many aspects of the Mayan Civilization from many perspectives. Definitely check this site out for your Mayan Civilization information. http://www.mayancivilizationinfo.com

Last January 04, we submitted an article entitled "The Top Seven Threats To Your Computer in 2007" and we listed Voice over IP (VoIP) as the number four threat. Two weeks later, the Computerworld website came out with an article entitled "VoIP Soon To Be A Target Of...Hackers". For those of you who are unfamiliar with Computerworld, it is a website targeted more towards advanced computer users ("geeks" is the industry-standard appellation).

VoIP is not an entirely new technology, in fact it has been around since the mid-1990's. At that time, home internet users mostly connected through dial-up and the maximum speed was 56Kbps. High speed connections were limited mostly to big businesses who paid, what by today's standards are, ridiculously high fees for dedicated connections. High speed connection was a prerequisite for good quality connections, otherwise the connections would be choppy when done through dial-up.

Nowadays, with broadband internet affordable for households and businesses around the world, VoIP has become a common internet staple. Internet providers and telecommunications companies are falling over each other offering competitive pricing for VoIP. Basically, the use of VoIP has become widespread enough that spammers and cyber criminals want in on the action.

The weaknesses of VoIP is in its very infrastructure and the protocol it uses in order to transport the voice data. It comes as no surprise that hackers are savvy enough to exploit these. Without getting into technical details, VoIP's weakness figure prominently in its inability to adapt with some older and existing firewalls. For those of you who are not familiar with firewalls, they can either be hardware or software applications that secure your personal computers and/or your networks from unwanted traffic.

Needless to say, without a straightforward way to secure your voice data, they can easily be exposed to any form of intrusion. The Computerworld article mentions that it is extremely easy to listen in on a call. And on the other end, it is also not at all difficult to inject noise or spam into a conversation. This practice of injecting spam is already being practiced enough to earn it the term "spit".

This practice of "spit" has attracted not just the spammers' attention, but the scammers as well. The same article identifies hackers using a particular phishing exploit to imitate the interactive voice response system of actual companies. Imagine yourself using VoIP to call your bank's automated voice response system to carry out some transactions but in reality, you are interacting with a scammer's system. Can you say identity theft fast enough?

Security appliances and applications on the providers' level is available, but implementing them correctly is the challenge that they face. There are many corporations these days who forbid their personnel from conducting sensitive conversations via VoIP, Hewlett-Packard for one. As a home user, you can take a cue from this type of corporate policy. Most banks and other financial institutions provide toll free numbers, so it is still safer to use the old conventional way of picking up the phone and doing your phone transactions this way.

There is nothing more convenient and fun to talk to relatives and friends in faraway places over the computer, but it is another thing to have your finances wiped clean by cyber criminals. And the threat is certainly real.

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The author is an information technology practitioner and part-time webmaster. For easy to understand guides and tips on protecting your computers, visit Protect Your Computers From Viruses and Worms.

Most people don't know that they already have everything they need to start saving money using internet telephony, or VoIP. All you have to have is a regular telephone and high-speed internet access. That's it! If you have both of those, you are ready to start saving loads of money on local and long distance phone calls.

It is inevitable that VOIP will replace traditional telephone service at some point. The only question is when should you jump in?

VOIP is quickly becoming more reliable and receiving wider acceptance. In fact, phone companies are already taking advantage of the technology to provide cheaper long distance rates. Like any emerging technology, however, there are kinks in the system that are still being worked out.

Advantages:

Internet Phone Service has numerous advantages over traditional telephone service. The most obvious is the cost benefits. If you have a high-speed internet connection, you can make phone calls from PC-to-PC anywhere in the world for FREE! More common PC-to-Phone calls usually come with a small charge but are still much cheaper than regular phone service.

For a small monthly fee, you can sign up with a VoIP service provider and get unlimited calls within the country! International calls can also be made for a fraction of the cost of regular service.

Another advantage is its portability. You can make and receive phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection by simply signing in to your VOIP account. This makes VOIP as convenient as e-mail. When you're traveling, you simply pack a headset or Internet phone; then you can talk to family or colleagues for next to nothing.

Phone-to-phone VOIP is also portable. Internet phones are small and light enough to take anywhere. When you sign up with a VOIP service provider, the Internet phone or adaptor used by that service is assigned a unique number. This 'phone number' remains valid, even if your VOIP service is in Los Angeles and you're connected to the Internet in London. When plugged into a broadband connection, anywhere in the world, you can make and receive calls as though you were at home.

Features like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID and 3way-calling, are included with Internet telephone at no extra charge. While you're talking on the phone, you can send pictures and documents at the same time.

Disadvantages:

Unfortunately, there are a couple of minor drawbacks you may experience. The first is the fact that you would loose service during a power outage and the other is limited emergency calling.

Conventional phone service continues by the current supplied through the phone line during a blackout. This isn't possible with Internet phones. When the power goes, there goes VOIP service. Battery backups and power generators that provide electricity are the current solutions to this problem.

Emergency (911) calls are another concern for many potential customers as well. In the event that you need to call 911 but can't speak or have to leave, your call can be traced when dialed from a traditional phone. However, this is not the case with VoIP. Fortunately, there is currently technology being developed called 'e911' that will make this possible, so this will not be a problem for much longer.

VOIP also has sound quality and reliability problems. Data sent across the Internet usually arrives at its destination scrambled. E-mail and documents can be reassembled in the correct order when it arrives. Voice data also arrives scrambled, but it's more complicated because of the real-time nature of VOIP. Some data packets may have to be dropped when they don't arrive in time, in order to make voice connections with the least delay. This can cause brief silences in the audio stream.

Your internet connection speed and the distance of the call are the two biggest factors in the quality of the call. If you are in a high-traffic area this may also cause some loss in the quality of the conversation. Once again, technology is constantly being improved on and this is becoming less and less of an inconvenience.

While the disadvantages mentioned above currently present minor problems, it is expected that these will be corrected by the year 2008 and VoIP technology will have become the industry standard for telephone communication.

About The Author
Mark Hipp is an avid technology and amatuer radio enthusiast. He also manages several websites including:
http://www.vonage-broadband-phone-service.com
http://www.ipod-nano-store.com
http://www.goodasnewmusic.com

What exactly do we have against the Bird Flu virus if it does materialize into a sudden threat? The governments of some countries have been claiming that they are stockpiling vaccines already. However how can that be possible when the vaccine we so dearly need is still under development.

The truth is that governments are sponsoring companies to help them create the appropriate vaccine faster. There is one company out there that has a vaccine, although it needs to be taken in large doses of two, a month apart. They are still trying to make ways to keep the dosages smaller.

If the bird flu pandemic hits today there will be just enough vaccines for eleven percent of the whole U.S. population. The vaccine is estimated to be developed around 2 years time. So we should just make sure that the virus does not become a pandemic during that time.

The stockpiling rumors of vaccines have just been said to calm down the general population. Especially those those are really panicky people. The reality is that Tamiflu is the one being stocked up.

Tamiflu is just an antiviral prescription drug. Tamiflu works because it has antiviral properties. However, when the outbreak occurs, there still wont be enough to help a lot of people. Tamiflu is supposed to be taken everyday. If a place does stockpile 100,000 pills, it will only be good for a thousand people for a hundred days. If a country does stock up, can you also imagine how costly a pill would cost?

The Tamiflu is really not that effective anyway on the H5N1 strain anyway. There are other antiviral pills made of more powerful herbs. They also dont require prescription and cheaper.

One of the best things to do is keep you well-informed. Try to learn about other herbs that have anti-viral properties as well. This will help prevent people from going on a panic when the outbreak does occur and the pills are insufficient. That can be prevented if the people stock up on herbs.

It is important to remember that we need to take charge of our own health. Remember to live a healthier lifestyle to help keep our immune systems stronger. This helps us be less adverse to the risk of the bird flu virus or any kind of flu virus.

As of the moment, people need to be getting worried about the H5N1 strain. This is because the virus is slowly affecting more people from various areas around the world. As of yesterday, the H5N1 strain has reached Africa.

Maybe sooner or later or possibly never, this virus may or may not hit. However, at least we did come prepare for the next big pandemic that could hit us.

Michael Colucci is a technical writer for Bird Flu Facts - A free site that offers facts on the history, prevention, vaccines and more on the Bird Flu Virus.

Although you may not currently be a student, learning is a life long process. Perhaps you need to learn something new for your job, or you would like to learn a new language before you take a vacation abroad, or you want to brush up on math so you can help your children with their homework. For many of us school and/or learning were not pleasant experiences, so we may hesitate to attempt to learn something new. Fortunately there are ways to enhance the learning experience to help make learning fun, easy, and successful. (This process works for kids too.)

Accelerated Learning is a system based on studies of the human mind and how knowledge is acquired. It is a powerful process that engages both the analytical and the emotional parts of the brain and uses both the conscious and the subconscious mind. The body is important to learning as well. Many of us need movement to learn. We also need to take into consideration our learning styles and our multiple intelligences. One of the important components of Accelerated Learning is the use of music.

Although any music can have an effect on your mind and body, there are particular types of music that can enhance learning, just as there are certain kinds of music that can interfere with learning. The founder of the Accelerated Learning movement, Dr. Georgi Lozanov, experimented with a wide variety of music in his research. He found that Baroque music affects the emotional centers of the brain as well as the heart and breathing. Today there are a number of composers who have designed music to enhance our learning abilities. I use both Baroque music and the specially designed music in all the classes I teach. At the end of this article there is a list of music that my students prefer.

This is by no means a complete list. Experiment to find out what suites you. One of the most important considerations is that the background music does not have words that you might sing consciously (or unconsciously), as that would interfere with information acquisition. You can use highly rhythmic music as a base for creating rhymes or raps or jingles to help you memorize lists or processes.

Preparation for learning is another key component of Accelerated Learning. There are several things you can do to assist your body and mind to get into a receptive state for learning. In addition to your traditional learning tools (books, computer program, paper, pens, etc.) you will need a cassette or CD player and your learning music in your learning space. If you prefer comfort to learn, you might choose an easy chair, if you need structure, a desk or a table would be better for you.

Before you open your book, or start your program, spend a few minutes getting ready to learn. Since an ideal state for learning is in a relaxed body with an alert mind, do a brief relaxation exercise with the music in the background. Then bring to mind a successful learning experience that you have had in the past any kind of learning. Try to re-create the joy and pleasure you felt while you were learning and the satisfaction you felt when you succeeded.

After spending a few moments in this pleasant experience, begin your current learning experience. If you find that you start to tense up, pause, take a few deep breaths, listen to the music for a few moments, and resume learning. Take frequent breaks and briefly review what you have learned when you return.

Some Baroque selections include Handels Water Music, Vivaldis Four Seasons, Pachebels Canon in D Major and Mozarts Symphony in D Major (Haffner). OptimaLearning has created several volumes of specially compiled Baroque music for learning and productivity. The Sound Health Series by the Center for Psychoacoustical Research includes classical music for learning, concentration, thinking, motivation, inspiration, and relaxation.

Some of the specially created music by Stephen Halpern has subliminal messages, but you can find his Music for Accelerated Learning and Music for Creativity without subliminals. He has a variety of relaxing CDs as well. Daniel Kobialka uses Pachelbels Canon in his composition Timeless Motion and it is my personal favorite.

So, use music, relaxation, and positive visualization to make learning easier and more fun.

Lorna Minewiser Ph.D, has been helping people reduce their stress for more than 15 years. She offers individual and group coaching, workshops, CDs, e-books and Stress Reduction and Relaxation kits. She is available for presentations on Stress Reduction and on Accelerated Learning. For more information you can reach her at http://www.thestressreductioncoach.com

The heart of the circulatory system in vehicles is the engine. Your engine could be performance-challenged if it exhibits one or more of these symptoms:

Chronic Fatigue

Listlessness or Sluggishness

Difficulty Maintaining Former Miles Per Gallon

Hemophiliac Emissions

Irritability

Octane Deprivation

As the primary caregiver of your engine, youve accepted the responsibility for maintenance, e.g., purchasing fuel, changing spark plugs, lubricating valves, changing oil, etc., but in spite of meticulous nurturing, your engine continues to be unreceptive.

According to the Fuel Doctor, the problematic symptoms are indicative of a common eating disorder known only to vehicles, e.g., automobiles, trucks, boats, RVs, motorcycles, etc. The eating disorder is a direct result of gasoline or diesel fuel feedings. This vehicle food produces sulfuric acid reflux in the engine.

Sulfuric acid (created from the union of fuel and water which is present in all fuel), never completely burns off during engine combustion, and the end result is grotesque carbon deposits clinging to spark plugs, valves, etc., choking away its life. When these toxic carbon deposits fester in the engine, its performance noticeably diminishes, even after nourishing with higher octane fuel.

As your engine becomes more irritable, it develops an easily identifiable repugnant smell, while it increasingly spews into the environment hemophiliac emissions known as toxic exhaust fumes.

Before your engine needs a fuel tracheotomy or becomes suicidal, promptly seek emotional support.

The Fuel Doctor is a compassionate friend, always available for consultation.

Ask the Fuel Doctor to prescribe a nutritious pill to pop in your tank before each feeding a pill that will immediately place your beloved engine on the road to recovery and prevent future performance-challenged behavior.

Experience your engines vitality spring back to life. Watch how your engine performs better with increased miles per gallon, even on less octane requirements. Encounter the thrill of a healthier aroma with drastically reduced emissions.

Why not give your engine the emotional reinforcement it needs? Join the support group for performance-challenged engines right now and share your own success story.

**Attn Ezine editors / Site owners ** Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine or on your site so long as you leave all links in place, do not modify the content and include the resource box as listed above.

Dee Scrip All rights reserved

Dee Scrip is a well known and respected published expert author of numerous articles on Home Business, Business Opportunities, Fundraising, VoIP, VoIP Security, and other related VoIP issues.

http://www.helpwithfuelprices.net
http://www.free-pc-phone.com

Baby boomers, i.e. people in their fifties and sixties dont like to be reminded how old they are. But, ironically they are unable to resist looking back on the Seventies with fond nostalgia. Luckily for them, there is currently a big revival of that extraordinary decade. Its not surprising as the Seventies were not only totally revolutionary politically - i.e. the advancement of civil rights, gay and women liberation, the Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam war to name a few. But, also the fluctuant times were reflected in the Arts, especially fashion and Music. Glam rock was followed by the revolutionary punk movement and also disco.

Fortunately for nostalgic Seventies aficionados, their favourite decade has never gone away and is currently enjoying a bigger come-back than the Sixties even. I started writing Frantic in the early Seventies and captured the essence of what I experienced in those hedonistic times. Wild times, fuelled by rock 'n' roll and harder drugs, which produced consequential psychotic illness were the norm amongst kids in the inner cities. But, I would never have predicted that the recent publication of my novel "Frantic" about the nostalgic Seventies, would coincide with the present nostalgia boom. I would never have guessed that the novel I started writing at the beginning of that decade would turn out to be so topical!

It's not only literature about the Seventies which has suddenly become fashionable, but also music and the manufactured Sex Pistols which instigated punk rock. It's amazing how the Arts have all been regurgitated at the beginning of the twenty first century. Especially, the '70's explosive, Hollywood Movie Industry, which churned out masses of commercial, individually themed movies, created by youthful, auteur styled directors like Martin Scorsese, Stephen Spielberg and George Lucas to name just a few. Also '70's horror films paved the way for pale imitations for years to come. The intellectual David Cronenberg, George Romero, John Carpenter and the Italian Maestro Dario Argento were gods of the genre, and havent been untoppled to this day in the popularity stakes.

Thanks to cable television, DVD and downloads on the internet, Seventies movies havent been banished to languish in the archives. Francis Coppolas The Godfather movies (1 & 2) are still globally showing, likewise Spielbergs cinematic masterpieces, like Jaws, ET, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind etc. George Lucass initial Star Wars movies were so innovative, that to this day, jaded cinema buffs dont believe that modern film-makers can ever repeat that exciting folklore magic. Not only were the actual movies larger than life, but so were the legendary movie stars who appeared in them. Actors like Al Pacino Robert de Niro practised the Method, and actor Warren Beatty, who had the power, made and acted "Shampoo", the ultimate Seventies movie about hairdressing in Beverly Hills. Not only did the Seventies produce a new wave of successful Hollywood movies, but decades later, nostalgic cinematic offerings like Cameron Crowes Almost Famous, revivalist music, art and literature all helped to keep the Seventies resurrected for a very long time to come.

Copyright: Frances Lynn 2006

Frances Lynn is a professional writer and journalist. Her two novels, "Frantic" and "Crushed" are published by Eiworth Publishing at yourbookstore.eiworth.se. Her musings about writing can be read at www.writerholic.blogspot.com Her personal website is franceslynn.org