I love animals and fascinating facts!

Alligator Snapping Turtles

Lifestyle
Alligator snapping turtles can spend up to 50 minutes suspended motionless underwater. Usually only females come on land, when laying their eggs. They tend to move less than a few hundred feet per day and do not appear to travel far from where they were born.

Eggs and turtle hatchlings risk being eaten by raccoons, large fish, wading birds, and otters, but adult turtles have no natural predators except for humans. To defend themselves, these snappers secrete a smelly substance. They also have a very strong bite.

Food
The alligator snapping turtle goes fishing, literally. It is the only reptile that has a worm-like appendage on its tongue, and uses it as bait to lure fish into its mouth. In addition, these omnivores eat shellfish, small mammals, birds, frogs, fruits, acorns, grasses, and other turtles. Adults have even been known to eat small alligators. Their rough, bumpy skin and shell provide good camouflage when they are sizing up a meal.

Some of My Neighbors
Raccoons, otters, frogs, snakes, alligators

Life Cycle
Depending on the turtle’s location, mating season varies from fall to spring. Snappers make their nests in sandy soil near water. The female turtle excavates the nest area with her hind legs and fills in the flask-shaped hole after laying her eggs. A clutch can number up to 44 eggs! Temperature determines the sex of the hatchlings. Hotter weather results in more female hatchlings; if the temperature is above 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the clutch will be all female. After 79 to 107 days, the turtles hatch, looking like mini-adults. They grow rapidly until they reach maturity at around 12 years of age. Alligator snapping turtles typically live for up to 70 years in zoos, and some can live even longer.

Population Status & Threats
The alligator snapping turtle is considered a vulnerable species. These turtles have been heavily trapped for meat for consumers both inside and outside the U.S. Habitat loss and pesticide use also threaten these reptiles. Every state with alligator snappers has restrictions for hunting them.

Fun Facts
The alligator snapping turtle is only found in river systems that drain into the Mississippi River.
Alligator snappers have been known to bite through broom handles, but rarely attack.
This ancient creature has been around for some 20 million years.

Get Amazing Abs@ Whatever age!

The good news: You don't have to employ a celebrity trainer or be 18 to have a waistline worth baring. The secret to a getting a trim belly--not to mention fit from head to toe--is tailoring your workouts according to your birthday. (Not that anyone will guess how old you are, once you start exercising consistently.)

Science shows that frequent sweat sessions can actually help you be forever young: When researchers studied the lifestyle habits and DNA of 2,400 twins, they found that regular exercisers had longer telomeres, tags at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with age, than their couch potato counterparts. In fact, as little as 30 minutes of activity daily resulted in telomeres that looked 10 years younger.

Follow the age-specific advice below and then try the get-lean routine. (Watch a full demo now at Self.com.) You'll be slimmer, more youthful and ab-fabulous in no time.

In your 20s: You're energetic and resilient, so it's the perfect time to make fitness a key component in your life. The following moves will help you sculpt sexy muscles and build bone, which is crucial for warding off osteoporosis in the future. Try using heavier weights than you're used to (doing the final rep should be challenging) and adding a third weekly session when time allows.

In your 30s: Reality check--there's a natural 5 percent dip in metabolism during this decade. But you can still be a lean fat-burning machine by doing the moves below. They will build muscle, which will naturally rev your metabolism so you torch more calories even in your sleep, as well as bolster core strength and maintain agility.

In your 40s and beyond: Sexy curves you have. Now you want to stay firm and injury-free. These shapers will help you boost your backside (an area which may naturally lose muscle as you age) and tone all over. To increase your flex appeal and decrease your overall injury risk, add a weekly yoga class or regular stretching to this routine.

The plan: No matter what your age, grab a set of 3- to 10-pound weights and complete two sets of each move twice a week on nonconsecutive days. Add 30 to 60 minutes of brisk cardio most days to slim and tone even faster.

MOVE 1: Sumo squat
Stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width apart. Hold one weight in both hands directly overhead. Squat low and swing weight between legs and then forward, lifting it overhead, as you return to standing. Do 12 reps.

MOVE 2: Dragonfly
Start on all fours, a weight in each hand. Extend left leg behind you in line with body; extend right arm out to side at shoulder level. Keeping left leg lifted, curl weight toward chest. Straighten arm for one rep. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

MOVE 3: Sidestepper
Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes out, a weight in each hand in front of thighs. Lunge to left side as you draw arms toward chest, elbows bent. Push off left foot and lower weights to return to start. Repeat on right for one rep. Do 12 reps.

MOVE 4: Gorgeous get-up
Kneel with a weight in each hand, arms overhead, palms in. Bring left leg forward, knee bent, thigh parallel to ground. Push off ball of foot to stand. Return to kneeling. Switch legs; repeat for one rep. Do 12 reps.

MOVE 5: Back attack
Lie facedown with legs pressed together; reach behind back, interlace fingers and draw shoulder blades together. Lift chest off ground as you kick heels toward butt with control three times for one rep. Return to start. Do 10 reps.

MOVE 6: Do-si-do
Stand with feet hip-width apart, a weight in each hand. Balance on left leg, knees soft, then lunge forward with right leg as you curl weights toward chest. Push off right foot to return to one-leg balance. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

MOVE 7: T-rrific toner
Stand with feet hip-width apart, a weight in each hand, arms extended at shoulder level. Lift right leg back and lower torso forward until body forms a T, arms straight toward ground, palms in. Return to start. Do 12 reps. Switch sides; repeat.

MOVE 8: Turbo twist
Sit with legs out in front, knees bent. Hold one weight in both hands at chest level; lean back at a 45-degree angle. Maintain position as you contract abs and twist torso to right, then left for one rep. Do 12 reps.

MOVE 9: Bridge buffer
Lie faceup with knees bent, feet flat, a weight in each hand, elbows bent. Lift hips as high as possible; raise left leg off ground in line with hips as you extend weights in line with shoulders. Keeping hips raised, lower left foot and arms. Switch legs for one rep. Do 12 reps.

Source: Lucy Danziger, SELF Editor-in-Chief

I just love this Picture! Classic!

How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent?

By: Pastor Rick Warren

God’s omnipresence and the manifestation of His presence are two different things. One is a fact; the other is often a feeling. God is always present, even when you are unaware of Him, and His presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion.

Yes, He wants you to sense His presence, but He’s more concerned that you trust Him than that you feel Him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God.

The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God is nowhere to be found. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything: his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. Most discouraging—for thirty-seven chapters, God said nothing!

How do you praise God when you don’t understand what’s happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they’re full of tears? You do what Job did: “Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised’” (Job 1:20–21 NIV).

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Beware of Shortcuts

By:Pastor Rick Warren

“People with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall” (Proverbs 10:9 NLT).

A few summers ago my family took a car vacation. We loaded up our van and headed out for an adventure. Our only goal was to see the western half of the United States. By the end of our two week trip, we’d put over 5,000 miles on the odometer.

For most of the trip we simply focused on enjoying the journey rather than rushing toward a destination. But in one of the states we traveled through (which will remain unnamed) we were so bored with the scenery that I got the bright idea of taking a shortcut to the next major town.

Looking at the map, the road for the shortcut appeared just fine—a straight shot to the next town. It could save us about an hour of traveling time. So we got off the beaten path and took the alternative route.

Big mistake! The road was fraught with difficulties:

• Construction work . . .
• A line of slow trucks that we couldn’t pass . . .
• Cattle (then sheep) in the middle of the road . . .
• Potholes the size of meteor craters, and . . .
• No gas station or restroom!

The bottom line: my proposed shortcut ended up taking longer, we nearly ran out of gas, and I had a very cranky family!

The lesson: Shortcuts are not always as good as they may seem. Sometimes the shortest distance to a goal is not a beeline.

We’re often tempted to cut corners in order to speed things up or make a greater profit. But ethical shortcuts, or short-changing someone else, will always come back to haunt us. The Bible warns us: “People with integrity have firm footing, but those who follow crooked paths will slip and fall” (Proverbs 10:9 NLT).

You can learn more about how to expand your faith by reading The Purpose Driven Life.

Daily Encouragement!!

John 15

Jesus, the True Vine

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. 3 You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. 4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. 10 When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. 11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. 16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. 17 This is my command: Love each other.

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India.Arie

Beautiful Surprise

It's like yesterday
I didn't even know your name
Now today
You're always on my mind
I never could have predicted that I feel this way
You're beautiful surprise
Intoxicated every time I hear your voice
You've got me on a natural high
It's almost like I didn't even have a choice
You're beautiful surprise

Whatever it is you came to teach me
I am here to learn it cause
I believe that we're written in the stars
I don't know the future hopes
But I'm living in the moment
And I'm thankful for the man that you are, you are, you are
You are everything I ask for in my prayers
So I know my angels brought you to my life
Your energy is healing to my soul
You're beautiful surprise
You're inspiration to my life
You're the reason why I smile
You're beautiful surprise

Love it!

DiD U KNOW...

Eight surprising uses for olive oil

-Ease snoring
Taking a sip of olive oil before heading to bed can help lubricate your throat muscles, cutting down on snoring, according to the handy website AltUse. We won't tell if you drizzle some extra olive oil on Grandma's salad the next time she comes to visit!
Others have noted that downing a teaspoon of olive oil can help soothe a scratchy or ticklish throat.

-Cure an earache
A number of folks swear by olive oil as a natural remedy for earaches. One suggestion is to "very carefully use a cotton swab to apply olive oil to the outside ear cavity to help with earaches and excess wax." One online tip suggests: Heat up some olive oil in a microwave for 30 seconds then apply it to the ear that hurts for relief.

-Tame tangled and damaged hair
Olive oil also has benefits for hair. Comb a bit of the stuff through dry or frizzy hair to help tame and moisturize your locks, especially in winter or on humid days.
Olive oil can also provide some relief for damaged hair. In the book Clean Body, Michael de Jong suggests treating your tresses by kneading a few tablespoons of olive oil into your scalp and hair. "Swathe your oiled-up curls with a shower cap and take a 30-minute breather ... snooze, toss back a latté, whatever. Then just shampoo as usual to reveal a refurbished mane that even Fabio would envy," he writes.

-Get healthy skin (and fight cancer!)
People have used olive oil for centuries for personal care. It is a great skin moisturizer, in part because it contains linoleic acid, a compound not made by the body, but which prevents water from evaporating.

According to Leslie Baumann, M.D., author of The Skin Type Solution, consuming olives and olive oil can promote healthy skin, as can applying it directly as a moisturizer. You can also add a bit of olive oil to a warm bath for a good healthy soak.

Some of the most exciting news, according to Baumann, is that olive oil also contains at least four different antioxidants, which can help "neutralize damaging free radicals that can lead to skin aging and skin cancer." Baumann writes that, in studies, mice that drank extra-virgin olive oil developed less skin cancer after exposure to UV light.

Olive oil can also provide a safe and natural lubricant for a close shave. As a soothing aftershave, rub in an extra teaspoon of the stuff after rinsing off. In fact, some products from The Art of Shaving are based on olive oil.

Similarly, olive oil can soothe chapped lips. Make your own balm by mixing olive oil and melted beeswax in a 1:1 ratio (add an essential oil if you want a nice fragrance).

According to AltUse, you can moisturize your cuticles by soaking in olive oil mixed with water, or apply olive oil directly to cuticles before applying polish or buffing nails.


-Care for your cat
Just as humans can benefit from grooming with olive oil, so can cats Fluffy and Mittens. According to curbly.com, add a teaspoon of olive oil to your cat’s food to help prevent hairballs, as well as promote a shiny, healthy coat. Olive oil is likely to be more gentle on a cat's system than petroleum-based anti-hairball lubricants. Plus, it has the benefit of coming from a renewable resource, as opposed to oil from the ground.

-Free stuck zippers
There are few things more annoying than stuck zippers (remember that episode of Seinfeld when George visits his therapist?).

So if you are vexed by this particular problem, break out the olive oil. Swab some of the stuff on the teeth of the zipper, then try gently easing it unstuck. Good luck!

-Polish furniture and metal (and condition leather)
Silverware, copper, and other metal items can be polished with ketchup or toothpaste. After you're done rub a bit of olive oil on to prevent streaks, corrosion, and tarnish.

To polish your wood desk according to Michael de Jong, use two parts olive oil mixed with one part lemon juice. Pour just a few drops on a soft cloth, wipe away the dust, scuffs, and fingerprints, and your desk will shine. This technique works well for a range of wooden furniture and objects.

You can also condition and revitalize leather goods, such as baseball mitts, by rubbing in olive oil. Let set for 30 minutes, then wipe away any excess.


-Fix squeaky doors
Olive oil can be used as a lubricant in many applications. It's safe to keep around the house, so you don’t have to worry about children or pets getting into it. Try it out on squeaky doors, hinges, and anywhere else you might consider using WD-40 or another lubricant.

While WD-40 may work well, it's also based on hydrocarbons, so any time we can use less of those we're taking a step toward a cleaner world.

By Brian Clark Howard

Nike Sportwear Fall 2009

I want to Love him...