From The Beginning

You have probably read of our heart jewelry articles in the past. Today we will take a step backward and write a more “generic” on the history of jewelry in general. Jewelry as an art form has been around for thousands of years, and different cultures have used it in different ways. As we examine these pieces of jewelry we will gain insight into how these ancient cultures actually worked.

The homo sapiens that lived in Africa provide us with the first sign of a culture using jewelry. They have found snail shell beads at Blombos Cave (situated in the side of a limestone cliff in South Africa) that date back to over 75,000 years ago. If we go to the other side of Africa, at Enkapune Ya Moto in Kenya, they have found beads made from ostrich egg shells that date back to over 40,000 years ago.

When we think of Egypt we think of the pyramids and the sphinx, right? What about jewelry? Well, it is here that we find the first signs of established jewelry making around 3,000 - 5,000 years ago. Egyptians made their jewelry out of the same materials that we make jewelry out of today. For example, gemstones, but they preferred to make their jewelry out of glass, which they could color to satisfy their particular tastes. This meant that for every gemstone that they could find in nature, they were able to manufacture a glass replication that could mimic it. Other cultures have used the template of Egyptian jewelry in their own jewelry making. Consider the Phoenicians for example, who copied many Egyptian designs.

Color was very important for the Ancient Egyptians. To them, different colors meant different things. If we would like to examine this matter further, we need to look no further than the Book of the Dead. It tells us that the necklace of Isis that was to be placed on the mummy’s desk needed to be red. The color red would satisfy Isis’s need for blood. Green jewelry on the other hand symbolized new growth in the area of fertility and crops. Egyptian jewelry was made primarily in large workshops that were attached to temples and palaces.

Jewelry development and production started to spring up in the cities of Sumer and Akkad (in Ancient Mesopotamia) around 4000 years ago. It tended to be made from metal leaf, and was often set in a large number of brightly colored stones, such as lapis, agate, carnelian, and jasper. Various shapes like leafs, grapes, cones and spirals were often utilized in their designs. Being masters of record keeping, the Ancient Mesopotamians have provided us with huge archives of detailed records detailing both the creation and trading of jewelry.

We hope this little departure from our usual heart jewelry articles has been fun and educational. It’s amazing to see how jewelry making as evolved over the years.

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The Montreal Canadiens have gotten off to a slow start this season, and entered Thursday night’s game against the New York Islanders having gone thirteen games without a win in regulation dating back to last season. Apparently, all they needed to cure their ails was a team that was struggling more than they are. The Islanders only have one win on the season, and the Habs jumped on them early scoring three goals in the first two periods en route to a 5-1 victory at the Bell Centre. Montreal improved to 4-5-0 with the victory while the Islanders dropped to 1-4-3.

NHL hockey betting devotees who weren’t scared away by the -180 home favorite price tag on Montreal cashed their tickets with the Canadiens’ big win. It was the sixth win for the Habs in their last eight meetings with the Islanders. The six goals scored just managed to go OVER the posted total of 5′.

The struggling Montreal offense finally woke up, helped by a 43-22 shots on goal advantage. When Montreal opened a 2-0 lead in the first period it marked the first time this season that they’d led by more than a goal, a fact that surprised left winger Mike Cammalleri:

“We’re making it hard on ourselves. That’s something — I didn’t realize that until right now but that makes sense. Every game’s been so tight, and it’s important to try and win in tight games and find ways to win those games but at the same time you can’t do that 82 times a year and then however many games in the playoffs, so it was important to get out to a little bit of a lead and hang on to one tonight.”

Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halek played well in relief of starter Carey Price, but lost his shutout bid when he misplayed a puck just seconds into the final period. Cammalleri described a conversation he had with Halek after the game:

“After the game I went to give him a hug and he said, ‘I don’t like shutouts. And I said, ‘Well, you better like shutouts!’ But he played great when we needed him tonight, made some solid saves, and we’ll let that one go.”

Islanders’ coach Scott Gordon admitted that his team’s listless play made it easy for the Habs’ to dominate:

“We were a pretty easy team to play against. Defensively we were on our heels because of all our turnovers and it wasn’t just in one area, it was coming out of our zone, it was situations where we had full control of the puck and we’re not making plays. It’s probably the worst that I’ve ever seen it tonight and it’s something that we’ve got to get better at.”

Montreal plays their next two games at home, hosting the New York Rangers on Saturday night and welcoming the Islanders back to the Bell Centre for another game next Monday night. The Islanders have a Saturday night home game against the Washington Capitals before their return engagement with Montreal. They’ll then return home to play their regional rivals the New York Rangers on Wednesday.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and World Cup betting sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Had things happened differently, Nick Diaz would forever be part of MMA history. Regardless of how his career transpired after February, 2007 he should have been remembered as part of one of the greatest fights ever. His PRIDE 33 matchup against Takanori Gomi should have created a legacy like the first Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar bout, only it was better. It was a mixed martial arts version of Gatti/Ward or Castillo/Corrales 1. It should have been the biggest victory of Diazs career and the centerpiece of his highlight reel.

On April 10th, the Nevada Athletic Commission announced that hed failed a drug test. The Nevada Athletic Commission considers a THC level over 50 a positive result for marijuana usage. Nick Diazs THC level was an astounding 175 and that led NSAC Chairman Dr. Tony Alamo to speculate that in this situation marijuana was a performance enhancing drug. The rationale was that during the fight Diaz was feeling no pain”literally. Diaz was fined, suspended and the result of the fight against Gomi changed to a no decision.

Diaz had singlehandedly removed the luster from a classic bout. Looking at the fight now, the action is the same but theres something absent from it on a spiritual level. Had Diaz not tested positive and the result stood it would have become a classic fight. As it turned out, it became more of a case study demonstrating just how much pain a stoned mixed martial artist can withstand.

While Diaz might not be a bad person, hes definitely someone who attracts trouble. Instead of learning a lesson from the experience of his positive drug test, he became a more outspoken advocate of marijuana use. While the relative risk pot smoking is debatable and beyond the purview of this article one thing is certain”fighters are prohibited from its use. Sadly, it appears that Diaz places a greater value on his recreational drug use than his legacy as a professional prizefighter. Hes gone so far as to obtain a prescription for medical marijuana in California, purportedly to treat Attention Deficit Disorder.

Ironically, Japans notoriously lax oversight of mixed martial arts makes it a perfect fit for Diaz. He doesnt have to worry about drug tests or athletic commissions who arent sympathetic to his claiming a need for medical marijuana. His workrate, conditioning and versatility as a fighter will be appreciated by the Japanese fans, and offers countless matchup opportunities for the Japanese promotions. Most significantly, perhaps, his participation with Japanese promotions DREAM or Sengoku provides Diaz the opportunity to put his missteps behind him and reassert himself as one of the sports most exciting fighters and not one of its biggest troublemakers.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Nick Diaz should forever be part of MMA history. Regardless of how his career transpired after February, 2007 he should have been remembered as part of one of the greatest fights ever. His battle against Takanori Gomi should have created a legacy like the first Forrest Griffin/Stephan Bonnar bout, only it was better. It should have been the biggest victory of Diazs career and the centerpiece of his highlight reel.

Unfortunately, Diazs moment of glory lasted only about six weeks. Diaz had tested positive for marijuana, and his THC level was off the charts. Nick Diazs THC level was an astounding 175 and that led NSAC Chairman Dr. Tony Alamo to speculate that in this situation marijuana was a performance enhancing drug. Diaz was fined, suspended and the result of his almost certain fight of the year winner with Gomi changed to a no decision.

Diaz had singlehandedly removed the luster from a classic bout. Following an action packed and very close first round Gomi took control in the second. Gomi had opened a cut on Diazs face and it was bleeding a gusher. On several occasions Gomi implored the referee to stop the fight, or at least check on the cut due to the excessive blood flow. With the ref showing no signs of stopping the fight and Diaz hanging tough, Gomi took the fight to the ground and in a matter of seconds found himself forced to tap out to a gogoplata.

While Diaz might not be a bad person, hes definitely someone who attracts trouble. Instead of learning a lesson from the experience of his positive drug test, he became a more outspoken advocate of marijuana use. While the relative risk pot smoking is debatable and beyond the purview of this article one thing is certain”fighters are prohibited from its use. Sadly, it appears that Diaz places a greater value on his recreational drug use than his legacy as a professional prizefighter. Hes gone so far as to obtain a prescription for medical marijuana in California, purportedly to treat Attention Deficit Disorder.

Ironically, Japans notoriously lax oversight of mixed martial arts makes it a perfect fit for Diaz. His workrate, conditioning and versatility as a fighter will be appreciated by the Japanese fans, and offers countless matchup opportunities for the promotion. Most significantly, perhaps, his participation with Japanese promotions DREAM or Sengoku provides Diaz the opportunity to put his missteps behind him and reassert himself as one of the sports most exciting fighters and not one of its biggest enigmas.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated no more. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ used a couple of big plays from their defense in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and defeat the Vikings by a final score of 27-17. Favre put up decent yardage in the loss, throwing for 334 yards but had no touchdowns and an interception. The defending Superbowl Champion Steelers improved to 5-2, while the Vikings are now 6-1.

NFL pointspread players who backed the Steelers as -6 home favorites were rewarded with the cover. Pittsburgh had only covered one of their first six games heading into the contest, and the win improved their record against the number to 2-5. Minnesota dropped to 4-3 against the spread with the setback. The 44 points scored went UNDER the posted total of 46′. It was only the Vikings’ second UNDER of the season against five OVERS, while the Steelers have gone OVER in four of their seven games.

The Steelers largely shut down Minnesota’s rushing game, holding Adrian Peterson to 69 yards. Pittsburgh safety Ryan Clark underscored his team’s dominance against the run:

“That’s the biggest point of the game. You have the best running back in the world and you don’t give it to him. They’re saying they can’t beat us running, and that’s a major statement when you have the guy they have back there.”

Favre gave a mealy mouthed justification for the loss in his postgame interview:

“There were a lot of what ifs, a lot of reasons we didn’t win. The red zone was one of them. They’re physical, and they were as good as we thought they’d be. … When I came here and looked at our schedule and saw the Steelers game, I went, ‘Oh-h-h.’ ”

Favre has only thrown three interceptions in a Vikings’ uniform, but #3 was a costly one as it was returned by Steelers’ Keyaron Fox for a touchdown to put the game out of reach as Minnesota was driving for a potential game tying field goal. Afterwards, Fox recalled the play:

“Brett tried to force it in there and the running back bobbled it and slipped out of his hands and it fell into my lap. I had just run across the field after Peterson and I was winded, so it felt like it was 100-plus yards.”

The Vikings now face another big game next week as they head to Favre’s old stomping grounds in Green Bay for a battle with the Packers. It’ll be Favre’s first appearance at his old home in an enemy uniform. The Vikings will then have a bye weekend before hosting the lowly Detroit Lions on November 15. Pittsburgh will enjoy a bye week this week before returning to action on Monday, November 9th facing the Denver Broncos on the road.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

Gyms are massively overrated. Maybe you are going to one now, or you had a great experience with one before, but let me tell you that there are plenty of reasons to give up the gym and find another way to work out.

And hey, if you’re in love with the gym as-is, then you’ve got nothing to worry about. But if you’re thinking of a change, peruse these 5 reasons and make a new choice.

#5: Prices are Sickeningly High.

If you’re a student and you get a cheaper student gym with your university card, consider yourself very lucky. I had one, once, and it cost me next to nothing for an awesome, bright, airy gym that I loved. Once I moved to a big city, though? Forget it - hundreds a month, and not even close to as nice.

#4: The Kind of People Who Seriously Frequent Gyms? Nuts.

People sometimes come to the gym so often that they literally lose their minds, forgetting that the gym is a venue to getting in shape, not the be all and end all of their social calendar. If your gym is full of these people, be warned - you could become one, too.

#3: Do You Enjoy Covering Yourself in Other People’s Sweat?

Sure, the paper towels (or dirty towels brought from home) and the little spray bottles are there, but really loads of people just don’t bother to wipe down the machines they’ve been using before. You can block it out of your mind, but that only works until you sit down on a machine that is dripping with sweat and realize it is definitely not your own.

#2: Repetition Breeds Contempt.

You might claim that your magic iPod or your series of audio books or magazine subscriptions alleviate the crushing boredom of standing in a small room and working selective muscle groups over and over, but you’re only deceiving yourself. Own up to the sad and depressing fact - gyms are stunningly, shockingly boring places that breed contempt through bitter, grim repetition. Get out while you still can.

#1: Welcome to a World Without Limits.

So you made it - you finally pulled yourself free from the glorified indentured servitude also known as ‘working out in a gym’. Once the initial high of extreme happiness wears off, you’ll be faced with an unfamiliar emotion - freedom. Run anywhere you want. Do whatever exercises you feel like, in your own house, out in a park, or in the damn street, if you want. But don’t go back to paying $100+ every few weeks for the privilege of sweating very close to a bunch of other people. It’s just not worth it.

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