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Friday

Helpful Tips on Eye Care - how to improve eye sight?


Helpful Tips on Eye Care 

With so many of us spending lots of time in front of the computer every day it comes to no surprise that research is showing a rise in visual problems. What can one do? First, it’s important to find out how you can protect your eyes through eye health exams and by making a few minor changes in your computer viewing habits. 

Here are some helpful Eye Care Tips - 

Positioning is everything
Correct positioning of your computer, keyboard and typing copy is essential. Your screen should be positioned about an arm’s length from your eyes and 20 degrees below eye level. Consider foot and wrist rests for added comfort.

Lighting can make all the difference
Room lighting should be diffuse, not direct, to reduce glare and reflections from your screen. Look into an internal or external glare screen and be sure to set your colour, contrast and brightness levels to suit you.

A little extra help for your glasses
Anti-reflective coatings on the lenses of your glasses can be applied by your optometrist to reduce discomfort and to ease reduced vision from bright and/or flickering light sources such as VDTs and fluorescent lights. And don’t forget, your doctor of optometry can talk to you about eyeglasses designed specifically for people who use computers a lot.

Take time out, our 20-20-20 rule:
Step I :-
After every 20 minutes of looking into the computer screen, turn your
head and try to look at any object placed at least 20 feet away. This
changes the focal length of your eyes, a must-do for the tired eyes.

Step II :-
Try and blink your eyes for 20 times in succession, to moisten them.

Step III :-
Time permitting of course, one should walk 20 paces after every 20 minutes
of sitting in one particular posture. Helps blood circulation for the entire body. 

It’s all in the blinking
Did you know that on average we blink 12 times per minute? But wait, did you know that when we’re on the computer we only blink 5 times per minute? That can add up to dry eyes. Relieve the discomfort by using artificial tear drops or gels and remember to blink!

Palming
Sit straight at your workstation and rub your palms against each other till you feel them warm. The warmth of your palms helps soothe and relax tired eyes. Then, lightly cup your eyes with your palms and relax for 60 seconds. Count the seconds in your mind. Repeat this exercise two to three times whenever your eyes feel tired, or as often as you want. While palming, you can either rest your elbows on your desk or keep away from the desk and cup your eyes. Both ways are fine.

Splash water on your face
During breaks, splash water on your face while closing your eyes. This has an overall relaxing effect and helps you feel refreshed.

Use tea bags
Keep two used tea bags in the refrigerator before you leave for work. Once you are home, place the tea bags on your eyes for a few minutes as you relax. This not only soothes tired eyes, but also reduces puffiness.

Eat healthy
Incorporate Vitamins A, C, and E on a daily basis; eat citrus fruits, green leafy veggies, tomatoes, spinach, poultry and dairy products. Pack a box of chopped carrots, cucumber and fresh fruits and munch in-between meals at the office.

Sunday

Begum Nusrat Bhutto is dead in Dubai - Former First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Nusrat Bhutto was 82 years old at the time of her death - LIFE history of NUSRAT BHUTTO

Begum Nusrat Bhutto is dead



Former First Lady of Pakistan, Begum Nusrat Bhutto was 82 years old at the time of her death.


She outlived three of her children Murtaza, Benazir and Shahnawaz Bhutto.


Our sincere condolences on the demise of Nusrat Bhutto, wife of late Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, mother of Benazir Bhutto, Murtaza, Sanam and Shahnawaz Bhutto. Except for Sanam, all members of this family are dead after decades of struggles, infamy, torture and fighting a hostile establishment. Our sympathies to the younger generation – Bilawal, his sisters, Fatima Bhutto and all others who have been traumatised by simply too many deaths.

LIFE of NUSRAT BHUTTO:


Just a few hours ago Begum Nusrat Bhutto breathed her last in Dubai after suffering from a protracted illness and the world lost a woman who was a symbol of valor, courage and fortitude. Nadeem F. Paracha aptly put in his tweet:  “Her’s was the longest and toughest struggle”.

The world saw her in the form of a young frail woman who selflessly worked as a member of Women’s National Guard to fight day and night in the refugee crisis of 1947. Her historic picture with a bleeding head injury signified defiance and struggle against a ruthless Martial Law, when she was clubbed by Zia’s hoodlums in the Qaddafi Stadium, ironically the same stadium that was named by his husband in 1974. She fought battles in the courts. She came out on the roads to lead people to their empowerment. But as Wajid Shamsul Hassan ruefully noted, “The head wound that did not overwhelm her not-withstanding constant persecution, character-assassination and life in exile, did finally lead to incurable consequences.” And She was left fighting for her life. 


Her life, though an image of struggle and determination, also represented tragedy. For she was the unfortunate wife of the dynamic Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who was politically murdered through a court decision that remains controversial to this very day. The most tragic of all, she was the mother of four children, three of who died unnatural deaths.

In the political history of this country, Pakistanis will remember her for fighting one of the longest and most arduous battles with the grace that was characteristic of her. RIP Begum Nusrat Bhutto.

Sources said that arrangements are being made to bring her body back to Karachi. It is expected that her body will be taken for burial to Garhi Khuda Bux, the ancestral graveyard of the Bhutto family.

Bhutto had been recovering from a stroke while simultaneously battling Alzheimer’s disease.

She had functioned as a political hostess and accompanied ZA Bhutto on overseas visits.

In 1979, after the trial and execution of her husband, she succeeded him as leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party as chairman for life. In 1982 she was given permission to leave the country by the military government of General Ziaul Haq for medical treatment in London at which point her daughter, Benazir Bhutto, became acting leader of the party and by 1984 Benazir became party chairman.



Saturday

Heir to Saudi throne, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz dies in the U.S. aged 85 - Tributes paid by Prince of Wales and Foreign Secretary



The heir to the Saudi throne Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdel Aziz has died today.
His death has caused a constitutional crisis as questions are asked about who should succeed to the throne.

The 85-year-old crown prince, who was the half brother of the ailing Saudi King Abdullah died at a hospital in New York City. 

Aziz, who was the oil-rich kingdom's deputy prime minister, had been defence minister and minister of aviation for about four decades. 

With Prince Sultan's death, his brother Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz, the longtime minister of interior, becomes the most likely candidate to be next in line to rule after King Abdullah.

A statement carried on state news agency SPA and state television said: 'With deep sorrow and sadness the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz mourns the death of his brother and his Crown Prince Sultan... who died at dawn this morning Saturday outside the kingdom following an illness.'

Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was sad to hear of the Crown Prince's death: 'He served the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for many years with great dignity and dedication.

'His contribution to the prosperity and development of the Kingdom will long be remembered.

'I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the Kingdom and its people at this sad time.'

The Prince of Wales was said to have sent a personal letter of condolence to the King of Saudi Arabia.

A Clarence House spokesman said: 'The Prince of Wales sent a personal letter of condolence to the King of Saudi Arabia expressing his deep sadness at the news.'

SAUDI SUCCESSION: WHO WILL BE NEXT ON THE THRONE

Unlike a traditional monarchy the succession of Saudi kingship goes from brother to brother, rather than father to son.

The ruling royal family and the successor will always come from the House of Saud, which is one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world, comprising of 7,000 members.

Currently the throne goes from brother to brother of the children of King Abdul-Aziz.

The House of Saud is composed of the descendants of Muhammad ibn Saud and his brothers, though the ruling faction of the family is primarily led by the descendants of Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud. 

The order of succession to the throne of Saudi Arabia is determined by, and within, the House of Saud. It strictly follows agnatic seniority, but a prince may be surpassed, or another elevated. The Allegiance Council was created in 2006 to facilitate the royal transfer of power.

At least two brothers, Bandar and Musaid, are older than King Abdullah and Mishaal is older than Sultan. 


But each has stepped aside due to health reasons, family consensus, or unwillingness to participate in governing.

He received a diagnosis of colon cancer in 2004.

While Saudi Arabia insisted he was fully cured, diplomats in Riyadh said he had slowly retreated from participating in decision-making and often worked only for one or two hours a day.

Many of his duties had been informally shifted to other princes, most notably to his son Khaled who led Saudi and Arab forces during the 1991 war to remove Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army from Kuwait. 


Prince Khaled, who is assistant defense minister, is also the owner of influential pan-Arab daily al-Hayat.

While he was defense minister, Sultan spent hundreds of billions to modernize the forces of the country where Islam was born 1400 years ago, doubling the regular armed forces to more than 100,000 men and buying advanced weapons from all over the world.

Born in Riyadh, Sultan was educated by private tutors and spoke some English.
He was keen to maintain close ties with the West, especially the United States, though like the rest of the royal family he distanced himself from the U.S.-led attack on Iraq in 2003.

The most likely candidate for the throne after Sultan is Prince Nayef, the powerful interior minister in charge of internal security forces. After Sultan fell ill, the king gave Nayef an implicit nod in 2009 by naming him second deputy prime minister, traditionally the post of the third in line.

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef is seen as being close to ultra-conservative clerics. Anyone who rises to the throne is likely to maintain the kingdom's close alliance with the United States. But there could be internal differences. 

Abdullah has been seen as a reformer, making incremental changes to improve the position of women, for example, and to modernize the kingdom despite some backlash from the ultra-conservative Wahhabi clerics who give the royal family the religious legitimacy needed to rule. Nayef, for example, is often seen as closer to the clerics.

Thursday

Libyan Dictator Moammar Gadhafi Is Dead, Libya's Prime Minister Says - First Photo of Gadhafi Killed! Reportedly Was Hiding In A Hole When Captured and Killed By Rebels - Gadhafi’s alleged capture occurred during siege of Sirte - Live blog: Gadhafi is dead, interim Libyan prime minister says - Libyans rejoice at Gadhafi's death - Libyan prime minister: Gadhafi killed


Early Thursday morning, reports started emerging out of Libya that former strongman Moammar Gadhafi had been killed in a NATO-led airstrike. Later in the day, opposition National Transitional Council leader and interim government prime minister Mustafa Abdel-Jalil confirmed reports of Gadhafi's death, according to the Associated Press. NATO and the White House have yet to independently confirm the reports.






The NTC information minister told Reuters, "He was killed in an attack by the fighters. There is footage of that." If the news is confirmed, the episode would make Gadhafi the first leader killed as a result of the Arab Spring uprisings, the Associated Press notes in its obituary of the leader, which it published at 10:53 EST.

According to reports from multiple sources, Gadhafi was fleeing a NATO-led rebel attack on the former leader's hometown of Sirte, which had been a last remaining stronghold for Gadhafi forces. According to the Reuters' report, the rebels found the former Libyan strongman hiding in a hole in the ground; the rebel fighter who found Gadhafi said that the Libyan leader repeated "Don't shoot, don't shoot" upon his capture. The BBC reported that the same rebel fighter was "brandishing" a golden pistol which he said belonged to the Libyan strongman.

Deposed Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been killed, interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told reporters in Tripoli on Thursday. There are conflicting reports surrounding the circumstances of his killing, which reportedly happened in or near Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte on Thursday. Libya's ambassador to the United Kingdom says that Gadhafi's body is in Misrata, Libya.

A different source – a spokesman for a member of the Tripoli military council – says that one of Gadhafi's sons, Mutassim, and Moammar Gadhafi's chief of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, also have been killed.

A grisly video that aired on the Al Jazeera Arabic network appears to show a lifeless Gadhafi with a wound to his head (see top of post). A photograph distributed by the news agency Agence France-Presse also appeared to show the longtime dictator severely wounded. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the images.

In another major development, revolutionary fighters said they wrested control of Sirte on Thursday. And NATO said it is going to convene soon for a meeting to discuss ending its operation in Libya, a source told CNN.

This story is fast developing. Moammar Gadhafi, 69, was in power for 42 years before being ousted in an uprising this year.

[Update 12:57 p.m. ET] U.S. President Barack Obama will make a statement in the White House Rose Garden at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, the White House announced.

U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, said Moammar Gadhafi's death "clears the way for the Transitional National Council in Libya to begin to put together a representative government."

"A number of the people who led the Transitional National Council were educated in the United States and we are obviously hopeful that, that they will want to have a representative government and they will be an ally of the United States," said McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky.

[Update 12:37 p.m. ET]  TV networks Al Jazeera Arabic and Al Rabiya are showing video of someone who appears to be Moamaar Gadhafi wounded – but still alive – and surrounded by fighters.

Video that Al Jazeera aired earlier today shows what appears to be Gadhafi's lifeless body.

Conflicting reports have been made regarding how Gadhafi died on Thursday. Libyan Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told CNN that revolutionary fighters attacked a house where Gadhafi was hiding, and that Gadhafi was shot while trying to flee.

Guma el-Gamaty, a Libyan political activist and former London coordinator for Libya's National Transitional Council, told CNN from London that Gadhafi was conscious and was talking shortly after he was injured. El-Gamaty, citing leaders of anti-Gadhafi forces, also said that Gadhafi was injured as he resisted attempts to capture him.

Gadhafi said, “who are you, what’s going on?” after he was injured, but died later, according to el-Gamaty, who cited anti-Gadhafi forces. El-Gamaty said Gadhafi died as he was being transported to a hospital in Misrata.

[Update 12:20 p.m. ET] German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the death of Moammar Gadhafi on Thursday is "important" for Libyans.

"A bloody war which Gadhafi waged against his own people now comes to a close. The way is finally clear for a new and peaceful political beginning," she said.

[Update 12:17 p.m. ET] French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office called Moammar Gadhafi's "disappearance" Thursday a "major step" in the struggle by Libyans to "free themselves from dictatorship and violence."

[Update 11:50 a.m. ET] David Gergen, a CNN senior political analyst and an adviser to four U.S. presidents, reacted to Gadhafi’s death: “Thank goodness. The world is rid of a tyrant,” he told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

Gadhafi's death “does promise something new” for Libya, and the Libyans “deserve” this news, Gergen said. However, Gergen cautioned that the death doesn’t bring stability to Libya or the region.

[Update 11:46 a.m. ET] Moammar Gadhafi "was not killed in an airstrike," interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said Thursday in Tripoli.

Conflicting reports have been made regarding how and where Gadhafi died. Libyan Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told CNN that revolutionary fighters attacked a house where Gadhafi was hiding, and that Gadhafi was shot while trying to flee.

NATO has said that its aircraft struck two pro-Gadhafi military vehicles in the vicinity of Sirte. It's unclear whether that had any role in Gadhafi's death.

[Update 11:45 a.m. ET] U.S. Sen. John McCain said of reports of Gadhafi's death: "I think it's a great day."

The United States has been part of a NATO military mission enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya since the early days of 2011's Libyan revolt against Gadhafi. McCain said that when he and other lawmakers visited Tripoli to speak with anti-Gadhafi officials after Gadhafi's overthrow, those officials said that they would seriously consider reimbursing the United States for its efforts. The amount that the Libyans said they would try to give back to the United States is approximately $1 billion, McCain told CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

U.S. Defense Department costs for operations in Libya stand at about $1.1 billion as of September 30, according to Pentagon spokesman George Little. That includes daily military operations, munitions, the drawdown of supplies and humanitarian assistance.

McCain said that the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama "deserves credit" for how the crisis in Libya has been handled.

[Update 11:35 a.m. ET] U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Gadhafi's death "marks a historic transition for Libya."

"In the coming days, we will witness scenes of celebration, as well as grief for those who lost so much. Yet let us recognize, immediately, that this is only the end of the beginning," Ban said, referring in part to the work that Libya's anti-Gadhafi movement still has to do to transition from Gadhafi's regime. "The road ahead for Libya and its people will be difficult and full of challenges.".

[Update 11:27 a.m. ET] Streets in Libya's capital, Tripoli, are jammed with people who are celebrating, CNN's Dan Rivers reports from the city. Gunfire – presumably celebratory – can be heard. Video from Tripoli shows many people waving the flag that Libya's National Transitional Council adopted after Gadhafi's ouster.

[Update 11:21 a.m. ET] A pro-Moammar Gadhafi channel, Al-Rai, is now reporting the death of the former Libyan leader, citing NATO sources.

[Update 11:02 a.m. ET] The Libyan ambassador to the United Kingdom confirmed Moammar Gadhafi's death Thursday and said his body is in the Libyan city of Misrata.

News of the ambassador's comments comes minutes after the interim Libyan prime minister announced Gadhafi's death.

[Update 10:59 a.m. ET] The son of a long-missing anti-Gadhafi activist says that reports of Gadhafi’s death are overwhelming to him.

“I can’t explain,” Ahmed Almegaryaf said. “[It is] something I’ve been wanting to hear all my life. Hopefully it really was him that was captured.”

Almegaryaf is the son of Izzat Almegaryaf, who the son says was captured by Egyptian security services in 1990 and handed over to the Libyans. He said he has not heard from his father since.

Almegaryaf said he that even if his father is dead, Izzat Almegaryaf will be “smiling down” on Libya if Gadhafi is gone. Read more about Almegaryaf.

[Update 10:54 a.m. ET] NATO's top military official, Supreme Allied Commander Adm. James Stavridis, will call for a special session to address ending the NATO mission in Libya, a senior NATO official says, according to CNN's Barbara Starr.

“It will be very soon, perhaps next day or two. (Stavridis) will give a recommendation and a special session of the NAC will be convened," the official said.

Stavridis is now looking at “key pieces of intelligence” to make that recommendation, according to the official. That will include assessing whether anti-Gadhafi forces control Sirte, and whether Gadhafi loyalists can mount any significant counter-strike.

[Update 10:39 a.m. ET] Gadhafi's son, Mutassim, and his chief of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, have been killed, according to Anees al-Sharif, spokesman for AbdelHakim Belhajj of the Tripoli military council.

This report comes on the day that the interim Libyan prime minister says that Moammar Gadhafi was killed.

[Update 10:36 a.m. ET] Former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been killed, interim Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril told reporters in Tripoli Thursday.

[Update 10:32 a.m. ET] Catherine Ashton, the European Union foreign policy chief, said if the reports of Gadhafi's death are confirmed, his demise "brings closure to a tragic period in the lives of so many Libyans."

She also said that the fall of Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte "marks the end of the Gadhafi era."

"Libya is now under the full control of National Transitional Council forces," she said.

[Update 10:22 a.m. ET] Guma el-Gamaty, a Libyan political activist and former London coordinator for Libya's National Transitional Council, told CNN from London that leaders of anti-Gadhafi forces told him that Gadhafi was conscious and was talking shortly after he was injured.

Gadhafi said, “who are you, what’s going on?” but died later, according to el-Gamaty, who cited anti-Gadhafi forces. He said Gadhafi was injured as he resisted attempts to capture him.

[Update 10:14 a.m. ET] CNN's Ben Wedeman, who has covered the uprising in Libya for months, said one of the biggest risks for Libya moving forward is a strong impulse among revolutionary fighters and political leaders to commit revenge killings in an attempt to get rid of leftover elements of Gadhafi’s regime. Rioting and looting, thanks to overall instability, could follow, Wedeman said.

Former Gadhafi aide Abubaker Saad, now a professor of Middle Eastern history at Western Connecticut State University, told CNN that he is more optimistic about how Gadhafi's alleged death would affect Libya. He said on CNN that Libya's National Transitional Council is "really thirsty" to enact democratic reforms in the country.Saad said positive change will happen, but he added that it would be "foolish" to expect "smooth sailing" in a country which has been ruled for more than four decades by a dictator.

[Update 10:07 a.m. ET] Cell phone video aired by Arabic language TV network Al Jazeera appears to show Gadhafi's bloody body.

[Update 10 a.m. ET] CNN's Phil Black, reporting from the British prime minister's residence in London, says that the British government is making no comment about reports of Gadhafi's death, and that it's unlikely they would do so before Washington.

Moammar Gadhafi, who ruled Libya with a dictatorial grip for 42 years until he was ousted by rebels in a bloody civil war, was killed Thursday when revolutionary forces overwhelmed his hometown, Sirte, the last major bastion of resistance.

Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, the most wanted man in the world, has been killed, Libyan Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said today.

The flamboyant tyrant who terrorized his country and much of the world during his 42 years of despotic rule was reportedly cornered by insurgents in the town of Sirte, where Gadhafi had been born and a stronghold of his supporters.

"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Moammar Gadhafi has been killed," Jibril said at a news conference in Tripoli.

He added that the rebel government will wait until later today or Friday to officially declare what it calls a state of liberation.

The National Transition Council earlier today said that its fighters found and shot Gadhafi in Sirte, which finally fell to the rebels today after weeks of tough fighting. Rebels now control the entire country.

Word of Gadhafi's death triggered celebrations in the streets of Tripoli with insurgent fighters waving their weapons and dancing jubilantly.

The White House and NATO said they were unable to confirm reports of his death.

Al Jazeera aired video of what appeared to be the dead leader, which showed Gadhafi lying in a pool of blood in the street, shirtless, and surrounded by people.

Libya's Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam told the Associated Press that Gadhafi was in a convoy when he was attacked by rebels.

NATO said that its jet fighters struck a convoy of Gadhafi's loyalists fleeing Sirte this morning, but could not confirm that Gadhafi was in the convoy, the Associated Press reported.

Warning: Graphic Photo of an Injured Gadhafi

Gadhafi had been on the run for weeks after being chased out of the capital Tripoli by NATO bombers and rebel troops.

He had been believed to be hiding in the vast Libyan desert while calling on his supporters to rise up and sweep the rebel "dogs" away, but his once fearsome power was scoffed at by Libyans who had ransacked his palace compound and hounded him into hiding.

Gadhafi, 69, ruled Libya with an iron fist for almost 42 years. He seized control of Libya in Sept., 1969 in a bloodless coup when he was just 27 years old. The then young and dashing army captain and his small band of military officers overthrew the monarch King Idris, setting up a new Libyan Arab Republic that over the years became increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.

Gadhafi took over the top spot as the world's most wanted man after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. troops in Pakistan.

At the height of his ability to threaten terrorism, President Ronald Reagan dubbed Gadhafi the "mad dog of the Middle East."

He was accused of backing the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco popular with American soldiers, reportedly funding the hijacking of the cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985, and the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which resulted in the U.N. and United States imposing sanctions on Libya.

For years, Gadhafi refused to take responsibility for the bombing, but that changed in 2003 when he acknowledged his role and tried to make amends.

The eccentric leader, who amassed power and wealth by controlling the nation's oil industry, held the title of being the longest-serving leader in Africa and the Arab world.

Over the years, Gadhafi earned an international reputation for his outlandish apparel and much-ridiculed phobias and proclivities.

In U.S. diplomatic cables recently released by WikiLeaks, Gadhafi was described as a "mercurial and eccentric figure who suffers from severe phobias, enjoys flamenco dancing and horse racing, acts on whims and irritates friends and enemies alike."

He was "obsessively dependent on a small core of trusted personnel," especially his longtime Ukrainian nurse Galyna, who has been described as a "voluptuous blonde," according to the cables.

Among his other unusual behaviors, the Libyan leader reportedly feared flying over water, didn't like staying on upper floors and traveled with a "pistol packing' posse" of female bodyguards.

Wednesday

$3 million luxury camper is a 40′ mobile mansion



The Chevy Corvette car and speedboat hybrid might be the slickest amphibious vehicle on the planet, but when it comes to campers, nothing compares to the luxury the Elemment Palazzo offers. The mere mention of campers and RVs invokes images of cramped living quarters that can house only your essentials. But the Elemment Palazzo with its lavish fixture and ornate designs obliterates that notion completely. As it should, what with a coronary-inducing price tag of $3 million.

Austrian company Marchi Mobile designed Palazzo as part of its Elemment line of luxury vehicles that very visibly displays the trappings of wealth. You'll see in Palazzo what you never thought you'd see inside an RV. Master bedroom with an adjoining bathroom? Check. Leather interior? Check. Rainfall shower, fireplace, and 40" TVs? Check, check, check.


high class bar area

Impressive enough as it is, it doesn't end there — the 40' long Palazzo also has a pop-out bar replete with a skylight and underfloor heating that you can activate by pushing a single button. The bar adds 80% more room to the camper's original 430 square feet floor space. When it comes to the exterior side of things, you may or may not be glad to know (depending on how you feel about it) that the Palazzo is covered in glow-in-the-dark paint.


Luxurious sleeping quarters

The 20-ton Palazzo can reach speeds of 93 mph, and uses 20% less fuel than vehicles of comparable size due to its aerodynamic design. The designers at Marchi Mobile say Palazzo is completely customizable, and if you have more money to spare, they'd welcome any outrageous modifications, going as far as to cover it in diamonds.

UK taxi driver becomes first mummy for 3,000 years, The process is revealed in a new documentary Mummifying Alan: Egypt's Last Secret to be screened next Monday, October 24, 2011.

UK taxi driver becomes first mummy for 3,000 years

A former British taxi driver has become the first person in the world for 3,000 years to be mummified in the same way as the pharaohs.

Channel Four viewers will see Alan Billis turned into a mummy over the space of a few months as his body is preserved using the techniques which the ancient Egyptians used on Tutankhamun.

Billis had been terminally ill with cancer when he volunteered to undergo the procedure which a scientist has been working to recreate for many years.
The 61-year-old from Torquay in Devon had the backing of his wife Jan, who said: "I'm the only woman in the country who's got a mummy for a husband."

The process is revealed in a new documentary Mummifying Alan: Egypt's Last Secret to be screened next Monday, October 24.

Dr Stephen Buckley, a chemist and research fellow at York University, has spent 19 years trying to uncover the preservation techniques which the Egyptians used during the 18th dynasty.

Alongside archaeologist Dr Jo Fletcher, Dr Buckley has studied mummified bodies, analysing tissue samples and finally putting his findings into practice by putting them to the test on Billis's body at Sheffield's Medico-Legal Centre.

"It's turned current understanding, including my own, completely on its head," said Dr Buckley.

Billis had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer when he heard about the search for a body donor.

"I was reading the paper and there was a piece that said 'volunteer wanted with a terminal illness to donate their body to be mummified'," he told the documentary team.

"People have been leaving their bodies to science for years and if people don't volunteer for anything nothing gets found out."

Billis - who dubbed himself "Tuten-Alan" - continued: "Experimenting is all about trying different processes to make things work. If it doesn't work it's not the end of the world, is it? Don't make any difference to me, I'm not going to feel it. It's still bloody interesting."

His wife took his decision in her stride and said: "He just said, 'I've just phoned someone up about being mummified'. I said 'you've what?' 'Yes, I've phoned up someone about being mummified'.

"And I thought here we go again. What's going to go on now? It's just the sort of thing you would expect him to do."

Dr Buckley has used specialist scientific equipment such as a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer to identify materials which were used by priests, including beeswax, oils and resins.

He went on to conduct a series of experiments using pigs' legs as a substitute for human flesh, rigging up makeshift desert conditions in his shed.
Billis's internal organs - including his lungs and intestines - were removed through an incision in his side, and the sterilised cavity was padded with linen, although the brain was left in place. Then the body's moisture content was removed using a caustic salt from the region, called natron which was described by Greek historian Herodotus in 450BC - 800 years after the 18th dynasty.

The scientists then immersed the corpse in a salt bath for more than a month to draw out the water. And to protect the skin from the harsh salt it was covered in a special protective layer of oils.

The body was then wrapped in linen - like the classic image of a mummy - protecting it from light and insects, and his wife made a visit, leaving favourite photographs and drawings by his grandchildren.

After three months of drying, the process was judged to be complete.

Leading forensic pathologist Professor Peter Vanezis, who was also part of the team of scientists, said: "The skin itself has this leathery appearance which indicates that he has become mummified all over. It makes me very confident that his tissues have been mummified correctly and in a very successful manner."
Dr Buckley was pleased with the results of the natron bath, particularly the preservation of the brain.

"I think he's on the road to looking very much like the best of the best of the 18th Dynasty in 3,000 years' time."

The scientists believe the results may help in developing an alternative to formaldehyde in the preservation of tissue.

Channel 4 said the experiment had a scientific purpose and had not been done for sensationalism.

A spokesman said: "This is a serious scientific project, the result of a two-decade academic investigation to rediscover and replicate how the ancient Egyptians preserved their greatest pharaohs for thousands of years.

"The research may also offer an alternative to the preservation of tissue using formaldehyde, which has been found to be carcinogenic.

"The donor gave full consent to take part and his family are very happy with the mummification process and the programme."

Billis' family said they had given their full support. A statement issued on their behalf said: "Alan found out about this project when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the project gave him something to focus on during his final months.

"As a family we were all supportive of his decision and have been overwhelmed by the care and attention he has received since his death. We would like to thank all involved for making his wish possible, and for making this such a positive experience."

The body will be kept at the Sheffield Medico-Legal Centre until the end of the year and it is hoped it will be used for further study into mummification and decomposition.