A Dose of NCAA Basketball History

A Dose of NCAA Basketball History

The National Collegiate Athletic Association was the
trendsetter in ambiguity and victory. It is has
undergone a lot of ups and downs. From the very
founder of the game which all basketball enthusiasts
have to be thankful for, Dr. Naismith. He, who showed
people that a game this big can come from a game so
seemingly small then.

It’s like looking through the hourglass where sands of
time has lost track of the day that has passed. NCAA
basketball revitalized the blood of every college
individual. Dreamers and supporters alike are the ones
who made every event possible.

NCAA begins on the month of March. This is usually the
time where cheerleaders strut their moves and the best
players are molded into persons who will pave the way
to get into the NBA or get into the school of their
choice. “March Madness”, as they call it, had become a
traditional season where colleges from different parts
of the United States meet for a chance to get to the
top.

This wouldn’t all be possible without the help of a
few significant people who paved the way for the
firsts. First event. First MVP. First team champion.
It’s all included in NCAA’s history record.

It was stated that the very first NCAA tournament for
men’s basketball was held at Northwestern on March 27,
1939. There were only 8 teams that competed against
each other coming from 2 different regions. Oregon was
the very first to be declared as champions for that
event, defeating Ohio State.

The NCAA was the king of the basketball arena but not
until the 1950’s came. NIT went into the scene and was
then considered as the more prestigious event than
NCAA. Teams then preferred to play in NIT and choose
to skip the NCAA season.

Because of this irony, the best teams never met. But
either way, some of the best schools choose to enter
both tournaments that made playing more interesting.

In the 1940’s, Oklahoma A&M won two titles in the
NCAA. Those who were defeated in NIT recovered much
and gained integrity when they entered the NCAA. While
some schools decided to stick with NIT, there are
others who lost on their first and second round with
NIT and decided to finish the season in the NCAA.

A third-place event was added into the game schedule
in courtesy with the East region. That was in 1941.
The national third-place game was first held in 1946.
This lasted until the 1980’s. In comes 1951. This was
the year where the expansion of 8 teams were made into
16. Seattle became the site of the semifinal and
championship games in 1952. This was also the place
where the genuine “final four” was made.

1956 became historical for this year paved the way for
the tournament to be divided into regions of four.
Thus, the most magnificent and famous games were made.

In 1974, NCAA became a tournament with 32 teams. They
also allowed more schools to participate in
conferences. When 1979 came, it expanded to 40
participating teams. This is the year when Michigan
State won national championship against Indiana State.
This tournament was one of the most historical events
ever accounted for in all of NCAA seasons. Earvin
“Magic” Johnson became well known going against Larry
Bird.

As the expansion follows over the years, in 1985, it
had become a 64-team match. The tournament’s
popularity reached the corners of the country far and
wide. Negotiations from television networks to air the
game via satellite speeding through the internet,
radio, etc. had been agreed upon.

Eye Allergies And How The Body Reacts to Them

Eye Allergies And How The Body Reacts To Them

The most common notion about having allergies is that
they would occur mainly in the skin, or break out in
some other form, like having indigestion or something
equally unpleasant.

But one thing that is often overlooked is the human
eye, since it too contracts allergic reactions quite
easily. There are often symptoms that can let you know
that you’re having an allergic reaction to a
substance, identifying whether it’s from an allergy or
something else that’s causing your eye irritation.

Signs Of Trouble In Your Eyes

A lot of common symptoms can be associated with
multiple diseases. Itchiness in the eyes, redness,
swelling, a burning sensation, it can all possibly be
part of some other disease.

Another common sign is known as pink eye, which has
the entire clear membrane of the white of your eyes
going pink, and possibly getting itchy as well. You
can find out the source of the irritation if it’s from
a viral, bacterial, or allergic source.

If it only affects one eye, then the most likely cause
is viral. A bacterial source of pink eye will also
show because there is often a discharge coming out of
the eye. However, if it’s not exclusively the eye
that’s affected, then the source will most likely be
allergic in nature.

The doctor will most likely rule out all other
possibilities once he or she finds out about the exact
circumstances of the irritation.

Sources Of Eye Allergies

The eye, although protected from the outside by its
lubrication, can still sometimes come into contact
with possible allergens. The usual culprits in eye
allergies include pollen, which occurs during the
spring and summer months at its peak.

An unpleasant reaction to chemicals that enter your
eye such as medication with side effects or eye drops
can also cause an allergic reaction. Also quite common
is having allergies associated with pets, so be sure
to check these sources.

What you can do

Of course, being an allergic reaction, the best thing
that you can do to avoid having an unpleasant reaction
to your allergen is to avoid it. You’ll have to make
sure that you keep your surroundings clean from most
airborne allergens, like vacuuming regularly around
your house to keep dust, pollen, and pet hair from
getting airborne and into your eyes.

But still, you can’t avoid being exposed to other
environments, so if you’re allergic to airborne
particles, you’ll have to check with your doctor to
see if you can benefit from using over the counter
medicines that you can carry around.

These can possibly alleviate the symptoms you have
through their active ingredients. You can also
probably find products that have antihistamines in
them, lessening the allergic reaction and calming down
things a bit when symptoms manifest themselves as
swelling and redness.

A direct application to the symptom site will have a
faster reaction time than if you were to take the
medicine in oral form like capsules or tablets.

However, consult your doctor on the effects of
prolonged use of your medicinal treatments, as your
eyes might become dependent on your medication. You
don’t want to have your blood vessels being dependent
on eye drops to become small again when they swell up
during an allergy attack.

All About Allergies And How They Affect The Human Body

If you’ve ever tried inhaling some pollen from plants,
or eating something and finding out afterwards that
you’re covered in red blotchy spots or some other
nasty effect after you eat, then you’ve experienced
firsthand the effects of Allergies.

In common usage, an allergy is an adverse reaction
toward what is called an allergen, or specifically,
the material that causes the allergic reaction.

What Happens When You Come In Contact With An
Allergen?

When you ingest something that causes an allergic
reaction in your body, the immune system is said to be
hyperactive to this material, and with that, the
immune system activates to quash what it sees as a
threat. But it’s actually not, and is quite harmless
and garners no excess bodily reaction in other people.

Once the body’s immune system releases antibodies as a
response to the allergen, it causes the release of
histamine into the bloodstream, which is what causes
you to get teary-eyed and have a runny nose or
whatnot.

Common Allergens In People

Probably the most common source of allergic reactions
in most people is in their food. Whether its
shellfish, or mushrooms, or even something mundane
like a vegetable, allergic reactions from food are
quite common.

And if you’ve been stung by an insect and notice
excessive swelling from the locality of the bite, then
you’ve got an allergic reaction from that bite.

There are even cases of extreme allergic reactions to
bee stings, resulting in anaphylactic reactions.
Chemicals and medicine also fall into the category of
being a common source of allergic reactions.

If you’ve got to have antibiotics as prescribed by the
doctor, make sure that your body doesn’t have an
allergy to materials in your medicine.

Treatment and avoidance of allergies

Should you suspect that you’re having an allergic
reaction to something, consult your doctor so that he
or she can refer you to an allergist, which is a type
of specialization for doctors in the field of
allergies.

He or she can do the testing on your suspected
materials and verify your suspicions and prescribe
medicines or give your advice on what to do about your
reaction. But sometimes, antihistamines are not
enough, though that’s the most common medicine to
combat allergic reactions.

Sometimes you have to avoid contact with the allergen
at all costs, as enough exposure could possibly lead
to disastrous results in your body.

Make sure you know exactly what materials you are
allergic to so that you can avoid even trace
quantities of it in other things.

Avoidance is also a good method of preventive
treatment, since you won’t have allergic reactions
when you aren’t exposed to allergens.

One method of treating allergens is to give a person
immunotherapy, exposing the person with the allergy to
minute quantities of his or her allergen.

The immune system learns to cope with these materials,
developing immunity and preventing future allergic
reactions. This is particularly effective for airborne
particles, less so for food allergies, which might
cause reactions even though you’ve undergone
treatment.

Almost all people have allergies of one sort to
another, and it varies widely when it comes to what
they’re allergic to. Once you find out your allergen,
you can avoid it and prevent unpleasant reactions from
your body, or even get treatment so that you can
develop immunity and remove the allergic reaction from
your body.

A Quick List ao 10 Foods That Speed Metabolism

A Quick List Of 10 Foods That Speed Metabolism



Are you looking for foods that speed metabolism? This will probably surprise you. All foods speed metabolism.

"How is that possible?" you ask.

Let's take a quick look at just what is metabolism and how does it works. This explanation might help you to better understand the process and how it can affect your body.

When you eat a meal, your body begins the process of digesting the food, drawing out the nutrients and processing them to create energy that keeps your body functioning properly and effectively. It takes approximately 4 hours just to absorb the nutrients. This is repeated with every meal you eat. In a day, that amounts to 12 hours that your body is busy absorbing each meal's nutrients.

In short, during the digestion process, our bodies burn calories. This is especially true of foods containing carbohydrates and protein which take longer than other foods to digest. Simply by eating, digesting and absorbing nutrients from the food, you speed your metabolism.

Does this mean you should eat more to constantly stimulate calorie burning?

Here's another answer that might surprise you. Yes. But hold on before you park yourself in front of the refrigerator, bib in place, knife and fork at the ready.

If you skip breakfast and other meals, you will reduce how quickly your body burns calories. In this case, eating more food will help speed metabolism. In fact, by eating smaller meals more often throughout the day, you can keep your metabolism working so that your body is constantly in the state of calorie burning.

As mentioned, there are some foods that require more of your body's energy to burn. The degree to which they affect your body's metabolism depends on the particular food choice. Caffeine, coffee, tea, chocolate and a chemical found in chillies are some foods that speed metabolism, but only minimally.

Carbohydrates and protein trigger the highest rate of metabolism. In fact, a protein meal can burn as much as 25% of that meal's calories through digestion and absorption.

While a high protein meal might sound appealing, consider that it would not provide your body with its required round of nutrients. Adding vitamin and mineral supplements is not the answer either, because they do not provide the same quality of nutrients that are found naturally in foods.

Your best choice is to eat well-balanced meals regularly that contain protein, non-starchy vegetables, fats and carbohydrates. This can minimize fat production while keeping your blood sugar at a level that helps to burn fat and build muscle.

Focus on these 10 specific foods that help speed metabolism and burn fat.

Whole grain bread
Chicken
Salmon
Eggs
Fresh Cheese
Green Beans
Summer Squash
Cabbage
Asparagus and other non-starchy vegetables
And, of course, protein rich meats

To temporarily boost your metabolism by as much as 30%, drink cold water.

Remember, there are other factors beyond your control that can affect your body's speed of metabolism, including your age, sex and any medical conditions.

While these foods can speed metabolism, the best way to lose weight is with a healthy combination of regular meals and physical exercise, especially those that build muscle because muscle burns calories too.

Exercise regularly, stick with a diet of protein, non-starchy vegetables, fats and carbohydrates, and be sure to add some of those foods that speed metabolism, and you'll soon see the results you want.

If your Outlook is Better, Your Brain Perfoms Better

How good do you really think of yourself mentally? If you ask yourself if you are intelligent, do you answer with a nod and a smile, or with an ashamed “maybe”? In answering this question, you should know that there are a lot of things to consider, and your IQ score is just one of those. The reality is that if you think of yourself as better, your brain will perform better.

Your outlook and perspective on things like this will definitely influence the performance of your brain. If you really believe that you are good enough, then your brain may just start performing to level with your expectation. Some may say that basic intelligence would never change after the childhood stage of your life, but then there are still some who believe that psychology has an influence in this.

The Influential Psychology in Brain Function

You may have heard of stories wherein the protagonist, who never even stepped into high school, was able to work his way from rags to riches. He just used his guts and determination as he climbs his way to the top. His childhood may have shown him that he can be as rich as his friends if he would only work hard for it. Because of this, he followed what he knew, and because he knew that he too can be rich, he did work hard for it. His outlook was that he can do if others were able to do it.

He never received any money from his rich friends, and he never received any assistance as he worked his way. But what he got from his friends was his expectation. If he never met his rich friends, if he never knew that it is possible to be rich, he would not have worked hard to be where he is right now. He had a goal when he met them, and all he had to do was to just work hard to reach that goal – and so he did.

See, expectations of yourself can play a big role in your life. It serves as your motivation. It makes you feel that you are on to something possible, something that is just within your reach if you just work hard enough. This is the influence of psychology. Don’t you think that it is possible that by just thinking that you can think harder and learn faster, your brain might just do the same thing for you?

Experiential and Evidential Learning

After you have viewed yourself with better perspective, then it is time for you to be more attentive to the things around you which can serve as an evidence that you are about to reach your goal. After you have done all the affirmations, you need hard proof. Take note of your progress regardless of whether they are too small or too big. Focus on these developments. You will soon realize that the more you appreciate your small developments, more of them would soon follow.

So, in applying to your brain development, if you think hard enough that you can improve your brain performance, and then your brain would soon perform better. The improvements may not be as drastic as you expect, but there will surely be some changes. Take note of these changes, and soon you will realize that the cumulative effect of these small changes will amount to a big alteration to your brain functioning. Think of yourself as better, your brain will soon live up to your expectations.

A Short History of the Wristwatch

Word Count:

708

Summary:

Portable clocks were firstly carried in pockets and then worn with pendants. Changes in the way we lived our lives brought about the birth of the wrist watch. This article chronicles both how the wrist watch came tobe, as well as recounting the famous watch makers, the watches they made famous and what makes these watches so collectible.

Keywords:

antique, antique watches, watches, collecting, collecting watches

Article Body:

Over the centuries clocks have been used as a status symbol by those who wear

them. Their precision, elegance and convenience are just some of the attributes

that clocks and watches represent. Often they are bought purely for their

aesthetic looks. And at other times they are bought because of their technical

attributes like being precise to the last second or even millisecond. This is

what makes clocks and watches so collectible and in some cases they can command

high sums of money.

Whether you collect the new high precision watches or ones that come from a past

era, the fact is that over the years this hobby has become a high turnover

business. And collecting watches is in a lot of circles regarded as a wise form

of investing.

At the start of the last century the clocks that were available for men or women

were firstly pocket clocks, and then clocks that held by a pendent attached to

the lining of jackets or corsets. The advent of war, industrialization, and the

development of the sport activities, brought over new tends which extended to

not only the way we dressed, but also how we carried our clocks.

It is said that it was s nanny who invented wrist watches at around the end of

the 19th century, who fixed a clock around her wrist by using a silk band. The

first watches to be made were in fact smaller models of pocket clocks that were

fitted with a lesther strap. Once this product hit the market newer designs

started to be produced based around this same cancept.

It was Louis Cartier who first made the kind of watches we see today when he

created a watch for a flying pioneer hero by the name Santos Dumont. By 1911

this same type of watch was on general sale. That same type of watch became the

blueprint of what wrist watches look like to this day.

Soon after the design of wrist "clocks" began to diversify away from the

classical round shape that had been in vogue up until that time. From the

Cartier classical wrist watch other makes of watch started to emerge which were

characterized by their shape. Movado is the perfect example of thesenew designs

when it came out with the "Polyplan" shaped watch. Then came the famously and

cryptically called "clock reference n.1593" by Patek Philippe which was a

rectangular shaped watch.

From 1913 onwards more and more watches started to be developed in all shapes

and styles. From the "gondola" watch of Patek Phillipe to Louis Cartiers'

"Tank"; named thus because it was inspired by the shape of English armored cars

of the time. These are watches which are very much sought after. There were

other numerous watch makers like Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin who along

with Patek Philippe and Cartier came out with many other designs which added

other features to the watches like lunar phases, month and day most of which are

found in modern watches now.

Of course we could not mention wrist watches without mentioning the most famous

of them all: the Rolex watch. In the 1920s Rolex debuted in the world of wrist

watches with the elegant Rolex Prince and its revolutionary "dual time" feature

made famous for having the "seconds sector" larger than that of the minutes. At

the same time Jaeger Le Coultre produced an even more advanced piece called the

"Reverse", also very revolutionary in that it could be turn 180 degrees within

its case, thus protecting the crystal and dial. It became incredibly popular and

was only prevented from achieving even greater success by the recession of the

1930s and the advent of world war 2.

These early watches of the 1910s are what define all the makes of

watches that we see and wear today. This short article has only scratched the

surface of what is a very vast subject which has many more watch makers with

diverse and revolutionary designs. However it is makers like Rolex, Cartier,

Jaeger Le Coultre and the others mentioned that are amongst the most valuable

and collectible, and should you ever be so lucky to get one then make sure you

hang on to it - preferably to your wrist.

A Graduation Gift that Stands the Test of Times

Word Count:

1040

Summary:

A lot of time, talent and hard work went into getting the graduate where she is today. Mark the occasion with somenthing more memorable then money...gorgeous pearls. Learn how to choose an affordable, quality pearl pendent, pearl strand, pearl earrings, and more.

Keywords:

graduation gift, graduation girfts, pearls jewelry, choosing pearls, cultured pearls, freshwater pearl, affordable pearls, pearl sests,pearl pendants, pearl strand, pearl earrings.

Article Body:

"The only real failure in life is one not learned from."

Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book.

Ah, graduation. A lot of hard work, time, talent, money and drive have led to

this point: a milestone that will be celebrated, photographed and remembered

forever. Whether fron high school, college, law school, medical school, or what

have you, graduation is a wonderful time of excitement and change.

How to mark the occasion? You can always write a check. (What new graduate

doesen't need money?) Before you whip out your wallet, however, remember that

cash is practical, yet very impersonal. Because you're reading this, it's a good

guess that the graduate is a specialwoman in your life, she worked hard to get

where she is, and she deserves a graduation gift that is truly memorable.

How about somenthing memorable, practical, meaningful and beautiful? Try pearls.

Pearl jewelry-whether pearl studs, a pearl pendant or a beautiful pearl

strand-is a classic and wonderful addition to any woman's jewerly box. Whether

she's heading off to college, interviewing for jobs, about to embark on a

career, or planning a wedding, the recent graduate can wear pearl jewelry for

instant polish. Addeb bonus: She'll remember you every time she wears them.

Which pearls to choose

Pearls come in many beautiful styles, shapes and designs, but for graduation, a

simple classic style that will stand the test of time is best. (They don't call

them staplesfor nothing.) Because classic pearls are so popular, there are a

variety of options from which to choose. The following are classics she'll reach

for again and again.

. Pearl stud earrings: The great thing about pearl studsis that they go

whit everything. Round, white pearls with a rosè overtone flatter most skin

types, and make a wonderful addition to any jewelry box. Some stores even carry

pearl studs for non-pierced ears.

. 16 inch pearl strand: A matched pearl strand is a jewerly staple for a

reason:it's a classic-not to mention a no-brainer accessory that a woman can

reach for to instantly add polish to an outfit. Shorter strands worm closer to

the throat draw attention to the wearer's face and skin; with their dewy

complexions, young women look fantastic in pearl chokers. This style sits close

to the throat and looks great with aq business suit, v-neck sweaters, tee-shirt or

open-collared dress shirt.

. 18 inch pearl strand: This slightly more versatile, "princess" length

necklace can be worn with most any neckline,and will serve the graduate well

throughout her life. The princess length is a very popular choice for a great

reason: it works well with everything from turtlenecks to sweaters, business

suits, dress shirts, and more.

. pearl pendent: A pearl pendant necklace featuring a single, large pearl

is a great option that can be worn with many different styles. Choose a thin

sterling silver or white gold chain for a modern loook.

. pearl bracelet: A perfect complement to a bold watch, and slightly more

affordablethan a pearl necklace, a pearl bracelet adds polish and class.

. pearl ring: A pearl ring can make quite a bold and sophisticated

statement, especially when the ring featuresa single, large pearl. The only

dowside to buying a ring is that you need to know the graduate's ring size.

Classic pearl rings look fantastic with both white and yellow gold.

Many retailers and anline stores sell classic pearl jewerly in sets. Not only is

this great because you pay less for the set than if you purchased a necklace,

earring and braceletseparately, but buying a pearl jewerly set provider the

added bonus that the pieces will match.

What to look for

No matter which style you choose, or whether you buy pearls from a local jewerly

store, large retail chain or Internet store (which should offer adequate

descriptions of what you're buying a long with a monet-back guarantee), keep in

mind these tips when you're shopping for pearls and you won't go wrong:

. You'll pay more for larger pearls. In general, a larger pearl takes

longer to form, and the chances of finding a perfectly round, large pearl are

slim. After the 7.5-8mm mark for freshwater cultured pearls and akoya cultured

pearls, the most popular pearl types, prices rise dramatically. A 6.5mm strand

is both lovely and affordable-and perfect for young women.

. Pay attention to luster and surface. Pearls should have a high luster,

or surface sheen, meaning they reflect light well. They should also be free from

large blemishes such as chip and pits, althought small blemishes are acceptable.

An absolutely perfect strand is likely faux. Pearls are, after all, a natural

product, and small variations are to be expected and do not detract from the

pearls' value.

. Round is the hands-down favorite shape. While baroque pearls are

gorgeous, and button and coin pearls are modern and affordable, when it comes to

classic pearls, round is still in. To check that pearls are uniformly round,ask

the jeweler or read the Internet description. If you can handle the strand, roll

it on a table. Matched pearls will roll smmothly.

. Thickness is important. Most pearls sold today are cultured pearls, and

the best ones are formed in oysters or mussels that have been implanted with

small, mother-of-pearl beads and mantle tissue or mantle tissue only and left in

the water long enough for a sufficient coating of nacre to form. Avoid pearls

that have been implanted with large plastic or glass beads or harvested

prematurely; thei will flake and peel easily.

. Pay attention to uniformity. Make sure that pearls in a piece of jewerly

are the same size, color, shape and luster.

. Beware: Some jewerly makers try to hide smaller or imperfect pearls near

the clasp.

. Choose color carefully. Pearls look best if they flatter the skin tone

of the wearer.

Follow these pearl-buying tips, choose wisely, and your graduate will have a

jewerly staple she'll treasure forever.

A graqduate of the Gemological Institute of America's Graduate Pearls program,

Amy Drescher is a fashion writer and accessories buyer for

www.moonriverpearls.com. She welcomes your questions. Reach her at

adrescher@moonriverpearls.com.