Battle Pirates is an MMORTS (massively multiplayer online real-time strategy) game on Facebook by Kixeye.
There have been a number of MMORTS games on Facebook in the past year, starting with Kingdoms of Camelot by Kabam, which was groundbreaking at the time it first came out but has since faded into the background in favor of newer games like Dragons of Atlantis and Global Warfare (also by Kabam), and Backyard Monsters by Kixeye (previously Casual Collective). In these games, the focus is mostly on building your camp. Although there is an offense component to each game, it's mostly executed by the computer with limited control to you.
Battle Pirates brings something entirely new to the table with its map that you must actually explore, and with ships that you can fully control in battle. Unlike many other Facebook games, you aren't as limited by timers that make you stop playing. If you enjoyed the previous offerings, you'll probably enjoy this one too.
Guide to Battle Pirates Defense Strategy
Guide to Battle Pirates Offense Strategy
Guide to Battle Pirates Resources
Guide to the Battle Pirates Map
21 June 2011
How to Cope with Seasickness
Seasickness happens when the balance centers of your brain have trouble making sense of the rocking motion of a boat on water, because the boat motion doesn't match up with what your eyes see. Seasickness can range from minor queasiness to nonstop vomiting.
How to Avoid Seasickness
1. First and most common way: pills. Over-the-counter anti-emetic drugs like Dramamine, Bonine, or Marezine are small, chewable tablets that are readily available in any drugstore or grocery store pharmacy. Take one every 12 to 24 hours (read the package instructions), with the first one an hour before the boat leaves the dock. If the boating activity is on a cruise ship or otherwise hosted expedition, the boat might carry a supply of meclizine (generic of Bonine).
2. Then there's scopalamine patches. These are small, round, typically skin colored (for light-colored skin), and placed behind the ear. One patch is good for three days. They are expensive, however, and available only by prescription. Don't use more than one at a time.
3. Acupressure wristbands like Sea Band. There is a pressure point on the inside of each wrist which, when pressed hard enough, will silence the nerves that cause nausea. Finding the right spot can be tricky, however, and the spots on both wrists must be firmly pressed for it to work. Acupressure wristbands come with very tight elastic and a small button to do the pressing. The elastic is good for several years before it wears out and the wristbands lose effectiveness.
4. Motion Eaze is a liquid made of "natural oils." Like the scopalamine patch, it is absorbed through the skin.
5. Ginger (in the form of ginger gum in the picture above) may be effective on very mild cases of seasickness. The very first part of seasickness is increased sleepiness, and ginger will stimulate alertness.
How to Ease Seasickness In Progress
If your prevention methods have failed and you feel sick, don't hide inside or below-deck - that will just make it worse. You need to be able to see the horizon, which means you need to be outside. Sit on as low a level of the boat as possible, and as close to the middle as you can get while still being outside. Tall boats sway more up top than at the water surface, and rock more at their sides. You're looking for the part with the least motion.
Also, try to avoid places with too much engine noise or fuel fumes. If you can't see the horizon (it's dark or foggy), focus on anything you can see that's as far away as possible - wave crests (not the swirly ones right by the boat!), the moon or stars, clouds, etc.
Preparing to Vomit
If you know you will be vomiting, there are a number of things to do in advance. First, figure out which way is downwind (probably facing to the back of the boat) and where on the deck has the least wind. Check that there are no people immediately downwind of your chosen spot. You do not want to vomit while facing the wind, as it will come right back and land on your face. It's also considered bad form for it to land on other people.
If it's a small boat on calm waters, leaning over the side is the preferred way to go. On larger ships in the open seas, be sure to wear a life jacket. However, leaning over the side isn't strictly necessary if the boat comes equipped with deck-cleaning hoses that you can access. All outside decks are waterproof, and if you have access to a hose, you can simply rinse off afterward.
Make sure you have lots of paper towels and kleenex stashed away in your pockets, so you can clean yourself up afterward as well. Kleenex is important if any of the vomit goes through your nose.
What to do After Vomiting
Afterward, eat starchy foods like rice, potatoes, bread, or crackers. Those will help settle your stomach. Eat something even if you aren't hungry. If nothing else, it gives your stomach something to empty if you need to vomit again later - which, while uncomfortable, is still better than vomiting nothing.
Landsickness
The good news is that eventually, if your boating trip lasts long enough, you will probably develop your "sea legs." The balance centers of your brain will adapt to the rocking motion and you'll stop noticing it.
The bad news is that you might go through the reverse process once you're back on land. This is called either "dock rock" or "landsickness" depending on how long it lasts. Basically it feels like perfectly still ground is moving, and your body will sway to try to counter the rocking motion that isn't happening - sometimes to the point where you lose your balance. Depending on how long your trip was, it can take up to a week to go away.
How to Avoid Seasickness
1. First and most common way: pills. Over-the-counter anti-emetic drugs like Dramamine, Bonine, or Marezine are small, chewable tablets that are readily available in any drugstore or grocery store pharmacy. Take one every 12 to 24 hours (read the package instructions), with the first one an hour before the boat leaves the dock. If the boating activity is on a cruise ship or otherwise hosted expedition, the boat might carry a supply of meclizine (generic of Bonine).
  |   |   |
2. Then there's scopalamine patches. These are small, round, typically skin colored (for light-colored skin), and placed behind the ear. One patch is good for three days. They are expensive, however, and available only by prescription. Don't use more than one at a time.
3. Acupressure wristbands like Sea Band. There is a pressure point on the inside of each wrist which, when pressed hard enough, will silence the nerves that cause nausea. Finding the right spot can be tricky, however, and the spots on both wrists must be firmly pressed for it to work. Acupressure wristbands come with very tight elastic and a small button to do the pressing. The elastic is good for several years before it wears out and the wristbands lose effectiveness.
  |   |
4. Motion Eaze is a liquid made of "natural oils." Like the scopalamine patch, it is absorbed through the skin.
  |   |
5. Ginger (in the form of ginger gum in the picture above) may be effective on very mild cases of seasickness. The very first part of seasickness is increased sleepiness, and ginger will stimulate alertness.
How to Ease Seasickness In Progress
If your prevention methods have failed and you feel sick, don't hide inside or below-deck - that will just make it worse. You need to be able to see the horizon, which means you need to be outside. Sit on as low a level of the boat as possible, and as close to the middle as you can get while still being outside. Tall boats sway more up top than at the water surface, and rock more at their sides. You're looking for the part with the least motion.
Also, try to avoid places with too much engine noise or fuel fumes. If you can't see the horizon (it's dark or foggy), focus on anything you can see that's as far away as possible - wave crests (not the swirly ones right by the boat!), the moon or stars, clouds, etc.
Preparing to Vomit
If you know you will be vomiting, there are a number of things to do in advance. First, figure out which way is downwind (probably facing to the back of the boat) and where on the deck has the least wind. Check that there are no people immediately downwind of your chosen spot. You do not want to vomit while facing the wind, as it will come right back and land on your face. It's also considered bad form for it to land on other people.
If it's a small boat on calm waters, leaning over the side is the preferred way to go. On larger ships in the open seas, be sure to wear a life jacket. However, leaning over the side isn't strictly necessary if the boat comes equipped with deck-cleaning hoses that you can access. All outside decks are waterproof, and if you have access to a hose, you can simply rinse off afterward.
Make sure you have lots of paper towels and kleenex stashed away in your pockets, so you can clean yourself up afterward as well. Kleenex is important if any of the vomit goes through your nose.
What to do After Vomiting
Afterward, eat starchy foods like rice, potatoes, bread, or crackers. Those will help settle your stomach. Eat something even if you aren't hungry. If nothing else, it gives your stomach something to empty if you need to vomit again later - which, while uncomfortable, is still better than vomiting nothing.
| If you're unfortunate enough to be seasick no matter what you try to do to prevent it, bring along Snickers candy bars. Those are one of the few food items that taste just as good coming up as going down. |   |
Landsickness
The good news is that eventually, if your boating trip lasts long enough, you will probably develop your "sea legs." The balance centers of your brain will adapt to the rocking motion and you'll stop noticing it.
The bad news is that you might go through the reverse process once you're back on land. This is called either "dock rock" or "landsickness" depending on how long it lasts. Basically it feels like perfectly still ground is moving, and your body will sway to try to counter the rocking motion that isn't happening - sometimes to the point where you lose your balance. Depending on how long your trip was, it can take up to a week to go away.
20 June 2011
In Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, How Do You Produce Better Food?
Originally landed on: Guide to Trade in Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
As your city develops and your population grows, your people demand better quality of food. Possible foods are wheat, millet, cabbage, rice, soybeans, fish, and game meat.
Food quality is a simple measure of how many different food types are available from the mill at the same time:
Bland Food - one food type
Plain Food - two food types
Appetizing Food - three food types
Tasty Food - four food types
Delicious Food - five food types
In addition, salt and spices will bump up the food quality by one, but they don't count if there are no "real" foods.
The mill has 32 spaces to hold food (or salt or spices). To make sure it has lots of different types, limit the total amount per food type it can have at a time. For example if you need Delicious, no more than 4 each.
Then there's the marketplace plaza. One of its settings is for food quality. If you select "appetizing food" as the minimum quality, the food buyer will only buy food from the mill if there are at least three food types available.
If you have more than one housing loop and therefore more than one plaza, bear in mind that the plaza demanding the lowest food quality can buy up all the food before the high-quality plaza ever gets any.
Four types of food at the mill
Guide to Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
How to Plan Your City
How to Set Up Housing
Guide to Trade
About the Palace Menagerie
As your city develops and your population grows, your people demand better quality of food. Possible foods are wheat, millet, cabbage, rice, soybeans, fish, and game meat.
Food quality is a simple measure of how many different food types are available from the mill at the same time:
Bland Food - one food type
Plain Food - two food types
Appetizing Food - three food types
Tasty Food - four food types
Delicious Food - five food types
In addition, salt and spices will bump up the food quality by one, but they don't count if there are no "real" foods.
The mill has 32 spaces to hold food (or salt or spices). To make sure it has lots of different types, limit the total amount per food type it can have at a time. For example if you need Delicious, no more than 4 each.
Then there's the marketplace plaza. One of its settings is for food quality. If you select "appetizing food" as the minimum quality, the food buyer will only buy food from the mill if there are at least three food types available.
If you have more than one housing loop and therefore more than one plaza, bear in mind that the plaza demanding the lowest food quality can buy up all the food before the high-quality plaza ever gets any.
Four types of food at the mill
Guide to Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
How to Plan Your City
How to Set Up Housing
Guide to Trade
About the Palace Menagerie
19 June 2011
How to make chicken broth the way Chinese restaurants do it
The chicken broth in wonton soup and egg drop soup is a clear, delicate yellow. Chinese restaurants make this in-house - it's not purchased condensed from a soup factory the way most other types of restaurants acquire their soups. Here's how to make soup stock the way Chinese restaurants do it.
Things you'll need:
* a large stock pot with cover
* carcass of a whole chicken
* water
* strainer or colander
* a second large pot for the finished broth
Step One
Put the chicken bones into the pot and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil. The water will become foamy with bits of fat floating at the top. Dump everything through a strainer in the sink. You're saving the chicken parts and discarding the water.
Step Two
Put the chicken bones back into the pot and fill it with water again. Bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat as low as it will go and cover the pot. Leave it alone for 5-6 hours.
Step Three
Put a clean pot under the strainer, then dump everything through it again. This time, you're saving the liquid and discarding the chicken parts.
Done
You can now use the broth to make soups, or save it for later, either in the fridge or freezer. Once cooled, sometimes the broth will thicken into a gelatinous form. Do not be alarmed - this means you did it right. The more gelatinous, the better the stock.
This same method can be used for other types of stocks, like pork broth (the basis of authentic Chinese cuisine is pork).
Things you'll need:
* a large stock pot with cover
* carcass of a whole chicken
* water
* strainer or colander
* a second large pot for the finished broth
Step One
Put the chicken bones into the pot and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil. The water will become foamy with bits of fat floating at the top. Dump everything through a strainer in the sink. You're saving the chicken parts and discarding the water.
Step Two
Put the chicken bones back into the pot and fill it with water again. Bring it to a boil. Then turn the heat as low as it will go and cover the pot. Leave it alone for 5-6 hours.
Step Three
Put a clean pot under the strainer, then dump everything through it again. This time, you're saving the liquid and discarding the chicken parts.
Done
You can now use the broth to make soups, or save it for later, either in the fridge or freezer. Once cooled, sometimes the broth will thicken into a gelatinous form. Do not be alarmed - this means you did it right. The more gelatinous, the better the stock.
This same method can be used for other types of stocks, like pork broth (the basis of authentic Chinese cuisine is pork).
18 June 2011
What is the Matching Part on tRNA Called?
Originally landed on: Degeneracy of the Genetic Code
A tRNA molecule is a small strip of RNA folded into a series of loops. One end is attached to an amino acid, and the other end pairs up with the codons on an mRNA.
A codon is a set of three nucleotides, which can be any combination of adenine, uracil, guanine, or cytosine. Adenine matches up with uracil, and guanine matches up with cytosine.
The end of tRNA that pairs with the mRNA codon is called the anti-codon end, because its nucleotides are the matching opposites of the ones in the codon.
More About the Genetic Code
More About Genetic Code Degeneracy
About Micro RNA and Its Role in Gene Expression
A tRNA molecule is a small strip of RNA folded into a series of loops. One end is attached to an amino acid, and the other end pairs up with the codons on an mRNA.
A codon is a set of three nucleotides, which can be any combination of adenine, uracil, guanine, or cytosine. Adenine matches up with uracil, and guanine matches up with cytosine.
The end of tRNA that pairs with the mRNA codon is called the anti-codon end, because its nucleotides are the matching opposites of the ones in the codon.
More About the Genetic Code
More About Genetic Code Degeneracy
About Micro RNA and Its Role in Gene Expression
17 June 2011
How to prepare for a science cruise on the open ocean (for students)
Students new to marine science are often not told what to expect on a research cruise. Here's some of the basics.
The Ship Has A Crew
The first thing to know is that the ship comes with a full-time crew that is paid to take care of everything not directly related to doing science. There will be a captain and mates to take the ship wherever the chief scientist wants to go, a cook to take care of all meals, etc. Pack as if you were going to stay in a hotel. You will have a bed with linens and blankets provided (on larger ships you might have your own room), and storage space for clothing and toiletries. Some of the larger ships may provide personal fridges and have laundromats.
Bring a sturdy pair of covered-toe shoes. You will be working around heavy equipment, possibly dangling overhead on a rocking ship. Bring sunscreen - there is no shade on the decks at sea. Bring a poncho in case you have to work in heavy rain. Life jackets and hardhats are usually provided.
The ship will also likely come with a marine tech. This person takes care of all the scientific equipment that comes with the ship - keeps them clean, calibrated, and in good working order. This person also works closely with the crew (winch operators, bridge officers) to put instruments into the water and bring them back out of the water.
The Obligatory Safety Drill(s)
There will be a safety briefing and a number of emergency drills shortly after the cruise starts. You will learn where things are, what to do, and where to go if you or someone falls overboard, if there's a fire, or if the ship sinks. In most cases you just have to show up in a specific part of the ship with life preserving gear, while the crew does all the important parts.
Cruise Purposes
There are a great many different kinds of science done on cruises. Some are research oriented, some are educational. Generally, all cruises are for the purpose of collecting either oceanographic data, or samples of something, which will be processed and analyzed later in a lab back on shore. Samples could be water samples for various chemical elements or nutrients, microbe or plankton samples, fish samples, sediment samples, etc. Sensor data will always include temperature and salinity. The third major purpose of a cruise is to deploy or retrieve monitoring instruments left in the ocean for months at a time. Most cruises have a combination of different purposes.
What you do on a cruise will be whatever the chief scientist tells you to do. There will probably be lots of manual labor. There may be lab work or computer work, or menial clerical work (such as making labels for samples). If it's a research cruise, expect to have a heavily altered sleep schedule, as everyone will be on duty shifts - science goes on around the clock. I've seen 12-on 12-off, 4-on 8-off, alternate every 4 or 6 hours, etc.
Recreation on a Science Vessel
You will be surrounded by nothing but water in every direction. It's lovely for the first few days and then becomes monotonous if the cruise lasts longer than that. Entertainment and recreation on board will be limited. Internet and phone are both by satellite, which is expensive, and will likely only be available for research or emergency purposes. Some ships will upload and download email once or twice per day, to be read and composed offline - assume that nothing you write or receive is at all private. If the ship goes far enough away from land, there will be no TV or radio. Cell phones will not have signal. Most ships have a small library of books and movies on video/DVD. Some of the larger ones may have exercise equipment.
About Seasickness
There are a number of ways to avoid seasickness - over-the-counter drugs like Dramamine or Bonine, Sea Band wristbands which use acupressure, prescription patches, etc. Most ships will carry an ample supply of meclizine (generic of Bonine), passed out by the ship's medic (or sometimes on smaller ships just sitting out somewhere where anyone can take as much as they want). Take a pill a few hours before the boat leaves the dock.
If you do feel sick, sit outside where you can see the horizon, on as low a level of the ship as possible. The ship sways more up top than at the water surface. If you puke, do it facing away from the wind. Remember that all the outside decks are waterproof, and the work deck has a hose somewhere for rinsing off afterward (be sure to use the saltwater hose) - you do not need to lean over the side and risk falling off the ship (not even if you think it would be a really good idea to jump overboard to stop being sick). If you do want to lean over the side, remember to wear a life jacket. Also, keep some paper towels and kleenex stashed into your pockets so you can blow your nose.
Afterward, eat starchy foods like rice, potatoes, bread. Those will help settle your stomach. Remember that seasickness isn't actually a problem with your stomach - it's your brain trying to make sense of the rocking motion. If you're unfortunate enough to be seasick no matter what you try to do to prevent it, bring along Snickers bars. Those are one of the few food items that taste just as good coming up as going down.
Deep Sea Fishing
On every science vessel I've ever been on, there is always at least one avid deep sea fisherman among the crew. Anytime no science tasks are going on, he will have a line over the side. There will probably be fresh fish for dinner at least once. If you do any fishing of your own, just remember that the science mission takes priority and to pull up your line accordingly.
Swim Calls
Depending on the organization that runs the fleet to which your ship belongs, there may be a swim call at some point during the cruise. Bring a swimsuit.
No Alcohol
All science vessels (in the U.S. at least) are dry. Do not bring alcohol.
The Ship Has A Crew
The first thing to know is that the ship comes with a full-time crew that is paid to take care of everything not directly related to doing science. There will be a captain and mates to take the ship wherever the chief scientist wants to go, a cook to take care of all meals, etc. Pack as if you were going to stay in a hotel. You will have a bed with linens and blankets provided (on larger ships you might have your own room), and storage space for clothing and toiletries. Some of the larger ships may provide personal fridges and have laundromats.
Bring a sturdy pair of covered-toe shoes. You will be working around heavy equipment, possibly dangling overhead on a rocking ship. Bring sunscreen - there is no shade on the decks at sea. Bring a poncho in case you have to work in heavy rain. Life jackets and hardhats are usually provided.
The ship will also likely come with a marine tech. This person takes care of all the scientific equipment that comes with the ship - keeps them clean, calibrated, and in good working order. This person also works closely with the crew (winch operators, bridge officers) to put instruments into the water and bring them back out of the water.
The Obligatory Safety Drill(s)
There will be a safety briefing and a number of emergency drills shortly after the cruise starts. You will learn where things are, what to do, and where to go if you or someone falls overboard, if there's a fire, or if the ship sinks. In most cases you just have to show up in a specific part of the ship with life preserving gear, while the crew does all the important parts.
Cruise Purposes
There are a great many different kinds of science done on cruises. Some are research oriented, some are educational. Generally, all cruises are for the purpose of collecting either oceanographic data, or samples of something, which will be processed and analyzed later in a lab back on shore. Samples could be water samples for various chemical elements or nutrients, microbe or plankton samples, fish samples, sediment samples, etc. Sensor data will always include temperature and salinity. The third major purpose of a cruise is to deploy or retrieve monitoring instruments left in the ocean for months at a time. Most cruises have a combination of different purposes.
What you do on a cruise will be whatever the chief scientist tells you to do. There will probably be lots of manual labor. There may be lab work or computer work, or menial clerical work (such as making labels for samples). If it's a research cruise, expect to have a heavily altered sleep schedule, as everyone will be on duty shifts - science goes on around the clock. I've seen 12-on 12-off, 4-on 8-off, alternate every 4 or 6 hours, etc.
Recreation on a Science Vessel
You will be surrounded by nothing but water in every direction. It's lovely for the first few days and then becomes monotonous if the cruise lasts longer than that. Entertainment and recreation on board will be limited. Internet and phone are both by satellite, which is expensive, and will likely only be available for research or emergency purposes. Some ships will upload and download email once or twice per day, to be read and composed offline - assume that nothing you write or receive is at all private. If the ship goes far enough away from land, there will be no TV or radio. Cell phones will not have signal. Most ships have a small library of books and movies on video/DVD. Some of the larger ones may have exercise equipment.
About Seasickness
There are a number of ways to avoid seasickness - over-the-counter drugs like Dramamine or Bonine, Sea Band wristbands which use acupressure, prescription patches, etc. Most ships will carry an ample supply of meclizine (generic of Bonine), passed out by the ship's medic (or sometimes on smaller ships just sitting out somewhere where anyone can take as much as they want). Take a pill a few hours before the boat leaves the dock.
If you do feel sick, sit outside where you can see the horizon, on as low a level of the ship as possible. The ship sways more up top than at the water surface. If you puke, do it facing away from the wind. Remember that all the outside decks are waterproof, and the work deck has a hose somewhere for rinsing off afterward (be sure to use the saltwater hose) - you do not need to lean over the side and risk falling off the ship (not even if you think it would be a really good idea to jump overboard to stop being sick). If you do want to lean over the side, remember to wear a life jacket. Also, keep some paper towels and kleenex stashed into your pockets so you can blow your nose.
Afterward, eat starchy foods like rice, potatoes, bread. Those will help settle your stomach. Remember that seasickness isn't actually a problem with your stomach - it's your brain trying to make sense of the rocking motion. If you're unfortunate enough to be seasick no matter what you try to do to prevent it, bring along Snickers bars. Those are one of the few food items that taste just as good coming up as going down.
Deep Sea Fishing
On every science vessel I've ever been on, there is always at least one avid deep sea fisherman among the crew. Anytime no science tasks are going on, he will have a line over the side. There will probably be fresh fish for dinner at least once. If you do any fishing of your own, just remember that the science mission takes priority and to pull up your line accordingly.
Swim Calls
Depending on the organization that runs the fleet to which your ship belongs, there may be a swim call at some point during the cruise. Bring a swimsuit.
No Alcohol
All science vessels (in the U.S. at least) are dry. Do not bring alcohol.
16 June 2011
An Example of Technology Used to Study Marine Biology
 a MOCNESS |  a MOCNESS frame with no nets |
The MOCNESS, or "multiple opening closing net (and) environmental sampling system," is a contraption with lots of individual nets, usually at least nine, which take turns opening and closing to collect plankton samples at different depths. It gets dragged behind a slow-moving boat, and it can take several hours to complete a set of collections.
It's an example of the type of technology used to study zooplankton ecology, a branch of marine biology.
More Examples Here
15 June 2011
How to Do Yogi Bicycle Situps
A yogi bicycle situp is like a regular situp but with a twist. They will stretch your side muscles while strengthening your abdominal muscles. It makes for a more strenuous alternative to regular situps if you're looking for variety in your workouts. All you need is an exercise mat or some non-slip floor space.
Lie flat on your back. Clasp your hands under your head. Hold your legs up, bent 90 degrees, so that your thighs are vertical and your calves are parallel to the floor.
Raise the upper half of your body to touch your right elbow to your left knee - without moving your knee. At the same time, straighten your right leg so that it's hovering just above the floor. Breathe out.
Return to the starting position. Breathe in.
Now touch your left elbow to your right knee while straightening your left leg. Breathe out.
Return to the starting position. Breathe in.
Repeat until you can't move anymore. :) As you alternate sides, your legs should move as if you were peddling a bicycle.
Some Tips
Lie flat on your back. Clasp your hands under your head. Hold your legs up, bent 90 degrees, so that your thighs are vertical and your calves are parallel to the floor.
Raise the upper half of your body to touch your right elbow to your left knee - without moving your knee. At the same time, straighten your right leg so that it's hovering just above the floor. Breathe out.
Return to the starting position. Breathe in.
Now touch your left elbow to your right knee while straightening your left leg. Breathe out.
Return to the starting position. Breathe in.
Repeat until you can't move anymore. :) As you alternate sides, your legs should move as if you were peddling a bicycle.
Some Tips
- Don't hold your breath.
- Be sure to consult with a doctor before embarking on any fitness program, especially if you have any heart conditions, neck injuries, pregnancy, etc.
14 June 2011
Where does the sea horse fit on the animal kingdom chart?
Originally landed on: Life Cycle of a Seahorse
Believe it or not, a seahorse is a type of finfish. It's just heavily modified from what you might think of as a "normal" fish shape. According to the Tree of Life as of 2007, its current taxonomic (scientific) classification is:
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Osteichthyes
Class Actinopterygii
Order Gasterosteiformes
Syngnathoidei
Family Syngnathidae
Genus Hippocampus
There are about 40 species worldwide today.
Believe it or not, a seahorse is a type of finfish. It's just heavily modified from what you might think of as a "normal" fish shape. According to the Tree of Life as of 2007, its current taxonomic (scientific) classification is:
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Osteichthyes
Class Actinopterygii
Order Gasterosteiformes
Syngnathoidei
Family Syngnathidae
Genus Hippocampus
There are about 40 species worldwide today.
13 June 2011
How to Do a Dolphin Pushup
A dolphin pushup combines the dolphin pose from yoga with some muscle-pumping action to build strength in the upper body. It makes for an interesting alternative to regular pushups if you're looking for variety in your workouts. All you need is an exercise mat or some non-slip floor space.
dolphin pose
The yoga dolphin pose is an upside-down V with your feet on the ground, legs straight, butt in the air, back straight, elbows on the ground, and hands clasped together on the ground.
To get into the pose, start on your hands and knees. Get down on your elbows and clasp your hands together. Make sure your elbows are shoulder width apart. Put your feet at hip distance apart and facing forward. Lift your butt and straighten your legs. Be careful not to hyper-extend your knees if you're double-jointed.
Your feet don't have to be completely flat on the ground, though your heels should stretch for it. Try to keep your lower back from rounding. Press your butt upward and backward. Your shoulder blades should be pulled in toward your spine and "down" toward your waist. Your head should be pointing in the small triangular space between your elbows and clasped hands - keep your neck relaxed and your head hanging freely.
pushing "up" (forward) in dolphin pose
While in dolphin pose, swing your upper body forward so that your head passes the front of your clasped hands. Maintain all other aspects of the pose - your legs and back remain straight, shoulder blades back and down, neck remains loose. Breathe in as you move.
Depending on how far your feet are from your elbows, you might be able to swing far enough forward to be essentially straightened like a plank.
Swing your upper body backward until you're back to the starting position, or just past it. Breathe out as you move.
Repeat this back and forth motion until you're too tired to move. :)
This won't feel as intense of a workout as a regular plank pushup, and you'll probably be able to do more of them. It's a good way to build some upper body strength if you're starting out with none, and can't do regular pushups yet. If you hold the rest of dolphin pose correctly, it will also stretch out your back and hamstrings.
Some Tips
dolphin pose
The yoga dolphin pose is an upside-down V with your feet on the ground, legs straight, butt in the air, back straight, elbows on the ground, and hands clasped together on the ground.
To get into the pose, start on your hands and knees. Get down on your elbows and clasp your hands together. Make sure your elbows are shoulder width apart. Put your feet at hip distance apart and facing forward. Lift your butt and straighten your legs. Be careful not to hyper-extend your knees if you're double-jointed.
Your feet don't have to be completely flat on the ground, though your heels should stretch for it. Try to keep your lower back from rounding. Press your butt upward and backward. Your shoulder blades should be pulled in toward your spine and "down" toward your waist. Your head should be pointing in the small triangular space between your elbows and clasped hands - keep your neck relaxed and your head hanging freely.
pushing "up" (forward) in dolphin pose
While in dolphin pose, swing your upper body forward so that your head passes the front of your clasped hands. Maintain all other aspects of the pose - your legs and back remain straight, shoulder blades back and down, neck remains loose. Breathe in as you move.
Depending on how far your feet are from your elbows, you might be able to swing far enough forward to be essentially straightened like a plank.
Swing your upper body backward until you're back to the starting position, or just past it. Breathe out as you move.
Repeat this back and forth motion until you're too tired to move. :)
This won't feel as intense of a workout as a regular plank pushup, and you'll probably be able to do more of them. It's a good way to build some upper body strength if you're starting out with none, and can't do regular pushups yet. If you hold the rest of dolphin pose correctly, it will also stretch out your back and hamstrings.
Some Tips
- Don't hold your breath.
- Move slowly, and hold for a few seconds at each end of the pushup.
- Be sure to consult with a doctor before embarking on any fitness program, especially if you have any heart conditions, joint problems, pregnancy, etc.
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