Wellness Wednesday on Empty Streets: 10 Benefits of Sleep

I have been blessed with good health for the past couple of years and fortunate enough for me if ever I do feel sick or a little under the weather I simply find time to sleep a little longer. By the time I wake up from my slumber, what seemingly ails me has somewhat disappeared. That in a way got me a bit curious to check out and see what other things does sleeping bring to those that practice it often.

Here is what I found:
1. Sleep for a "Healthy Heart" . Heart attacks and strokes are more common during the early morning hours.
2. Sleep may prevent cancer
3. Reduce your stress with sleep.
4. Be more alert
5. Reduces Inflammation
6. Help lose weight. Studies show people who sleep less than 6-7 hours per night are more likely to be overweight.
7. Reduce the risk of depression
8. Repair your body
9. Naps make you "smarter" Naps improve memory, cognitive funtion and mood
10. Bolsters your memory

Amazing isn't it? I never thought that sleep could be such a powerful healing tool for us. I guess that is why the babies sleep so much during their development stage. Anyways here is a video to further demonstrate the topic of sleep and it's health benefits.

Right Ratio of Rest (Pt 2): Benefits of Sleep - The most amazing home videos are here

Technology Tuesdays on Empty Streets: Samsung Omnia

I am hooked on Samsung models this time around - more so with the touch screen versions. I have featured the Samsung Behold last time and now I am featuring the Samsung Omnia.



Here are the reasons why I love the Samsung Omnia a lot:

Key Features:

• Quad-band GSM support: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

• 3G Network: HSDPA 2100 for Europe / Asia

• 3.2" 65K-color touchscreen with resolution of 240 x 400 pixels

• Thumbable virtual QWERTY keyboard with optional landscape mode

• Built-in accelerometer for auto screen rotation and call muting

• Optical joystick with virtual mouse functionality

• Handwriting recognition

• Available built-in Memory: 8GB / 16GB

• 128MB RAM, 256MB ROM

• Data Type: HSDPA, EDGE, GPRS

• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g

• Bluetooth capable

• USB 2.0

• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with wide dynamic range mode, face tracking, smile detection, geotagging

• Built-in GPS receiver with A-GPS support

• Java MIDP 2.0

• FM Radio with RDS

• Pocket Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, PDF viewer)

• MP3/AAC/AAC+/WMA/OGG/AMR player

• DivX/XviD/WMV/MP4 player (watch any movie files without conversion of format on i900)

• TV Out

• Voice memo

• Built-in handsfree

• OS: Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional

• Card Slot: microSD (TransFlash), up to 8gb

• Colors: Modern Black

• Dimensions: 112 x 56.9 x 12.5 mm

• Weight: 127g



So many features to play with along with the ability to be an eye candy for those that lay their eyes on them makes the Omnia a truly strong iPhone contender to date.



With all that being said it is no wonder they have the right to say that Samsung Omnia is truly more than just a phone:


Samsung Omnia - More Than a Phone - Click here for more amazing videos

Music Monday on Empty Streets: Featuring T.I.

The most requested artist as of last week was T.I. and it is because of this that I got really curious about this guy. It didn't take long before I started flexing my internet search musles and found a lot about this very intriguing artist.



Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., (born September 25, 1980), better known by his stage name T.I., and also by his alter ego T.I.P., is an American rapper, songwriter, producer, actor and co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records. As of January 2009, T.I. has had nine Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, with three of them reaching number one ("My Love" with Justin Timberlake, "Whatever You Like", and "Live Your Life" featuring Rihanna).



T.I. has been in a relationship with former Xscape member Tameka "Tiny" Cottle since 2001. Together, they have two sons: Clifford 'King' Joseph III and Major Philant. Their daughter, Llayah Amour, was stillborn six months into a complicated pregnancy. He has two sons with ex-girlfriend Lashon Dixon: Domani Uriah and Messiah Ya'Majesty. T.I also has a daughter called Deyjah Imani from another relationship. Overall, T.I. has six children.



TI has also contributed a lot to communities. In addition to helping with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, T.I. worked with troubled youths at Paulding Detention Center in Atlanta, provided scholarships for single parent families at Boys and Girls Clubs, and headlined the Boost Mobile Rockcorps concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall, which featured such performers as Fat Joe, Slim Thug, and Kanye West, and was held exclusively for community service volunteers. As part of his community service time, T.I. has come to a number of middle-grade and high schools in Georgia, where he speaks with the students in an assembly holding a positive message, while maintaining a philathropic view about morals and growing up in the same areas as himself. In June 2005, The Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Foundation, named for the deceased member of multi-platinum female group TLC, and Atlanta's V-103 honored T.I. with the 2005 Lisa Lopes Award for groundbreaking achievements in music and community service which was court ordered. With this steady list of growing accomplishments T.I. is being recognized as the "Jay-Z of the South," according to Pharrell Williams of multi-platinum production team The Neptunes.



T.I.'s night club, Club Crucial, hosted a giveaway of 200 bicycles to neighborhood children in the Boys and Girls Club with V-103 announcer Greg Street.



Here's a video of him singing Dead and Gone Featuring Justin Timberlake for your enjoyment.


Dead And Gone - TI Featuring Justin Timberlake - The most amazing home videos are here

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Sports Saturday on Empty Streets: Most Searched Athletes 2008

I had to do some fishing for today's topic. I was rather curious to figure out who are the year's most searched athletes and amazingly enough after scouring the web for data I have finally completed my list and the research has been based off that of Yahoo.



Here is the top 10 most searched athletes of 2008 according to Yahoo!:



1. Maria Sharapova2. Gina Carano3. Danica Patrick4. Cristiano Ronaldo5. Amanda Beard6. Michael Phelps7. Kimbo Slice8. Leryn Franco9. Natalie Gulbis10. David Beckham



These athletes are amazing on their own and have given the media and the people that adore them a run for their money and attention. I have already featured a couple of these people here on Empty Streets 1027 and will be featuring the rest as we go along for the next couple Saturday specials. So without further delay I would like to get started on the topics with Maria Sharapova.



Maria Yuryevna Sharapova (Mariya Yur’evna Sharapova; born April 19, 1987) is a Russian professional tennis player. A former World No. 1, she was on February 23, 2009, ranked World No. 23 by the Women's Tennis Association. Sharapova has won three Grand Slam singles titles. In 2004, at the age of 17, she won Wimbledon, defeating Serena Williams in the final. She has since won the 2006 US Open, defeating Justine Henin in the final, and the 2008 Australian Open, defeating Ana Ivanović in the final.



Sharapova has represented Russia in Fed Cup, although her appearances have been controversial. She has been featured in a number of modeling assignments, including a feature in Sports Illustrated. Sharapova was the most searched-for athlete on Yahoo! in both 2005 and 2008. In July 2008, as a result of her success both on and off court, she was the world's highest-paid female athlete.



As of October 2008, she is coached by her father, Yuri Sharapov, and former player Michael Joyce.



And here is a cool video of the world's most searched athlete of 2008:


Maria Sharapova - Nike - The most amazing home videos are here

Food Fridays on Empty Streets: Chocolate Cake Overload

I love chocolates and I just can't get over the number of ways that one can enjoy and make these chocolatey goodies. After clearing up the chocolate myths I finally decided to have you enjoy a full Chocolate Cake Overload Recipe ;)

   4    Eggs
  1 c  Sour cream
1/2 c  Water
1/2 c  Oil
  1 pk Chocolate cake mix
  1 pk Chocolate instant pudding
 12 oz Semisweet chocolate chips
       Confectioner's sugar

Beat eggs, sour cream, water, and oil together in a large bowl until
thoroughly mixed. Add cake mix and pudding mix. Beat until smooth.
Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into Bundt or tube pan and bake at 350
F for 1 hour. When cool, sift powdered sugar on top of cake.
Variation: Replace 1/4 cup water with Grand Marnier. Serves 8-10.

It is so easy that it will leave you craving for more. It is much better to do this with the entire family as a Sunday activity - just dont forget to clean up the tasty mess ;)

Here's a video of another Chocolatey Cake Overload:

Travel Thursday on Empty Streets: Moriones Festival

I had presented a list of Philippine Festivals and Holidays in last week's article and I had a friend that commented that I missed out on a very popular festival known to us as the Moriones Festivals. She was right and this is a very important festival for us and for that I would like to thank my blogger friend Nedekcir. She is a very talented blogger too so I strongly recommend to please check her out and the articles that she has:

Girls Are Made Of Sugar & Spice And Everything Nice
Everything Has A Reason
In My Kitchen
In The Life Of..."Mně"
My Vegetables Garden

With that aside I would like now to present to you the Moriones Festival details:

The Moriones is an annual festival held on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines. The "Moriones" are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folks. The Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices or folk history is turned into street festivals.

Festival

The Moriones Festival is known widely as one of the most colorful festivals celebrated on the island of Marinduque and the Philippines. Morion means "mask" or "visor," a part of the medieval Roman armor which covers the face. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. Morions roam the streets in town from Holy Monday to Easter Sunday scaring the kids, or engaging in antics or surprises to draw attention. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye. The festival is characterized by colorful Roman costumes, painted masks and helmets, and brightly-colored tunics. The towns of Boac, Gasan, Santa Cruz, Buenavista and Mogpog in the island of Marinduque become one gigantic stage. The observances form part of the Lenten celebrations of Marinduque. The various towns also hold the unique tradition of the pabasa or the recitation of Christ's passion in verse. Then at three o'clock on Good Friday afternoon, the Santo Sepulcro is observed, whereby old women exchange verses based on the Bible as they stand in wake of the dead Christ. One of the highlights of this festival is the Via Crucis. A re-enactment of the suffering of Christ on his way to the calvary. Men inflict suffering upon themselves by whipping their backs, carrying a wooden cross and sometimes even crucifixion. They see this act as their form of atonement for their sins. This weeklong celebration starts on Holy Monday and ends on Easter Sunday.


Background

The term "Moriones" was concocted by the media in the 60s, but local inhabitants have kept the original term, "Moryonan". Many practitioners are farmers and fishermen who engage in this age-old tradition as a vow of penance or thanksgiving. Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle converted Longinus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded.

History

The name Moriones is derived from the Spanish word 'Morion' meaning mask or helmet. The Spanish conquistadores were wearing Moriones. The origin of the festival is traced to Mogpog and the year 1807 when the parish priest of said town, Fr. Dionisio Santiago, organized it for the first time.

And to further tantalize you with this upcoming Holy Week Celebration here is a video featuring this festive event:

Wellness Wednesday on Empty Streets: Chocolate Myths

I am addicted to sweets and that is something I have to say and confess :) Most especially to a good bar of chocolate. But many have claimed that it is a health risk and should be avoided. Fortunate for us scientists (i think most especially those addicted to them tasty treats) put these myths to the test and here are the things they found about chocolates.

Chocolate myths:

Chocolate gives you pimples

False!

Real chocolate contains anti-oxidants, which can actually help your skin look better. However the milk that is often mixed with chocolate can cause acne.

Chocolate causes cavities

False!

Foods that contain fermentable carbohydrates (FCs) cause cavities. Although FCs are found in chocolate, the cocoa butter in chocolate coats the teeth, making it less likely to cause tooth decay. While chocolate may be high in sugar, it melts quickly in your mouth. This leaves little time for bacteria to attack your teeth and cause cavities. However, like all high sugar foods - moderation is certainly the key.

Chocolate is high in caffeine

False!

The amount of caffeine in a piece of chocolate is a lot lower than a cup of coffee. A regular cup of coffee has 130-150 mg of caffeine, while an ounce of milk chocolate contains only 6 mg.

Chocolate may protect against heart disease

True!

Real chocolate can help prevent heart problems because it's high in cocoa butter, which reduces cholesterol. Real chocolate also has vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium and potassium, which all help muscles, joints and nerves function normally.

Chocolate may protect against cancer

True!

Dark chocolate is a great source of flavonoids, which contain antioxidants that protect you from toxins in the environment like cigarette smoke. Scientists have found that dark chocolate has four times the antioxidants of green tea. Approximately 100 ml of tea contains 13.9 mg of catechins (an antioxidant that fights cancer), whereas 100 g of chocolate has 53.5 mg.

Chocolate causes migraine headaches

False.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of chocolate's ability to induce headaches in 63 women with chronic headache was conducted in 1997 at the University of Pittsburgh Pain Evaluation and Treatment Institute.

The University of Pittsburgh study concluded that "contrary to the commonly held belief of patients and physicians, chocolate does not appear to play a significant role in triggering headaches in typical migraine, tension-type or combined headache sufferers."

However, while the science has been so far unable to prove the connection - many migraine sufferers are convinced of a connection.

Chocolate is addictive

False.

Although many people experience cravings for chocolate, there is little evidence from existing studies that these are due to addiction.

Chocolate is an aphrodisiac?

"?"

Chocolate is the traditional gift of love, ranking right up there with roses as the most romantic gift one can give. But is it really an aphrodisiac? There is no definitive evidence to say yes. However, chocolate contains three substances, caffeine, theobromine and phenyethylamine that might be related to this myth.

Caffeine acts as a stimulant. Theobromine stimulates the heart muscle and the nervous system and phenyethylamine is reputed to be a mood elevator and an anti-depressant.

The combination of these three substances, giving you extra energy, making your heart beat faster, making you a bit jumpy and slightly giddy....well, you can see how chocolate could be linked to love. In fact, Montezuma used to drink a frothy chocolate beverage before going to visit one of his wives.

Before you go out to buy several cases of chocolate to ply your lover with tonight, remember that these substances show up only in small quantities in chocolate

Here's a news video further debunking all the chocolate myths:

Plugged In: Myths & Facts About Chocolate - Click here for funny video clips
I do hope that this helps you justify your guilty pleasure - But do remember too much is always bad and that goes for everything ;)