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As with any form of addiction, there are patterns of behavior and behavioral changes that can be observed. If you, or someone you are close to, show more than 3 of the following it is possible that you / they are becoming Internet junkies.

This may seem harmless compared to drug or alcohol addictions as the physical impact is limited to lack of exercise. However, if unchecked, Internet addiction like any other addiction can impact negatively on one’s relationships, work performance, family life and emotional well-being.

Signs of Internet Addiction:

Social and Personal Effects:

*Friends / family comment negatively on the amount of time you spend online.

*You lose interest in spending time with ‘real’ people, preferring to socialize with your online buddies.

*You make up excuses or lie about the amount of time you spend on the ‘net.

*Your find your spiritual connection with God / your higher power is being compromised, especially due to online porn, gambling or other activities which go against your personal value system.

*You sneak home early from social events to get online – or maybe even decline invitations to go out as you don’t want to miss time on the Internet.

*You become sneaky about being online, finding places and times when your family won’t know what you are up to – e.g. Internet cafes etc

*You stay up late or get up in the night to go online in private. This in turn affects your sleep patterns.

*You have become moody or withdrawn, or increasingly irritable with your loved ones.

*You’ve tried to spend less time on the Internet but have been unable to resist logging on.

*You lose interest in sex with your partner.

Work-related Effects:

*Your work performance goes into decline

*You spend excessive time online during work hours

*You stay behind after work to ‘surf’ the ‘net.

*Your colleagues experience your change in behavior as you become withdrawn.

*Business owners should watch out for reduced productivity, a decline in job satisfaction and in profit margins and a general decrease in efficiency.

As with anything in life, one needs to strive for balance. If you think you or a loved one has a problem with Internet addiction speak to a counselor – preferably one who has experience in the field of addiction. Once you have your compulsive behavior under control you will be able to enjoy time online without letting it take over your whole life.

Remember to live here and now in the real world. Virtual reality still cannot compare with the real thing!

Get out there – go climb a mountain, have coffee with a friend, take up a photography course – get real. The Internet is an awesome tool which can enhance your life - not a replacement for living on this amazing planet.

Go on take the test to see if you are addicted to the net…

Living an openly gay lifestyle is still difficult enough in the world’s more ‘progressive’ nations, where even if individuals still suffer a certain amount of ostrasization, at least human rights laws are upheld by the local constitutions.

However this is not the case world wide.

According to the Southern Voice and U.S State Department’s annual human rights report, in the following 10 countries gays suffer incredible abuse often in accordance with the laws of the countries.

Gay rights activists have applauded this report as it highlights the worst cases of foreign government-supported gay rights abuses across the globe. It is hoped that pressure can be exerted on these countries’ leaders to redress the imbalances in their human rights if sufficient attention is drawn to the situation.

Uganda tops the list. Here gay couples ‘caught’ partaking in consensual sex can be imprisoned for the ‘crime’.

Iran. Gay intercourse is punishable by death, while other sexual activity between gays induces 100 lashes. HIV positive individuals are discriminated against both in the work place as well as in education centres.

Egypt. According to Egyptian law, ‘fujur’ – homosexual intercourse and relations between 2 men – is prohibited, and many men are reported to have been arrested and tortured, or subjected to highly abusive anal examinations. Interestingly, despite these documented cases, Egyptian authorities still claim that homosexuality is not illegal in that country.

Saudi Arabia. Here gay men can receive 2000 lashings, or even be beheaded for consensual sex.

Nigeria: It is against both the Nigerian penal law and the Muslim law to practice homosexuality in Nigeria. In the Northern, Muslim states the punishment is death. Elsewhere one can be imprisoned for up to 14 years. Gays may also not petition the government for rights. There is a media ban on promotion of homosexuality, which carries a prison sentence of up to 5 years.

United Arab Emirates: Homosexuality is against both Civil and Muslim law here. Consequential action against ‘offenders’ includes hormone treatment and therapy.

Cameroon: In the Cameroon gay men suspected of homosexual activity are subjected to ‘medical examination’.

Poland: Gay culture may not be promoted in Poland, but activists continue to congregate and speak out against the discrimination they are faced with.

Nepal: While homosexuality is not illegal in Nepal, gay and transgender people are subject to abuse and harassment at the hands of government authorities.

India: Rounding off the list of places you would not choose to live in as a gay person is India, where there is a Sodomy law that allows for ‘offenders’ to be imprisoned for up to 10 years. Gay people are often harassed and AIDS social workers are also harassed and even detained under this law.

To check out Mount Augustine on Google Earth:
59.3633°N 153.4333°W

To see a webcam image of Mount Augustine:
Mount Augustine Webcam

With cell phones having in-built cameras as a standard feature, deciding which one to opt for is becoming trickier all the time. The cell phone companies all claim to offer the best features, so here is an independent list of the best currently on the market.

NOKIA

Nokia N90
A “Twist & Shoot” camera phone changes from video to still camera in an instant. The images are 2-megapixel with surprisingly good quality - probably thanks to Carl-Zeiss optics. A good range of other features includes an excellent speakerphone.

Nokia 6682
Apart from its bulkiness the Nokia 6682 is great. The full set of great features include an outstanding built-in speakerphone, good display, Bluetooth and of course a megapixel camera.

Nokia N93
This is a powerful phone integrates quality multimedia capabilities into cell phone format. Once again a bit on the cumbersome side but convergence junkies will love it.

SONY ERICSSON

Sony Ericsson K790a
An awesome range of features plus great performance, the Sony Ericsson K790a is viewed by many as the best camera phone currently on the market. It comes with digital camera, digital player and FM radio

Sony Ericsson W810i
This was Sony Ericsson’s third Walkman phone for the U.S. market. Features include Cingular Wireless, digital camera, digital player and FM radio.

LG

LG CU500
One of the fastest phones around with rapid downloads, this phone also has impressive video streaming speeds. An impressive array of features, great picture and audio quality all wrapped up in a slim, appealing design. Expect Cingular Wireless, digital camera and digital player

LG V8300
A well-designed and high-performing EV-DO phone for Verizon Wireless, with digital camera and a digital player.

SAMSUNG

Samsung a950
Numerous features include an above-average battery life, speakerphone, broadband, Video on Demand, a megapixel digital camera and Bluetooth.

 If you’re looking for the world’s first 10MPO camera phone, you’ll need to get to Korea. It could be some time before this baby makes it to the rest of the world.

First unveiled at CeBIT in March this year, the Samsung SCH-B600 is a full 5 mm thinner than its predecessor the 7MP SCH-V770. It is also 10g lighter in weight.

Boasting a full range of features including a 3x optical and a 5x digital zoom, this nifty gadget can also be connected directly to a TV display, allowing shared images and video.

In addition, the SCH-B600 has auto focus and flash, manual white balance, manual focus and burst mode – in other words when it comes to digital photography it has the whole shebang!

Furthermore, its capabilities extend to saving media on MMCmicro cards, streaming TV through its Satellite DMB antennae, and shooting video at 15-30fps and QVGA resolution.

And at the equivalent of £500, you will not be surprised to hear that the must-have MP3 player is incorporated too.

Don’t expect Santa to pop one in your stocking this Christmas though – rather add ‘ticket to Korea’ to your wish list and go shopping for one yourself – that’s the quickest option to get your hands on this hot little number.

Unless you are a hard-news journalist, you may want to cross the following places off your ‘possible dream vacation’ list, following a poll which put them at the top of the World’s Most Dangerous Places register.

Sudan, Uganda and the Congo have the dubious honour of being the top three on this tragic list. Reasons such as ongoing wars and resultant death, disease and displacement to the millions of inhabitants were touted as reasons for their nominations.

The poll, carried out by Reuters AlertNet, released its findings on Tuesday, where-in approximately 50% of participants named Sudan, and specifically the western region of Darfur.

Well over a million children in the area are affected, and many of these are recruited to take up arms in the on-going conflicts. These children are especially vulnerable to disease and malnutrition.

Hollywood actor Mia Farrow visited the region last month. She said: “Everyone has lost family, seen villages burn, seen relatives raped, been raped.”

Still struggling to recover from a 21-year long civil war, Sudan faces ongoing violence, poverty and a lack of basic services.

With Uganda and the Congo hot on the heels of Sudan in the poll results, other countries named include Iraq, Somalia, India, the Palestinian territories, Afghanistan, Chechnya and Myanmar. But the top three were by far in the lead.

The children of these countries are seen as the main victims, with malnourishment, child recruitment into the ‘armies’, and resultant physical and psychological trauma named as the biggest negative effects on these innocent lives.

A reported $4.7 million is being invested into a cure for baldness by the British Government, according to Reuters.

And the Cambridge-based company receiving the grant is certainly looking ‘ahead’ to finding a cure!

Biosciences firm, Intercytex, is building a robot to help treat the predominantly male problem of baldness which is triggered by the male hormone, dihydrotestosterone. While often the butt of jokes, baldness can cause a range of psychological issues to individuals, including lower self-esteem and resultant relationship problems.

Using technologically advanced methods, the robot removes hair follicles from the back of the patient’s neck, multiplies them and replants them in the balding regions of the head.

The use of robotics will help to speed up the otherwise slow process of cell multiplication.

Says Intercytex chief executive, Nick Higgins: “We take cells responsible for hair growth, multiply them and then inject them in the head. We tease out the cells responsible for growing a new hair.

“The challenge is to make sure they grow thick enough and quick enough so they are cosmetically acceptable.”

The safety of the procedure has so far been ascertained on a small number of volunteers. The research is now in its Intermediate Phase.

The procedure itself involves a half-hour operation under anesthesia and then a three week waiting period while the cells are grown. The replanting can then happen, once again in surgery.

 Compared with the same time period last year, research undertaken by the Royal Bank of Scotland reveals that visitors to South Africa will find the country  a whopping  22 %  cheaper!
 
With the current exchange rate, holidaymakers from the UK will find SA the most affordable vacation option this year, the bank reports.

For example, for £500 tourists can now get an extra R1,200, which is enough to add one more night’s luxury accommodation to the tab.

Iceland and Mauritius, at 18% and 16% cheaper this year, come in at second and third place.

When it comes to Europe, Hungary is discounted by 12%, making it the cheapest in Europe and fourth over all.

Finally, completing the top-5 is New Zealand, where visitors get an extra 11% compared with a year ago.
 
The bank also revealed that the exchange rate on both the US Dollar and the Euro have also improved, they have done so at a smaller margin than other currencies compared over the year in the survey. If you’re shopping in the States you’ll be paying 4 % less than a year ago, while the Euro is a negligable 0.4% less expensive.

So if you like to get value for money, come to sunny South Africa - you  can stay for 22% longer at the same price as one year ago!

And considering how much SA has to offer, that’s a real bargain!

 An assistant professor at a university in the eastern Jiangsu province of China received a reprimand by a Chinese minister of culture after stripping during a lecture on ‘body art’.

The 56-year-old man, Mo Xiaoxin, got a bit carried away when attempting to convey to his shocked students the ‘power’ of the human body. In order to demonstrate his point, Mo, who was reportedly ‘emotionally excited’ at the time, undid his belt and removed his pants, then stood naked in the middle of the lecture hall.

Many of the students were uncomfortable with this unexpected display, and were uncertain how to respond or where to look.

Mo also organised four other models – two elderly and two younger people, of both sexes, to strip as part of his lecture which was aimed at challenging certain taboos. The lecture was in the context of a course held at the cutting edge ‘Human Body Art and Culture’ research institute – the first of its kind in China.

The professor took things even further by extending an invitation to the students and teachers present to remove their clothes too.

Tian Junting, the cultural minister in question, said “There are no taboos in the field of research, but to do this directly in the course of teaching is obviously not appropriate”.

He added that the course was still in a “research phase” and said it is unclear at this stage whether it had produced “positive or negative effects”.

1. MOUNT KILIMINJARO – TANZANIA

The highest mountain on the African continent, ‘Kili’ measures an astounding 19,340 feet at her highest point. The challenge to climb this majestic mountain has lured many to scale her heights, a demanding but worthwhile ascent by most accounts. Kili, which has five distinct ecological zones, is an extinct volcano.

2. OKAVANGO DELTA - BOTSWANA  

The champagne-coloured waterways of this famous floodplain form the basis of a pristine Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR). With some of the most fantastic birding globally and a wild dog population, the largest inland delta in the world is often called Africa’s most beautiful destination. The region can be explored by land, boat and air. Enjoy the spectacular diversity of flora and fauna species.

3. THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS

Easily the most recognizable of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Egyptian Pyramids have long held fascination for thousands of people. Recent resurgence of interest Egyptology has made trips to this alluring destination more popular than ever. The majority of visitors view the pyramids at Giza. The origins of these majestic structures continue to be a source of lively debate, while the stories of ancient curses and grave robbers delight us all.

4. PONTA DO OURO – MOZAMBIQUE

With around 100 Bottlenose and Spinner dolphins making the sheltered waters of Ponta du Ouro their home, this region is definitely worth visiting. Dive the reefs to 40 metres in depth; they are teeming with a rainbow of marine life. Dolphin dives are a popular while in winter the haunting call of the humpback whale can be heard.

5. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – SOUTH AFRICA

The oldest, most established reserve in Africa, the Kruger boasts an amazing variety of game and bird life throughout its numerous habitats. The fantastic opportunities to view the Big Five draw many visitors to the park, hoping to spot lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhinoceros. Game drives and guided walking trails offer great animal watching opportunities in the African bush.

6. DJEMAA el FNAA SQUARE – MARRAKESH – MOROCCO

A tapestry of colours, smells, sites and wonderful local characters make a visit to this bustling marketplace an unforgettable experience. Be entertained by fortune tellers, street performers and henna women. The Municipal Market sells local fresh produce. Take a ride in a Horse-drawn carriage and enjoy the spectacular sunset. More performers come out in the evening and entertain till midnight. Enjoy the famous local orange juice or mint tea!

7. THE SERENGETI - TANZANIA

The Serengeti National Park, covering 14,763 sq. km, is named ‘endless plains’ in Masai. Here are 35 species of mammals, including wildebeest, zebra, lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant and giraffe, and over 200 species of birds.
The annual wildebeest migration is possibly the most spectacular natural event in Africa.

8. THE VICTORIA FALLS – ZIMBABWE

From either Zimbabwe or Zambia you can experience the world’s largest sheet of falling water. The spray can be seen up to 30 kilometres away - hence the local name ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ - “The smoke that thunders”.

Apart from the spectacular views including permanent rainbows arcing across the face of the falls, one can experience the waters along the river at closer quarters with white water rafting.

9. LAKE MALAWI

The 3rd largest lake in Africa is a tropical paradise. The tranquil waters lap against shores lined with palm, mango, banana and avocado trees. Here you can kayak, while snorkeling offers access to the colourful kaleidoscope of endemic cichlids found at this UNESCO world heritage site.

10. TABLE MOUNTAIN – SOUTH AFRICA
 
This iconic landmark stands in the centre of the beautiful city of Cape Town.
Climb, or experience the wonders of the revolving cable car. Either way a visit to one of the most recognizable mountains in the world is a must for your trip around the great African continent. And while you’re there, enjoy the wonders of Cape Town –beaches, winelands, Robben Island – each one a ‘Top 10’ in its own right!