The History of Body Armor

Armor is, a covering made for the body that protects the user during battle. Users depended on armor to shield or to weaken strikes from the enemy until the use of gunpowder. Armor use dates back way to the stone ages.

-The early days (Stone Ages)-

Men covered up with several layers of animal hides to weaken the strikes from axes, clubs and other primitive weapons. Later on, shields made of metal were made and cuirasses (body armor made of metal or specially hardened leather). The problem men had with cuirasses was that it did not cover the head, arms or legs. Armor for these areas were first made of cloth and leather, but were not that effective at weakening or preventing blows. Armorsmiths later began to develop much more effective armor made of bronze and iron.

Shields and body armor based on the period and region were different in sizes and shapes. The Romans had 2 types of shields. One was large and oblong, and the other was small and round. The Roman helmets were small with guards for the neck and cheeks. The Greeks produced a helmet that was large, with a high crest. Both wore greaves on their legs, which are jointed pieces of armor.

-The Middle Ages-

With the fall of the Roman Empire, development of armor had to start all over again. This time, as armorers advanced through the stages up to metal, they became much better craftsmen. Soldiers in combat and the success of battles depended on the armorsmiths' craftsmenship.

The use of armor reached its peak from the 1300's to the middle of the 1500's. In the days of the crusaders, knights wore armor in full, from their heads down to their feet, with hard leather tunics underneath.

The armor at this time consisted of either plate or of chain mail, which is tiny metal rings linked together. Knights also wore full helmets with a covering for their face called a "visor." They even wore armored gloves to protect their hands called "gauntlets." With the heat of the Middle East, you can only imagine how difficult it must have been to battle covered in all that heavy armor, with a leather tunic underneath that.

Armorsmiths in the 1300's started decorating their armor with silver, gold and even precious jewels. By the 1500's, armorsmiths really put their work into their pieces by painting, engraving and etching designs on almost all exposed surfaces of the armor. Some armor was even completely covered with silver or gilding.

Once armor had advanced to the full suit, armorsmiths began now to try and strengthen the weaker points. Emperor Maximilian I developed fluted armor. Fluted armor was not only strengthened armor, but it also caused enemy strikes to slide off. Plate armor became so effective, that knights could no longer pierce it, instead they tried to just knock their enemies off their horses to gain the upperhand.

-Later developments-

Armor use sharply declined with the invention of gunpowder. One piece of armor did continue to improve and carry over into modern warfare, the helmet. Soldiers in World War I and II wore steel helmets. With the Korean War, came the much more superior laminated nylon helmets with outer coverings made of aluminum.

Armor continued to improve and will always improve. In the 1940's, the United States Army developed the bulletproof vest and a body armor made of nylon and plastic. The United States Marine Corps produced a vest made with overlapping pieces of fiber glass at the front and back, and woven nylon at the shoulders. Both body armors showed tremendous results while used in the Korean War. The armor is believed to reduce casualties down by about 9%.

Armor has been the greatest method of reducing wounds and deaths since the stone ages, and still is today. It is forever changing and improving as we learn new and better methods to improve it through war and testing.

How big is the Grand Canyon?

One of the wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon attracts nearly 5 million people each year.

The Grand Canyon is 220 miles long, and varies in width from 4 to 21 miles. The canyon is more than a mile deep in certain places!

Grand Canyon Books

What Started April Fool's Day?

April Fool's Day is the 1st day of April. On the 1st of April, people of all ages play harmless jokes on each other. The person the joke is played on is called an "April fool."

April Fool's Day originated in France with the adoption of the Gregorian Calendar in 1564. France was the first nation to adopt the new calendar. Up until that time, New Years was celebrated from March 21st to April 1st.

When New Year's Day was changed with the Gregorian Calendar to January 1st, some people still celebrated it on April 1st. The people who still celebrated New Years on April 1st, were called "April fools." Fooling friends and family became a custom and grew in popularity in France. It quickly spread to other countries soon after. It grew and became custom all over England by the 1600's.

Interesting Facts

• In France, the victim of an April fool's joke is called an "April fish."
• In Scotland, they are called an "April Gowk."
• Portugal, India and Mexico call it "All fool's day" and celebrate it on the Sunday and Monday before Lent.
• April is the 4th month of the year and named after the Latin word "Aprilis" meaning "to open."

What insect populates the earth most?

More ants live on the earth than any other insects. They can live anywhere in the world except near the North and South Poles. They live and work together in groups, called "colonies." Ants do not live alone.

Ants live similar to humans, their colonies are like our cities. Hundreds or even thousands live in a single nest. Each ant has it's own unique job to help support the colony. Some feed and take care of the babies. Some other jobs include feeding, gathering/storing food, guarding the nest, and mating with the queen.

There are over 15,000 different species of ants and they eat different types of foods. Some types of foods they eat include meat, seeds of grains and wild grasses, mushrooms, insects, honey and various other sweets. Ants called "honey ants" fill up on honey like tanks and actually serve as food storage for the whole colony.

Some ants grow wings during parts of their lives while others don't. Some bite and some sting enemies. Ants have three pairs of legs.

Ants, to a degree, are very smart. They can learn more than most insects, but can't plan and think ahead like humans do. Ants produce a scent wherever they travel that acts like a road for other ants to follow. These roads lead other ants to new discoveries such as food and new homes. But like stated above, ants cannot think ahead. If a "road" is laid wrong and goes in a circle, the ants may keep walking around it forever, killing themselves from starvation.

Interesting Facts

• Ants sleep during the winter inside their nests.
• The ant family called "Ponerine ants" found in the tropics hold the largest ants and can be longer than 1 inch long.
• Ants can carry up to 50x its own weight.
• Other insects can nest with certain types of ants including crickets, silverfish, flies, caterpillars, beetles and cockroaches.
• Ants produce a high-pitched sound by rubbing parts of their abdomens together. Other ants can "hear" these sounds by vibrations through their feet. Humans can even sometimes hear them.
• The smallest ants, one being the "Pharaoh ant," are only as big as the period at the end of this sentence.

How to wash your face properly and prevent acne

What is the best way to properly wash your face? Washcloth or just splash with water? Scrub really hard or just wipe softly? Hot or cold water? Cleansers or not? How should I wash my face?

Washing your face daily removes dirt, oil and other impurities which left unattended will build up. This leads to black heads, white heads and pimples, which we do not want.

How to properly wash your face

1. Wash your hands first - washing your hands first removes dirt and oil first from your "face washing tools." You do not want to be putting more on your face.
2. Splash your face with warm water - this will open up pores allowing for better cleansing. Cold water will close pores and hot water will strip your face of naturally occuring oils drying out your skin. Do not dry.
3. Apply face cleanser - apply a small amount of your cleansing product to your face with either your hands or a washcloth. A washcloth aids better in removing excess oils, dirt, etc. because it is rougher than your hands.
   
   Do not scrub very hard. Scrubbing too roughly will irritate your skin, dry it out and actually stimulate the skin to produce more oil. Gently scrub with a washcloth or use small circular motions with your hands. If you do not have any face cleansing products, stick with warm water. Do not use bar soap as it just dries skin out.
4. Rinse your face - splash warm water on your face several times until you feel you have removed everything possible. Now splash your face with a little cold water to close up the pores you just cleaned.
5. Dry your face - take a clean towel and pat your face dry. Do not rub your face dry. Remember, rubbing your skin will cause irritation and cause your skin to produce more oil.
6. Toners and moisturizers - (this last step isn't necessary, but may help some with other than normal skin). If you have any combination of skin: oily, dry etc. you will want to use these products as well. Toners are for elimination of even the most stubborn oils and dirts that we missed in the previous steps. They further close up pores as well.
   
   Moisturizers are for people with dry skin. Make sure you do not apply any moisturizers until you have A: splashed cold water on your face and/or B: applied a skin toner to close up pores. Applying a moisturizer to a face with open pores will actually do more damage because it will push the moisturizer into your pores, clogging them.
   

Conclusion

Washing your face once or twice daily is necessary to keep your skin clean and free of acne. Warm water is best for rinsing your skin clean. A washcloth is the best method of cleansing, but do not scrub too hard, this will cause skin to produce more oils. Toners and moisturizers are not needed by everyone, those with dry and/or oily skin may want to use a toner with a moisturizer. Toners and moisturizers are for helping to further clean your skin and to help moisturize your skin without clogging pores.

HAPPY FACES :)

How to lose weight

3500 calories = 1 Pound

In order to lose weight, you must burn 3500 calories off of your daily calorie needs to lose each pound.

How do I lose the weight?

Ok, think about your personal level of activity. How active each day are you? Not active, active, or very active?

NEXT

Take your weight x these numbers for the different levels of activity:

• 13 - not active
• 15 - active
• 17 - very active

Example: 170 is my weight x 13 because I am not active :) = 2210 calories

So my calorie needs for each day would be 2210 calories

Keep track and lose the weight

In order to lose the weight 1 pound at a time, you need to be taking in less than what your body needs each day.

Keep track of your calories and set yourself a daily calorie limit.

Example: I know now that I burn about 2210 calories each day. So if I set a limit for myself of 1710 calories each day, that is 500 calories each day that I am losing.

A good book to help with your goal:
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite


Remember, 3500 calories = 1 pound. So if Im losing 500 calories a day, I would be losing 1 pound every 7 days.

I know this seems like forever to lose just 1 single pound, but remember, I'm not active, so it's my own fault im losing so slowly :)

If I were even just ACTIVE, my calorie needs would be higher (170 x 15 = 2550 calories)

So at that if I consumed 1710 calories each day and burned 2550, I would be losing 840 calories each day. I would now be losing a pound about every 4 days which is much better :)

Conclusion

Losing weight can be easy if you stick to your daily calorie limit. Eat whatever you want, but dont go past your daily calorie needs because remember, every 3500 calories = 1 pound. It's even easier to go over your daily calorie needs and quickly add 3500 calories instead of losing them. Stick to it and best of luck !