LIFE AS A FEMALE SOLDIER IN PRE-BASIC

Before I joined the United States Army, I pored through the internet looking for any kind of information that could help me. I wanted so badly to know what it was like to be in the Army. I knew what it was like for the soldiers I'd already met, but none of them were females like me. Let's face it: There is a difference between males and females in the military, and I wanted to know that difference. Unfortunately I never found any helpful information, so I up and joined the U.S. Army and experienced it myself. Hopefully this piece will be of help to other women considering joining the Army.

Boot Camp

The boot camp experience is also known as:

• Basic Combat Training, or BCT (the Army loves its acronyms)
• Basic Training
• Boot
• Basic

What to Do/Know Before Joining the Army:

1. Consider Cutting Your Hair

Decide if your hair is going to work for you while you're at Boot Camp.

My hair was long, and I wasn't about to fix my hair up in a bun every day. With the intense training, I would have to fix my hair all of the time, especially because drill sergeants are sticklers about soldier representation.

A soldier also told me that some of the female soldiers he knew got moldy hair. When I started training, I could see how that was possible. The females who didn't cut their hair always had to have it up in a bun. As soon as they were done with showers, they'd basically have to throw their hair back into a bun. Sometimes there wasn't much time to take showers, so then the drill sergeants were thoughtful enough to take us training in the rain. After training in the mud, we would all go camping—again, in the rain. Under those conditions, it'd be easy for a bit of mold to cultivate in a knot of hair.

One of my first preparations for BCT was chopping off all of my hair!

I was amazed by how many people were mad at me for shearing off my "crowning glory."

In the end, it was a very good thing that I cut my hair, though it made me sad to lose whatever cuteness my long hair gave me.

2. Exercise Before You Join

This is very important! Training is very tough if you do not have some level of physical fitness when you arrive. You don't need to be Superwoman or anything, but give your muscles a bit of training so the shock factor won't be so high.

Basic Training is, on all levels, a rather high-stress affair, so be ready for it. There are physical ability standards that you must pass in order to graduate Basic Training. The Army's Physical Training Test is different than those of the other military branches. The test examines the soldier's ability to do push-ups, sit-ups, and a two-mile run, in that order. The push-ups and sit-ups are each under a time limit of two minutes. The pass/fail standards are based on age and gender.

You can see what the pass/fail standards are for your age and gender underAPFT standards on the US Army Basic site. For example, how many pushups must I do in order to pass? Well, I'm a female between 22 and 26 years of age. Therefore, I must do 17 pushups in order to get a minimum passing score of 60%. If that seems too easy, then go for a score of 100% by doing 46 pushups or more. Still too easy? Max out the guys' standards. Go for 75 pushups.

3. Ask Questions and Gain Answers

Find someone in the Army branch you are interested in who has no monetary interest in what you decide. I don't care what the recruiters say, they do twist the truth when it benefits them because they get benefits based on their monthly number of recruits (in other words, they have a quota). I wasn't lucky and got a bad recruiter. However, there are good ones. So before you join, find an unbiased opinion and make sure you understand what it will be like.

4. Break Your Bad Habits

Break your bad habits now before you ship out to Basic Training. It will make your time there much less terrible. Smoking, drinking alcohol, snacking, taking naps, etc, are all habits that plague trainees during training. If you break your habits, Basic Combat Training will be that much easier.

5. Don't Stress Over the Drill Sergeants

They yell, dish out punishments, and play mind-games, but they won't physically harm you. Everything is done according to what you can withstand, physically and mentally. If you can endure everything they throw at you and come out on top, then you are worthy to be an American soldier.

A Few More Things to Do Before Going to Basic Training

How should you pay your bills? Is it worth it to stop your phone plan? The video above offers a few more tips for things you may not have thought about.

Living conditions may be tough compared to your usual standard of living. So enjoy nice living conditions while you can, because if you join the military, sometimes you won't get the best accommodations. One thing most soldiers learn is to never take anything for granted. I, personally have learned to always live life to the fullest. It's better that way.

What Military Life Is Like for a Woman

Physical Training

I knew military life was going to be difficult. Before joining, I'd only talked to males about the Army, and they all pretty much said the same stuff:

• "There's a lot of PT (physical training)."
• "You're gonna get very tired."
• (My favorite): "It's not that bad."

No offense, guys, but I'd say the ego got in the way of the truth. But to be honest, Basic Training was just bad, not overly terrible. Even though the guys' comments showed a knack for understatement, I really did expect it to be worse. There were times when I thought I was going to die, but there were also times when I thought everything was too easy.

And, in case you're wondering, Basic Training is harder physically for a female than it is for a male.

Push-ups are easier for males, and the Army is all about its push-ups. Ruck marches are also easier for males.

But, in sit-ups we are equals! (Sadly the Army doesn't care as much about sit-ups as it does its push-ups.) I can honestly say that I could probably beat most guys in sit-ups. I can even say I know one woman who can do 112 sit-ups in two minutes. Just think: she's almost pumping out one sit-up per second. Amazing, isn't it?

Unexpected Things That Made Basic Training Terrible

Two unexpected things make Basic Training terrible for females: other females and ruck marches.

Just think about it: I woke up at 5 a.m. after going to bed at 11 p.m., and I had a couple of females arguing next to my bunk until 11:30, and they wouldn't listen when I asked them to stop. Then I had to wake up for two hours of chores from midnight until 2 a.m., and my relief wouldn't wake up until 2:30, so my head didn't hit the pillow until 2:40. Overall, I got little more than two and a half hours of sleep. Just imagine doing that after a very full day of sweat, grime, and yelling. Once you have a room full of women in this state, they are ready to rip each other and anyone else to pieces, griping about this and that because they're miserable. Ah! I'm frustrated just remembering that. (Though this isn't as bad compared to other female-related experiences I've had. Note: If you want more stories, just give me a holler and I'll regale you with some good ones.)

The second most terrible thing during Basic for a female was the ruck marches. These marches were bad because most females don't make for good pack mules. I definitely don't. I weigh 125 lbs., and the Drill Sergeants gave us rucks and gear that weighed up to 60 lbs. In general, for a male, that's a little hefty but nothing to worry about. However, for a female my size, that could very well be almost half her weight. I hated ruck marches. I would rather run miles than go on a march. While a heavy backpack would not be bad for a stroll through the park with tennis shoes, "strolling" for endless distances with combat boots, a hot uniform, and a heavy ruck with metal frame, with a weapon (M-16 Rifle) in hand is an entirely different story.

There is a third aspect of Basic Training that was bad, but I was ready for this one: the crude comments. While both men and women made unsavory comments, the guys were worse. This is something that is difficult to get away from in the military, especially during long training sessions and deployments. It's something to get used to, because it's pretty much a tradition.

Once you get to your units, males will become more careful of what they say around females because they are afraid that they'll get a sexual harassment report. Unfortunately, innocent males get harassment charges all the time, and the blame goes to the females. So, understand this: When you enter a room full of males, and they all stop their hooting and laughing as soon as you walk in, it is because you're female.

However, despite the threat of harassment reports, I've still had males try to be the nastiest they could be just to get a rise out of me. The takeaway here is that a female needs to be tough-skinned to be in the Army. A lot of these males are good people and great soldiers, but everyone knows that "boys will be boys," especially amongst each other. Now throw a female in their midst and all of a sudden the males need to figure out what kind of woman she is: overly sensitive or tough-skinned. So be ready to get judged, because it will happen with every person you meet in the military.

Everyone is judged in the military. It's really no big deal. The point is that females are judged on many points. Is she a good soldier? Do I have to pick up her slack? Can she keep up? Is she going to tattle, like the last one?

There will always be a female who was there before you that completely screwed up. Once you show up on the scene, everyone will look at you and wonder if you're the same as the last one: the screw up. As a result, they're careful, just as you should be careful. Never forget your professional attitude as a soldier, let alone as a female soldier representative.

The Female Polar Opposites

Some people make great soldiers, and some people slip through the cracks. People who join the military for a reason other than working hard never should have entered in the first place.

There are also women who make great soldiers and women who never should have joined the military. However, if you're a woman who doesn't work hard, then people will assume it's because you're a woman, and you'll make a bad name for all female soldiers.

Female soldiers who prefer not to work are easy to point out, and there's a word for them that's almost as offensive as the word "slut."

A quick side note: A harsh reality for female soldiers is that you are considered a slut until proven otherwise. It is terrible and unfair for the rest of us, but that's just the stark reality. The sad part is, it's all so normal that no one thinks anything of it. But this is the Army and you just deal with it and drive on. There's nothing to do but prove everyone wrong, and rise to the top.

Now, women tend to cluster around two polar opposite approaches to being a soldier. We've already covered the ones who don't pull their weight and enforce stereotypes about women. Then there are the women who work hard to prove stereotypes wrong.

The great soldiers are the females who don't make excuses about their gender. They don't complain about their menstrual cycle openly, they don't whine, snivel, or gripe about anything or anyone, and they work on their shortcomings. For example, a male can do things that females can't. Men are better pack mules and their bodies are better fitted for endurance. While females aren't naturally good at lugging things around for great distances, they work at it so that it doesn't hamper future operations they may be involved in.

On the other hand, she doesn't call attention to herself and her ability to do everything. If there is a job or detail that needs to be done, she just gets it done. No problem. She's a squared-away soldier just like the rest of 'em.

More Reading

1. Love My Rifle More Than You: Young and Female in the U.S. Army by Kayla Williams—Williams tells the tail of her time in Iraq. She talks all about the daily ins and outs, from the bad food to the fear of war to the sexual dynamics.
2. The Status of Gender Integration in the Military: Analysis of SelectedOccupations by Margaret C. Harrell, et al—The Rand Corporation conducted research into how women have been integrated into 10 different military occupations. This is pretty technical reading, but it has interesting insights—namely, what occupation you go into within the military matters.
3. The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq by Helen Benedict—This book tells the story of sexual assault in the military. Army Reserve Colonel Ann Wright, who has served in the army for 29 years, says, "I urge everyone-especially women considering joining the U.S. military-to read this important book. Through unforgettable stories, The Lonely Soldierexplains the shocking frequency of sexual assault and what can be done."
4. Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq by Kirsten Holmstedt—Holmstedt shares the stories of women in the front lines and their accomplishments. If you aren't sure if you can perform under the pressure and conditions of war, this read will prove that it has been done by many before you.
5. U.S. Army Survival Handbook, Revised by Matt Larsen—This book is written by Sergeant First Class Matt Larsen. He has been a trainer in survival and fighting techniques for the Army Rangers, and many of his insights are contained in these chapters. This handbook is standard issue for U.S. Special Operation Forces and pilots and covers how to survive in any climate.

TOP 10 WEIRD FASHION TRENDS AROUND THE WORLD

10. HITLER CHIC-THAILAND

Earlier this year, the city of Bangkok has been invaded by Hitler. If you’re wondering why you haven’t heard anything about that, it’s because this invasion has been into the world of fashion. Nowadays, Bangkok is said to be experiencing a veritable Hitler-mania, with the image of the infamous German leader appearing in cartoon form, on T-shirts, sweatshirts, posters, you name it. Ronald McDonald? Yes, Bangkok has a Hitler version of him in as well, together with Hitlerized pandas and even the Teletubbies. Foreign correspondents explain that this modern trend can mostly be chalked up to ignorance rather than underlying fascist tendencies of the young people of Thailand, no different than the treasure trove of ethnic and homophobic slurs that is a typical internet message board here in the West. It appears that no matter where you go, kids are just always going to be stupid, and while we’re on the topic.

9. SOUTH AFRICAN METAL HEADS, BOTSWANA

From: Botswana At the risk of generalizing, heavy metal has usually had problems with attracting audience members of African descent. Lately though, classic, old-school metal fashion—of the leather and chains variety—has dominated the counter-culture movement in the Southern African nation of Botswana. Walking down the street in big cities and small villages, the Botswanian metal heads, clad in an entire cow’s worth of black leather, create a peculiar sight in the country known primarily for its wildlife parks. To them—as the Southern African metal warriors explain—metal music and the culture surrounding it is all about power, strength and freedom, which means that they thankfully haven’t discovered Korn yet. It’s also why many of them give themselves nicknames like Demon or Gun smoke well, THAT and no one ever having the guts to call them out on it.

8. MEGGINGS, ALL OVER THE WORLD

Trends for male in Fashion World are not much less than woman, an example for this is the “meggings"- male correspondent to leggings which is highly in trend into the lanes of Tokyo, Paris, London and New York. Initially the introduction of leggings in female fashion world was a hot button topic, and now this trend is extended for the males too. Printed meggings are very popular among the dancers, choreographers, fashion designers and many more such cool professionals. According to Lindsay Lohan leggings are versatile, awesome and leopard printed leggings are amazing and so are the meggings for men.

7. ELF BOOT, MEXICO

It is a part of the Elven Outfit. These boots are long, pointy and sort of asinine looking, and were in trend in Mexico. Because of this the cowboy boots with stretched tips again came in fashion among the young generation of southern Mexico. It is kind of a trend when the male dress up to get interest of females, but at the end becomes a reason to laugh at. It is really a bombshell trend, then also can be seen in the feet of TV actors, stage showers etc.

6. GOTHIC LOLITAS, JAPAN

Not to be confused with the Western meaning of the term, the Japanese “Lolita" is an extremely broad fashion subculture that emphasizes cute and stylish Victorian-era clothes. It’s “Gothic" sub-style, probably the most famous of the group, is in turn all about darker, gothic aesthetics which in the hands of misinformed Japanese teens basically boils down to “faux-vampire fashion as understood by a 15-year-old." Also: “umbrellas." As in, every other picture of a Gothic Lolita on GIS shows them holding an umbrella because without one they would all apparently look silly.

5. EYE JEWELRY, NETHERLANDS

You know what body part often gets overlooked in the world of fashion? The eyes. Sure, you can paint around them or change their color with contact lenses, etc., but how often do you see some actual, serious fashion being done on the eye itself? Almost never, because that is a terrible, terrible idea. Well, the Dutch seem to disagree. A new technique that allows small studs made from precious metals to be inserted into the eye was developed more than 8 years ago in Rotterdam, giving teenage girls everywhere an alternative to dating black guys to anger their parents. The Dutch claim that the procedure is perfectly harmless, while eye specialists argue that it is insane; also: potentially dangerous. But, come on, what is a little eye bleeding or risk of impaired vision when you get to wear a tiny, near-invisible heart or half moon in your peeper? Don’t answer that. But while we’re on the topic of eye-related horrible ideas.

4. FACEKINI, CHINA

Sometimes new trends in the Fashion world arise due to the needs of the people, an example for this is the introduction of “Facekini". A simple way to keep away from the harmful rays of Sun is to avoid going out, or to put on a good quality sunscreen. But the residents of China found a new way to protect themselves by wearing face-kini, according to name it is a shielding head mask wore by the beach-goers.

3. MANBA, JAPAN

Japan keeps coming in light, while talking about some peculiar fashion trends. Another example of unusual trends is the Manba. It is a craze very common among the young girls of Japan, who normally date men who are style crazy. Manba is a little varied form of the very famous Ganguro culture which basically accentuates strong makeup and dark complexion. Girls following the Manba trend normally coat their complete face with deep and dark brown, with two circular marks of white color around their eyes and silver light colored hair along with wishy-washy makeup and dazzling attire.

2. EYE TATTOOS, CANADA

Being an intense practice, people go for eye tattooing for enhancing their aesthetic appearance and the improvement of vision. In this the white part that is cornea of the eye is tattooed. It is medically prescribed method for the persons with scratch marked eye tissues. There are various methods of tattooing of eye, also various options for the success and medical safety of the procedure exists. Tattooing of eye is practice from approximately thousands of years and is now again in trend in Canada. In this process the dye/ink in inserted in the white portion that is Cornea of the eye using some syringes and injections and designs are made.

1.BAGEL HEADS, JAPAN

Getting injected a saline into the forehead to get a bagel/doughnut type shape on forehead is not an easy task. Being such a painful job to get such shapes, people of Japan promoted the trend called as “Bagel head". It is a kind of Body modification technique initiated in Canada and highly encouraged by the Japan’s Fashion World. The process is basically a swelling distortion caused by the saline drip. Media channels ambiguously asserted it as “Japan trend". People here get this done on their forehead during special occasions like subversive fetish gatherings. For this, the person’s forehead is to be injected by a medical 300-400cc saline for about duration of 2 hours, and to change the designs the swelled part is sometimes given a down turn at the center.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A GUY KISSES YOUR FOREHEAD

The Truth Behind the Kiss He Plants on Your Forehead

Tonight as James left my Johannesburg apartment, cupping my face in his big soft hands, he said “goodnight" and kissed me gently on the forehead before disappearing into the night. As I watched him leave, I couldn’t help but wonder what that kiss meant.

Kissing is a natural gesture of human affection. A kiss can mean many things. It could mean I love you. It could mean sexual desire, reverence, or even hello (i.e. a peck “hello” or “goodbye”). Most of us have experienced or explored these types of kisses in all different situations. A kiss can tell us so many silent truths about the person you are with or the relationship you hold together. Still, that kiss on the forehead baffled me . . . what exactly did it mean? What should I read into that gentle giant’s intimate kiss he left on my forehead?

To decipher the forehead kiss, I began to research the art of kissing and what each form of a kiss could suggest or portray. So, kiss after kiss, I went through the list and found the following through my own experience.

Types of Kisses

The (Sometimes Infamous) Peck on the Lips

This is a quick, innocent kiss, when two people kiss on the lips, smacking them together and making a (mwah) sound. This kind of kiss is usually used as a greeting, either a hello or a goodbye. It could also be a thank you when receiving a gift.

You could expect it from a friend, your granny, a parent, or other people in your life that you have a strong connection with. In these cases it is non-sexual, just a gesture of love and comfort in one another’s presence. If between partners, it could be a small gesture of love and affection. It's quick and brief, a signal confirming the love or intimate nature of your relationship together.

The Lingering Peck

I have a male friend who used to have a crush on me. One time when dropping him off at home after a night of heavy drinking and dancing, I leaned over to “peck him” a goodnight kiss (see above). According to him, I “lingered" and he tells me about it to this day.

I, however, have a very different explanation for this story and assure him every time he brings it up that I was drunk and stumbling a little to get back my starting position, that in fact if I had lingered, it was not so much me trying to show interest in him as it was me trying to get my bearings together.

Ah! The dangers of the lingering peck. A lingering peck is a tell-tale sign that the other party is romantically interested in you, longing for that kiss to last and move into the next kissing phase. The lingering peck is usually followed with a look into one another’s eyes, a little grin creeping up in the corner of the mouth, and maybe even a gentle exhale or nervous giggle. Your heart starts racing. It is a kiss of things to come. There is nothing innocent about the intentions of this kiss.

The French Kiss

The french kiss is “a kiss with tongue." It's when two people's tongues touch one another in a sensual sexual dual. It conjures up sexual desires, intimacy, and romantic ideals.

It can be seen as a form of affection in public, and behind closed doors as the act that accompanies love making. It usually takes place between partners who share the same feelings for one another, who are married, dating, or are the stereotypical friends with benefits, where french kissing comes hand-in-hand with love making.

There is no doubt that your body and mind will react to this sensual kissing in an erotic manner. A "kiss with the tongue" stimulates the partner's lips, tongue, and mouth, which are sensitive to the touch, sending signals to all your other erogenous zones.

The Forehead Kiss

Finally, the sensual kiss on the forehead. It’s easy to understand the other styles of kisses, because all we need to do is listen to our bodies and how they react in those circumstances. The light bulbs turn on as we experience each form of affection and we know how to place the gesture.

However, as James kissed my forehead, emotions and thoughts rushed through my head. I couldn't pinpoint the kiss. I felt comforted in the tenderness of his cupped hands and his lips pressed against my skin, a tenderness that could also be the adoration that a father or mother has for their child.

As you can imagine, this kind of thought was confusing. Was he building a wall between us with his A-frame stance? No, that didn't seem right. I threw out that idea within seconds because I knew he wasn't running away. Maybe he was hoping in some way to connect with me without coming across too strong? It wasn’t the kiss on the cheek, which is a dead giveaway that he just wants to be friends, but a sweet and comforting sign of protection.

But what did it all mean?!

I decided to ask a few male friends about their opinion on why he planted the kiss there. Below is what I found.

“

 

The real lover is the man who can thrill you by kissing your forehead or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space.

— Marilyn Monroe

What It Really Means When a Guy Kisses You on the Forehead

A forehead kiss is “a non-threatening form of affection," as long as it's from a lover’s point of view or someone you have been intimate with—not your grandma!

It’s the kiss that says, "I really care for you and I want to look after you and protect you." It means he feels comfort in being around you and with you, and it's a way of showing how much he cares without words (as men sometimes struggle to express themselves).

This kiss implies his respect for you, that he doesn’t only want you to feed his sexual appetite, but that he emotionally respects you and is there for you. I was asking my guy friends about this, and they laughed and told me that a kiss on the forehead is the closest thing to a kiss without having to put in too much effort, and that guys know it makes the girls melt.

I gave one friend a little slap on his arm as he said this. His laughter subsided and he said in all seriousness, "He likes you, he respects you, and he won’t be going anywhere else anytime soon.”

I sit back and have a flashback of James planting his lips on my forehead, my eyes closed and gentle smile peeking out of the corners of my mouth. We look into one another’s eyes, and I know it's true. He really does care for me.

As my friends get up from the table, one by one they leave a kiss on my forehead. These are my friends who love and adore me. It's the perfect kiss—on the forehead!

THE UNSEEN CAUSES FOR ITCHY SKIN?

There Are Numberous Reasons for Itchy Skin

Most of us have experienced itchy skin at some point. For the most part, it occurs in a localised area caused by a small insect bite or other minor irritant. However, persistent and widespread feelings of itching could be a symptom of a serious underlying condition.

What Exactly Is an Itch?

Itching—the medical term is pruritus—starts when an external stimulus alerts your body that some form of defence might be required. The stimulus could be anything from a tiny fibre to a bug, and it sets off a rapid response. In other words, itching results from one of your body's protective features. When something lands on your skin, there might not be an immediate reaction but as the stimulant brushes across your skin, receptors in the dermis of the skin become activated and respond. The split second reaction is in the form of a nerve impulse that goes from the skin receptors to the cerebral cortex in the brain, and a signal is sent back to cause an itch that we then scratch. The receptors involved in the itch response are the same as those involved in pain responses. Therefore, an itch can be viewed as being in a similar category as that of pain.

However, with some illnesses that may be present, other irritants within the body can cause skin to feel itchy. Mostly, these are toxins or other substances that build up due to a medical condition that may be developing. There are also natural life processes that we go through that can also contribute to feelings of itchy skin.

Skin receptors alert the brain to a stimulus brushing the skin, which will lead to an itching sensation. | Source

Ways to Stop Scratching
Scratching itchy skin can lead to more itching, damage to the skin, pain, and infection. Here are some tips on how to avoid scratching.
1. When wearing clothes, pinch the skin near to the itch site rather than scratch.
2. Rub or press the area with the palm of your hand.
3. Keep your fingernails short.
4. File your nails. Clipping or cutting can leave ragged edges that tear the skin.
5. Apply a fat-based cream to the itchy skin. This will protect the area if you do scratch.

There are many reasons why our skin becomes itchy, but the cause is not always apparent. There are both environmental and physical factors that will also lead to itchy feelings such as:

• Age
• Menopause and pregnancy
• Medicines
• Medical conditions, such as liver, kidney, or thyroid problems, diabetes, anemia, or poor circulation.
• Stress and anxiety

We'll take a brief look at each of these causes and give the main reasons why they may lead to itchy skin.

Age

Elderly people can be very prone to itchy skin. The medical term for this itching is called senile pruritus and can affect the whole body. It isn't clear exactly why this condition develops, but it is thought to relate to hormonal changes, deterioration in skin content, and poorer blood supply to the skin, all of which can result in itching either in a local or widespread area.

Menopause and Pregnancy

Itchy skin can happen on all areas of the body due to the lowering of oestrogen levels. Oestrogen helps the production of body oils and collagen maintenance in the skin. Low collagen and oil production can result in dry and itchy skin.

With pregnancy, there can be a higher risk of itchy skin mainly due to hormonal changes and stretching skin as the baby develops.

Medicines

The painkiller codeine can cause itchiness—which is sometimes intense—in a few people. This is one of the unfortunate side effects. And it isn't the only medicine that could cause this. Check the leaflet of any medicines, bought or prescribed, you are taking. Antibiotics may also cause itching as can all the other opiates and phenothiazines (used for some mental health conditions, severe nausea/vomiting).

Medical Conditions

General itching of the skin can be a sign of a serious underlying condition such as:

• Liver or kidney disease—in liver disease, itching of the skin is caused by a build-up of opioid peptides both in the skin and blood. When the kidneys are not working well, there is a build up of toxins in the body, which leads to skin irritation similar to that experienced when the liver is diseased.
• Iron deficiency anaemia—itching skin could be due to a number of metabolic factors.
• Thyroid problems—dry, itching skin can be a symptom of thyroid gland problems.
• Diabetes—itchy skin is also a symptom of the early stages of diabetes. It is caused by high glucose levels in the blood.
• Poor circulation—itchy skin can be a symptom of poor circulation leading to a condition called stasis dermatitis. This can cause intensely itchy skin. According to research carried out by the American Academy of Dermatology, approximately 15 million Americans over the age of 50 have this condition. Slightly more women are affected than men. Statistics from the National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care in the UK reports that around 25,000 people in the UK die each year due to complications from poor circulation conditions. For example, venous stasis can lead to life-threatening situations such as deep venous thrombosis.

Anxiety/Stress

When we are stressed for extended periods of time, the body can have an immune response that can lead to itching skin. High levels of stress activate white blood cells. These cells are always present within the skin, ready to fight off bacteria or other invaders. However, when the body is tense and anxious, these white cells are triggered and become overactive, which can cause itching.

Research carried out at Charite University in Berlin and McMaster University Canada found that high levels of stress both cause pre-existing inflammatory skin conditions to flare up and new skin complaints to develop.

Top tips to ease itchy skin

Tips
1. Take warm or cool showers instead of hot and use moisturiser immediately after.
2. Use moisturising cream at least twice a day.
3. Avoid harsh soaps and detergents for personal hygiene and laundry
4. Wear non itchy fabrics such as cotton
5. There are anti-itch creams you can buy and anti-histamines from a pharmacy

Don't Ignore the Symptoms

It goes without saying that continual itching of your skin shouldn't be ignored particularly if the itch is:

• Persistent and not relieved by over-the-counter creams or antihistamines. Antihistamines block the effect of histamine, a protein produced by the immune system to help prevent infection. However too much histamine can also cause the skin to become irritated.

• Severe, particularly if it interferes with sleep and daily routines.
• Accompanied by a rash.
• Accompanied by a discoloured are of the skin, which may bleed for no obvious reason.
• Painful and the area becomes swollen.

The majority of skin itches are not serious and usually have a mundane cause. However, as we have seen, the body can produce such symptoms to warn us that a more serious condition might be involved. If you have any concerns or see any other symptoms, speak to your doctor.

The body is very good at alerting us to situations that might be detrimental to our health. It's up to us to start listening to the signals our bodies are giving us and to act on them

10 Facts You Need to Know About Angoorlata

Once she portrayed the character of Benazir Bhutto in Assamese Mobile Theatre and now she has won the election against a former minister. Here is ten facts you must know about the actress turned politician Angurlata Deka (Angoorlata).

1. Dance is Her Passion

Dance has always been her passion. At her young age Angoorlata was guided under Barnali Mahanta. At that time her only dream was to master at Kathak.

2. Her First Film Offer

One day in her dance class she met Chakrahar Deka, the director who was astonished with her performance and offer her “Prembhora Sokulu”. But her family environment was not such that they will allow to act in films.
Angoorlata was born in Nalbari.

3. The Turning Point

The Turing point was when Angoorlata met internationally acclaimed actor Seema Biswas. One day Seema Biwas came to her home and talked with her family. Angoorlata was greatly inspired by her, especially with the fact that despite being a small village girl, Seema Biwas got recognize internationally and also able to broke the stereotypes of society. Seema Biswas is also form Nalbari.

4. Angoorlata has been one of the most popular actresses of Assamese mobile theater for last 8 years.

In 2008, she portrayed the character of Benazir Bhutto in theatre and that was the starting. After than she did various short films (popularly known as VCD then) some feature films and many plays. For last eight years Angoorlata has been one off the most popular actresses of Assam.

5. Her Inspiration – Tapan Das

She adores Tapan Das, one the great actors. In an interview she said that after meeting Tapan Das, she discovered herself again. She also mentioned that the newcomers those are willing to take steps in the industry must visit him once.

6. Her Powerful performances in Assamese feature Films

Do you remember Chanda Mudoi’s Junda Emaan Gunda? Angoorlata was the lead actress on that film.

Watch the song Jilmil Bil Oi from Bakor Putek.

You can watch the full Assamese film Bakar Putek on Magical Assam

7. Life with Akaashdeep

She got married with Akaasheep, one of the finest actors of the Assamese entertainment industry. Now they live in Batadraba (Nagaon) form where she fought election and win this year.

8. Mobile Theater Performance

She has been associated with mobile theater for 8 years now where she portrayed various characters. Her every season was a hit. Take a look at the promotional music video of Akou Ein fom Hengool Theatre.

9. Her Entry to Politics

Her entry into politics was as normal as the other news like when other celebrities like Jatin Bora, Krishnamoni and Pobitra Margherrita. But getting a ticket for MLA and fight against a former minister was something that shocked everybody, but the story does not end here, she fight and she won.. she won the hearts of people as she did in her acting career.

10. Message from Angoorlata

AND at last here is a quote from her..

Film Review: Sarbjit

Once upon a time there was Sunny Deol's dhai kilo ka haath, which uprooted a hand pump to scare off the entire Pakistan Army. Today there is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's index finger.

To be fair, Sarbjit is not the unrelenting screamfest that Gadar was, but Deol's film came to mind as the former Miss World held up her famous slender digit to intimidate an armed Pakistani security official. She did this right after delivering a loud speech to a Pakistani mob about how Pakistanis stab us Indians in the back while we bravely fight them face to face. As expected, the gun-bearing Pakistani meekly moves aside, and she proceeds to grandly walk past him as only Indian movie stars can when up against the dreaded dushman from across the border.

Sarbjit

Director: Omung Kumar

Cast: Randeep Hooda, Darshan Kumar, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Richa Chaddha

Rating: 1.5/5

   That Sarbjit favours emotional manipulation over restraint or logic is evident at several points, but one moment in particular stands out. After years of incarceration in a Pakistani jail, Sarbjit Singh is finally to be set free. We see him emerge smiling from behind the guards at the border and cross over to the Indian side. As his sister, Dalbir (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), wife, Sukhpreet (Richa Chadha) and daughters rejoice, he kisses the ground. Then, without any noticeable change of perspective, we see a different person standing where he was. The Pakistanis have released another prisoner in his place, Sarbjit’s still in prison, and the scene we’ve witnessed is a lie.

Based on the life of Sarabjit Singh, a farmer who was wrongfully convicted in Pakistan and died after a fatal assault inside jail, the movie Sarbjit focuses on his sister Dalbir Kaur’s fight against the system to prove his innocence.

However, given the very real context of the plot, the movie is an almost fictitious, drum-beating melodramatic saga that suffers from an overly-worked-up lead actor.

Applause is due for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan who plays the struggling Dalbir. But, in the same breath, the 42-year-old actor doesn’t manage to bring alive the character. Her lip-twisting, chest-thumping and shouting does not help either. Instead, the melodrama alienates us from an otherwise evocative character.

The constant harping on Indo-Pak relations – mostly about the sympathy people should show for innocent people, but at times digressing to more political and subtle anti-Pakistani sentiments – loses the plot. Simple humane moments focusing on the struggles of a family that has lost a member to an unfair system would’ve taken the movie much further.

It’s a movie, so melodrama and fiction is all right, but it does take some doing if the audience is expected to identify with characters using phrases like ‘Khauf ki badboo’ or burning their own effigies. Or accept the Pakistani advocate who faces attack for supporting Sarbjit (played by Randeep Hooda) and decides to join the violent crowd protesting against him! Because, apparently nobody knows what he looks like.

Randeep as Sarabjit evokes pity and sympathy. He is sweet as the brother and brings a smile on our face when he is with his family. The movie would have been much better, had director Omung Kumar given Randeep a little more space. The few sequences where we do see him make us teary-eyed, but the movie quickly moves on.

One of the rare engaging scenes is where Sarbjit’s family goes to meet him in jail. The frisking of the women in his family is disturbing and also offers a moment where Aishwarya looks authentic in the movie.

Richa Chaddha, yet another talented actor wasted in this star-driven plot, leaves her mark as the silent wife who painfully waits for her husband.

'X-Men: Apocalypse' movie reviews

There are two kinds of superhero films being made right now. The ones with the dark, gritty and 'end of the world' themes, and the good ones.

With so much superhero content out in theaters it becomes more a monthly exercise and less a 'movie event' for a film buff to watch a film from the genre.

X-Men: Apocalypse
Director - Bryan Singer

Cast - James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Sophie Turner, Tye Sheridan, Oscar Isaac

Rating - 2.5/5

X Men: Apocalypse is yet another dark and gritty superhero film with a villain proclaiming the end of the world, but thanks to Bryan Singer's direction and some unexpected horror themes it becomes a passably entertaining watch.

The long answer is that the rights to Quicksilver lie with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is why he’s referred to by his human name, Peter Maximoff, in this, an X-Men Universe film. The short answer, of course, is that no one in their right mind should care. I’m glad they featured him in some form, because Peter is responsible for the best sequence in the movie, in which time seemingly freezes as he zips around saving people from a collapsing building. It’s an expanded version of a similar scene from X-Men: Days of Future Past—not the only borrowed idea in the movie, but done with humour and some style.

Picking up a few years after the events of Days of the Future Past, X Men: Apocalypse is both the final installment of a trilogy and the first installment of a new trilogy. Singer has probably realized that audiences are kind of tired of seeing Xavier, Magneto, Mystique and Wolverine so there's a whole new set of young mutants in this film, with an unsubtle hint towards future films with the new kids on the block.

En Sabah Nur, an ageing, ancient Egyptian mutant (hinted to be the world's first mutant) indulges in a weird occult ceremony inside a pyramid. With the help of some chants and four other mutants his soul is to be transferred to a young body. Right before the transformation takes place the pyramid collapses and the mutant is buried underground, until someone awakens him in the modern world.

Hard boiled film buffs will realize that this is the exact same plot as The Mummy. The awakened Sabah Nur rebrands himself as Apocalypse and like the Mummy, vows to destroy the entire human civilization with mystic powers.

As long as the story of Apocalypse continues, the film is a riveting watch. Horror film fans will appreciate the body horror and surprising amount of gore and brutality in the film. This is a monster film, quite different in tone from the previous X Men movies, in a good way. Apocalypse's powers are insane and his presence, despite his crappy blue costume makes an impact. He turns some teenage mutants into ninja mutants by giving them greater powers. This guy has some serious amount of power and looks invincible.

The problems arise when we're taken away from Apocalypse and back to the rusty relationship between Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Fassbender). Once again there's Magneto dealing with contrived hate for humanity, Xavier once again unsuccessfully trying to persuade him to join the good side, and Mystique once again hogging unnecessary screen time because she's played by Jennifer Lawrence.

This story has been told five times before and going back for the sixth time is a real stretch, no matter how good the visual effects are. Both McAvoy and Fassbender are terrific actors, but you can't help but wish the film focused more on other superheroes in the X Men universe.

The younger set of mutants are a bit more interesting. It's nice to see Sophie Turner (aka Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones) as Jean Grey, Tye Sheridan as Cyclops and Kodi Smith as Nightcrawler. All three characters were given lousy screen time in the previous X Men films and it looks like they'll finally get their due in the future films.

Evan Peters as Quicksilver is once again the highlight of the film. If you enjoyed his slow motion Deus Ex Machina in the previous movie you'll be satisfied with an extended version of the same trope in this one. If the makers of X Men are smart enough, they'll put Deadpool and Quicksilver in the same film some day.

Salman Khan to tie the knot on December 27

After the pictures of Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur at Preity Zinta-Gene Goodenough's reception went viral, Salman's relatives and near and dear ones started sending him congratulatory messages at his home.

Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur might have not made it official, but speculations are rife that the Sultan actor is all set to get married to his rumoured girlfriend by the end of this year. Salman's entry with Iulia at Preity Zinta-Gene Goodenough's wedding reception sent the fans into a tizzy and further added fuel to the rumours.

After the pictures of them at the reception went viral, Salman's near and dear ones started sending him congratulatory messages at his home. According to a report in Pinkvilla, the Bajrangi Bhaijaan actor's house has been filled with bouquets and gifts and he is quite embarrassed about the attention he has been getting.

There were reports that Salman has also introduced Iulia to his close friends at Preity's reception including Shah Rukh Khan and Abhishek Bachchan. The rumours of them getting married first sparked when a blind item in Mumbai Mirror suggested that Salman's mother has not been keeping well and wants him to get settled by the end of this year.

And Iulia was also recently been spotted with Salma Khan at the airport taking care of her. Salman's relationship with Iulia has been the daily fodder for the gossip mills for quite some time now. But Salman has always remained tight-lipped about his relationship status all this while.

On the work front, Salman Khan will next be seen in Ali Abbas Zafar's Sultan. The film will hit the screens on Eid this year.

source : http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/salman-khan-iulia-vantur-marriage-is-salman-embarrassed-with-congratulatory-messages/1/670308.html

Punjab orders cow protection cess on cars, liquor

Punjab local bodies minister and Amritsar BJP MLA Anil Joshi ratified a landmark decision by municipal council... Read More

CHANDIGARH: Shoring up the saffron party's cattle protection programme, Punjab local bodies minister and Amritsar BJP MLA Anil Joshi on Wednesday ratified a landmark decision by municipal councils and corporations to introduce a cow cess on nine items in the state, including purchase of cars and two-wheelers. 

Approved in 2014, the cess was yet to be implemented in all 154 municipal councils and 10 corporations in the state. 

On Wednesday, the government asked 33 councils and corporations, barring Amrtisar, to issue a public notification regarding the imposition of cess by May 25. 

Two corporations -Bathinda and Mohali -have been collecting the cess since 2014. The rest of the municipal bodies have been told to complete the approval process by June 30. Out of the 10 corporations, Amitsar MC is yet to give its consent for this. Punjab local bodies minister Anil Joshi said, "Our aim is to creat more awareness about cattle protection and the menace. This money will be used for welfare and feed purchase for cattle."