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Culture & Heritage Malta
With 7,000 years of history, the Maltese Islands are steeped in culture and heritage. The Islands went through a golden Neolithic period, the remains of which are the mysterious megalithic temples dedicated to the goddess of fertility. Later on, the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans and the Byzantines, all left their traces on the Islands. In 60 A.D. St. Paul was shipwrecked on the island while on his way to Rome and brought Christianity to Malta. The Arabs conquered the islands in 870 A.D. and left an important mark on the language of the Maltese. Until 1530 Malta was an extension of Sicily, the Normans, the Aragonese and other conquerors who ruled over Sicily also governed the Maltese Islands. It was Charles V who bequeathed Malta to the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem who ruled over Malta from 1530 to 1798. The Knights took Malta through a new golden age making it a key player in the cultural arena of 17th and 18th century Europe. The artistic and ...

Exotic Rides: Lexus IS F
In the not-so-distant past, there was a time when the Toyota Motor Corporation’s amenity-laden American affiliate, Lexus, was heavily scrutinized -- not for the grade of the vehicles produced, as most car manufacturers are, but for the catalog itself. This barrage of criticism was spurred by the complete absence of a single performance model rolling off of Lexus assembly lines. Enter the Lexus Intelligent Sport series -- code name: IS. Although the first two generations of 200/300 and 250/350 were well received and a formidable foray into the arena of high-output luxury sedans, rivals like Infiniti, Mercedes, Acura, and specifically BMW were beefing up their offerings to previously unheard of proportions, putting the heat on Lexus to remain competitive. And Lexus took on the challenge with gusto -- thank the vehicular lords. If the IS 430 prototype was to serve as any indication of Lexus performance capabilities, not even that could prepare us for the unveiling of the supremely ...

College Sex Pointers for Better Sex
Read on for five college sex rules to better sex... College Sex Rule 1: Claim a new campus Consider the cafés, library nooks, and grassy quads where the average American college student spends most of the day. These public spaces foster a sexual vibe by design. The most successful designs provide cozy spaces where small groups of students with common interests can interact, says Fred Dust, a senior partner at the design firm Ideo who works on university, commercial, and urban design projects. Both the physical comfort of a space and the sense of belonging put you at ease. So student lounges, flower-filled quads, coed dorms -- these settings are all designed to encourage intimacy and exclusivity. Okay, so you e not going to sidle up to a hot sophomore in the coffee shop now. But seek out places with long tables or low, comfortable couches, suggests Laura Gimpel, the facilities manager at Googles New York offices, which were outfitted purposely to mimic the college environment ...

Lemon/Limes
Although lemons and limes may not be what you would choose for an afternoon snack, we consider them as powerhouses when we want to bring out the flavor of other foods. While both are available throughout the year, lemons are in the peak of their season around May, June and August while limes are at their peak from May through October. Lemons are oval in shape and feature a yellow, texturized outer peel. Like other citrus fruits, their inner flesh is encased in eight to ten segments. Usually smaller than lemons, limes are oval or round in shape having a diameter of one to two inches with green flesh and skin. They can be either sour or sweet depending on the variety; however, sweet limes are not readily available in the United States. Sour limes contain citric acid giving them an acidic and tart taste, while sweet limes while lack citric acid and are sweeter in flavor. Food Chart This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Lemon/Limes provides for each of the nutrients ...

Vienna
Did you know that Vienna possesses one of the most beautiful city railway networks in Europe? In the 1890s, Otto Wagner, one of Austrias most important architects, came up with the idea of making the Vienna transport system more than just a regular series of train stations - he wanted to create works of art. From the handrails to the doorknobs on the ticket booths, Wagner made sure that every minor detail was crafted to perfection. Did you know that the most elegant horses strut their stuff in the centre of Vienna? The Spanische Hofreitschule has been going since 1572 and is one of the most famous riding schools in the world. Taking its name from the Spanish Lipizzaner, a breed of horse which was ridden in the area, the school is famous for the classic riding traditions of the Hohen-Schule. The grace of the horses can be seen during morning sessions or at special gala performances, although tickets are often sold-out months in advance. Did you know that the Vienna State Opera is more ...

Sony Ericsson K850i Cybershot
Is it a phone or is it a digital camera? The K850i is more of a hybrid, with a 5-megapixel Cyber-shot digital camera, auto focus and an amazing 16X digital zoom, you will never miss a shot. The K850i is the first camera phone to take either a micro SD or a Memory Stick Micro™ allowing for up to 4GB of memory for photos and videos. The phone’s main focus is its camera, but don’t let this fool you, it also houses all the usual multimedia functions that have made Sony Ericsson one of the leaders in mobile technology, including an MP3 player, Bluetooth, email and web browsing. Although this phone is slightly larger than others on the market when switching it to camera mode you instantly feel like you are no longer using your phone to take pictures but using your digital camera as a mobile ...

BEST PICKUP STRATEGIES EVER
Touch Her, Then Stop Still not sure if shes interested? If youve made it to a second round of drinks, initiate contact by touching her arm several times during the next 15 minutes. Then abruptly stop all physical contact. If shes attracted to you, shell fire a few strokes your way as soon as she realizes youve stopped touching her. Touch is a very important part of courtship. If she touches you back, its a good sign. Approach the Amazon Don know how to break the ice with that gym babe? Ask her to show you how to do a particular exercise or operate a certain machine. Shell be flattered. Deliver the Perfect Compliment You e beautiful isn a compliment. Nice set of helmets isn a compliment. Compliment her on what shes made, not on what Gods made. Lovely dress, Terrific memo, Incredible insight, Great joke! And don overdo it. Once is enough. Every compliment after the first one takes away half the value of its predecessor. Bring a Fake Date If you have a great-looking ...

Fine Living Top 10: Steaks
he best steaks aren’t always the top-dollar buys in the worlds finest restaurants. While Kobe and Wagyu beef are excellent, they have their share of competitors. Look for restaurants who obviously go above and beyond in their attention to detail. Do they age on the premises, for example? And who selects the cuts of meat for sale? The finest steaks are those that are aged, seasoned and cooked to perfection. Number 10 Prime Porterhouse Metropolitan Steak House, Seattle, WA Metropolitan’s main focus is on prime beef and the restaurant has built its reputation on delivering the best of the classic cuts: filet mignon, New York peppercorn steak, porterhouse, and Delmonico. Chefs here personally select each cut that will be served and choose only the best corn-fed USDA prime meat that has been dry-aged. The meat is then seared over high heat using imported mesquite charcoal -- the Iron Wood of the world. Metropolitan’s prime porterhouse is a combination of the best, most tender and ...

Cranberries
A cousin of the blueberry, this very tart, bright red berry can still be found growing wild as a shrub, but when cultivated, is grown on low trailing vines in great sandy bogs. The American cranberry, the variety most cultivated in the northern United States and southern Canada, produces a larger berry than the wild cranberry or the European variety. Cranberries have long been valued for their ability to help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. Now, recent studies suggest that this native American berry may also promote gastrointestinal and oral health, prevent the formation of kidney stones, lower LDL and raise HDL good cholesterol, aid in recovery from stroke, and even help prevent cancer. Fresh cranberries, which contain the highest levels of beneficial nutrients, are at their peak from October through December, just in time to add their festive hue, tart tangy flavor and numerous health protective effects to your holiday meals. When cranberries short fresh season is ...

Basel
Did you know that Basel was the first town to give the public access to a museum? Basel is a centre of culture with a long tradition: it has the worlds oldest art collection open to the public since 1671, and an arts-loving population that decided by referendum to buy a number of Picassos paintings for the Kunstmuseum Museum of Fine Arts in 1967. Today, no other European city can boast such a high density of top-class museums with nearly 40 museums in an area of only 37 square kilometres. A main theatre and 25 smaller ones, up to 1,000 classical concerts as well as the first House of Literature in Switzerland round off the cultural ...

8 Kinds of Sex Every Couple Should Try
Sure, you and your guy have good sex. Ideally, you have fantastic sex, as often as possible. But theres more to a solid sex life than just straight-up great sex. A truly amazing sexual connection encompasses lots of different kinds of sex — maybe even ones you wouldn expect. After all, your relationship isn one-note, so why should your sex life be? You change, you age, and you grow as a couple in an emotional and an intellectual way, says Laura Meers, Ph.D., a psychologist in family practice in Columbus, OH. Hopefully you e growing and changing sexually too. And the more dimensions there are in a relationship in general, the more you will see those dimensions reflected in your sex life. See which kinds of sex you and your other half have hit so far. As for the ones you haven , well...you know what to do. 1. Pushing-Your-Boundaries Sex Theres nothing like the moment when you e lying naked with the man youve known and loved for a long time, panting and puffing, thinking, Wow, weve ...

MR START BOUTIQUE
A new menswear emporium is added to the stylish Start stable Some men shy away from the whole bespoke suit thing, believing that they e not smart enough for Savile Row. Well, I have two pieces of advice for the men among you who think like that: 1 Don be so daft: a trip to Savile Row, and the start-to-finish bespoke experience, should be a right of passage for every right-thinking man. 2 If you still can face Mayfair, then take yourself to the Mr Start bespoke boutique on Rivington Street in East London. The latest in the Start store stable, a business run by Woodhouse founder Phillip Start and his wife, former Fall member Brix Start-Smith who this Editor warmed to immediately due their shared love of pug dogs, Mr Start specialises in both bespoke and off-the-peg tailoring. And having spent a happy half hour wandering around this stylish space, I can confirm this would be one of the most relaxing, not to mention unstuffy, places to come for your first bespoke experience: comfy ...

Seduction, Fast and Easy
Jack remembers the moment vividly. His fiancée, Tamara, pulled the sheet over her head, afraid to face him. She blurted it out: Jack, I don come when we do it. His head spun. Theyd been having sex for 2 years. She seemed, well, satisfied. To his--and her--credit, they talked about it; they didn let this bombshell wreck their relationship. And they tried everything: vibrators, romantic weekends, oral sex--until my jaw ached, Jack says. After a month of effort, he came to my office, desperate and distraught, not sure what to try next. Maybe you have to stop trying so hard to turn her on, I said, and learn how to turn her off. Jack looked at me. Who was I, Yoda? I switched from Zen-speak to sex-therapist mode, explaining that a womans arousal depends on deep relaxation and an absence of anxiety. Ive counseled countless women, and its universal--when they e relaxed, it happens. There are brain scans to prove it. Fun in the Lab In the Netherlands, scientists used ...

Porsche Design P9521 mobile phone
After collaborations with fashion designers proved popular this year, Sagem has teamed up with luxury car manufacturer Porsche Design to produce a phone that boasts fingerprint recognition technology, enabling secure access to data and dialing. The P9521 is surprisingly heavy, but perhaps a price worth paying for its sleek black glass and solid aluminium finish. Created to epitomise contemporary design, the square-jawed flip phone has more than a whiff of Eighties style about it. But with a touch screen colour display, MP3 player and a 3.2 mega pixel camera, it’s safe to say this flash phone matches style with substance. But with a hefty price tag of £800, Porsche is likely to burn a hole in your pocket as well as rubber on the track. Available exclusively from Porsche Design stores and from ...

Top 10: Tuner Models
You might be wondering what tuner models actually do. In short, they’re the hotties who grace the pages of auto magazines like Super Street and Import Tuner. They also appear in hot rod and dirt bike calendars, work as spokeswomen for auto part companies and can generally be seen prancing around in tiny outfits at big racing events. Unless you harbor a love of cars and their various parts, you may not have heard of some of these tuner models. Of course, some of them often cross over into other forms of modeling so there is a chance you may know them well from other areas. In any case these tuner models are the girls who we feel have made the biggest impact and turned the most heads in the tuner modeling biz. Ursula Mayes - Credit: Alexandra Wyman/WireImage.com Number 10 Ursula Mayes Ursula’s exotic look can be explained by the delicious mix of Korean, Native-American and German blood coursing through her body. In 2005, Ursula Mayes won the Miss Hot Import Nights title and since then ...

Fine Living: Premium Chocolates
The world of chocolate has its highs and lows, to be sure. And the solid milk-chocolate bunnies we all enjoyed as kids are fine for 7-year-olds, but your palate has evolved beyond swapping quality for quantity. While Ferrero Rocher and Godiva are fine for some, the true chocolate connoisseur knows that the best there is to offer cannot be found in any drugstore. Thankfully, gourmet chocolate is more abundant -- and more available -- in today’s market than ever before. After all, if Americans spend about $13 billion a year on chocolate, why shouldn’t we spend it on the good stuff? La Maison du Chocolat Country of origin: France Price: Truffles are around $80 per pound and boxes are as much as $200. As one of France’s finest manufacturers, there may be no other store that makes chocolate as luxurious as La Maison du Chocolat. The name says it all; it translates to The House of Chocolate. La Maison packages its chocolates in leather boxes that are fine enough for the best jewelry. ...

Weddings & Honeymoons - Malta
With all-year-round sunshine and crystal waters, the Islands offer a distinctive location for a wedding or honeymoon. As it is in the Maltese culture to highly celebrate weddings, there is an enormous variety of products and services available, making the organisation of a wedding relatively stress free as well as great value for money. The celebration can take whatever form you wish – from a sit down dinner or cocktail party to a traditional lavish reception. Venues are in no way limited to hotels – a large variety of grand baroque palaces with gardens, converted farmhouses or more unconventional outdoor venues are available. The Islands have a wide selection of experienced, professional caterers who can offer any type of speciality food or even local fare. Most hotels have a food and banqueting team pleased to meet individual requirements and special requests. Weddings can be purely in civil form or combined with a church ceremony. In either case, the legal formalities are ...

Samsung Soul
Available exclusively from the Carphone Warehouse, the Soul marks a departure for Samsung from its usual number-based nomenclature D500, D600, U600 and so on. Whether it has “soul” is a moot point, but the U900 to use its more prosaic title has an undeniably great body: all brushed metal and just 12.9mm thick at that. As you’d expect from Samsung’s flagship handset for 2008, the Soul has some nifty tricks up its super-thin sleeve, not least its “Magic Touch” interface on which the icons change depending on whether you’re playing music or composing a text. Touch-screen interfaces will infuriate as many as they impress, but Samsung’s goes one better by vibrating when pressed, making it feel much more responsive than most. The 5-megapixel camera, meanwhile, is more than serviceable, with face recognition, anti-shake and ISO settings. The Soul also boasts fast 3.5G connectivity with download speeds of up to 7.2Mbps but alas, no WiFi, and it’s tri- rather than quad-band. But it’s about the ...

Island Attractions - Malta
Malta has had such a rich history that the country is practically saturated with attractions and places of interest. The capital city of Valletta host to regular plays and concerts, as well as scores of exhibitions and street events. The Museum of Archaeology in Valletta houses an exceptionally rich collection of prehistoric artefacts. The War Museum at Fort St. Elmo is home to a Sunday military parade in period costumes re-enactment and the capital also possesses the impressive Grand Master’s Palace and St. John’s Co-cathedral. With 7,000 years of history, the sites to visit are endless – the Megalithic Temples including Ggantija, the oldest freestanding temple in the world, the underground St Paul’s and St. Agatha’s catacombs, The Knights of St. John’s significant sites, such as Fort St Angelo and Fort Rinella home to the world’s largest canon. WWII significant sites, such as the Mgarr war shelter, Mtarfa ex-British military buildings, The Armoury and the Maritime Museum in ...

Natural Escapes - Malta
Due to the undoubtedly great advantage of fair weather average rainfall of 578mm a year and average temperature of 30C/86F during the summer months, the Maltese Islands lend themselves to outdoor activities. Away from the hustle and bustle of village cores, the Maltese Islands offer various natural spots to be explored and admired, some left almost untouched by the 20th century. Much of the countryside is dotted with the worlds oldest free-standing structures in the world, so a stroll could prove to be most interesting. The first rains after the long, hot summer brings the landscape to life with an astonishing variety of wild flowers. From mid November until mid May the Islands are green and lush with fields full of vegetables and waysides carpeted with fennel, clover, wild iris and myrtle The Islands offer walkers some of the most stunning views anywhere in the Mediterranean. The first thing to do is to decide what sort of view you prefer – dramatic cliffs plunging into waves, ...

Indiana Jones 4
Who? Harrison Ford old, Shia LaBeouf greasy, Karen Allen mumsy, Cate Blanchett bobbed, Ray Winstone Ray Winstoney Background: Close to twenty years, it took. Nearly two full decades, apparently, to perfect a script. To gather its peerless troupe of main players, to synchronise impossibly busy schedules and to hone a suitably astonishing final chapter to one of the greatest film franchises ever. Then 79 filming days to commit a genuine world cinematic event to celluloid: the fourth Indiana Jones movie. And what do we get? We’ll tell you. CGI gophers with surprised expressions, that’s what. Infantile, clunking dialogue. Green-screen sub-XBox action sequences. Elderly people kissing. The only human being ever to survive a nuclear detonation at point-blank range. Later, CGI monkeys with expressions. And your worst nightmares confirmed – aliens and flying saucers. Yes, it’s worse than you could possibly comprehend. A more stultifying disappointment, arguably, than The Phantom Menace. ...