Zizly

One of the most well know players in Celtic mythology, the Banshee is linked to death and mourning. The sound of her wailing is said to signify a recent death or to foretell of a forthcoming one. The name is derived from the word bean-sidhe which translates into fairy woman or spirit woman. She is generally depicted as a fair haired woman with an incorporeal appearance. Variations of the Story: In original Mythology, the story went that the banshee was a fairy woman who would appear and sing a mournful song at a funeral. Later variations of the tale say that she was not a fairy, but rather the spirit of a murdered woman who would shriek and howl a mournful note to predict an oncoming death. It is said the the banshee will walk around the outside of a house when someone inside is about to die. Most stories describe the banshee as wearing white, but some place her in garments of red or green. Also she is depicted in some variations as brushing her long hair with a silver comb. The comb i...

Shinto began in ancient times as a shamanistic practice of nature worship much like the early druids. As outside cultural and spiritual influences came to Japan, what started as a loosely formed nature cult grew into a religion that has acquired many followers and greatly impacted world culture. Shintoism is a religion that is strongly connected to teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. Shinto belief borrows much from the teachings of these sister religions, but still it remains unique in its structure. Without great study of Shintoism, one could easily see the influence from Buddhist and Toaist temples by looking at a Shinto shrine. In Japan it is common to see statues of Koma-inu placed outside of Shinto shrines. Koma-inu are guardians against evil that strongly resemble the Chinese guardian lions found outside Buddhist temples. To further show the importance of Chinese Taoism in the inspiration for Shinto beliefs, the word Shinto adopts the Chinese word Tao which translate...

Fruit is good for you. An apple a day keeps the doctor away. We've all heard these before, but when it comes to health benefits, not much can compete with the papaya. This tropical fruit is popular all over the world and for good reason. The list of vitamins and nutrients in Papaya is impressive all on its own, but this super food has even more going for it than that. Papaya has been used for health purposes (and its sweet taste) for centuries. Enjoyed and utilized all around the world it stands as one of the most beneficial fruits for overall health. First let's look at what's in it. Papaya contains a huge amount of Vitamin C. A large Papaya contains about 476 mg of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid.) To put this number in perspective, one serving of orange juice (which is a great source of vitamin C) contains 97 mg. Vitamin C is a great immunity booster and essential antioxidant. The same fruit also contains 7420 International Units of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is beneficial to the ...

Strength training is important for athletes of all kinds and anyone interested in fitness and overall health. It's important to know what exercises are best for your fitness goals. Some workouts are best for burning calories others for building muscle and some are designed for adding strength and endurance. Here are some of the best exercises to increase strength. Increase Arm Strength Twenty-Ones for stronger biceps: One of the best bicep workouts, twenty-ones push your arms to their limits. Begin with dumbbells that are a challenging weight but not too heavy (you're going to have to do 21 reps.) First perform a standard curl, but stop half way and hold for a second. Lower and repeat for 7 reps. On the last rep, hold at the halfway point and then do 7 reps the rest of the way up toward your shoulders. Don't let the weights drop below the halfway point. You are doing half reps at the bottom and then the top. Next bring the weights a...

Fruit and vegetables are good for you. That's what you've always been told. The reasons for this are many. Various fruits and vegetables have been touted as key to longevity, heart health, digestive health, and even cancer prevention. When discussing the benefits of fruits such as peaches, there are many clear health points in their favor. Of course they are a good source of fiber and generally provide many vitamins and nutrients the body needs. Also, peaches have an antioxidant effect on the body. First let's look at fiber. Any nutritionist will tell you that a good amount of daily fiber is fundamental to your health. Dietary fiber is essential for the proper function of the digestive system. Peaches do provide a source of dietary fiber, however, they have a relatively small amount of Fiber when compared to leafy greens or other high fiber foods. The bigger health benefit from peaches is their antioxidant effects. Antioxidants help clean toxins from the body and may even ...

Kids get to have all the fun! Here are the top ten things that suck about being an adult. #10 No Recess It all starts in Kindergarten; you spend some time coloring in books, then you play with toys for a while (except that bastard Tommy usually takes the good ones) then you color some more, and then you get a snack and it's nap time; it's a good system. Skip ahead, now you're in Grade School and things are starting to suck a little more but it's still a good system; they try to make you learn stuff for a while but then in the middle of the day you get to go play on the swings. Does it work that way for adults? No! Do you get to leave the office in the middle of the day and tell your boss "If you need me I'll be on the slide?" Hell no! It's so unfair. #9 No extras with your food Special "Prizes" in your breakfast food, happy meal toys, etc, all a part of life when you're a kid. Do we get a free bonus gift at the drive thr...

Halloween is coming up, and to get in the spirit of the season, I've compiled this list. Consider it assigned viewing. These are the ten best segments from The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials. 10. "Married To The Blob" (Treehouse of horror XVII) "The blob" is one of the all time great monster movies, and the Simpsons parody is definitely one of the best offerings of the show's last several years. Alien goop transforms Homer into a giant Springfield destroying blob creature that eats everything including Doctor Phil in a quick cameo. 9. "Send in the Clones" (treehouse of horror XIII) It's like "duplicity" except entertaining. One Homer is funny. A herd of Homer clones reeking havoc is undeniably awesome and classic. 8. "Hex and the City" (Treehouse of horror XII) This one is very underrated. Homer angers a fortune teller and falls victim to a gypsy curse. The story isn't as great ...