Jacques' Archive

The place we now know as Peru was once the capital of the great Inca Empire. Built around the Andean mountain range, with Cusco (now Peru) as its capital, the area was the center of the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The civilization, with its rich culture, was destroyed in the 1530s by the Spanish Conquistadors.   Years on, the magnificent temples and pathways, many of them now ruins, provides a glimpse into history. Each year thousands of curious and adventurous travelers descend on the continent to begin an arduous trek along the very same mountain pathways created and traveled by the Incas, each eager for some small insight into how this magnificent people lived and worked.    There are easier options. A luxurious train can whisk you straight to the ruins to ensure you get that selfie with Machu Picchu in the background. The best way to experience the beauty of the landscape is to walk in the path of these ancient warrior people. There...

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in the Narok County of Kenya, bordering Tanzania. Stretching over 1510 square kilometers, this region is full of breathtaking vistas, endless plains and an abundance of wildlife. The reserve has been named after the ancestral inhabitants of the area, the Maasai people, as well as their description of the area as seen from afar. The word Mara, or Maa in the Maasai language means spotted as referring to the trees, savanna and cloud shadows that mark the area.  This land has also become world well-known for its Maasai lions, the Tanzanian cheetahs, African leopards and the great migration of millions of wildebeest, zebra, and Thomson's gazelle from the Serengeti each year. It is for this that tourist flock to the area and why the Maasai Mara has become the pride of Kenya.   When the wildlife sanctuary was established in 1961, the reserve covered a mere 520 square kilometers. This area was extended in the same year to cover a...

Impotence or erectile dysfunction is the inability to obtain and maintain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse. Having periodic erectile malfunctioning is not necessarily a cause for concern. If one has erectile dysfunction on a regular basis, however, this may be stressful, affecting one’s self-confidence, and contributing to relationship problems. What is more, problems obtaining or maintaining an erection may also be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment, and a risk factor for heart disease. The best approach to erectile dysfunction is a visit to the doctor, no matter how mortified one may feel. Treating an underlying condition can actually reverse erectile dysfunction. Sometimes, however, medication or other direct treatment may be prescribed. A recent study by the Johns Hopkins University, as well as research conducted in Italy, has presented an interesting link between erectile dysfunction and low levels of vitamin D. This study ...

Gonorrhea is a highly contagious sexually transmitted (STD) bacterial infection, colloquially referred to as ‘the clap.’ The nickname refers to an outdated procedure to clear the blockage of gonorrhea pus in the urethra: the penis would be ‘clapped’ on both sides simultaneously. Although this treatment is not used anymore, gonorrhea remains characterized by the thick discharge from the penis or vagina. The bacterium called Neisseria Gonorrhoea infects the rectum, throat, eyes, blood, skin, or joints. How is it transmitted? Gonorrhea spreads through semen or vaginal fluids during unprotected sex (vaginal, anal, or oral sex). It is less commonly transmitted by sharing sex toys or touching parts of the body with fingers. Gonorrhea tends to infect warm, moist areas of the body, like the urethra, eyes, throat, vagina, anus, and female reproductive tract. Even though it is spread through sex, gonorrhea may be transmitted by very close physical contact, either hand-to-hand or...

For many reasons, one may lose a tooth or some teeth. Having a gap may not only impinge upon the self-esteem ─ having missing teeth could mean that some teeth may move out of position, leading to chewing and biting issues. A dental solution that your dentist could suggest is a dental bridge. This consists of one or two fabricated crowns, which will cover the teeth or the implants either side of the gap. These crowns act as dental-bridge anchors, providing a false tooth to fill the gap. Fabricated crowns are made in dental laboratories. Crowns will match your own teeth and look as realistic as possible. In some cases, these crowns or false teeth are not made of porcelain, but out of alloys, gold, or a combination of these materials. Your dentist can select between three main types of dental bridges. These include: 1          Traditional bridges. The dentist will make use of a crown for the teeth or implants either side of ...

In Australia, it is possible to obtain life insurance even if you have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes; however, your premiums will be on the high end, and there will be some limitations to your cover. According to Diabetes Australia, diabetes affects the lives of 1.7 million Australians. This number includes 1.2 million known cases and around 500 000 estimated undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes sufferers. However, this number is rising daily by 280 new cases, or one new case every 5 minutes  ( https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/diabetes-in-australia ). Irrespective, diabetics can still obtain life insurance.   Information that should be provided by a diabetic during the application process A person with diabetes should declare this condition to the insurer. The sufferer will need to submit a medical report as well as filling out a diabetic questionnaire on the application form. The key information the insurer will need, to create a risk profile, is whether the suffer...

Your needs may have changed, and you now require greater benefits or even lower car insurance costs. To switch your car insurance policy to another company is not difficult. All you need to do is to follow some easy steps. Besides the findings from Roy Morgan Research, which indicated a 2% increase in satisfaction among car insurance holders between 2013 and 2016, there may be reasons such as price or service to switch to another insurance company. Furthermore, with 115 insurers authorized by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA), many offer special deals to lure new customers. However, before you switch camps, understand why and how you should go ahead. Is a switch what you really want, or would you rather simply renew?  As your circumstances change, for instance, you may wish to review your car insurance if you buy a new car. If the insurer does not match up to your demands, or if you fall into the 3.2% not happy with their quality of service, ho...

When you cannot work for a lengthy period, you need to rely on a comfortable stream of income to cover your costs. In Australia, there are two options, namely, income protection insurance and mortgage protection. These options can offer you cover to meet your normal expenses. Mortgage protection is very different from income protection in that it covers no more than the mortgage repayment. Income protection, on the other hand, can cover mortgage repayments as well as other bills. These could include school fees, utility bills, and even rehabilitation costs.  Either way, both come in handy should you, for example, be diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer. In fact, the Cancer Council Australia has declared that there were 134 000 new cases of cancer in 2017. That number is projected to reach 150 000 by 2020.  However, before simply choosing between income protection or mortgage protection, you should examine the differences and similarities between the...

According to news.com.au, 95% of Australians do not have adequate income-protection cover ( http://www.news.com.au/finance/money/face-up-to-income-protection-folly/news-story/cf947d42d33773f9d7c80f18ccbcc11e ). When faced with the options of direct and advised income protection, many do not know the various benefits that will best work for their needs. Between 2015 and 2016, 13% of Australians did not return to work after an injury ( https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/workers-compensation ). Those who had time off took an average of 2 weeks; and in serious cases took 9.2 weeks off from work https://www.iscrr.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/540830/118_Work-injury-in-Australia-Review-2004-2014.pdf ). To cover the loss of income, for example, during the time you are injured, you could take out either a direct or advised income-protection policy. However, these two options have some differences. Price   For the 69% of Australians still without income protection (htt...

There may be implications if you lend your car to someone not listed on your car insurance policy, especially if the borrower crashes your car. Consequently, you need to be aware of all such implications, as these might influence your decision whether or not to allow someone else to drive your car. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics as on 31 January 2017, Australia has 18.8 million registered cars on the roads( http://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/9785EBE94AC500B8CA25753D00119ECA?OpenDocument ). That is 18.8 million cars that may possibly be lent to friends, family members or work colleagues. However, lending your car to anyone may have implications for you, depending on what your insurance policy states. Understanding the implications of lending your vehicle If you lend your car to a friend or family member you may not take into account the terms of your car insurance policy; however, if you don’t, you may be taking a gamble. Some insurance companie...

When you receive a non-renewal notice, this means that your insurance company will not provide you cover after the policy term has ended. It also means that you need to find another assurance company to offer you cover. The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council reported a 6% rise of car thefts in the 2016-2017 financial year (https://carsafe.com.au/assets/NMVTRC_Theft_Watch_Issue_63.pdf). In terms of such an occurrence, vehicle insurance is useful in covering a massive financial loss when your car is stolen or even written off. However, if your insurance company sends you a non-renewal notice this could imply that you may be without insurance cover. Reasons for a non-renewal notice There are various reasons for receiving a non-renewal notice. These fall into two categories, namely, mistakes you have made, or difficulties with the insurance company. If the fault lies with you, your driving record, and possibly numerous fines and tickets gleaned, have come u...

The common perception is that only people who work need life insurance. This is incorrect. Death is never an easy matter to talk about; however, such an event can drain the family emotionally. Added to this, there is the fear that the remaining family members may not be able to survive financially, especially with the average debt to average income being 255% in the financial period 2016 to 2017 (http://www.medianet.com.au/releases/145748/). However, the role of the stay-at-home parent should not be minimised. Although such a person does not receive a weekly pay slip, his or her role has value. By having life insurance, the stay-at-home parent can ensure that family members are taken care off in the event of death or even disability. Why life insurance policy could be right for a stay-at-home parent The role of the stay-at-home parent is normally dismissed, simply because he or she receives no income or pay slip. However, if that parent is unable to function, for examp...

Many young people are indifferent to protecting their income. It could be that this type of cover is misunderstood or simply unknown to them. Either way, the value of such insurance should not be underrated. Even though 62.5% of young people have a degree (http://education.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/2486310/mgse-youth-report-web2.pdf), 13.3% of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years old are unemployed; with 18% underemployed  ( https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/mar/27/third-of-australian-youth-have-no-job-or-are-underemployed-report-finds ). These figures can change: an increasing number of people may lose their jobs, particularly since retrenchments are higher among younger people. A solution is to take out income protection. ·         Lower premiums Premiums for income protection for young people are much lower than for someone older, young people being lower risk. For instance, a male aged 22, wi...