It all started in the 60s. If you turned up on a smart bike there was an immediate crowd round you. Today, the story is much the same.

Outside Starbucks the other day, there it was… the ultimate dream machine. Smooth, silver and seductive. No rider in sight, nor was there anything else to interrupt the view. Not a single blemish. Not a fingerprint. What a stunner.

We know the price tag is the same as a pretty smart car. But with a Harley you get what’s not included in the price tag of most things on four wheels… showstopping street cred – and a permanent smile.

When you speak to the local Harley-Davidson boys you find they’re not a bunch of boy racers. They’re fellows who love the feeling of the open road. Without exception, Harley owners reckon that although the bike’s expensive, every dirham is well spent.

But don’t take their word for it… try one for yourself. They’re available for a day’s hire at Harley-Davidson UAE. For more information, telephone Nelius in Abu Dhabi on 02 6427400 (showroom corner of Al Salaam Street and Al Falah Street) or Sam in Dubai 04 3391909 ext 34 (showroom Sheikh Zayed Road). More at http://www.harley-uae.com

Factoid

Harley-Davidson worldwide has just had its 20th consecutive year of record sales.

Over the last four years, Dubai sales have also increased by around 20%, an in Abu Dhabi the increase is a massive 50% during last year alone. You can pay anything from around Dhs30,000 for a 900cc sportster (that’s a big bike for your money) to Dhs120,000 for the top of the range model (that’s a VERY big bike for your money!)

Events

Harley owners in the US have 12 events scheduled for 1st April alone. Check out the rest of the calendar here.

In Europe, it’s the German Harley owners who have got themselves organised, with six of this month’s eight events being held in Germany.

For more information on the local Harley owners chapters visit the Harley owners group on http://www.hogabudhabi.com or http://www.hogdubai.com

If you’re quick, you’ve just got time to visit the 2nd annual Dubai Bikeweek at DIMC, Dubai - last day, 1st April: http://www.dubaibikeweek.com

Fact or fiction?

Were Harleys buried in England after the war?

And finally...

If you prefer four wheels to two, this tasty little number from Porsche is now available in the UAE! See below for a list of local Porsche agents…

Your chance of having been born on Leap Year Day is about one in 1461. Put another way, only 0.0684% of the world’s population are Leapers. They even have their own webpage http://www.leapzine.com/hr/index.html There are some interesting traditions and folklore associated with Leap Day.

In today’s society, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage to a man. However, that hasn’t always been the case.  When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.

It is believed this tradition started in fifth century Ireland, when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. They also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.

According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.

In the United States, some people have referred to this date as Sadie Hawkins Day with women being given the right to run after unmarried men to propose. Sadie Hawkins was a female character in the Al Capp cartoon strip Li’l Abner. Many communities prefer to celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November, which is when Al Capp first mentioned Sadie Hawkins Day.

There is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leap year. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year.

The Romans under Julius Caesar were the first society to create leap years by adding a day to their calendar every four years. This system worked fairly well.

Pope Gregory the 13th issued an edict in 1582 to create the Gregorian calendar. By his decree, a leap year would take place every four years unless it was a year divisible by 100. The only exception was if the year was also divisible by 400. Therefore, the year 1900 was not a leap year, and neither will 2100 be one. The year 2000 was a leap year. The rest of the Christian world adopted the Gregorian calendar over the next few centuries

The Chinese and Hebrew calendars are based on 12 lunar (moon-cycle) months, adding a 13th lunar month every few years to keep things synchronised. The Islamic calendar is on a 12-month lunar cycle. Therefore, an Islamic year is 354.36 days. This is why the holy month of Ramadan is never at the same time each year

In 1988 the border town of Anthony, Texas/New Mexico celebrated the first World Wide Leap Year Festival. Resident Mary Ann Brown, who was born on February 29th, spearheaded the idea and successfully campaigned to have the town named the world’s leap year capital.

Some Famous Leapers Born on February 29th

1972 - Anthonio Sabato Jr., model & actor
1964 Henrik Sundstrom, Sweden, tennis star
1916 - Dinah Shore, singer
1904 - Jimmy Dorsey, bandleader
1792 - Gioacchino Rossini, Italian opera composer
1964- James RB Ogilvy, son of English princess Alexandra
1932 - Gavin Stevens, cricket, Australian bat on 59-60 India/Pakistan tour
1928 - Alan Loveday, British violinist
1928 - Joss Ackland, born in London, England, actor, Queenie, To Kill a Priest
1924 - David Beattie, British governor-general of NZ
1916 - Dinah Shore, American Actress
1908 - Alf Gover, cricketer, bowled in four tests for England/famous coach
1896 - Ranchhodji Morarji Desai, premier of India, 1977-79
1896 - Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, composer
1468 - Paul III, last Renaissance pope, 1534-49

February 29 Events in History

1996 - Kenya defeat West Indies (all out 93) in Cricket World Cup
1988 - Mark Greatbatch scores 107* vs. England on Test Cricket debut
1988 - Nazi document implicates Kurt Waldheim in WW II deportations
1968 - Beatles’ “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” wins Grammy
1964 - Frank Rugani sets badminton shuttlecock distance record, 24.3 m
1956 - Islamic Republic forms in Pakistan
1940 - “Gone with the Wind,” wins 8 Oscars
1868 - 1st British government of Disraeli forms

Leap Year Cocktail

Invented at the Savoy Hotel in London on February 29th, 1928 this sweet concoction was said to have spurred many a marriage proposal.

2 ounces gin
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
1/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Serve with a twist of lemon.

Cheers!

There have been a number of privacy rows sparked by the social networking site and for those who really value their privacy, there is a strong temptation to delete their Facebook account and leave the site forever.

However, such is the reach of Mark Zuckerberg’s hugely popular yet somewhat controversial website that not being on Facebook now has real disadvantages - for example, many other websites now ask for your Facebook credentials to log into THEIR site.

So what’s the answer? You can go into “stealth” mode on Facebook - nobody but your existing friends will be able to see any of your activity, statuses or photos.

To do this, follow these simple steps.

Visit Facebook.com, log in to your profile and click ‘Account’ in the top-right corner. From there, choose ‘Privacy Settings.’

• From the ‘Privacy Settings’ page, click on ‘View Settings’ to see who can search for you, send messages to your account, see your education and work settings and more. Change all of these drop-down menus to ‘Friends Only.’

• Return to the ‘Privacy Settings’ page and choose ‘Customize Settings’ near the bottom of the page. This new page will load a number of different privacy options, but you’ll want to click through each one and change the setting to ‘Only Me’ so that nobody else can see your Facebook activity.

• Stay on the ‘Customize Settings’ page and scroll down to ‘Things Others Share.’ Here, you’ll want to edit and disable settings so that your friends are unable to write on your wall, comment on posts and check you in to places.

• Return to the ‘Privacy Settings’ page and, under ‘Apps and Websites’ in the bottom-left corner, select ‘Edit Your Settings.’ This page shows all of the third-party websites and applications that you have given access to some of your Facebook information. If you see anything on this list that you want to remove, just click to remove it from the list.

• Stay on the ‘Apps and Websites’ page, scroll down to ‘Instant Personalization’ and select ‘Edit Settings.’ Uncheck the box at the bottom of this page to block other websites from accessing your Facebook interests. Select ‘Confirm’ when a pop-up asks you if you’re sure you want to disable this option.

• Return to the ‘Apps and Websites’ page, scroll down to ‘Public Search’ and select ‘Edit Settings.’ To keep search engines from finding your Facebook profile, uncheck the box on this new screen.

Voila - you’re now in Facebook stealth mode!

1stinflowers.com will deliver that special Stateside floral message for you in style, and this month you can upgrade your order and save 10% by using the code 859007 at the checkout.

The UK website Bunches.co.uk will make your gift special with free chocolates delivered with many of their arrangements, and you’ll also get loyalty points to spend on your next order.

Even though it’s supposed to be summer Down Under, the Aussies have had their share of bad weather too, so cheer someone up with flowers from www.readyflowers.com.au, and help raise funds for the Queensland flood appeal while you’re at it.

As Valentine’s Day is now looming on the horizon, it’s a good idea to get your order in now for your distant loved one - and remember, ladies… lots of men like flowers too!

This year, the show will share a strategic co-location with Hardware+Tools Middle East 2011, bringing together for the first time two closely-related industry exhibitions.

For more information, go to http://www.gardeningexpo.com/

The colour of the lapis lazuli is a solid but vibrant dark blue. The gold coloured veins running through this crystal come from a mineral called pyrite. This crystal is called the stone of “Total Awareness” as it helps to expand awareness and intellectual capacity.

Lapis lazuli is an ancient gem, and its powers were known by the Babylonians, Assyrians, the ancient Greeks and the Egyptians. The ancient Egyptians created jewellery with lapis lazuli and used this crystal as a symbol of truth. It was the practice to bury a lapis lazuli scarab with their dead, as they believed it would offer protection.

To the Greeks the lapis lazuli was known as ancient sapphire and was often set with gold. 

The lapis lazuli activates the throat chakra as well as the third eye chakra. In meditation it opens the third eye to higher guidance, intuition and connection to the higher self. It can also aid you developing insights into your dreams and may assist in past life recall. It balances the yin and yang energies. When worn over the heart, it connects heart and mind. 

Lapis lazuli organises the mind, helps with decision making and aids truthfulness in business.

It is said to have been one of the stones used on the breastplates of the high priests.

This crystal helps with physical ailments such as high blood pressure and imbalances of the thyroid. It eases sinus ailments, headaches, eye problems, nervous system imbalances, speech problems, pituitary gland problems and for pain relief.

It’s an important remedy for disorders of the throat and immune system and can activate the regenerative energies of the body. It also helps to build self-confidence.

It is a stone that protects from both physical and psychic attacks, heals emotional wounds and cleanses the auric field. Lapis lazuli is a very powerful stone and should be used carefully.

The stone can be found in Chile, the Soviet Union and the United States, but most significantly from the mountains of Afghanistan.

Green tea has become quite popular among the health conscious, but white tea is now earning accolades for its potential health benefits.

White tea is produced from the same tea plant as black, green and oolong teas. Each is distinctly different in flavour and colour and the nutritional components vary as well. White tea is delicate, slightly sweet and doesn’t have the weedy aftertaste that is sometimes associated with green tea. A coup of white tea contains less fluoride than other teas and only 15mg of caffeine, compared with 40mg for regular tea and 20mg for green tea.

White tea is brimming over with natural polyphenols, health promoting antioxidants that strengthen immune systems and suppress free-radical activity. A recent issue of the African Journal of Biotechnology found that the antioxidant properties of white tea are similar to those of green tea. Lab tests on the four varieties of tea found that white tea inhibited mutations in DNA, the earliest stages of progression of a healthy cell to a cancerous one, more efficiently than green or black teas.

In 2003 a study by the Linus Pauling Institute found that white tea was as effective as sulindac, a prescription non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in suppressing pre-cancerous tumours in mice.

They also found that lab mice treated with a combination of white tea and sulindac had significantly fewer tumours than those treated with either substance alone. There is also evidence to suggest that white tea may be beneficial fighting viruses, bacterial and fungal infections.

The early research is encouraging, making white tea an attractive alternative for both flavour and health benefits.

How tea is processed

Black Tea: Mature leaves are withered to remove moisture, then they are rolled and left to fully ferment or oxidize. The darkened leaves are then dried again to stop the fermentation process.

Oolong Tea: The process is the same as that for black tea, but with a shorter fermentation stage.

Green Tea: The leaves are not subjected to the fermentation process and are withered, steamed, rolled and dried to stabilize their natural green colour, flavour and nutrients.

White Tea: This involves the least processing of all. Immature leaves are harvested in early spring with the silvery white buds unopened. Leaves and buds are steamed together and air dried to prevent oxidation and the preserve more of the natural plant nutrients and antioxidants.

The boffins believe it may be possible to reduce the emissions with a new strain of clover.

The white clover gives cows and sheep extra protein - so also improving animal health - and at the same time reduces emissions of methane and nitrogen waste.

The scientists say that some pasture species, such as lotus (a legume) can directly reduce methane emissions by as much as 16 per cent, thanks to its condensed tannins.

However, legumes such as lotus are difficult to establish and do not keep growing in grazed pastures.

Now the scientists are working on a white clover that contains concentrations of the condensed tannins - normally only found as trace amounts in white clover and are entirely absent in grasses.

Soon, we may all be able to breathe a little more easily about the planet’s future.

It’s one of many springing up above the streets of New York, as a new generation of farmers looks to put to work spaces that normally go to waste.

Farmer Annie Novak turned a 750 square metre factory roof into Eagle Street farm, the first commercial rooftop agricultural venture in North America.

“We’re growing about 20-25 different varieties of fruit and vegetables,“ she says. “We grow everything from carrots, which surprises people because the soil is very shallow, to eggplants and tomatoes, because around the neighbourhood they love them.

“The farm has been commercially operable for two years now. In the first year we experimented a lot with crops, and we were trying to figure out just what plants didn’t die.

“This year we’ve been focusing more on the marketing and we are able to run ourselves as a business because we sell to restaurants, and we have a market and a community-supported agriculture group. We operate the whole year without a single penny of debt.”

But it is not the only farm in the area that is up on the roof. Brooklyn Grange in Queens also transports its products within cycling distance to local restaurants and residents.

And rooftop farms are not only a question of crops. An entire community is growing around the organic philosophy. More and more residents are volunteering for gardening duties, and a network of restaurants is spreading an alternative eating culture.

How’s that for organic thinking?

Fry-up

After a heavy drinking session your digestive system is under a lot of strain, so the full breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausages and the accompaniments could cause indigestion. But fat contains many calories for that much-needed energy boost, and eggs and meat are rich in the amino acid, cysteine, which is thought to be good at clearing out toxins. Well...does it work? Sort of, but try not to fry...go for the grilled option instead.

Painkillers

You’re really better off avoiding painkillers altogether, but you have to take some, the keyword is moderation. Remember that aspirin and ibuprofen may irritate your stomach, and paracetamol gives your liver even more work to do. Since you’re is already feeling delicate, popping pills should never be your cure of choice.

Hair of the dog

There is scientific evidence to prove this works, but only in the short term! All it does is make your body deal with a new intake of booze, but once you’ve finished drinking - it’s back to hangover hell. It seems you’re just putting off the inevitable, so perhaps it’s best not to bother.

Caffeine

Many people rely on a can of coke, a cup of tea or shot of black coffee. However, these will only make you feel better for a short time. A hangover is a sign of dehydration… caffeine causes dehydration… so these remedies will just make your head feel worse later on.

Water

You’re hung-over because you’re dehydrated. Water combats dehydration, so the best thing is to drink lots of water before going to bed. If you forgot to do that, and only just remembered where your bed was, then you need to tackle the problem the next day. The magic formula is a pint of water every hour.

Fruit Juice

Try to get freshly squeezed juice, which works best to replace lost vitamins. The fruit sugar boosts your energy levels and can help your body get rid of toxins. If the fruit is too acidic for your sore tummy, add water, or make a smoothie with banana and yoghurt. Another option is to try a less acidic vegetable juice.

Sleep

Try to get as much sleep as possible. Your body is working extra hard to clear out the mess you’ve made of your internal organs. This will make you sluggish. If your raging headache isn’t keeping you awake - go back to sleep! While your head is on the pillow, your poor neglected body doesn’t have as much work to do to make a recovery.