Touchy Issue
Regular moderate exercise generally improves body functions. However, some men have reported penile impairment and short term impotence after cycling due to reduced blood supply and nerve compression in the area of the perineum, the area between the scrotum and the anus. Men should take care to ride a properly fitted bicycle with a comfortable saddle. Position the seat to minimize pressure on the perineum. Pointing the bike seat downward a little or buying a wider seat with better support for the pelvic bones may help prevent the problem. Narrow seats are said to put the most pressure on the perineum.
A study conducted in 2004 and involving 463 cyclists event revealed that an increased risk of erectile dysfunction may come from; riding a mountain bike, not a road bike or having the handlebars higher or parallel the saddle instead of lower than the saddle. If the cycling causes numbness or tingling in the organ, men should take a break and adjust their riding position.
Decoding Mayan Writing
Hieroglyphs are pictures or symbols used in writing. The hieroglyphs of the ancient Egyptians are the most famous, but the Egyptians weren’t the only people to use this form of writing. In Mexico and Central America, the Maya developed hieroglyphs that are quite different from the Egyptian ones. Only in recent years have experts been able to interpret Maya writing. The Maya carved hieroglyphs in stone and also wrote them in books or codices, made of deer hide or tree bark.
When the Spanish conquered the Maya in the 15th century, they buried many of the codices. Most of the stone carvings were hidden by jungle overgrowth until the mid-1800, when explorers began to find lost Maya cities. By that time, no one knew how to read the ancient hieroglyphs. Maya writing is hard to decipher. In Egyptian writing, hieroglyphs represent words. Many are pictures of real or imaginary things, such as people, gods, animals, plants and tools.