Here are the biggest news, sport and entertainment stories of 1999…

The UK prepared to celebrate the new millennium in style with the Queen’s official opening of the £758m Millennium Dome. It was well over budget and had received bad reviews but was still much anticipated. Unfortunately, the Millennium Wheel must have fallen foul of the Millennium Bug as its opening was delayed due to technical faults. The Millennium Bug in general turned out to be madonna big fuss about nothing as the nation’s toasters and hairdryers managed to cope with the change in date and not spontaneously news As for the people, lots went to large organised events in city centres, many went to pubs and clubs, some went to street parties, and others simply opened a bottle of bubbly at home.

Another reason for many to celebrate in ’99 was the government’s introduction, for the first time ever, of a legally-binding minimum rate of pay for all workers in the UK. Set at £3.60 an hour, about two million people benefited from the move; their wage packets being increased by up to a third.

On the darker side of the year, London suffered 3 nail-bomb attacks in 2 weeks and was, for a time, gripped in fear. Fortunately, the police quickly tracked down the perpetrator (who claimed he was a Nazi) and sentenced him to life in prison. Another sentenced to life in prison was Tony Martin, the farmer who shot a burglar who was in his house. Given the circumstances, many saw his punishment to be unfair and huge campaigns were set-up to free a man who people felt was a victim, not a criminal.

Lawrence Dallaglio was another one not celebrating the millennium after being stripped of the captaincy of the English national rugby team. Tabloid newspapers alleged that the clean cut, saviour of the game had took and dealt drugs whilst at university and the unwelcome publicity was enough for the Rugby Association to act; something they may have regretted when a lack of evidence (surely they should get this before publishing stories?!?) led to him being cleared of the charges. Football wise, Manchester United won the premier league for the 5th time in the 90s, making them the new undisputed heavyweights of the domestic game.

In the entertainment world, the leader of the Staines Massive, Ali G, launched his career as part of the 11 O’Clock Show on Channel 4. Masquerading as a quotes streetwise ‘gangster’ (who lived with his Gran), Sacha Baron Cohen made fools of political figures by asking questions about drugs, violence and sex and getting them to show how out of touch they were. Over on the BBC, the licence money was well spent on the big-budget natural history programme ‘Walking With Dinosaurs’; viewers being fascinated to see genuinely realistic looking computer generated dinosaurs roaming the earth.

The British film industry got back to business with Guy Ritchie’s ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’. The mix of professional actors with real East End villains (even football hard man Vinnie Jones got involved) was a success and the box office took millions as people went to see the story of a group of London lads desperately trying to come up with the £500,000 they owed. Another movie hit of 1999 was ‘Fight Club’ featuring Brad Pitt (that’s all I can say about that though as the first rule of fight club is that you don’t talk about fight club!).

For a full rundown of the best selling 1999 music…

…alternatively, 90s music charts for every year of the decade.

Many people have exclaimed how yoga has changed their outlook on life. The quotes by Madonna alone could fill a book! But within the many types madonna yoga, Bikram yoga stands out as being a particularly “hot,” body-bending experience!

Bikram yoga was founded by Bikram Choudhury and news commonly also known as “hot yoga.” It’s easy to understand why – it’s supposed to be practiced in a 105 degree room with 50 percent humidity! In actual practice, many classes lower this a few degrees and most don’t have the humidity controls to assure the proper level. However, even with these variations, the intent of Bikram yoga can be achieved. The dual purposes are an increase in bodily strength and flexibility, and a move towards closer union of the physical and spiritual selves.

Bikram yoga quotes made up of 26 asanas, or postures, and 2 breathing exercises. The word “asana” translates to “seat” in English, and refers to the relationship between an individual’s spirit and God. Do not begin your Bikram practice with a full stomach, but do drink a glass of water. The workout is usually started from a meditation posture. While performing the 26 asanas, breathe through your nose, not your mouth. Breathe slowly and naturally, but don’t force the breathing. You are consciously releasing all the tension in your muscles as you do the asanas. The eventually lead you back to a sitting meditation posture.

So why the heat? First of all, the heat and humidity makes you sweat, and sweating removes toxins from the body. Secondly, doing the asanas in a room heated near or above body temperature allows the muscles to relax and achieve postures you never thought they could. You can get deeper into a posture. And best of all, the heat actually prevents injuries and minimizes the aches you feel after any new exercise program.

Yoga is seen by most as a way to achieve balance between the body, mind and spirit. It helps us towards optimum health and rids our lives of stress. Bikram yoga addresses all these factors, and is an excellent way for those not in the best physical shape to begin. Many Bikram yoga classes are geared specially to seniors who may have lost some of the flexibility they enjoyed when younger. They are always amazed at what they can do again while in that heated Bikram yoga environment.

Some common benefits noticed by Bikram yoga students are the ability to relax at will, an improvement in physical balance, strengthening of the back, a flatter and more toned abdomen, and improved digestion. If you have poor circulation, pay particular attention to the inverted poses, as these will help with that condition.

Always go through the whole program, remembering to breathe slowly through your nose. There is no need to hurry or stress. Do what you can and don’t push yourself to the point of pain. That is not necessary. “No pain, no gain” is the cruelest lie foisted on the exercising public. Feeling pain is a sign of danger. Stop what you’re doing immediately and take it a couple steps back. The workout is designed to end with relaxation. You’ll be ready to go meet the world afresh!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Yoga

A purse is a bag used by women to carry keys, a wallet, and personal items. Men carried purses during biblical times but there is a variation now and women mostly use them. Women of different ages and personalities select purses of different types. The British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was famous as a handbag carrier.

Purses are made out of many materials. Leather purses have been popular for a long time. Pure leather purses are much more costly than the purses made from artificial leather. Artificial leather is made from thick fabric treated with synthetic material such as vinyl polymers. These purses are beautifully decorated and they look like the real leather purses. Many contemporary designs can be found in designer stores.

Handmade purses are also available and the costs of these purses depend on the material used in making them. Material used for decorating can range from embroidery to using sequins and beads. Hand embroidered purses take a longer time for completion as there is a lot of precision required to make each piece.

Cheap purses are also available at discount stores. These stores are usually replacing old stocks and sell off the purses at reduced rates to finish the old stock. Local malls that have sections for purses have sales during the non-peak sale times. It is possible to get a good bargain at these times.

It is also possible to obtain cheap purses from direct factory outlets. Purse making factories generally have stores attached to them and they sell purses at a wholesale rate. Small-scale industries that manufacture purses are also places where purses can be obtained at a cheaper rate.

It is however advisable to buy purses from reliable stores. Discounted purses should be bought from renowned shops that are known for quality sales. Cheap purses bought from roadside vendors can turn out to be defective or low quality items. The finish of the purse should be checked before buying from roadside stalls.

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