Websites have helped many young riders like Rasy gain exposure and showcase their talent to the world-wide freestyle community

Rhys Hillier most definitely has his own style...

Thank decency For The Internet!Many Australian freestyle riders come from small country town's hours away from big cities. Usually they're one-of-a-kind Evil Knievel types who've tried their hand at racing motocross, but end up finding out jumping ramps is more fun and easier on the wallet.

Take Rhys 'Rasy' Hillier as a recent example — he's an emerging talent from a small place called Corryong located in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains seven hours south of Sydney. Rhys broke away from his tight-knit community of 1000 people with the aid of cyberspace.

Websites like freestylemtx.com and fmxaustralia.com have helped many young riders like Rasy gain exposure and showcase their talent to the world-wide freestyle community, and if it wasn't for the net, kids like Rasy would find it near impossible to reach out to industry and event promoters who can help make or break a young riders career.

I recently caught up with Rasy to get his take on what it was like growing up in a small town, and how he broke away from it to forge a career in freestyle motocross.

So you decided to be an FMX rider, how did you connect with the scene? Internet, word of mouth?

I connected with the small, but growing scene by Internet. I lived at least three hours from any FMX riders back when I was comfortably jumping ramps and had a handful of tricks up my sleeve. Just by posting up photos each weekend, people start to see that your definitely improving. I also picked up small. but helpful sponsorships from industry people who scanned the forums looking for talent. I also met a young grom named Jesse, who worked for Freerider MX and I'd always send him photos that he'd pass onto the Editor, and next issue I bought I had my first shot in a mag!

Once you get in a magazine at a young age people keep an eye on you. After hearing about an event for amateurs on the Gold Coast, which is18-hours north of here, I entered and my Dad drove me up and I ended up placing third in my first event. From that came more exposure through magazines and word of mouth, which slowly but surely led onto other events and gigs. My first big break was being approached to do a six-month show over in China for ARD (Australian Ramp Designs).

Who inspired you to want to ride FMX? Was it a pro rider, mates, movies?
The first moto vid I saw was the originalCrusty Demons of Dirt and that's when the itch began. Once the scene in Australia slowly started to evolve, Freerider MX magazine basically unearthed the underground movement of FMX in Australia, so each month I was down at the newsagent grabbin' a copy and reading it over and over. I remember noticing one guy who was young and seemed to be the next big thing — that was Luke Urek, and since then I've always been inspired by him. It was cool seeing Urek doing seatgrabs in the pages of Freerider MX and then going on to become Australia's first FMX champ, and then become a member of the Metal Mulisha in the States. I've always thought his style on a bike is unique!

What dreams for the future did you have when you started, if any?My dreams were just to be able to ride FMX for life, and once I realized it's possible, I set my goals really high, because I believe you gotta aim high to get high. With the drive of riding solo for most of my FMX days, I know what I want and I know I can get there. My dream was to ride for the Metal Mulisha growing up, it'll always be a dream, but with the way things have been shaping up for me over the last two years, who really knows where I'll end up!

Looking back, you were one of the many amateurs behind the likes of Urek, Kinnaird, Maddo, Schuie, etc, trying to crack the pro level. How hard has this been, and what has helped you open the door to finally being recognized as a rider good enough to compete at AFMX events, and demos with Gary Reid's Showtime Yamaha team?

When you on the job keep your health good & freash.

Good health practice while on the job
following tips you may helpfull....

Balancing calories and optimizing fats.

- Eating your way to better health - a diet for immunity.

- Nutrient-dense foods for better nutrition.

- Shopping smart - getting the facts on nutrition labels.
The Health Department is offering this free program to its employees in March to encourage them to become active and healthy, and be a role model for other residents in the county.

Other employers in Nassau County can do the same for their employees. It does not have to be done by a registered dietitian; all you need is a leader. For example, several of our "Walk 'n' Talks" will be hosted by representatives from various departments such as Healthy Start and Epidemiology.

Benefits to adding a worksite wellness program to your company include:

- A reduction in absenteeism, which is time paid to an employee who is not at work. Chronic diseases and other lifestyle factors play a huge role in this. Teaching employees about the importance of wellness and lifestyle changes would decrease this cost.

- A decrease in presenteeism, which applies to employees who come to work but are not really working. These individuals often cannot afford to miss work, and although they go to work, may not be productive. This, in turn, may cost the company more time and money if deadlines are missed or work has to be corrected.

- Lower health care premiums, which are a major expense for most companies. Letting insurance companies know that worksite wellness programs have been instituted may lead to lower premiums.

It’s not hard at all to achieve a glowing clear skin and all you need is to take care and provide proper cleansing to your skin. The following tips can be very handy to achieve a clear and glowing skin.

keep skin healthy and fresh....

Vitamin C is considered very important for the skin as it helps to reduce spots effectively .You must take such foods as are rich of vitamin C to get a better spotless skin.
Smoke can damage your skin as well as hair and you must avoid smoke filled rooms and other places where smoke is found highly.

High fiber foods can be very handy to keep your skin fresh and glowing

Take low-sugar diets.

Don’t use such foods and beverages as are rich with caffeine.

Say goodbye to fried foods that have trans fatty acids.

Use skimmed milk and use its reasonable amount daily.

Reduce intake of junk foods if you are quite habitual to them.
Consume such diets as are rich with essential minerals and vitamins. You can also take vitamin supplements for this purpose.

Consume such foods as have sufficient amount of zinc. Zinc is considered quite essential for a healthy skin.

Avoid Iodine-rich foods as they can cause acne problems.

Water helps to keep your skin moist. Drink plenty of water to keep your skin fresh and your health good.

Use recommended products for acne cleansing and prevention, to keep your skin clean.

Don’t apply soap on your face regularly and you should use it only below the neck. It’s a small but useful skin care tip.

The outer layer of the skin begins to break when it gets dry that leads to rough and unappealing appearance. Try to keep your skin moist as much as possible to avoid that roughness and unappealing appearance.

If you are facing some skin problem, treat it with care and must consult your doctor before using any skin care products. Sometimes these products make the skin bad to worse.

Fashion meets technology

Fashion & technology when they are toghter...
Designer Raghavendra Rathore, known for his clothes, takes a giant leap into a new world, with “lifestyle” software for the iPhone. He offers Abhilasha Ojha a preview of his ideas.

What made you step into the world of technology?
I don’t talk about it much, but I’m a tech geek and I also studied robotics for a year in Hampshire. It was a course on the human interface with electronic gadgets. I think, like in fashion, or chocolates — another product that we bring out — or technology — where we’ve ventured now — everything hinges on a good concept. Once an idea is conceived and you’re convinced of it, all that matters, in technology, for instance, is how one tweaks the software to reach out to more people.

What was your first attempt at entering the tech mart?
Like fashion transcends geographical boundaries, technology is the future in the palm of our hands. Our first attempt is iCarbon, software that can be downloaded from the Apple iTune store on the Web for 99 cents directly to your iPhone. It helps you calculate your individual carbon footprint. It then offers solutions to reduce your environmental impact. If you calculate your iCarbon rating at 150 tonnes, the immediate solution offered is planting trees in Rajasthan, or even in the Amazon basin, wherever it’s required.

What else is on your business agenda?
We will be ready with our second software product by next month. It is a lifestyle software that lets a couple put up their photographs in order to determine how their future children will look.


Are you serious?
I’m dead serious. There’s a lot of mathematical calculation involved, but once you’ve tweaked the software to suit your idea, anything is possible. In the near future we are going to have software that will link people to heritage sites. So, for example, when tourists land in Jodhpur, they’ll immediately have a map on the iPhone marking the forts and palaces of the city. It’s an idea that needs to be — and I’m sure, will be — developed.

Interest Up Your Love Life and Marriage

If you are in pain and confused?some good news...for you.
Did you know that most relationships CAN be salvaged? You may find it difficult to believe that almost every break up for whatever reason…infidelity, plain old lost passion, loss of interest, a stolen heart and worse...even the worst situations you can imagine…like men serving prison sentences have salvaged their relationships. Yes, even Ex-cons have got back together with girlfriends and wives after being away for years!

There is hope...

Now I can almost see you shaking your head in disbelief…And it's okay…let me ask?

Don't you know couples that have gotten back together? A girl that has taken a guy back?...or vice versa?

I bet you do…and here's the strange real clincher…


Do you remember why they broke up in the first place? I bet you know at least one guy or gal that took their lover back after an affair…or unfaithfulness…or worse even?


Think about it for a sec...

Sure! And I bet you know of…or have heard of at least one girl that has taken a guy back that REALLY should not have…you know the ones I am talking about…(and I know this is kind of dark)… the girls or guys that are in verbally or physically abusive relationships.

Think like your marriage is in a furrow - require to add some excitement?
After years of marriage sometimes partners feel they’ve lost their passion. When their marriage was fresh and in the newlywed stage, love and romance came naturally. But as the years pass, the children grow and life becomes hectic, occasionally we lose sight of what made us fall in love with our partner.
Is it time to reinvent the romance? Is it past time to revitalize what we once had?
Here are eight actions you can take to make the magic reappear in your marriage.

Rediscover Love- go on a date
Set aside at least one night a week for yourselves. Find a sitter and leave the house. If you’re afraid of spending money in these economically tough times then pack a picnic lunch or dinner, go for a long walk or attend a free concert, festival or event in your area.

Take a walk down memory lane
Remember when you were dating? Remember all the activities you’d do on dates?

Take an evening or a rainy Sunday and watch the movie from your first date. Dance to a song from days gone by. Burn a CD with music from you wedding and enjoy each other’s company.

Talk about what made you fall in love with your partner.

It’s the simple things
Leave little notes all over the house. Make it a game- a scavenger hunt. Each note leads to the next until the grand finale note. Leave a candy kiss, a little piece of paper with lipstick prints, and I love you message- or if you’re really daring, yourself seductively dressed.

Don’t wait to be asked to do a chore. Do it before you’re asked, or worse, nagged. It’s the little things that mean so much.

Leave a single flower on your partner’s pillow with a love note.

Be like Stevie Wonder, call in the middle of the day and say I love you.

Send a ‘private email’.

Rub away your worries

Foot and back massages can work wonders at the end of a stress-filled day. Not only do these massages relax you and ease away the tension but they can also lead to very intimate moments and a sex-filled night.

Behind Closed Doors
Batteries required

If you’re feeling adventurous, or just curious, think about bringing a little something (ex. adult movies or toys) erotic into the bedroom. Sometimes a little jumpstart into a sexual frenzy is all you need. Trust me.

Skin Exposure
Sleep naked. There’s just something to be said for skin-to-skin contact. Gentle touches and caresses more times than not, lead to a fulfilling night of lovemaking. Once again, trust me.

Something to talk about

Tell each other your fantasies. You never know where this may lead.

Be descriptive but allow for your partners imagination to fill in the blanks.

A room with a view

Permitting you’re in the house alone, stray away from the bedroom.

Take your passion into the living room. You’ll never vacuum and dust the same way again.

Take your excitement to the kitchen table. Imagine dinners from now on. Your mind will be drawn to the moment of passion.