Pearl Grass

Layman's 10 commandments

2011-06-30T08:48:00.000+08:00

Someone has written these beautiful words. Must read and try to understand the deep meaning of it.
They are like the ten commandments to follow in life all the time.

1] Prayer is not a "spare wheel" that you pull out when in trouble, but it is a "steering wheel" that directs the right path throughout.

2] So a Car's WINDSHIELD is so large & the Rear view Mirror is so small? Because our PAST is not as important as our FUTURE. So, Look Ahead and Move on.

3] Friendship is like a BOOK. It takes few seconds to burn, but it takes years to write.

4] All things in life are temporary. If going well, enjoy it, they will not last forever. If going wrong, don't worry, they can't last long either.

5] Old Friends are Gold! New Friends are Diamond! If you get a Diamond, don't forget the Gold! Because to hold a Diamond, you always need a Base of Gold!

6] Often when we lose hope and think this is the end, GOD smiles from above and says, "Relax, sweetheart, it's just a bend, not the end!

7] When GOD solves your problems, you have faith in HIS abilities; when GOD doesn't solve your problems HE has faith in your abilities.

8] When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.

9] WORRYING does not take away tomorrow's TROUBLES, it takes away today's PEACE.

10) If you really enjoy this, please pass to others. It may brighten someone's day

A touching, heart warming video

2011-05-02T15:57:00.001+08:00

The Doll and the White Rose - Click here for another funny movie.

Enjoy! Please share!

My Immortal...What A Girl Wants To Hear

2011-05-02T10:45:00.001+08:00

What a Girl Wants to Hear - Click here for funny video clips

$1.5 million paid for world’s most expensive dog

2011-05-02T10:41:00.002+08:00

Genghis Khan had one, legend says. So did the Buddha.

And now, the prized red Tibetan mastiff, thought to be one of the world’s oldest and most venerable breeds, has another distinction: One of the massive, fluffy dogs has become the most expensive dog ever sold.

An 11-month old pup named Big Splash (“Hong Dong” in Chinese) recently sold in the Chinese city of Qingdao for 10 million yuan — about $1.5 million in U.S. dollars.

The 3-foot-tall, 180-pound dog is one of a breed that has been around since time immemorial. Tibetan mastiffs are said to have guarded nomad camps and monasteries, and are rarely seen outside of Tibet.

But even among that rarified class of canines, Big Splash stands alone.

Raised on a diet of beef, chicken, abalone and sea cucumber, “he is a perfect specimen,” his breeder, identified only as Mr. Lou, told the British newspaper. “He has excellent genes and will be a good breeding dog. When I started in this business, 10 years ago, I never thought we would see such a price.”

Lou declined to identify Big Splash’s new owner, other than to say that he is a multimillionaire who made his fortune in coal. And given the rising popularity of the breed, it may be that the owner can make some of his investment back by offering the dog’s services at stud. Some breeders are willing to pay as much as $100,000 to get a dipper out of Big Splash’s gene pool.

Big Splash takes the title of the World’s Most Expensive Dog away from another Tibetan mastiff, Yangtze River Number Two, who sold for 4 million yuan in 2009. In an example of what some say is the excess exhibited among China’s new rich, Yangtze River Number Two was chauffeured to its new owner in a motorcade that included 30 limousines.

source

Glowing Pork, anyone?

2011-05-02T10:30:00.003+08:00

Shanghai city resident purchased “blue glow pork”, both surprised and afraid.

Miss Chen the purchased a kilogram of pork from a wet market on Yang Gao North Road the day before yesterday. That night her family used a portion of that pork to make dumplings together. Afterward, she placed the leftover pork on a small table in the kitchen. At 11pm, Miss Chen got out of bed to use the toilet, and suddenly noticed a faint blue glow coming from the kitchen, and that the bright blue glow was coming from the pork itself!

Glowing pork

In order to be sure she wasn’t seeing things, Miss Chen woke up her family to look at this piece of strange meat together. The pork glowed in the dark but returned to “normal” in the morning. Both astonished and afraid, Miss Chen’s family did not dare to eat from this piece of pork again.

Yesterday afternoon, this reporter rushed to Miss Chen’s home and saw this piece of glowing pork. This reporter noticed that the remaining 500+ gram of pork was in the shape of a strip, with more lean meat than fat, and though it had already been purchased for over a day, there was no peculiar smell.

This reporter, through multiple tests in the dark and light, truly did see the pork emit a faint blue light, that apart from the pig’s skin, the entire piece of pork was suffused with blue light, and a faint blue glow could also be seen on fingers that had handled the pork. This reporter afterward intentionally washed this piece of pork with water and again checked in a dark place, but the pork still emitted a blue glow, only just slightly more faint.

The glowing phenomenon may be caused by bacteria

This reporter got a hold of two food experts on the phone. Regarding this, the experts response was that they have never seen pork emitting light, that it may have been caused by bacteria, that the pork needs to be tested, and further observation, research, and analysis is required before anything can be confirmed.

Changsha “blue glow pork” is caused by glowing bacterium

Last year in February, Changsha city residents one after another discovered that the pork they had purchased from supermarkets emitted a blue glow at night. After this phenomenon was reported by the media, the Changsha Food Safety Commission mobilized the efforts of the business, livestock, industry and commerce, health, and other departments and at the same time invited experts and professors to participate in the investigation. Through scientific bacteria cultivation separation, experts discovered “blue glow pork” was caused by secondary bacterial contamination.

Food experts say it is safe to eat

Shanghai Health Supervision Department food experts say the pork that has been contaminated by phosphorescent bacteria is still safe to consume after cooking and heating.

source

Group hysteria after watching ghost movie

2011-05-02T10:24:00.001+08:00

A group of movie-goers went hysterical after watching a ghost film in Indonesia.

They were screaming and shouting, and some even crying while rolling on the ground at the car park of Trade Mall in Bogor last week.

According to witnesses, the incident first started on 13 youths, and eventually those around them were also affected.

Security personnel were immediately called to help but failed.

Fifteen minutes later, a man who had just finished his prayers arrived at the car park.

He touched on the heads of those went hysterical, and amazingly, the group calmed down.

The youths said had just finished watching ghost film 13 Cara Memanggil Setan (13 Ways to Summon the Demons) at the mall.
Source: Agencies

Best Time To Drink Water

2011-05-02T10:18:00.001+08:00

From A Cardiac Specialist!

Drinking water at certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:

2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs

1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion

1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure

1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack

Why Chinese Women Don't Get Breast Cancer

2011-05-02T10:15:00.001+08:00

Prof Jane Plant
WHY WOMEN IN CHINA DO NOT GET BREAST CANCER
By Prof. Jane Plant, PhD, CBE

I had no alternative but to die or to try to find a cure for myself. I am a scientist - surely there was a rational explanation for this cruel illness that affects one in 12 women in the UK ?

I had suffered the loss of one breast, and undergone radiotherapy. I was now receiving painful chemotherapy, and had been seen by some of the country's most eminent specialists. But, deep down, I felt certain I was facing death. I had a loving husband, a beautiful home and two young children to care for. I desperately wanted to live.

Fortunately, this desire drove me to unearth the facts, some of which were known only to a handful of scientists at the time.

Anyone who has come into contact with breast cancer will know that certain risk factors - such as increasing age, early onset of womanhood, late onset of menopause and a family history of breast cancer - are completely out of our control. But there are many risk factors, which we can control easily.

These "controllable" risk factors readily translate into simple changes that we can all make in our day-to-day lives to help prevent or treat breast cancer. My message is that even advanced breast cancer can be overcome because I have done it.

The first clue to understanding what was promoting my breast cancer came when my husband Peter, who was also a scientist, arrived back from working in China while I was being plugged in for a chemotherapy session.

He had brought with him cards and letters, as well as some amazing herbal suppositories, sent by my friends and science colleagues in China .

The suppositories were sent to me as a cure for breast cancer. Despite the awfulness of the situation, we both had a good belly laugh, and I remember saying that this was the treatment for breast cancer in China , then it was little wonder that Chinese women avoided getting the disease.

Those words echoed in my mind.

Why didn't Chinese women in China get breast cancer?

I had collaborated once with Chinese colleagues on a study of links between soil chemistry and disease, and I remembered some of the statistics.

The disease was virtually non-existent throughout the whole country. Only one in 10,000 women in China will die from it, compared to that terrible figure of one in 12 in Britain and the even grimmer average of one in 10 across most Western countries.

It is not just a matter of China being a more rural country, with less urban pollution. In highly urbanized Hong Kong , the rate rises to 34 women in every 10,000 but still puts the West to shame.

The Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have similar rates. And remember, both cities were attacked withnuclear weapons, so in addition to the usual pollution-related cancers, one would also expect to find some radiation-related cases, too.

The conclusion we can draw from these statistics strikes you with some force. If a Western woman were to move to industrialized, irradiated Hiroshima , she would slash her risk of contracting breast cancer by half. Obviously this is absurd.

It seemed obvious to me that some lifestyle factor not related to pollution, urbanization or the environment is seriously increasing the Western woman's chance of contracting breast cancer.

I then discovered that whatever causes the huge differences in breast cancer rates between oriental and Western countries, it isn't genetic.

Scientific research showed that when Chinese or Japanese people move to the West, within one or two generations their rates of breast cancer approach those of their host community.

The same thing happens when oriental people adopt a completely Western lifestyle in Hong Kong . In fact, the slang name for breast cancer in China translates as 'Rich Woman's Disease'. This is because, in China , only the better off can afford to eat what is termed ' Hong Kong food'.

The Chinese describe all Western food, including everything from ice cream and chocolate bars to spaghetti and feta cheese, as "Hong Kong food", because of its availability in the former British colony and its scarcity, in the past, in mainland China .

So it made perfect sense to me that whatever was causing my breast cancer and the shockingly high incidence in this country generally, it was almost certainly something to do with our better-off, middle-class, Western lifestyle.

There is an important point for men here, too. I have observed in my research that much of the data about prostate cancer leads to similar conclusions.

According to figures from the World Health Organization, the number of men contracting prostate cancer in rural China is negligible, only 0.5 men in every 100,000.
In England, Scotland and Wales , however, this figure is 70 times higher. Like breast cancer, it is a middle-class disease that primarily attacks the wealthier and higher socio-economic groups, those that can afford to eat rich foods.

I remember saying to my husband, "Come on Peter, you have just come back from China . What is it about the Chinese way of life that is so different?"

Why don't they get breast cancer?'
We decided to utilize our joint scientific backgrounds and approach it logically.

We examined scientific data that pointed us in the general direction of fats in diets.
Researchers had discovered in the 1980s that only l4% of calories in the average Chinese diet were from fat, compared to almost 36% in the West.
But the diet I had been living on for years before I contracted breast cancer was very low in fat and high in fibre.
Besides, I knew as a scientist that fat intake in adults has not been shown to increase risk for breast cancer in most investigations that have followed large groups of women for up to a dozen years.
Then one day something rather special happened. Peter and I have worked together so closely over the years that I am not sure which one of us first said:

"The Chinese don't eat dairy produce!"

It is hard to explain to a non-scientist the sudden mental and emotional 'buzz' you get when you know you have had an important insight. It's as if you have had a lot of pieces of a jigsaw in your mind, and suddenly, in a few seconds, they all fall into place and the whole picture is clear.

Suddenly I recalled how many Chinese people were physically unable to tolerate milk, how the Chinese people I had worked with had always said that milk was only for babies, and how one of my close friends, who is of Chinese origin, always politely turned down the cheese course at dinner parties.

I knew of no Chinese people who lived a traditional Chinese life who ever used cow or other dairy food to feed their babies. The tradition was to use a wet nurse but never, ever, dairy products.

Culturally, the Chinese find our Western preoccupation with milk and milk products very strange. I remember entertaining a large delegation of Chinese scientists shortly after the ending of the Cultural Revolution in the 1980s.

On advice from the Foreign Office, we had asked the caterer to provide a pudding that contained a lot of ice cream. After inquiring what the pudding consisted of, all of the Chinese, including their interpreter, politely but firmly refused to eat it, and they could not be persuaded to change their minds.

At the time we were all delighted and ate extra portions!

Milk, I discovered, is one of the most common causes of food allergies .

Over 70% of the world's population are unable to digest the milk sugar, lactose, which has led nutritionists to believe that this is the normal condition for adults, not some sort of deficiency. Perhaps nature is trying to tell us that we are eating the wrong food.

Before I had breast cancer for the first time, I had eaten a lot of dairy produce, such as skimmed milk, low-fat cheese and yogurt. I had used it as my main source of protein. I also ate cheap but lean minced beef, which I now realized was probably often ground-up dairy cow.

In order to cope with the chemotherapy I received for my fifth case of cancer, I had been eating organic yogurts as a way of helping my digestive tract to recover and repopulate my gut with 'good' bacteria.

Recently, I discovered that way back in 1989 yogurt had been implicated in ovarian cancer. Dr Daniel Cramer of Harvard University studied hundreds of women with ovarian cancer, and had them record in detail what they normally ate. Wish I'd been made aware of his findings when he had first discovered them.

Following Peter's and my insight into the Chinese diet, I decided to give up not just yogurt but all dairy produce immediately. Cheese, butter, milk and yogurt and anything else that contained dairy produce - it went down the sink or in the rubbish.

It is surprising how many products, including commercial soups, biscuits and cakes, contain some form of dairy produce. Even many proprietary brands of margarine marketed as soya, sunflower or olive oil spreads can contain dairy produce
.
I therefore became an avid reader of the small print on food labels.

Up to this point, I had been steadfastly measuring the progress of my fifth cancerous lump with callipers and plotting the results. Despite all the encouraging comments and positive feedback from my doctors and nurses, my own precise observations told me the bitter truth.

My first chemotherapy sessions had produced no effect - the lump was still the same size.

Then I eliminated dairy products. Within days, the lump started to shrink

About two weeks after my second chemotherapy session and one week after giving up dairy produce, the lump in my neck started to itch. Then it began to soften and to reduce in size. The line on the graph, which had shown no change, was now pointing downwards as the tumour got smaller and smaller.

And, very significantly, I noted that instead of declining exponentially (a graceful curve) as cancer is meant to do, the tumour's decrease in size was plotted on a straight line heading off the bottom of the graph, indicating a cure, not suppression (or remission) of the tumour.

One Saturday afternoon after about six weeks of excluding all dairy produce from my diet, I practised an hour of meditation then felt for what was left of the lump. I couldn't find it. Yet I was very experienced at detecting cancerous lumps - I had discovered all five cancers on my own. I went downstairs and asked my husband to feel my neck. He could not find any trace of the lump either.

On the following Thursday I was due to be seen by my cancer specialist a Charing Cross Hospital in London . He examined me thoroughly, especially my neck where the tumour had been. He was initially bemused and then delighted as he said, "I cannot find it." None of my doctors, it appeared, had expected someone with my type and stage of cancer (which had clearly spread to the lymph system) to survive, let alone be so hale and hearty.

My specialist was as overjoyed as I was. When I first discussed my ideas with him he was understandably sceptical. But I understand that he now uses maps showing cancer mortality in China in his lectures, and recommends a non-dairy diet to his cancer patients.

I now believe that the link between dairy produce and breast cancer is similar to the link between smoking and lung cancer.

I believe that identifying the link between breast cancer and dairy produce, and then developing a diet specifically targeted at maintaining the health of my breast and hormone system, cured me.

It was difficult for me, as it may be for you, to accept that a substance as 'natural' as milk might have such ominous health implications. But I am a living proof that it works and, starting from tomorrow, I shall reveal the secrets of my revolutionary action plan.

Extracted from Your Life in Your Hands, by Professor Jane Plan

A Letter to all sons

2011-01-02T20:00:00.003+08:00

Following is a letter to his son from a renowned Hong Kong TV broadcaster cum Child Psychologist.

My Son,

I am writing this to you because of 3 reasons:

(1) Life is unpredictable, nobody knows how long he lives. Some words are better said early.

(2) I am your father, and if I don't tell you these, no one else will.

(3) What is written is my own personal bitter experiences that perhaps could save you a lot of unnecessary heartache.

Remember the following as you go through life:

1.對你不好的人，你不要太介意:在你一生中，沒有人有義務要對你好，除了我和你媽媽。至於那些對你好的人，你除了要珍惜、感恩外，也請多防備一點，因為，每個人做每件事，總有一個原因，他對你好，未必真的是因為喜歡你，請你必須搞清楚，而不必太快將對方看作真朋友

Do not bear grudge towards those who are not good to you. No one has the responsibility of treating you well, except your mother and I. To those who are good to you, you have to treasure it and be thankful, and ALSO you have to be cautious, because, everyone has a motive for every move. When a person is good to you, it does not mean he really likes you. You have to be careful, don't hastily regard him as a real friend.

2.沒有人是不可代替，沒有東西是必須擁有:看透了這一點，將來你身邊的人不再要你，或許失去了世間上最愛的一切時，也應該明白，這並不是甚麼大不了的事

No one is indispensable, nothing in the world that you must possess. Once you understand this idea, it would be easier for you to go through life when people around you don't want you anymore, or when you lose what/who you love most.

3.生命是短暫的，今日你還在浪費著生命，明日會發覺生命已遠離你了:因此，愈早珍惜生命，你享受生命的日子也愈多，與其盼望長壽，倒不如早點享受

Life is short. When you waste your life today, tomorrow you would find that life is leaving you. The earlier you treasure your life, the better you enjoy life.

4.世界上並沒有最愛這回事:愛情只是一種霎時的感覺，而這感覺絕對會隨時日、心境而改變。如果你的所謂最愛離開你，請耐心地等候一下，讓時日慢慢沖洗，讓心靈慢慢沉澱，你的苦就會慢慢淡化。不要過分憧憬愛情的美，不要過分誇大失戀的悲.

Love is but a transient feeling, and this feeling would fade with time and with one's mood. If your so called loved one leaves you, be patient, time will wash away your aches and sadness. Don't over exaggerate the beauty and sweetness of love, and don't over exaggerate the sadness of falling out of love.

5.雖然，很多有成就的人士都有没受過很多教育，但並不等如不用功讀書，就一定可以成功:你學到的知識，就是你擁有的武器!人，可以白手興家，但不可以手無寸鐵，緊記！

A lot of successful people did not receive a good education, that does not mean that you can be successful by not studying hard! Whatever knowledge you gain is your weapon in life. One can go from rags to riches, but one has to start from some rags!

6.我不會要求你供養我下半輩子，同樣地我也不會供養你的下半輩子，當你長大到可以獨立的時候，我的責任已經完結:以後，你要坐巴士還是Benz，吃魚翅還是粉絲，都要自己負責

I do not expect you to financially support me when I am old, either would I financially support your whole life. My responsibility as a supporter ends when you are grown up. After that, you decide whether you want to travel in a public transport or in your limousine, whether rich or poor.

7.你可以要求自己守信，但不能要求別人守信，你可以要求自己對人好，但不能期待人家對你好:你怎樣對人，並不代表人家就會怎樣對你，如果看不透這一點，你只會徒添不必要的煩惱.

You honour your words, but don't expect others to be so. You can be good to people, but don't expect people to be good to you. If you don't understand this, you would end up with unnecessary troubles.

8.我買了十多二十年六合彩，還是一窮二白，連三獎也沒有中，這證明人要發達，還是要努力工作才可以，世界上並沒有免費午餐

I have bought lotteries for umpteen years, but I never strike any prize. That shows if you want to be rich, you have to work hard! There is no free lunch!

9.親人只有一次的緣份，無論這輩子我和你會相處多久，也請好好珍惜共聚的時光，下輩子，無論愛與不愛，都不會再見.

No matter how much time I have with you, let's treasure the time we have together. We do not know if we would meet again in our next life.

Your Dad

Why Some Men Have Dogs And Not Wives:

2010-12-16T23:47:00.000+08:00

	1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.

	2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.

	3. Dogs like it if you leave a lot of things on the floor.

	4. A dog's parents never visit.

	5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.

	6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.

	7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.

	8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.

	9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"




	10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.

	11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.

	12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.

	13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pickup truck.

*And last, but not least:*


	14. If a dog leaves, it won't take half of your stuff.

To test this theory:
Lock your wife and your dog in the garage
for an hour. Then open it and see who's
happy to see you.

GUIDE TO A BETTER LIFE

2010-12-16T23:10:00.000+08:00

This is amazing, he died of pancreatic cancer in 2008, but wrote a book ‘The last lecture” before then, one of the bestsellers in 2007. What a legacy to leave behind…
In a letter to his wife Jai and his children, Dylan, Logan , and Chloe, he wrote this beautiful "guide to a better life" for his wife and children to follow.
May you be blessed by his insight.

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:
1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment
3. Don't over do; keep your limits
4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does
5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip
6. Dream more while you are awake
7 . Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
8 . Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
9 . Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
10 . No one is in charge of your happiness except you
11 . Smile and laugh more
12 . You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:

1 3 . Call your family often
14 . Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6
15 . Try to make at least three people smile each day
16 . What other people think of you is none of your business
17 . Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
20 . Do the right things
21 . However good or bad a situation is, it will change
22 . No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
23 . The best is yet to come
24 . Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
25 . When you awake alive and healthy in the morning, thank your parents for giving you this life, sing a song and be contented with everything, like the birds who stride the sky!

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you hate, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with.
Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

I'm 63 and I'm tired!

2010-12-15T19:02:00.001+08:00

An American Senator speaks his mind about the world he sees around him now...

I'm 63 and I'm tired!

This should be required reading for every man, woman and child in the United States of America, UK, Canada and Australia New Zealand ....
"I'm 63 and I'm Tired"
By Robert A. Hall

I'm 63. Except for one semester in college when jobs were scarce and a six-month period when I was between jobs, but job-hunting every day, I've worked, hard, since I was 18. Despite some health challenges, I still put in 50-hour weeks, and haven't called in sick in seven or eight years. I make a good salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, there's no retirement in sight, and I'm tired. Very tired.

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy to earn it.

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't "believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let Saudi Arabia use our oil money to fund mosques and mandrassa Islamic schools to preach hate in America and Canada, while no American nor Canadian group is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach love and tolerance.

I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses while they tried to fight it off?

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of both parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.

I'm real tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination or big-whatever for their problems.

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 63. Because, mostly, I'm not going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for my granddaughter.

Robert A. Hall is a Marine Vietnam veteran who served five terms in the Massachusetts State Senate.

There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on!

This is your chance to make a difference.

THE MIRROR

2010-10-21T21:06:00.000+08:00

The good you find in others, is in you too.
The faults you find in others,are your faults as well.

After all, to recognize something you must know it.
The possibilities you see in others,
Are possible for you as well.

The beauty you see around you, is your beauty.
The world around you is a reflection,
A mirror showing you the person you are.

To change your world, you must change yourself.
To blame and complain will only make matters worse.
Whatever you care about, is your responsibility.
What you see in others, shows you yourself.

See the best in others, and you will be your best.
Give to others, and you give to yourself.
Appreciate beauty, and you will be beautiful.
Admire creativity, and you will be creative.

Love, and you will be loved.
Seek to understand, and you will be understood.
Listen, and your voice will be heard.
Teach, and you will learn.

Show your best face to the mirror,
And you'll be happy with the face looking back at you.

Black Coffee -Good for You

2010-10-05T07:35:00.003+08:00

without milk or creamer.

For many years, coffee was considered a vice, linked with sleepless nights and cigarettes. But scientists have discovered that coffee contains potent antioxidants that can fight numerous ailments, including heart disease and diabetes. According to the American Coffee Association, 54 percent of Americans drink coffee on a daily basis, and they drink, on average, over three cups each.

The diseases coffee can benefit include:
• Dementia. Drinking moderate amounts of coffee during middle age — classified as three to five cups daily — can decrease the risk of dementia by 65 percent, according to a 2009 study by Swedish and Finnish researchers.

• Liver disease. In those who drink too much alcohol, those who drank the most coffee — more than four cups every day — reduced their risk of developing alcoholic cirrhosis by 80 percent.

• Heart Disease. Research associated with The Nurses' Health Study found that women who drank two to three cups of coffee daily had a 25 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease. Along the same line, a Spanish study found that men who drank more than five cups of coffee each day lowered their risk of dying from heart disease by 44 percent, and that women who drank four to five cups each day reduced their risk by 34 percent.

• Prostate Cancer. A recent study from Harvard Medical School found that men who drank the most coffee slashed their risk of developing the fastest growing and most difficult to treat prostate cancers by more than half when compared to men who drank no coffee.

•Gout. Drinking four or more cups of coffee each day dramatically reduces the incidence of gout, say U.S. and Canadian researchers. Men who drank four to five cups daily lowered their risk by 40 percent, and those who drank six or more cups daily reduced their risk of developing gout by 59 percent when compared to men who didn't drink coffee.

• Breast Cancer. Coffee can either reduce the risk of developing breast cancer or delay its onset, according to Swedish studies. They found that coffee alters a woman's metabolism and produces a safer balance of estrogens. Women who drank two to three cups of coffee a day reduced their cancer risk by as much as two-thirds, depending on the specific type of breast cancer.

• Diabetes.D Enjoying six or more cups of coffee daily can cut chances ofType 2 Diabetes by 54 percent in men and 30 percent in women over those who don't drink coffee.

• Parkinson's disease. Several studies show that drinking coffee lowers a man's risk of developing Parkinson's up to 80 percent — and the more the better.

• Colon cancer. A Japanese report found that women who drank three or more cups of coffee every day slashed their risk of developing colon cancer in half.

What's responsible for coffee's healthy benefits? Most researchers believe it's the antioxidants (polyphenols or flavonoids) in coffee, but there are hundreds of compounds in coffee that may be partially responsible.

Now....don't go complaining that I have too much coffee !

Remember. Not those Coffee Beans, Starbuck and Gloria Jeans coffee.

Hai-lam Black Coffee or your home-brew coffee are better.

Furthur Readings: The New York Times

Black rice is anti-cancer super food

2010-08-29T10:37:00.002+08:00

Black rice - revered in ancient China but overlooked in the West - could be the greatest 'superfoods', according to research done by scientists from Louisiana State University.

The cereal is low in sugar but packed with healthy fibre and plant compounds that combat heart disease and cancer, say experts.

Scientists from Louisiana State University analysed samples of bran from black rice grown in the southern US They found boosted levels of water-soluble anthocyanin antioxidants.

Anthocyanins provide the dark colours of many fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries and red peppers. They are what makes black rice 'black'.

"Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants," researcher Dr. Zhimin Xu, associate professor of food science at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center in Baton Rouge, said in a written statement.

Research suggests that the dark plant antioxidants, which mop up harmful molecules, can help protect arteries and prevent the DNA damage that leads to cancer.

Food scientist Dr Zhimin Xu said: 'Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar, and more fibre and vitamin E antioxidants.

"If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran? Especially, black rice bran would be a unique and economical material to increase consumption of health-promoting antioxidants."

Centuries ago black rice was known as 'Forbidden Rice' in ancient China because only nobles were allowed to eat it.

Today black rice is mainly used in Asia for food decoration, noodles, sushi and desserts.

But food manufacturers could potentially use black rice bran or bran extracts to make breakfast cereals, beverages, cakes, biscuits and other foods healthier, said Dr Xu.

When rice is processed, millers remove the outer layers of the grains to produce brown rice or more refined white rice - the kind most widely consumed in the West.

Brown rice is said to be more nutritious because it has higher levels of healthy vitamin E compounds and antioxidants.

But according to Dr Xu's team, varieties of rice that are black or purple in colour are healthier still.

They added that black rice could also be used to provide healthier, natural colourants. Studies linked some artificial colourants to cancer and behavioural problems in children.

The scientists presented their findings today at the 240th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.

Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'In reality, it's unlikely there's a single food out there that will have a great impact on lowering your risk of heart disease. Healthy eating is about a balanced diet overall.

"It's great if you can eat more of some groups of healthy foods, like having five portions of fruit and veg a day, but there is still no conclusive evidence that 'super foods' alone make a real difference to your heart health."

The 11th Husband

2010-08-22T23:20:00.002+08:00

A young man married a beautiful woman who had previously divorced 10 husbands. On their wedding night, she told her new husband to "Please be gentle; I'm still a Virgin ".

"What?" said the puzzled groom. "How can that be if you've been married ten times?"

"Well, husband #1 was a Sales Representative; he kept telling me how great it was going to be.

"Husband # 2 was in Software Services; he was never really sure how it was supposed to function; but he said he'd look into it and get back with me.

"Husband # 3 was from Field Services; he said that everything checked out diagnostically but he just couldn't get the system up.

"Husband # 4 was in Telemarketing; even though he knew he had the order, he didn't know when he would be able to deliver.

"Husband # 5 was an Engineer, he understood the basic process but he wanted three years to research, implement, and design a new state of the-art method.

"Husband #6 was from Administration; he thought he knew how but he wasn't sure whether it was his job or not.

"Husband # 7 was in Marketing; although he had a product, he was never sure how to position it...

"Husband # 8 was a Psychiatrist; all he did was talk about it.

"Husband # 9 was a Gynecologist; all he did was look at it.

"Husband # 10 was a Stamp Collector; all he ever did was lick it..... God I miss him.

" But now that I've married you, I'm so excited".

"Wonderful", said the husband, "but why?

"You're with the
" GOVERNMENT "
This time I KNOW I'M gonna get screwed."

Jokes to Create A Smile On Your Face

2010-08-22T23:12:00.001+08:00

Advertisement In A Long Island Shop:

Guitar, for sale........ Cheap....... . .......no strings attached.

Ad In Hospital Waiting Room:
Smoking Helps You Lose Weight ... One Lung At A Time!

On a bulletin board:
Success is Relative. The more The Success, The more The Relatives.

When I Read About The Evils Of Drinking...
I Gave Up Reading

My Grandfather Is Eighty And Still Doesn't Need Glasses....
He Drinks Straight Out Of The Bottle.

You Know Your kids Have Grown Up When:
Your Daughter Begins To Put On Lipstick..
Or when your Son starts To wipe It Off

Sign In A Bar:
'Those Of You Who Are Drinking To Forget, Please do Pay In Advance.'

Sign In Driving School:
If Your Wife Wants To Learn To Drive, Don't Stand In Her Way.....

Behind Every Great Man,
There Is A Surprised Woman.

The Reason Men Lie:
Because women Ask too Many Questions..

Getting Caught
Is The Mother Of Invention.

Laugh And The World Laughs With You,
Snore And You sleep Alone

The Surest Sign That Intelligent Life Exists Elsewhere In The Universe
Is The Fact That It Has Never Tried To Contact Us.

Sign At A Barber's Saloon In Detroit :
We Need Your Heads To Run Our Business..

Sign In A Restaurant:
All Drinking Water in this restaurant has been personally PASSED by the manager...

Superchick - Courage

2010-08-17T08:36:00.001+08:00

This song is dedicated to all anorexics out there. "You're Not Alone..."

Story Of Laura, A true story.

2010-07-11T17:38:00.002+08:00

Laura Story - Mighty To Save Video Featurette - Free videos are just a click away

Life is like a cup of coffee

2010-07-11T17:36:00.001+08:00

How true...

Life Is Like A Cup of Coffee - Inspirational Story - Funny bloopers are a click away

Amazing Story You Gotta See -Dzeyson.

2010-07-11T17:23:00.001+08:00

It started out as a joke...but the joke changed a man's life, forever, hopefully.

Amazing Story How Internet Changed A Homeless Guy's Life - The most amazing home videos are here

JoKeS

2010-07-08T08:21:00.001+08:00

A large woman, wearing a sleeveless sun dress, walked into a Bar in
Dublin. She raised her right arm, revealing a huge, hairy armpit as she
pointed to all the people sitting at the bar and asked, ' What man here
will buy a lady a drink? '

The bar went silent as the patrons tried to ignore her. But down at the
end of the bar, an owl-eyed drunk slammed his hand down on the counter and
bellowed ' Give the ballerina a drink! '

The bartender poured the drink and the woman chugged it down. She turned
to the patrons and again pointed around at all of them, revealing the same
hairy armpit, and asked, ' What man here will buy a lady a drink? '

Once again, the same little drunk slapped his money down on the bar and
said, "Give the ballerina another drink! '
The bartender approached the little drunk and said ' Tell me, Paddy, it ' s
your business if you want to buy the lady a drink, but why do you keep
calling her a ballerina? '

The drunk replied, ' Any woman who can lift her leg that high has got to be
a ballerina! '

Moroccan Girls - a Very Touching Video

2010-07-05T00:06:00.000+08:00

She has to work hard for her food. Yet she can smile a sweet smile.

Filles Du Maroc - Moroccan Girls - a Very Touching Video ! - Watch today’s top amazing videos here

Charlie Bit Me!

2010-07-04T23:32:00.002+08:00

The original...

Version 1...

Version 2...

Version 3...

plus many more...

The real story of a inspirational love between a father and a son.

2010-07-04T23:13:00.001+08:00

Tony Robbins: Why we do what we do, and how we can do it better

2010-07-04T22:49:00.000+08:00

Rosemary Helps Reduce Toxins in Grilled Meat

2010-06-09T22:46:00.000+08:00

Cooking meat at high temperatures is known to create toxins called heterocyclic amines, which have been linked to some cancers. Marinating lowers the risk by preventing the formation of the toxins. But one ingredient that makes a big difference is rosemary. Studies show that adding it to ground beef and other types of muscle meat before grilling, frying, broiling or barbecuing significantly reduces heterocyclic amines.

In a study published in The Journal of Food Science in March, scientists tested extracts of rosemary on ground beef patties that were cooked at temperatures from 375 degrees to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. The extract was added to both sides of the meat before cooking. The higher the concentration, the greater the reduction in heterocyclic amines (in some cases by over 90 percent.

Scientists attribute this to specific antioxidants in rosemary: rosmarinic acid, carnosol and carnosic acid. Another study two years ago compared several marinades and found that the one that was most protective was a Caribbean mixture, which, they wrote, “contained considerable amounts” of the same three antioxidants.

If rosemary is not your thing, or you have an allergy, try marinades with garlic, onion and lemon juice. They have also been shown in studies to be effective (garlic and onion much more so than lemon juice).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Studies show that marinades with rosemary help eliminate some carcinogens in grilled meat.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/01/health/01real.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Burnt Biscuit

2010-06-09T22:33:00.001+08:00

Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then.
And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. That evening, mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed.

All dad did was reach for his biscuit, smiled at mom and asked me how my day was at school.
I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite.

When I got up from the table, I remember hearing mom apologize to dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said: Honey, I love burned biscuits.

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and asked him if he really
liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said, "Your Momma put
in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt
biscuit never hurt anyone!"

You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not
the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just
like everyone else.

What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others'
faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the
most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship.

Because in the end, you are the master of your own life, to be happy or unhappy,
to be positive or negative.

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base
of any relationship, be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship.

Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in
your own.

So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine...

Jokes -Heaven Or Hell?

2010-06-09T22:26:00.004+08:00

Three men: a philosopher, a mathematician and an idiot, were out riding in the car when it crashed into a tree.

Before anyone knows it, the three men found themselves standing before the Gate of Heaven where the Devil was standing nearby.

"Gentlemen," the Devil started, "Due to the fact that Heaven is now overcrowded, therefore it was agreed to limit the number of people entering Heaven. If anyone of you can ask me a question which I don't know or cannot answer, then you're worthy enough to go to Heaven; if not, then you'll come with me to Hell."

The philosopher then stepped up, "OK, give me the most comprehensive report on Socrates' teachings," With a snap of his finger, a stack of paper appeared next to the Devil. The philosopher read it and concluded it was correct. "Then, go to Hell!" With another snap of his finger, the philosopher disappeared.

The mathematician then asked, "Give me the most complicated formula you can ever think of!" With a snap of his finger, another stack of paper appeared. The mathematician read it and reluctantly agreed it was correct. "Then, go to Hell!" With another snap of his finger, the mathematician disappeared too.

The idiot then stepped forward and said, "Bring me a chair!"
The Devil brought forward a chair. "Drill 7 holes on the seat." The Devil did just that. The idiot then sat on the chair and let out a very loud fart. Standing up, he asked, "Which hole did my fart come out from?"
The Devil inspected the seat and said, "The third hole from the right." "Wrong," said the idiot, "it's from my asshole."
The idiot went to Heaven.

Of tigers and piglets

2010-06-09T22:16:00.005+08:00

In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately, due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health, although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused the tigress to fall into a depression The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate another mother's cub's, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother of one species, will take on the care of a different species. The only 'orphans' that could be found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the piglets in tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops??

Take a look...

Are u Afraid Of Getting Old? - HEALTH-INFORMATION

2010-06-09T22:06:00.002+08:00

Different parts of our body ages at different times.

WE all accept that getting older is inevitable, and now leading clinicians have revealed the exact age when different body parts start to decline, most alarming being the brain and lungs.

French doctors have found that the quality of men's' sperm starts to deteriorate by 35, so that by the time a man is 45 a third of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Here, with the help of leading clinicians, Angela Epstein tells the Daily Mail the ages when different parts of the body start to lose their battle with time.

BRAIN - Starts ageing at 20

As we get older, the number of nerve cells - or neurons - in the brain decrease. We start with around 100 billion, but in our 20s this number starts to decline. By 40, we could be losing up to 10,000 per day, affecting memory, co-ordination and brain function.

GUT - Starts ageing at 55

A healthy gut has good balance betwee harmful and ‘friendly’ bacteria. But levels of friendly bacteria in the gut drop significantly after 55, particularly in the large intestine, says Tom MacDonald, professor of immunology at Barts And The London medical school. As a result, we suffer from poor digestion and an increased risk of gut disease. Constipation is more likely as we age, as the flow of digestive juices from the stomach, liver, pancreas and small intestine slows down.

BREASTS - Start ageing at 35

BY their mid-30s, women's breasts start losing tissue and fat, reducing size and fullness. Sagging starts properly at 40 and the areola (the area surrounding the nipple) can shrink considerably.

BLADDER - Starts ageing at 65

Loss of bladder control is more likely when you hit 65. Women are more vulnerable to bladder problems as, after the menopause, declining oestrogen levels make tissues in the urethra - the tube through which urine passes - thinner and weaker, reducing bladder support.... Bladder capacity in an older adult generally is about half that of a younger person - about two cups in a 30-year-old and one cup in a 70-year-old.

LUNGS - Start ageing at 20

Lung capacity slowly starts to decrease from th! e age of 20. By the age of 40, some people are already experiencing breathlessness. This is partly because the muscles and the rib cage which control breathing stiffen up.

VOICE - Starts ageing at 65

Our voices become quieter and hoarser with age. The soft tissues in the voice box (larynx) weaken, affecting the pitch, loudness and quality of the voice. A woman's voice may become huskier and lower in pitch, whereas a man's might become thinner and higher.

EYES - Start ageing at 40

Glasses are the norm for many over-40s as failing eyesight kicks in - usually long-sightedness, affecting our ability to see objects up close.

HEART - Starts ageing at 40

The heart pumps blood less effectively around the body as we get older. This is because blood vessels become less elastic, while arteries can harden or become blocked because of fatty deposits forming on the coronary arteries - caused by eating too much saturated fat. The blood supply to the heart is then reduced, resulting in painful angina. Men over 45 and women over 55 are at greater risk of a heart attack...

LIVER - Starts ageing at 70

This is the only organ in the body which seems to defy the aging process.

KIDNEYS - Starts ageing at 50

With kidneys, the number of filtering units (nephrons) that remove waste from the bloodstream starts to reduce in middle age.

PROSTATE - Starts ageing at 50

The prostate often becomes enlarged with age, leading to problems such as increased need to urinate, says Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London. This is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia and affects half of men over 50, but rarely those under 40. It occurs when the prostate absorbs large amounts of the male sex hormone testosterone, which increases the growth of cells in the prostate. A normal prostate is the size of a walnut, but the condition can increase this to the size of a tangerine.

BONES - Start ageing at 35

'Throughout our life, old bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building cells called osteoblasts - a process called bone turnover,' explains Robert Moots, professor of rheumatology at Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool . Children's bone growth is rapid - the skeleton takes just two years to renew itself completely. In adults, this can take ten years. Until our mid-20s, bone density is still increasing. But at 35 bones loss begins as part of the natural ageing process.

TEETH - Start ageing at 40

As we age, we produce less saliva, which washes away bacteria, so teeth and gums are more vulnerable to decay..? Receding gums - when tissue is lost from gums around the teeth - is common in adults over 40.

MUSCLES - Start ageing at 30

Muscle is constantly being built up and broken down, a process which is well balanced in young adults. However, by the time we're 30, breakdown is greater than buildup, explains Professor Robert Moots. Once adults reach 40, they start to lose between 0.5 and 2 per cent of their muscle each year. Regular exercise can help prevent this.

HEARING - Starts ageing mid-50s

More than half of people over 60 lose hearing because of their age, according to the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.

SKIN - Starts ageing mid-20s

The skin starts to age naturally in your mid-20s.

TASTE AND SMELL - Start ageing at 60

We start out in life with about 10,000 taste buds scattered on the tongue. This number can halve later in life. After we turn 60, taste and smell gradually decline, partly as a result of the normal ageing process.

FERTILITY - Starts ageing at 35

Female fertility begins to decline after 35, as the number and quality of eggs in the ovaries start to fall. The lining of the womb may become thinner, making it less likely for a fertilised egg to take and also creating an environment hostile to sperm.

HAIR - Starts ageing at 30

Male hair loss usually begins in the 30s. Hair is made in tiny pouches just under the skin's surface, known as follicles. A hair normally grows from each follicle for about three years, is then shed, and a new hair grows. Most people will have some grey hair by the age of 35. When we are young, our hair is coloured by the pigments produced by cells in the hair follicle known as melanocytes.

Frank Sinatra, My Way, With Lyrics

2010-05-13T23:53:00.000+08:00

Explore, dream, discover

2010-05-13T23:39:00.004+08:00

Twenty years from now

you will be more disappointed

by the things that you didn't do

than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbour.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

Things I learned along the way

2010-05-13T23:34:00.000+08:00

I've learned that I like my teacher because she cries when we sing "Silent Night". - Age 6

I've learned that you can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk. - Age 7

I've learned that when I wave to people in the country, they stop what they are doing and wave back. - Age 9

I've learned that just when I get my room the way I like it, Mom makes me clean it up. - Age 13

I've learned that if you want to cheer yourself up, you should try cheering someone else up. - Age 14

I've learned that although it's hard to admit it, I'm secretly glad my parents are strict with me. - Age 15

I've learned that silent company is often more healing than words of advice. - Age 24

I've learned that brushing my child's hair is one of life's great pleasures. - Age 26

I've learned that wherever I go, the worlds worst drivers have followed me there. - Age 29

I've learned that if someone says something unkind about me, I must live so that no one will believe it. - Age 39

I've learned that there are people who love you dearly but just don't know how to show it. - Age 41

I've learned that you can make someone's day by simply sending them a little card. - Age 44

I've learned that the greater a person's sense of guilt, the greater his need to cast blame on others. - Age 46

I've learned that children and grandparents are natural allies. - Age 47

I've learned that singing "Amazing Grace" can lift my spirits for hours. - Age 49

I've learned that motel mattresses are better on the side away from the phone. - Age 50

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a man by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. - Age 52

I've learned that keeping a vegetable garden is worth a medicine cabinet full of pills. - Age 52

I've learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you miss them terribly after they die. - Age 53

I've learned that making a living is not the same thing as making a life. - Age 58

I've learned that if you want to do something positive for your children, try to improve your marriage. - Age 61

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance. - Age 62

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back. - Age 64

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But if you focus on your family, the needs of others, your work, meeting new people, and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you. - Age 65

I've learned that whenever I decide something with kindness, I usually make the right decision. - Age 66

I've learned that everyone can use a prayer. - Age 72

I've learned that it pays to believe in miracles. And to tell the truth, I've seen several. - Age 73

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one. - Age 82

I've learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone. People love that human touch - holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back. - Age 85

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn. - Age 92

Maureen Hopkins

Playing Music to Dairy Cows Brings More Milk

2010-05-13T23:28:00.002+08:00

For the 860 dairy cows that live on a farm in a village in central China’s Henan Province, music makes their day and helps them to produce more milk!

Their breeder, Guo Zhixin, claims that playing music to his cows for an hour every day produces more than one kilo of milk from every cow, every day of the year resulting in 700 yuan (about $102 dollars) more worth of milk every year.

While it seems incredible, Guo is convinced it works and has the milk to prove it. He got the idea to try music on his cows after reading about another farmer’s success in a foreign cow magazine. (Is there really such a thing?)

We have always known that animals hear differently than humans. Dogs, cats and horses not only hear two to three times more than humans do, they also can hear sounds faster and from much further way than their human counterparts.

Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that for an animal, their interaction to the world is a based on smell, the need for food and reactions to the sounds and noises that surround them.

From the point of view of owners, this makes an animal’s sensitivity to sound an important aspect of pet ownership education. The acute sense of sound is perfect in the wild where animals can move freely away and toward sound.

In homes and barns created by humans where movement is restricted, animals may often develop separation anxiety, fear of thunderstorms and aggressive behaviors.

Still, it seems that for cows to fit into this picture is a bit far out, but then again so was the idea of rubbing two sticks together to make fire at one time in our thinking.

One can only wonder where this insight may lead as far as cows and other fine creatures of the universe are concerned.

Is there a chance that in the world to come where wonders never cease that cows might one day be composing music (or at selecting what they would like to hear)?

Perhaps a prodigy will soon burst upon the musical/farm world?

Welcome, Moothoven.

Go figure.

What do YOU think about this?

source

Sleeping for less than six hours may cause early death, study finds

2010-05-13T23:01:00.002+08:00

Sleeping consistently for less than six hours a night may cause an early death, but too much sleep could also mean problems, according to a study that claims to have found unequivocal evidence of the potential harm from abnormal sleep patterns.

It found that those who generally slept for less than six hours a night were 12% more likely to experience a premature death over a period of 25 years than those who consistently got six to eight hours' sleep. Evidence for the link was unequivocal.

"Whilst short sleep may represent a cause of ill health, long sleep is believed to represent more an indicator of ill health," said Professor Francesco Cappuccio, who led the study and is head of the Sleep, Health and Society programme at the University of Warwick.

"Modern society has seen a gradual reduction in the average amount of sleep people take, and this pattern is more common amongst full-time workers, suggesting that it may be due to societal pressures for longer working hours and more shift-work. On the other hand, the deterioration of our health status is often accompanied by an extension of our sleeping time.

Source

dark chocolate may guard against brain injury from stroke

2010-05-13T22:51:00.002+08:00

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that a compound in dark chocolate may protect the brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals already known to shield nerve cells from damage.

Ninety minutes after feeding mice a single modest dose of epicatechin, a compound found naturally in dark chocolate, the scientists induced an ischemic stroke by essentially cutting off blood supply to the animals' brains. They found that the animals that had preventively ingested the epicatechin suffered significantly less brain damage than the ones that had not been given the compound.

Scientists have been intrigued by the potential health benefits of epicatechin by studying the Kuna Indians, a remote population living on islands off the coast of Panama. The islands' residents had a low incidence of cardiovascular disease. Scientists who studied them found nothing striking in the genes and realized that when they moved away from Kuna, they were no longer protected from heart problems. Researchers soon discovered the reason was likely environmental: The residents of Kuna regularly drank a very bitter cocoa drink, with a consistency like molasses, instead of coffee or soda. The drink was high in the compound epicatechin, which is a flavanol, a flavanoid-related compound.

The new study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart and Stroke Association.

Source

Indian spices may expose kids to lead poisoning--study

2010-04-10T21:49:00.004+08:00

A study conducted by U.S. doctors suggests that Indian spices and powders might expose young children to toxic lead.

The consumption of these spices elevates the risk of lead poisoning in children, especially in kids below six, which can further cause neurological impairment. Even low levels of lead exposure can cause behavioral changes in the kids, claimed the researchers.

For the study, 86 Indian spices and 71 ceremonial powders from 15 different stores in Boston were bought and investigated by the doctors. Findings of the study The study revealed that around 22 of the 86 spices and 46 of the 71 powders had high amounts of detectable lead.

The lead concentration exceeded the European Union and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recommended limit of 2 to 3 micrograms lead per gram of product, revealed the lead authors of the study. However, the spices had much lower lead content than the powders, kumkum(sindoor) ranking the highest with 47 percent to 67 percent lead concentrate.

Other products with higher lead levels were kohl, henna, tamarind candy, mustard seeds, and asafetida. On an average, the Indian products contained double the amount of lead than other foreign brands. "This is not a total shocker," said Dr. David Acheson, the former associate commissioner for foods at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). "Most come from the color dyes, particularly the reds, which often have lead in them."

Kids at risk
The study claims that around 2,50,000 American kids have dangerous lead levels in their body, Indian spices being the main culprit. Though the powders are not edible substances, children might ingest them through the food prepared by the parents. Moreover, infants too are exposed to them through inhalation or breast feeding.

Need of better inspection
The study reveals that a few Indian brands that were earlier banned or recalled were still available in the market, breaking all safety rules of the Food and Drug Administration. "Because of the high lead concentrations found in some sindoor samples, import, sale and labeling of these items should be carefully monitored, and low-lead sindoor (less than five micrograms per gram) could be suggested as a safer alternative," the study said. "Closer inspection and testing of other religious products is warranted." The study has been published in the journal “pediatrics”.

Sources

Snake with a Foot Discovered in China

2010-02-28T11:26:00.001+08:00

A snake measuring sixteen inches long has been discovered in China by Dean Qiongxiu, making its grand entrance by clinging to the bathroom wall with a clawed talon.

Unfortunately, its life was cut short when she beat it to death with a shoe as it attempted to defy evolution and scurry across the wall using its single foot. Preserving the specimen in alcohol, it was turned over to the Department of Life Sciences at West Normal University in Nanchang.

According to resident snake expert Long Shuai, the cause of the foot remains unknown, though an autopsy may reveal why. This biological anomaly is in a way similar to the growth of an extra head, which shares similarities in the way humans develop into conjoined twins.

Unlike two-headed snakes, however, human conjoined twins don’t often attack each other. A snake with two heads has little chance of surviving for a long time in the wild, though one can only guess the physical limitations or advantages a snake with an extra foot might have.

It’s only a matter of time before regular snakes evolve into walking monsters and take over the world.

(Source)

We Are The World

2010-02-16T10:23:00.003+08:00

This is the remake of the highly successful We Are The World song for Africa, who was facing famine then. Well, for this, this is for Haiti. Michael Jackson makes his appearance in this cleverly edited music video.

What Goes Around Comes Around...

2010-01-10T17:00:00.001+08:00

From A Distance

2010-01-09T19:03:00.003+08:00

Yes, I believe whatever that we do, from a distance, God is watching...

Observing...

Taking down notes...

You may think He didn't care...

Its just that it is not time yet...

For Him to show His might...

But for now, from a distance...

He is watching...

From a distance the world looks blue and green,
and the snow-capped mountains white.
From a distance the ocean meets the stream,
and the eagle takes to flight.

From a distance, there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
It's the voice of hope, it's the voice of peace,
it's the voice of every man.

From a distance we all have enough,
and no one is in need.
And there are no guns, no bombs, and no disease,
no hungry mouths to feed.

From a distance we are instruments
marching in a common band.
Playing songs of hope, playing songs of peace.
They're the songs of every man.
God is watching us. God is watching us.
God is watching us from a distance.

From a distance you look like my friend,
even though we are at war.
From a distance I just cannot comprehend
what all this fighting is for.

From a distance there is harmony,
and it echoes through the land.
And it's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves,
it's the heart of every man.

It's the hope of hopes, it's the love of loves.
This is the song of every man.
And God is watching us, God is watching us,
God is watching us from a distance.
Oh, God is watching us, God is watching.
God is watching us from a distance

Go Ahead, Have A Nice Belly Laugh

2010-01-03T10:55:00.003+08:00

Anybody need a good laugh out there? Here's a video, to make you laugh, well, at the expense of another person's misfortune, of course, what else?

Funny catwalk You got to see this!!!!!

GK PHOTO | MySpace Video

Does High Cholesterol REALLY Cause Heart Disease?

2009-12-06T14:42:00.006+08:00

Posted By: Dr Mercola

An Interview with Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD

When did you begin to suspect that the cholesterol theory of atherosclerosis might be wrong? What led you to this conclusion? Before then, had you believed in the cholesterol theory? Was this part of your training?

I have never thought that it was true. I heard about it for the first time in 1962 shortly after getting my MD. My biochemical knowledge was still intact at that time and I knew that cholesterol was one of the most important molecules in your body, indispensable for the building of your cells and for producing stress and sex hormones as well as vitamin D.

The idea that cholesterol in the blood should kill us if its concentration is a little higher than normal, as they wrote in the Framingham paper, seemed to me just as silly as to claim that yellow fingers cause lung cancer.

Would you tell my readers about your training, publications, university appointments, other professional activities?

The first seven years as a doctor I worked in different medical departments in Denmark and Sweden. In 1968 I started my academic career at the Department of Nephrology, University Hospital in Lund, where I got my PhD. After a few years I organized a research team to investigate the association between hydrocarbon exposure and glomerulonephritis

Unfortunately I caught one of my coworkers in producing a fraudulent paper. It was unfortunate, because it is risky to be a whistleblower in the academic world. Instead of excluding the fraudulent researcher it was my research that was questioned. The resistance against my research from my superiors became intolerable, and I therefore decided to go into private practice.

Nevertheless I succeeded in publishing the main part of my research in major medical journals after having left the department. I have summarized my findings and conclusions on the web as well.

In the late eighties the cholesterol campaign was started in Sweden. I was very surprised because I couldn’t recall anything in the scientific literature in support of it. I started reading it systematically, and I soon realized that I was right.

Since then I have published about eighty papers and letter, and also books, translated into five languages, where I present my arguments and criticism.

How has your work been received by your colleagues; by healthcare professionals and consumers around the world?

In the beginning nobody took notice. To ignore criticism is the most effective way to maintain a false idea. My first book was published in Sweden in 1991 with a Finnish edition shortly afterwards. The Swedish one made no impact whatsoever, and the Finnish one was put on fire in a television show.

Ridicule and slander have been used as well, as a means to muffle me

After I had aired my warnings against statin treatment in Dutch television, for instance, Dutch researchers described me in a following show as a crackpot who had been kicked from the universities of Copenhagen and Lund. The directors of the show offered my critics a possibility to discuss the issue with me on television, but all of them declined. On his blog, Michael Eades has described how one of them later on belittled me in a scientific paper.

But I have also realized that I am not alone.

Seven years ago I started THINCS, The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics (www.thincs.org ), which by now includes about eighty doctors, professors and other researchers from all over the world, who share my skepticism, and I have received two international awards for my contributions.

Also encouraging is the hundreds of emails that I receive every year from patients, who have regained their health after having stopped their cholesterol-lowering treatment.

Your work seems to validate what many integrative health care professionals have been saying for decades. How does the alternative community respond to you?

There is a much more open attitude from these people.

If the cholesterol hypothesis is an error, does this mean that all of its therapies – low cholesterol diet, cholesterol lowering natural therapies and medications -- are wrong?

Absolutely. This kind of treatment is meaningless, costly, and has transformed millions of healthy people into patients.

Specifically, what are your views on statins?

Their benefit is trivial, and has been seen only in male patients who already have heart disease.

Worse is that their many adverse effects are ignored or cleverly belittled by the trial directors. Independent researchers have found many more and in much higher numbers. If they are true it means that today millions of previously healthy people probably consider their weak and painful muscles, their bad memory, their sexual failure, and their cancer to be a consequence of increasing age, and so do their doctors.

The risk of cancer is most alarming. Both animal experiments, epidemiological studies and several of the statin trials have shown that low cholesterol predisposes to cancer.

The widespread use of statin treatment probably explains why the decrease of the smoking habit that has been going on in many countries hasn’t been followed by a decrease of cancer mortality. We should have seen a decrease because smoking predispose not only to bronchial cancer, but to all kinds of cancer.

Drug companies market vigorously the highest, strongest doses of statins. Lipitor is pushed at the highest dosage, 80 mg. This dosage is the most powerful for lowering cholesterol and LDL, but it also causes more adverse effects and costs more than lower doses. What are your thoughts about this?

The outcome from these trials is a further demonstration that the small benefit from statin treatment has nothing to do with cholesterol.

For instance, although cholesterol plummeted and remained at about 50 percent below the initial value during the whole SEAS trial, it did not change mortality, but it increased the number of cancer with statistical significance.

Even worse was the result of the ENHANCE trial, where atherosclerosis in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia progressed the most among those whose cholesterol was lowered the most.

If statins can be helpful in reducing the incidence of heart attacks, who should take them?

In my view, nobody.

When I was practicing, I used to describe the benefit in this way: Considering your age and your previous heart attack, your chance to be alive in five years is about 90 percent. You can increase that chance to 92 percent if you take a statin pill every day, but then you may also expose yourself to its many adverse effects.

From the data I have seen, statins have not produced a reduction in overall cardiac deaths. Do you have any idea of why this is?

You are right. Heart mortality in Sweden is going downwards, but the reduction started already in the 1960’s. The cause is most probably that treatment of acute myocardial infarction has improved, because the mortality curve has not changed after the introduction of the statins.

The reason may be that their small benefit is counteracted by an increasing frequency of heart failure.

As you know, the statins block not only the synthesis of cholesterol, but also of other vital molecules, for instance coenzyme Q10, and muscle cells, including those of the heart, can’t function properly without Q10.

Do you think mainstream medicine will ever relinquish its view that elevated cholesterol causes heart disease, and that statins are the magic bullet?

I hope so. The failures of the most recent statin trials have been commented on by several journalists in the major U.S. newspapers. In Sweden a revolution is going on. Here, a general practitioner treated her own obesity successfully by eating a low-carbohydrate diet with a high content of animal fat. When she advised her obese and diabetic patients to do the same, she was reported to the National Board of Health and Welfare for malpractice.

After a two-year-long investigation she was acquitted, as her treatment was considered to be in accord with scientific evidence.

At the same time, the Board dismissed two experts, who had been appointed for updating the dietary recommendations for diabetics, because it came up that they were sponsored by the food industry. Instead the Board has asked independent researchers to review the scientific literature.

The subject has gained general attention due to a number of radio and television shows, where critical experts including myself have discussed the issue with representatives of the official view.

Most important, thousands of patients have experienced themselves that by doing the opposite as recommended by the current guidelines they have regained their health!

The effect has been that the sales of butter, cream, and full-fat milk are increasing in Sweden after many years of decline, and a recent poll showed that a majority of Swedish people today think that the best way of losing weight is by a low-carbohydrate, fat-rich diet.

Further progress was achieved this spring. Several times, colleagues of mine and also I, have asked the Swedish Food Administration for the scientific basis of their warnings against saturated fat. We have been met with the argument that there are thousands of such studies, or by referrals to the WHO guidelines or the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations.

As the main argument in the latter two -- that saturated fat raises cholesterol -- we were not satisfied with their answer, and finally the Food Administration published a list with 72 studies that they claimed were in support of their view on saturated fat, and twelve that were not.

We scrutinized the lists and found that only two of the 72 studies supported their standpoint; eleven studies did not concern saturated fat at all, and the unsupportive list was incomplete, to put it mildly.

We published a short report with our comments to these lists in the Swedish medical journal Dagens Medicin. A response from the Food Administration appeared seven weeks later in which they pointed out that their recommendations were directed to healthy people, not to patients. They maintained that they were based on solid scientific evidence, without mentioning anything about saturated fat, and without answering our critical comments.

But this is not all. Earlier this year Sachdeva et al reported that the mean cholesterol in 137,000 patients with acute myocardial infarction was lower than normal.

As usual, the authors didn’t understand their own findings, but concluded that cholesterol should be lowered even more. A few months later Al-Mallah et al. came up with the same result and conclusion, although they also reported that three years later, mortality was twice as high among those who had been admitted with the lowest cholesterol.

These results created a fierce debate in one of the major Swedish newspapers. It was opened by ninety-one-year old Lars Werkö, the ‘Grand Old Man’ in Swedish medical science, retired professor in internal medicine and former head of The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care, together with Tore Scherstén, retired professor in surgery and former secretary of the Swedish Medical Research Council.

“Now it is time to sack the cholesterol hypothesis and to investigate the reason of this scientific breakdown” they wrote.

They also criticized American researchers in AHA and NHLBI and their followers for sloppy and fraudulent science.

They were of course attacked by two professors and representatives of the current view, but none of them came up with any substantial evidence, only with personalities.

Are there other risk factors that should be followed? Such as: C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, homocysteine, lipoprotein A... Any other factors?

Such analyses may be helpful for doctors to put the right diagnosis in patients with a disease of unknown origin.

But to check healthy people’s blood to find deviations from normal is the freeway to unnecessary medication.

Are there other alternative therapies besides statins that people might consider?

There is no reason for healthy people to take drugs, or anything else to prevent heart disease, as long as we do not know the very cause.

Don’t forget that people who die from a myocardial infarction have on average lived just as long as other people. In my talks I used to ask people, who put the same question to me, if they know a better way of dying?

What diet do you recommend people follow?

I do not give medical advice to people I haven’t seen and examined myself, and as I am retired, it means that I give no advice at all except to my family and nearest friends. I inform people by writing and lecturing. Then they have to decide themselves what to do.

In 20 years, do you expect changes in how we view heart disease, its causes and treatments?

I am confident that we will see a change in the next few years. There is a growing skepticism among medical scientists. What is happening in Sweden these days may hopefully inspire researchers in other countries to air their skepticism openly.

Recently, experts selected by WHO and FAO published a new report . Here the authors concluded that there was no satisfactory or reliable evidence to support the idea that saturated fat causes heart disease, or diabetes or obesity.

A revolutionary change of direction, you may say. However, they did not change their recommendations!

Together with Kilmer McCully, the discoverer of the association between homocysteine and atherosclerosis, I have presented another hypothesis (You can read that paper in its entirety at this link.)

We think this hypothesis is much more likely because we are able to explain the many observations that do not fit with the present one.

Finally, I assume that much of what I have mentioned here may seem incredible, but all the facts, including references to the scientific literature, are available in my new book Fat And Cholesterol Are GOOD For You!

About Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD:

Dr. Ravnskov graduated from the University of Copenhagen with an M.D in 1961.

1961-1967: Various appointments at surgical, roentgenological, neurological, pediatric and medical departments in Denmark and Sweden.

1968-1979: Various appointments at the Department of Nephrology, and the Department of Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.

1979-2000: A private practitioner and independent researcher, specializing in internal medicine and nephrology. Honored with the Skrabanek Award 1998, and author of: The Cholesterol Myths.

Man Slept Next To Dead Wife for 5 Years

2009-12-06T10:41:00.002+08:00

A Vietnamese man dug up his wife’s body, molded it with clay into a female figure and put it in his bed so he could hug it every night for the past five years.

The man, 55-year-old Le Van from Ha Lam in the central Quang Nam province, is seen below with his wife’s remains and his son.

According to reports, Van began by sleeping upon his wife’s grave after she died in 2003. He said that a year and a half later he decided to dig a tunnel next to his wife’s grave so he could sleep beside her away from the rain and wind.

However, neighbors and local authorities found out about the practice and persuaded Van to stop. Subsequently in November 2004 Van returned to the grave, dug up his wife’s corpse and brought it home, where it remains today.

Van’s son, photographed below with his mother’s corpse, is said to hug her body before going to bed each night.

His father told the Lao Dong newspaper that his neighbours dared not visit him for years, but have since grown more accustomed to the idea and will now pay him a visit from time to time.

“I’m a person that does things differently. I’m not like normal people,” he was quoted as saying. “My wife’s body only passed away but her spirit still accompanies us. I have no fear when it comes to sleeping with her at all.”

Local authorities are said to be planning an inspection of the case because of new sanitation laws that rule a body must be cremated or buried, and that burials cannot be carried out in residential gardens without approval.

Maid charged after adding menstrual blood to employer's food

2009-12-01T17:02:00.002+08:00

AN Indonesian maid has appeared in a Hong Kong court accused of adding menstrual blood to her employer's food in an effort to improve their stormy relationship.

Indra Ningsih, aged 26, mixed the blood in a pot of vegetables in the belief that the recipe would help ease her difficult work environment, The Standard newspaper reported.

In some southeast Asian cultures, menstrual blood is thought to have special powers, the paper added.

The maid has been charged with one count of "administering poison or other destructive or noxious substances with intent to injure'' and has not yet entered a plea.

The report cited a prosecution statement that said Ms Ningsih's ingredient had been discovered after her female employer, surnamed Mok, peered through the kitchen door and saw the helper acting suspiciously.

She entered the kitchen and found the accused throwing something into the rubbish bin.

When she checked the pot, she found a suspicious substance mixed with the vegetables and water, the English-language daily said.

Ms Mok later discovered a used sanitary napkin in the bin and called the police.

Ms Ningsih told police Ms Mok had been unhappy with her performance since she was hired last July.

Which Chocolate and Cocoa Products Have the Most Antioxidants?

2009-12-01T00:55:00.004+08:00

A new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry compared the detailed cocoa antioxidant contents of commercially available chocolate and cocoa-containing products sold in the United States.

The top-selling three or four brands of natural cocoa powder, unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips, milk chocolate, and chocolate syrup were purchased across the United States for the study. Each product was tested for antioxidant activity, total polyphenols, and individual flavanol monomers and oligomers.

These results were compared to the amount of nonfat cocoa solids and total polyphenols in each product, as well as to the calculated percent cacao.

The products with the highest level of flavanol antioxidants were, (1) cocoa

powders, followed by (2) unsweetened baking chocolate, (3) dark

chocolate and (4) semi-sweet chips, then (5) milk chocolate and

finally (6) chocolate syrup.

source

Naked Mole Rats Might Hold Key To Longevity

2009-11-29T20:28:00.007+08:00

Who would have thought that the secrets to long life might exist in the naked, wrinkled body of one of the world's ugliest animals? Probably not many, but current research may be leading seekers of the Fountain of Youth to a strange little beast — the naked mole rat.

The naked mole rat is certainly not one of nature's cuddliest species. These small rodents are hairless, wrinkled, blind and buck-toothed. Stan Braude, Ph.D., lecturer in biology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, however, is attracted to these animals and has been studying them for over 25 years, with about 20 of those years being in the field in Kenya.

Braude is currently working on a new book that will serve as a synthetic review of the past 20 years of research on naked mole rats. While various research has been conducted on naked mole rats in a lab setting, Braude and his students are the only researchers out in the wild with them.

"I make the case [in my book] that if you really want to understand the lab work you also have to know what these animals are doing in the wild," said Braude.

Some of the "hottest" research on naked mole rats today concerns senescence, or aging. Naked mole rats in the lab have reached up to 28 years of age. And it's not just the controlled environments of their captivity that are doing this. Braude has observed mole rats in the wild that are 17 years and older. But these are the breeders. Lab researchers didn't realize that in the wild workers only live two or three years.

"For a rodent of this size, they are ridiculously long-lived," said Braude.

Source

Chinese Girl Will Marry for Surgery Money

2009-11-26T17:34:00.004+08:00

In the wide, wacky world of the People’s Republic of China, it would appear, the idea that anything is for sale is getting more and more widespread. Just last month, an impoverished uncle offered his baby niece for sale online.

Now, a 22-year-old student beauty in the city of Dezhou, 200 miles south of Beijing, has vowed to marry anyone willing to part with ¥150,000 (US$22,000) to pay for surgery on her classmate.

The friend, Yue-Mei, was put in a coma by severe brain inflammation. Her parents, who are farmers, were already said to be desperately out of pocket from the ¥4-5,000 ( about US$580-730) a day cost of just keeping their girl in hospital in neighboring Jinan.

Her friend Dandan, seen above, has posted an advertisement on a message board of the popular Chinese portal Sina.com.cn offering nuptials to any man who could afford the medical costs.

In the post she describes the situation her friend his facing, before going on to describe the proposed bill of fare, i.e. herself.

“I am tender, obedient, understanding and know how to do house chores,” Dadan writes. ”Good appearance, although I am not an especially pretty girl, but I look cute, with good temperament!”

Reaction in China was mixed, with some hailing the girl’s bravery and others denouncing her willingness to sell her body.

Dandan is said to have told reporters she felt she had no other recourse to solve her dilemma. She said Yue-Mei’s family had already been forced to borrow when her brother had kidney disease a few years ago.

“In fact, in the beginning, I only wanted to call for good-hearted people to help Yue-Mei, but no one cared about it,” she said. ”Maybe everyone thought I was a liar. Therefore out of desperation, I had the idea of repaying with my body and pledge to marry.”

For his part, the head doctor at the hospital did not dispute Dandan’s methods, but said Yue-Mei had shown significant improvement and far less money would be needed. He said Yue-Mei had already awoken from her coma and could manage simple movement and dialogue.

Dandan, however, remains unrepentant. She told reporters she was aware that she was facing strong criticism from some people for her decision. “But I will stick to my plan, ” she said, “because there is really no other alternative.”

The Unromantic Truth About Why We Kiss - To Spread Germs!

2009-11-21T17:02:00.004+08:00

The kiss may have evolved for reasons that are far more practical - and less alluring - than previously thought.

British scientists believe it was developed to spread germs.

They say that the uniquely human habit allows a bug that is dangerous in pregnancy to be passed from man to woman to give her time to build up immunity.

Cytomegalovirus, which lurks in saliva, normally causes no problems. But it can be extremely dangerous if caught while pregnant and can kill unborn babies or cause birth defects. These can include problems ranging from deafness to cerebral palsy.

Writing in the journal Medical Hypotheses, researcher Dr Colin Hendrie from the University of Leeds said: “Female inoculation with a specific male's cytomegalovirus is most efficiently achieved through mouth-to-mouth contact and saliva exchange, particularly where the flow of saliva is from the male to the typically shorter female.”

Kissing the same person for about six months provides optimum protection, he added. As the relationships progresses and the kisses become more passionate, her immunity builds up.

Previously scientists have claimed that kissing acts as a form of evolutionary quality control, with saliva holding clues to fertility, health and genes.

Further Readings / Source

What the Inventor of the Flu Shot NOW Thinks of the Vaccine...

2009-11-18T07:55:00.002+08:00

President Obama and his top health officials are engaging in a major public relations effort to divert attention away from whether its swine flu vaccine is effective and safe by focusing attention on whether there is enough of it to go around. And the media is cooperating fully.

Increasing numbers of scientists and doctors are issuing harsh criticisms of the government’s plan to vaccinate virtually the entire U.S. population with a poorly tested vaccine that is not only ineffective against swine flu, but could cripple and even kill many more people than it helps.

The CDC’s public relations campaign has been running “scare” ads that portray swine flu as a full-blown “pandemic” responsible for snuffing out countless lives. But scientists and health officials throughout the world have called the governments claims unjustified and deliberately misleading.

Source/Further Reading

Hidden Dangers Of Waterfall

2009-11-05T17:05:00.009+08:00

Three UTAR undergraduates drowned after they were swept away by sudden gush of water while swimming at the Batu Berangkai Waterfalls, Kampar, on Nov 1st, 2009.

The dead were James Khor, aged 20, Shy Gin, aged 19 and Ghim Chnieh, also aged 20.

The sudden gush of water phenomenon at waterfalls are fairly common and the main cause victims drowned. Therefore, this video exposes the 'sudden gush of water' phenomenon. It is hope that the more people are aware of this hidden danger, more lifes could be saved.

Special thanks to Bobby Henderson, (http://blog.venganza.org/17.php), who were holidaying in Mag-Aso Waterfalls in Bohol, Philippines when he witnessed the sudden gush of water after a downpour and managed to take some invaluable photos along the way.

Please help to spread this video. You may just save some lifes.

Read the news as reported by The Star here

Being a video enthusiasist, I've made a video meant to educate the general public on the hidden dangers of waterfalls, the sudden gush of water phenomenon ever so common to waterfalls. So that if ever they decide to pay waterfalls a visit, and swim in the river, they'll be more aware. But try not to swim. The sudden gush of water lived up to its name, the wild water suddenly gushes from the fall, the only warning sign being the sudden loud roar of water. By then, it may be a little too late.

OK, enough ramblings from me, lets watch the video and learn something from it. BTW, please share the video with your friends. Email the video link to your friends...Thanks a million.

Update:

I've done a little research on this 'sudden gush of water' phenomenon at waterfalls and here are some news items with sad/tragic endings.

1. Waterfall outing turns tragic

2009/10/18

SETIU: What was supposed to be a fun trip to a waterfall here by a group of teenagers, took a tragic twist when two of them drowned after they were swept away by strong currents on Friday evening.

The victims, Zulfikar Azam, 12, and Amirul Alif Musa, 13, both from Felda Chalok Barat , were with nine friends at the Lata Payong Forest Reserve waterfall, when a sudden gush of water washed them away.

The others managed to cling on to the rocks but Zulfikar and Amirul were swept
away.
News Link

2. 'Mini tsunami' at Terengganu waterfall kills 3, injures 7
Wed, May 07, 2008
The New Paper

IT was supposed to be a relaxing outing for the swimmers at Sekayu Waterfalls, but disaster struck when a strong gush of water swept them away.

Three people, including a woman, drowned in the freak accident which the police had called a 'mini tsunami'.

Seven others suffered light injuries, the New Straits Times reported.

Assistant Superintendent Shamsudin Yaacob, the acting district police chief, said the victims were swimming at the popular recreational spot in Terengganu when the accident happened on Thursday afternoon.

It is believed that the sudden gush of water was caused by rain further uphill a few days ago.

One of the survivors, Mr Azil Hizal, said he was in the water for barely five minutes when a huge wave struck him.

'I panicked, but managed to recite a quick prayer. I grabbed my son, Eizzedin, and placed him on my shoulder and held the hand of my wife, Nor Azliana and brought them to safety.

'I saw my brother-in-law (Mokhtaza) try to rescue his two siblings (Sakina and Noraina Najmi), but he failed to hold onto Sakina, who was swept away by the strong currents.'

Besides Ms Sakina Mustaffa, 25, the two who died were Tuan Basri Tuan Yusof, 23, and Mr Mohd Shukri Mamat, 27.

The survivors - five from Ms Sakina's family and two men - were given outpatient treatment at the hospital here.

Ms Sakina's body was the first to be found, an hour after the 1.40pm incident. It was recovered from the banks of Sungai Sekayu about 2km from the scene of the incident.

The other two bodies were recovered in the evening.

Mr Shamsudin has asked visitors to the waterfalls to be careful during the rainy season as such phenomenon tends to occur.
News Link

Update 2.

Here, I've found two videos. One video is the waterfall at its usual state, serene and beautiful, and the other, after a heavy downpour, when the fall were at its most dangerous state. And you will be surprised. Especially when the onslaught of water came suddenly. Allow me to clarify that this phenomenon is not limited to Mag-Aso falls only but literally all waterfalls. It so happen that there are ready made videos out there exposing the 'sudden gush of water' phenomenon, and I'm simply putting two and two together so that the general public is aware of the hidden dangers and take the necessary precautions.

Video 1. Waterfall at its usual state.

Video 2. When the sudden gush of water appeared. Notice how fierce the water became...

Another Scam...

2009-09-01T12:11:00.003+08:00

This is what I received through e-mail.

From: Google Online Promotion	To:	undisclosed-recipients:,	Show All
Subject: Success Alert...(Thanks for using Google)

Dear G-mail user,

Your e-mail has emerged as a winner of £500,000.00 GBP (Five hundred

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Note that the 'to' column stated 'undisclosed recipients' meaning there are many recipients beside me. And all the people beside me received the same mail. And we all share the same winning number???

Save The Best For Last?

2009-08-07T17:27:00.004+08:00

Hi guys, got this message from an email send by my cousin brother. The message conveyed is quite true therefore as usual, I would like to share this with all of you.

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package:

'This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package.'

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

'She got this the first time we went to New York , 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on , was saving it for a special occasion.

Well, I guess this is it.

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died.

He turned to me and said:

'Never save something for a special occasion.

Every day in your life is a special occasion'.

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understood that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.

I no longer keep anything.

I use crystal glasses every day...

I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to.

The words 'Someday...' and ' One Day...' are fading away from my dictionary.
;
If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now....

I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell.

I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.
She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels.

I'd like to think she would go ou t for Chinese, her favourite food.

It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come..

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

Live for today, for tomorrow is promised to no-one..

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it 'One of these days' , remember that 'One day' is far away... or might never come.....

No matter if you're superstitious or not, spend some time reading it.
It holds useful messages for the soul.

Amazing Dance

2009-08-05T16:53:00.008+08:00

Received this video as an email attachment from a friend. It brought out strong emotions, yes, someone hand out some tissues for me, please? This is another fine example of what pure determination and strong will could do. Despite being handicapped. After watching this video, I don't see them as being handicapped at all. They have come far, and they will continue to go far in life.

Here's their story ...

In a Chinese modern dance competition on TV, one very
unique couple won one of the top prizes. The lady, in her 30's, was a dancer
who had trained since she was a little girl. Later in life, she lost her entire
left arm in an accident and fell into a state of depression for a few
years. Someone then asked her to coach a Children's dancing group. From
that point on, she realized that she could not forget dancing. She still loved
to dance and wanted to dance again. So, she started to do some of her
old routines, but having lost her arm, she had also lost her balance. It took
a while before she could even make simple turns and spins without falling.

Then she heard of a man in his 20s who had lost a leg in an
accident. He had also fallen into the usual denial, depression, and anger
type of emotional roller coaster. But she determined to find him and persuade
him to dance with her. He had never danced, and to "dance with one
leg .... are you joking with me? No way!" But, she didn't give up,
and he reluctantly agreed thinking, "I have nothing else to do anyway."

She started to teach him dancing 101. The two broke up a
few times because he had no concept of using muscle, how to control his body,
and knew none of the basic things about dancing. When she became frustrated
and lost patience with him, he would walk out. Eventually, they came back
together and started training seriously. They hired a choreographer to design
routines for them. She would fly high (held by him) with both arms (a sleeve
for an arm) flying in the air. He could bend horizontally supported by one leg
with her leaning on him, etc. In the competition, as you will see, they
dance beautifully and they legitimately won the competition."

Aspiration Words

2009-07-26T11:14:00.004+08:00

I stumbled upon this poster and found the words printed on it very inspirational. I quickly took out a pen and scribed it onto my mini notebook. Here they are:-

If you want something you never had,
Do something you have never done,

Don't go the way life takes you,
Take the life the way you go,

And remember, you are born to live and not living because you are born.

A friend said this poster is quite popular and has madde its rounds as e-mail attachments. Anyhow, I've never seen it nor have anyone e-mailed this to me, therefore, I've decided to share it with those who are like me, who has not seen it.

The Dancing Walrus

2009-07-22T18:06:00.004+08:00

This video made it to my e-mail box today. Its not my norm to post videos I received from emails. But this one is just too cute. A walrus dancing to the beat of Michael Jackson's song. Please enjoy!

Snakes Anyone?

2009-07-13T18:56:00.003+08:00

Its been a while since my last post.

There's a friend who has a shop that I would hang out once a while. And in one of those hangouts, I met a supplier. A guy from a village famous for the wrong reason. Restaurants over there are purported to serve wild animals.

Ranging from turtles to crocodiles to wild monitor lizards and even tigers and elephants, that's why I say this village is famous for the wrong reason. This supplier could be pulling my leg, but among the many wild animals that he alleged was available, nothing interests me more than snakes.

Yeah, the creepy thing that gives me the shiver. That's why it interests me. Its assuring to know that stuff that can kill in a jiffy safely in a cooking pot, away from harms way. Nah, I'm not interested to get those in my tummy at the moment. Animal lovers will surely send me hate mails for this. I'm not promoting eating snakes. Just amazed that animals that give shivers down the spine of many could be conquered and eaten!

If you love snakes, please do not watch the following videos. Thanks.

If the first video did not make you cringe, then you may, for the following video. Already I'm feeling goose bumps all over.

He's gonna puke, he's gonna puke, after this video, you'll wonder if snake eating has become the in thing.

Another Talent!

2009-05-04T00:20:00.004+08:00

I love Britain's Got Talent more than any other similar shows because its unbelievable the quality of the talented people there are in the show.

First, it was Susan Boyle. Then came Hollie Steel, a little girl of 10 with a great voice, and now Jamie Pugh, a van driver by day and a pizza delivery man by night.

Lets have a quick view on the video:-

The song he sang was 'Bring Him Home by Les Miserables. Coincidentally, the song chosen by Susan Boyle, another sensational participant whom made waves around the world, and featured in many blogs, including this one, sang a song by Les Miserables too called ' I dreamed a dream'.

Hmm...will future participants chose songs by Les Miserables for good luck?

The original song for your comparison:-

and lastly, the lyrics:-

God on high
Hear my prayer
In my need
You have always been there

He is young
He's afraid
Let him rest
Heaven blessed.
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.

He's like the son I might have known
If God had granted me a son.
The summers die
One by one
How soon they fly
On and on
And I am old
And will be gone.

Bring him peace
Bring him joy
He is young
He is only a boy

You can take
You can give
Let him be
Let him live
If I die, let me die
Let him live
Bring him home
Bring him home
Bring him home.

What Was That ???

2009-04-27T00:28:00.003+08:00

A friend send me this video and reminded me to watch it. Obediently, I click on the link, hoping its not one of those dumb prank videos where a horror picture suddenly appear at the end of the video.

What greeted me was something unexpected. Its a sea creature. And never in my life did I see such creature before. Does anybody know what this creature is? I wonder if this creature is in wikipedia. How do I refer to wiki if I don't know the name of this creature?

Here is the video. This creature looks weird and 'vulgar' when flipped over. And it was bigger than I though. At the end of the video...something unexpected happened and I couldn't help but to...LAUGH!

Seven Wonders of The World

2009-04-20T15:32:00.003+08:00

No, this topic is not really about the Seven Wonders Of The World, whether the old seven wonders, or the new seven wonders.

Its about another new video I created yesterday, and uploaded to Metacafe. It took me one whole day, from morning till late at night.

This is the story of the Seven Wonders:-

Junior high school students in Chicago were
studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At
the end of the lesson, the students were asked
to list what they considered to be the Seven
Wonders of the World. Though there was some
disagreement, the following received the
most votes:

1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall

While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."

The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:

1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.

The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.

May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful - and we don't have to travel anywhere special to experience them.

Enjoy your gifts!

The first thing I did was to source for pictures. A picture tell a thousand words. So, I need 3 pictures for each illustration, because I wanted to tell 3 thousand words :)

There were pictures of the seven wonders I needed to download, 3 pictures for each wonder, and that copmes up to 21 pictures. Then there are the junior high girl's seven wonder. And another 3 pictures for each 'wonder' and that's another 21 picturesbringing it to 42 pictures altogether that I needed to source.

Luckily, with Google Image, I managed to get my pictures downloaded before dinner.

Using a great software to create this video, if you are curious, here is a link to download this software. But you have to buy it to have the watermark removed.

And the end product...Hope you guys will love it!

The Seven Wonders of the World ("You Are So Blessed") - The best free videos are right here

Dreams Do Come True..

2009-04-18T00:30:00.004+08:00

Dreams do come true after all. We only need to have faith in our ability. A person without dreams is as good as dead, that's what I read from time to time.

This bring me to Ms Susan Boyle. Since I'm from another part of the world where access to my favorite TV show, 'Britains Got Talent' is limited to Youtube, I've only 'discovered' her NOW. Better late than never at all.

If you're like me, and have not heard of Ms Susan Boyle, you are strongly recommended to view the below video, from Youtube, where else, and be pleasantly surprised too. May your dreams come true too!

Ms Susan is 47 fast going to 48 years of age. Claimed that she has not been kissed, and lived alone with her pet cat.

Gosh, Youtube is at it again, the embed feature is disabled on this video, so I'll go to Metacafe and embed the video from there.

Susan Boyle - Singer - Britains Got Talent 2009 - The most popular videos are here

Lyrics:
I dreamed a dream in time gone by
When hope was high,
And life worth living
I dreamed that love would never die
I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid
When dreams were made and used,
And wasted
There was no ransom to be paid
No song unsung,
No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night
With their voices soft as thunder
As they tear your hopes apart
As they turn your dreams to shame.

And still I dream he'll come to me
And we will live our lives together
But there are dreams that cannot be
And there are storms
We cannot weather...

I had a dream my life would be
So different from this hell I'm living
So different now from what it seems
Now life has killed
The dream I dreamed.

To end this post, I'm tempted to include this song sang by Ms Susan Boyle way back in 1999. A song called "Cry Me A River", for a charity, in which only 1000 copies were ever printed and sold.

This song is a bit slow for my liking. Nevertheles, her voice is great!

Inspirational Video

2009-04-07T23:04:00.001+08:00

Want to be inspired? Watch this video then...

Corn-based food is unhealthy

2009-03-13T21:09:00.002+08:00

Pundit George Will has joined the ranks of those who have noticed that the U.S. government’s treatment of corn is wrecking the health of Americans.

Ever since Nixon, government policy has been to sell large quantities of calories as cheaply as possible -- especially calories coming from corn. Now, a quarter of the 45,000 items in the average supermarket contain processed corn, often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup.

The result? Rates of chronic diseases like cancer and Type 2 diabetes are much higher today than they were in 1900. Type 2 diabetes is an $100 billion a year consequence of, among other things, obesity related to a corn-based diet. Four of the top 10 causes of American deaths -- coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer – have well-established links to diet as well.

source

Lightning bolt makes healer of Indonesian village boy

2009-03-05T20:38:00.003+08:00

Once a while, I welcome news such as this. In this harsh world, its welcoming to know that miracles do happen. Read the following news and judge for yourself. You may or may not believe in what you read. But it is hope that you believe in miracles too.

Muhammad Ponari (L), who locals believe possesses healing powers, dips his "magic stone" into a bottle of water. Photo: Reuters

MOHAMMAD Ponari was, until last month, a typical kid in the impoverished East Java village of Balongsari. Then, quite literally, lightning struck.

The nine-year-old, who had been playing in the rain in his front yard, was hit by the thunderbolt but, to the astonishment of his young friends, he was unharmed.

All the more bizarre, according to an account by his village chief and his family, when he came to, he found a stone the size of an egg on his head, and was convinced he possessed healing powers.

A boy next door with a fever was his first patient. The stone was placed in a glass of water and the boy drank deeply. His fever vanished.

Then another neighbour approached him, a woman in her 30s who had suffered from a depressive condition for 15 years. She, too, was healed.

The miracles, large and small, kept coming, said Nila Retno, the local village chief.

"My arm was sprained. The water touched by stone was given to me and I applied the water to my sprained arm. Suddenly, I was OK again," she said.

The district police commissioner, Sutikno, a devout Muslim who will be making the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca this year, told of his experience.

"I was inside the house talking to the boy and his family. Together with me in the house was a boy of his age who had not spoken for five years," he said.

"Ponari shook him. The boy reacted and they started fighting, like wrestling and pulling each other's hair. Then, a few moments after the fighting, the boy started to talk."

What did he say? "He said 'I'm scared' in Javanese — but he talked."

The tales of miraculous healings spread. Within a week of the lightning strike, hundreds of villagers were lining up outside Ponari's modest home.

A week later, the ailing, the lame and the curious were coming from as far afield as Malaysia. Thousands queued each day in lines stretching for kilometres, carrying plastic bags of water ready to be transformed into an elixir by the magical stone.

Stampedes erupted on at least three occasions, resulting in the deaths of three people and injuries to dozens more.

The extraordinary scenes in Balongsari highlight the strong grip that mysticism retains over many Indonesians, and Javanese in particular.

While Islam is the most popular religion in Indonesia, it is infused with supernatural beliefs that have been part of Indonesian culture since prehistory, incorporating elements of animism, Buddhism and Hinduism, religions that have at one time or another dominated Java.

Commonly known as dukuns, these shamans and healers can be found in most villages and city shantytowns. Many double as Islamic clerics, and offer services ranging from alternative medical treatments, to guidance in romantic affairs and fortune-telling.

Dukun santet are the exponents of black magic, sorcerers who cast spells. In 1998, 200 supposed dukun santet were massacred in East Java in a mysterious series of killings that have never been solved.

Politicians frequently seek the guidance of dukuns, most famously the former dictator Suharto. Magazines proliferate tracking the latest development in the paranormal world, packed with ads from dukuns spruiking their other-worldy abilities.

As for Ponari, he stopped administering his miracle cures this week after tending to tens of thousands of patients. The public disorder forced police to remove the boy to an undisclosed location.

Even so, as much as 1 billion rupiah ($A120,000) has been raised through a charity box outside his home. This, many adherents to mysticism believe, was poor form indeed. Dukuns are not supposed to profit from their activities.

According to village chief Retno, Ponari himself said he had been "scolded" by the stone for accepting cash. "He said he felt that his whole body was whipped," she said.

Ponari himself has now fallen ill, gripped by fever and nausea. Exhaustion perhaps. Or a sign of displeasure from the spirit world?

Source

Study Finds Sunny Side of Eggs

2009-02-26T23:51:00.003+08:00

Despite decades of advice that the cholesterol in eggs is bad for you, researchers now report evidence that eggs might actually reduce high blood pressure.

The scientists found egg proteins that, in laboratory simulations of the human digestive process, seem to be as good as common prescription medications for lowering blood pressure.

However, it should be noted that funding for the research came from livestock and poultry industry groups. And the researchers emphasized that further study is needed to determine if the proteins actually work in humans.

Video Of My Cousin, Maggie.

2009-02-05T17:36:00.004+08:00

During Chinese New Year this year, my cousin bro Michael produced some studio photos of our cousin sister, Maggie which was taken to celebrate her birthday. Something else caught my eye. A CD. Great! The CD must be where her digital photos were stored.

I've a soft spot for digital photos. Especially portraits. Because I've a deep interest in producing slide shows out of them. My skills are still not up to par, that's why I love to get hold of photos to practise with, so that someday, I'd be able to create masterpiece slide shows out of digital photos.

Below is the video I create. Hope you like it!

My Cousin Maggie - Click here for funny video clips

Simply titled "My cousin Maggie". Well, she's gentle, charming, and most of all, beautiful and sexy. What do you think?

Overlooked Again and Again

2009-02-03T21:46:00.003+08:00

For the past few months, I think I am under a curse. People keep forgetting my food orders!

There was a blog that intro a place, a foodcourt in Kampar, where the food was reported to be very popular with the locals. In the mood for some light traveling (Kampar town is about 38KM from my home) one Sunday morning, a few months back, I decided to pay this place a visit.

Arriving with a few friends, we were still early enough to catch a crowd at the morning market nearby. There were more foodstalls than what I have imagined, more people than what I've anticipated. I hate crowdy places, but you don't travel 40 KM just to make an U turn because of some crowds. So, I found myself not so comfortably seated with the noisy crowds.

Looking around, hey, to my delight, there was a stall that sell my favourite food, the wanton mee (Picture, courtesy of google image search).

I love my wanton mee with some curry soup, which not many stalls have, but this one did! Perfect!!! So, I was back at my table with my friends, patiently waited for the food to arrive. And waited I did. Nah...after a good half an hour of waiting, it did not arrive. My friends urged me to remind the hawker, which I did not in the mood wanted to pass the crowd again. So, I decided to randomly order my breakfast from another stall nearby, which looked less crowded. Again, my second order was 'conveniently' forgotten'.

How's that for my visit to the 'popular with locals' foodcourt? Nah, don't think I'd be visiting this crowded place again.

A few weeks later, on a rainy night, a friend and I was around town trying to find a decent place to dine. Since it was a public holiday, two days straight, a lot of people from outstation came back and that explains the unusual crowd at most popular dining places.

At long last, we manage to locate a modest place which were not too crowded, easy to find parking (Raining, we have to find somewhere easy for us to get down without getting ourselves wet).

The owner of the restaurant were busy waiting at the next table, so we sat patiently waiting for our turn to place our order. Waited we did (Again...) Nah, the owner of the place went straight to the kitchen after taking down our next table's order and did not seem interested to come out to take our order. After 15 mins of waiting, we decided enough was enough, we made a dash for the exit...

Did the jinx happen after that? You bet! Just a few days ago, I was lamenting my luck of always being forgotten when it strike again as recently as today!

I was in Ampang and decided to nip to a nearby restaurant for a chicken rice lunch. The jinx strikes again. My order was forgotten. I reminded the wife. The hubby looked up at me and remarked "Oh! You waited long..." Glad that I broke the jinx this time round, I sat down and...waited. What happen to my chicken rice order???? Despite reminders, I was forgotten again! Should I throw a tantrum? Nah...not my style to create a scene. So, I stood up, and walked out the door...sad that life must treat me like this.

I walked to nearby Sun Yeong Wai Restaurant. It was closed. Due to CNY celebration? Oh, never mind. Further down, Oldtown Kopitiam is open so I walked in, placed my order and to my relieve, my lunch was served within 5 mins. By this time, my tummy was groaning with hunger (Did not have breakfast, you see...).

Oldtown Kopitiam (One of the outlets, photo courtesy of Google Image Search)

Will this jinx/curse end?

Felt Life A Little Too Much To Bear? Watch This Video And Be Inspired!

2009-01-16T21:49:00.003+08:00

No matter who you are, there are moments when you will feel the world is too much -- days when you want to pull up the covers and half-sleep in bed until nightfall.

This is normal. It’s an integral part of building anything remarkable, whether a business, a relationship, or a life. Expanding your sphere of comfort and abilities comes with a cost: repeated self-doubt.

The below video may put things in perspective. In your moments of self-doubt, watch it and meditate on all of the things you’ve done that you once considering impossible.

Get back up. Bigger and better things are waiting for you.

source

One injured, another trapped in temple limestone outcrop collapse

2009-01-11T20:19:00.008+08:00

IPOH, Sun:

One person was badly injured and another is believed to be trapped after part of a limestone outcrop collapsed at the Perak Cave Temple along Jalan Kuala Kangsar here today.

Fifteen people were rescued by Fire & Rescue personnel following the incident about 3.30pm, said a spokesman of the Ipoh Fire & Rescue Department. He said the injured person had been sent to the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital while 20 Fire & Rescue personnel were looking for the trapped person. The spokesman said all the visitors to the temple at the time of the incident were Malaysians except for one tourist from Vietnam. The Ipoh police headquarters is scheduled to hold a news conference to provide details of the incident. — BERNAMA

That's the news I read with shock just now. Part of Perak Tong temple collapsed? How could this be, I've just paid this temple a short visit a few days back.

You see, I've consulted a 'sifu' (Feng Shui master) on recommendations from a friend and he told me to get hold of a 'Thousand Hands Goddess Of Mercy' as the deity was said to be my guardian angel and would protect me from harm. Nowadays, I need all the protection I could get, not because I'm living life on the fast lane, but because with rising crimes everywhere, you'll need all the precautionary actions you can take. And that includes getting yourself an amulet. OK, OK, the amulet was suppose to also help me in my career...Hmm...this could be the MAIN reason I'm determined to get that amulet, even if that means the cave temple the amulet was supposed to be available for sale would give way and collapsed on you....

The Entrance...

Inside View...Noticed the giant murals?

Buddha, Sitting Tall And Mighty...

Painting of Goddess Of Mercy...At least 8 storey high

And here I've been exaggerating a bit. I didn't know the cave will collapse or else I wouldn't been there in the first place. Who will? But to read that one person was badly injured troubles me. Who is the unlucky one? Could it be one of the temple helpers? I visit this temple from time to time (Because there's not much place to visit, sigh.....) Therefore, I befriended a few people at the temple. Just crossed my finger whoever the victim is will have a speedy recovery. Why must tragedies happen?

Back to the amulet, no I did not manage to buy my amulet because there were no stock. So I had to toot elsewhere and luckily managed to get hold of one. And I was told, 'specially flown' in from Hong Kong, China.

Back to the cave temple, one may wonder, if there are really a deity, a guardian angel, the unseen power to be would have prevented the incident from happening in the first place. Yes that's true. So sad. That means there are no guardian angels? All wishful thinking? Fantasy?

Hmm....the incident occurred at 3.30pm, that means, near the evening, when tourists number are low. Just imagined if the incident happened in the morning, during peak time for tourists arrival. The news may read differently. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CATASTROPIC!

Happened at night and the poor security guard would have crushed to death on the spot. Caves are not meant for temples to be built. Especially limestone caves. Water will dilute limestone easily, thats why you will find stalacmites and stalactites in limestone caves. So, for tragedies such as this, please don't blame the deities...

Setor Original...The Gifted Artist

2009-01-03T23:27:00.008+08:00

No, this is not a paid advertisement. Nor am I getting any interests or commissions out of this post, which is of a fine artist, now based in Batu Ferringhi, Penang, Malaysia.

Setor, born and educated in Malaysia and attended Malaysia Institute of Arts (Diploma in Graphic Design) in Kuala Lumpur, has been painting Watercolors painting, Chinese brush painting and Hand-painted T-shirts for more than 15 years, and sold more than 2,000 pcs of his paintings since 1990.

All paintings, hand painted t-shirts, bookmarks, greeting cards , etc are original paintings or only one in the world. In other word-truly unique!

If anyone of you had the good luck of buying his hand-painted t-shirts, please wear it and take a photo and e-mail it to me at heartglo@gmail.com , so that I could post it here, ok!

Setor's own label...

His store...In Batu Ferringhi, Penang

And...His paintings (Part collection) Impossible to post all here.

His Location...

And lastly, his own blog:

http://setororiginal.blogspot.com/

Well, I've met him personally last year (2008), and witnessed him drawing a painting with full dedication and speed. Also, he happens to be a friend's future brother-in-law (Hi, Steven! When you read this, coffee on you :) )

Blind 5 Year Old Korean Girl Pianist - Child Genius

2008-12-29T22:41:00.003+08:00

This gifted 5 year old blind Korean girl plays songs on the piano after hearing them just once. She was born blind and was adopted at the age of 3. She can play Mozart, Chopin, and Beethoven among others.

This clip from 2003 has received over 23 million hits on the Korean website Pandora TV, and over 2 million hits on YouTube. Her score of 95 is the highest ever on the Korean variety show Star King.

Your Personality By Month Of Birth

2008-12-29T22:08:00.001+08:00

JANUARY
*Ambitious and serious *Loves to teach and be taught *Always looking at people's flaws and weaknesses *Likes to criticize *Hardworking and productive *Smart, neat and organised *Sensitive and has deep thoughts *Knows how to make others happy *Quiet unless excited or tensed *Rather reserved *Highly attentive *Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds *Romantic but has difficulties expressing love *Loves children *Homely person *Loyal *Needs to improve social abilities *Easily jealous.

FEBRUARY
*Abstract thoughts *Loves reality and abstract *Intelligent and clever *Changing personality *Temperamental *Quiet, shy and humble *Low self esteem *Honest and loyal *Determined to reach goals *Loves freedom *Rebellious when restricted *Loves aggressiveness *Too sensitive and easily hurt *Showing anger easily *Dislike unnecessary things *Loves making friends but rarely shows it *Daring and stubborn *Ambitious *Realizing dreams and hopes *Sharp *Loves entertainment and leisure *Romantic on the inside not outside *Superstitious and ludicrous *Spendthrift *Learns to show emotions.

MARCH
*Attractive personality *Affectionate *Shy and reserved *Secretive *Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic *Loves peace and serenity *Sensitive to others *Loves to serve others *Not easily angered *Trustworthy *Appreciative and returns kindness *Observant and assess others *Revengeful *Loves to dream and fantasize *Loves traveling *Loves attention *Hasty decisions in choosing partners *Loves home decors *Musically talented *Loves special things *Moody.

APRIL
*Active and dynamic *Decisive and haste but tends to regret *Attractive and affectionate to oneself *Strong mentality *Loves attention *Diplomatic *Consoling *Friendly and solves people's problems *Brave and fearless *Adventurous *Loving and caring *Suave and generous *Emotional *Revengeful *Aggressive *Hasty *Good memory *Moving *Motivate oneself and the others *Sickness usually of the head and chest *Easily get too jealous.

MAY
*Stubborn and hard-hearted *Strong-willed and highly motivated *Sharp thoughts *Easily angered *Attracts others and loves attention *Deep feelings *Beautiful physically and mentally *Firm standpoint *Easily influenced *Needs no motivation *Easily consoled *Systematic (left brain) *Loves to dream *Strong clairvoyance *Understanding *Sickness usually in the ear and neck *Good imagination *Good debating skills *Good physical *Weak breathing *Loves literature and the arts *Loves traveling *Dislike being at home *Restless *Hardworking *High spirited *Spendthrift

JUNE
*Thinks far with vision *Easily influenced by kindness *Polite and soft-spoken *Having lots of ideas *Sensitive *Active mind *Hesitating *Tends to delay *Choosy and always wants the best *Temperamental *Funny and humorous *Loves to joke *Good debating skills *Talkative *Daydreamer *Friendly *Knows how to make friends *Abiding *Able to show character *Easily hurt *Prone to getting colds *Loves to dress up *Easily bored *Fussy *Seldom show emotions *Takes time to recover when hurt *Brand conscious *Executive *Stubborn *Those who loves me are enemies *Those who hates me are friends.

JULY
*Fun to be with *Secretive *Difficult to fathom and to be understood *Quiet unless excited or tensed *Takes pride in oneself *Has reputation *Easily consoled *Honest *Concern about people's feelings *Tactful *Friendly *Approachable *Very emotional *Temperamental and unpredictable *Moody and easily hurt *Witty and starkly *Sentimental *Not revengeful *Forgiving but never forgets *Dislike nonsensical and unnecessary things *Guides others physically and mentally *Sensitive and forms impressions carefully *Caring and loving *Treats others equally *Strong sense of sympathy *Wary and sharp *Judge people through observations *Hardworking *No difficulties in studying *Loves to be alone *Always broods about the past and the old friends *Likes to be quiet *Homely person *Waits for friends *Never looks for friends *Not aggressive unless provoked *Prone to having stomach and dieting problems *Loves to be loved *Easily hurt but takes long to recover *Overly concerned *Puts in effort in work.

AUGUST
*Loves to joke *Attractive *Suave and caring *Brave and fearless *Firm and has leadership qualities *Knows how to console others *Too generous and egoistic *Take high pride of oneself *Thirsty for praises *Extraordinary spirit *Easily angered *Angry when provoked *Easily jealous *Observant *Careful and cautious *Thinks quickly *Independent thoughts *Loves to lead and to be led *Loves to dream *Talented in the arts, music and defense *Sensitive but not petty *Poor resistance against illnesses *Learns to relax *Hasty and rusty *Romantic *Loving and caring *Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER
*Suave and compromising *Careful, cautious and organized *Likes to point out people's mistakes *Likes to criticize *Quiet but able to talk well *Calm and cool *Kind and sympathetic *Concerned and detailed *Trustworthy, loyal and honest *Does work well *Sensitive *Thinking *Good memory *Clever and knowledgeable *Loves to look for information *Must control oneself when criticizing *Able to motivate oneself *Understanding *Secretive *Loves sports, leisure and traveling *Hardly shows emotions *Tends to bottle up feelings *Choosy especially in relationships *Loves wide things *Systematic.

OCTOBER
*Loves to chat *Loves those who loves him *Loves to takes things at the center *Attractive and suave *Inner and physical beauty *Does not lie or pretend *Sympathetic *Treats friends importantly *Always making friends *Easily hurt but recovers easily *Bad tempered *Selfish *Seldom helps unless asked *Daydreamer *Very opinionated *Does not care of what others think *Emotional *Decisive *Strong clairvoyance *Loves to travel, the arts and literature *Soft-spoken, loving and caring *Romantic *Touchy and easily jealous *Concerned *Loves outdoors *Just and fair *Spendthrift and easily influenced *Easily lose confidence.

NOVEMBER
*Has a lot of ideas *Difficult to fathom *Thinks forward *Unique and brilliant *Extraordinary ideas *Sharp thinking *Fine and strong clairvoyance *Can become good doctors *Careful and cautious *Dynamic in personality *Secretive *Inquisitive *Knows how to dig secrets *Always thinking *Less talkative but amiable *Brave and generous *Patient *Stubborn and hard-hearted *If there is a will, there is a way *Determined *Never give up *Hardly become angry unless provoked *Loves to be alone *Thinks differently from others *Sharp-minded *Motivates oneself *Does not appreciate praises *High-spirited *Well-built and tough *Deep love and emotions *Romantic *Uncertain in relationships *Homely *Hardworking *High abilities *Trustworthy *Honest and keeps secrets *Not able to control emotions *Unpredictable.

DECEMBER
*Loyal and generous *Patriotic *Active in games and interactions *Impatient and hasty *Ambitious *Influential in organizations *Fun to be with *Loves to socialize *Loves praises *Loves attention *Loves to be loved *Honest and trustworthy *Not pretending *Short tempered *Changing personality *Not egoistic *Takes high pride in oneself *Hates restrictions *Loves to joke *Good sense of humor *Logical.

Thanks A Million, Philip Townsend !!!

2008-12-25T10:29:00.004+08:00

To: Philip Townsend

Thanks for your donation to my blog via pay pal donate button on Dec 15th, 2008. I was so happy because you are the first person to donate!

Here's wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas, full of joy and laughter, and may this new year 2009 brings with it an abundant of success to you!

Kindly excuse me if this message sounds weird as English is not my mother tongue.

Lastly, I wish to dedicate this video, Amazing Grace, to you. Enjoy!

Amazing Grace - Christmas Lights - Click here for this week’s top video clips

"Once Upon A Holy Night"

2008-12-20T00:08:00.004+08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

"Once Upon A Holy Night" - The most popular videos are here

Most Shocking - Insane Building Collapse

2008-12-20T00:02:00.001+08:00

Caught on video as it happened, a building collapsed in Philippine due to cheap building materials used and inferior workmanship. Luckily, nobody was hurt in this incident.

Most Shocking - Insane Building Collapse - from TruTV.com - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

Just How Bad Was the U.S. Economy in 2008?

2008-12-16T18:55:00.002+08:00

If you want to know how badly the stock market is really doing right now, you might want to take a look at this chart. Each block represents a year, and each column represents a range of return on the S&P index. Over on the right side are those years where the index has soared upward 50 percent or 60 percent. The large middle range represents more typical years, where the market has risen less than 10 percent.

That little black box on the far left, with only the Great Depression year of 1931 in the same column? That would be this year.

Sources:

Daily Kos December 10, 2008

The Most Famous Face Never Seen

2008-12-16T01:18:00.001+08:00

In 1969, it was an image burned into the imaginations of millions of viewers around the world. Because the picture itself was out of this world...and on the moon.

It's the photograph of astronaut Buzz Aldrin on the moon during the famous Apollo 11 landing. While Aldrin was only the second man to set foot on the moon, following Neil Armstrong, it was Armstrong's duty to record the historic adventure, and consequently the most famous images from that flight feature Aldrin. That includes the famed image of the moon, the space capsule, and even Armstrong, reflected in the visor of Aldrin's spacesuit helmet, a photo that was reproduced over and over for years.

Space appeared to be Aldrin's destiny. His mother's maiden name was Moon, a quirky foretelling of just how far her son would one day go. And after that famous mission, Aldrin continued on in field of space travel, acting as a consultant for NASA and moviemakers, designing rockets, founding the Starcraft Boosters company, and speaking frequently on the concept of privatizing space travel.

Nearly 40 years after his visored image flashed around the world, Aldrin is still seen incognito, through another medium. Each year the MTV video awards hand out the Buzzy statuettes for best music videos. The bulky, space-suited figure, was crafted from the image of Aldrin on the moon.

Iced Cream, the origins

2008-12-16T01:00:00.001+08:00

Nothing says summer, quite like the ring from an ice cream truck's little bells. But back in the beginning, there were no trucks. In fact, even wheels were in short supply.

The first recorded evidence of an ice/milk combination food, goes back to the fourth century B.C. More detailed evidence of ice and fruit toppings can be found in Nero's Roman history from the first century A.D. But the most solid evidence of all, is seventh century writings from China, which detail King Tang's personal recipe for ice and milk dishes.

The dessert likely made its way from China with European sailors, who took it home and started a boom that eventually produced sherbets, ices, ice milks and more. While some people tend to thing of it as a 19th century fad, it was actually served in the 1700s in America, by luminaries like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. In fact, the very first ice cream parlor in America, opened in New York City, in 1776.

Of course, back then, making it was no treat, even if the outcome was. While there were various technique employed up to the mid 1800s, it was Nancy Johnson, who in 1846 created the same process that is used today, although with modernized equipment. Johnson didn't patent her hand-cranked freezer, but when William Young filed a patent two years later, he named it after her.

The business was up and running. Jacob Fussel of Baltimore built the first large-scale ice cream plant in 1851, and in 1897, Alfred L. Cralled patented the ice cream mold and "scooper", that half-ball shaped utensil for digging deep into the chocolate ripple.

An Idiot...THE Idiot -Classic Video Example

2008-12-13T20:31:00.002+08:00

This idiotic driver nearly got himself killed when he obiously did not see the train ramps closing. Luckily, his/her guardian angel was nearby, giving him/her the second chance to life...

India Angry Over Fake Taj Mahal

2008-12-13T20:13:00.002+08:00

Tensions between Bangladesh and India have escalated after it emerged a film director is constructing a life-size copy of the Taj Mahal.

The replica Taj Mahal is being built to the exact size

The Indian embassy in Bangladesh has voiced its displeasure over the exact copy - and is hoping to sue for copyright infringement.

A spokesman at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka fumed: "You can't just go and copy historical monuments.

"Someone will go out there and have a look. The reports we are reading say it is an exact replica."

The original Taj Mahal

The £38m building, commissioned by wealthy director Ahsanullah Moni, will be located about 20 miles north east of the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

Construction began five years ago but Mr Moni says he came up with the idea in 1980 after first visiting the original "Monument to Love" in Agra, India.

He has imported marble and granite from Italy, diamonds from Belgium and used 160kg of bronze for the dome.

In support of his project, he said: "Everyone dreams about seeing the Taj Mahal but very few Bangladeshis can make the trip because it's too expensive for them."

The construction site of the replica Taj Mahal

The Indian High Commission says it hopes to sue Mr Moni for copyright infringement.

But Joel Smith, intellectual property partner at law firm Herbert Smith LLP, questioned that suggestion.

He said: "If Indian law is anything like English law, any claim would be way out of the scope of the protection."

Mr Smith added that in England, copyright in the plans for a building only lasts for 70 years after the death of the architect.

The original Taj Mahal palace was built by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth in 1631.

Remarks: If the argument goes like that, pretty soon, we can have fake Statue of Liberty, fake Leaning Tower of Pisa, fake Eiffel Tower, etc...

Another Touching Story-One Eyed Mom

2008-12-12T17:45:00.003+08:00

Hi, here's is a very touching story, enjoy reading...

My mom only had one eye. I hated her... she was such an
embarrassment.
She cooked for students & teachers to support the family.

There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to
say hello to me.

I was so embarrassed.

How could she do this to me?

I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out.

The next day at school one of my classmates said, 'EEEE, your mom only
has one eye!'

I wanted to bury myself.

I also wanted my mom to just disappear.

I confronted her that day and said, ' If you're only go make

me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?'

My mom did not respond...

I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said,
because
I was full of anger.

I was oblivious to her feelings.

I wanted out of that house, and have

nothing to do with her.

So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study..

Then, I got married.

I bought a house of my own.

I had kids of my own.

I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts. Then one day, my

mother came to visit me.

She hadn't seen me in years and she didn't even meet her
grandchildren..

When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled
at
her for coming over uninvited.

I screamed at her, 'How dare you come to my house and scare my
children!'
GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!'

And to this, my mother quietly answered, 'Oh, I'm so sorry. I may
have
gotten the wrong address,' and she disappeared out of sight.

One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house.

So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip.

After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity.

My neighbors said that she died.

I did not shed a single tear.

They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

'My dearest son,

I think of you all the time. I'm sorry that I came to your

house and

scared your children.

I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion.

But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you..

I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were

growing up.

You see.........when you were very little, you got into an accident,
and
lost your eye.

As a mother, I couldn't stand

watching you

having to grow up with one eye.

So I gave you mine.

I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in
my
place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,

Your mother.

A Heart Warming Story

2008-12-12T17:31:00.001+08:00

A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchen totally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital. He died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how she was going to face her husband. When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

QUESTIONS :

1. What were the five words ?

2. What is the implication of this story?

ANSWER :

The husband just said 'I am with you Darling'. The husband's totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.' Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

MORAL OF THE STORY

This story is really worth reading. Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.

Have a nice and blessed day

Apparently Money Does Buy Happiness

2008-12-12T07:29:00.002+08:00

The next time that someone tells you that money can't buy
happiness, tell them that they are wrong. New research
published in Britain has shown that even winning a small lottery
or receiving an inheritance can produce contentment in average
people. Professors Andrew Oswald and Jonathan Gardner of
Warwick University in central England tracked 9,000 families
over the past decade to study whether there was a link between
cash windfalls and contentment. "We find a very strong link
between cash falling on you and higher contentment and better
mental health in the following year," said Oswald.

Guardian angel in the way

2008-12-08T22:06:00.003+08:00

u
"I was staying with my mother for a short time, and to make a long story short we had a terrible relationship. I lived with her for three months and she wanted $3000 dollars from me for it (although I was raised a foster kid, so its not like she ever did anything for me before). Anyway, I didn't have the money so she decided she would keep all my stuff, including personal items and even all my baby's stuff. We made a deal that she could keep my TV (the one in the photo), if she let me have everything else of mine. So, it was agreed. I was then planning on going to court after I moved out from her house, to get the TV back, since I still have to pay for it. The reason I was taking this photo was to have a visual aid for the judge (even though I didn't need it because I had receipts). What blew me away was this was the only photo that I was trying to take and I couldn't get it to come out, because I believe this angel in the photo was purposely in the way! I didn't pursue getting the TV from her, so she still has it. I think this angel was telling me it just wasn't worth it. I have seen the angel a few times since, but not in any other photos..."

Major Threat to Human Fertility and Very Existence of Human Life

2008-12-08T00:34:00.002+08:00

A long-term feeding study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety confirms genetically modified (GM) corn seriously affects reproductive health in mice.

Non-GMO advocates, who have warned about this infertility link along with other health risks, now seek an immediate ban of all GM foods and GM crops to protect the health of humankind and the fertility of women around the world.

Feeding mice with genetically modified corn developed by the US-based Monsanto Corporation led to lower fertility and body weight, according to the study conducted by the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna. Lead author of the study Professor Zentek said there was a direct link between the decrease in fertility and the GM diet, and that mice fed with non-GE corn reproduced more efficiently.

Other studies have also found that offspring of rats fed GM soy showed a five-fold increase in mortality, lower birth weights, and the inability to reproduce.

Sources:

Institute for Responsible Technology November 13, 2008

Youngest Mom at 5

2008-12-07T01:22:00.005+08:00

One of the photographs meanwhile that changed medical history is that of Lina Medina, the youngest mother who gave birth at the age of five. Born in Peru in 1933, Lina was brought to the local hospital by her parents because of an increasingly enlarged belly, which they first thought of a tumor. After a series of tests however, the doctors confirmed that she was seven months pregnant. A month later Lina gave birth to a baby boy whom she named Gerardo, after her doctor.

Lina Medina is the first known case of precocious pregnancy, and based on studies it was shown that she had an advanced menarche development resulting to menstruation at the age of 8 months, prominent breasts upon turning four, and bone maturation at age 5.

Her son Gerardo was first raised knowing that Lina was his sister, but eventually he found out that she was his mother at the age of 10. In 1972, Lina married and gave birth to her second son, 33 years after Gerardo was born. Gerardo soon died seven years later at the age of 40, due to a bone marrow disease. Lina, who is now aged 74, continues to live with her husband in Chicago, Chico, in Lima, Peru.

Gourmet Food, Anyone?

2008-12-07T00:54:00.004+08:00

A waitress pours a favorite Chinese wine, soaked with various herbs and snakes, into a glass for a customer at a restaurant in Beijing. You know, to wash away the taste of the dog you just ate.

Florentino Azpetia, chef at Girasoles restaurant in Mexico City, prepares a grasshopper taco (taco de chapulines), a typical Mexican delicacy, in the restaurant’s kitchen. Maggots (gusanos del maguey), grasshoppers (chapulines) and white ant eggs (escamoles) form part of a Mexican specialty cuisine which features over 500 edible insects and bugs.

Giant grilled spiders. Two Cambodian women selling grilled spiders in Phnom Penh’s central market, 09 August 2001 try to attract customers as one of them display a specimen to a passer by. Grilled insects such as those big spiders are very popular with Cambodians who eat them as snack any time during the day.

Fried scorpions. A Thai worker arranges fried scorpions in the kitchen of ‘Insects Inter in Bangkok, 12 September 2002. Insects Inter has capitalised on the local taste for fried insects, typically sold by street vendors, and created a franchise to take the tasty bugs up market.
Bet you won’t need any hot sauce on those.

In this village where people eat rats, there are a dozen of rats hunters like this man and each day they sell their catch for about one dollar per kilogram.

A woman looks at a dish of worms during the Taipei Chinese Food Festival. Oh joy.

A Thai worker prepares grubs to cook.

The Doomsday Clock

2008-12-07T00:36:00.004+08:00

There is a clock at the University of Chicago called the Doomsday Clock whose time perpetually lingers just shy of midnight. On this clock, midnight metaphorically represents full nuclear war bringing an end to all civilization, and the clock is meant as a gauge to constantly indicate humankind's proximity to this horrific event. When it was introduced in 1947, it was set for seven minutes to midnight. Since that day, its minute hand has wandered around on the upper-left quarter of the clock face, inching closer to 12:00 when the threat of nuclear war grows, and crawling away as the risk fades. It has been as close as two minutes to midnight in 1953, and as far as seventeen minutes in 1991. If its caretakers ever set it for midnight, it will probably be the last thing they ever do.

Nature's Best Photography 2008 Award Winners

2008-12-07T00:30:00.000+08:00

Hundreds of thousands of images have been submitted to the Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards competition. Here are some of 2008’s winners.

This international competition is one of the most prestigious photo contests open to public participation. Each winning image was selected for excellence in light, subject, and artistic composition.

Dog Risked Life To Save Injured Friend

2008-12-04T23:47:00.003+08:00

Its so touching to watch what the animal kingdom could do for a friend.

Astral Travel with Denise Linn

2008-12-02T22:27:00.001+08:00

Learn how to astral travel...guided travel. May you have success. Hope to succeed one day and proclaim myself an astral traveler...

Empowering Visualization

2008-12-02T22:03:00.001+08:00

An empowering and inspirational movie presentation from http://www.iempower.org for creatively visualizing what you want, harnessing your personal power and using the law of attraction. It's full of positive affirmations and inspirational quotes to motivate you to create your own reality, using the power of your mind and your intentions.