Wow,... finally, after waiting for about 3 years, the fiction movie, Spiderman 3 is about to air. It's one of my favorite block buster movie that I must watch :)
In Singapore, the premier show will be on 1st May 2007. My housemate is going to treat us to the cinema for this. It's for celebrating her coming birthday. And before that, we are going to treat her dinner first hehehe.
Check the trailer at:
Apple - Trailer - Spiderman 3
Another trailer of Spiderman 3
Friday, April 27, 2007
Spiderman 3 is on Action
Dinner at Cafe Cartel
Maybe you have known about Cafe Cartel, it's a western restaurant, selling those fish and chip, pork chop, pasta, etc. I had a few times lunch and dinner before. Recently they just launched "No Service Charge" promotion. Well, yesterday, my girlfriend and I went there to have our dinner.
It was a crowded evening in the restaurant, people were queuing to have dinner there, I was just wondering because it was Friday, weekend time. Ops, I forgot to mention that the restaurant I went is at Tampines Mall, Singapore.
After being seated, the person who served us was good and polite. She told us about some promotion coupons that we can use, just put on the table. We quickly run through, there are 2 dollars off, 50% of 2nd purchase discount, and soon. And I found for each coupon, there is a valid, say March 2007, April 2007. As I was wondering why the March 2007 coupons were still there, I asked on of the waiter, "Are these coupons still valid?", he answered, "Yes". I thought, it's great, we can use it to save some dollars :)
We decided to order 2 pasta, different taste, and there were coupons for pasta, 2 dollar off discount for March 2007. I laid my hand, and one of the waiters came to serve. After telling her the order, I asked about the coupons again, to make sure what the other waiter told was true. Unfortunately, she said it's not valid anymore as it was for March 2007, it's now April 2007. I told her that the other guy told me it was still valid. Well, the girl who served us was very not friendly, no smile, and we found she is in supervisor position. She went off to ask the guy, and the guy apologized for giving wrong information. hm... that spoilt my appetite a bit, especially with that supervisor kind of service.
Finally, the pasta were served. The first taste I had, I realized it wasn't tasteful as before, not salty at all. My girlfriend's one is a bit better, but not so nice also. I was kind of piss off at that time. After having the dinner, we quickly left the restaurant.
Muthu Jokes
Some jokes on a character Muthu. May you have a pleasant day.
Interviewer: what is your birth date?
Muthu: 13th October.
Which year?
Muthu: .....EVERY YEAR.
Manager asked to Muthu at an interview. Can you spell a word that has more than 100 letters in it?
Muthu replyed: -P-O-S-T-B-O-X.
After returning back from a foreign trip, Muthu asked his wife, Do I look like a foreigner?
Wife: No! Why?
Muthu: In London a lady asked me, Are you a foreigner?
One tourist from U.S.A. asked to Muthu: Any great man born in this village???
Muthu: no sir, only small Babies!!!
Muthu was doing experiment with cockroach, first he cut it's one leg and told WALK. WALK. Cockroach walked. Then he cut it's second leg and told the same. Cockroach walked. Then cut the third leg and did the same. At last he cut it's fourth leg and ordered it walk! But cockroach didn't walk. Suddenly Muthu said loudly, "I found it. If we cut cockroach's four legs, it becomes deaf.
On a political rally Muthu was arrested. Why??? A woman journalist walking with a badge wrote "PRESS" and He did it..
When Muthu was traveling with his wife in an auto, the driver adjusted mirror. Muthu shouted, "You are trying to see my wife? Sit back. I will drive.
Muthu went in a hotel. To wash hands he went to the washbasin. There he started washing the basin. Seeing this, the manager asked what was he doing. Muthu pointed towards the board " WASH BASIN "
Interviewer: just imagine your in 3rd floor, it caught fire and how will you escape?
Muthu: its simple. I will stop my imagination!!!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
BOSS VS ME
Hey, some funny quotes at work, enjoy reading.
When I Take a long time to finish,
I am slow.
When my boss takes a long time,
he is thorough.
When I don't do it,
I am lazy.
When my boss does not do it,
he is busy.
When I do something without being told,
I am trying to be smart.
When my boss does the same,
he takes the initiative.
When I please my boss,
I am apple polishing.
When my boss pleases his boss,
he is cooperating.
When I make a mistake,
you're an idiot.
When my boss makes a mistake,
he's only human.
When I am out of the office,
I am wandering around.
When my boss is out of the office,
he's on business.
When I am on a day off sick,
I am always sick.
When my boss is a day off sick,
he must be very ill.
When I apply for leave,
I must be going for an interview.
When my boss applies for leave,
it's because he's overworked.
When I do good,
my boss never remembers.
When I do wrong,
he never forgets.
Golden Rules for Career Success
For people who want to be successful in their career, whether to be CEO, CFO, COO, keep reading :)
1. Keep track of what you do; someone is sure to ask.
2. Never bring your boss a problem without some solution.
3. You are getting paid to think, not to whine.
4. Long hours don't mean anything; results count, not effort.
5. Write down ideas; they get lost, like good pens.
6. Always arrive at work 30 minutes before your boss.
7. Help other people network for jobs. You never know when your turn will
come.
8. Don't take days off sick-unless you are.
9. Assume no one can/will keep a secret.
10. Know when you do your best-morning, night, under pressure, relaxed;
schedule and prioritize your work accordingly.
11. Treat everyone who works in the organization with respect and dignity,
whether it be the cleaner or the managing director. Don't ever be
patronizing.
12. Never appear stressed in front of a client, a customer or your boss.
13. Take a deep breath and ask yourself: In the course of human events, how
important is this?
14. If you get the entrepreneurial urge, visit someone who has his own
business. It may cure you.
15. Acknowledging someone else's contribution will repay you doubly.
16. Career planning is an oxymoron. The most exciting opportunities tend to
be unplanned.
17. Always choose to do what you'll remember ten years from now.
18. The size of your office is not as important as the size of your pay
cheque.
19. Understand what finished work looks like and deliver your work only
when it is finished.
20. The person who spends all of his or her time is not hard-working; he or
she is boring.
21. Know how to write business letters-including thank-you notes as well as
proposals.
22. Never confuse a memo with reality. Most memos from the top are
political fantasy..
23. Eliminate guilt. Don't fiddle expenses, taxes or benefits, and don't
cheat colleagues.
24. Reorganizations mean that someone will lose his or her job.
25. Get on the committee that will make the recommendations.
26. Job security does not exist.
27. Attend to the company activity
28. Avoid working at weekends. Work longer during the week if you have to.
Moreover, don't stay late in night, it doesn't creates impression rather
shows lack in your productivity.
29. The most successful people in business are interesting.
30. Sometimes you'll be on a winning streak and everything will click; take
maximum advantage.
31. When the opposite is true, hold steady and wait it out.
32. Never in your life say, "It's not my job."
33. Be loyal to your career, your interests and yourself.
34. Understand the skills and abilities that set you apart. Use them
whenever you have an opportunity.
35. People remember the end of the project. As they say in boxing, "Always
finish stronger than you start."
Monday, April 23, 2007
Remember The 1st Three Letters...S.T.R
My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks.
STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and that she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes. They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
RECOGNIZING A STROKE
Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!
Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE
(Coherently) (i.e. . . It is sunny out today)
R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
*NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other, that is also an indication of a stroke. If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !!( in Australia : 000 ) and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Memo To All Employees
Here is an interesting piece of memo, which may make work more lively with laugh :)
To all Employees:
Effective MAY 2007
Dress Code
1. It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a pay raise.
2. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a pay raise.
3. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a pay raise.
Sick Days
We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.
Holiday Days
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturday & Sunday.
Compassionate Leave
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements.
In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.
Toilet Use
1. Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the cubicles.
2. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the cubicle door will open, and your picture will be taken.
3. After your second offence, your picture will be posted on the company notice board under the "Chronic Offenders" category.
4. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under the company's mental health policy.
Lunch Break
1. Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more so that they can look healthy.
2. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
3. Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.
Thank you for your loyalty to our company. Remember we are an employer of choice and we are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.
Happy Working!
Management
AMD Posts $611 Million Net Loss in Q1
DailyTech, April 20, 2007; Ten days ago, AMD announced that it was planning to restructure its business due to a significant drop in quarterly revenue. At the time, the company was projecting its Q1 revenue to come in at $1.225 billion USD.
The official numbers are in and AMD has reported Q1 revenue of $1.233 billion USD and an net loss of $611 million USD. The numbers include a charge of $113 million USD due to the acquisition of ATI and $28 million USD for employee stock-based compensation expenses. AMD had revenue of $1.773 billion USD in Q4 2006.
The ongoing price war between AMD and Intel is partially to blame for the reduced earnings. Intel has been aggressively cutting prices on its current processors and AMD has been quick to respond. AMD as a result has witnessed lower average selling prices (ASPs) in addition to lower unit sales.
"After more than three years of successfully executing our customer expansion strategy and significantly growing our unit and revenue base, our first quarter performance is disappointing and unacceptable," said AMD CFO Robert J. Rivet. "We are aggressively addressing the issues that led to our significant revenue decline. We are aligning our business model, capital expenditures and cost structure with the goal of accelerating our return to profitability. Lastly, our customer relationships remain solid, reflecting their confidence in our strategic direction, current and new products, and technology roadmaps."
On a positive note, AMD reported $197 million USD in revenue from its graphics division in Q1 2007. This represented a 19 percent gain from Q4 2006. AMD's next generation DirectX 10-based R600 graphics processor is expected to launch within the next few weeks. The top of the line AMD ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT will feature 320 stream processors, 512-bit memory interface with eight channels, native CrossFire support, 128-bit HDR rendering, 24x anti-aliasing and HDMI output with 5.1 surround sound.
Looking to the near future, AMD plans to get its 65nm native quad-core Barcelona processors out the door during Q3. AMD has high hopes for the processors which will incorporate 2MB of L3 cache and AMD Virtualization (AMD-V) technology. "We expect across a wide variety of workloads for Barcelona to outperform Clovertown by 40 percent," said AMD's corporate vice president for server and workstation products, Randy Allen in January.
The company will not, however, begin production of 45nm processors until the first half of 2008. 45nm processors won’t actually ship until the second half of 2008.
Intel is well aware of AMD's plans and many have suggested that the company released early performance numbers for its quad-core Penryn processors to divert attention away from AMD's upcoming Barcelona. Intel's 45nm Penryn taped-out in January and will begin shipping in the latter half of 2007 -- roughly a year ahead of AMD's first 45nm processor.
via
Dell once again offers Windows XP
seattlepi.com, April 20, 2007 -- Back by popular demand: Windows XP. PC maker Dell Inc. said on its Web site Thursday it will once again let home PC buyers choose between Microsoft Corp.'s older operating system and Windows Vista when they purchase certain new machines.
Dell, like many computer makers, stopped offering XP on most home desktops and laptops soon after Vista launched at the end of January. By late March, the company said only two models aimed at home users could be configured with XP (the option still existed on many models for business users).
But on Dell's IdeaStorm Web site, where visitors can post suggestions for the company and vote on the ones they think are important, a plea titled "Don't eliminate XP just yet" racked up more than 10,700 votes.
"We heard you loud and clear on bringing the Windows XP option back to our Dell consumer PC offerings," Dell responded in a Web posting Thursday.
The company said it will immediately offer XP again an option for four models of its Inspiron notebooks and two models of its Dimension desktop PCs.
This comes just weeks after Dell said it is also planning to offer PCs with Linux, a free operating system that competes with Windows.
"This is really odd," said Michael Silver, research vice president at Gartner. "On new PCs, consumers usually do want the latest and greatest."
Microsoft countered that Dell's move was in response to a "small minority of customers" with a "specific request." Michael Burk, a product manager for Microsoft's Windows Client group, said in an e-mailed statement, "The vast majority of consumers want the latest and greatest technology, and that includes Windows Vista."
Michael Gartenberg, vice president and research director of JupiterResearch, said many consumers continue to buy XP because it's familiar, it works with their existing hardware and programs, and is overall "good enough," even though Vista boasts a prettier user interface and stronger security.
"Microsoft is going to have to work hard to make sure that even if companies like Dell are offering XP, their customers don't want it," Gartenberg said. Now is time for the company to crank up Vista marketing, but that may be harder than it sounds.
"Operating systems inherently by nature are kind of boring," he said.
via
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Miscommunication
MEMO FROM CEO TO MANAGER:
Today at 11 o' clock, there will be a total eclipse of the sun. This is when the sun disappears behind the moon for two minutes. As this is something that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view the eclipse in the parking lot. Staff should meet in the lot at ten to eleven, when I will deliver a short speech introducing the eclipse, and giving some background information. Safety goggles will be made available at a small cost.
MEMO FROM MANAGER TO DEPARTMENT HEAD
Tdoay at ten to eleven, all staff should meet in the car park. This will be followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will appear for two minutes. For a moderate cost, this will be made safe with goggles. The CEO will deliver a short speech before hand to give us all some information. This is not something that can be seen every day.
MEMO FROM DEPARTMENT HEAD TO FLOOR MANAGER
The CEO will today deliver a short speech to make the sun disappear for two minutes in the form of an eclipse. This is something that cannot be seen every day, so staff will meet in the car park at ten or eleven. This will be safe, if you pay a moderate cost.
MEMO FROM FLOOR MANAGER TO SUPERVISOR
Ten or eleven staff are to go to the carpark, where the CEO will eclipse the sun for two minutes. This doesn't happen every day. It will be safe, and as usual it will cost you.
MEMO FROM SUPERVISOR TO STAFF
Some staff will go to the car park today to see the CEO
disappear. It is a pity that this doesn't happen every day.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
How To Ask for Anything You Want
This is a message I find from Mark Victor Hansen, author of the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul series.
One of life's fundamental truths states: Ask and you shall receive. Isn't that simple? Of course it is. The world responds to those who ask. Most people in this world, however, find themselves in settled lives, never really achieving or receiving what they hold in their dreams... because they just never ask.
There are many good reasons to ask, and the rewards are substantial. If you're not moving closer to what you really want, you probably aren't doing enough asking.
Reasons Why We Don't Ask
So, why do people stumble when they have an opportunity to ask? Five reasons, really:
1. Ignorance. Many of us don't know what to ask for. Either we don't know what is available to us because we have never been exposed to it, or we are so out of touch with ourselves that we no longer are able to perceive our real needs and wants. And, in many cases, we don't know who to ask, when to ask, or even HOW to ask.
2. Limiting and Inaccurate Beliefs. Since our childhood, we've been programmed by our parents, and through schooling, religious training and even the media to STOP asking ("for heaven's sake")!
3. Fear. Having learned all about rejection, embarrassment, vulnerability and hurt in our childhood and early adult years, we find it easier to settle for less than deal with the fear that's resulted from these past experiences.
4. Low Self-Esteem. Most of us feel unworthy or too inadequate to create the kind of life we want. As a result, we don't believe our needs and wants are worth pursuing.
5. Pride. Many of us are convinced we need to do everything for ourselves, or we'll look foolish or lose respect among our family and peers.
Take Control!
The truth is, when you take control of your life by asking for what you want and need,you can accomplish anything your heart desires. No doubt, you know of people who seem to walk into any situation and any relationship expecting success. They achieve success again and again because they've learned - and acted on - one simple truth: You will reach your goals only with the help of others.
What are common characteristics shared between people who've mastered the art of asking?
* They know what they want. They are clear about their vision, purpose and goals
* They believe that what they're asking for is very possible.
* They are passionate about what they are requesting.
* They act even when they're afraid or feel fear.
* They learn from experience so that they become better "askers" with every ask.
* They are persistent. If at first they don't receive, they ask, ask, ask until they do.
You can turn your life around, regardless of the obstacles you currently face: Get clear- get passionate-take a giant step past that fear.
And if at first you don't succeed, take this minor setback as a signal to you... to ask again!
So, what are you waiting for? Start asking now :)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
First Time Using WordPress
Recently, I was told by my brother to try using WordPress, a blogger tool that is easy to use. In order to install on my machine, here is the step I've done. It's quite easy though :D
1. Download the AppServ package from http://www.appservnetwork.com/(I chose AppServ 2.4.8) which contains:
* MySQL Root Password Reset
* Apache 2.0.59
* PHP 4.4.5
* MySQL 5.0.27
* phpMyAdmin-2.9.2
2. Install the package, during installation, you'll be asked for the root password. Enter your password or leave it blank.
3. You need to install the Apache service and start it (it's a Web server actually). You'll find in the Start -> Programs menu item for that. A console will display the service is starting.
4. If you have IIS (Internet Information Service) running, you need to stop it, as they are sharing the same default http port, which is 80. Or you can change the IIS Default WebSite port to other than 80.
5. Open a browser, browse to http://localhost. Bingo, you should have your welcome screen of AppServ.
6. Next, go to the PHP Admin link. Enter the logon ID and Password.
7. Create a new database, say wordpress.
8. Go to WordPress website to download the latest WordPress code.
9. Extract the file to C:\AppServ\www\ folder (the default installation folder, unless you changed it to other).
10. Open a browser, browse to http://localhost/wordpress.
11. Follow the instruction from page to page wizard, don't forget your logon ID and password, as it's required here. The installation is very simple actually.
12. Start exploring and having fun after completing the installation :)
The steps above is not a walkthrough with lots of detail. Just to keep it simple to follow.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Microsoft stop supplying Windows XP license
Microsoft has confirmed that they will stop supplying the license of Windows XP operating system to new computer from big player like Dell, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba. This will take effect from 31th January 2008. This applies for all edition in Windows XP family, like Home, Professional, Media Centre and Tablet PC edition. (BBC, 16/04/2007)
This is a strategy from Microsoft to open up the new commercial track for Windows Vista consumer, although the recent survey found that the market acceptance of Vista is not so excited.
The survey which was done by a US market research company, Harris Interactive, showed that only 10% of responders plan to upgrade to Vista in the near future. Among 2,223 responders, 87% of them have known Vista operating system, but only 12% of them plan to do the upgrade.
The survey also found that, though a lot of people waited for the launching of Vista before buying the new computer, 60% of them said that the launching didn't affect their budget. It also revealed that 79% of responders are still using Windows XP at their home.
Robert Epstein, a spokesman from Microsofit for Europe regional said that PC producers can still use the Windows licensing till year 2009, if they bought it from third party suppliers. According to him, stop supplying the Windows XP licensing doesn't imply to the long term technical support. "This is meant only supplying of new license to new computer", says Epstein. "We will continue to give tehnical support for XP for a certain period of time."
Microsoft also reminded those who is still using the earlier Vista version, as the software will no longer active starting 1st June 2007.
Six reasons not to mess with children
If you ever mess with kids, remember these. I am sure that the story below will make you laugh.
Story #1
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.
The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.
The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.
The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".
Story #2
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.
As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
Story #3
A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds.
After explaining the commandment to "honour" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."
Story #4
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head.
She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?"
Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"
Story #5
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
"Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.'
A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead."
Story #6
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:
"Take only ONE . God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.
A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples."
No worry, be happy :)
Top Ten Fake Excuses for Work
Late for work and need a tried and trusted excuse? Try some of these unusual ones that CareerBuilder.com dug up in a recent survey:
1. I dreamt that I had been fired, so I didn't bother to get out of bed.
2. I had to take my cat to the dentist.
3. I got all the way to the office and realised I was still in my pyjamas and had to go home to change.
4. I saw that you weren't in the office, so I went out looking for you.
5. I couldn't find the right tie, so I had to wait for the shops to open to buy one.
6. My son tried to flush our ferret down the toilet and I needed to tend to it.
7. I ran over a goat.
8. I stopped for a muffin, the shop was robbed and the police required everyone to stay for questioning.
9. A bee flew in my car and attacked me and I had to pull over.
10. I wet my pants and went home to change.
One in five employees admits to making up fake excuses. But if they think they're putting one over on the boss, they're probably right. Only 35% of employers say they don't believe in excuses.
7 things to do to keep your brain sharp
Hey, this is an interesting article about what we can do to keep our brain sharp in the old age. Research shows that your lifestyle could affect your risk of contracting diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Follow these 7 simple things:
1. Drink alcohol in moderation, that is. A study in US found that older women who reportedly have one or two drinks a day had a 40% lower risk of cognitive decline than those who claimed to drink nothing.
2. Eat apples. Fresh apples have high concentrations of quercetin, and antioxidant that, lab studies suggest, may fight the damage done by free radicals to brain cells.
3. Broccoli. A study of men aged 50 to 85 in Boston found that those with more folate in their blood showed less decline in verbal fluency. Folate turns up in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
4. Oily fish. Experiments on mice bred to develop Alzheimer's show that feeding them DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in mackerel, salmon and sardines (and also almonds, walnuts and soy), reduced by 70% the build-up of blood plaques that are a hallmark of the disease.
5. Eat less. It's generally considered that obese people are at greater risk. And another mouse study found that animals who have their food restricted to 40% compared with mice who can eat all they want, again have a reduced level of blood plaque.
6. Exercise. It doesn't take much, a Hawaiin study found that elderly men who walked more than 3km a day halved their risk of dementia compared with men who walked less than a half a kilometre.
7. Look after your ticker. High LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and diabetes are all known to be risk factors for heart disease, but a study of 9000 people found that they also raised the risk of dementia, by 46% for diabetes, 42% for high cholesterol, 26% for smoking and 24% for hypertension. These are cumulative; if you've got all four then your risk is boosted by 237%.
Body Stretch and Flexibility
Stretching is action that everday we do, probably. When we do, we help keep the body relax. Do you know if there is a good time to do stretch in exercise, and yet to improve the body flexibility?
In an attempt to prevent injury, most of us probably stretch before and after exercise. But Dr Jonathan Folland at the School of Sport & Exercise Sciences, Loughborough University in the UK, says if we're doing fairly steady activities (jogging, cycling, walking), stretching will improve our flexibility, but there is not much evidence that it will help us avoid muscle injury. He advises warming up the body with five minutes of light, gradual exercise instead. "It is important to increase blood flow to the muscles and heart steadily and not force a sudden change or your muscles will fatigue more quickly."
Dr Folland says stretching is more effective if you are doing exercise where you constantly land forcefully on your feet or stop and start quickly (sprinting, tennis or competitive team sports). The more flexible the muscles are, the more impact they will be able to sustain. This also applies when you are lifting weights.
"But it is probably better to stretch when your body is warmer after exercise." he advises. "Try static stretches, holding poses for more that 20 seconds, rather than dynamic ones, such as high kicks, as these themselves could cause injury."
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Cool off With Tea
Hey, I found another interesting article about Tea, which you may interest to get known.
"Drink any kind of tea to reduce stress", that's the message from researchers at University College London, who found that people who drank normal black tea destressed more quickly and had lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their blood after a harrowing event.
And a recent report in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals evidence that drinking three cups of tea a day reduces the risk of coronary heart disease because the water in the tea can help replenish fluids in the body. Dietitian Frankie Philips says it makes no difference if you drink tea made using a bag or loose leaves. But the brewing time will have an effect. "The stronger the tea, the higher the content of polyphenols, which act as antioxidants in the body." she says.
But what could affect the health benefits is taking your tea with milk. A recent German study at the Charite Hospital in Berlin found that the protective effect that tea has on the cardiovascular system is totally wiped out by adding milk.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
One litre of tears
Have you heard about "One litre of tears"? It's a Japanese drama based on the true story of a Japanese girl named Kito Aya who had the disease called Spinocerebellar Degeneration.
In the drama, Aya was diagnosed with this disease when she was 15 years old, and was able to continue her life until her death at the age of 25 years old. She kept writing in her diary to remember her experiences until she could no longer hold a pen. Aya simply wished to live until the end of her life, and the purpose of writing in the diary was to remind herself to not give up. She shed tears many times, at the same time encompassed by the rich love and support from her family, friends, and boyfriend. Her diary "1 Litre of Tears" was published after her death, because of its inspiring and courageous message of, "Just being alive is such a lovely and wonderful thing." So far, over 18,000,000 copies of her diary have been sold.
The story is nice, encouraging, funny and definitely very sad. I just watched it with my girlfriend for the whole day today. We needed to put a tissue box beside us, as it was really full of tear flowed while watching it, episode to episode.
If you have time, try to grab this drama and watch it. In this fast life pace nowadays, sometimes we need this kind of encouraging story to live our life more meaningful.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Spirulina and Brain
Petaluma, Calif.; July 26, 2002 / PR Newswire / A team of scientists in the U.S. found that Earthrise® Spirulina reversed the degenerative effects of aging on the brain.
The scientists are from the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Tampa, Florida; the Center for Aging and Brain Repair, Department of Neurosurgery, University of South Florida; the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center; and Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Health Science Center, and their study was published in the July 15 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
The authors applied standard electrophysiological techniques to compare neuronal function in young (4 month-old) and old (20 month-old) rats fed either a control diet or a diet supplemented with Spirulina, apple, or cucumber (5 mg daily for 14 days). Young rats fed the control diet had a significantly higher neuronal activity than aged rats fed the control diet. When old rats were fed a diet supplemented with Spirulina, the activity of their neurons reverted to the higher level observed in young rats. Apple showed an intermediate effect while cucumber had no effect at all.
This reversal by Spirulina of neuronal degeneration was found to be associated with Spirulina’s antioxidant effect, which this study determined to be 300 times more potent than that of apple. Only 5 mg of Spirulina was supplemented daily for a total of only 70mg during the entire 14-day study period.
In a back-to-back study published in the same Journal, the group also found that the antioxidant effect of spinach resulted in improved motor skills learning in rats. In this second study as well as a number of other studies by the group, the oxygen radical absorbing capacity (ORAC) of fruits and vegetables correlated significantly with increase in learning motor skills in rats. Though these studies on learning behavior in rats were done using other fruits and vegetables, Spirulina is expected to have the same effect due to its high ORAC value.
"These new studies add to the mounting evidence on the role of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables in reducing age-related declines in central nervous system function" says Dr. Amha Belay, Scientific Director, Earthrise Nutritionals. "The present study points to the potential application of Spirulina (a micro-vegetable) in the prevention or mitigation of neuro-degenerative effects of damage by oxygen radicals."
Earthrise Nutritionals became the first American company to introduce Spirulina as a natural food in 1979, leading the green food revolution. Today the company markets its popular trademarked products in the USA and in 30 other countries around the world from its sales and marketing offices in Petaluma, California. Earthrise Spirulina products are available in the supplement section of most health food stores. Earthrise Spirulina is grown under controlled conditions following FDA good manufacturing practices (GMP), and under an ISO 9001 Quality Management System. Earthrise Nutritionals, Inc. is the only ISO 9001 registered Spirulina company in the world. This strict quality assurance system guarantees the safety, quality and consistency of the product.
More information at Earthrise
Read Each One Carefully and Think About It a Second or Two
I got these quotes quite sometimes ago, which I like it and sometimes, use it for self reflection :)
1. I love you not because of who you are, but because of who I am when I am with you.
2. No man or woman is worth your tears, and the one who is, won't make you cry.
3. Just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.
4. A true friend is someone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart.
5. The worst way to miss someone is to be sitting right beside them knowing you can't have them.
6. Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
7. To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.
8. Don't waste your time on a man/woman, Who, Isn’t willing to waste their time on you.
9. Maybe God wants us to meet a few wrong people before meeting the right one, so that when we finally meet the person, we will know how to be grateful.
10. Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened.
11. There's always going to be people that hurt you so what you have to do is keep on trusting and just be more careful about who you trust next time around.
12. Make yourself a better person and know who you are before you try and know someone else and expect them to know you.
13. Don't try so hard; the best things come when you least expect them to.
REMEMBER: WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS FOR A REASON.
Cheers
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
CNBC interview with Warren Buffet
There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity, on November 20, 2006. Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:
1) He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!
2) He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.
3) He still lives in the same small 3 bedroom house in mid-town Omaha that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.
4) He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.
5) He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.
6) His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEOs of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis.
7) He has given his CEO's only two rules. Rule number 1: do not lose any of your shareholder's money. Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.
8) He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch television.
9) Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.
10) Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk.
11) His advice to young people: Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself.
Amazing individual indeed, don't you think so?
When is the good time to consume Soyabean?
A friend sent me this article, not sure if it's 100% true, but no harm for reference.
All of us know that soyabean drink provides good protein to our body ... but many of us don't know that there are certain days we should avoid the drink.
Soyabean drinks are best consumed on hot sunny days where the sun is burning and glaring. The soya milk will give lots of nutrients to the body, as the body is able to absorb the protein well.
However, avoid the drink when the weather is cloudy or raining. Taking the drink in these weathers, the body will not be able to take in the protein, thus will result in a disease called "GOUT" or "high acidic urine" due to the high protein residue in the body, after a long run.
This disease will cause pain to your knee joints and it will only be in control when you control your food intake of proteins and medications. The pain is unbearable and usually you will have no idea what you have taken to cause the pain. Food like soya beans, ikan billis, broccoli, spinach, peanuts, animal organs (e.g pork liver) etc will have to be avoided to prevent the pain from attacking.
So my friend, pass this to your family, relatives and friends to keep an alert of the pros and cons of soyabean milk and when it is to be taken and avoided.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Drink the Right Tea
I think most of us has the habit to drink tea. Tea is good for our health, and knowing what tea is suitable to drink at certain condition is benefit to us. I got this article from a friend, which I would like to share it. It's about drinking
the Right Tea.
Whenever you are working with the computer, you should make some tea, drink it when you are free. Drinking Tea is healthy, it can protect and prevent the harmful Ultraviolet light from harming us (when using computer). Furthermore, it can also cure us when we are tired and help make our body feel fresh again.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Get Started
This blog is to post whatever ideas on my mind from what I read, see, feel, think, or learn.
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