Friday, May 30, 2008

Double trouble: The link between allergies and asthma

If you have both allergies and asthma, you may wonder what they have in common besides a maddening ability to make you miserable. A lot, as it turns out. Allergy-induced asthma is the most common type of asthma in the United States; 60% of people with asthma have the allergic type. James T. Li, M.D., a Mayo Clinic allergy specialist answers your questions about the similarities and the differences between allergies and asthma.

What's the link between allergies and asthma?
Simply put, allergies can trigger or induce asthma. For people with allergic asthma, breathing in substances such as pollen, mold, dust mites and animal dander triggers the inflammation and swelling of the airways, leading to symptoms of asthma.

The lining of the nose and the lining of the airways are similar and are affected similarly by the allergic inflammatory process. Allergies are caused by the production of an antibody called IgE. The IgE antibodies cause a cascade of reactions in the body, including itchy skin or scratchy eyes or, for some, tightening of the airways. Simply put, if your immune system produces IgE antibody toward cat proteins, you're said to be allergic to cats. Exposure to cats triggers inflammation and swelling of the lining of the nose, bronchial tubes or both.

If I treat my allergies, will it prevent asthma?
Some studies suggest that treatment of allergic rhinitis actually improves asthma. Allergen immunotherapy (desensitization allergy shots) is a type of allergy treatment that can significantly improve asthma. In addition, if you have allergic asthma, reducing your exposure to the allergic substance can reduce your asthma problems and in some cases, completely control it.

Are allergies and asthma treated differently?
Medications aimed at reducing inflammation are effective for allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, as well as nonallergic asthma. Corticosteroids for example, reduce inflammation. Intranasal corticosteroids, which you spray into your nose, reduce inflammation from hay fever. Corticosteroid creams applied to your skin reduce the inflammation of eczema. And inhaled corticosteroids, which you inhale into your lungs using an inhaler device, reduce inflammation of the bronchial tubes in asthma.

Another medication, called a leukotriene modifier, also is used to reduce inflammation. Leukotriene modifiers are taken in pill form and are used for both asthma and allergic rhinitis symptoms.

Other medications are clearly more effective for one condition over another. Antihistamines, for example, are commonly used to treat allergic rhinitis but have a very minor benefit for asthma. Bronchodilator inhalers, which open congested airways, are a big part of asthma treatment, though they aren't used to treat allergic rhinitis.

Who's at risk of allergic asthma?
A family history of allergies is the strongest risk factor having allergic asthma. If you have allergies, you're more likely to develop asthma — up to 78 percent of people who have asthma also have hay fever.

Is all asthma caused by allergies?
Though allergic asthma is the most common form of asthma, there are other forms and triggers of asthma, including exercise-induced asthma and nonallergic asthma triggered by infections or cold air or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Nothing to sneeze at
While it may be a manner of semantics to those who suffer from allergy or asthma symptoms, recognizing the relationship between the body's immune system and how the airways react has led to improved treatment of asthma symptoms for many people.

Old.. but still very funny

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Mosquito Spray...Worth a try




This email sent to me...This is certainly worth a try.




I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on.

OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS: I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of Bug-spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Don't be too smart!

Liver damage.....don't always sleep late !!!‏

Good rest and sound sleep is very Important... if u don't sleep well,
The toxic in your body will accumulate.. Affecting your health and your mood...

The main causes of liver damage are:
1. Sleeping too late and waking up too late are the main cause.
2. Not urinating in the morning.
3. Too much eating.
4. Skipping breakfast.
5. Consuming too much medication.
6. Consuming too much preservatives, additives, food coloring, and artificial sweetener.
7. Consuming unhealthy cooking oil. As much as possible reduce cooking oil use when frying, which includes even the best cooking oils like olive oil. Do not consume fried foods when you are tired, except if the body is very fit.
8. Consuming overly done foods also add to the burden of liver. Veggies should be eaten raw or cooked 3-5 parts. Fried veggies should be finished in one sitting, do not store.

We just have to adopt a good daily lifestyle and eating habits. Maintaining good eating habits and time condition are very important for our body to absorb and get rid of unnecessary chemicals according to "schedule."


Because: Evening at 9 - 11pm : is the time for eliminating unnecessary/ toxic chemicals (detoxification) from the antibody system (lymph nodes). This time duration should be spent by relaxing or listening to music. If during this time a housewife is still in an unrelated state such as washing the dishes or monitoring children doing their homework, this will have a negative impact on her health.


Evening at 11pm - 1am : The detoxification process in the liver, and ideally should be done in a deep sleep state. Early morning 1 - 3am : detoxification process in the gall, also ideally done in a deep sleep state.

Early morning 3 - 5am : detoxification in the lungs. Therefore there will sometimes be a severe cough for cough sufferers during this time. Since the detoxification process had reached the respiratory tract, there is no need to take cough medicine so as not to interfere with toxin removal process.
Morning 5 - 7am : detoxification in the colon, you should empty your bowel.


Morning 7 - 9am : Absorption of nutrients in the small intestine, you should be having breakfast at this time. Breakfast should be earlier, before 6:30am, for those who are sick. Breakfast before 7:30am is very beneficial to those wanting to stay fit. Those who always skip breakfast, they should change their habits, and it is still better to eat breakfast late until 9 -10am rather than no meal at all. Sleeping so late and waking up too late will disrupt the process of removing unnecessary chemicals. Aside from that, midnight to 4am is the time when the bone marrow produces blood.

Therefore, have a good sleep and don't sleep late.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

woman of certain age should stay home

About the green in Potatoes





Green = vegetables = good, right?
Not when it comes to potatoes.
Here's an important piece of information that few these days know about.
Green in potatoes indicates the presence of a rather harmful toxin. When you see patches of green in your potatoes as you peel them, cut out the green parts entirely and discard them.
What is the green? Actually it's chlorophyll. Not bad for you at all. But the chlorophyll indicates that the potato has been exposed to sunlight. And where the potato has been exposed to light is where a natural toxin in the potato (solanine) becomes concentrated at harmful levels. So, never store your potatoes on the counter. Always keep them in a cool, completely dark place.
According to the Wikipedia, deep-frying potatoes at a high temperature (306°F) effectively lowers the level of toxins. But boiling them (212°F) has no effect. Best to stay on the safe side and just cut away the green parts. The NIH website mentions that the potato sprouts can also have concentrated solanine, so those too should never be eaten

Thursday, May 22, 2008

The differences between Heaven and Hell‏

A Swami was having a conversation with Lord Shiva one day and said.

'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like'.

Lord Shiva led the Swami to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the Swami looked in. In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the Swami's mouth water. The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The Swami shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

Lord Shiva said, 'You have seen Hell.

They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The Swami said, 'I don't understand.'

'It is simple,' said Lord Shiva.

'It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.'

**************************
The bottom line.. No one could live on their own. We could only survive with the network of help between us. Selfishness and greediness will only bring misery!!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

A female dentist at work - candid camera‏

Cholesterol: The top 5 foods to lower your numbers

Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Discover five foods that can lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.
Can a bowl of oatmeal help prevent a heart attack? How about a handful of walnuts, or even your baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these — may be enough to lower your cholesterol to a healthy level and help you stay off medications.

Oatmeal and oat bran
Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes.

Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Ten grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

Walnuts, almonds and more
Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks.

A cholesterol-lowering diet in which 20 percent of the calories come from walnuts may reduce LDL cholesterol by as much as 12 percent. But all nuts are high in calories, so a handful (no more than 2 ounces or 57 grams) will do. As with any food, eating too much can cause weight gain, and being overweight places you at higher risk of heart disease. To avoid gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
Research has supported the cholesterol-lowering benefits of eating fatty fish because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids also help the heart in other ways such as reducing blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil — or omega-3 fatty acids — significantly reduces the risk of sudden death.

Doctors recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. However, to maintain the heart-healthy benefits of fish, bake or grill it. If you don't like fish, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.

You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the beneficial effects, but you won't get all the other nutrients in fish, like selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

Olive oil
Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day to get its heart-healthy benefits. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. You can also use olive oil as a substitute for butter when basting meat.

Some research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But avoid "light" olive oils. This label usually means the oil is more processed and lighter in color, not fat or calories.

Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols
Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol.

Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks fortified with plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237 milliliters) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day.

Plant sterols or stanols in fortified foods don't appear to affect levels of triglycerides or of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Nor do they interfere with the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins — vitamins A, D, E and K.

The American Heart Association recommends foods fortified with plant sterols for people with levels of LDL cholesterol over 160 milligrams per deciliter (4.1 mmol/L).

Consider your diet first
Before you make other changes to your diet, think about cutting back on the types and amounts of fats you eat, which can raise your cholesterol. That way, you'll improve your cholesterol levels and health overall.

When cutting fat from your diet, focus on saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats, like those in meat and some oils, raise your total cholesterol. Trans fats, which are sometimes used to make store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes, are particularly bad for your cholesterol levels because they raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL), "good" cholesterol. You should try to limit the number of calories you eat daily to less than 10 percent from saturated fat, and eliminate as many trans fats from your diet as possible

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Funny Thai Advertisement





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This is so funny... you will have a good laugh!!


The GReen Artists‏‏

















Thursday, May 15, 2008

What animals are these??

I read in disgrace about the newspaper report about how a 27 years old father raping his own 4 years of daughter. Another case of similar tragedy where a small girl of 7 years of age being molested and raped by her own 44 years of father!!

What had gone wrong with the society out there these days?? Why are these pity little souls subject to such humiliating disgracing acts by their own father. It is already terribly upsetting to know how young kids are being killed and murdered by some sex maniac... What not their own flesh and blood who should be protecting,caring and guiding them instead of ruining their lives. This act is truly insane and should not be tolerated. These beasts should be sentenced to death. They should be tortured, whipped, and die a slow and painful death for what they had done!!.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Boredom

Life is so boring...this is a common complaint heard always. A friend of mine who was a teacher told me how she drag herself out of bed each morning for school. She told of her misery the moment she started her work in this reputable school.

Another friend complains of being bored at home. Being a full time housewife, life for her should be full of carefree feelings..not joining the rat race out there, or the maddening traffic jams, or any dateline to meet.Yet she isn't happy? Money to her is not the issue. She is born with a silver spoon in the mouth.

Come to think of it, everything we that we do which is monotonous and repeatable is bound to be boring. It is the routine work which needed to be done day in and day out. In regardless of what professions you are ..Whether you are a cleaner, a clerk, a driver, a pilot, or even a surgeon, everyone has their feeling of being bored with their working lives. It is so important to really like what you do, so as to eliminate the daily frustrations that you encounter.

The fact of lives.. depending of how well you can cope. It is the choice, it lies in your own hand, not anybody else...

Monday, May 12, 2008

10 simple ways to enjoy yourself

Leave work earlier than usual.
There is always one more phone call or one more e-mail. Consciously stopping early once a week (at least one half-hour) affirms that we do not just live to work, but work as part of living.

Let go of the workweek.
Cease doing and worrying about the work of the week. Practice gently letting go of thoughts and concerns about work that inevitably pop into mind and take over. Eventually, these thoughts soften and recede. Sometimes, I take a more scenic route home to help clear my mind.

Turn it off.
Set aside your BlackBerry, turn off your computer, set your cell phone to silent, at least as it relates to work. See how your consciousness shifts and how it doesn't. If you feel incredibly uneasy and even destabilized, you are being invited to discern new ways of taking control of your life.

Eat a special meal with family or friends.
Taking time to reconnect to those we love expands our sense of who we are. Savoring our food (a new recipe once a week adds adventure) deepens our connection to the material world; candlelight invites us to bring forth more light from within and see beyond the surface.

Make love with intention.
Take pleasure in the sensual part of life. Set aside a time to engage in some activity that creates greater intimacy with someone you love.

Give a blessing to a child in your life.
Remember what it was like to feel genuinely blessed by an adult in your life. In a world in which children are so vulnerable, an adult's blessing is transformative and life-affirming.

Experience the beauty of nature.
Take a walk or a bike ride; go for a drive or a hike. Experiencing the awe and wonder and amazement of the natural world creates a reverence for life— and gives the enlivening and ethical sense that we are each an interconnected part of such an infinite cosmos.

Engage in contemplative practice.
Find a contemplative, reflective, or centering practice that you can do regularly. This can take the form of reading from a wisdom text, listening to music that touches your soul, looking at art that engages the heart, or engaging in more traditional prayer or meditation. Try not to listen to the news.

Laugh.
Laughter is a signal of transcendence. It reminds us that no matter what is happening in our lives, this too shall pass; it helps us to hold our absolutes humbly and keeps us from taking ourselves too seriously—all qualities that insure we can deal with whatever life throws at us.

Express gratitude.
Find five things for which to be grateful over the past week. Consciousness is like tofu. Its taste completely depends on what it is marinated in. When we "marinate" our consciousness in gratitude, we become more grateful people.


Bonus practice: Take a nap.
Sleep restores the body, refreshes the spirit, and is the place of dreams.

Sunday, May 11, 2008

The function of Left Nose & Right Nose......

One of my friends email this left nose, right nose breathing therapy...Sounds sort of funny but it is worth a try. You need not spend a cent. No side effects like what other oral medicines might have....

我們有左邊、右邊鼻孔,吸氣、吐氣時有沒有一樣?
We have left, right nose, is that the same for inhale and exhale?

其實不一樣 ,可以感覺不一樣;右邊等於是太陽的意思,左邊等於是月亮.
Actually they are different, can feel the difference; right side represent the SUN, left side represent the MOON

平常頭痛時可以用手把右邊鼻孔關起來,只用左 邊鼻孔吸氣、吐氣,約五分鐘,頭 痛就好了。
When having headache, try to close right nose and use your left nose to do your breathing, about 5 min, headache will be gone.

如果疲倦、累了,相反的關起左邊的鼻孔,只用右 邊吸氣、吐氣,不用多久,馬上 精神好起了。
If you feel tired, do it the opposite way, close your left nose and breathe through your right nose. After a while, you will feel relax and release the tension in your mind.

因為右邊屬於火氣,比較會熱,左邊比較會涼。
Right side is to heatiness, so it gets hot easily, left side is to coldness.

女生大部分吸氣、吐氣在左邊,所以心比較會涼快。
Most of the girls breathe thro' their left nose, so their heart gets cold easily.

男生大部分吸氣、吐氣在右邊,所以他們比較會生氣。
Most of the guys breathe thro' their right nose, so they get angry easily


我們起床時,可以注意哪邊吸氣、吐氣比較快?左邊或右邊?
When wake up from sleep, which side of your nose breathes faster? Left or right?

如果左邊比較快,覺得提不起精神,可以關起左邊鼻孔,用右邊呼吸,很快的精神會 好起來。 If left is faster, you will feel tired. So, close your left nose and use your right nose for breathing, you will be refreshed quickly

以前我曾經頭痛,痛得非常厲害,去看醫生,醫生說:你去結婚就好了!(眾笑) , 醫生說得沒錯,他有理論根據。 I used to have frequent headaches, it was so painful, go to doctor, doctor told me: it will be all right if you married! He supported what he said with proofs.

當時每天晚上都頭痛,沒有辦法看書,有吃藥,也不是辦法。
I could not study because of this headache problem every night. Long term eating pain killers is not the answer and not advisable.

有一天晚上靜坐,關起右鼻孔呼吸,這樣子做,不到一個禮拜,頭痛好了!持續做了 一個月,從那天晚上到現在,一次也沒有頭痛過。
One night, I sat down and closed my right nose and breathe thro' the left nose, less than one week, my headache problem is gone! I continued for one month, from that night until today,No more headaches!

這是我自己親身經驗過,每一次我告訴別人,你們頭痛的話,試試看,因為我的身體 有效果,很多人試過也有效果。這是一種自然的處理,不像吃藥會有副作用,為什麼 不用呢?
This is what I had experienced.I told others who have headaches to try this. It is effective for me. Many others have tried and it works for them as well. This is a natural therapy, not like medicines and would not have side effects. So, why not try it out? 經常清楚的吸氣、吐氣,身體會覺非常輕鬆。 Breathe properly and you will feel relax always. 要時時心存好意!腳走好路!身行好事,惜緣種福.. 願所有收到這封信的朋友都能平安.健康.幸福 .在這裡要送幸福給你。

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Brain working or not?

Ever since my father-in-law fell and hurt his head and had an operation some time ago, his memory is failing him gradually. Most of the time, he would just sit on his rocking chair...not even watching any tv shows let alone reading any newspaper like he did before. Only occasionally he would get up to go to the toilet or the kitchen. Otherwise, he would just retire to his room to rest.

Only until recently, he is still able to make his favorite 'milo' drinks himself...but he would almost always forget that he already had his drink minutes ago. There was a day he ended up making 8 cups of milo (from morning till night). Some of which he would just forget to drink and leave the drinks on the table.
It is not only wastage that is the concern but also the fear of him eventually being diabetic with all those sweetness contents he had consumed.

The recent episode of him having some problems with his health gets everyone in my family on the alert...except him of course. Now and then, my youngest son would test his memory power by asking him some questions. Questions like "where are you staying", "whats your name?" " How old are you?".
Sometimes, you couldn't help laughing... yesterday he posed him some more question... "Are you still married?" "Do you have a wife?" and "Whats your wife's name?"
Although such questions sounded simple yet it really could somehow know whether this old grandpa's brain is still working or not!

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Hospital discharge

Jim and Edna were both patients in a mental hospital. One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming pool, Jim suddenly jumped into the deep end. He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there. Edna promptly jumped in to save him. She swam to the bottom and pulled Jim out.

When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Edna's heroic act, she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the hospital, as she now considered her to be mentally stable.

When she went to tell Edna the news she said, "Edna, I have good news and bad news. The good news is you're being discharged; since you were able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and saving the life of another patient, I have concluded that your act displays sound that you have a sound mind. The bad news is, Jim, the patient you saved, hanged himself in the bathroom with his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry, but he's dead."
Edna replied, "He didn't hang himself, I put him there to dry. How soon can I go home?"



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Senior memory

Two elderly couples were enjoying friendly conversation when one of the men asked the other, "Fred, how was the memory clinic you went to last month?"
"Outstanding," Fred replied. "They taught us all the latest psychological techniques - visualization, association - it made a huge difference for me."
"That's great! What was the name of the clinic?"
Fred went blank. He thought and thought, but couldn't remember. Then a smile broke across his face and he asked, "What do you call that red flower with the long stem and thorns?"
"You mean a rose?"
"Yes, that's it!" He turned to his wife. . ."Rose, what was the name of that clinic?"

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Aready feeling old or not so old yet?

Feeling older than your years? Younger than your years? We all take for granted that we should behave and feel somewhat matured as we progress into our middle-aged or elderly age. However, nowadays children who assume adult responsibilities (worrying about money, protecting siblings) feel old when they're young. Adults under threat feel like children.

The difference between calendar age and felt age is particularly drastic for us. Especially so in those era without innovations and without the medical and labor-saving technologies we enjoy, many not so old would probably had withered and mellow down as though they are of the elderly age. However, to some of us, as calendar age speed forward, we virtually never feel our age, but thinking that we should can lead to disaster.

Anyway,if you refused to accept the fact of you are physical aging, or if you had been feeling very miserable about your age then I suggest you try this:

Performed a few imagination with your mind... Pretend that your actual age is years or even decades older or younger—you can visit different life stages. Here are some of the most useful era-hopping practices.

Get past the pain. Whenever you are overwhelmed by a strong negative emotion, your felt age is probably that of a child. The next time you are anguished, enraged, or terrified, ask yourself, "How old do I feel?" Give yourself a number to your age that you would want to be. This is the felt age of your suffering self. It is important not to demand that others pamper and cuddle you like a 2-year-old, though this is what most of us unconsciously expect when we are in feeling very down.

Instead, use the resources you have now (friends, books, phones, the computers,or even a camera) to comfort the hurting kid inside you. Become very young for a few minutes, and the child you were... will tell you what she needs.
Caring for your 'inner' child has a powerful and surprisingly quick result: Do it and the child heals. Then you'll find that feeling young can be an absolute delight, full of wonder, curiosity, and joy.

Go Back for the Good Stuff
One of the best ways to visit your very own child self is through laughter. It is reported that the average adult laughs 15 times a day; the average child, more than 400 times. You really need to have the real hilarious laughter that arises when you are genuinely tickled, physically or mentally.
Look out around you for anything that can spark this kind of spontaneous amusement. Collect them. Fill your home with them. Anything at all...be it poems, books, cards, songs, photographs, silly newspaper clippings, Web sites, etc, etc.

Now take three deep breaths while vividly remembering the best passionate experience you ever had. Just recall the physical details of that fabulously unforgettable encounter. Notice how your breathing deepens and your muscles begin to relax. This is a very good way to release tension.

Discover the Wisdom of the Ages
Think about the worst aspect of your present life situation, a problem you are not sure you can solve. Now imagine you are 100 years old..? But, you may be thinking, "I probably won't live to see 100." Precisely. You are already died physically, but your consciousness is still intact, radiantly alive. So this so much older 'You' remembers everything about your history, without any fear. (By the way, you don't have to believe in life after death for this to work. Just play it as a game.)

Watch the "future" You for a while. Notice how relaxed this self is, how free from stress or anxiety. Then ask about the situation that is currently worrying you. Say, How on earth did you handle this situation? Ask, What did you do when you were in my shoes? Say, When will I be happy again? Imagine you can zoom into the time tunnel with such similar advice. Armed with imagination and desire, you can jump to any phase of the life cycle. You become a wizard, free to enjoy every stage of life but trapped by none, able to age backward, forward, and sideways at will. Funny though...but by gathering all ages together, you will definably never able to feel yourself how old or not so old yet...

Monday, May 5, 2008

Good health humour

Patient: Doctor, you must help me. I'm under such a lot of stress, keep losing my temper with people.
Doctor: Tell me about your problem.
Patient: I just did, didn't I, you stupid bastard!!!!!
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The girl asked her lover
"Darling, if we get engaged will you give me a ring?"
"Sure," replied her lover "What's your phone number?"
**********************************
A dentist was getting ready to clean an elderly lady's teeth. He noticed that she was a little nervous, so he began to tell her a story as he was putting on his surgical gloves...
"Do you know how they make these rubber gloves?"
She said,"No?"
"Well," he spoofed, "down in Mexico they have this big building set up with a large tank of latex, and the workers are all picked according to hand size. Each individual walks up to the tank, dips their hands in, and then walk around for a bit while the latex sets up and dries right onto their hands! Then they peel off the gloves and throw them into the big 'Finished Goods Crate' and start the process all over again."
And she didn't laugh a bit!!! Five minutes later, during the procedure, he had to stop cleaning her teeth because she burst out laughing.
The old woman blushed and exclaimed, "I just suddenly thought about how they must make condoms!"

Are you buying affection?

Do you use money to buy affection and approval from your friends, family, and children?
Get real about why you're doing what you're doing. What's stopping you from dealing with the real issue? Why not deal with it instead of going shopping? What does persistent buying teach your family?

Don't underestimate children; they'll learn from your actions. A real contribution would be to balance your life so you can be there for them. Don't try to justify that you are dealing with it by 'buying' their love.

Most likely, your behavior is a result of the guilt you feel for not having enough time to spend with your children. Buying is a false substitute and an illusion.
Life is about compromise. You must figure out a way to maximize your time with your family. By putting yourself in debt, you put their future in jeopardy and make the problem worse

Be honest. Ask yourself, "How insulting is this to me that I have buy my way into every relationship?"
Step up and say, "If they like me, they like me." It's better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else. And if you have to pay somebody to like you, they're not much of a friend.

Deal with this problem emotionally, not financially. When you quit hiding behind gifts, you'll be forced to deal with your real problem.

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Blogging a new passion

Passion can make your life 'richer' in many ways. By recognizing what makes you happy and simply doing more of it, you can create a life for yourself that's as fulfilling and rewarding. Those who have turned their childhood passion for whatever that they love doing somehow faired better and feel much more connected with their lives if they continue and pursue till the end.
There are many stories on how all kinds of people are transforming their passion into profits. Putting passion into your life and discovering and expressing your passion is the best chance for happiness.
The problem is, many of us just do not know what our passion is...Pay attention to the things you love that make you happy. Also keep an eye out for things that anger or frustrate you. Strong emotions are strong indicators there's passion in there somewhere.
Try new things..after all education is a live long process. It is never too young or too old to start learning and experiment new challenges. Yes, keep on trying and you are sure to bump into something which really makes you so involved. Something which let you be oblivious about the task of doing it. You simply love to do no matter how difficult it seemed. It gives you a sense of satisfaction and enjoyment which makes you want to have some more...

Friday, May 2, 2008

Secrets of a Happy Marriage

Long-lasting, happy marriages have more than great communication. For a marriage to remain happy, you must genuinely be nice,good and supportive to your partner.
In happy marriages make small gestures, but make them often. The little things matter.What a happy marriage is based on is deep friendship, knowing each other well, having mutual respect, knowing when it makes sense to try to work out an issue, when it is not solvable. Many kinds of issues simply aren't solvable.

Learn how to identify issues that must be resolved, that can be "fruitfully discussed. Learn to live with the rest. Just put up with it. All you do is waste your breath and get angry over these things that can't be changed. You're better off not trying to change them. Work around them. Commit to staying together, even though this is something you don't like.

A long-lasting, happy marriage is about knowing your partner, being understanding and supportive.For every one negative thing you do, there must be five positive things that balance it out. Make sure to balance the negatives with positives. Your marriage has to be heavily in favor of the positives.

While it sounds easy...and while it can be easy...is commitment to being nice is no small matter.You have to do nice things often. But it's harder to be nice when the heat is on, when you're really so very angry, or when something has happened for umpteen time. Nevertheless, the balance must be heavily, heavily stacked in the positive, to have a happy marriage.
Also, couples must stay in touch with their special ways of repairing the relationship. It can be humor; it can be whatever helps diffuse the escalating heat. In happy marriages, couples naturally do this. They deflect the anger, and get back on an even keel.

It's true, couples in satisfying, happy marriages have more positive emotions in their interactions...including discussions of problems, Most marital conflicts don't ever get resolved,There are always issues around in-laws, children. Solving the problems doesn't really matter. What's crucial is keeping things positive. You have to accept the other person's perspective, have an appropriate discussion without getting critical or blaming.

Men in good relationships don't react emotionally during conflicts. Men in bad relationships are more likely to withdraw from the discussion. They might actually leave the room, look at the ceiling, or tune out the conversation. Wives in negative relationships also get entrenched in their particular viewpoint and ultimately feel greater anger and contempt.

Your attitude toward your spouse plays out over the long haul,Couples that have good marriages retain their mutual respect and understanding of each other...even during discussions of their differences...will stay together much longer.

The one eye story

The story goes....
There was this guy whose mom only had one eye. He 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 his mom came to visit him.
He was so embarrassed. How could she do this to him? He ignored her, threw her a look and ran out. The next day at school one of his classmates said, "EEEE, your mom only just one eye!" He wanted to bury myself. He also wanted his mom to just disappear. He confronted her that day and said, " If you're only goanna make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?"

His mom did not respond...
He didn't even stop to think for a second about what he had said, because he was full of anger. He was oblivious to her feelings.

He wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So he studied real hard , got a chance to go abroad to study. Then, he got married, bought a house and had kids of his own.He was happy with his life, his kids and the comforts, Then one day, his mother came to visit him. She hadn't seen him in years and she didn't even meet her grandchildren.

When she stood by the door, his children laughed at her, and he yelled at her for coming over uninvited. He screamed at her, "How dare you come to my house and scare my children!" GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!"
And to this, his 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 his house. So he lied to his wife that he was going on a business trip. After the reunion, he went to the old shack just out of curiosity.
His neighbors said that she died. He did not shed a single tear. They handed him a letter that she had wanted him to have.

The letter read......
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.

Quote

Always seek to resolve your problems or disagreements with loved ones
Because if either of you should pass on before, the one who is left alive will have the rest of their life to ponder those unresolved feelings but will never find closure. And closure usually brings peace...

Thursday, May 1, 2008

MAYDAY MAYDAY

Mayday is an emergency code word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning come to my aid'/"come [to] help me."It is used to signal a life-threatening emergency by many groups, such as police forces, pilots, the fire brigade, and transportation organizations. The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent mistaking it for some similar-sounding phrase under noisy conditions, and to distinguish an actual mayday call from a message about a mayday call.
For me I need to yell it out probably 2 times instead of 3 times. The feeling of distress still arises every time... yet it is life-threatening but somehow I do not know how much longer the time will drag on. However,to be at ripe old age of 83, I guess my father-in-law hasn't got anything much he could complain about...
Getting old is inevitable.. it is a journey for everyone whether you will arrive in full health or frail health.It will be indeed a blessing able to stay healthy and grow old gracefully without much pain or sufferings.Especially so if you are able to take charge yourself, not creating too much hassle and burden for everyone else. Having said that, it is my wish for everyone out there to go through a healthy life especially when growing old.
But looking at the brighter side, sometimes it is beyond our control that crisis arises especially when life or death is concerned as in old age. At least, we had done our part and live our lives fully aware our responsibility. May God Bless Us.