Online casinos have carved themselves a piece of real estate in cyberspace these days. It is not easy to determine which casino is the right choice for you with so many sites to choose from. Casino.de, a German online casino is another site that reviews online casinos so you will be able to choose the right casino to meet your various needs.
Casino.de provides some useful tips that you can use not only for playing the game online but also at brick and mortar casinos too. The tips provided include betting tips and poker tips. It doesn't matter if you are already a professional player or just someone trying their hand in the game, their reviews and tips will still be able to help you in a certain way. The site is probably catered more to the German and European crowd as it is written in German but they have some articles in English too and you can always use an online language translator like Google Translate and Babelfish to help you understand the articles.
Casino.de also provides tutorials for games like blackjack, craps and roulette. There is just so much that a paid review is able to tell you. It is always best that you evaluate how useful the site is yourself.
Branding is of utmost importance in any business venture in this time of age. You can spend millions on marketing but without the right branding, your product will still fail to impress. As such, it is imperative that every business owner should consult a marketing company to evaluate and help build up the branding of their business and product lines. In this review, I would like to introduce to you Brand Identity Guru, a company that is able to help you do exactly that.
Their website is very useful and I really enjoy browsing through their beautifully designed and interactive website. It has just the right mix of eye design and information that is not only useful to the visitor but also keep the visitor interested to dwell deeper.
They have a tool that is able to evaluate the strength of your brand by just answering twelve simple questions on their website. After going through the evaluation, you can contact them either through phone or email to receive a consultation on how to improve your branding.
There is just so much information you can get from a paid review so I seriously recommend you to pay their website a visit. Who knows? They may be the ones to make your products shine!
Moving fine art is never an easy task. When it comes to dealing with such an expensive and precious possession, it is best to leave it to the experts and not take any chances at all. If you are in Connecticut and are in the midst of moving your invaluable masterpieces, you can seek the art moving services provided by Mind's Eye.
Budget commercial shipping companies who provide expedited parcel shipping are probably not the kind of shipper you're looking for if your art is precious. The shaking, rattling, and crushing forces that often happen during shipment are just a fact of mass transportation. Trucks, trains, and airplanes can provide a rough ride, and it only takes one handler a second to damage or lose your art package. You wouldn't want that to happen now, would you?
That is why it is important for professionals to handle your invaluables. Mind's Eye are an experienced company with clients that includes museums and collectors of all kinds. They offer an extensive array of the finest services and even if you're on a budget, they will customise the services to your needs.
There's just so much a paid review is able to reveal to you. I suggest that you jump right over to their website and judge them for yourself.
Branding is one of the many important components that will determine if your product will be a success or a failure. That is the reason why every business owner should consider consulting a branding agency to help build up the right branding for their products. Fortunately, Brand Identity Guru is able to do just exactly that.
First impression matters a lot and Brand Identity Guru definitely projects a good impression of themselves through their website. Browsing their well designed website is a real pleasure. Not only is it nice to look at, it is also full of information which is of course very important.
On their website, they have a tool that is able to evaluate the strength of your brand by just answering twelve simple questions. With that evaluation, you can contact them either through phone or email to receive a consultation on how to improve your branding.
However, there is just so much information that you can get from a paid review. I would highly recommend you to pay their website a visit. Even if you don't feel that you need the services of a branding agency, there is no harm in finding out the strength of your products, right?
If you are ever thinking of moving, storing or displaying your masterpieces, you should never take any chances. There are many of our possessions that we regard as precious. However, few are as precious as fine art.
That is the reason why you should put your worries to rest and take advantage of the various services available to help you with your art moving needs. One company that offers such a service is Mind's Eye. They are known for their art moving services in Rhode Island and you need not worry about your invaluable items being mishandled by them since they employ only experienced and trained personnel.
They offer an extensive array of the finest services. If you are on a tight budget, don't worry. They will customise the services not only to your art but also up to your budget and needs which encompasses crating, transporting, storing and showcasing virtually any kind of fine art.
They have quite an extensive clientele which includes museums and collectors of all kinds, personal and corporate alike. In fact, you should take a look at their website. They also have a very interesting website. It is very cleverly designed, if you asked me. There's just so much a paid review is able to reveal to you. I suggest that you jump right over to their website and judge them for yourself.
It is unthinkable that business owners nowadays totally disregard information technology from their business model. Information technology is vital for the success of any business. It can make you or break you.
Although they may recognise the need for embracing information technology, they may not know how information technology can actually help them. Fortunately, iCorps is able to help in that area. They are a company that provide NY IT services for anyone who requires it. Small and middle-sized enterprises may not have the resources to have their own IT department so they have to rely on the services provided by companies such as iCorps.
iCorps' IT consulting experts analyse and optimise your network's performance. IT outsourcing, consulting and management capabilities are offered ala carte or as a comprehensive program to outsource your IT department. iCorps takes the worry out of IT management, freeing you to focus on your business rather than technical network issues.
I find their website to be quite informative and I would recommend you to pay it a visit if you are looking for someone to help you integrate information technology to your business. There's just so much a paid review is able to tell you so browse through their website and judge them for yourselves.
Although having a savings account is one of the simplest form of relationship you can start with a financial institution, it may not provide you with all the services you require. After learning how you can earn interest by putting your hard-earned money in the bank instead of under your mattress, let's move a step further and learn about another type of account provided by financial institutions.
Checking accounts is a useful account that you may consider having apart from a savings account. What is the purpose of a checking account then that sets it apart from a savings account? Well, first of all, a checking account will allow you to write cheques as a form of payment instead of you having to withdraw cash in the case of a savings account.
Although it will usually cost you a minimal amount for each cheque you issue, the convenience and security it provides more than compensates for it. Better still, there are some financial institutions which provides you with free cheques! One such financial institution is WaMu with their personal checking accounts.
There's just so much information you can get from a paid review so I urge you to visit their website or even pay one of their branches a visit to get more information about their product offerings.
We inevitably accumulate rubbish and clutter over time. It could be due to the lack of time or motivation to clear them up which will ultimately increase as time passes by. Here are 10 ways to remove clutter from your life to improve efficiency.
1 Your desk. If your desk is covered in paper and other clutter, clear it off to create a pleasing work environment. The steps here are the basic decluttering steps we'll follow for many of the other steps below:
* Clear everything off. Take everything off your desk and put it in a pile on the floor. Clear out the drawers too, if you have time. The only things that should be on your desk now are the computer, phone and other similar equipment.
* Clean. Wipe down your desk, and clean your drawers if you're decluttering them too. It's good to start with clean surfaces.
* Sort. OK, here's the meat of the process: sort through your stuff, one pile at a time. Toss out or route as much as possible, so that what you're left with is a relatively small amount of stuff. If you won't be using it again in the near future, or if you can access it on the computer, toss it out.
* Designate homes. Now you get to place everything back in your desk. Set up a simple alphabetical filing system, with one folder for each project or client. Have drawers for your office supplies and other stuff. With less stuff to organize, it shouldn't be too hard. Be sure to have a place designated for everything, and keep things in those places. Sometimes it helps to label, so you don't forget.
* Leave flat surfaces clear. Don't put stuff on top of your desk. Have an inbox for all incoming papers, and then sort them each day and either toss, delegate, do them immediately, or file all documents, so nothing remains on top of your desk. The only thing that should be on your desk is your computer, phone, inbox, perhaps a family photo, and the documents you're working on right now.
4 Computer. Purge your computer files, getting rid of stuff you don't need. Clear your desktop of icons -- they slow your computer down, create visual clutter, and are an inefficient way to access files, programs or folders. Set up hotkeys with AutoHotKey or similar programs. With online search tools (such as that in Gmail) and programs such as Google Desktop, you don't need to keep your files in a complex array of directories and subdirectories -- just archive, and search later. Purge old, unneeded files at least every month or two.
6 Rooms. Are the rooms in your house too cluttered? A few rules about simplifying a room: first, start with anything that's stacked on the floors; then work to the flat surfaces (tables, shelves, countertops, the tops of dressers, etc.) and clear them completely if possible; then do the larger stuff like furniture and other things that clutter the room; and finally tackle drawers and cabinets and closets. As much as possible, keep floors clear and all flat surfaces. Sort through everything in piles as in the first step above, tossing and donating as much as possible. Organize everything else in drawers and closets and cabinets, out of sight but still neat and uncluttered. Tackle one room at a time, going for a clean, uncluttered, simple, minimalist look in all cases. It can be helpful to continually edit a room once you're done decluttering -- you can always find little ways to make a room simpler.
8 Commitments. Aside from physical clutter, our lives are often way too cluttered by the things we need to do -- at work, at home, in our civic or religious lives, with our hobbies, with friends and family, etc. Go through each area of your life, and write down every commitment you have -- from things you've volunteered or agreed to do on a regular basis, to meetings and sports games and other things you do every month or week. It can be overwhelming. Now examine each one, and decide if it truly gives you joy and value in your life, and whether it's worth the time you commit to it. It can be useful to just choose a few of the commitments that your really love doing. Get rid of all the rest. Just call people and tell them your schedule is too busy, and you have to decline. Learn to say no! One by one, eliminate the commitments in your life that don't give you value, and you'll have more time to do the stuff that's really important to you -- stuff for yourself, or your loved ones.
Excuse me as I go remove some clutter in my life.
There are just some things we utterly hate doing but we still have to. It could be some mundane work or some difficult task. Here's how you can find the motivation to do those tasks.
Make it an Art
Sometimes tasks can be unenjoyable simply because there is no quality in doing them. For me, writing an article is more enjoyable than cleaning dishes. While an article has incredible depth, ranging from complete trash to life affirming, dishwashing is a narrower activity. I either clean the dishes or they stay dirty. That on-off approach usually makes a task incredibly boring.
One solution I’ve found is simply to take that on-off task and give it more depth. See your boring activity as a previously unrecognized art form you can master. When you give an activity more depth, the interest level goes way up. More importantly, it becomes easier to focus on the task completely, making it easy to swallow.
Several years ago I did part-time work as a janitor. Although this wasn’t a glorious position, I found I was able to enjoy it by doing this step. Instead of seeing my job as being an on-off task, I gave it more depth. I saw that there were many ways I could increase the quality of what I did. Taking on those little steps made the work far more enjoyable.
Don’t Do the Work at All
The best solution is to simply not do the work you don’t enjoy. This may sound like a fantasy, but there are ways you can get away with avoiding the stuff that doesn’t interest you:
* Outsource or delegate it to someone else.
* Eliminate it from your project. (Is it really necessary?)
* Find a better way to do it. Technology and tricks can often help you shortcut boring steps into ones that are more interesting.
Ultimately, you should try to minimize the amount of work you need to do, but don’t enjoy. Productivity shouldn’t be about pushing through the muck, but enjoying work you love. However, if you can’t get yourself to stop procrastinating on an ugly task, these are a few ways to move through it.
Ever felt we could use a little more brain power? Well, here are some of the 14 very simple methods to super charge your brain that we can start doing right away.
2 Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.
3 Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.
8 Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.
10 Eat a light meal in the night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.
11 Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.
Easy isn't it?
A team of researchers may have found a way to stop the transmission of malaria which will significantly prevent the spread of one of the deadliest diseases out there at the moment.
By disrupting the potassium channel of the malaria parasite, a team of researchers has been able to prevent new malaria parasites from forming in mosquitoes and has thereby broken the cycle of infection during recent animal tests.
By genetically altering the malaria parasite through gene knock-out technol-ogy, a research team consisting of scientists at the University of Copenha-gen and John Hopkins University, Baltimore, has prevented the parasite from going through the normal stages of its life cycle and developing a cyst (egg-like structure or occyst), which spawns new infectious parasites." As it is exclusively the parasites from these oocysts that can infect new individu-als, we were able to prevent the disease from being transmitted to the animals in our tests", explains Assistant Professor, Peter Ellekvist from the University of Copenhagen.
The findings have been published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, (2008 105: 6398-6402).
Learn this list before you make a visit to a hospital or clinic. All that mumbo-jumbo medical talk which actually turns out to be insults made to sound like medical terms can be detected now after you read through this list!
#8. PRATFO
What It Means: Patient Reassured And Told to Fuck Off.
When It's Used:
When a patient comes into the ER more hysterical than ill, the doctor reassures the patient and asks them to leave. However, this acronym has gotten at least one doctor into trouble when he scribbled it in a patient's chart and then later was asked to explain it in court.
We're not saying you should ever lie in court, but in that situation you should at least consider it.
#6. Faecal Encephalopathy
What It Means: Shit-for-Brains.
When It's Used:
If you wind up in the emergency room because, say, you were trying to launch bottle rockets out of your anus, you can expect to hear this term thrown around. Latin, or pseudo-latin, is often used to convey unflattering terms and make it sound grandiloquent to the uninformed (or faecal-encephalopathic) ear.
Variations include Cranio-Rectal Syndrome and Cranial Rectosis, presumably for when the patient doesn't have shit for brains but merely has his head up his ass.
#4. SBI
What It Means: Something Bad Inside.
When It's Used:
When the medical staff encounters a strange complaint that doesn't meet any known diagnostic criteria. As much as you don't want to hear SBI as your diagnosis, it's still better than the alternate SVBI (Something Very Bad Inside) which means whatever it is appears to be killing you.
Either may be followed up with a "SWAG" (Scientific Wild-Ass Guess).
I think I'll be personally using #6 for awhile now. ;)
Everyone will move at least once in their lifetime. You may be moving out from your parents' house, you may be moving to college, you may be moving to your newly bought home. Whatever the reason for you moving, you would require the services of movers. You don't expect to haul all your stuff alone now, do you?
Humboldt Storage and Moving is a Boston moving company that can cater to your moving needs. They are in the business of packing, storing, moving and unpacking people's lives. They can be trusted to take extra special care of your things and do not regard their responsibility as merely providing storage space, strong backs and trucks.
Humboldt is the oldest, most experienced Boston moving company in Massachusetts so you know they really can be relied on. They have professional movers not only for local moving assignments but they cater to your international moving needs too.
There is just so much information that you can get from a paid review. I find their website to be quite informative and would recommend you to visit their website if you're planning to move soon. If you find they provide exactly the service you are looking for, go ahead and hire them. If not, you can always continue searching for the right company for your moving needs.
For those intending to study in Japan or even take a holiday trip there, here are ten tips that you should know before making that trip.
2. Table Manners
Some simple bullet points here:
- If you’re with a dinner party and receive drinks, wait before raising the glass to your lips. Everyone will be served, and someone will take the lead, make a speech, raise his drink, and yell “kampai!” (cheers).
- You will receive a small wet cloth at most Japanese restaurants. Use this to wash your hands before eating, then carefully fold it and set it aside on the table. Do not use it as a napkin, or to touch any part of your face.
- Slurping noodles or making loud noises while eating is OK! In fact, slurping hot food like ramen is polite, to show you are enjoying it.
- You may raise bowls to your mouth to make it easier to eat with chopsticks, especially bowls of rice.
- Just before digging in, whether it be a seven-course dinner or a sample at a supermarket, it’s polite to say “itadakimasu” (I will receive).
8. Bathing
Public bathhouses are alive and well in Japan.
Sento, or neighborhood bathhouses, can be found from the largest area in Shinjuku to a small town on the island of Shikoku.
Onsen, or hot springs, are very popular as weekend excursion resorts.
Unlike in western cultures, the Japanese bath is used after you have washed and rinsed, and feel like soaking in extra-hot water for 10, 20, 30 minutes. It’s an acquired taste to be sure, but can be very relaxing.
If you happen to be invited into a Japanese household, you will be given the honor of using the bath first, usually before dinner. Be extra careful so as to not dirty the water in any way; the sanctity of the ofuro (bath) is of utmost importance.
Take the time to visit a sento if you have the opportunity. These are places without barriers, without regard to skin color, age, or language… well, they are separated by sex with the exception of some mixed-bathing areas.
Lying in the hot water and slowly listening to my heart beat slow down is a time when I feel most attuned to Japanese culture.
Seriously, they have so many rules, I think I've to think a million times first before I do anything there!
It is unthinkable that business owners nowadays totally disregard information technology from their business model. Even traditional businesses are jumping on the information technology bandwagon. If businesses shun information technology, it is only at their own loss since their competition will pull ahead with the help of information technology.
Although business owners may regard information technology highly, they may not know how to implement or integrate it to their business model. Fortunately, iCorps is able to help in that area. They are a company that provide New York IT Consulting services for anyone who requires it.
iCorps' IT consulting experts analyse and optimise your network's performance. IT outsourcing, consulting and management capabilities are offered ala carte or as a comprehensive program to outsource your IT department. iCorps takes the worry out of IT management, freeing you to focus on your business rather than technical network issues.
I find their website to be quite informative and I would recommend you to pay it a visit if you are looking for someone to help you integrate information technology to your business. There's just so much a paid review is able to tell you so browse through their website and judge them for yourselves.
Online casinos are sprouting up like mushrooms in cyberspace these days. It is hard to determine which casino is most suitable for you with so many sites to choose from. Max Jordan Casinos is another site that reviews online casinos so you will be able to choose the right casino to meet your various needs.
Max Jordan provides tips that you can use not only for the online universe but also for the real world. Tips that Max Jordan provide include betting tips and slot machine tips. It doesn't matter if you are already a professional player or just a newbie, his reviews and tips will still be able to help you in a certain way. The site may not be the prettiest but it is the content that matters most, no?
Max Jordan even provides tutorials for games like blackjack, craps and online poker. With some useful tutorials and tips, you will lose that newbie tag in no time! Some may consider that I should know a little bit about the online casino business by now with the numerous reviews I've made thus far. However, there is just so much that a paid review is able to tell you. It is always best that you evaluate how useful the site is yourself.
Think you know all about the protective rubber? Well, think again. Here are five things you didn't know about condoms.
1- Condoms have appeared in cave paintings
In Johnny Come Lately: A Short History of the Condom, author Jeannette Parisot claims the appearance of condoms in cave paintings are estimated to be 15,000 years old. Although Parisot notes that the condom is being used during sexual intercourse, that doesn't signify the condition for which the man was wearing the condom. This is another matter altogether, since the man in the cave painting could have been brandishing the condom for one of three reasons: some sort of ritual, as protection against pregnancy or as protection against an STD.
All three are reasonable possibilities. There is no cause to think that the clever minds behind cave paintings hadn't also discovered some connection between the sexual act and one of any number of outcomes, including pregnancy or a stretch of days featuring extremely painful urination.
5- Invisible condoms may be next
For all those folks forced to use leather, silk, velvet or rubber as thick as an inner tube, the invisible condom could only be a pipe dream. In this case, "invisible" actually means a gel that hardens according to increased temperatures.
Clinical trials on the invisible condom have been carried out by Quebec’s Laval University, in conjunction with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite Laval.
It is one of a number of products being developed which falls into the category of a female condom, some of which have received government approval. The Invisible Condom, however, is still awaiting approval.
Bet you didn't know those! :P
We like to think that science has the answer to everything. Well, unfortunately it doesnt'. Here are some of the ten things science has not been able to answer (yet).
8. Female Orgasms
After a whole lot of thinking, biology’s best minds are still confused.
6. The Speed of Light
Faster than a speeding photon: is it possible? Einstein stays no, but does everyone else?
5. The Placebo Effect
Take this pill and you’ll be cured, just as long as you believe me.
3. Yawning
Open your mouth and notice the shockingly fascinating mystery of the yawn.
1. What Came Before, What Will Come After
Wouldn't it be really boring if it was just blackness. However, anyone's guess is as good as ours.
There are seriously some weird and crazy diseases out there, so crazy they scare me shitless! Have a look at some of these crazy diseases that you may never knew existed, until now.
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Type of Disease: Nerve disorder
Crazy Because: Causes searing pain as if on fire
Cure: Complex; disease may spontaneously resolve, but treatment usually only lessens symptoms
Imagine being tormented every waking moment of every day by searing pain in your limbs. Your arms feel like they are on fire, they are swollen, hot to the touch, and you sweat excessively. These are just a few of the symptoms of reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), a poorly understood disorder defined by pain in the limbs that is way out of proportion from what is expected following a particular injury or harmful event, such as surgery or stroke. The disease is believed to be caused by an abnormal chain reaction of the sympathetic nervous system, the body system that regulates blood flow and other aspects of the skin. Experts liken the pain response to that of an engine revving out of control.
While the disease may spontaneously disappear on its own, many patients undergo intensive treatments for years just to lessen the pain. And for some patients, the pain can become so profound that they must undergo the most extreme and expensive of therapies -- being placed under a Ketamine coma -- to essentially reset the pain connections of the body. In 2003, under the guidance of German colleagues of renowned RSD specialist Dr. Robert Schwartzman, 14-year-old Lindsay Wurtenberg of the U.S. underwent Ketamine coma-therapy and successfully recovered from a particularly debilitating case of RSD that developed following a harmless spider bite. “I don’t think there is a worse pain problem,” said Dr. Schwartzman of Lindsay’s condition. He was probably right.
Trimethylaminuria
Type of Disease: Metabolic Disorder
Crazy Because: Causes patients to smell like rotting fish
Cure: None; limited treatment options
Trimethylaminuria (TMAU), also known as fish malodor syndrome, is a rare metabolic disorder that prevents affected individuals from properly breaking down trimethylamine (TMA), instead letting it build up in the body. TMA is then released in the breath, sweat, urine, and other body secretions, giving off a strong fishy odor that literally cannot be masked. For people with this crazy disease, frequent showering and the use of deodorants, perfumes and colognes are not enough; the smell remains, sometimes becoming so strong so as to fill entire rooms or even auditoriums. The result can be socially and psychologically devastating: "People think this disease is a laughing matter, but for the people who have it, it is not. This syndrome can be highly destructive to a person's personal and social life and to their work and career," Robert L. Smith, a molecular toxicologist at the Imperial College School of Medicine in London, told the Science News.
Currently, there is no cure for TMAU. Affected patients can only reduce the smell by restricting the diet to foods that are not converted to TMA -- a daunting task considering that everyday foods like eggs, legumes as well as certain meats and fish all contain the amino acid choline, a precursor molecule to TMA.
Seriously, if I had any of those diseases, I don't know how to live with myself.
Introduce these seven simple everyday foods into your diet to help boost your health.
1. Spinach
Popeye was right: Spinach should be part of your diet. It's low in calories and high in nutrients. Research has shown that spinach aids in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, some cancers and cardiovascular disease.
2. Walnuts
Nuts are an excellent source of protein, fiber and vitamin E. Walnuts are the only nuts that contain a significant amount of omega-3s, and are known for their high antioxidant activity.
3. Honey
Honey isn't just for tea. You've probably relied on honey in the past to soothe an aching throat, but did you know it has been used to treat wounds and gastrointestinal problems? Honey acts as an antioxidant, a substance that can prevent the effects of free radicals, which we're exposed to from environmental toxins such as tobacco smoke or radiation and which can contribute to disease. Honey also contains oligosaccharides, which increase the number of good bacteria in the colon. The color of honey is relevant: the darker the honey the more antioxidants it contains.
4. Salmon
Salmon is a tasty fish that's chock-full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are beneficial fats that can improve heart health. Salmon is also protein rich. Choose wild over farmed salmon, which has been shown to contain elevated levels of contaminants and is artificially colored.
5. Oats
Ten years ago, the FDA approved a label publicizing the association between a diet high in oat fiber and the reduction of cholesterol. Further research has proven this claim to be true: The fiber in oats lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, or the bad type of cholesterol. With every 1 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol, heart-disease risk is lowered 1 to 3 percent. Oats also contain plant chemicals that have antioxidant properties.
6. Dark Chocolate
The good news: Dark chocolate is a potent antioxidant and can help reduce blood pressure. The potentially bad news: You should still keep your daily chocolate intake low, due to the fat and calories. Remember that darker is better because processing strips chocolate of some of its health benefits.
7. Blueberries
Sweet blueberries don't just make your smoothies and cereal taste better; they contain high levels of antioxidants. Some research has shown blueberries can slow degenerative diseases associated with aging and improve motor skills. Still other studies have shown the fruit to improve urinary tract health.
Don't overindulge on the dark chocolates though. ;)
Some of these images at this University of Cambridge website come from physical science, some from biological science. Can you guess which are which? I didn't get all correct but was just a little off. How would you fare? Are you able to correctly identify all objects physical or biological?
Have you ever played Bingo before? It can be quite fun and addictive, don't you think so? Well, you can now play them online! Forget about those messy paper and pencil method. This is way easier. What else can't you do online these days, huh?
Before you embark on your quest to satisfy your bingo lust online, it is a good idea to find out where is the best online bingo sites out there. You wouldn't want to play in some horrible online bingo site, do you?
Online Bingo Sites.net is a haven for serious and casual bingo players alike. Not only will you find reviews of the best bingo sites online, but you will also have the opportunity to cash in on lucrative free bingo bonuses when you make a deposit. Playing bingo online is getting more popular every day just as the size of the online bingo jackpots are getting bigger by the day!
If you are worried about not being able to socialise the way you can at offline bingo sites, fret not. You can chat at the online bingo sites nowadays so you'll still be able to socialise like before! There's just so much that a paid review can tell you. My suggestion is for you to give the site a visit and you can judge its relevance yourself.
Ever wondered what were the greatest experiments ever conducted? Well, here's some of the top ten for you.
1. Galileo Galilei (1564 to 1642)
Legend has it that in order to test how gravity worked, Galileo dropped two balls, a heavy one and a light one, from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, showing that they landed at the same time. Historians doubt this - because his actual experiment was much better.
The Italian carved a groove down the centre of a board about 20 feet long and 10 inches wide. Then he propped it at an angle and timed how quickly the balls rolled down the track. What he discovered was that the distance the ball travels is proportional to the square of the time that has elapsed.
But how, in an age before clocks, could Galileo measure this so precisely? He probably used music. Along the ball's path, he placed cat-gut frets, like those on a lute. As the rolling ball clicked against the frets, Galileo sang a tune, using the upbeats to time the motion and discover a new law.
3. Isaac Newton (1642 to 1727)
In Newton's day, Europe's great scientists believed that white light was pure and fundamental. When it bounced off a coloured object or passed through a tinted liquid or glass, it became stained somehow with colour - whatever "colour" was.
Newton, holed up in a dark room at his family farm in Woolsthorpe, turned the idea on its head. He cut a hole in his window shutter and held a prism in the path of the sun, spreading the light into an oblong spectrum. Then he funnelled the spectrum through a second prism. White again.
Finally, he allowed the colours to pass, one by one, through the second prism. Starting at the red end and progressing toward the blue, each colour was bent a little more by the glass. Light, Newton had discovered, "consists of rayes differently refrangible". It was white that was the mongrel - not just another colour, but a combination of them all, a "heterogeneous mixture of differently refrangible rayes".
6. Michael Faraday (1791 to 1867)
In his youth, Faraday had performed a suite of experiments showing the linkage between electricity and magnetism, inventing, along the way, the electric motor and the dynamo. But by the time he was 53, he had fallen into a deep depression.
Maybe it was a barrage of flirtatious correspondence from Lady Ada Lovelace, the daughter of Byron, that snapped him out of his funk: whatever the cause, he decided to push the unification a step further, and show that electricity and magnetism are related to light.
Using an Argand oil lamp, Faraday projected polarised light through a block of glass, alongside of which sat a powerful electromagnet. Holding a polarising filter, called a Nicol prism, to his eye, he rotated it until the light was extinguished. Then he switched on the current.
The image of the flame suddenly reappeared. He turned the magnet off and the flame disappeared. The magnetic field, he realised, was twisting the light beam - and if the polarity of the field was reversed, the light beam rotated the other way. Faraday had unified two more forces, demonstrating that light was actually a form of electromagnetism.
Anyone of you planning to be added to the list anytime soon? ;)
Ever thought of lending a helping hand to make this place a better place? Here are some suggestions on how you could change the world for the better.
1 - Adopt - Adopting someone is one of the greatest things you can do. You’ll change your life and someone else’s. Adopt a baby, a child, or a teen. By being adopted they’ll always know that there is truly kind people in the world and they’ll pay it back to society.
2 - Just Be Nice - This is something EVERYONE can do, you don’t need any money or any talent. Hold the door for someone, smile, or say hello. You will change someone’s whole day, week, month, year, or maybe even life. Then they’ll be nicer to others, which will just continue the cycle and you won’t even realize that YOU changed THOUSANDS of lives.
3 - Donate - Donate blood, food, time, money, or whatever you can. Donate online, help entrepreneurs in developing countries on Kiva, lend to people on Prosper, or just play the simple game on FreeRice.
10 - Pick Up Trash - No one seems to do this. Just pick up trash that you see lying on the ground. Every little bit helps.
15 - Vote - Vote in your local elections and national elections. Choose a candidate that can truly follow through, not the one that promises all these grand plans that never seem to pan out.
Most are really simply things that we can easily accomplish and put into practice. Let's all be a part of making this world a better place.
We all need the best food we can eat, more so the super brain foods to replenish the dead brain cells due to our heavy usage in our line of work. Here are some super brain foods you should add to your diet.
4. Almonds
Phenylalanine, found in almonds, can do wonders for your mental and neurological health. Phenylalanine has the rare ability to cross the blood-brain barrier where it stimulates the brain to generate natural mood-boosting neurotransmitters called dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline. Additionally, almonds are high in riboflavin which is known to boost memory.
7. Strawberries
Antioxidant-rich strawberries can prevent age-related neurological declines by improving brain cell abilities to send and receive the ’signaling’ molecules. The brain uses these signaling molecules to communicate.
Remarkably, these same studies showed that the powerful antioxidants in strawberries, spinach and blueberries can improve the ability to communicate even among brain cells already showing signs of age-related damage.
10. Pumpkin Seeds
Amazingly, the most powerful part of the pumpkin lies in its least used part. The seeds of the pumpkin are a power food, rich in many nutrients including: Zinc, Vitamin A and E, and the precious Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. The Zinc found in pumpkin seeds plays a vital role in enhancing memory and thinking skills.
16. Red Cabbage
Red cabbage is full of an antioxidant called polyphenol. Polyphenols reduce brain cell damage and is especially helpful in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimers’ disease.
20. Chocolate!!!
What better to end with? It’s hard to believe that anything as incredibly delicious as chocolate can actually be incredibly good for you as well. Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties and contains several natural stimulants which increase the production of endorphins while enhancing focus and concentration. The stimulants found in dark chocolate also improve mood. It has high content of flavanols that facilitate blood supply to the brain and enhance cognitive skills.
Milk chocolate jump starts impulse control and reaction time. It has also been known to improve visual and verbal memory.
More isn’t necessarily better when it comes to chocolate. This is, unfortunately, one superfood that you have to indulge in in moderation.
Other brain foods include tomatoes, eggs and broccoli. Are you getting enough brain foods in your daily diet? Replacing all those food with chocolates does not count!
It's time to rethink what you drink.
Remember the drinking fountain, that once ubiquitous, and free, source of H2O? It seems quaint now. Instead, bottled water is everywhere, in offices, airplanes, stores, homes and restaurants across the country. We consumed over eight billion gallons of the stuff in 2006, a 10 percent increase from 2005. It's refreshing, calorie-free, convenient to carry around, tastier than some tap water and a heck of a lot healthier than sugary sodas. But more and more, people are questioning whether the water, and the package it comes in, is safe, or at least safer than tap water—and if the convenience is worth the environmental impact. [...]
The controversy isn't simply about tap vs. bottled water; most people drink both, knowing the importance of plenty of water. What they may not know is that some bottled water may not be as pure as they expect. In 1999 the NRDC tested more than 1,000 bottles of 103 brands of water. (This is the most recent major report on bottled water safety.) While noting that most bottled water is safe, the organization found that at least one sample of a third of the brands contained bacterial or chemical contaminants, including carcinogens, in levels exceeding state or industry standards. Since the report, no major regulatory changes have been made and bottlers haven't drastically altered their procedures, so the risk is likely still there. [...]
So which would you choose? Bottled or tap water?
They are beautiful to see but absolutely deadly. Here are some of the top ten poisonous plants in the world.
10.Narcissus
These cheerful yellow and white harbingers of spring, aka daffodils and jonquils, are actually mildly toxic if the bulbs are eaten in large quantities (Narcissus pseudonarcissus is shown). Some people confuse them for onions. Daffodil bulb diners tend to experience nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea. A doctor might recommend intravenous hydration and/or drugs to stave off nausea and vomiting if symptoms are severe or the patient is a child.
6.Chrysanthemum
Also known as mums, orange and yellow varieties of these showy flowers often turn up in foil-wrapped pots on people's front steps around Halloween and Thanksgiving. There are 100 to 200 species of Chrysanthemums, and they generally grow low to the ground, but can turn into shrubs. Gardeners plant mums to keep rabbits away. Guess what? The flower heads are somewhat toxic to humans too. But not terribly. Touching them can make you itch and puff up a bit, but probably the doctor will just give you something for the inflammation and allergic reaction.
5.Anthurium
The leaves and stems of these bizarre-looking plants, with dark green, heart-shaped leathery leaves and a scarlet, white or green spike surrounded by a red, pink or white "spathe," are toxic. Also known as flamingo flowers or pigtail plants, eating tropical Anthuriums could give you a painful burning sensation in the mouth that then swells and blisters. Your voice might also become hoarse and strained and you might have difficulty swallowing. Most of this will fade with time, but cool liquids, pain pills and gluey herbs and foods like licorice or flaxseeds may bring relief.
3.Hydrangea
These poofy-flowered bushes (Hydrangea macrophylla) are popular yard ornaments that can grow up to 15 feet tall with rose, deep blue or greenish-white flowers that grow in huge clusters and look as edible as cotton candy or a big bun to an imaginative mind. But those blooms will give you a belly ache that sets in sometimes hours after eaten. Typically, patients also experience itchy skin, vomiting, weakness and sweating. Some reports indicate that patients can even experience coma, convulsions and a breakdown in the body's blood circulation. Luckily, there is an antidote for hydrangea poisoning, and doctors might also give you drugs to address to ease your symptoms.
1.Wisteria
Wisterias form romantic cascades of sweetpea-like flowers that fall in lush blue, pink or white masses from woody vines that grow mainly in the South and Southwest. The entire plant, also known as a kidney bean tree, is toxic, though some say the flowers are not. Better safe than sorry, because most reports are that eating this plant will cause nausea, vomiting, cramps and diarrhea that could require treatments such as intravenous hydration and anti-nausea pills.
Just realised I've some deadly plants in my garden! Better be more careful from now on.
Really interesting find. A fish that can live in a tree for months!
It's one of the golden rules of the natural world – birds live in trees, fish live in water.
The trouble is, no one bothered to tell the mangrove killifish.
Scientists have discovered that it spends several months of every year out of the water and living inside trees.
Hidden away inside rotten branches and trunks, the remarkable creatures temporarily alter their biological makeup so they can breathe air.
Biologists studying the killifish say they astonished it can cope for so long out of its natural habitat.
The discovery, along with its ability to breed without a mate, must make the mangrove killifish, Rivulus marmoratus Poey, one of the oddest fish known to man.
That's not all. It can even reproduce without needing a partner! How cool is that?
We've always known that males die before females. What we really want to know is why!
In humans and many other animals, males age faster and die earlier than females.
New research suggests this might happen because of intense competition over sex.
Scientists compared monogamous species with polygynous species, in which each male mates with many females. Males in monogamous species, such as the barnacle goose or the dwarf mongoose, naturally compete less over females than ones in polygynous species, such as the red-winged blackbird or the savannah baboon.
After investigating about 20 different vertebrate species, researchers Tim Clutton-Brock and Kavita Isvaran at the University of Cambridge in England found the more polygynous a species was, the more likely their males were to age faster and die earlier than females.
The researchers explained that as competition among males for sex grows more intense, each male on average has less time to breed. As such, there is no strong incentive to evolve longevity among males in such species.
Since men age faster and die earlier than women, these findings suggest that "at the time when current human physiology evolved, perhaps around the late Stone Age, polygynous breeding was the norm," Clutton-Brock told LiveScience. "Of course, this doesn't provide any justification for polygyny or promiscuity now for males."
What a pity for us males. :(
Yes, recent research has discovered that prawns do feel pain after all!
Tucking into a plate of seafood, few diners spare a thought for the feelings of the creatures in front of them.
Scientists have no qualms either, having long argued that crustaceans such as lobsters don't feel pain even when cooked live in boiling water.
But a British biologist is challenging this orthodoxy with a study suggesting that prawns, at least, do suffer when harmed.
Professor Robert Elwood dabbed acetic acid, the main ingredient of vinegar, on to the antennae of 144 of them.
The prawns reacted by rubbing the affected parts of their bodies for up to five minutes.
The reaction, he said, was exactly the same as that seen in mammals exposed to painful irritants.
"The prolonged, specifically directed rubbing and grooming is consistent with an interpretation of pain experience," he told New Scientist magazine.
Most biologists believe that simple invertebrates - animals with no backbones and limited nervous systems- cannot feel pain or experience-suffering.
Professor Elwood, of Queen's University, Belfast, rejects this argument on evolutionary grounds. The ability to suffer allows animals to learn from harmful experiences and avoid them in the future, he said.
I don't know about you but I'll still enjoy my prawns the way I've always enjoyed them before knowing this.
The ocean is full of creepy and nasty creatures such as this frilled shark.
I seriously do not want to meet any of these ever! Nasty looking creatures!
More and more online casino guides are appearing on the internet day after day. Their very sole purpose is to help you find the right online casino to fulfill your gaming needs. Online Casinos and Players is no different.
Online Casinos and Players is one of the newer sites providing gamblers with information on which online casino sites are the hot gambling spots of today. OnlineCasinosandPlayers.com has an active gambling forum where players can discuss issues dealing with online casino gambling sites. Learn which online casinos accept US players and what casinos are best for European and UK players.
To find online casinos US may not be that difficult since there are many sites online nowadays but finding the right match may not be so easy after all and we rely on services like Online Casinos and Players to help us make an educated choice.
Although I've written quite a few reviews on the topic of online casinos and the various websites offering guides and statistics, it is always advisable that you take a look at the website yourself to gauge its usefulness to you. Anyway, there is just so much information you can get from a paid review, no?
There are so many online casinos nowadays, you would have been forgiven to think the internet has somehow morphed into some kind of gambling haven like Las Vegas or Salt Lake City! It is due to such a situation that we rely on casino guides and reviews to help us find the right site for our needs.
Finding a casino online is easy but finding the one that suits you is a different story altogether. This is where Online Casino Ratings.biz can help out. This site is a free online casinos guide with ratings and reviews of the best casinos for gambling on the Internet. Learn betting strategy for Craps, Blackjack, Video Poker, Slots and Baccarat casino games. Before you make any real money deposits with online casinos you should visit onlinecasinoratings.biz and do your research. When you're dealing with your hard-earned money, you wouldn't want to realise later on that you've made the wrong choice, no?
Although I've written quite a few reviews on the topic of online casinos and the various websites offering guides and statistics, it is always advisable that you take a look at the website yourself to gauge its usefulness to you. Anyway, there is just so much information you can get from a paid review, no?
Who ever knew being a chatterbox will actually make you smarter?!?
The gift of gab could boost brainpower, new research suggests.
A U.S. team found that talking to another person for 10 minutes a day improves memory and test scores.
They found that "socializing was just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance," lead author Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in a prepared statement.
In one investigation, they analyzed data on 3,610 people, ages 24 to 96.
They found that the higher their level of social interaction, the better their cognitive functioning. Social interaction included getting together or having phone chats with relatives, friends and neighbors.
Guess it's time to start chatting till dawn! :P
More good news for chocolate lovers! Cocoa plants may be the answer to our planet's woes!
Many people agree that chocolate is good for the soul, and researchers are finding that chocolate can be good for the body, too. But the environment? How could chocolate help with global climate change?
The answer is found in a little piece of paradise, a patch of rainforest in eastern Brazil. Everywhere you look, something is growing. Orchids nestle in the crooks of trees. There are hundreds of shades of green, and the forest is loud with birds and insects.
Some areas have been thinned out and planted with cocoa trees — the source of chocolate. The pods contain the magical beans that Aztecs counted like gold. The cultivated cocoa trees grow just a bit higher than a man can reach, and rainforest trees tower over them like something out of Dr. Seuss — some round like lollipops, some flat like a plate.
And here's the climate connection. Rainforest trees and plants store massive amounts of carbon — keeping it from getting into the air as carbon dioxide.
More reasons to eat chocolates, no?
It's even larger than a human being!
Captured just before midnight on November 13 by fishers in Cambodia, this Mekong giant catfish is 8 feet long (2.4 meters long) ands weighs 450 pounds (204 kilograms).
"This is the only giant catfish that has been caught this year so far, making it the worst year on record for catch of giant fish species," said Zeb Hogan (far right), a fisheries biologist at the University of Reno in Nevada.
Read the full article here.
Good news for those who have small appetites. A new concept known as calorie restriction is being adopted by many who believe they are able to live longer by eating less.
A GROWING number of middle-aged Australians are joining a "calorie restriction" movement in a drastic bid to live for longer.
They believe eating about 20 per cent less than the recommended daily intake will extend their lifespans and help them avoid getting sick.
Evidence shows animals given fewer calories, or kilojoules, have longer life expectancies than those that eat an average amount.
Calorie restriction may also reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
However, critics warn people who drastically restrict their diets may be more likely to develop eating disorders, nutritional deficiencies and fertility problems.
Before anyone tries to drastically reduce their calorie intakes, it is best left to your medical doctors to advise you on the benefits and dangers of such methods.
Although this is not my personal list, the writer does come up with some interesting ways to live frugally.
Drive our cars to death: People who are regular visitors to this blog may be surprised that I have listed this here since I recently confessed that we bought a fairly unfrugal car. Over the long run though, our car ownership turns out to be quite frugal. We take good care of our cars (regular oil changes, get necessary repairs done as soon as we possibly can etc.,) and drive the car until the wheels fall off – literally. The car we just replaced was 14 years old and had 165K miles on it and we drove it until the engine finally quit on us. Both our current cars now are pre-owned and we plan to use them (hopefully) past the 150K mile mark too!
Hang out with like minded friends: It’s not just how frugal you are, but who you hang out with. If all the friends around you are spenders, then some time or the other you will crack up and give up being frugal. In our case, we have been fortunate enough to have friends who are fairly like-minded. Even though frugality is not the core of our conversation or anything, we still end up making choices that do not require too much expenditure, and still end up having a blast.
I go grocery shopping when I am too hungry or too tired: Basically any time that I really don’t want to be doing grocery shopping. And I go only once a week, no matter what I remember/forget to bring. Believe it or not, this is the most efficient and money-saving way to shop. At least in my case, since I am ever curious and if I have the time, I will walk through all the aisles looking for new and strange items and buy them so I can “try them out”.
We don’t buy anything at the vending machines. Neither of us have the habit of snacking, but in Texas if you spend some time outdoors, it is usually very tempting to grab a coke at the vending machine. To avoid this temptation, if we plan on staying out for long, then during the previous day, we fill a bottle of water and shove it in the freezer. Next day we take the frozen bottle of ice in the car and generally we get to drink cold water (or at least “not hot” water) for the better part of the day.
We throw away the advertising mailers left in our mailbox without even looking. We only make an exception when we need something and know that it is possible to get a discount using the coupon in the mailer (e.g., haircut coupons – (gasp!) Yep, I use a coupon to get a haircut).
At least now I know there are people who are more frugal than me in this world! :P
It's the beginning of the week and you're already feeling tired? Here are some effective ways to increase your energy levels.
Sleep in the Dark
Light interferes with sleep, at least partly because it inhibits melatonin secretion and thus resets the biological clock. For this reason, it is very important to keep your bedroom as dark as possible to ensure full cycles of sleep. (if your room is not pitch black, I suggest using a sleeping mask)! You will only be at you most industrious when you have a solid night of sleep under your belt.
Spend One Day a Month In Complete Silence
With all that modern culture throws at us, spending one day a month in complete silence (and even solitude) is a wonderful practice to increase productivity and energy levels over the long-haul. Why? Because the little voice in your head never stops, and cultivating the ability to quiet this chatterbox, even for a little while, can do wonders for your perspective and ability to get things done! Try this one time and see how you feel.
Stretch
Regular stretching does more than keep your muscles and tendons in a healthy state; it also keeps the brain’s arteries open and unclogged. Because the brain accounts for 15% of the body’s blood flow (while being only 2% of its overall weight) maintaining a free flow of oxygenated blood to our most vital organ is an excellent way to create more vigor in your life!
Eat Bigger Meals in the Middle of the Day
A great way to pamper your body and increase energy is to get in the habit of eating your bigger meal in the middle of the day. Your digestion is much more active during the day, allowing your body to use food for energy more effectively. At night, the body naturally begins to slow down and it is harder to digest.
Say Thank You 50 Times a Day!
Gratitude yields energy. Every night before you go to bed, spend 5 minutes saying thank you out loud for all the experiences you had during the day: the people you interacted with, the work you accomplished, the food you ate, etc…As you do this, really try and feel the gratitude emanate from within. This is a wonderful practice for increasing productivity!
I don't know about you but saying thank you 50 times a day is pretty a lot!
Although our very own research didn't make it to the top 10 scientific breakthroughs of 2007, that shouldn't stop us from knowing what the top 10 were.
8. Planet Discovered That Could Harbor Life
Astrobiology enthusiasts have had many reasons to rejoice this year, but one of them has been somewhat controversial. After Stéphane Udry and his colleagues found a pair of planets that they believed could harbor life, other researchers disputed which of the two is most habitable, but agreed that the distant solar system is worthy of further study.
Using a Canadian space telescope and the European Southern Observatory in Chile, Udry inferred that the most promising object is slightly larger than earth, circles its sun in 18 days, and may be rocky. In a late April issue of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the University of Geneva professor provided details about his sophisticated search. Both of the celestial bodies orbit the red dwarf star Gliese 581, which is only 20 light years from earth. Although prospects for the two planets may be less hopeful than Udry and his associates projected, the methods that they used to locate the small planet could be used to make many more discoveries.
4. Enzymes Convert Any Blood Type to O
Several major Type O blood shortages, including crises at the National Institutes of Health this fall and throughout Georgia in late summer, highlight the importance of creating a versatile blood type. In the rare instance that someone receives a transfusion of the wrong type, deadly reactions (caused by sugar molecules on the surfaces of red blood cells) can cause the immune system to go haywire.
In April, Henrik Clausen, a professor at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, published research in Nature describing a way to convert any kind of blood into Type O -- the type that almost anyone can tolerate. He discovered enzymes that shear the problem-causing sugars from the surfaces of A, B and AB type red blood cells. Produced by bacteria, the molecular machines could theoretically turn any kind of blood into Type O. Clausen and his colleagues described their search for the pacifying proteins in the April 1 issue of Nature Biotechnology.
ZymeQuest, a startup company from Massachusetts, is now developing a device that hospitals can use during blood shortages.
1. Researchers Turn Skin Cells to Stem Cells
Using a virus to reprogram skin cells, two teams of scientists managed to skirt the greatest ethical issue facing regenerative medicine -- the destruction of human embryos. Groups led by Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University and Junying Yu of the University of Wisconsin coaxed a type of skin cell called fibroblasts into forming muscle, heart, fat and nerve tissues without using any eggs. Unfortunately, the hijacked cells often became tumors. Following up on his initial discovery this November, Yamanaka told Nature Biotechnology that by inserting three growth genes instead of four, the lab-grown flesh can be controlled without becoming cancerous.
Maybe with more hard work and staying over at the lab, one of us could make it to the 2008 list! :P
Seriously, this article really caught my attention. Bar codes on fishes? Definitely a new tagging system I've not heard of until now.
Most of us are familiar with bar codes, those small black stripes with numbers below, known as the Universal Product Code or UPC label, that appear on commercial products. We scan them at the grocery store or to check a price, or have to cut them out and send them in for a rebate.
Now imagine scanning a DNA barcode on the piece of fish you just bought for dinner to instantly verify the species, where it came from, its nutritional value, and other valuable information. NOAA researchers are helping to make this scenario a reality.
Maybe they can be used at the supermarket checkout counters too! :P
Everyone loves working from home but there can also be distractions that will drive a wedge into your productivity and even cause your sanity to drop a few notches. Here are some tips on how you can stay productive and sane while working from home.
8. Keep three lists of three. The first list has three things you will do today. The second is three things you’d like to get done, but aren’t essential. The third is three things that need to be done at some point. That way, when you’ve trogged through your days work, you don’t end up sitting twiddling your thumbs.
16. Be careful what music you listen to while you work. Music, TV, the weather… Just about everything will influence your mood. Some you can’t change, some you can. Make sure that you surround yourself with things that will give you the best frame of mind for whatever you’re about to do.
27. Don’t allow work to consume your life. Easier said than done when working from home. Make sure you set limits for the amount of time you will work.
Have a productive week ahead!
Networking is very important in this time and age. No man is an island. That's the reason why social networking sites are flourishing at the moment. I'm sure all of you have heard of Facebook, MySpace, Friendster, Orkut, Hi5 and a handful of other social networking sites. Now, let me introduce you to another networking site called 3GB Community.
This new social networking site enables you to do very much like the other social networking sites out there like meet new friends or even old ones, upload photos to your very own photos albums, join groups, blog, chat with other members and hear mp3 hits.
It doesn't exactly boast the most members at the moment (about 500 members or so only) but every such site has to start from somewhere, right? In fact, it pales in comparison to the millions of members each of the top 3 social networking sites out there at the moment.
Registration is quite straightforward so you need not worry about lengthy and confusing registration processes. The site is quite responsive too although it remains to be seen how they will cope when their membership increases.
You're not going to get all the information you need just by reading a paid review as there is just so much they can tell you. My advice to you is to hop on over to their site and browse around. If you think it's worth registering, go ahead.
All of us have our share of bizarre theories. Here are some truly bizarre (and discredited) historical theories that are so unbelievable.
1. Trepanation
Ouch. In one of the oldest known medical interventions, a hole is drilled in the skull of a patient who is suffering from defects such as seizures or migraine headaches. The idea was to relieve pressure in the head which was believed to be causing the ailment. Today, trepanation is used on a very limited basis as a mechanism to access the brain for necessary surgery. Some people practice recreational or spiritual trepanation, presumably because they need modern medicine like they need a hole in the head.
2. Female hysteria
Women in the Victorian age were said to be suffering from female hysteria when they were moody or a little more “difficult” than usual. Fortunately for them, the treatment was something called pelvic massage. We can’t laugh too hard at this one, though. Many years later, it directly caused vibrating devices to be widely available for, um, home treatment.
3. Expanding Earth
As bizarre theories go, this one doesn’t sound that far-fetched. Expanding Earth is the idea that the planet was once a lot smaller and completely covered in one continent. If you mentally shrink the globe and try to fit the continents together like a puzzle, you could almost start to believe this theory.
Do you have any crazy stories you would like to share? ;)
There are just some things you shouldn't consume even if they look absolutely scrumptious. Here are some potentially deadly foods you should be aware of.
Mushrooms.
Most people know that certain types of mushrooms can be deadly. The more common poisonings come from the Death Cap (often confused for the Paddy Straw mushroom), Destroying Angels, and Deadly Webcap. Death Caps alone contain over seven toxins and one bite can lead to a nasty death. Watch out for the Gyomitra, which is often confused for Morrel.
Blowfish (Fugu).
This fish is deadly on its own, and highly regarded as a Japanese and Hong Kong delicacy. It’s poison, tetrodotoxin, is 1,200 times more potent than cyanide. Around one hundred diners die each year from it. Preparation is the key; make sure a licensed chef prepares your Fugu. Becoming a licensed Fugu chef is a long and intensive process, culminating in the chef preparing a Fugu meal and eating it himself. The most deadly parts of Fugu include the liver, muscles, ovaries, and skin.
Potatoes.
Potatoes contain glycoalkaloids (solanine and chaconine), toxic compounds which are more prevalent in the wild potato varieties. Cooking at high temperatures mostly removes the toxin, although headaches, diarrhea, and cramps—and in severe cases, coma and death—can occur in rare cases. Ever wonder why we’re told to keep potatoes away from light? It’s to prevent higher concentrations of solanine. So don’t eat potatoes after they have turned green.
Tomato.
Although the fruit itself is safe (more technically a berry), tomato plants contain glycoalkaloids, which are indeed toxic.
Chocolate.
Chocolate contains the alkaloid theobromine, which in unusually high doses can be toxic to humans. However, it would take an unholy amount of chocolate to achieve this. But other species react much worse: dogs, parrots, horses, and cats can be killed by ingesting chocolate.
Can you imagine potatoes, tomatoes and chocolates being that deadly?
There are just so many online casinos out there at the moment. We depend on reviews to help choose the right casinos that suit our needs. Casino Tropez Review offers a review of the world famous CasinoTropez.com. It is reportedly the #1 online casino. Playtech software powers Casino Tropez and new players are welcomed with a nice casino bonus up to $300 free. You'll be able to play more than 180 online casino games which is definitely more than enough to keep you busy for awhile. Games include blackjack, slot machines, video slots and many more.
Casino Tropez also has loyalty programmes to reward their loyal players. Cash bonuses come like clockwork at the Casino Tropez. Utilise these rewards to enhance your gaming experience with them by trying out spanking new games, learning new gaming strategies and having a chance at the big jackpots!
As a rookie player, your first deposit can be matched 100% up to $100, multiplying your account money by an automatic two! For instance, if you put down $75 worth of casino chips, you’ll be able to play with $150. Buy $80 and you play with $160! Isn't that just great?
There is just so much we can learn from a paid review. I would suggest you pay their site a visit and judge for yourself how good their reviews really are.
This is scary indeed. For all egg lovers out there, please have a read of this article regarding recent findings that eating seven or more eggs a week raises risk of death! It's even worse for diabetic patients!
Middle-aged men who ate seven or more eggs a week had a higher risk of earlier death, U.S. researchers reported on Wednesday.
Men with diabetes who ate any eggs at all raised their risk of death during a 20-year period studied, according to the study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The study adds to an ever-growing body of evidence, much of it contradictory, about how safe eggs are to eat. It did not examine what about the eggs might affect the risk of death.
Men without diabetes could eat up to six eggs a week with no extra risk of death, Dr. Luc Djousse and Dr. J. Michael Gaziano of Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School found.
"Whereas egg consumption of up to six eggs a week was not associated with the risk of all-cause mortality, consumption of (seven or more) eggs a week was associated with a 23 percent greater risk of death," they wrote.
"However, among male physicians with diabetes, any egg consumption is associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality, and there was suggestive evidence for a greater risk of MI (heart attack) and stroke."
They urged more study in the general population.
Eggs are rich in cholesterol, which in high amounts can clog arteries and raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.
One expert on nutrition and heart disease said the study suggests middle-aged men, at least, should watch how many eggs they eat.
I'm definitely reviewing my egg eating habits after reading this article.
What are your financial needs and goals? Many would want to put enough money aside so they could retire gracefully when they finally call time to their working days. You can't expect to keep all that cash under your mattress and would definitely need the assistance of a financial institution for that very purpose. In fact, not only do they hold on to your money for safekeeping, they even reward you with interest!
One of the easiest way to benefit from such an arrangement is by having a savings accounts. You can choose from an online savings account or a statement based savings account. If you would like to earn higher interest, you can always opt for a certificate of deposit (CD) account such as the traditional certificate of deposit account, the online certificate of deposit account or a unique liquid certificate of deposit account.
If you would like the convenience of a checking facility, you can always link your savings account to a checking account and you're all set. If you're interested in other savings account options, you can even consider WaMu's money market savings account.
With the ongoing subprime mortgage crisis, one can never be too safe when it comes to financial services. There is just so much a paid review can tell you. I would suggest you drop by their website for a look and visit one of their branches even to get a clearer picture on how to fulfill your financial needs.
The flu season is upon us. I see sick people everywhere I go. Here are some tips for preventing colds and the flu.
5. Use your knuckle to rub your eyes. It's less likely to be contaminated with viruses than your fingertip. This is particularly important given that the eye provides a perfect entry point for germs, and the average person rubs his eyes or nose or scratches his face 20-50 times a day, notes Jordan Rubin, Ph.D., author of the book The Maker's Diet.
6. Run your toothbrush through the microwave on high for 10 seconds to kill germs that can cause colds and other illnesses. You think it gets your teeth clean -- and it does. But once you're done brushing, your toothbrush is a breeding ground for germs. Sterilize it in the microwave before you use it, or store it in hydrogen peroxide (rinse well before using), or simply replace it every month when you change the page on your calendar and after you've had a cold.
14. Inhale air from your blow-dryer. It sounds nuts, we know. But one study conducted at Harvard Hospital in England found that people who breathed heated air had half the cold symptoms of people who inhaled air at room temperature. Set the dryer on warm, not hot, and hold it at least 18 inches from your face. Breathe in the air through your nose for as long as you can -- 20 minutes is best.
15. Take a garlic supplement every day. When 146 volunteers received either one garlic supplement a day or a placebo for 12 weeks between November and February, those taking the garlic were not only less likely to get a cold, but if they did catch one, their symptoms were less intense and they recovered faster.
21. Wipe your nose -- don't blow. Your cold won't hang around as long, according to a University of Virginia study. Turns out that the force of blowing not only sends the gunk out of your nose into a tissue, but propels some back into your sinuses. And, in case you're curious, they discovered this using dye and X rays. If you need to blow, blow gently, and blow one nostril at a time.
Hope you'll successfully fend off the flu virus with these tips!
Drug abuse is a horrible thing. If you know of someone with a drug abuse problem, you would understand how it is like especially if it's a family member or a close friend. Even drug abuse among celebrities nowadays are quite rampant although the known dangers of drugs is well documented. It is really sad that humans keep falling into the chasm of drug abuse.
Chronic drug abuse can have devastating effects on the user, his family, friends and business associates. Drug abuse is endemic, touching people from all socio-economic walks of life, from the mailroom to the boardroom. And while the substance of choice varies, the results of all drug abuse are usually predictable.
Fortunately, there are plenty of rehabilitation centres around to help those facing this problem. In fact, the rehabilitation centres even look like posh hotels! One such place is the Renaissance Malibu, a world-class drug abuse rehab which employs innovative therapy programs designed to meet the individual needs and issues of their clients. A multi-disciplinary team of certified and licensed drug abuse rehab counselors, supported by a dedicated and caring staff, provides state-of-the-art drug abuse help.
The foundation for their drug abuse rehab is built upon two main objectives: giving individuals the self-knowledge and confidence to regain their lives without the use of drugs; and providing the therapeutic tools for continued long-term recovery. In order to attain these objectives, Renaissance Malibu's drug abuse programs include individual counseling, group therapy, education, family treatment, relapse prevention tools, and aftercare.
With such facilities available, I really wonder if some actually get themselves involved in drug abuse just to get into these rehabs! Anyway, there's just so much information you can get from a paid review. Pay their site a visit and you'll know what I mean.
Have you heard? Queensbay Mall and USM have linked up to provide discounts for USM staff and students when they shop at selected Queensbay Mall outlet under the Queensbay Mall & USM Loyalty Programme! Among the participating outlets are Borders and Popular!
Universiti Sains Malaysia students and staff can enjoy special discounts and deals when shopping at Queensbay Mall, Penang, following a collaboration between the two parties.
Queensbay Mall has introduced the Queenbay Mall & USM Loyalty Programme to allow its card holders utilise the many benefits and privileges offered by Queensbay.
All you need to do is bring along your student or staff identification cards when you shop at Queensbay Mall. Also, you stand a chance to win exclusive prizes when you shop over RM50!
The grand prize is a Fujitsu laptop! Anyone looking for a notebook computer? ;)
Blackjack Data Repository is a strategy and rules guide to playing blackjack online. In addition to this, they offer reviews of reputable online casinos that offer fair odds for playing blackjack. Most of the blackjack casinos listed have been around for many years. All of the online casinos have been played at and approved by the team at Blackjack Data Repository.
Blackjack Data Repository has developed an easy guide to picking safe online casinos to gamble with on the Internet. There are only five steps to follow and you are ready to embark on your online casino playing experience.
Blackjack Data Repository also compiles a list of blackjack calculators which provides you services like calculating the percentage of hands played at each count, calculate your hourly win rate given rules, strategy, bet spread and bankroll and many others.
Blackjack Data Repository also provide tables and charts services for various situations which they will instantly calculate for you on the site itself. Statistics always helps and this site definitely have very useful statistics for your use.
There is just so much information you can get from a paid review. So it is advisable for you to visit the site and see what they have to offer yourself.
There are about 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 insects on earth at any given moment. Seriously, that's a real number. For every one of us, there are 1.5 billion bugs.
But some of them are so horrifying, just one is too many. Here are five you want to avoid at all costs.
- Japanese Giant Hornet
- Bullet Ant
- Africanized Honey Bee
- Army or Soldier Ant
- Bot Fly
Seriously, those are some scary bugs! Visit the site to read more about them.
Best Buy Slots is bringing the casino home to you. Gone are the days that you have to travel to the nearest casino. Best Buy Slots compiles a list of online casinos for your gaming pleasure.
Slots machines, also known as "one-armed bandits", are an exciting form of gambling that offers you the opportunity to win several times your original bet. The rules for slot machines vary slightly, as far as payouts and any bonus rounds offered, from machine to machine, but are all very easy to learn.
Whatever it is, Best Buy Slots have the best online casino recommendations for you. They also have a review regarding certain casino banking options which will help you realise your ultimate gaming experience. The site also lists online casinos and the bonuses they offer and the softwares used.
If you're into trying new sites, the site also has a section listing all the new sites or new games offered by old sites, specialising in slot machines. I find the online casino reviews on this site to be very informative and helpful.
There is just so much information you can get from a paid review. So it is advisable for you to visit the site and see what they have to offer yourself.
Scientists have found a new way to kill viruses: by shaking them to death!
Scientists may one day be able to destroy viruses in the same way that opera singers presumably shatter wine glasses. New research mathematically determined the frequencies at which simple viruses could be shaken to death.
"The capsid of a virus is something like the shell of a turtle," said physicist Otto Sankey of Arizona State University. "If the shell can be compromised [by mechanical vibrations], the virus can be inactivated."
Recent experimental evidence has shown that laser pulses tuned to the right frequency can kill certain viruses. However, locating these so-called resonant frequencies is a bit of trial and error.
No, this is not an April Fool's joke!
Quite a few inventions that we enjoy today were products of mistakes and accidental discoveries. Nowadays, we are trained to conduct perfect experiments in the laboratories. How is it then that we are to truly contribute to science when we abhor making mistakes since mistakes have also contributed so much to science? Here are some of the ten accidental inventions that have proven to be so useful in our daily lives.
1. Penicillin
Everybody knows the story – or at least, should – the brilliant yet notoriously absent-minded biologist Sir Alexander Fleming was researching a strain of bacteria called staphylococci. Upon returning from holiday one time in 1928, he noticed that one of the glass culture dishes he had accidentally left out had become contaminated with a fungus, and so threw it away. It wasn’t until later that he noticed that the staphylococcus bacteria seemed unable to grow in the area surrounding the fungal mould.
Fleming didn’t even hold out much hope for his discovery: it wasn’t given much attention when he published his findings the following year, it was difficult to cultivate, and it was slow-acting – it wasn’t until 1945 after further research by several other scientists that penicillin was able to be produced on an industrial scale, changing the way doctors treated bacterial infections forever.
3. Ice Cream Cones
This story is a perfect example of serendipity, and a single chance encounter leading to worldwide repercussions. It’s also rather sweet.
Before 1904, ice cream was served on dishes. It wasn’t until the World’s Fair of that year, held in St Louis, Missouri, that two seemingly unrelated foodstuffs became inexorably linked together.
At this particularly sweltering 1904 World’s Fair, a stall selling ice cream was doing such good business that they were quickly running out of dishes. The neighboring stall wasn’t doing so well, selling Zalabia – a kind of wafer thin waffle from Persia – and the stall owner came up with the idea of rolling them into cone shapes and popping the ice cream on top. Thus the ice cream cone was born – and it doesn’t look like dying out any time soon.
6. Potato chips/crisps
In 1853, in a restaurant in Saratoga, New York, a particularly fussy diner (railway magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt) repeatedly refused to eat the fries he had been served with his meal, complaining that they were too thick and too soggy. After he had sent back several plates of increasingly thinly-cut fries, the chef George Crum decided to get his own back by frying wafer-thin slices of potato in grease and sending them out.
Vanderbilt initially protested that the chef’s latest efforts were too thin to be picked up with a fork, but upon trying a few, the chips were an instant hit, and soon everybody in the restaurant wanted a serving. This led to the new recipe appearing on the menu as “Saratoga Chips”, before later being sold all over the world.
I wonder what our bosses will say about our next mistake when we point these 10 accidental inventions to them. :P
We all know exercise is good for us. We've all heard our fair share of the benefits of exercise but do we bother exercising on a more frequent basis? Here's some of the 21 powerful reasons to exercise to motivate you further.
1. Longevity: reduced risk of premature death. People who are physically active, live longer. Regular exercise reduces the risk of dying prematurely and increases your chances of living longer.
It is never late to begin exercising. Regular physical activity provides benefits to men and women of all ages.
2. New brain cells development (neurogenesis). Exercise stimulates the formation of new brain cells (neurons). Also, exercise strengthens connections between those cells. The areas of the brain that are stimulated through long-term exercise are associated with memory and learning. The production of new neurons is associated with improvement in learning and memory.
15. Better night sleep: time-proved "Insomnia Rx". If you suffer from poor sleep daily exercise can make the difference. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after exercise may help to fall asleep. Researches from the Stanford University School of Medicine found that regular exercise provide improvement in general quality of sleep, quicker sleep-onset, longer sleep duration and feeling rested in the morning.
What are you waiting for? Start moving that ass already! :P