Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.
A strong earthquake has struck Southern California - rattling millions from Los Angeles to San Diego, and even Las Vegas.
The 5.4 quake was centred 29 miles south east of downtown Los Angeles, near Chino Hills in San Bernardino County.
The midday shake was followed by 27 aftershocks, the largest estimated at a magnitude of 3.8.
Tall buildings in LA swayed and fire officials described it as a major seismic event.
LA Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury in the city.
Offices and restaurants could be seen evacuating workers and customers.
Seismologist Kate Hutton of the US Geological Survey office said the quake struck at 11.42am and was initially estimated at 5.8, a figure later revised to 5.4.
She said the quake, estimated at 7.6 miles below the earth's surface, was "pretty shallow by worldwide standards".
Officials at Los Angeles International Airport confirmed that flight operations were back to normal after initial inspections.
San Bernardino Sheriff's department said it had received no reports of injuries or structural damage.
A home-video capturing the moment when a lion was reunited with his childhood owners has become an internet sensation.
The clip has already been watched by more than six million viewers on You Tube and other sites.
It involves a lion who was bought for 250 guineas from an exotic animals department in Harrods in 1969 and called 'Christian'.
Australians John Rendall and Anthony Bourke took home their furry bundle and raised him as a pet in their Chelsea flat.
The urban lion became a popular local figure in their London antiques shop, until he went from a manageable 35 pounds to 185 pounds, a year later.
Christian was moved to the Kenyan wildlife sanctuary featured in the movie Born Free, and after a year living in the wild, was found by his former owners with a pride of his own.
The 38-year-old video captures the emotional moment which shows the lion stalking towards the two men, until they call out his name.
The fully-grown big cat then leaps upon them - the trio collapsing together as Christian hugs and licks them with familiar affection.
The reunion lasted until the next morning when Christian returned to his pride.
Eating too many soya products such as tofu can have a serious effect on a man's fertility, according to a new study.
Scientists found that even a small amount of soya products, including meat and dairy substitutes, may have a significant impact on sperm count.
Men who ate an average of half a serving of soya food a day had lower concentrations of sperm than those who did not.
And since low sperm count is known to make it more difficult for a man to conceive, the suggestion is that too much soya in the diet can hinder a man's chances of having children.
Soya compounds called isoflavones, which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen, are thought to be behind the effect.
Sperm count ranges between 80 and 120 million sperm per millilitre (million/ml) of semen for normal healthy men.
But researchers in the US found that those with the highest soya intake had average counts of 41 million/ml lower than those of men who did not consume soya products.
The foods in question included tofu, tempeh, soy sausages, bacon, burgers and mince, soy milk, cheese, yoghurt and ice cream, and other soya products such as roasted nuts, drinks, powders and energy bars.
The research also brought more bad news for overweight or obese men, with the link between soya consumption and sperm count being stronger in that group.
Overweight men may be extra affected because their bodies produce more oestrogen than slimmer people, the researchers believe.
The scientists addressed the obvious question of why Asian men, who eat large amounts of soya, still appear to be fertile.
They pointed out that while obesity is increasing at alarming rates in the US, it is still much less common in Asia.
Cocktails of HIV drugs are helping patients live an average of 13 years long - as long as they can afford them.
The medication used to treat HIV is known as combination anti-retroviral therapy (Cart).
These advances have "transformed HIV from being a fatal disease into a long-term chronic condition", the study said.
But, the University of Bristol study found, life expectancy in HIV patients remains well short of the general population, and patients treated late in the course of their infection have worse life expectancy.
For the research, published in the journal The Lancet, a team of HIV experts compared changes in mortality and life expectancy among HIV-positive individuals treated with Cart.
The study said that "despite" these positive results, an HIV-positive person starting Cart treatment at the age of 20 will on average live another 43 years, to 63.
A 20-year-old HIV-negative person in a high-income country can expect to live to around 80, a difference of nearly 20 years.
The journal said the improvements in life expectancy and mortality were linked to the improvements during the first decade of Cart treatment.
"The results of this study indicate that people living with HIV in high-income countries can expect increasing positive health outcomes on Cart.
"The marked increase in life expectancy since 1996 is a testament to the gradual improvement and overall success of such treatment."
The study also revealed that patients who contracted HIV through infected needles used to inject drugs had a shorter life expectancy - 32.6 years - than the average of those from other groups - 44.7 years.
Women also have a slightly longer life expectancy than men - 44.2 years for women to 42.8 years for men - which may be due to women on average starting treatment earlier in the course of HIV infection.
Students (of all ages) might have more on their minds now than ever before — from work, to school to all of the other distractions pulling at them. So how can they be expected to concentrate, focus, memorize and execute the educational materials they have in front of them each night?
It's difficult, especially in a plugged-in world that places daily demands on people to not only increase their knowledge base professionally, but to also update the blogs and social networks they've established.Here are some tips on how you can maximize your memory, focus and concentration whether you are a student or someone just working on adding skills to their worklife.
Write more things down: Seems like a no-brainer, but keeping an extra piece of paper nearby when you are in class or at home will allow you to keep a note of what you just learned. By transforming those moments into your own you, they will have more meaning to you.
Review regularly: Just think about how much information you look at or listen to in a typical day. That's why you need to give yourself a daily time set aside just for reviewing. This can be at night, when you can take 10 to 15 minutes to look over your notes and any material that you were given.
Just breathe: One of the best things you can do for your memory is to increase the flow of oxygen to your brain. Get rid of the sleepy haze you may have come over you in the morning and at night as you get to the end of the day. The best thing to do is to take part in some physical activity to start your day. Also have some water with you all the time to help you stay alert and engaged.
Write even more things down: With this, you need to write down all of the thoughts that don't have anything to do with what you are working on. It may end up looking like a mess of random thoughts and to-dos, but by writing them down you are clearing them out of your mind and resisting the urge to do them right now. This keeps you on the task at hand and allows you to have an action list for when you have free time.
Don't multitask: If you are on the computer or have your phone nearby, you may be tempted to multitask. In addition to doing your work, you may want to send emails, update your Facebook page or look at other websites. DON'T! Put your focus on the one thing you are studying, and complete it in a shorter amount of time with longer lasting results.
Mind-meld for memory: One way to memorize new facts is to take the new idea that you have and associate it with something that you already know. A place or an anecdote will create a relationship in your mind that you can go back to.
Chop up for memory: Another way to help your memory is to chunk information into smaller pieces to make them more memorable. It's logical that a smaller piece of knowledge is easier to remember than a large stretch of information.
Go back to your childhood for memory: There is a reason everyone remembers the ABC song or the orders of colors on a rainbow. As children, we were taught mnemonic devices to remember things. That still works! Use short phrases or poems to help memorize long lists or facts. That create keys to open up the memory, like the first line of a poem or a tune, which comes in handy later.
There have always been misunderstandings between teenagers and their parents, but the latest one might come as a surprise.
Three-quarters of teenagers wish they could talk to their parents about sex - but many parents are reluctant to have these conversations for fear their children will laugh at them for raising the subject.
Over a quarter of teenagers feel confused, worried or scared that they don't have the right information and almost half do not trust the information they get from their friends, a study has found.
Despite nearly a third of teenagers saying they would have a stronger relationship with their parents if they could speak openly about sex and relationships, one in five parents say they find talking about it a real challenge.
Parents cited embarrassment as one of the main reasons for avoiding the subject, along with a belief that children do not want to talk to them about sex, and that schools would provide the right information.
But half of parents who have spoken about sex said they felt like a better parent for doing so.
The research was commissioned as part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families Everyday Conversations Every Day campaign to encourage parents to talk to their children about subjects like sex.
The study found that between the ages of 11 and 14 is the optimum age for talking to children.
By the time a child reaches 15, the divide between the child and parent is too great and can make conversations impossible to start.
"Teenagers unanimously agree that parents who speak to them about sex are in no way encouraging them to go out and do it," report author Anita Naik said.
"In fact the opposite is true - having everyday conversations as often as possible about sex and relationships is proven to reduce risky behaviour and can help young people make measured decisions about sex and stay safe."
Ms Naik said she believed that such conversations could help reduce the number of teenage pregnancies.
"Teenage pregnancy is due to many factors.," she said.
Many youngsters don't have the right information. I'm not talking about the mechanics of sex, but many don't have the language to say no to sex or to delay it until they are ready and with someone they trust.
"By starting up conversations parents can encourage them to make their own decisions, and stand by them and stand up to the friends or peers if pressure is put on them."
This is a long long road. I try to my this trip as relax as possible. Vince is sleeping like a pig next to me. He's been sleeping for the last one hour. I have been wondering what he did last nite. Probably he must be staying up quite late to catch up the live football telecast. I thought that maybe we could be alternating the drive. However looks like I'll spending the next few hours dirving all by myself.
The scenery looks awesome. I try my best to enjoy every single view that I manage to pass by. There's not many cars along the road. Not to make myself fell asleep, I try to switch a few radio channels. Suddenly something caught my attention. One of my all time favourite song is on the air! Wow! I really enjoy the song while driving. Polk Audio I-sonic ES2 is giving me the crystal clear song even when I switch channel to new country music stations, it never fail my expection.
Florida High Definition Radio stations is absolutely awesome! Driving experience will never be boring with it!
Doctors have successfully rid a patient of advanced skin cancer by treating him with clones of his own immune cells.
In just two months, scans showed that the 52-year-old man's tumours, which had spread to his lungs, were gone.
The astonishing outcome is the first solid evidence that the experimental T-cell treatment works.
But the US scientists are quick to point out that the breakthrough involved just one patient.
Further trials will be needed to prove that the results were no fluke, they stressed.
Advanced malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is notoriously difficult to treat once it starts to spread.
The US team, led by Dr Cassian Yee, from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, pioneered a new therapy based on infection-fighting "helper" CD4 T-cells from the patient's own immune system.
Helper T-cells are specialised white blood cells that "target" foreign invaders or cancerous cells and marshal other elements of the immune system against them.
The new technique involved extracting helper T-cells from the patient and cloning those specifically targeting melanoma.
They were then stimulated to divide and multiply in the laboratory, boosting their numbers 3,000- to 5,000-fold.
Around five billion of the lab-grown cells were then infused back into the patient, unaccompanied by any additional therapies.
After two months the patient was found to be tumour-free, and there was still no sign of cancer when he was last checked two years later.
Before treatment, the man had Stage Four advanced melanoma which had spread to a groin lymph node and one of his lungs.
Dr Yee predicted that if the approach proved successful in other patients, it could be used for the 25% of late-stage melanoma sufferers sharing the same profile as the trial patient.
The findings were published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Hong Kong TVB's documentary report of Lim Guan Eng. Must watch for the Penangites….and hopefully you will also see the light at the end of the tunnel after watching the documentary. I was impressed that Guan Eng has been taking the Air Asia for his travels. Anyway, check out the videos at the links below:
A woman has been savaged by a kangaroo on her farm in Australia but was saved by her son's dog.
Rosemary Neal, 65, from New South Wales, was crossing a field to check her horses when the 6ft' 6" animal, weighing 15-and-a-half stone, knocked her to the ground.
"The kangaroo has just jumped up and launched straight at her," said her son Darren.
"He hit her once and she just dropped and rolled.
"My dog heard her screaming and bolted down and chased him off. If it wasn't for the dog she'd probably be dead.
"Her face has been ripped apart, her hand has been mauled and she's got scratches all over her back and concussion."
Mr Neal said the area, near the town of Mudgee, had been overrun by kangaroos in recent years.
"The whole town has been complaining about these kangaroos," he explained.
"You can't drive down the street without swerving to miss them."
For obvious reasons you can’t recycle a condom, but have you ever wondered which countries “tax” sex the most? Well… Environmental Graffiti has decided to create a detailed graphical diagram, complete with wallpaper download for your viewing pleasure.When looking at it, please don’t deduce that bar heights are correlated to penis size (that’s just offensive).
Shanghai came out the cheapest with an average price of just $4.50, whilst Ireland was the country where sex costs the most (!) at almost $18 on average for a pack – (perhaps due to the hostility of the Catholic Church towards contraception?). Prices within the US showed a high amount of variation, from $9.50 in Houston to nearly $15 in New York - feel free to extrapolate from that what you wish… Surprisingly, Germany is the 2nd lowest, and this suggest that why the condom is everywhere. Condoms can’t be recycled and as such may be considered damaging to the environment. And the solution offered for most things that either cannot be recycled or damage the environment?
Twins with different skin colours - one black and the other white - have been born in Berlin.
Doctors say it is an extremely rare occurrence, but it is possible if genes combine in a certain way.
The twin boys, named Ryan and Leo, are the offspring of a mixed-race couple.
Mum, Florence, hails from Ghana in western Africa and dad, Stephan, from Potsdam in Germany.
"Ryan came first, and everything was as usual," said the hospital's doctor Birgit Weber.
"But when Leo was born, I couldn't believe my eyes."
The doctor said she had been present at some 10,000 births over almost 20 years and had never seen anything quite like this, it has been reported.
"Both kids have definitely the same father," she added.
The twins were reportedly born on July 11, but were kept from the public until press could be invited to see them.
A curry so hot it comes with a health warning has been created by a London chef who is hoping to make the record books.
The Bollywood Burner is made with the eye-wateringly hot Naga pepper and seeds - one of the world's hottest chillis.
The Naga pepper measures 855,000 on the Scoville scale of piquancy - over 100 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper which measures just 8,000.
Diners at The Cinnamon Club are required to sign a disclaimer saying they are aware of the nature and risks involved with tasting the lamb-based Bollywood Burner before eating it.
Chef Vivek Singh said his dish was inspired by cuisine from Hyderabad, the state capital of Andhra Pradesh in India.
He said: "We found a list of the 10 hottest chillies and decided to try and use some of them. I think it will be the hottest curry in the world."
He added that the curry may not regularly appear on the menu: "I would create it on demand for customers but will not include it all the time, I think it's just too extreme a dish."
Toby Steele, 19, a student from Brighton was the first to taste the Bollywood Burner at the restaurant on Great Smith Street in Westminster.
He said: "I'm usually a korma man and I suspect this is the hottest thing I've ever tasted.
"It was nice actually, you could really taste the spices.
"The initial taste isn't that hot but now, a couple of minutes later, I feel a bit floaty and light-headed."
The Bollywood Burner will be submitted to the Guinness World Records for verification of its status as the world's hottest curry. The results should be announced in two to three weeks.
India cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni is used to being surrounded by the ladies.
Now it will become a permanent fixture after police in his hometown of Ranchi assigned an all-female group of bodyguards to keep unwanted admirers away.
Ranchi police chief M S Bhatia said the decision to give Dhoni the new security detail comes after two recent incidents in which female fans tried to throw themselves on the heartthrob player.
Bhatia said the female police had been given special training to protect the India star from unwanted advances.
He has already been given "Z-class" security - the highest level from the state - usually reserved for the prime minister and other senior political figures.
Dhoni, known for his good looks and swashbuckling style on the cricket pitch, is one of the biggest celebrities in cricket-crazy India.
The limited-overs cricket captain endorses everything from hair gel to motorbikes.
Declarations of love may have more impact if spoken into the left ear, new research has revealed. Words of anger, religious messages, jokes and sales pitches are also more effective if heard through the left hand side.
Scientists say the right-hand side of the brain, which controls the left hand side of the body, is more imaginative, visual, intuitive and is the route to all emotions.
Researchers at Sam Houston University of America showed that people were able to recall more emotional words connected with love and anger when they were delivered though the left ear. When emotional words were presented in the left ear, the percentage of recall accuracy was 69 per cent compared with 56 per cent for the right ear.
Meanwhile, instructions, directions and non-emotional messages have more impact if spoken in the right ear, the logical side.
It's not just ears that are affected. The right eye has been shown to be best for processing colours, the right foot is the most vulnerable to tickling, the left cheek the more favourable one to kiss, and the left side is the favoured one for holding babies.
Aftershave and flowers may have the biggest effect on a woman's left nostril, art work is best appreciated through the left eye and sprinters are best kicking off with their right foot.
Support for the idea comes from a number of psychological and brain scanning studies, and from research based on patients with brain injuries or structural changes.
Liu Ming, a 44 year old local chinese is displaying the spirit of Olympic 2008 by tattooing his body. With more than 200 tattoos already on his body, he doesn't mind to have more.
Studies have revealed that one of its ingredients, resveratrol, slows ageing of the heart, bones, eyes and muscles.
Mice fed the plant compound had stronger bones, better balance and co-ordination, and healthier hearts than animals not given the compound.
They were also less likely to develop cataracts in their eyes.
But the plant chemical, found in the skin of red grapes, did not help the mice to live longer unless they had been fed a high calorie diet.
Earlier research suggested that resveratrol mimics the effects of calorie restriction, which has been shown to extend the lives of yeast, worms, flies and fish.
Resveratrol has also improved both the health and survival of obese mice fed a high-calorie diet.
Significant amounts of the compound are found in red, but not white wine.
Resveratrol has been suggested as one explanation for the "French Paradox" - the fact that in parts of France where saturated fat consumption is high, people still have low levels of heart disease.
A major finding was that resveratrol prevented the usual age-related decline of heart and arteries in the mice.
Dr David Sinclair, from Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, one of the international team of researchers whose findings are reported in the journal Cell Metabolism, said: "I was most surprised by how broad the effects were in the mice.
"Usually, you focus on slowing down or ameliorating one disease at a time. In this case, resveratrol influences a whole series of seemingly unrelated diseases associated with ageing."
Many observers of the Apple device have criticised the fact that it has been slow to embrace 3G connectivity and GPS functions, which are found on other smart phones.
Uptake of the phone was also slower than expected last year, possibly because of the high cost of the handset.
That has now been addressed by O2's aggressive new pricing structure, which will see some users getting an iPhone for free.
Many in the industry believe that the hype surrounding the new phone is entirely justified.
Entrepreneur Martin Warner, co-founder of Technology of Tomorrow 2008, said that the iPhone is a landmark product which is redefining technology.
He told Sky News Online: "I think the market has been slow to react to a new platform which can embrace the new multimedia generation."
He said that the iPhone scored over its rivals because of intuitive interface and because of the software inside it.
Mr Warner said that in particular, opening up the software to developers meant that a range of new applications would soon be forthcoming.
He said: "The reality is there will be a proliferation of new software development and new applications that have never been seen on a mobile platform before.
"This is like the PC but smaller, it is every bit as powerful. Just like the PC this is the platform for people to build new applications."
Mr Warner agreed that pricing had been a barrier but said that Apple was hoping that the decision to go into more markets would offset the reduced price.
Quang Nguyen of the Geek Squad agreed that the iPhone is deserving of the hype.
He told Sky News Online: "With the new improvements in hardware and the new version 2.0 software they have fixed all the problems and made a great phone even better.
"As far as the interface and ease of use of phones it is above the others.
"As far as the 3G and GPS goes, it would have been nice on the first release but they had to be sure it was right."
Michael Brook, editor of gadgets magazine T3, said that there were drawbacks with the iPhone.
He said:"While Apple has given us the faster web speeds we were crying out for, it seems that battery life is the biggest issue yet again.
"Built in GPS is a great addition, but the iPhone’s ambition might just have outstripped its battery technology."
Cristiano Ronaldo has welcomed FIFA president Sepp Blatter's comments that Manchester United should allow him to join Real Madrid.
Ronaldo, 23, has been heavily linked with Real Madrid and has said it would be a "dream" to join the Spanish side.
Blatter insists that players should be free to play where they choose.
And Ronaldo told Portuguese broadcaster TVI: "You know what I said, what I want and what I would like. I agree completely with the president of Fifa."
The Portugal winger, who is recovering after undergoing ankle surgery last week, added: "Now I have to wait and see but I do not know where I will begin the season."
Blatter irked United with his claims on Thursday comparing transfer trends to "modern slavery".
A United spokesman said: "All our players enter into their contracts after an open and free negotiation."
And the statement continued: "Most of whom do after taking advice from a Fifa-registered agent.
"Many do so on a number of occasions and enjoy long and successful stays at Old Trafford."
We live in a culture where everyone seems to worry. Turn on the news – someone got shot, there’s mercury in the fish we eat, the cows have got BSE, a new super-flu is coming, terrorists are regrouping, … On and on it goes. If you take all of this stuff seriously, it’s likely that you’ll never go out, never eat, never travel, never take any kind of risk at all.
I’ve no doubt that people have always worried. Dale Carnegie’s book ‘How to Stop Worrying and Start Living,’ which was published in 1944, is packed with stories from the early part of the twentieth century (and even earlier in some cases) about people who worried about all kinds of things. But in fact, as Carnegie so ably and amusingly points out through his many examples, worry makes no sense at all. Here are some reasons why worry really is a pointless and damaging activity. I suspect we all know this deep down, but a reminder doesn’t hurt.
Things never happen the way you imagine.
When you worry, you are predicting the future. You are saying, "I know that things will turn out badly." But this just isn’t the case. You have no idea how the future is going to turn out, except to say that it will not be what you think it will be. So why worry?
Worry means you give away your power.
Some people are so entrenched in worry that they cannot see any other way to live. But worry robs you of your power to be proactive. The truth is that you are in control and you can choose how to react to situations, so why choose to give that power away so easily and so unconsciously?
Worrying is completely unproductive.
Why waste your energy doing something that gets you nowhere. On a treadmill at least you get some exercise, but worry is a truly pointless activity. Spend your time and energy on something more useful.
Worry distorts reality.
We live in an age where people live longer, have better access to health care, have more opportunity for personal and professional growth, more chance to travel, greater access to information and lifelong education, and many other wonderful things. Yes, there are risks and potential dangers, but worry magnifies these disproportionately and blinds us to the wonders of our age.
Worrying is bad for your health.
Worry is not a normal state of mind, and it adversely affects your health, even your physical health. When you worry, physical changes are happening in your body which are very damaging. It increases stress which can increase blood pressure, cause higher levels of stomach acid, cause muscle tension and headaches, among many other things.
Worry is not natural.
Do little children worry? Do animals worry? Do all adults worry? There is nothing inherent in being human that means you have to worry. Worry is a pathology, a distortion of our natural, healthy state.
Do you know the most frequent instruction given in the Bible? Surprisingly, it is not ‘love one another’ or ‘love God’ or anything like that. It is simply ‘do not be afraid.’ I don’t know how many times it appears, but I’ve seen estimates between 100 and 366 times. You don’t have to be religious to realize that this is good advice.
So how can we break out of this worry habit? Like all habits, it might not be easy to do, but there are some clear, simple and effective steps you can take to eliminate worry from your life.
Realize that you are in control.
In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey tells us that the first step to a better life is the realization that we are free to choose how to react to circumstances. Worry is a choice – it’s inside our own head and, as such, it is within the sphere of our own influence.
Recognize that worry is a habit. Like all habits, there is a momentum to worry, and it might not be easy to break away from this, especially if you’ve been a worrier all your life. But it’s possible to change any habit.
Keep things in perspective.
E. Joseph Crossman said, "If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today." Are you still worrying about those things? Will all this stuff matter a 100 years from now?
Face your fears.
Nelson DeMille said that "Somehow our devils are never quite what we expect when we meet them face to face." After you do something that scares you, you’ll probably find it wasn’t as bad as you thought. With time, all your worry will dissipate.
Stop trying to be in control of everything.
You cannot control the whole world. Things happen that are truly outside our circle of influence, and so we need to relax and accept that sometimes things just happen as they will. This is part of life, and worry will not change it one little bit.
Stop taking yourself so seriously.
If you fail, so what? If you screw up, is it the end of the world? Are you really so important that the world will stop turning if you get things wrong? Life is not that serious.
Finally, one of my favorite quotes from the master of quotes, Mark Twain. "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." Worry is a dangerous and poisonous thing. Don’t let it eat away at you. Take Dale Carnegie’s advice – stop worrying and start living!
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player that ever lived. Was he genetically predisposed to be faster and stronger, or was it his iron discipline that was responsible?
After completing my master's degree in Biomedical Science I can say, with some facts and knowledge to back it up, that genetics only partially added to the phenomenal talents of this outstanding athlete. He competed against people that were taller, stronger, faster, and younger than him. Despite the challenges he still came out on top. Let's take a look at the grains of wisdom that put him at the top of his game as well as his businesses.
Michael Jordan's 10 Success Secrets
Take Responsibility
"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen."
Throughout his life, Michael Jordan had the honorable quality of taking responsibility for his own destiny. That means that he took action while others paused to ask questions, gather more data, or consult experts. Not that he didn't have mentors, but essentially it was his wrists that snapped the ball into the hoop.
Give It A Try
"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying."
One of the biggest causes of procrastination is the problem of hesitation. Sometimes people over think, and over analyze, which prevents them from taking that first step that will carry them one thousand miles. If you want to increase sales by trying a new technique, you will never know unless you try. This can apply to baking cakes, meeting singles, or anything that you can wrap your mind around.
Fail Freely
"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
Can you believe that Michael Jordan missed so many shots and lost so many games? I thought he was the best! Well, he is indeed the best, and it's because he was willing to fail, and keep going. That allowed him to get past his plateaus and persevere. That's another big reason for procrastination. When we think we'll fail, we do not attempt. A good solution is to consider what the worst case scenario of failing would be, because once you do that, it's never as bad as when the scenario was an unknown. Worst-case scenario is not that you'll die, it's that you lived a miserable (or comfortable) life as a coward.
Commit Yourself
"The game is my wife. It demands loyalty and responsibility, and it gives me back fulfillment and peace."
Till death do we part, just me and my goal. I know in my heart that this is my role. When you give yourself fully and remove all other distractions you gain an invaluable level of attention to detail that will pool in resources you did not know you were capable of harnessing.
Enjoy Your Game
"Just play. Have fun. Enjoy the game."
So many people get stuck in dead end, zero-sum, no fun jobs because they didn't find their love, or just simply don't have the knack for taking pleasure in what they have. Consider the fact that you spend more time in your place of work than you do in your place of worship and with your family combined. By not being excited about, or getting full enjoyment out of work, you are cheating yourself from having a life of design and a life of fulfillment. I don't have a solution for your life, but I think you know which sacrifices you need to make, and are willing to make, in order to have the life of your dreams become your reality.
Play To Win
"I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win."
Why bother playing the game of basketball, work, or life if you aren't planning to win? Do you even know what a statistically relevant way of measuring your personally defined "win" would look like? If you're in the game to make money does winning mean being the richest man in the world? If you're in the game for your family does that mean that you see them often and share the joys of life over a vibrant laugh? Whatever your game is, make sure you define what a win looks like, and play to win.
Be Selfish and Humble
"To be successful you have to be selfish, or else you never achieve. And once you get to your highest level, then you have to be unselfish. Stay reachable. Stay in touch. Don't isolate."
Take notes from Michael Jordan, first be selfish until you get on top, and once you are on top be humble and grounded. Being selfish in how you jump over people and slam dunk in their face, whether you are an athlete or business person. In a family setting this would mean taking care of your personal health before worrying about the well-being of your family. If you let your health fail you are of no use, or even worse a burden, to your family. This is why in case of an air plane emergency they tell you to put the air mask on yourself first and then on your children.
Find Your Way Around
"Obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."
Anything in life that is dear to us is worth so much because of the time and effort we put into acquiring it. This goes for championships, businesses, and most importantly our relationships. One thing that determines how hard we've had to work is the amount of obstacles that were thrown in our way. Next time there's an obstacle, don't let it hinder you, think about the fact that whatever you're trying to reach will be that much worth it on the other side.
Make Your Own Expectations
"If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome."
The number one thing that will literally ruin your life is if you live it by someone else's expectations. Every single person is different and has their own views on what's best, which follows what their goals are in this life. By listening to the voices of others, instead of your own voice, you are effectively submitting to live your life for the sake of accomplishing their goals. Set your own expectations, meet your own goals, and live your own extraordinary life (or don't).
Now, Take One Shot
"I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot . . . when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result."
The way this applies to life is quite simple. Much of the time we look too far into the future, while performing a task that needs our full attention right now. This act could take away our focus, paralyze us from taking action, and take away the pleasure of doing what is at hand. In life you can take one shot at a time, then another, and from this all your dreams will come true. At least that's what works for Michael Jordan.
Quitely I place the new glasses on this working table. Dan came back and without feeling suspicious, he put on the "new" glasses. Within minutes... "This is not my old glasses! Who took it away and replace it?", Dan grumble. I quickly raise my hand and explain what happen by telling him that I have bought a new pair of glasses from zennioptical.com. To my suprise he raise a big smile and give me a big hug. What even surprise is that he's also looking for another spare glasses as well. Then I recommend zennioptical.com to him. Zennioptical.com offers one of the cheapest glasses around with various designs plus proven qualities.
After I told him about the website, he is so happy and place an order immediately! What a relieve for me!
I accidentally broke Dan's glasses. Oh my god! He's going to kill me. Without any hesitation, in the shortest time I manage to log into zennioptical.com to search for an identical glasses. Thankfully I found it! YES! YES! What's even better is that I got it with an extremely low price; where I don't think anyone can get it in the near market! Don't believe it? You better do!
An American man who was born a woman is reported to have given birth to a baby girl.
Thomas Beatie, who lives as a male after undergoing surgery and hormone treatment, gave birth at a hospital in Oregon on June 29, according to People magazine.
Both he and the baby are said to be "healthy and doing well".
Beatie, 34, kept female reproductive organs when he legally became a man 10 years ago.
The baby was conceived through artificial insemination using donor sperm and Beatie's own eggs.
"The only thing different about me is that I can't breast-feed my baby. But a lot of mothers don't," People quoted Beatie as saying.
He has had his breasts surgically removed.
He said that the baby was not delivered by Caesarean section, but no other details about the birth have been confirmed.
Earlier this year, Beatie caused controversy when his pregnancy was revealed and he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
His wife Nancy, 46, whom he married five years ago, was unable to conceive because she had already had a hysterectomy.
The couple, who operate a T-shirt printing business in Bend, Oregon, are legally married and he is recognised under state law as a man.
For many people, losing weight seems like an impossible task. "I don't have the willpower!" they say.
But it doesn't have to be that hard. The basic rule of weight loss is that you take in fewer calories than you burn -- and if you want to turn a positive calorie balance into the calorie deficit you need to lose weight, just make some smart choices in what you eat and drink, and how you burn calories.
The second rule of weight loss is that if you take in 3,500 fewer calories than you burn, you'll (generally) lose a pound of fat. So if you can have a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day, you'll burn a pound of fat a week (7 times 500 is 3,500), which is about 50 pounds a year.
If you have been maintaining the same weight for a little while, you are taking in the same amount of calories as you're burning. So you just need to choose a few of the options below to lose 50 pounds in a year. However, if you've been gaining weight, you'll need to choose a few more of the options below to go into calorie deficit.
Remember that 50 pounds a year is only about 4 pounds a month, so you won't notice a huge drop in the first month. Be patient, stick with it, and you'll start to see weight loss in the following months.Also remember that with any of the changes below, it's hardest for the first few days. After that, you get used to it, and it gets easier.
Drink water. If you typically drink lots of juice or soda or alcohol, replacing these calorie-filled drinks with water will cut a few hundred calories a day.
Exercise for 15-20 minutes. If you have a weight problem, chances are you also have a problem with regular exercise. That's probably because you tried to do too much. Just commit to 15 minutes a day. That's not hard at all. And don't do anything intense, especially for the first month. Take it easy -- do a few crunches, a few push ups, jog in place for a few minutes. If you do this every day, you'll burn 100-150 calories, depending on your size and metabolism.
Replace a fatty snack with veggies. Potato chips, fries, anything that's greasy -- those are laden with calories. Fat is the most calorie-filled food type there is. If you eat a snack like this every day, replace it with cut-up carrots, broccoli, celery, or a salad (with low-fat dressing, not anything fatty).
Have sex daily. One of the best exercises there is. Of course, you'll need to do it beyond your usual three minutes. If you can get 15 minutes of sex in a day, you can burn 150 calories. You also might need to find a willing partner. The exercise in the item above might help with that.
Replace a sugary snack with fruits. If you eat Twinkies, Ding Dongs, donuts, candy bars, a carton of ice cream ... you know you need to cut those out. Try fruit instead. Berries are my favorite.
Eat a healthy breakfast. If you eat eggs and bacon, or something covered in syrup, or anything else sweet or fatty, replace it with something healthier. Steel-cut oatmeal with blueberries, ground flaxseed and almonds is a great choice that is delicious. Also try whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk or soy milk.
Walk, and use the stairs. Park 5-7 minutes away from work, which adds up to about 10-15 minutes of walking a day, to and from work (in addition to the exercise mentioned above). Use the stairs instead of the elevator. That's about 100 calories total.
Use non-fat milk in your latte. If you use half-and-half in your latte, using non-fat milk will save you about 250 calories.
Skip butter. If you put butter on your toast, your roll, and your baked potato, you can save 200-300 calories a day if you skip the butter.
Plan snacks, don't snack randomly. Munching on little things here and there, throughout the day, can add up to hundreds of calories. Instead, plan on a midmorning and mid afternoon snack, and make at least one of them healthy. Don't snack in between snacks.
Go with red pasta sauce, not white. Marinara sauce instead of Alfredo will save you a couple hundred calories. Skip the meat too.
Eat baked chicken, not fried. Fried chicken contains a lot of fat absorbed from frying oil, as well as the fatty skin. Skip the skin, and bake the chicken. Herb it up good, with some pepper, and it tastes great.
Skip seconds, and eat slower. If you go back for an extra piece of meat and buttered bread, you're adding another few hundred calories. Instead, eat slowly, and you'll get full faster. Also, even if feel hungry after the first helping, wait for 20 minutes. Often, the feeling of hunger will go away.
Air-pop popcorn. Movie popcorn is full of oil and butter. Tons of fat. Instead, air-pop the popcorn. You can put salt on it, but not butter.
Go for pretzels, not peanuts. Nuts contain tons of calories. Instead, snack on mini-pretzels (not the soft kind), which can satisfy the salt craving without all of the fat.
Skip the muffin. Muffins are just cake, if you buy them at a coffee shop, donut shop, or grocery store. You can make your own muffins that don't contain all that fat and sugar, but instead, try eating the healthy breakfasts mentioned above.
With oil prices at an all-time high, the knock-on effect on fuel prices is more apparent by the day. According to The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), who compiles a list of global fuel prices every year, UK car owners now pay around £4.41 ($8.74) per gallon, while US drivers pay closer to £2.07 ($4.10) - which is small compared to many countries, but that's a rise of almost 25% on 2007.
Most worryingly of all, several countries - including Turkey, Sweden, Norway, Germany and Holland - are even more expensive.
Prices are simply showing no signs of coming down. In fact., barely a day goes by without some kind of horror story prediction for the future. However, there are a few things you can do to lessen the impact on your pocket. I agree, some of these are remedial but when it takes $90 to fill your gas tank, do you agree that it's time to start considering alternative modes of transportation?
In any event, here are some ideas. If the costs aren't pounding you now, perhaps it's time to plan for the continued increase.
Take walks for short journeys
This will be a culture shock to some of you. But, think about this. It's amazing how many people these days rely on their cars just for a trip to the corner shop. Short journeys they may be, but the costs soon add up. By cutting them out, you're saving money, helping the environment, and keeping fit at the same time. Seriously consider walking to the dry cleaners, the hair salon, or the supermarket.
Buy a bicycle
Unless you're doing a long commute every day to work, most journeys you would take on a regular basis could be done on a bike. It's free to run (apart from occasional maintenance), keeps you fitter, and you'll beat those traffic jams at rush hour. And with more and more cycle lanes being built all the time, cycling is safer than it's ever been.
Share journeys
If you know someone else who takes roughly the same route as you each day (especially colleagues), do a car share, and share the costs. If your car fits five people, you could cut your own costs down by as much as 80%, but even a more realistic 50% (two people) is a good saving.
Plan your journey properly
Countless hours (and gallons of fuel) are wasted each year by people who trust their 'sense of direction' to guide them to their destination. By planning your journey well in advance, you will save valuable time and money. There are plenty of services online that will plan your route for you, and some even take traffic into account to minimize your journey.
Fuel-efficient driving
According to experts, you can boost your fuel efficiency by around 30% just by taking a few simple measures. These include switching off your engine for stops of more than 30 seconds, not driving above 60mph unless necessary, making sure your tyres are properly inflated, driving in the correct gear, and lots more.
Buy a fuel-efficient car
Some cars are gas-guzzlers, others less so. Do your research before buying a car, but as a rule of thumb, the bigger the car, the less efficient it will probably be.
Don't fill up on Fridays
Many sellers put their prices up on this day, because it's statistically the day most people fill their tanks - so steer clear.
Take public transport
It may not always be the most accommodating way to travel, but in many cases you can save a lot of money, and it's better for the environment. It's also a good chance to relax and read the newspaper or listen to some music, rather than focusing on the roads.
This is a shocking news to the nation. No one can imagine how does a building like this can collapse in the broad day light. Hundrds of life are sacrificed within minutes. It's one of the worst disaster that I ever seen. The rescue team is working 24 hours non-stop to save innocent live which are trap under the collapse building.
Due to this shocking news, the government has imposed strict rules and regulations for developers on material selection. A list of materials approved vendors has been provided for developers, whereby one of the supplier is Jensen Precast who's supplying Precast Concrete and also Precast Concrete Septic Tanks. But why Jensen Precast is choosen? Reason is pretty simple. Jensen Precast is one of the market leader in this industry. Their products have met all the safety requirements.
Stumble It!
A strong earthquake has struck Southern California - rattling millions from Los Angeles to San Diego, and even Las Vegas.
A strong earthquake has struck Southern California - rattling millions from Los Angeles to San Diego, and even Las Vegas.
