This is about a man who tells how his booking an air ticket for his father, his first flight, brought emotions and
made him realize that how much we all take for granted when it comes to our parents.
My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father
had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of
being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Lufthansa.
The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air.
The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was
preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the
baggage check-in and asking for window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen.
He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.
As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me.
He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great
deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me.
But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child how many dreams our parents
have made come true. Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for football, dresses, toys, outings, etc.
Irrespective of their affordability, they have satisfied to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they
had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us?
Same way, today, when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school.
Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks,
toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our
responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young,
it is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.
Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience.
When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would
have felt at those moments.
Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention
and same care need to be given to our parents and elders.
Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this
small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible
attention to all their wishes. Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything
and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too.
Take care of our parents. Don't take them for granted and make them feel small and unwanted in their old age.
They too have feelings, dreams, hope, aspirations, wishes (and many broken/shattered ones) too while
sacrificing them to give us our needs and our wants.
Monday, February 13, 2012
How to Tell When Someone is Lying
Watching body language in addition to what is spoken might just save you from being a victim of fraud, or it could help you figure out when somebody’s being genuine. The police do this during an interrogation.
You have to learn the little facial and body expressions that can help you distinguish a lie from the truth. Here are some steps and tips to do so.
Learn to recognize deflections. Usually when people are lying, they will tell stories that are true but are deliberately aimed at not answering the question you asked. If a person responds to the question “Did you ever hit your wife?” with an answer such as “I love my wife, why would I do that?”, the suspect is technically telling a truth, but they are avoiding answering your original question, which usually means they’re lying.
Mind exaggerated details. See if they are telling you too much, like “My mom is living in France, isn’t it nice there? Don’t you like the Eiffel tower? It’s so clean there.” Too many details may tip you off to their desperation to get you to believe them.
We have illustrators, and manipulators. Illustrators are a sign of telling the truth, this is when you are using your hand gestures to talk. moving your hands while you are talking is a sign of telling the truth. We also have manipulators. These, are the opposite of illustrators. An example of a manipulator can be playing with your wrist-watch, your jewelry, pulling on your ear lobe, etc. People who behave this way tend to be hiding something. The last, commonly unknown sign of hiding something is reptile tissue, most people have a reptile tissue in their nose, and it itches when you’re hiding something. But, before you assume that the person is hiding something, please establish a base line.
Base Line: A base line is what someone acts like when they are not lying. You have to get a base line before you proceed with anything. Imagine you have a itch on your nose ever since you got out of bed. And someone thinks you are hiding something because you scratch your nose when answering a question…oops. What the person should have done is establish a baseline. To establish a baseline, you need to see the person when they aren’t lying. Try asking what their name is, and what they do for a living.
Look out for micro-expressions. Micro-expressions are split second facial expressions that flash on a person’s face for a less than a 25th of a second and reveal the person’s true emotion underneath their facade. Some people may be naturally sensitive to them, but almost anybody can easily train to be able to detect microexpressions. Put focus to the upper and lower eyelids, the corner of the eyes, the mouth and the muscles surrounding the mouth, the eyebrows and forehead.
Shaking hands… When you meet the person who you think is deceiving you, shake their hand. Take note of the temperature. When you are sure they are lying to you, pretend to be leaving and quickly grab their hand for a “Good-Bye” Handshake. If the temperature is colder, they are fearful.
Notice the person’s eye movements. Contrary to popular belief, a liar does not always avoid eye contact. Humans naturally break eye contact and look at non-moving objects to help them focus and remember. Liars may deliberately make eye contact to seem more sincere. You can usually tell if a person is remembering something or making something up based on their eye’s movements. When someone is remembering details, their eyes move to the right (your right). When someone is making something up, their eyes move to the left. It’s usually reversed for lefties. (although not always true.)
Be aware of their emotional responses
Timing and duration tends to be off when someone is lying. If you ask someone a question and they respond directly after the question, there is a chance that the person is lying. This can be because they have rehearsed the answer, or they’re already thinking about the answer just to get it over with and move forward. A delayed answer can be a sign of lying. To tell the truth takes 2 parts of your brain at most, however to lie takes 6 parts of your brain. If the person has a long story then you can ask them to tell it backwards. Liars have trouble telling stories backwards, because in their mind they have rehearsed it forwards, but not backwards. And, as with smiling, facial expressions of a poor liar will be limited to the mouth area.
Pay close attention to the person’s reaction to your questions. A liar will often feel uncomfortable and turn their head or body away, or even subconsciously put an object between the two of you. Also, while an innocent person would go on the offensive (usually responding with anger, which will usually be revealed in a microexpression directly after you say you don’t believe them), a guilty person will often go immediately on the defensive (usually by saying something to reassure their facts, such as deflections).
Listen for a subtle delay in responses to questions. An honest answer comes quickly from memory. Lies require a quick mental review of what they have told others to avoid inconsistency and to make up new details as needed. However, when people look up to remember things, it does not necessarily mean that they are lying.
Be conscious of their usage of words. Verbal expression can give many clues as to whether a person is lying, such as:
Using/repeating your own exact words when answering a question
Not using contractions
Avoiding direct statements or answers (deflections)
Speaking excessively in an effort to convince
Speaking in a monotonous tone
Speaking in muddled sentences
Vocal pitch rising
Using classic qualifiers such as “I’m only going to say this once…”
Using humor and sarcasm to avoid the subject
Using Deflections (beating around the bush, not answering the question.)
Allow silence to enter the conversation.
If they’re lying, they will become uncomfortable if you stare at them for a while with a look of disbelief. If they’re telling the truth, they will usually become angry or just frustrated (lips pressed together, brows down, upper eyelid tensed and pulled down to glare).
Change the subject quickly. While an innocent person would be confused by the sudden shift in the conversation and may try to return to the previous subject, a liar will be relieved and welcome the change. You may see the person become more relaxed and less defensive.
Watch his or her throat. A person may constantly be either trying to lubricate their throat when he/she lies by swallowing or clearing their throat to relieve the tension built up. A person’s voice can also be a good lie indicator; they may suddenly start talking faster or slower than normal, or their tension may result in a higher-pitched speaking tone. See baseline info
Check the facts. If you have the means, check the validity of what the liar is saying. A skilled liar might give some reason why you shouldn’t talk to the person who could confirm or deny a story. Perhaps the liar will infer that the person is particularly favourable towards the liar, or that the person would have little time for you. These are probably lies themselves, so might be worthwhile overcoming your reluctance and to check with the person you’ve been warned against.
Judge the character. Most people tell the truth most of the time, and will cherish their reputation. Liars will ’sail close to the wind’ – they’ll artificially bolster their reputation so that they seem more credible or desirable than they actually are.
If you overhear a version of an anecdote that seems wrong, listen to those alarm bells – it might be a liar.
If someone takes the time out to ingratiate themselves with you out of the blue, it’s very flattering, but you have to ask, why are they doing that?
If John rubbishes or smears people more than normal, John is possibly putting in the groundwork so the audience are more receptive to John, and less receptive to the people who John has lied to – they’re discredited before they can say ‘John is a liar’.
Note -
Some people are extremely experienced or even professional liars. He or she has told their made up story so many times that they are actually believable, getting all their days, dates and times down perfectly! Sometimes, you may need to simply accept that you can’t catch every lie all the time.
If you do catch a lie, don’t reveal it to the liar; they will just adjust their story. Once you know one thing that is not true, you can use it to find more of the net of lies, and other nets of lies. Then decide which points you reveal and to whom
You have to learn the little facial and body expressions that can help you distinguish a lie from the truth. Here are some steps and tips to do so.
Learn to recognize deflections. Usually when people are lying, they will tell stories that are true but are deliberately aimed at not answering the question you asked. If a person responds to the question “Did you ever hit your wife?” with an answer such as “I love my wife, why would I do that?”, the suspect is technically telling a truth, but they are avoiding answering your original question, which usually means they’re lying.
Mind exaggerated details. See if they are telling you too much, like “My mom is living in France, isn’t it nice there? Don’t you like the Eiffel tower? It’s so clean there.” Too many details may tip you off to their desperation to get you to believe them.
We have illustrators, and manipulators. Illustrators are a sign of telling the truth, this is when you are using your hand gestures to talk. moving your hands while you are talking is a sign of telling the truth. We also have manipulators. These, are the opposite of illustrators. An example of a manipulator can be playing with your wrist-watch, your jewelry, pulling on your ear lobe, etc. People who behave this way tend to be hiding something. The last, commonly unknown sign of hiding something is reptile tissue, most people have a reptile tissue in their nose, and it itches when you’re hiding something. But, before you assume that the person is hiding something, please establish a base line.
Base Line: A base line is what someone acts like when they are not lying. You have to get a base line before you proceed with anything. Imagine you have a itch on your nose ever since you got out of bed. And someone thinks you are hiding something because you scratch your nose when answering a question…oops. What the person should have done is establish a baseline. To establish a baseline, you need to see the person when they aren’t lying. Try asking what their name is, and what they do for a living.
Look out for micro-expressions. Micro-expressions are split second facial expressions that flash on a person’s face for a less than a 25th of a second and reveal the person’s true emotion underneath their facade. Some people may be naturally sensitive to them, but almost anybody can easily train to be able to detect microexpressions. Put focus to the upper and lower eyelids, the corner of the eyes, the mouth and the muscles surrounding the mouth, the eyebrows and forehead.
Shaking hands… When you meet the person who you think is deceiving you, shake their hand. Take note of the temperature. When you are sure they are lying to you, pretend to be leaving and quickly grab their hand for a “Good-Bye” Handshake. If the temperature is colder, they are fearful.
Notice the person’s eye movements. Contrary to popular belief, a liar does not always avoid eye contact. Humans naturally break eye contact and look at non-moving objects to help them focus and remember. Liars may deliberately make eye contact to seem more sincere. You can usually tell if a person is remembering something or making something up based on their eye’s movements. When someone is remembering details, their eyes move to the right (your right). When someone is making something up, their eyes move to the left. It’s usually reversed for lefties. (although not always true.)
Be aware of their emotional responses
Timing and duration tends to be off when someone is lying. If you ask someone a question and they respond directly after the question, there is a chance that the person is lying. This can be because they have rehearsed the answer, or they’re already thinking about the answer just to get it over with and move forward. A delayed answer can be a sign of lying. To tell the truth takes 2 parts of your brain at most, however to lie takes 6 parts of your brain. If the person has a long story then you can ask them to tell it backwards. Liars have trouble telling stories backwards, because in their mind they have rehearsed it forwards, but not backwards. And, as with smiling, facial expressions of a poor liar will be limited to the mouth area.
Pay close attention to the person’s reaction to your questions. A liar will often feel uncomfortable and turn their head or body away, or even subconsciously put an object between the two of you. Also, while an innocent person would go on the offensive (usually responding with anger, which will usually be revealed in a microexpression directly after you say you don’t believe them), a guilty person will often go immediately on the defensive (usually by saying something to reassure their facts, such as deflections).
Listen for a subtle delay in responses to questions. An honest answer comes quickly from memory. Lies require a quick mental review of what they have told others to avoid inconsistency and to make up new details as needed. However, when people look up to remember things, it does not necessarily mean that they are lying.
Be conscious of their usage of words. Verbal expression can give many clues as to whether a person is lying, such as:
Using/repeating your own exact words when answering a question
Not using contractions
Avoiding direct statements or answers (deflections)
Speaking excessively in an effort to convince
Speaking in a monotonous tone
Speaking in muddled sentences
Vocal pitch rising
Using classic qualifiers such as “I’m only going to say this once…”
Using humor and sarcasm to avoid the subject
Using Deflections (beating around the bush, not answering the question.)
Allow silence to enter the conversation.
If they’re lying, they will become uncomfortable if you stare at them for a while with a look of disbelief. If they’re telling the truth, they will usually become angry or just frustrated (lips pressed together, brows down, upper eyelid tensed and pulled down to glare).
Change the subject quickly. While an innocent person would be confused by the sudden shift in the conversation and may try to return to the previous subject, a liar will be relieved and welcome the change. You may see the person become more relaxed and less defensive.
Watch his or her throat. A person may constantly be either trying to lubricate their throat when he/she lies by swallowing or clearing their throat to relieve the tension built up. A person’s voice can also be a good lie indicator; they may suddenly start talking faster or slower than normal, or their tension may result in a higher-pitched speaking tone. See baseline info
Check the facts. If you have the means, check the validity of what the liar is saying. A skilled liar might give some reason why you shouldn’t talk to the person who could confirm or deny a story. Perhaps the liar will infer that the person is particularly favourable towards the liar, or that the person would have little time for you. These are probably lies themselves, so might be worthwhile overcoming your reluctance and to check with the person you’ve been warned against.
Judge the character. Most people tell the truth most of the time, and will cherish their reputation. Liars will ’sail close to the wind’ – they’ll artificially bolster their reputation so that they seem more credible or desirable than they actually are.
If you overhear a version of an anecdote that seems wrong, listen to those alarm bells – it might be a liar.
If someone takes the time out to ingratiate themselves with you out of the blue, it’s very flattering, but you have to ask, why are they doing that?
If John rubbishes or smears people more than normal, John is possibly putting in the groundwork so the audience are more receptive to John, and less receptive to the people who John has lied to – they’re discredited before they can say ‘John is a liar’.
Note -
Some people are extremely experienced or even professional liars. He or she has told their made up story so many times that they are actually believable, getting all their days, dates and times down perfectly! Sometimes, you may need to simply accept that you can’t catch every lie all the time.
If you do catch a lie, don’t reveal it to the liar; they will just adjust their story. Once you know one thing that is not true, you can use it to find more of the net of lies, and other nets of lies. Then decide which points you reveal and to whom
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Epsom salt
EPSOM salts, or properly known as magnesium sulfate, derives its name
from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England.
In Epsom, the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the
porous chalk of the North Downs meets non-porous London clay.
As such, the salts are made up of a naturally occurring mineral found in water.
The inexpensive and versatile salts used for a number of different
applications around the home are easily obtained at any pharmacy or
supermarket.
Many of the applications have to do with expediting healing, as well
as improving the quality of the skin and helping with basic grooming.
Epsom salt has been traditionally used as bath salts and is used as a
means of relieving stress at the end of a stressful day.
Two cups of Epsom salts in a tub of hot water can help to soothe tired
nerves and restore a sense of well being.
In modern times, the salts, which look like fine clear crystals with a
bitter taste, are diluted in water and consumed in liver detox
programmes.
Source: wikipedia.org, www.wisegeek.com
from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England.
In Epsom, the salt was distilled from the springs that arise where the
porous chalk of the North Downs meets non-porous London clay.
As such, the salts are made up of a naturally occurring mineral found in water.
The inexpensive and versatile salts used for a number of different
applications around the home are easily obtained at any pharmacy or
supermarket.
Many of the applications have to do with expediting healing, as well
as improving the quality of the skin and helping with basic grooming.
Epsom salt has been traditionally used as bath salts and is used as a
means of relieving stress at the end of a stressful day.
Two cups of Epsom salts in a tub of hot water can help to soothe tired
nerves and restore a sense of well being.
In modern times, the salts, which look like fine clear crystals with a
bitter taste, are diluted in water and consumed in liver detox
programmes.
Source: wikipedia.org, www.wisegeek.com
Exercise Triggers Stem Cells In Muscle
University of Illinois researchers determined that an adult stem cell present in muscle is responsive to exercise, a discovery that may provide a link between exercise and muscle health. The findings could lead to new therapeutic techniques using these cells to rehabilitate injured muscle and prevent or restore muscle loss with age.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in skeletal muscle have been known to be important for muscle repair in response to non-physiological injury, predominantly in response to chemical injections that significantly damage muscle tissue and induce inflammation. The researchers, led by kinesiology and community health professor Marni Boppart, investigated whether MSCs also responded to strain during exercise, and if so, how.
Mesenchymal stem cells (green) accumulate in skeletal muscle following exercise and release growth factors to spur regeneration. (Credit: Photo by Marni Boppart)
“Since exercise can induce some injury as part of the remodeling process following mechanical strain, we wondered if MSC accumulation was a natural response to exercise and whether these cells contributed to the beneficial regeneration and growth process that occurs post-exercise,” said Boppart, who also is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.
The researchers found that MSCs in muscle are very responsive to mechanical strain. They witnessed MSC accumulation in muscle of mice after vigorous exercise. Then, they determined that although MSCs don’t directly contribute to building new muscle fibers, they release growth factors that spur other cells in muscle to fuse and generate new muscle, providing the cellular basis for enhanced muscle health following exercise.
A key element to the Illinois team’s method was in exercising the mice before isolating the cells to trigger secretion of beneficial growth factors. Then, they dyed the cells with a fluorescent marker and injected them into other mice to see how MSCs coordinated with other muscle-building cells.
In addition to examining the cells in vivo, the researchers studied the cells’ response to strain on different substrates. They found that MSC response is very sensitive to the mechanical environment, indicating that conditions of muscle strain affect the cells’ activity.
“These findings are important because we’ve identified an adult stem cell in muscle that may provide the basis for muscle health with exercise and enhanced muscle healing with rehabilitation/movement therapy,” Boppart said. “The fact that MSCs in muscle have the potential to release high concentrations of growth factor into the circulatory system during exercise also makes us wonder if they provide a critical link between enhanced whole-body health and participation in routine physical activity.”
Next, the group hopes to determine whether these cells contribute to the decline in muscle mass over a person’s lifetime. Preliminary data suggest MSCs become deficient in muscle with age. The team hopes to develop a combinatorial therapy that utilizes molecular and stem-cell-based strategies to prevent age-related muscle loss.
“Although exercise is the best strategy for preserving muscle as we age, some individuals are just not able to effectively engage in physical activity,” Boppart said. “Disabilities can limit opportunities for muscle growth. We’re working hard to understand how we can best utilize these cells effectively to preserve muscle mass in the face of atrophy.”
The team published its findings in the journal PLoS One. The Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute, the Ellison Medical Foundation and the Mary Jane Neer Foundation supported this work.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in skeletal muscle have been known to be important for muscle repair in response to non-physiological injury, predominantly in response to chemical injections that significantly damage muscle tissue and induce inflammation. The researchers, led by kinesiology and community health professor Marni Boppart, investigated whether MSCs also responded to strain during exercise, and if so, how.
Mesenchymal stem cells (green) accumulate in skeletal muscle following exercise and release growth factors to spur regeneration. (Credit: Photo by Marni Boppart)
“Since exercise can induce some injury as part of the remodeling process following mechanical strain, we wondered if MSC accumulation was a natural response to exercise and whether these cells contributed to the beneficial regeneration and growth process that occurs post-exercise,” said Boppart, who also is affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the U. of I.
The researchers found that MSCs in muscle are very responsive to mechanical strain. They witnessed MSC accumulation in muscle of mice after vigorous exercise. Then, they determined that although MSCs don’t directly contribute to building new muscle fibers, they release growth factors that spur other cells in muscle to fuse and generate new muscle, providing the cellular basis for enhanced muscle health following exercise.
A key element to the Illinois team’s method was in exercising the mice before isolating the cells to trigger secretion of beneficial growth factors. Then, they dyed the cells with a fluorescent marker and injected them into other mice to see how MSCs coordinated with other muscle-building cells.
In addition to examining the cells in vivo, the researchers studied the cells’ response to strain on different substrates. They found that MSC response is very sensitive to the mechanical environment, indicating that conditions of muscle strain affect the cells’ activity.
“These findings are important because we’ve identified an adult stem cell in muscle that may provide the basis for muscle health with exercise and enhanced muscle healing with rehabilitation/movement therapy,” Boppart said. “The fact that MSCs in muscle have the potential to release high concentrations of growth factor into the circulatory system during exercise also makes us wonder if they provide a critical link between enhanced whole-body health and participation in routine physical activity.”
Next, the group hopes to determine whether these cells contribute to the decline in muscle mass over a person’s lifetime. Preliminary data suggest MSCs become deficient in muscle with age. The team hopes to develop a combinatorial therapy that utilizes molecular and stem-cell-based strategies to prevent age-related muscle loss.
“Although exercise is the best strategy for preserving muscle as we age, some individuals are just not able to effectively engage in physical activity,” Boppart said. “Disabilities can limit opportunities for muscle growth. We’re working hard to understand how we can best utilize these cells effectively to preserve muscle mass in the face of atrophy.”
The team published its findings in the journal PLoS One. The Illinois Regenerative Medicine Institute, the Ellison Medical Foundation and the Mary Jane Neer Foundation supported this work.
New Zealand scientists discover how infection triggers blood stem cell growth
Research at The University of Auckland has shed light on an area of medicine which has intrigued the international scientific community for decades.
Scientists at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences have identified a molecular mechanism which links infection to an increase in rare blood stem cells in an animal.
Their paper was published today in the prestigious Boston-based journal Cell Stem Cell. This high impact journal publishes novel results of unusual significance in the field of stem cell research.
The findings show blood stem and progenitor cells can directly react to inflammatory stress by proliferating and differentiating into the required mature blood cells.
The discovery opens up a field of study into stem cells and how the blood system is “fine-tuned” in response to stressors. This new understanding of exactly how microbes signal to the stem cells has important implications for the treatment of infections and many diseases that have an inflammatory component, including cancer.
“The longer term impact could be significant in terms of how stem cell growth and development can be manipulated therapeutically. There is an international effort aimed at identifying molecules that can be used to boost blood stem cell numbers,” says Professor Phil Crosier from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology.
“People have, for a long time, speculated that there must be some connection between infection and blood stem cell function, yet how the infection communicates to stem cells has been poorly understood. We have identified a novel unexpected mechanism that functions as an important link between infection and stem cell behaviour.”
Lead researcher on the two-year study which was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Dr Chris Hall, explains that the connection came about through a serendipitous observation: “It was just by chance that during an infection within a zebrafish embryo, we saw that the stem cells had increased. We wanted to understand the mechanism by which this occurred. By exploiting these two areas of research we have used infection as a window to gain unique insights into stem cell behaviour.”
The next step in the research process will be to validate the findings in mammals before scientists begin developing drugs which are able to mimic the signal pathways that take place between the infection microbes and the stem cells.
Scientists at the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences have identified a molecular mechanism which links infection to an increase in rare blood stem cells in an animal.
Their paper was published today in the prestigious Boston-based journal Cell Stem Cell. This high impact journal publishes novel results of unusual significance in the field of stem cell research.
The findings show blood stem and progenitor cells can directly react to inflammatory stress by proliferating and differentiating into the required mature blood cells.
The discovery opens up a field of study into stem cells and how the blood system is “fine-tuned” in response to stressors. This new understanding of exactly how microbes signal to the stem cells has important implications for the treatment of infections and many diseases that have an inflammatory component, including cancer.
“The longer term impact could be significant in terms of how stem cell growth and development can be manipulated therapeutically. There is an international effort aimed at identifying molecules that can be used to boost blood stem cell numbers,” says Professor Phil Crosier from the Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology.
“People have, for a long time, speculated that there must be some connection between infection and blood stem cell function, yet how the infection communicates to stem cells has been poorly understood. We have identified a novel unexpected mechanism that functions as an important link between infection and stem cell behaviour.”
Lead researcher on the two-year study which was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, Dr Chris Hall, explains that the connection came about through a serendipitous observation: “It was just by chance that during an infection within a zebrafish embryo, we saw that the stem cells had increased. We wanted to understand the mechanism by which this occurred. By exploiting these two areas of research we have used infection as a window to gain unique insights into stem cell behaviour.”
The next step in the research process will be to validate the findings in mammals before scientists begin developing drugs which are able to mimic the signal pathways that take place between the infection microbes and the stem cells.
Stress Management - Excellent *
A young lady confidently walked around the room while reading and explaining stress management to an audience; with a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, 'half empty or half full?'..... She fooled them all..., "How heavy is this glass of water?" - she inquired with a smile.
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.
So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later, after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"
REMEMBER, STRESS IS SOMETHING THAT
WE DO TO OURSELVES !!
1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon,
and some days you're the statue!
2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..
5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague
6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it..
7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8 * Never buy a car you can't push.
9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.
11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.
13 * When everything's coming your way,
you're in the wrong lane.
14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more
you have, the longer you live.
15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
17 * We could learn a lot from crayons.
Some are sharp, some are pretty and
some are dull. Some have weird
names and all are different colors,
but they all have to live in the same box.
18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
19 * Have an awesome day and know that
someone thought about you today.
20 * It was me, your friend!
*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate !*
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
She continued, "and that's the way it is with stress. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on."
"As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden - holding stress longer and better each time practiced.
So, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night... pick them up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment. Relax, pick them up later, after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it and the now 'supposed' stress that you've conquered!"
REMEMBER, STRESS IS SOMETHING THAT
WE DO TO OURSELVES !!
1 * Accept the fact that some days you're the pigeon,
and some days you're the statue!
2 * Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3 * Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
4 * Drive carefully... It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..
5 * If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague
6 * If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it..
7 * It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
8 * Never buy a car you can't push.
9 * Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10 * Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.
11 * Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
12 * The second mouse gets the cheese.
13 * When everything's coming your way,
you're in the wrong lane.
14 * Birthdays are good for you. The more
you have, the longer you live.
15 * You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
16 * Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
17 * We could learn a lot from crayons.
Some are sharp, some are pretty and
some are dull. Some have weird
names and all are different colors,
but they all have to live in the same box.
18 * A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
19 * Have an awesome day and know that
someone thought about you today.
20 * It was me, your friend!
*Save the earth..... It's the only planet with chocolate !*
Choosing a bride
A Mother was very concerned that her middle-aged son has not shown the
slightest indication of getting married. So one day she called him over
to her house.
The Son came home from work, grudgingly. Upon arriving, he found that his
mother had gathered a few beautiful ladies at the house for him to choose
as his future bride.
The FIRST one was a well-endowed Telephonist-cum-Receptionist. He
immediately commented: 'Aiyaa..... Mother, they always say..... PLEASE
HOLD ON, HOLD ON.........DD.'
The SECOND nominee was a leggy secretary. She was also rejected. Reason
being: 'Aiyaa.... Mother, this one aaa..., Secretary always fond of saying
'Please SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN......DD.'
By this time, the mother is nearing frustration. She called a sweet but
plain-looking Teacher. The Son suddenly agreed!!
The Mother was surprised and asked: 'Why this one? I thought the earlier
two were a lot better.
He replied: 'Teacher aaa..... Teacher very good, very patient, always say:
PLEASE REPEATED IT AGAIN, I want it done 10 times....
slightest indication of getting married. So one day she called him over
to her house.
The Son came home from work, grudgingly. Upon arriving, he found that his
mother had gathered a few beautiful ladies at the house for him to choose
as his future bride.
The FIRST one was a well-endowed Telephonist-cum-Receptionist. He
immediately commented: 'Aiyaa..... Mother, they always say..... PLEASE
HOLD ON, HOLD ON.........DD.'
The SECOND nominee was a leggy secretary. She was also rejected. Reason
being: 'Aiyaa.... Mother, this one aaa..., Secretary always fond of saying
'Please SLOW DOWN, SLOW DOWN......DD.'
By this time, the mother is nearing frustration. She called a sweet but
plain-looking Teacher. The Son suddenly agreed!!
The Mother was surprised and asked: 'Why this one? I thought the earlier
two were a lot better.
He replied: 'Teacher aaa..... Teacher very good, very patient, always say:
PLEASE REPEATED IT AGAIN, I want it done 10 times....
Friday, February 10, 2012
Yin Of Chengdu And Yang Of Kunming Chinese Feng Shui
When I arrived in Kunming, which is located in the Yunnan province of China, a curious thing happened; the city was Yang.
Now, why would anyone say that? Sure die in the woods, Feng Shui addicts like myself unfortunately view landscapes as expressions of Yin and Yang or a combination of both and their exhibition of Qi (Chi energy) in a Sheng (auspicious) or Sha (inauspicious) form. And as such, attaching myself to them as a place to be in or prefer not to be. Why can`t I just look at a landscape and learn to enjoy it for what it offers?
To someone like me, Kunming is missing out on the Qi auspicious stakes. I think so because I had been influenced by first impressions, waking up (after sleeping in a hard sleeper compartment) on a 20 hour train ride from Chengdu to Kunming. The 800 or so Kilometre journey partly taken up looking out of the train window, enthralled by the incredible productive and picturesque landscapes scattered along and drawing themselves away within misty hills into secluded valleys. Basically doing so until we left those fertile slopes and valleys and wound our way into torturous mountains, where slopes increased and the impact from the Chinese peasant and farmer becoming nonexistent. Soils barren, infertile and clinging to steep slopes resisting any intrusions by the Chinese to touch them in any way.
These were hostile places for mankind, yet beautiful in their natural grandeur and finally disappearing as the sun set and the train journeying into the night. As a bypass, China`s rail system is very proficient. Dual concrete sleeper tracks, some electrification present, rail tunneling through and around mountains, transcending ravines on suspended bridges, quiet and running on time. Hey, I`m jealous, why can`t we have something of China`s rail systems?
Coming back to Kunming and its Yang landscapes and the train passing through different countryside to that of Chengdu. Hills bare of vegetation, soils clayish grey and stony, stone outcroppings, rivers and streams dry and no rice to be seen. Kunming is in drought, waiting for summer rains, dusty, hot and dry in nature as all places become when relying on rainfall and the flush of new life in the natural landscapes.
These are Yang characteristics, yet I noticed the good people of Kunming were exhibiting something of the landscape`s nature. Kunming`s people, appeared (to a casual observer) to be not as friendly when compared to the Chengdu Chinese. They seemed more purposeful, direct and wanting to quell nature rather than transpose themselves within it. Kunming is a bustling city, but unblessed on our visit by the greenery and bounty of places such as Chengdu, which is more harmonised by naturalness and bountiful beauty.
It`s not to say don`t go down to Kunming. I`m sure the rains will come soon and green up the parched earth, fill the paddies for rice to become established and soften the air so Kunming`s people can breathe in vital Qi and restore harmony into their lives. As an aside, Kunming`s streets and boulevards are becoming lined with trees of the instant kind, so the day will arise when Kunming`s image of Yang will abate. Besides, Kunming`s food is delicious and so is their provincial tea.
Now, why would anyone say that? Sure die in the woods, Feng Shui addicts like myself unfortunately view landscapes as expressions of Yin and Yang or a combination of both and their exhibition of Qi (Chi energy) in a Sheng (auspicious) or Sha (inauspicious) form. And as such, attaching myself to them as a place to be in or prefer not to be. Why can`t I just look at a landscape and learn to enjoy it for what it offers?
To someone like me, Kunming is missing out on the Qi auspicious stakes. I think so because I had been influenced by first impressions, waking up (after sleeping in a hard sleeper compartment) on a 20 hour train ride from Chengdu to Kunming. The 800 or so Kilometre journey partly taken up looking out of the train window, enthralled by the incredible productive and picturesque landscapes scattered along and drawing themselves away within misty hills into secluded valleys. Basically doing so until we left those fertile slopes and valleys and wound our way into torturous mountains, where slopes increased and the impact from the Chinese peasant and farmer becoming nonexistent. Soils barren, infertile and clinging to steep slopes resisting any intrusions by the Chinese to touch them in any way.
These were hostile places for mankind, yet beautiful in their natural grandeur and finally disappearing as the sun set and the train journeying into the night. As a bypass, China`s rail system is very proficient. Dual concrete sleeper tracks, some electrification present, rail tunneling through and around mountains, transcending ravines on suspended bridges, quiet and running on time. Hey, I`m jealous, why can`t we have something of China`s rail systems?
Coming back to Kunming and its Yang landscapes and the train passing through different countryside to that of Chengdu. Hills bare of vegetation, soils clayish grey and stony, stone outcroppings, rivers and streams dry and no rice to be seen. Kunming is in drought, waiting for summer rains, dusty, hot and dry in nature as all places become when relying on rainfall and the flush of new life in the natural landscapes.
These are Yang characteristics, yet I noticed the good people of Kunming were exhibiting something of the landscape`s nature. Kunming`s people, appeared (to a casual observer) to be not as friendly when compared to the Chengdu Chinese. They seemed more purposeful, direct and wanting to quell nature rather than transpose themselves within it. Kunming is a bustling city, but unblessed on our visit by the greenery and bounty of places such as Chengdu, which is more harmonised by naturalness and bountiful beauty.
It`s not to say don`t go down to Kunming. I`m sure the rains will come soon and green up the parched earth, fill the paddies for rice to become established and soften the air so Kunming`s people can breathe in vital Qi and restore harmony into their lives. As an aside, Kunming`s streets and boulevards are becoming lined with trees of the instant kind, so the day will arise when Kunming`s image of Yang will abate. Besides, Kunming`s food is delicious and so is their provincial tea.
Monday, February 06, 2012
My Dragon Year Celebration
On the eve of Chinese New year, we had a wonderful reunion dinner with family. My 2 brothers were around this time and my parents even invited my father's friend who is from the same church to enjoy the dinner with us. My mum is a good cook. She cooked many delicious food such as soup, noodle, fried chicken and so on. We ate a lot. I ate till I'd stomachache and I went to the toilet twice. Haha. What a funny girl. Around 12.00 am, many people played fire crackers. actually I dislike the noise of fire crackers. It is a disturbance. The first day of c n y was raining very heavily. We had church service in the morning and I went to church with my whole family. After that, we went to pastor's house and my 2 friends' houses for visiting. After that, we went home waiting for visitors to come but no one would come on the first day. On the second day, We went to 5 houses. There were also many ppl coming to my house on that day. I went to my friend's house. On the fourth day, My brother's girlfriend invited my family to her open house. I ate curry and rendang. It was very nice. On the sixth day, the residents of blind centre were invited to a friend's coffee shop for lunch. She is indeed a kind person. She treated us well and even gave us Rm5. May God bless her richly. This time, c n y was quite fun except some unlucky experiences took place on the second till fifth day. I dislike to hear ppl quarreling. I also collected lots of ang pau during c n y. My father gave me rm1000 and my mum gave me rm500. My eldest brother gave me rm50 and my second brother gave me ad (australian dollar)50. Apart from that, I also collected some ang paus from the blind centre. Total will be rm95 from the centre. some kind ppl had donated them. My aunties and uncles also gave me. I'm going to keep my money in the bank... Today is the last day of c ny and also known as Cap Goh Mei.. There were around 8 ppl taking dinner in my family. We all ate happily. My aunty and cousin came and my father's friend came too. Hope the year of the dragon will bring peace and prosperity to my family and all.
God bless.
God bless.
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Entrepreneurs bring Internet coding skills to everyday users
CODING MADE EASY: The Codecademy site. Codecademy, which offers free
courses to anyone who is interested in learning web coding, has
managed to sign up hundreds of thousands of users since launching in
August. CHICAGO: Not too long ago, web coding was the rarified realm
of computer geeks, but a new crop of entrepreneurs is making this
valuable computer skill available to just about anyone with an
inclination to learn.
In New York, a nascent startup called Codecademy, the brainchild of
two former Columbia University students, has managed to sign up
hundreds of thousands of users since launching in August. Celebrity
participants such as New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg have helped create
buzz.
"Coding is the new literacy," said co-founder Zach Sims.
"As the world moves toward becoming increasingly complicated, it's
important to know what you're doing."
Codecademy's self-guided courses, with names like "Hello New York,"
and "FizzBuzz," are free. An introductory segment to JavaScript, a
language often used to build websites, took about five minutes and was
admittedly addictive.
Sims, who at 21 has already worked for prominent startups including
the former filesharing service Drop.io and group messaging site
groupme -now part of Skype - took a leave of absence from Columbia so
that he and partner Ryan Bubinski could dedicate their time fully to
the effort. The project was born in part from Sims' frustration when
learning to code.
"I was reading books and taking classes and watching video," he
recalled. "I was always dissatisfied.
Codecademy had more than 500,000 users through early November, the
last time figures were disclosed. Its latest initiative, dubbed Code
Year, challenges would-be users to make coding a New Year's
resolution; the campaign pulled in close to 300,000 adherents in just
eight days time, Sims said.
In October, Codecademy announced US$2.5mil (RM7.5mil) in startup
funding from a group of high-profile investors. Among them was Union
Square Ventures, a VC firm that has backed powerhouses such as Twitter
and Zynga.
"On a really fundamental level their vision is teaching the world how
to program for free," said Andy Weissman, a Union Square partner.
"That's a really big vision; it's a vision that's really right for the
time that we're in now. It's an important skill for people to learn."
Sims declined to provide specifics on the business model, but said
once the site builds scale, it should be able to attract a range of
business partners. Weissman said the creation of a large network of
engaged users could generate interest among corporate recruiters and
as well as those looking to find jobs.
To be sure, skilled IT professional are hard to find. According to a
May 2011 survey from ManpowerGroup, the employment services agency, IT
staff and engineers were among the top ten most difficult US jobs to
fill.
Even those who don't plan on becoming professional coders are finding
the skills beneficial, whether they run their own businesses, work in
large companies or use them in everyday life.
One is David Whittemore, the co-founder of Clothes Horse, an emerging
startup that offers advise about clothing fit and sizing to consumers
who purchase apparel online. He has been taking Codecademy courses,
but has no plans to become a web engineer.
"I actually think almost everybody should learn to code," said
Whittemore, adding that his new knowledge has eased the burden on his
company's chief technology officer.
"The more I can get involved and help him out, the better it is for
our business - being able to put a prototype together for him, get
access on the data on how a product is performing so I don't have to
ask him," he said.
"How much will it save us? Basically hiring a consultant or contractor
or having to hire another team member."
Therein lies the rub. At a time when more and more new ventures are
deploying so-called "lean" startup practices, the more skills and
services they can perform in house will help to keep their costs down.
Other entrepreneurs have recognised this need. In Chicago, Mike McGee
and Neal Sales-Griffin, a team of recently minted Northwestern
University graduates, are tapping demand for coding skills with a
different kind of training model under a similar name: Code Academy.
Theirs charges students US$6,000 (RM18,000) a pop for a 10-week course
at an actual school.
The two began working on the idea in April, eventually quitting their
jobs and jumping in headlong.
Demand for initial classes beginning in October quickly outstripped
supply. There were 88 applicants for just 12 spots, all willing to
plunk down tuition before Code Academy had even secured actual office
space.
So the founders upped class size to 35, and lucked out leasing space
inside of the headquarters of Groupon, the online couponing site.
"We didn't have to take in any investment," said McGee, who at 23 is
younger than many of his students. "We went from having no money to
being profitable by the first week of September."
The programme recently began its second series in the city's John
Hancock building with 57 students, including some who are taking
instruction in website design.
"It's just exploding," said McGee, whose business is already
profitable. "We have people that are 21 and people that are 52 - from
all over the world. It's just a big mixing pot." - Reuters
courses to anyone who is interested in learning web coding, has
managed to sign up hundreds of thousands of users since launching in
August. CHICAGO: Not too long ago, web coding was the rarified realm
of computer geeks, but a new crop of entrepreneurs is making this
valuable computer skill available to just about anyone with an
inclination to learn.
In New York, a nascent startup called Codecademy, the brainchild of
two former Columbia University students, has managed to sign up
hundreds of thousands of users since launching in August. Celebrity
participants such as New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg have helped create
buzz.
"Coding is the new literacy," said co-founder Zach Sims.
"As the world moves toward becoming increasingly complicated, it's
important to know what you're doing."
Codecademy's self-guided courses, with names like "Hello New York,"
and "FizzBuzz," are free. An introductory segment to JavaScript, a
language often used to build websites, took about five minutes and was
admittedly addictive.
Sims, who at 21 has already worked for prominent startups including
the former filesharing service Drop.io and group messaging site
groupme -now part of Skype - took a leave of absence from Columbia so
that he and partner Ryan Bubinski could dedicate their time fully to
the effort. The project was born in part from Sims' frustration when
learning to code.
"I was reading books and taking classes and watching video," he
recalled. "I was always dissatisfied.
Codecademy had more than 500,000 users through early November, the
last time figures were disclosed. Its latest initiative, dubbed Code
Year, challenges would-be users to make coding a New Year's
resolution; the campaign pulled in close to 300,000 adherents in just
eight days time, Sims said.
In October, Codecademy announced US$2.5mil (RM7.5mil) in startup
funding from a group of high-profile investors. Among them was Union
Square Ventures, a VC firm that has backed powerhouses such as Twitter
and Zynga.
"On a really fundamental level their vision is teaching the world how
to program for free," said Andy Weissman, a Union Square partner.
"That's a really big vision; it's a vision that's really right for the
time that we're in now. It's an important skill for people to learn."
Sims declined to provide specifics on the business model, but said
once the site builds scale, it should be able to attract a range of
business partners. Weissman said the creation of a large network of
engaged users could generate interest among corporate recruiters and
as well as those looking to find jobs.
To be sure, skilled IT professional are hard to find. According to a
May 2011 survey from ManpowerGroup, the employment services agency, IT
staff and engineers were among the top ten most difficult US jobs to
fill.
Even those who don't plan on becoming professional coders are finding
the skills beneficial, whether they run their own businesses, work in
large companies or use them in everyday life.
One is David Whittemore, the co-founder of Clothes Horse, an emerging
startup that offers advise about clothing fit and sizing to consumers
who purchase apparel online. He has been taking Codecademy courses,
but has no plans to become a web engineer.
"I actually think almost everybody should learn to code," said
Whittemore, adding that his new knowledge has eased the burden on his
company's chief technology officer.
"The more I can get involved and help him out, the better it is for
our business - being able to put a prototype together for him, get
access on the data on how a product is performing so I don't have to
ask him," he said.
"How much will it save us? Basically hiring a consultant or contractor
or having to hire another team member."
Therein lies the rub. At a time when more and more new ventures are
deploying so-called "lean" startup practices, the more skills and
services they can perform in house will help to keep their costs down.
Other entrepreneurs have recognised this need. In Chicago, Mike McGee
and Neal Sales-Griffin, a team of recently minted Northwestern
University graduates, are tapping demand for coding skills with a
different kind of training model under a similar name: Code Academy.
Theirs charges students US$6,000 (RM18,000) a pop for a 10-week course
at an actual school.
The two began working on the idea in April, eventually quitting their
jobs and jumping in headlong.
Demand for initial classes beginning in October quickly outstripped
supply. There were 88 applicants for just 12 spots, all willing to
plunk down tuition before Code Academy had even secured actual office
space.
So the founders upped class size to 35, and lucked out leasing space
inside of the headquarters of Groupon, the online couponing site.
"We didn't have to take in any investment," said McGee, who at 23 is
younger than many of his students. "We went from having no money to
being profitable by the first week of September."
The programme recently began its second series in the city's John
Hancock building with 57 students, including some who are taking
instruction in website design.
"It's just exploding," said McGee, whose business is already
profitable. "We have people that are 21 and people that are 52 - from
all over the world. It's just a big mixing pot." - Reuters
Lemon water
Lemon ONLY Kills Cancer Cells
Just cut 2-3 thin slices of lemon in a cup/cctainer andadd drinking water
will become "alkaline water0eadrink for the whole day, just by adding
drinking water. Take it as drinking water everyday is good for everybody.
Start to do this for your family drinking jar. Keep your body
ALKALINE.
Just cut 2-3 thin slices of lemon in a cup/cctainer andadd drinking water
will become "alkaline water0eadrink for the whole day, just by adding
drinking water. Take it as drinking water everyday is good for everybody.
Start to do this for your family drinking jar. Keep your body
ALKALINE.
Study: Working too much may increase risk of depression
WASHINGTON: The odds of a major depressive episode are more than
double for those working 11 or more hours a day compared to those
working seven to eight hours a day, according to a report published in
the online journal PLoS ONE.
The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health and University College London, followed about
2,000 middle-aged British civil servants and found a robust
association between overtime work and depression.
This correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for
various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle,
and work-related factors.
There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with
varying results, but the researchers emphasise that it is hard to
compare results across these studies because the cut-off for
"overtime" work has not been standardised.
"Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the
individual and society, it is important to recognise that working
excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major
depression", Virtanen said in a statement. - Bernama
double for those working 11 or more hours a day compared to those
working seven to eight hours a day, according to a report published in
the online journal PLoS ONE.
The authors, led by Marianna Virtanen of the Finnish Institute of
Occupational Health and University College London, followed about
2,000 middle-aged British civil servants and found a robust
association between overtime work and depression.
This correlation was not affected when the analysis was adjusted for
various possible confounders, including socio-demographics, lifestyle,
and work-related factors.
There have been a number of previous studies on the subject, with
varying results, but the researchers emphasise that it is hard to
compare results across these studies because the cut-off for
"overtime" work has not been standardised.
"Although occasionally working overtime may have benefits for the
individual and society, it is important to recognise that working
excessive hours is also associated with an increased risk of major
depression", Virtanen said in a statement. - Bernama
Thursday, February 02, 2012
I Can't Stand My Life
I don't know what's going to happen to me in the future. These 3 days, I've not been feeling well. I tend to lose patience and get angry. These few days, I'd stomachache and I wasn't in a good mood to work. Every time I go to my workplace, I'll look angrily. I've problems again... Firstly, one of my friends who's in the massage class is learning the computer from me. but because she knows most of the things about computer, she says my class is very boring. Since I'm teaching the basic course now, I just concentrate on keyboard help and typing using microsoft word. I just ask the students to memorize the positions of a till z and numbers and so on. I introduce to them what's keyboard for few days already till they can understand. However, one of my students who is a female who knows most of the things about computer kept complaining, "Boring! boring! boring! why don't you teach new things? Do you have other alternative?" That makes me angry. Since I kept in my heart for too long, I told her, "What suggestions do you have for my teaching?" and She said, "How do I know? You are the teacher." And, I was angry again by saying, "Others never complain my lesson is boring. You are the only one complaining. I can't only think of you. I've to teach all the others who are new to computer." I answered her angrily. She scolded or answered me back, "Ruth, I think if you go to KL, you need to change yourself. You are easily quick tempered. Why don't you cool down?" I was really angry by her words as I thought I got angry with reasons. Number 1, she is thinking only of herself. Number 2, she is selfish not giving me the alternative of how I can improve my teaching. I told her, "I'm an untrained teacher and never get experience of teaching before. This is my first time teaching." I don't want to hate my friend but she has wounded and hurt me. Please understand my feeling before you say anything okay... Give me chance to improve as I've been working only for few weeks... I've tried my very best to teach. First method, I teach one by one as everyone is calling on me and wants to ask me questions. Secondly, I'll test all the students at the same time. However, I found that teaching one by one works better than the second one. So, I'm really stress out... Everyday, I worry whether ppl understand my teaching and worry about the teaching plan... Furthermore, this afternoon an Englishman from Scotland was observing me teaching at the same time taking photo of me. I asked the photographer, "Is my strategies of teaching okay?" He said, "You are a great teacher." I was a little nervous. I'm wondering is everything my failure? I just think that if I don't teach well or ppl don't understand what I teach, everything is my fault. Life as a teacher is never easy. I really force myself to teach as I need to be committed to my work. that's why I don't have time to sit down as there is no place and everyone is calling on me and I've to check on them. I'll ask my students, "are you okay?" or "do you understand?" But my female student and another person not related to take this lesson say I never ask. I feel angry of being accused. I'm going to complain to my boss sometime. I'll complain without telling them. I don't care whether they get angry with me. I don't care who is going to read my blog. If you know you have hurt me, it's my freedom to write about what I'm going through on my blog. Hey... Those who are not supposed to come to my lesson, please go out of this class... You are disturbing my lesson... I didn't tell them today instead I just kept to myself. but I'm going to tell my boss. Luckily when I got angry, it was almost the end of the lesson and the photographer went home already. Sometimes, I don't feel like teaching. Maybe I can suggest to my boss whether my female student can be excluded from the basic course since he's mastered the course. I only teach one female student and the rest are males. Another man, about 55 years old, wasn't willing to learn. I understand that older ppl get tired easily. However, when I go to him and ask him something, only then he starts to touch the computer. When I go to other students, he will just sit there and do nothing. I'm very angry... How to control my temper???I worry non stop nowadays. Always worrying the same thing. I even worry about my private problem but I'm not going to write here. Glad that my friend will bring me out tomorrow night. She is a doctor and she will bring me to visit the psychiatrist. Should I tell him my probs? I don't think he has the time but I'll try... another problem I'm facing today. A male student just registered with the centre yesterday seemed to be interested with me. He asked me very strange and personal questions. at first, he took me to the computer room and accompanied me for awhile. He sat next to me and asked me to touch his face... I thought I should learn to say no but I couldn't as I was afraid. He asked me again, "Do you have a boyfriend?" I said, "no". He asked me this question for a few times. I felt insecure. He asked me again, "Do you have a handphone?" I said, "no but I'm going to buy next week." He ask me again, "If you have handphone, can you give me the number as the first person?" I feel strange and something is really not right with him. I asked him, "why?" He kept asking me personal questions and my face turned red. He asked why is your face red? I was afraid to tell him that he does is not right. He asked me whether I felt he's not right. I said, "no" even though in my heart, I felt he's hurt me. When he went off, I cried as I couldn't stand and was confused of what has happened to me. I've lots of experience. how?? Luckily, the photographer who is an Englishman came early when I was alone. I told him of my problem even though I only met him the second time as I really can't stand. He said he can tell my boss but I discourage him to do so as I don't feel like sharing this problem to my boss at the moment. Another problem is I can't find peace at home... Parents are always quarreling... They quarreled very badly again yesterday till I really hate them... Hey... Please don't think of yourself... Please think of others... You only want others to understand you but you never understand me and others.... When you are sick, someone is not scolding you but when you are better, you start to sin again... and, you only pretend to pray in front of me and I really disrespect you... This morning, I don't know what's wrong with me again. Someone asked me," something is not right with you." I answered," something is not right with you instead of me." For those of you who have no idea who I'm talking about, please keep quiet and don't ask me about that... For those of you who know, please do join in prayer with me.. I need to have peace at home and at work.. The Bible says we can gain peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Very often, I'm affected by environment. Everything is not easy. I read about forgiveness in the Christian perspection. It's not easy to apply. Even though my boss says I'm very responsible and committed, I felt I've lack one thing: and the thing is patience and determination to face my daily challenges.. That's why some ppl say they are afraid of polite ppl as they will keep everything to themselves and burn out everything when they really can't stand. I'm this type of person. I don't know what to teach tomorrow. I feel like not teaching. When I'm sick, I still do my work but I just feel insecure and unhappy with things around. I'm worried I'll suffer from depression. I don't want to take medication. but sometimes, I talk to myself. Ppl thought I'm crazy. When I share my probs with someone., they see that my face turns to be sad and I sound sad too. not only my emotional but physical as well.. How come this life is full of pain? How to use my pain as someone' else's gain? I'm responsible since I was a younger teenager. When I was in form 1-3, I really forced myself to study. Every time after meal, I just studied and studied. Until one day when I was in form 4, I realized that I couldn't do that anymore. I couldn't force my body to study non-stop. So when I was in form 6, I got tired easily and each time when I'm tired, I must rest. Now, I realize I feel more tired when working compared to studying. Luckily, this morning my friend brought me out for awhile and I met my friends whom I didn't meet for quite sometime. I need to stop uttering negative words but it can't be done overnight. sometimes, I have high expectation of myself. I expect I can achieve things fast. I've to end here.
Dear readers, please continue to pray for me :family, studies, career and future. Although I was feeling very tired today, I just want to pour my feeling here. Sorry if anything hurts.
May God bless you all richly.
Dear readers, please continue to pray for me :family, studies, career and future. Although I was feeling very tired today, I just want to pour my feeling here. Sorry if anything hurts.
May God bless you all richly.
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