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Hunting Ground

February 22, 2010 by ·

meeting new friends_It is actually healthy for an individual to keep a small list of potential future partners, but it doesn’t mean that you need to be like them. Hence, it means, until you find the one you truly want, don’t focus all of your attention on one person. Having more than one choice is good, because if you set your entire heart to meet new people and it doesn’t work out, you are left with nothing but depression. The only downside is you will have to socialize a lot to make a potential partner list.

As a matter of fact, some say the average person who takes interest in you is one in ten, and some say those numbers are more like one in a hundred. Regardless of what these numbers really are, it’s obvious you have to make a lot of acquaintances. Many people wander if there is an easier way. Well there is, and the easiest way to meet people is with a simple hello, and nothing else. However, this does not work if you are in a place you hardly visit, nor a place with a constant flow of new faces.

Therefore this technique will require you to look for a hunting ground that has a lot of constant familiar people. If you are in college or high school, you already have a prime choice to make new friends. Other places include gymnasiums, sports bars, church, symposiums, and even at the grocery stores and shopping malls. Henceforth, just keep it simple and only meet new people when you feel like you can afford to have more friends.

Filed Under: Art, Humanities, People, Professional Services ·

Environmentalist Promotes Cooking Meals Using Sun

February 22, 2010 by ·

environmentalist promotes cooking meals using sun_For Peter Morehead, cooking a meal does not require the use of natural gas. Sunlight is good enough.

Morehead, who first came to Taiwan in 1990 from Wisconsin as an exchange student, has been teaching Taiwanese how to cook with what he calls a “solar cooker.”

The solar cooker can be as simple as a small paper box covered in aluminum foil. One can put a black pot in the middle of the box and the sunlight’s reflection off the aluminum foil will create enough heat to cook the food in the pot.

“People should make good use of energy,” he told the Central News Agency during a recent interview. “Never waste energy.”

On cloudy days, Morehead uses what he calls his “rocket broiler” instead. Made of iron cans, the broiler relies on the burning of small branches and twigs that can generate high heat in a short time, and the contraption does not release smoke if handled properly.

In addition to providing tips on how to use energy efficiently, Morehead has also been promoting the concept of urban farming.

On Earth Day in 2008, he taught people how to grow corn or pumpkins in the square outside the National Taiwan Museum in Taipei.

Growing edible plants can both beautify the environment and reduce pollution caused by the transportation of food, the environmentalist said.

Morehead, a space-planning expert, believes that vegetable gardens can be set up between city buildings or on rooftops in Taiwan’s densely populated urban areas.

“There must be space that can be used,” he said in Mandarin.

Morehead began raising public awareness on conserving energy in 2000. Five years ago, he and his wife established a studio to educate the public about leading an environmentally friendly life.

They named the studio “Earth Passengers” to convey the idea that Earth is like a spacecraft circling the sun, with humans along for the ride.

“Humans are not the controllers of the Earth. Instead, they should live in harmony with other living creatures,” Morehead said. Taipei Times

Filed Under: Energy, Home Improvement ·

Hearing The Wind Whisper

February 22, 2010 by ·

cochlear implants_According to a study last year in the International Journal of Pediatric, children who were educated with both sign and spoken language had better verbal and manual expression whereas those who learned only spoken language achieved better results in terms of speech intelligibility, auditory reception and grammatical closure. This is most likely because of a hearing loss, a condition that affects over 30 million people across all age groups in the country. And all too often the cost of hearing aids stands in the way of fully living your life and enjoying your lifestyle. Hence, Cochlear Implant is a small complex electronic device that can help to provide a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard-of-hearing.

Nevertheless, though this is a paid post but people of today were really lucky having now the science and technology that once deprived millions of individuals to possibly take part in all aspects of human endeavor. Untreated hearing loss has many detrimental effects on the patient. There have been many studies done that demonstrate the effects of untreated hearing loss. Hearing impaired individuals who do not have Cochlear Implants are significantly more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, paranoia and emotional turmoil compared to similar aged persons who have such.

Moreover, there is consistent improvement across all areas of life, especially when hearing impaired individuals will undergo a Cochlear Implant Surgery. The implant consists of an external portion that sits behind the ear and a second portion that is surgically placed under the skin. In doing so, enjoy having conversations again and be on top of the world, hearing the wind whisper. It is used now in over 80 countries worldwide; their cochlear implant systems bring hearing to thousands of profoundly deaf individuals who gain little or no benefit from hearing aids.

Filed Under: Health & Fitness, Professional Services ·

Research Finds Brain Link For words, Music Ability

February 21, 2010 by ·

research finds brain link for words_Words and music, such natural partners that it seems obvious they go together. Now science is confirming that those abilities are linked in the brain, a finding that might even lead to better stroke treatments.

Studies have found overlap in the brain’s processing of language and instrumental music, and new research suggests that intensive musical therapy may help improve speech in stroke patients, researchers said Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In addition, researchers said, music education can help children with developmental dyslexia or autism more accurately use speech.

People who have suffered a severe stroke on the left side of the brain and cannot speak can sometimes learn to communicate through singing, Gottfried Schlaug, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School told the meeting.

“Music making is a multisensory experience, activating links to several parts of the brain,” Schlaug said.

Schlaug showed a video of one patient who could only make meaningless sounds learning to say “I am thirsty,” by singing the words, and another was able to sing “happy birthday.”

“If you have someone who is nonverbal and they can say there are hungry or thirsty or ask where the bathroom is, that’s an improvement,” Schlaug said of the Melodic Intonation Therapy.

As long as a century ago there were reports of stroke victims who couldn’t talk but who could sing, he said. Now, they are doing trials to see if music can be used as a therapy.

But, he cautioned, the work is geared toward people who have had a severe stroke on the left side of the brain and the therapy can take a long time.

Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University, reported that new studies show that musical training enhances the brain’s ability to do other things.

For example, she said, the trained brain gets better at detecting patterns in sounds, so that musicians are better at picking out the voice of a friend in a noisy restaurant.

“Musical experience improves abilities important in daily life,” she said. “Playing an instrument may help youngsters better process speech in noisy classrooms and more accurately interpret the nuances of language that are conveyed by subtle changes in the human voice,” Kraus said.

When people first learn to talk and when they talk to babies they often use musical patterns in their speech, she noted.

“People’s hearing systems are fine-tuned by the experiences they’ve had with sound throughout their lives. Music training is not only beneficial for processing music stimuli. We’ve found that years of music training may also improve how sounds are processed for language and emotion,” Kraus said in prepared remarks.

Kraus said “the very responses that are enhanced in musicians are deficient in clinical populations such as children with developmental dyslexia and autism.”

New studies of brain waves, she noted, mimic the patterns of sound that the individual hears. Whether speech or instrumental music is heard, it is actually possible to record the brain’s electronic waves and play them back to hear the sound – which she demonstrated with a series of recordings.

Aniruddh D. Patel of The Neurosciences Institute in San Diego said new studies show that music doesn’t involve just hot spots in the brain, but large swaths on both sides of the brain.

“Nouns and verbs are very different from tones and cords and harmony, but the parts of the brain that process them overlap,” he said.

Some scientists, among them Charles Darwin, have speculated that musical ability in humans might have developed before language, Patel said. By Randolph E. Schmid, The News & Observer

Filed Under: Medical Research & Study ·

More Fun & Excitement To Your Getaway

February 20, 2010 by ·

golf course_Every golfer, regardless whether he’s a professional or amateur player, really wants to improve their game. Unless you learn the secrets to an effective and consistent swing, your game will always suffer and you’ll never be as good as you could be. It’s that simple at Golf Packages Myrtle Beach and doing this perhaps you want to cure your slice, add distance to your shots or improve your consistency and accuracy?  Now for you to have a real piece of pie, especially those beginners out there, playing at Myrtle Beach Golf can add more fun and excitement to your getaway.

Nevertheless, their trained golf professionals have been in the business for over a period of years which will guide and help you hit straighter and further than ever before. You will be amazed how you can transform your game by investing just a few hours of your time while having your Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations. What made it more exciting is they offer flexibility in times plus a wide selection of golf specials for you to choose from. And with the area’s leading lodging facilities, car rental agencies, airlines, restaurants and spas allow them to help you complete your golf experience.

Towards this point, and though this is a paid post, but what impresses us much is the fact that they have the system at Myrtle Beach Golf Package that works to keep all your swings consistent, making it advantageous for you in obtaining a correct swing, the secret to lowering your score. It will also teach you the proper grip so you can add distance to every shot, plus it’ll help you with your timing and club face alignment until the ball is flying straight as a laser beam every time you hit. Now wouldn’t it be more exciting?

Filed Under: Destinations, Travel ·

Forgetful? Eat Memory-Boosting Foods

February 20, 2010 by ·

memory boosting foods_Every cell in your body needs a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to stay alive and work properly, including brain cells. Because oxygen and nutrients are carried in the blood stream, anything that impedes blood flow will starve those all-important brain cells. The plain truth is that a healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.

When clients ask me about optimal brain health and memory, the first thing I do is review their blood pressure and cholesterol level. I urge you to do the same: Know your numbers and if they’re elevated, take immediate measures to bring them down (eat healthy, exercise regularly, and when your doctor recommends medication — take it).

Here are some steps you can take to help optimize brain health and sharpen your memory.

* Keep blood pressure and cholesterol in check. A healthy heart makes for a healthy brain.

* Get enough sleep. Research shows that sleep deprivation can interfere with memory.

* Exercise regularly. Regular physical activity has been shown to decrease the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by about half. Half! Aim for 30 minutes a day.

* Challenge your brain. Keep your mind active and challenged.

* Don’t smoke. Just as smoking increases risk of heart disease, it can also decrease blood flow to the brain and cause serious damage.

* Give yourself a break. Seek out ways to de-stress your life.

Any specific memory boosting foods?

Yes. Studies that focus on food and memory suggest that the more overall produce you eat, the better. One 25-year Harvard Medical School study of more than 13,000 women showed that the participants who ate relatively high amounts of vegetables over the years had less age-related decline in memory. Cruciferous vegetables and leafy green vegetables had the biggest effect on helping women retain their memory during the course of the study. In another study, the phytochemicals, anthocyanin and quercetin, actually reversed some of the age-related memory deficits in laboratory animals.

1. Some of the best cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, and bok choy.

2. Some of the best leafy green vegetables: spinach, collard and mustard greens, kale and Swiss chard.

3. Some of the best foods for anthocyanin: Berries (all varieties), cherries, black currents, eggplant, red, black, and purple grapes, plums, rhubarb, red onion, red apples, red/purple cabbage, and red beets.

4. Some of the best foods for quercetin: Onions (red, yellow, white), kale, leeks, cherry tomato, broccoli, blueberries, black currants, elderberries, apricots, apple with skin (Red Delicious), and red, purple, and black grapes.

Folic acid can also help your memory

Folic acid (also known as folate) seems to have a direct effect on memory. A study conducted at Tufts University in Boston followed about 320 men for three years. Those who had high blood levels of homocysteine showed memory decline, but if the men ate foods rich in folic acid (folic acid directly lowers homocysteine levels), their memories were protected. Also, an Australian study found that eating plenty of foods rich in folic acid was associated with faster information processing and memory recall. After just five weeks of introducing adequate folic acid into their diets, women in the study showed overall improvements in memory. Some of the best foods for folic acid include fortified whole-grain breakfast cereals, lentils, black-eyed peas, soybeans, spinach, green peas, artichokes, broccoli, wheat germ, beets and oranges.

Eating fish seems to help too!

A study conducted by researchers at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago followed more than 3,000 men and women for six years to see how diet affected memory. People who ate fish at least once a week had a 10 percent slower decline compared with those who did not eat fish, a difference that gave them the memory and thinking ability of a person three years younger. By Joy Bauer, MNSBC

Filed Under: Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Fitness ·

New & Healthful Habits

February 19, 2010 by ·

passages malibu_One important point to remember especially when dealing with any kind of addiction is that it really may not be your fault. As such, view the videos of Passages Malibu for more information regarding alcoholism and addiction cure. Today, many husbands of gorgeous women admitting the intimacy problem of sex addiction, in the likes of Actor Charlie Sheen which appear on “Maxim’s” top 10 “Living Sex Legends” list having allegedly bedded 5,000 women. Billy Bob Thornton, according to British tabloid the “Daily Star”, actually cheated on his estranged wife Angelina Jolie with his sex therapist. The newspaper claims Angelina ordered Thornton to attend sessions at a clinic after discovering he had cheated on her with a string of groupies and members of their household staff. But rather than use the counseling to cure his sex addiction, the newspaper claims Billy Bob seduced the therapist.

There is a fine line between sexual addiction and philandering, and some say there is no such this as sex addiction. They feel celebrities, fueled with a sense of entitlement that can come with super stardom and its riches, just do what they want. In the case of Tiger Woods, who has not responded to requests for interviews no one knows for certain. And for now, it seems Tiger’s close friends and neighbors are guarding his privacy and supporting him; Tiger’s neighbor Michael Burr went on record with a sentiment about Tiger that is echoed throughout the sports community and Passages Malibu on Twitter: Angry patients at a sex clinic where Tiger Woods is receiving rehab have accused the star of getting VIP treatment. The world’s richest sportsman has spent three weeks at the remote centre in Mississippi in a bid to cure his rampant lust.

In a nutshell, Tiger’ is a phenomenal player and nothing’s really going to change in terms of how he swings a golf club and how he plays the game. And if he’s most comfortable anywhere it’s between the ropes playing golf, so don’t think that’s really going to change. Current research, however, clearly suggests that the propensity to develop addictions resides in our very DNA. Not only that, but specific genes are linked to specific types of addiction. The bad news is that sex, drugs and alcohol formed an unholy trinity of addictions for anybody and resistance to change is just part of human nature. The good news is, at Passages Malibu there are ways to simply and easily create new and healthful habits without pain, suffering and restrictive dieting.

Filed Under: Health & Fitness, Professional Services ·