Most of us will not seek alternative medicine when we get sick. In fact, alternative medicine such as homeopathy is not the first choice of treatment for many of us.
It’s only when we are desperate, and doctors have basically tried all methods, then we look into alternative medicine.
I get to know about homeopathy under this desperate situation.
That was the time when my father was in the late stage of lung cancer. The doctors had essentially gave up on him, and further treatment was to endure that he lived in relatively painless existence till his death.
Out of desperation, we sought alternative medicine, both traditional Chinese medicine and homeopathy. In fact, the homeopathy practitioner was fantastic. My father managed to walk after a few session. It’s just too bad that we sought alternative medicine a bit too late.
By then, the immune system of my father was completely destroyed by all the cancer drugs. An infection killed him.
If only we had sought out homeopathy earlier, my dad would live.
The story of homeopathy
Homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine introduced by a German doctor Dr Samuel Hahnemann in 1796. Dr Samuel Hahnemann was essentially an allopathic doctor who turned away from medicine due to the side effects and temporary relief of symptoms of allopathy.
To make a living, Dr Samuel Hahnemann started to translate the medical books to different languages. While Dr Samuel Hahnemann was translating a medical book, he came across a herbal medicine known as cinchona.
The medical book mentioned that cinchona can cure malaria. However, cinchona can also produce malaria-like-symptoms on healthy persons.
This important sentence clicked Dr Samuel Hahnemann’s brain. Dr Samuel Hahnemann prepared an extract of cinchona bark and used his body as an experiment.
To his surprise, he did develop some symptoms of malaria such as chills and achings. Dr Samuel Hahnemann started to do experiment on different persons. The result proved that cinchona induced symptoms of malaria.
By this experiment, Dr Samuel Hahnemann realized that a drug which can produce a set of symptoms on a healthy person could be used to cure the similar symptoms in a sick person.
He used cinchona to treat malaria patients, and the result was wonderful. That is the story of how homeopathy came about.
What is homeopathy?
The word homoeo means similar, and pathy means suffering.
The fundamental principle of homeopathy is 'similia similibus curantur' which means “like cures like”.
Dr Samuel Hahnemann prepared other drugs from herbs using alcohol as a vehicle. He started to experiment on persons of different age groups.
Dr Samuel Hahnemann kept a detailed record of the symptoms produced in the healthy persons. He experimented with nearly 30 drugs. The symptoms produced were noted down systematically. He recorded the symptoms produced by the drugs and categorized them into a book known as materia medica pura.
Dr Samuel Hahnemann noted that when he diluted the herb in spirit, a dynamic power was developed. This diluted herb was responsible for producing the symptoms of sickness on healthy people.
Dr Samuel Hahnemann started to give treatment to many sick people, using the medicines he prepared.
By applying the principle of “like cures like”, he performed many wonderful cures. Homeopathy started to spread all over the world.
When Dr Samuel Hahnemann noticed that symptoms were returning, he realized that the root cause of the disease must be treated.
After he did some experiments and observations, he realized that diseases were caused by some dynamic forces. Dr Samuel Hahnemann called them the miasms.[psora ,syphilis,sycosis].
He found that in order to cure a person completely, he must eradicated the root cause of the disease using a similarly powerful force.
This idea lead to anti-miasmatic drugs that are drugs having the power to produce disease. He developed anti-miasmatic drugs and used them on patients. His experiment was successful.
Development of homeopathy
The principles of homeopathy was written first in a book.
From the very beginning of homeopathy, many doctors opposed the concept of homeopathy.
Some of them who were against homeopathy came to understand homeopathy better. They even started to practice homeopathy.
Physicians such as Dr J T Kent, Dr Hering, Dr Boenonghausen etc developed the system of homeopathy.
They started to prepare many other drugs based on the preparation method of Dr Samuel Hahnemann.
When they realized that by diluting the herb essence in spirit in a systematic manner, the medicinal power increased even though the quantity of drug decreased.
They found that by increasing the potency, the penetrating power of medicine increased too. This unique nature of homeopathic medicine is the reason for the many wonderful cures of diseases.
General principles of homeopathy
Homeopathy takes a holistic approach to treating the patient. That means homeopathy treats the patient, rather than treating the diseased parts or organs.
The physical, emotional, mental and social aspects of a person is considered in homeopathy.
Homeopathy is based on the system that the diseases are results of the derangement of vital force. This vital force is an invisible power in each of us.
In a healthy person, the vital force maintains the equilibrium of mind, soul and body.
When the vital force is disrupted, there will be an external manifestations in the form of signs and symptoms. The imbalance in the body functions allows the bacteria and viruses to proliferate and produce sickness.
Homeopathy system believes that the real disease comes before the invasion of bacteria and viruses, hence the root cause of the disease must be treated in order to get a permanent cure. The antibacterial and antiviral medicine remove the secondary causes of sickness.
In homeopathy belief, diseases are produced by noxious morbific agents called Miasms. Miasms are dynamic influences that affect the vital force of life. There are three main miasms, namely the Psora, ,syphilis and sycosis.
Psora causes functional disturbances. Syphilis are structural changes in the form of destructions. Sycosis produces changes in the form of overgrowth.
These three miasms can act independently or combined to form different types of diseases.
Preparation of medicine in homeopathy
In homeopathy, medicines are prepared from different sources such as minerals, animals, plants, toxins, diseased parts etc.
Medicines are prepared from these substances using a special process known as potentization. The soluble substances are potentized by diluting (mixing with alcohol with a downward stroke) with spirit. The insoluble substances by grinding(trituration) with sugar of milk.
The crude drug substance is first mixed with a measured quantity of spirit and water. The mixture is kept for a few days .
From this mixture, extract is taken and is called mother tincture. From this mother tincture, dilutions are prepared by potentization.
Potentization is essentially a systematical process in which the quantity of original drug substance decreases but the medicinal power increases.
Depending on the ratio of quantity of drug substance and vehicle (spirit or sugar of milk), there are a few scales for this process of dilution in homoeopathy. Each scale represents a different potency to indicate the power of medicine.
Some example in homeopathy is when the drug substance vehicle ratio is 1/10, and the available potencies are 3x,6x.12x and so on. In some cases, the ratio is 1/100, and the available potencies are 30c,200c.
Potency of drug in homeopathy is written after the name of the medicine
Same drugs are available in different potencies. The homeopathy practitioner will select the potency by considering many factors such as severity, condition of the patient, depth of disease, age of patient, nature of disease, type of symptoms, and so on.
Taking up homeopathy course
If you want to take up a course in homeopathy, you will learn the following subjects of homeopathy:-
1. History of medicine
2. History and development of homeopathy
3. Pioneers of homeopathy
4. Organon of medicine
5. Homeopathic philosophy
6. Materia medica
7. Homeopathic pharmacy and pharmacognosy
8. Homeopathic case taking
9. Homeopathic repertory
10. Homeopathic therapeutics
If you learn general medical subjects in relation to homeopathy, that will help you to become a better homeopathy practitioner.
The medical subjects in relation to homeopathy are Anatomy, pathology, physiology, microbiology, toxicology, parasitology,forensic medicine, social and preventive medicine, ENT, surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, dentistry, opthalmology, orthopedics, surgery, dermatology, general medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry and others.
Case taking and prescription in homeopathy
The effect of a homeopathic medicine is fast. You will experience rapid ,gentle and permanent if the right correct remedy in the correct dosage is given.
When homeopathy practitioner gives one drug for one disease, the result will not be good.
The homeopathy practitioner has to consider the total symptoms of a person. That will include mental health, general health, physical health, particular symptoms of diseases etc.
All symptoms, including mental and physical, of the patient is taken into consideration. The homeopathy practitioner will want to know about past illness, family history of diseases, causes of diseases, food and bowel habits, relation to climatic changes and other details are noted down in a systematic order.
More on case taking in homeopathy
The homeopathy practitioner will note the mental symptoms, such as fear, depression, anxiety, anger, and jealousy.
The homeopathy practitioner will observe the physical symptoms, such as body makeup, thirst, appetite, desires, bowels, aversions, urination, taste, sleep, nature of smell, unusual sensations in discharge such as like pain, climatic change, burning, and thermal relations.
The homeopathy practitioner will observe uncommon symptoms. This is the part that makes homeopathy a holistic alternative medicine. For a given sickness, the symptoms displayed by each patients are very important. Common symptoms which are seen in all the patients are the least important consideration in homeopathy.
This is the reason for giving different medicines to different persons suffering from same disease. For example, when five people suffering from typhoid, all five of them get five different remedies because of the individual symptoms.
Conclusion on homeopathy
Homeopathy treats the person, rather than treating the sickness. The homeopathy practitioner aims to restore health to the patient, and not just cure the person of a particular disease.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Reflection on life: Alone Lonely
People are very weird. When we live in a crowded city, where we hardly have a minute to ourselves, we suffer from loneliness. This is a case of not alone but lonely.
There are some people who live way out in the countryside who are alone most of the times. They live a happy and fulfilling life. This is the case of alone but not lonely. A life at peace
with themselves, at peace with nature, at peace with the world at large, is a fulfilling life.
Those who are alone and lonely are the worst sufferers. Some are in this situation as a punishment. That is why locking anyone up in a solitary cell, and cut off all human contacts is the most cruel punishment. Imagine hours after hours of facing the wall. Imagine hours and hours of facing yourself. That is a horrible thought.
Most of us are not in that situation. Most of us have too much contact, and we do not have a moment alone. Even when we are at home, we are surfing the Internet. We do not have physical contact through Internet. However, playing online games, participating in chat, participating in forums and participating in social networking are ways of contacting each other. It is very rare to have a moment alone.
Our friends are a phone-call away. The voices from the street penetrate into our residences. We hardly know what it is like to be alone.
In the midst of the crowd, many people are lonely. It sounds strange that people are so lonely despite meeting hundreds and hundreds of people everyday.
I am not an expert in diagnosing the peculiar situation. I can only say that all of us need time for ourselves. We need time to know ourselves better, and to accept ourselves fully. There are times when we feel dirty, feel frustrated at our unworthy thoughts and deeds. We need time to talk ourselves over it. We need time to forgive ourselves over our mistakes.
If we do not find time for ourselves, we will find that all relationships fail in a certain way. A low esteem is always a recipe for disastrous relationship.
Positive thinking cannot take place if we do not spend time with ourselves. Positive thinking is a matter of talking to ourselves repeatedly, and changing our negativity mindset.
What do you think? How can we cope with the feelings of loneliness when we are hardly alone?
There are some people who live way out in the countryside who are alone most of the times. They live a happy and fulfilling life. This is the case of alone but not lonely. A life at peace
with themselves, at peace with nature, at peace with the world at large, is a fulfilling life. Those who are alone and lonely are the worst sufferers. Some are in this situation as a punishment. That is why locking anyone up in a solitary cell, and cut off all human contacts is the most cruel punishment. Imagine hours after hours of facing the wall. Imagine hours and hours of facing yourself. That is a horrible thought.
Most of us are not in that situation. Most of us have too much contact, and we do not have a moment alone. Even when we are at home, we are surfing the Internet. We do not have physical contact through Internet. However, playing online games, participating in chat, participating in forums and participating in social networking are ways of contacting each other. It is very rare to have a moment alone.
Our friends are a phone-call away. The voices from the street penetrate into our residences. We hardly know what it is like to be alone.
In the midst of the crowd, many people are lonely. It sounds strange that people are so lonely despite meeting hundreds and hundreds of people everyday.
I am not an expert in diagnosing the peculiar situation. I can only say that all of us need time for ourselves. We need time to know ourselves better, and to accept ourselves fully. There are times when we feel dirty, feel frustrated at our unworthy thoughts and deeds. We need time to talk ourselves over it. We need time to forgive ourselves over our mistakes.
If we do not find time for ourselves, we will find that all relationships fail in a certain way. A low esteem is always a recipe for disastrous relationship.
Positive thinking cannot take place if we do not spend time with ourselves. Positive thinking is a matter of talking to ourselves repeatedly, and changing our negativity mindset.
What do you think? How can we cope with the feelings of loneliness when we are hardly alone?
Monday, June 28, 2010
Are you walking 10000 steps a day?
A few years ago when the company rolled out a series of program to encourage us to exercise, I participated in the walking program. The aim was to get us to walk at least 10000 steps a day.
Since I love walking, I did not think that 10000 steps was a problem. I did not need to join the walking program to walk 10000 steps a day. What I wanted was the pedometer
. The company gave us a free pedometer, on the condition that we walked an average of 10000 steps a day.
10000 steps seem a big number to many people. If you do not have a habit of taking an evening walk, your average steps per day would likely be 4000 steps only.
Just how much is 10000 steps? While the mileage differs according to the length of your stride, the average people walk 100 steps in a minute. And that means slightly less than 2 solid hours of walking.
So, 10000 steps mean 100 minutes of walking. Even if you do not walk continuously, you can achieve 10000 steps a day by consciously taking 5 minutes walk every hour. If you keep reminding yourself to walk 5 minutes every hour, you would have accumulated 500 steps every hour. For 16 walking hours, you would have accumulated 8000 steps. This is on top of your usual walking activities.
I think it is an obsession for someone new to walking to check the pedometer
every now and then. It is very encouraging to see the 0 step turns into 1500 steps by the time you reach the office. When you return from the washroom and pantry, you see the 2000 steps displayed on the pedometer
. You may even check the calories burnt for the 2000 steps.
When my colleagues and I were in the walking program, we used to eat a bit faster, and spent the rest of lunch hour walking and comparing the number of steps.
The problem is the determination to walk. Let us assume that you want to accomplish the task of walking 10000 steps in ten hours. That means 1000 steps every hour.
You are likely to get the first 1000 steps in your first waking hours. You can park the car a bit further away from your working place. The trick is to incorporate more steps in the hours at work. You may have to use the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. You may have to walk more frequent, and take the longer route to the washroom. You can go the photocopier more frequently. Even though each trip may generate just 50 steps, all these steps do add up to help you reach the 10000 steps a day target.
Lunch hour is the time when you can take a 20-minutes walk. You can go for a ten-minutes walk before meal and the other ten minutes walk after meal.
If you are those that find it hard to get out of the house after you reach home, you may have to take a 30 minutes walk after work. You can walk in the shopping district near to your workplace. Once you start walking, you can easily encourage yourself to just walk another 200 steps, and another 200 steps. After all, 200 steps is just an effort of 2 minutes. You may find that you have walked for 45 minutes, and you are hungry.
It is surprising how a pedometer
can motivate you to walk. The fact that the steps add up quickly add to your motivation for walking 10000 steps a day.
I find that walking is easier when I am not thinking of the number of steps at all. Once I tried to read while walking on the treadmill. I set the treadmill
to an extremely slow speed. Since I was reading a thriller, I could walk and read at the same time. The thriller was absorbing, and I forgot all about the walking. By the time I felt thirsty, and stopped the treadmill, I had read 50 pages, and the pedometer showed 4000 steps.
My friends have similar experience with exercise bike
. They watch the soap opera and cycle unconsciously through the hour-long episode. They cannot even feel the muscle aching until they step off the exercise bike.
That is why many people arrange to go for window shopping as part of the exercise routine. They can easily walk 10000 steps without thinking about it.
If you are walking for weight loss purpose, I am very sorry to tell you that 10000 steps is not enough. Walking 10000 steps is just enough to prevent you from putting on weight. It is not enough to make you lose weight. You need to aim for 20000 steps a day to lose weight.
Since I love walking, I did not think that 10000 steps was a problem. I did not need to join the walking program to walk 10000 steps a day. What I wanted was the pedometer
. The company gave us a free pedometer, on the condition that we walked an average of 10000 steps a day.10000 steps seem a big number to many people. If you do not have a habit of taking an evening walk, your average steps per day would likely be 4000 steps only.
Just how much is 10000 steps? While the mileage differs according to the length of your stride, the average people walk 100 steps in a minute. And that means slightly less than 2 solid hours of walking.
So, 10000 steps mean 100 minutes of walking. Even if you do not walk continuously, you can achieve 10000 steps a day by consciously taking 5 minutes walk every hour. If you keep reminding yourself to walk 5 minutes every hour, you would have accumulated 500 steps every hour. For 16 walking hours, you would have accumulated 8000 steps. This is on top of your usual walking activities.
I think it is an obsession for someone new to walking to check the pedometer
every now and then. It is very encouraging to see the 0 step turns into 1500 steps by the time you reach the office. When you return from the washroom and pantry, you see the 2000 steps displayed on the pedometer. You may even check the calories burnt for the 2000 steps. When my colleagues and I were in the walking program, we used to eat a bit faster, and spent the rest of lunch hour walking and comparing the number of steps.
The problem is the determination to walk. Let us assume that you want to accomplish the task of walking 10000 steps in ten hours. That means 1000 steps every hour.
You are likely to get the first 1000 steps in your first waking hours. You can park the car a bit further away from your working place. The trick is to incorporate more steps in the hours at work. You may have to use the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator. You may have to walk more frequent, and take the longer route to the washroom. You can go the photocopier more frequently. Even though each trip may generate just 50 steps, all these steps do add up to help you reach the 10000 steps a day target.
Lunch hour is the time when you can take a 20-minutes walk. You can go for a ten-minutes walk before meal and the other ten minutes walk after meal.
If you are those that find it hard to get out of the house after you reach home, you may have to take a 30 minutes walk after work. You can walk in the shopping district near to your workplace. Once you start walking, you can easily encourage yourself to just walk another 200 steps, and another 200 steps. After all, 200 steps is just an effort of 2 minutes. You may find that you have walked for 45 minutes, and you are hungry.
It is surprising how a pedometer
can motivate you to walk. The fact that the steps add up quickly add to your motivation for walking 10000 steps a day.I find that walking is easier when I am not thinking of the number of steps at all. Once I tried to read while walking on the treadmill. I set the treadmill
to an extremely slow speed. Since I was reading a thriller, I could walk and read at the same time. The thriller was absorbing, and I forgot all about the walking. By the time I felt thirsty, and stopped the treadmill, I had read 50 pages, and the pedometer showed 4000 steps.My friends have similar experience with exercise bike
. They watch the soap opera and cycle unconsciously through the hour-long episode. They cannot even feel the muscle aching until they step off the exercise bike. That is why many people arrange to go for window shopping as part of the exercise routine. They can easily walk 10000 steps without thinking about it.
If you are walking for weight loss purpose, I am very sorry to tell you that 10000 steps is not enough. Walking 10000 steps is just enough to prevent you from putting on weight. It is not enough to make you lose weight. You need to aim for 20000 steps a day to lose weight.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
Gone Baby Gone 
by Dennis Lehane is an extremely touching and exciting thriller. Gone Baby Gone is also the first Dennis Lehane book I read.
I always seem to read books the wrong way round. I should have read the other books in a series before I read this one. Gone Baby Gone
by Dennis Lehane 
is apparently part of the series featuring the private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.
Gone Baby Gone contains too many references to the earlier books, which I am at loss to understand.
This plot in Gone Baby Gone is fantastic, very fast-moving and believable. For half the book, the dedication of the detectives to their jobs fool me. It comes quite as a shock to see that those detectives who love children so much are involved in the kidnapping. They love children, but use the wrong methods to provide love for the kids.
Gone Baby Gone is about the kidnapping of a 4-years old girl.
There are many twists and turns in this story. When I read halfway, I have the feeling that everything is wrong, and the detectives, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are looking at the wrong angle. However, the plot is so well done that I can find nothing to fault it with.
The mother of the missing girl is extremely well-portrayed. She is a TV addict, and uses TV to escape from the harsh reality of life. Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
gives such a good description of the emptiness of life for her, that I feel like spanking her as well as pity her.
At one point, I really hope that the kid stays where she is, instead of returning to such a useless mother. The 4-years old gal dies slowly from neglect. It is not that she dies of hunger, but she will die from lack of attention. Even at the age of 4, she becomes so quiet and lacks interest in her surrounding. That is why I feel if the book has gone the other way, leaving her with the family that loves her, it may turn out to be a blessing.
Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
is a book that captures your mind and soul. After the thrilling part is over, the moral part of the story will stay with you for a long time.
It is a great book to read. However, do read from the first book of the series featuring Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. Please do not start from this book.
by Dennis Lehane is an extremely touching and exciting thriller. Gone Baby Gone is also the first Dennis Lehane book I read. I always seem to read books the wrong way round. I should have read the other books in a series before I read this one. Gone Baby Gone
by Dennis Lehane is apparently part of the series featuring the private detectives Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro.Gone Baby Gone contains too many references to the earlier books, which I am at loss to understand.
This plot in Gone Baby Gone is fantastic, very fast-moving and believable. For half the book, the dedication of the detectives to their jobs fool me. It comes quite as a shock to see that those detectives who love children so much are involved in the kidnapping. They love children, but use the wrong methods to provide love for the kids.
Gone Baby Gone is about the kidnapping of a 4-years old girl.
There are many twists and turns in this story. When I read halfway, I have the feeling that everything is wrong, and the detectives, Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro are looking at the wrong angle. However, the plot is so well done that I can find nothing to fault it with.
The mother of the missing girl is extremely well-portrayed. She is a TV addict, and uses TV to escape from the harsh reality of life. Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
gives such a good description of the emptiness of life for her, that I feel like spanking her as well as pity her.At one point, I really hope that the kid stays where she is, instead of returning to such a useless mother. The 4-years old gal dies slowly from neglect. It is not that she dies of hunger, but she will die from lack of attention. Even at the age of 4, she becomes so quiet and lacks interest in her surrounding. That is why I feel if the book has gone the other way, leaving her with the family that loves her, it may turn out to be a blessing.
Gone Baby Gone by Dennis Lehane
is a book that captures your mind and soul. After the thrilling part is over, the moral part of the story will stay with you for a long time.It is a great book to read. However, do read from the first book of the series featuring Patrick Kenzie and Angela Gennaro. Please do not start from this book.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh is more of a love story than a detective story.
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh starts with Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn meeting and falling in love with Agatha Troy, the famous artist. It is a love at first sight.
The story uses an unusual approach in the form of various letters before the murder takes place. These letters serve to inform us of Agatha Troy’s feelings for Inspector Alleyn, plus introducing the key suspects in this story.
I like Artists in Crime
by Ngaio Marsh in many ways. This story contains all my favorite characters, such as Detective Inspector Fox, Detective Sergeant Bailey, Detective Sergeant Thompson and Dr Curtis. The reporter, Nigel Bathgate, adds to the enjoyment of the story.
There are many funny scenes involving Nigel Bathgate in this story. In one of the last chapters, Nigel hides in the backseats of the car, among the rugs. When Inspector Alleyn starts to sing, Nigel starts to chant:
“I thought I saw Inspector Alleyn
hunting for a clue.
I looked again and saw it was an inmate at the Zoo.
“Good God,” I said, “It’s very hard to judge between these two.”
I feel the only weakness in this story is that too many evidences point to Garcia. The discovery of Garcia’s body, himself a victim of crime, is hardly a surprise. What is surprising is that the motive for the murder remains hidden until right at the end.
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh is one of the rare books in the series to pay attention to Lady Alleyn, the mother of Detective Inspector Alleyn.
She is a remarkably clever and outspoken woman. In fact, she is the one who hints that the murderer is the beautiful gal, Seacliff. Lady Alleyn gets the impression that Seacliff is “modern and hard.”
Just too bad that Lady Alleyn does not really play a major part in the investigation. The story will be better with more participation from her.
There are a few meaningful and humorous quotes in this book.
Quote 1 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
I haven’t got the smallest idea what the right answer is to any single one of your questions.
Quote 2 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
His voice is like the crashing together of old tin cans, and he can talk of nothing but his work, his enthusiasms, and his dislikes.
Quote 3 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
She looks like one of their magazine covers, and behaves like the wrath of God. The man seems to be her property, so perhaps he is a fool, after all.
Quote 4 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
Don’t talk pretentious nonsense about things you don’t understand.
Quote 5 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
If you go through life looking for insults, you may be comfortably assured of finding them.
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh starts with Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn meeting and falling in love with Agatha Troy, the famous artist. It is a love at first sight.
The story uses an unusual approach in the form of various letters before the murder takes place. These letters serve to inform us of Agatha Troy’s feelings for Inspector Alleyn, plus introducing the key suspects in this story.
I like Artists in Crime
by Ngaio Marsh in many ways. This story contains all my favorite characters, such as Detective Inspector Fox, Detective Sergeant Bailey, Detective Sergeant Thompson and Dr Curtis. The reporter, Nigel Bathgate, adds to the enjoyment of the story.There are many funny scenes involving Nigel Bathgate in this story. In one of the last chapters, Nigel hides in the backseats of the car, among the rugs. When Inspector Alleyn starts to sing, Nigel starts to chant:
“I thought I saw Inspector Alleyn
hunting for a clue. I looked again and saw it was an inmate at the Zoo.
“Good God,” I said, “It’s very hard to judge between these two.”
I feel the only weakness in this story is that too many evidences point to Garcia. The discovery of Garcia’s body, himself a victim of crime, is hardly a surprise. What is surprising is that the motive for the murder remains hidden until right at the end.
Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh is one of the rare books in the series to pay attention to Lady Alleyn, the mother of Detective Inspector Alleyn.
She is a remarkably clever and outspoken woman. In fact, she is the one who hints that the murderer is the beautiful gal, Seacliff. Lady Alleyn gets the impression that Seacliff is “modern and hard.” Just too bad that Lady Alleyn does not really play a major part in the investigation. The story will be better with more participation from her.
There are a few meaningful and humorous quotes in this book.
Quote 1 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
I haven’t got the smallest idea what the right answer is to any single one of your questions.
Quote 2 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
His voice is like the crashing together of old tin cans, and he can talk of nothing but his work, his enthusiasms, and his dislikes.
Quote 3 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
She looks like one of their magazine covers, and behaves like the wrath of God. The man seems to be her property, so perhaps he is a fool, after all.
Quote 4 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
Don’t talk pretentious nonsense about things you don’t understand.
Quote 5 from Artists in Crime by Ngaio Marsh
If you go through life looking for insults, you may be comfortably assured of finding them.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Do you want a long and healthy life?
Do you want a long and healthy life? Do you think you can live a long and healthy life?
Throughout the centuries, the desire of mankind is to live a long and healthy life, in the midst of their large families.
Most people want to get rich, live long, and live healthy, with many children, many grandchildren, and many, many great-grandchildren.
The ability to live a long and healthy life seems out of reach for many of us. At a time when medical advancement allows us to live long, most of us are plagued with medical problems. And most of us worry about money running out before we expire.
What if money is not a factor? Do you want to live a long and healthy life?
While modern medical care allows to live long, it does not mean a healthy life. Some people in nursing homes are living long, but not enjoying a healthy living.
There are a few things we can do in order to enjoy a healthy life.
Healthy life: Exercise
Most of us do not engage in physical labor. Our work in the office hardly can describe as physical labor. Picking up a pen hardly uses up calories. Walking just a few steps to the washroom does not burn too much calories too. Walking to the car park does not produce sweat.
Most of us cannot engage in physical exercise
when we are working in the office. The problem is that we do not even engage in physical exercise when we are not working.
Many jobless people prefer to spend their time watching TV and playing computer games than exercising. When time is not a factor, and money is not a factor, the laziness shows.
Healthy life: Sleep
Without sufficient exercise, we cannot sleep well. Falling asleep is hard for many people. Sleeping soundly and deeply is another problem.
Most people envy babies for their abilities to sleep through a thunderstorm.
Another problem is that many people refuse to go to sleep when it is bedtime. They rather stay up late to watch TV or surf Internet. Those who play mmorpg often live in the play-believe world, and forget about reality.
Healthy life: Eat well
Eat well does not mean eat till you are full. When most of the food are junk food, you can eat until your stomach burst, and still not get enough nutrients.
Some courageous people take up the raw food diet. That is eating well. However, raw food diet is not suitable for everyone. If you enjoy hot, and steamy noodle, you will not enjoy raw food diet.
As far as possible, make sure that you consume enough food in the raw stage. You do not need to cook fruits, and certain vegetables, since you can enjoy them in the form of salad.
Eating well allows you to live long and live healthy. You will feel alert and alive whole day, instead of sleepy and half dead.
Healthy life: Detox
regularly
Regardless how well you take care of your body, certain chemicals can still enter your body. Most of the chemicals enter our body through breathing.
That is why a regular detoxification is good for you. You can put yourself on a liquid diet for a day. You can buy the commercially prepared detox pack
to ensure your body gets enough nutrients. You can also prepare your smoothies and juice.
Healthy life: Keep clean
Keep your living environment clean. Let the sun shines into your house. Air the pillows and mattress in the sun regularly. That will kill dust mites.
Keep clean also applies to your body. You have to shower
regularly to keep your body clean. If you still do not have the habit of washing your hands before food, you are at risk of food poisoning.
Healthy life: Quiet time
A healthy lifestyle involves winding down from the excitement and stress of daily living. You need a quiet time for yourself.
Even if you do not practice meditation, you can spend a few minutes talking to yourself. Reflection on life, and face yourself squarely, is a part of self-development and growth.
Healthy life: keep a routine
Unless your job requires shift work, you can keep to a routine of sleeping and waking up. As far as possible, sleep at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time in the morning.
Throughout the centuries, the desire of mankind is to live a long and healthy life, in the midst of their large families.
Most people want to get rich, live long, and live healthy, with many children, many grandchildren, and many, many great-grandchildren.
The ability to live a long and healthy life seems out of reach for many of us. At a time when medical advancement allows us to live long, most of us are plagued with medical problems. And most of us worry about money running out before we expire.
What if money is not a factor? Do you want to live a long and healthy life?
While modern medical care allows to live long, it does not mean a healthy life. Some people in nursing homes are living long, but not enjoying a healthy living.
There are a few things we can do in order to enjoy a healthy life.
Healthy life: Exercise
Most of us do not engage in physical labor. Our work in the office hardly can describe as physical labor. Picking up a pen hardly uses up calories. Walking just a few steps to the washroom does not burn too much calories too. Walking to the car park does not produce sweat.
Most of us cannot engage in physical exercise
when we are working in the office. The problem is that we do not even engage in physical exercise when we are not working.Many jobless people prefer to spend their time watching TV and playing computer games than exercising. When time is not a factor, and money is not a factor, the laziness shows.
Healthy life: Sleep
Without sufficient exercise, we cannot sleep well. Falling asleep is hard for many people. Sleeping soundly and deeply is another problem.
Most people envy babies for their abilities to sleep through a thunderstorm.
Another problem is that many people refuse to go to sleep when it is bedtime. They rather stay up late to watch TV or surf Internet. Those who play mmorpg often live in the play-believe world, and forget about reality.
Healthy life: Eat well
Eat well does not mean eat till you are full. When most of the food are junk food, you can eat until your stomach burst, and still not get enough nutrients.
Some courageous people take up the raw food diet. That is eating well. However, raw food diet is not suitable for everyone. If you enjoy hot, and steamy noodle, you will not enjoy raw food diet.
As far as possible, make sure that you consume enough food in the raw stage. You do not need to cook fruits, and certain vegetables, since you can enjoy them in the form of salad.
Eating well allows you to live long and live healthy. You will feel alert and alive whole day, instead of sleepy and half dead.
Healthy life: Detox
regularlyRegardless how well you take care of your body, certain chemicals can still enter your body. Most of the chemicals enter our body through breathing.
That is why a regular detoxification is good for you. You can put yourself on a liquid diet for a day. You can buy the commercially prepared detox pack
to ensure your body gets enough nutrients. You can also prepare your smoothies and juice. Healthy life: Keep clean
Keep your living environment clean. Let the sun shines into your house. Air the pillows and mattress in the sun regularly. That will kill dust mites.
Keep clean also applies to your body. You have to shower
regularly to keep your body clean. If you still do not have the habit of washing your hands before food, you are at risk of food poisoning.Healthy life: Quiet time
A healthy lifestyle involves winding down from the excitement and stress of daily living. You need a quiet time for yourself.
Even if you do not practice meditation, you can spend a few minutes talking to yourself. Reflection on life, and face yourself squarely, is a part of self-development and growth.
Healthy life: keep a routine
Unless your job requires shift work, you can keep to a routine of sleeping and waking up. As far as possible, sleep at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time in the morning.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Buy celebrity perfume at great discount
Have you ever desired to buy celebrity perfume? Do you wish to buy celebrity perfume at great discount. You can do so with the coupon code, and have the celebrity perfume delivered right up to your doorstep.
Celebrity perfume coupon code: FREE
You can get free Shipping with coupon code FREE on over 15,000 brand name authentic fragrances on sale at FragranceX.com. Free Shipping applies to locations worldwide, all items 100% original and authentic brand names. Save on all your favorite brand name discount perfumes and colognes.
Free Shipping on Perfume use Coupon Code FREE
Celebrity perfume coupon code: TENOFF
Use coupon code TENOFF for an extra $10 off your order over $100 today. Over 15,000 brand name authentic fragrances on sale at FragranceX.com. All items 100% original and authentic brand names. Shop today and save, Free Shipping on all orders.
Save $10 Off Orders over $100 with Coupon code TENOFF
Celebrity perfume coupon code: GOOG
Use coupon code GOOG for an extra 10% off your order of celebrity perfume today. Over 15,000 brand name authentic fragrances on sale at FragranceX.com. Free Shipping worldwide, all items 100% original and authentic brand names. Shop today and save at FragranceX.com
Save 10% Off All Perfumes with coupon code GOOG
Celebrity perfume coupon code: FREE
You can get free Shipping with coupon code FREE on over 15,000 brand name authentic fragrances on sale at FragranceX.com. Free Shipping applies to locations worldwide, all items 100% original and authentic brand names. Save on all your favorite brand name discount perfumes and colognes.
Free Shipping on Perfume use Coupon Code FREE
Celebrity perfume coupon code: TENOFF
Use coupon code TENOFF for an extra $10 off your order over $100 today. Over 15,000 brand name authentic fragrances on sale at FragranceX.com. All items 100% original and authentic brand names. Shop today and save, Free Shipping on all orders.
Save $10 Off Orders over $100 with Coupon code TENOFF
Celebrity perfume coupon code: GOOG
Use coupon code GOOG for an extra 10% off your order of celebrity perfume today. Over 15,000 brand name authentic fragrances on sale at FragranceX.com. Free Shipping worldwide, all items 100% original and authentic brand names. Shop today and save at FragranceX.com
Save 10% Off All Perfumes with coupon code GOOG
Tips for a better night sleep
Many people are frustrated due to their inability to get a better night sleep. Some people do not have enough time for sleeping due to heavy work load and family obligations.
However, most people have problems getting a better night sleep. They have allocated time for sleeping, and they do fall asleep. The problem is that they do not sleep well. Sometimes, they fall asleep after many hours of tossing in bed. Sometimes, dreams and nightmares destroy their hope of a better night sleep.
This blog post is not meant as a medical advice. This is simply my tips on helping you get a better night sleep.
Tips for a better night sleep
The first tip for a better night sleep is to stick to a sleep schedule. You should not upset your internal body clock by sleeping at 8 pm one night, and 3 am the next night. As far as possible, you should sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time every day.
Your body clock will adjust to the sleep schedule, and you will get a better night sleep.
The second tip for a better night sleep is to develop a relaxing sleep routine. You can repeat the same things before you go to bed. The sleep routine is to prepare your body for a deep sleep. For example, you can do some light reading half an hour before the bedtime. You can drink a small glass of milk before bedtime. As long as you develop a relaxing sleep routine, you can fall into deep sleep easily.
Some people find that drinking a cup of chamomile tea can help them sleep better. If you find it useful, you can drink a cup of hot chamomile tea as part of your sleep routine.
The third tip for a better night sleep is to set aside time to relax before bedtime.
You can do some stretching, yoga or meditation exercise in the evening. You should avoid activities that might create mental excitement at least two hours before bedtime.
The fourth tip for a better night sleep is to go for a body checkup. If you have deficiency in certain minerals or vitamins, that will prevent you from getting a better night sleep. You can do a physical checkup to find underlying health problem that keeps you awake at night. You should avoid the urge to take sleeping aid without medical advice.
The fifth tip for a better night sleep is stop worrying. If you have an annoying habit of worrying this and that the moment your head hits the pillow, you can start to worry earlier. You can use a pen and paper to write down all the worries.
It is amazing that writing down the worries can make you happier, as if you pour all the worries onto the paper, and your mind can quit worrying.
You can learn meditation after writing down all the worries.
The sixth tip for a better night sleep is to avoid caffeine and other stimulants. If a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can keep you awake until 4 am, you have to work backwards and set a cut-off time for consumption of caffeine.
Since everyone is different, you have to find a cut-off time that works for you. Some people can still sleep like a dead pig after drinking two cups of coffee after dinner. Some people turn and toss in bed due to the cup of coffee after lunch.
You should avoid certain medications that contain stimulants, such as pseudoephedrine since that is an ingredient in many cold and cough medications.
The seventh tip for a better night sleep is eat a light dinner. If you consume a heavy dinner of a whole roasted chicken with two bowls of soup, plus ice-cream and cakes, you are not going well that night. You will probably dream of monsters chasing you in the dark forest.
The eighth tip for a better night sleep is to avoid greasy food before bedtime. If you are tempted to consume a few fried chicken wings, you can think of the suffering on the following day. A lack of sleep due to over-eating or eating greasy food is not a comforting thought.
The ninth tip for a better night sleep is avoid alcohol just before bedtime. If you have a habit of drinking a glass of red wine at night, you can do so right after dinner. You should avoid alcohol just before bedtime, since alcohol can spoil the quality of your sleep.
The tenth tip for a better night sleep is to quit smoking. Many smokers have problem falling asleep. Even if you do not quit smoking, you can avoid smoking a couple of hours before bedtime. Nicotine is a stimulate, not a sleeping aid.
The eleventh tip for a better night sleep is to make your bedroom cool and cozy. Your bedroom should be cool enough to make you want to sleep. Your bedroom should be a cozy place for sleeping and relaxing. Your bedroom should be a dark and quiet place.
The twelfth tip for a better night sleep is get a new bed, pillow or mattress. If the mattress is too hard for you, or have gotten too soft, you have to get a new mattress. Sometimes, when you sleep in the same position every night, your mattress is disfigured by your body contour. You can even see the body contour on the mattress.
If your bed is too old, and makes many funny sounds, you can consider getting a new bed. A good pillow is important too. You do not want to wake up with a pain at the back of your neck.
The thirteenth tip for a better night sleep is to exercise regularly. You should incorporate exercises throughout the day, such as 20 minutes walk in the morning, and 20 minutes walk in the afternoon. However, you should avoid vigorous exercise before bedtime. Doing aerobic exercises at 9pm when your bedtime is 10 pm is crazy.
The last tip for a better night sleep is avoid watching TV and reading in bed. You can watch TV and read before going to bed. However, make sure that you do not sit in bed to watch TV or read in bed.
The ability to sleep soundly and deeply is a blessing. If you have this blessing for getting a better night sleep, you should count yourself lucky. Many people are still counting sheep as you sleep like a dead pig.
However, most people have problems getting a better night sleep. They have allocated time for sleeping, and they do fall asleep. The problem is that they do not sleep well. Sometimes, they fall asleep after many hours of tossing in bed. Sometimes, dreams and nightmares destroy their hope of a better night sleep.
This blog post is not meant as a medical advice. This is simply my tips on helping you get a better night sleep.
Tips for a better night sleep
The first tip for a better night sleep is to stick to a sleep schedule. You should not upset your internal body clock by sleeping at 8 pm one night, and 3 am the next night. As far as possible, you should sleep at the same time and wake up at the same time every day.
Your body clock will adjust to the sleep schedule, and you will get a better night sleep.
The second tip for a better night sleep is to develop a relaxing sleep routine. You can repeat the same things before you go to bed. The sleep routine is to prepare your body for a deep sleep. For example, you can do some light reading half an hour before the bedtime. You can drink a small glass of milk before bedtime. As long as you develop a relaxing sleep routine, you can fall into deep sleep easily.
Some people find that drinking a cup of chamomile tea can help them sleep better. If you find it useful, you can drink a cup of hot chamomile tea as part of your sleep routine.
The third tip for a better night sleep is to set aside time to relax before bedtime.
You can do some stretching, yoga or meditation exercise in the evening. You should avoid activities that might create mental excitement at least two hours before bedtime.
The fourth tip for a better night sleep is to go for a body checkup. If you have deficiency in certain minerals or vitamins, that will prevent you from getting a better night sleep. You can do a physical checkup to find underlying health problem that keeps you awake at night. You should avoid the urge to take sleeping aid without medical advice.
The fifth tip for a better night sleep is stop worrying. If you have an annoying habit of worrying this and that the moment your head hits the pillow, you can start to worry earlier. You can use a pen and paper to write down all the worries.
It is amazing that writing down the worries can make you happier, as if you pour all the worries onto the paper, and your mind can quit worrying.
You can learn meditation after writing down all the worries.
The sixth tip for a better night sleep is to avoid caffeine and other stimulants. If a cup of coffee in the late afternoon can keep you awake until 4 am, you have to work backwards and set a cut-off time for consumption of caffeine.
Since everyone is different, you have to find a cut-off time that works for you. Some people can still sleep like a dead pig after drinking two cups of coffee after dinner. Some people turn and toss in bed due to the cup of coffee after lunch.
You should avoid certain medications that contain stimulants, such as pseudoephedrine since that is an ingredient in many cold and cough medications.
The seventh tip for a better night sleep is eat a light dinner. If you consume a heavy dinner of a whole roasted chicken with two bowls of soup, plus ice-cream and cakes, you are not going well that night. You will probably dream of monsters chasing you in the dark forest.
The eighth tip for a better night sleep is to avoid greasy food before bedtime. If you are tempted to consume a few fried chicken wings, you can think of the suffering on the following day. A lack of sleep due to over-eating or eating greasy food is not a comforting thought.
The ninth tip for a better night sleep is avoid alcohol just before bedtime. If you have a habit of drinking a glass of red wine at night, you can do so right after dinner. You should avoid alcohol just before bedtime, since alcohol can spoil the quality of your sleep.
The tenth tip for a better night sleep is to quit smoking. Many smokers have problem falling asleep. Even if you do not quit smoking, you can avoid smoking a couple of hours before bedtime. Nicotine is a stimulate, not a sleeping aid.
The eleventh tip for a better night sleep is to make your bedroom cool and cozy. Your bedroom should be cool enough to make you want to sleep. Your bedroom should be a cozy place for sleeping and relaxing. Your bedroom should be a dark and quiet place.
The twelfth tip for a better night sleep is get a new bed, pillow or mattress. If the mattress is too hard for you, or have gotten too soft, you have to get a new mattress. Sometimes, when you sleep in the same position every night, your mattress is disfigured by your body contour. You can even see the body contour on the mattress.
If your bed is too old, and makes many funny sounds, you can consider getting a new bed. A good pillow is important too. You do not want to wake up with a pain at the back of your neck.
The thirteenth tip for a better night sleep is to exercise regularly. You should incorporate exercises throughout the day, such as 20 minutes walk in the morning, and 20 minutes walk in the afternoon. However, you should avoid vigorous exercise before bedtime. Doing aerobic exercises at 9pm when your bedtime is 10 pm is crazy.
The last tip for a better night sleep is avoid watching TV and reading in bed. You can watch TV and read before going to bed. However, make sure that you do not sit in bed to watch TV or read in bed.
The ability to sleep soundly and deeply is a blessing. If you have this blessing for getting a better night sleep, you should count yourself lucky. Many people are still counting sheep as you sleep like a dead pig.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Reflection: how to find happiness
It’s strange that people are getting more and more unhappy with more material possession, more education and a longer lifespan.
How to find happiness is an art that does not require money, love, a long lifespan.
When I was in college, I had an argument with my lecturer. She mentioned about Nigeria being one of the most corrupted country in the world. Yet the Nigerians are known as one of the happiest people on Earth. It seemed strange that corruption and happiness occurred at the same time.
It does not mean that Nigerians find happiness through corruption. It just mean that happiness is not dependent solely on money, love, better medical care, higher education or whatever we treasured.
If you asked the Nigerians to teach you how to find happiness. They will probably think that you are a complete idiot. After all, they are simple folks who do not ponder all these silliness about love, money, and happiness.
Actually we can learn a few things from the simple lifestyle of the Nigerians on how to find happiness.
How to find happiness #1
The first way is not to think so much. Nigerians are notorious for living in the present, and never think about the future. We are not as happy as them, probably due to the fact that we think too much and worried ourselves to death.
How to find happiness #2
Social networking and maintaining close relationships are essential to happiness. That is probably the key difference between Nigerians and us. They have a very closely knitted family network.
All of us are different. If we can accept people for who they are and for what they are, we will find happiness in our relationships with people.
It is hard to avoid clashes and differences in opinion. However, we can learn to let go of resentments. It is impossible to avoid arguments all the time, the trick is to let all parties have their says and come to an understanding.
How to find happiness #3
Make a resolution to be a happy person. You can choose to wake up happy, you can choose to wake up unhappy. Most people can choose how happy or stressed, how bright or dull their perspective in life to be, how troubled or relax they want to be.
Once you make the simple choice of be happy, nobody can take away the happiness from you.
How to find happiness #4
You can choose to be grateful for what you have. You can choose to be grateful for what you do not have as well. You have so much to be thankful for. You can thank the cab driver for bringing you home safely. You can thank the cook for the wonderful dinner. You can thank your boss for giving you employment.
Obviously it will be weird for you to start saying thanks to everyone. However, you can say a silent thank you. Your facial expression will show the gratitude.
How to find happiness #5
It is depressing to read news about death, accidents and disasters. You do not need the daily dosage of bad news. You can get less of the depressing news. After all, you don’t gain any benefit from reading all the bad news.
You do not need to know how many people died from traffic accidents. What you need to know is how to avoid traffic accidents, and what to do if you are involved in an accident.
If most of the news you hear or read are bad news, you can learn to search for informative material. You can learn how to find happiness. You can learn how to eat healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
How to find happiness #6
A religious connection is also part of the answer to how to find happiness. You can join a religious group or read motivational books that teach meditations. It is good for us to learn different ways to look at life.
How to find happiness #7
Manage your time properly. While time is a very valuable commodity and too important to waste, you should not fill every minute with activities. Time management involves scheduling, planning, setting goals, creating a list of things to do and prioritizing.
As the Bible mentions, there is a time for everything. There is a time for you to relax and simply do nothing.
When we were young, we could stare at the moving fan for hours and hours. We did nothing except to marvel at the blades moving round and round to generate wind.
We can incorporate time for relaxation, and simply do nothing.
How to find happiness #8
Learn to laugh and laugh heartily. My friend just called to tell me that she met up with a “wooden” interviewer. This interviewer apparently lost the ability to laugh. She did not laugh at joke. She did not even smile.
Can you imagine an hour of conducting job interview without a single smile or laughter?
Laughter is a contagious disease. The more you laugh, the happier you are, and you infect more people with your laughter.
How to find happiness #9
You need to have courage to express your feelings, passion, and friendship to people around you.
You need to learn to channel your anger and frustration. Kids have the freedom to throw toys across the room to release frustration. We cannot do that in office. We cannot simply grab the chair and throw it across the room. However, that does not mean we cannot channel our anger and frustration.
We can go for strenuous physical exercise to release all the anger and frustration.
How to find happiness #10
Working hard brings a tremendous sense of personal satisfaction. Working hard gives a feeling of satisfaction when we complete our tasks.
We need to have accomplishments, so that we can feel proud of ourselves and have something to brag about.
You can find happiness in any work that you enjoy and are passionate about.
That is the reason for many people to play online games, since they can forget the daily stress and lost themselves in the world of dragons and magic.
It is all right to enjoy a “battle” and a couple hours of slaying dragons. However, don’t be an addict.
How to find happiness #11
Learning is a joyful activity. You can try to learn something new everyday. You can learn many new things in your workplace. You can learn from your colleagues in different departments. You can learn to expand and broaden your horizons.
You can read books, surf the Internet to read new things.
How to find happiness #12
You can avoid exposure to negative elements like toxins, loud noises, and hazardous places. You can enjoy healthy food instead of deep fried junk food. You can enjoy living in a clean and airy house.
As long as you decide to be happy, nothing can take away your permanent happiness. Sometimes, it’s good to reflect on your quest for happiness. You may not pursue the wrong thing in the wrong belief that it will give you permanent happiness.
While money can buy happiness in certain ways, it does not mean that a person with two billion dollars is happier than a person with one billion dollars. When we are enough money to gain financial freedom, money is not the answer to how to find happiness.
How to find happiness is an art that does not require money, love, a long lifespan.
When I was in college, I had an argument with my lecturer. She mentioned about Nigeria being one of the most corrupted country in the world. Yet the Nigerians are known as one of the happiest people on Earth. It seemed strange that corruption and happiness occurred at the same time.
It does not mean that Nigerians find happiness through corruption. It just mean that happiness is not dependent solely on money, love, better medical care, higher education or whatever we treasured.
If you asked the Nigerians to teach you how to find happiness. They will probably think that you are a complete idiot. After all, they are simple folks who do not ponder all these silliness about love, money, and happiness.
Actually we can learn a few things from the simple lifestyle of the Nigerians on how to find happiness.
How to find happiness #1
The first way is not to think so much. Nigerians are notorious for living in the present, and never think about the future. We are not as happy as them, probably due to the fact that we think too much and worried ourselves to death.
How to find happiness #2
Social networking and maintaining close relationships are essential to happiness. That is probably the key difference between Nigerians and us. They have a very closely knitted family network.
All of us are different. If we can accept people for who they are and for what they are, we will find happiness in our relationships with people.
It is hard to avoid clashes and differences in opinion. However, we can learn to let go of resentments. It is impossible to avoid arguments all the time, the trick is to let all parties have their says and come to an understanding.
How to find happiness #3
Make a resolution to be a happy person. You can choose to wake up happy, you can choose to wake up unhappy. Most people can choose how happy or stressed, how bright or dull their perspective in life to be, how troubled or relax they want to be.
Once you make the simple choice of be happy, nobody can take away the happiness from you.
How to find happiness #4
You can choose to be grateful for what you have. You can choose to be grateful for what you do not have as well. You have so much to be thankful for. You can thank the cab driver for bringing you home safely. You can thank the cook for the wonderful dinner. You can thank your boss for giving you employment.
Obviously it will be weird for you to start saying thanks to everyone. However, you can say a silent thank you. Your facial expression will show the gratitude.
How to find happiness #5
It is depressing to read news about death, accidents and disasters. You do not need the daily dosage of bad news. You can get less of the depressing news. After all, you don’t gain any benefit from reading all the bad news.
You do not need to know how many people died from traffic accidents. What you need to know is how to avoid traffic accidents, and what to do if you are involved in an accident.
If most of the news you hear or read are bad news, you can learn to search for informative material. You can learn how to find happiness. You can learn how to eat healthy and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
How to find happiness #6
A religious connection is also part of the answer to how to find happiness. You can join a religious group or read motivational books that teach meditations. It is good for us to learn different ways to look at life.
How to find happiness #7
Manage your time properly. While time is a very valuable commodity and too important to waste, you should not fill every minute with activities. Time management involves scheduling, planning, setting goals, creating a list of things to do and prioritizing.
As the Bible mentions, there is a time for everything. There is a time for you to relax and simply do nothing.
When we were young, we could stare at the moving fan for hours and hours. We did nothing except to marvel at the blades moving round and round to generate wind.
We can incorporate time for relaxation, and simply do nothing.
How to find happiness #8
Learn to laugh and laugh heartily. My friend just called to tell me that she met up with a “wooden” interviewer. This interviewer apparently lost the ability to laugh. She did not laugh at joke. She did not even smile.
Can you imagine an hour of conducting job interview without a single smile or laughter?
Laughter is a contagious disease. The more you laugh, the happier you are, and you infect more people with your laughter.
How to find happiness #9
You need to have courage to express your feelings, passion, and friendship to people around you.
You need to learn to channel your anger and frustration. Kids have the freedom to throw toys across the room to release frustration. We cannot do that in office. We cannot simply grab the chair and throw it across the room. However, that does not mean we cannot channel our anger and frustration.
We can go for strenuous physical exercise to release all the anger and frustration.
How to find happiness #10
Working hard brings a tremendous sense of personal satisfaction. Working hard gives a feeling of satisfaction when we complete our tasks.
We need to have accomplishments, so that we can feel proud of ourselves and have something to brag about.
You can find happiness in any work that you enjoy and are passionate about.
That is the reason for many people to play online games, since they can forget the daily stress and lost themselves in the world of dragons and magic.
It is all right to enjoy a “battle” and a couple hours of slaying dragons. However, don’t be an addict.
How to find happiness #11
Learning is a joyful activity. You can try to learn something new everyday. You can learn many new things in your workplace. You can learn from your colleagues in different departments. You can learn to expand and broaden your horizons.
You can read books, surf the Internet to read new things.
How to find happiness #12
You can avoid exposure to negative elements like toxins, loud noises, and hazardous places. You can enjoy healthy food instead of deep fried junk food. You can enjoy living in a clean and airy house.
As long as you decide to be happy, nothing can take away your permanent happiness. Sometimes, it’s good to reflect on your quest for happiness. You may not pursue the wrong thing in the wrong belief that it will give you permanent happiness.
While money can buy happiness in certain ways, it does not mean that a person with two billion dollars is happier than a person with one billion dollars. When we are enough money to gain financial freedom, money is not the answer to how to find happiness.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Fullbar products to lose weight naturally
Fullbar products work on the concept of letting you feel full with the least possible calories.
This is the trick of losing weight naturally.
How does Fullbars products help you lose weight naturally?
When I check out Fullbar products, I am rather surprised at the calories of the products.
The original Fullbar food bar is 45 gram per bar. The calories is 150. However, the dietary fiber meets 16% of the daily requirement.
Since dietary fiber does not stay in the body, it is an important part of weight loss process. Dietary fiber is the one that makes you feel full without adding calories to the body. Dietary fiber has the ability to expand in size to fill the stomach, so that you feel as if you have eaten a lot.
As I check the ingredients, I can see that where the dietary fiber comes from. Fullbar products use brown rice syrup, puffed wheat cereal, wheat and nuts, such as Almonds and peanuts.
These food have natural dietary fiber. Since natural dietary fiber is plain and tasteless, it is hard for anyone to think about dietary fiber. That is why the products make use of so many natural and tasty ingredients. Every fullbar product contains natural fruits and nuts.
There are about 50 Fullbar products now.
The original Fullbar products have 5 flavors, with calories ranging from 150 to 180 per bar.
The Fullbar Fit series are suitable for people who engage in physical exercise. One Fullbar Fit contains about 30% of the daily protein needs. As with all the Fullbar products, the dietary fiber content is very high. The protein comes mainly from soy, nuts and wheat.
Fullbar has three low calories beverages with great taste. Berrybliss contains just 15 calories with high dietary fiber content. Berrybliss has green tea leaves to help you in losing weight naturally as well.
Even though you can get Fullbar products from departmental stores to help you in losing weight naturally, it is better for you to order online.
You can get better discount with low or free shipping with bulk purchase.
You can click the link to check out the Fullbar products and promotions.
Official FullBar Website-Feel Full, Eat Less, Lose Weight. Buy 2 get free month, free shipping
This is the trick of losing weight naturally.
How does Fullbars products help you lose weight naturally?
When I check out Fullbar products, I am rather surprised at the calories of the products.
The original Fullbar food bar is 45 gram per bar. The calories is 150. However, the dietary fiber meets 16% of the daily requirement.
Since dietary fiber does not stay in the body, it is an important part of weight loss process. Dietary fiber is the one that makes you feel full without adding calories to the body. Dietary fiber has the ability to expand in size to fill the stomach, so that you feel as if you have eaten a lot.
As I check the ingredients, I can see that where the dietary fiber comes from. Fullbar products use brown rice syrup, puffed wheat cereal, wheat and nuts, such as Almonds and peanuts.
These food have natural dietary fiber. Since natural dietary fiber is plain and tasteless, it is hard for anyone to think about dietary fiber. That is why the products make use of so many natural and tasty ingredients. Every fullbar product contains natural fruits and nuts.
There are about 50 Fullbar products now.
The original Fullbar products have 5 flavors, with calories ranging from 150 to 180 per bar.
The Fullbar Fit series are suitable for people who engage in physical exercise. One Fullbar Fit contains about 30% of the daily protein needs. As with all the Fullbar products, the dietary fiber content is very high. The protein comes mainly from soy, nuts and wheat.
Fullbar has three low calories beverages with great taste. Berrybliss contains just 15 calories with high dietary fiber content. Berrybliss has green tea leaves to help you in losing weight naturally as well.
Even though you can get Fullbar products from departmental stores to help you in losing weight naturally, it is better for you to order online.
You can get better discount with low or free shipping with bulk purchase.
You can click the link to check out the Fullbar products and promotions.
Official FullBar Website-Feel Full, Eat Less, Lose Weight. Buy 2 get free month, free shipping
Reflection: is life a living hell
When I was young, I used to listen to those horrible stories of hell
. The concept of hell seems to capture the imagination of many ancient cultures.
Now that I am much older and probably jaded, I feel that hell is not that scary. After all, when life itself is a living hell, who needs an imaginary hell?
Life is a living hell, more scary than the imaginary hell
. After all, in all the cultures, we can see that the tortures of hell are predictable. It is either burning forever (remarkably achievement, since fire cannot reduce the body to ashes), or cutting throat and other punishment as depicted in Chinese hells
.
Life is unpredictable. That is why it is a living hell.
In an economy downturn, those who are still working fear to lose their jobs. They hate their work. They hate the pressure and stress of work. Work is a living hell. Yet the fear of downsizing and losing their jobs hang over them, creating a mental source of living hell.
When they do lose their jobs, the fear of losing homes. The shame of not having a job. The lack of money becomes a constant source of worries. The fear of not getting a job again tortures them day and night. Life is a living hell, with its uncertainty.
Life is a living hell
, due to the uncertainty. Life is a living hell, since a major disaster can change our lives forever. A major earthquake can destroy our homes, destroy our dearest, and destroy our health. In fact, those who died instantly in the earthquake might be the lucky ones. The unlucky ones were the ones that died slowly, and died as a result of outbreak of diseases.
Life is a living hell, because we know that suffering comes in different form. The death of a loved one is an emotional torture. The breakup of a relationship is an emotional torture. When we are the victims of crime, that kind of suffering will stay with us for life. Even though the rapist
rapes once, the victim suffers for the rest of her life. Life is a living hell.
For most of us, life consists of anticipating the next disaster. After a personal financial crisis, a relationship crisis may follow. After that, a major sickness defeats us. At a certain point in time, we will feel despair and ask, “what’s next?” When life is a living hell, we envy the dead. Even if they are now in the legendary hell, at least there is no uncertainty.
What do you think? Is life a living hell?
. The concept of hell seems to capture the imagination of many ancient cultures. Now that I am much older and probably jaded, I feel that hell is not that scary. After all, when life itself is a living hell, who needs an imaginary hell?
Life is a living hell, more scary than the imaginary hell
. After all, in all the cultures, we can see that the tortures of hell are predictable. It is either burning forever (remarkably achievement, since fire cannot reduce the body to ashes), or cutting throat and other punishment as depicted in Chinese hells.Life is unpredictable. That is why it is a living hell.
In an economy downturn, those who are still working fear to lose their jobs. They hate their work. They hate the pressure and stress of work. Work is a living hell. Yet the fear of downsizing and losing their jobs hang over them, creating a mental source of living hell.
When they do lose their jobs, the fear of losing homes. The shame of not having a job. The lack of money becomes a constant source of worries. The fear of not getting a job again tortures them day and night. Life is a living hell, with its uncertainty.
Life is a living hell
, due to the uncertainty. Life is a living hell, since a major disaster can change our lives forever. A major earthquake can destroy our homes, destroy our dearest, and destroy our health. In fact, those who died instantly in the earthquake might be the lucky ones. The unlucky ones were the ones that died slowly, and died as a result of outbreak of diseases. Life is a living hell, because we know that suffering comes in different form. The death of a loved one is an emotional torture. The breakup of a relationship is an emotional torture. When we are the victims of crime, that kind of suffering will stay with us for life. Even though the rapist
rapes once, the victim suffers for the rest of her life. Life is a living hell.For most of us, life consists of anticipating the next disaster. After a personal financial crisis, a relationship crisis may follow. After that, a major sickness defeats us. At a certain point in time, we will feel despair and ask, “what’s next?” When life is a living hell, we envy the dead. Even if they are now in the legendary hell, at least there is no uncertainty.
What do you think? Is life a living hell?
Monday, June 21, 2010
Special offers on healthy weight loss foods
Healthy weight loss foods need not cost you a bomb. You can take a look at the special promotions for healthy weight loss foods.
Healthy weight loss foods: 30% off Fullbites Sour cream and onion
Save 30% at Fullbar.com on FULLBITES SOUR CREAM AND ONION 37.5G BAG, 9 CT CARTON, coupon code: AFS30
This is a limited offer, ending on 31 July 2010.
Healthy weight loss foods: 50% on AQUAFULL POMEGRANATE ORANGE
Save 50% at Fullbar.com on AQUAFULL POMEGRANATE ORANGE (20CT), Coupon Code: AAP507
This is a limited period offer as well, expiring on 31 July 2010
Healthy weight loss foods: 50% off Aquafull Berry bliss
Save 50% at Fullbar.com on AQUAFULL BERRY BLISS(20CT), Coupon Code: AAB507
This offer ends on 31 July 2010. Do not miss out this offer.
Healthy weight loss foods: 20% off Murray Sugar Free cookies
Save 20% off on Murray Sugar Free Cookies for a back to school lunch treat! This is a chance to train your kids to eat healthy with tasty food.
Murray Sugar Free Cookies
Healthy weight loss foods: 60% off health products for guys
Save up to 60% off Health Products for men, and receive FREE shipping on all orders over $100.
Save 60% on Men's Health Products
Healthy weight loss foods: $20 off for order exceeding $130.
This offer is valid until 31 December 2010.
$20 Off order of $130 or more CODE: ADW2013
Healthy weight loss foods: 30% off Fullbites Sour cream and onion
Save 30% at Fullbar.com on FULLBITES SOUR CREAM AND ONION 37.5G BAG, 9 CT CARTON, coupon code: AFS30
This is a limited offer, ending on 31 July 2010.
Healthy weight loss foods: 50% on AQUAFULL POMEGRANATE ORANGE
Save 50% at Fullbar.com on AQUAFULL POMEGRANATE ORANGE (20CT), Coupon Code: AAP507
This is a limited period offer as well, expiring on 31 July 2010
Healthy weight loss foods: 50% off Aquafull Berry bliss
Save 50% at Fullbar.com on AQUAFULL BERRY BLISS(20CT), Coupon Code: AAB507
This offer ends on 31 July 2010. Do not miss out this offer.
Healthy weight loss foods: 20% off Murray Sugar Free cookies
Save 20% off on Murray Sugar Free Cookies for a back to school lunch treat! This is a chance to train your kids to eat healthy with tasty food.
Murray Sugar Free Cookies
Healthy weight loss foods: 60% off health products for guys
Save up to 60% off Health Products for men, and receive FREE shipping on all orders over $100.
Save 60% on Men's Health Products
Healthy weight loss foods: $20 off for order exceeding $130.
This offer is valid until 31 December 2010.
$20 Off order of $130 or more CODE: ADW2013
Choosing relationship books
Relationship books are certainly selling very well. You can find both online and offline relationship books. The problem is that when you need advice on relationship, you are not usually at the most rational moment in your life.When you are deeply in love, you are not likely to buy relationship books to learn how to sustain the love.
By the time you realize that the break up is for real, you are in the mood to buy many relationship books, hoping to find miracle cures.
How do you choose relationship books?
There are so factors you have to bear in mind when choosing relationship books.
1. Author
The fanciful titles of the author is not an indication of expertise.
You do not need classroom knowledge. You need practical advice.
Sometimes the best advice on relationship comes from people like you and me. That is why Chicken Soul for the Soul series become so popular.
You are learning from real people, with real experience, instead of expert who are highly intelligent and highly educated.
2. Practical advices
You need practical advices on getting over the break up or getting back with your ex. You do not need those relationship books that tell you to work on yourself.
Everyone knows that a cooling period is good. Everyone knows that we need self improvement. However, many imperfect persons are enjoying blissful marriage. They do not need self improvement tips to the point of making themselves perfect.
You need relationship books that offer step by step guide. For example, how to send email to her. How to send text message without making matter worse.
If your relationship fails because of an affair, you need guidance on recovering from the affair.
3. Cultural differences
The relationship books should touch on the cultural differences, and the communication barriers.
Relationship books for the Asians may not be suitable for the Americans. There is a great difference in the culture.
However, the best relationship books can cut across different cultures to help people find happiness and true love.
4. Testimonials
People are not afraid to air their opinions of relationship books.
When you visit Amazon.com
and search for relationship books, you will find many comments and book reviews. You can go through the book reviews to assess the effectiveness of the relationship books.Resource: Magic of making up
Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh was first published in 1937. However, the story is still extremely interesting and captivating. It features Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn. This is more of the old-fashioned detecting novel, not those that smells of hatred, and violence.
I enjoy reading Vintage Murder
by Ngaio Marsh, even though the usual cast of characters are not present in this book. I miss the Brer Fox and all the other police officers. I even miss Nigel, the reporter.
In this book, Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn travels to New Zealand on a year-long holiday. He had an operation and was on a recuperative leave. He happens to meet with the members from Carolyn Dacres English Comedy Company.
The theatrical group invites Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn to watch the show, and later, the surprise birthday party for the lead actress, Carolyn Dacres.
The husband of Carloyn Dacres dies in this surprise birthday party. It seems that everyone has the opportunities to mess up with the arrangement, and causes the champagne to smash into him.
As the murder investigation progresses, the plot thickens, and everything seems even more messy. I cannot keep track with the movement of everyone. It seems that they move around a lot. Until nearly the end, when Bob Parsons, the dresser testifies. He provides iron-clad alibi for all the innocent persons. I like the description of Bob Parsons. His whistling in between the smoking of two cigarettes accounts for the time before the murder takes place.
Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh is a mystery story. However, it is a funny story as well. There are many funny characters in this story. The description of those silly and hopeless young people are remarkable.
I love the description of the beauty of New Zealand in this book. Fortunately, the murder takes place in the theatre, and does not spoil the beauty of the country.
The usage of the word “crook” is a local slang that is very confusing to Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn
initially. It can mean many different things accordingly to the context.
There are many thought-provoking quotations in this book.
Quote 1 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
The fascination of a train journey lies in this remoteness of the country outside, and in the realization that it is so close. At any station, one may break the spell of the train and set foot in the earth. But as long as one stays in the train, the outside is a dream country.
Quote 2 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
He had none of the awkwardness of youth, and very little of its vitality, being restless rather than energetic, acquisitive rather than ambitious.
Quote 3 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
The other fellow has about as much conversation as a vegetable marrow.
Quote 4 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
“are you going out again, sir?”
“Oh yes, rather. It is my night to howl.”
Quote 5 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
There are people to whom one need not show off. It’s a great comfort sometimes.
was first published in 1937. However, the story is still extremely interesting and captivating. It features Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn. This is more of the old-fashioned detecting novel, not those that smells of hatred, and violence.I enjoy reading Vintage Murder
by Ngaio Marsh, even though the usual cast of characters are not present in this book. I miss the Brer Fox and all the other police officers. I even miss Nigel, the reporter.In this book, Chief Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn travels to New Zealand on a year-long holiday. He had an operation and was on a recuperative leave. He happens to meet with the members from Carolyn Dacres English Comedy Company.
The theatrical group invites Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn
to watch the show, and later, the surprise birthday party for the lead actress, Carolyn Dacres.The husband of Carloyn Dacres dies in this surprise birthday party. It seems that everyone has the opportunities to mess up with the arrangement, and causes the champagne to smash into him.
As the murder investigation progresses, the plot thickens, and everything seems even more messy. I cannot keep track with the movement of everyone. It seems that they move around a lot. Until nearly the end, when Bob Parsons, the dresser testifies. He provides iron-clad alibi for all the innocent persons. I like the description of Bob Parsons. His whistling in between the smoking of two cigarettes accounts for the time before the murder takes place.
Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh is a mystery story. However, it is a funny story as well. There are many funny characters in this story. The description of those silly and hopeless young people are remarkable.
I love the description of the beauty of New Zealand in this book. Fortunately, the murder takes place in the theatre, and does not spoil the beauty of the country.
The usage of the word “crook” is a local slang that is very confusing to Chief Detective Inspector Alleyn
initially. It can mean many different things accordingly to the context.There are many thought-provoking quotations in this book.
Quote 1 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
The fascination of a train journey lies in this remoteness of the country outside, and in the realization that it is so close. At any station, one may break the spell of the train and set foot in the earth. But as long as one stays in the train, the outside is a dream country.
Quote 2 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
He had none of the awkwardness of youth, and very little of its vitality, being restless rather than energetic, acquisitive rather than ambitious.
Quote 3 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
The other fellow has about as much conversation as a vegetable marrow.
Quote 4 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
“are you going out again, sir?”
“Oh yes, rather. It is my night to howl.”
Quote 5 from Vintage Murder by Ngaio Marsh
There are people to whom one need not show off. It’s a great comfort sometimes.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
How to get an ex girlfriend back
If you are thinking how to get an ex girlfriend back, then I assume the breakup is not too devastating.Both of you probably part on a better term than failed relationship.
You still love her and hope that she feels the same way.
If it is mainly your fault leading to the break up, you need to change and apologize.
Now is the time to say you are sorry. She will certainly think better of you when you own up your mistakes.
The problem is how to get an ex girlfriend back? Can you get an ex girlfriend back by showing your sensitive side?
First of all, there is no guarantee that you will get her back.
However, you increase the chance of getting back when you do things right.
You can show her how much you miss her, beside telling her how sorry you are.
You need to pay attention to her feelings. If she thinks that you are faking the apology, you need to stop apologizing.
She may even throw away your gifts. She is possibly still angry and hurt over the break up.
You need to give her time to get over it, as well as change your tactic of approach.
You can try making your own card, and writing your feelings to her. It is certainly better than using commercial cards, and copy the love poems from Internet.
If your ex girlfriend ever complained that you are not thoughtful enough. You need to think about it. Do you forget the anniversary? Do you forget her birthday? Do you need her to hint that Valentine’s Day is near?
You can start by paying attention to the details.
You probably do not view Valentine’s Day as important. You probably think that you love her every day, and you do not need to shower love on any day. However, she may misinterpret your practicality as thoughtless.
If you are thinking of how to get an ex girlfriend back, you need to pay attention to how she feels.
The worst answer to the question of how to get an ex girlfriend back is by dating other women.
You must not do so unless you give up on getting her back. You will hurt an innocent party when you are using your new girlfriend as a pawn.
If your ex girlfriend has a new boyfriend, what can you do?
The fact is that your ex girlfriend has moved on. If she is happy with the new boyfriend, chances of you getting her back are slim.
If she is not happy in her new relationship, you can start by sending her a card now and then.
You can send her casual email as well. Do not expect her to break off with her current boyfriend and get back to you. Keep the contact casual. Make as if you are treating her as normal friend.
Resource: Magic of making up
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
