Good Habit or Bad Habit

Habits are to your life pretty much what gas is to your car. They keep you moving along – but whether they carry you to a better place or not depends entirely on the habit.

Bad habits can hold talented people back while good habits carry less talented people on ahead.

Many, many posts can be written on bad habits (in fact, they have), but essentially, we’ll get rid of our bad habits when we’ve finally had enough of them. I don’t want to spend too terribly much time with bad habits in this post, I’d rather approach habits with another tactic.

How about this? Let’s apopt so many great habits that we put the squeeze play on bad habits. I’m thinking that if we add about 10, that’ll leave less room for the bad crowd. I remember a television special about healthy eating that aired a few years ago. A nutritionist pointed out that if you fill your plate up with healthy vegetables and fruit, you actually get to eat more food. All you have to do is replace the unhealthy food with healthier alternatives – and you almost always get to enjoy more of the healthy food.

The good squeezes out the bad, so you’re left with a double-sided win: You get rid of things that are bad for you and you make room for things that are good for you.

So what sort of healthy habits could we bring to our life’s plate? Below’s a buffet of suggestions, I know you’ll be able to come up with more. Come up with as many as you want, of course, but remember that “bite-sized” portions are always easiest to handle. Don’t put more on your plate than you’ll actually be able to eat!

1. Start getting up a little earlier.  I realize that when the weather’s cool it’s really tough to start getting up earlier.  The body wants to sleep later, for crying out loud!  But, I’ve been on both sides of the 6:00 am, and I can say without hesitation that every corner of your day will be better if you get a running start at it.  Also, the quiet hours of the morning are the perfect way to glide into your day.  Rushing around after being summoned by a hateful alarm clock isn’t good for the psyche.  Mornings just weren’t meant to be so hectic.
2. Read more.  When you open a book, you open your mind and literally pour knowledge into it.  Knowledge is power.  Knowledge is power.  Knowledge is power.
3. Laugh more.  Laughter is great for you – body and soul.  It doesn’t matter if anyone laughs with you, it doesn’t matter if anyone laughs at you.   Just laugh! 
4. Complain less.  Starting tomorrow, do a little self improvement exercise:  Each time you feel tempted to say something negative, make yourself say something positive instead.  I’ve never understood why anyone would want to spread misery and gloominess.  I always wonder, “Do they hate life that much?” 
5. Drink more water.  I read a lot of articles and books about health and there are several things they all agree on (the other is right on this one’s heels at #6!).  One of the things every physician, health expert, nutritionist, and great aunt tells us is this:  Drink more water.  There has to be something to it.   
6. Get at least 30 minutes of activity each day.  Bronchitis has had me in a choke hold for weeks, but I was feeling a lot better today. So I did some intense work around the house.  I expected to feel like I’d been hit by a bus afterwards, but I feel great.  I’ve been sitting and sipping soup for so long I’d forgotten how good it feels to be active.
7. Stop assuming people know how you feel.  Even if they have an idea, do you know how much it will mean to them if you tell them?   Most of us can recall certain things that our loved ones have said to us that meant the world.  In fact, the words meant so much that we still carry them around with us today.  Maybe it was a dad saying, “I’m SO proud of you.”  Maybe it was a mother telling us that we’re just the daughter/son she’d always hoped for.  Why is it that so often it’s when we’re in the middle of altercations that these sentiments come out?  Then, they’re often followed with a “But…”  Any sentiment followed by a but isn’t much of a sentiment!  This tactic is simply the art of putting conditions on the words.  They certainly aren’t the sentiments we carry with us.  It’s the ones that come out of the blue – not as a prerequisite to what all we’re doing wrong and not to soften any blows.  If you love someone, tell them every single day.  If you’re proud of them, tell them – WITHOUT BUTS!
8. Put yourself in time-out.   In the same way we put children in “time out” when they show signs of being stressed out or overly tired, we could benefit just as much.  Last week, my husband did something that I thought was pretty cute.  Our daughters and I were gathering in the living room to watch Survivor – a Thursday night ritual we’ve enjoyed for years.  I make the special snacks, then we all watch a show that never disappoints.  However, my husband had had a week from hell and a particularly long, stressful day – so he opted out.  He put himself in a sort of “time out” in our home office in a chair in front of baseball.  He sat quietly in his pajamas, reminding me of a 2 year old boy who was trying to calm down!  I thought about telling him that, but I just headed to the living room. (I wasn’t born yesterday.)  Sometimes our nerves just need to unravel and they can do that better when there isn’t a lot going on.
9. Become a more aware and cautious driver.   My poor guardian angel must be a basketcase.  Not only am I accident prone, I’m one of the most ridiculous drivers on earth.  But, years ago, I began to slow down and drive oh so much more carefully when I looked around me to see my vehicle surrounded by future drivers.  They’re watching.  What do they see?  Even if there aren’t future drivers with you, paying attention to what’s going on around you can save lives at best, headaches at worst.  Texting while driving, speeding, road rage, playing mind games (“Oh, yeah, if you want to get on my bumper, I’ll just slow down… You wanna hit me? Why, you can just buy me a new car, sucker…”) - these are all things that can get you killed, hurt, ticketed, or arrested.  I don’t think we’re interested in any of those, are we?
10. Be thankful.  People are filled to their eyeballs with negative thoughts and words lately – but we still have it amazingly good.  I know I don’t have to tell you that – but I’m pretty sure we all need a reminder every now and again.  I remember a shallow little wake up call I got one time while we were living in Florida.  I had put on a tank top and shorts and was complaining to one of my daughters (oh, heck to anyone who’d listen) about my arms.  They weren’t “tank top arms…” etc.  I was cutting them up pretty good.  Then we walked over to the beach and the first person I saw made me, literally, cry with shame.  She was around 20 and only had one arm.  I’ve never forgotten that day.  And I honestly don’t believe I’ve complained about my arms since.  Either of them.

What is Meant by Unity in Diversity ?

India holds claim to 17% of the world’s population, and one-third of the world’s poor. The World Bank estimates that 41% of Indians live below the poverty line, in situations of abject scarcity. While the majority of us reading this have seen birthday celebrations, and gifts from family and friends, many in India are born on the streets, without medical help or sanitation. They are not celebrated; instead their births are a burden, and their lives are hardship, ignored by most, on the pavements of India.

Cricket is the closest thing India has to a single, unifying experience. The children in slums share the same mad passion for the game as do the gray-haired gentlemen enjoying a match at the cricket clubs. The game lends itself to many forms, and gully cricket, in its most basic avatar, has been the initiation of many of India’s finest batsmen, who left the narrow lanes of their childhood behind, to play under the bright lights of the IPL, a professional cricket league whose brand value is now estimated at $3.6 billion.

India’s universities and placements boast of international standards, and the country is seen as an emerging new academic destination globally. Yet, India has one of the largest illiterate populations in the world, with the highest number of labourers under 14 years of age. A UNESCO report estimates that 72 million primary school children are not in school, with a staggering 12.6 million children engaged in hazardous occupations.

India’s vision of becoming a world leader in nuclear power technology, with ambitions to supply 25% of the nation’s electricity through nuclear plants by 2050, falls in sharp contrast to the whopping 35% of population that live without access to electricity today.

Students Drop out of College Why?

What do you think are the reasons why high school students make it — but stop there? College is a whole four years, but not everyone goes through with it. What holds them back? We looked at several sources on the Internet and found that these are the main contributing factors:

1. Homesickness and feeling that you don’t fit in. It’s a whole new world out there, and you may not be ready to embrace it.
2. Educational burnout. While college gives you control and flexibility over your schedule, the hard demanding schedule, challenging courses, and boatload of homework certainly has turned a lot of students away from the desire to continue.
3. Academic unpreparedness. Sometimes, high school didn’t really prepare students for college. Other times, students slacked off in high school and paid the price during their post-secondary years. The high school goal was to pass (so that students could get into college); in college, it is to succeed.
4. Personal or family issues. You may have had an unfortunate illness in the family or you yourself just got totally get stressed out from the workload.
5. Financial constraints. Tuition costs continue to soar, and scholarships or grants are not always available. Additionally, financial situations can change from year to year.
6. Too much fun — but not enough education. Some students take advantage of their friendships, which could put them on academic probation due to suffering grades or absence in classes.
7. The school isn’t a good academic fit for the student. You’ve selected a great school that is very arts-centric. However, you realize that you like the sciences better. Similarly, you may hate the average class size of 100 and prefer much smaller classes for more individualized attention.
8. Setting sights on the wrong major. You may have wanted to be a doctor but after taking several science classes, you decided that you’re rather go into marketing. Does your school have a marketing major? If not, you’re likely to go elsewhere.
9. No guidance or mentors. In high school, teachers and counselors were there to guide you, as high school classes are typically smaller than the entering freshman class. It’s a lot harder to get the personalized attention that you’ve been used to and that could turn people off quickly.
10. External demands, particularly within part time or full time employment. Can we say Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook? When the job puts too many demands on you, you may have to choose, and money usually wins out.
11. Time to move out. If the cold winter just doesn’t suit you, you may decide to go elsewhere. You may want to go closer to home or to be closer to a significant other.

Emotions Are Universal

What is an emotion? – Considering how important emotions are in our everyday life, there is not as much research on emotions as you might think. In order to study emotions it’s necessary to define them first. Scientists studying emotions contrast them with moods and attitudes:

• Emotions = have physiological correlates, expressed physically (gestures, facial expressions), often result in an action, and result from a specific event.
• Moods = last longer than emotions, perhaps a day or two, may not be expressed physically, and may not come from a specific event.
• Attitudes = have a more cognitive, conscious brain component.

Only Seven Emotions Are Universal

• Happiness

Happiness is a mental state of well-being characterized by positive emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

Happiness

• Sadness

Sadness is emotional pain associated with, or characterized by feelings of disadvantage, loss, despair, helplessness, sorrow, and rage. When sad, people often become outspoken, less energetic, and emotional. Crying is an indication of sadness.

Sadness

• Anger

Anger is an emotion related to one's psychological interpretation of having been offended, wronged or denied and a tendency to undo that by retaliation.

Anger

• Contempt

Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. 

Contempt

• Surprise

Surprise  is a brief emotional state experienced as the result of an unexpected event. Surprise can have any valence; that is, it can be nuetral/moderate, pleasant, or unpleasant. If a person experiences a very powerful or long lasting surprise it may be considered shock.

Surprise

• Disgust

Disgust is an emotion that is typically associated with things that are regarded as unclean, inedible, infectious, gory or otherwise offensive.

Disgust

• Fear

Fear from the Greek: φόβος,phóbos, meaning "fear" or "morbid fear", is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger and flee from it or confront it, also known as the Fight or Flight response.

Fear

Why do people play music in public through a phone?

For many, teenagers playing tinny music to each other on public transport on their mobile phones can be intensely irritating. Why do they do it?

With mobile phones in many a teenager's pocket, the rise of sodcasting - best described as playing music through a phone in public - has created a noisy problem for a lot of commuters.
"All you can hear is 'dush, dush, dush, dush'. It's irritating. So many times I end up with a headache," says Tracey King, who has signed up to the Shhh! Scheme set up by bus company Arriva Yorkshire to stop the noise on their services.
"As teenagers, they don't seem to have the capability to think about others. I have heard older women turning round and saying 'will you turn that down?' and sometimes they will… and other times I've heard them with abuse and swearing at other people."
As mayor of London, Ken Livingstone called for the "absolute prohibition on playing music from a mobile system" as far back as in 2006. Young people can now have their zip cards - which allow them free travel in the capital - revoked for "anti-social behaviour", which includes playing loud music.
The issue has even been discussed in the House of Lords. In 2006, the Piped Music and Showing of Television Programmes Bill was presented to Parliament, calling for "the wearing of headphones by persons listening to music in the public areas of hospitals and on public transport" to be made compulsory, although it never made it into law.

Continue reading the main story

What is sodcasting?

• Sodcasting is described by The Urban Dictionary as "The act of playing music through the speaker on a mobile phone, usually on public transport. Commonly practised by young people wearing polyester, branded sportswear with dubious musical taste."
• The term is believed to have been first used by Pascale Wyse in the Guardian in his series Wyse Words, a list of words that do not exist but should. He stated that sodcasters were terrified of not being noticed, so they sprayed their audio wee around the place like tomcats.

So why do people do it? Is it just an act of youthful rebellion?

"I don't think it is intrinsically anti-social, what I would say is that it is a fascinating human phenomenon of marking social territory," says Dr Harry Witchel, author of You Are What You Hear.
"With young people, usually loud music corresponds very strongly to owning the space.
"They are creating a social environment which is suitable for them and their social peers. But for those not in this group - a 50-year-old woman for example - instead of confidence, she'll feel weakness and maybe even impotence as there's nothing that she can do about it."

“Start Quote

With young people, usually loud music corresponds very strongly to owning the space”

Dr Harry Witchel Author, You Are What You Hear

But hasn't this always been the case? Most people who remember the 80s can remember someone with a boom box perched on one shoulder, pumping out the latest songs to anyone within earshot. Some take this tradition back even further.

"I reckon I was an early sodcaster," says the poet and broadcaster Ian McMillan.
"It was way back in the distant 1970s. As a teenager I was a big fan of the kind of music that made my mother say 'Will you turn that rubbish off?', and my dad hiss 'I wouldn't mind if it had a proper tune.'
"The fact is that I wasn't allowed to listen to [my favourite artists] in the house so I had to listen to them outside using a tape player."
But Dr Witchel says something slightly different was happening back then.
"When people went around with their ghetto blasters, you could argue that it was for the pure pleasure of the music they loved," he says.
"There is no excuse for why you would want to listen to tinny music, except if you were establishing territory. It just sounds rubbish. It must sound rubbish to them."
'Elderly people' A group of schoolchildren on the 277 bus in Hackney, East London, don't all think that what they are doing is wrong.
"I wouldn't agree [that it was anti-social]," says one.

Continue reading the main story"The people who think it's anti-social don't really listen to this type of music."

A second agrees that the bus would be dull without a little bit of music.
"Fair enough, it might be anti-social but the bus is always quiet," she says. "You need something to listen to, right? We give you [something] to listen to."
Some youth workers argue that what the youngsters are doing is largely innocent.
"I don't think they [the sodcasters] are being selfish at all," says Dmitry Fedotov, of the Youth Association.
"I think if young people see sound as preferable to no sound then, if anything, they're going to be thinking they're doing people a favour."
And something is changing within the music industry itself. With the increase of songs being played through phones, more attention is being spent on the parts of the music that can be heard loudest though phone speakers.
"I think we're starting to see evidence that musicians and producers are thinking about the technology by which their music is listened to," says music journalist Dan Hancox, who has written extensively on the subject of sodcasting.

Rapper Giggs is said to be the most sodcasted artist, though quantifying this is very difficult

"It's something that has been described as treble culture.
"It is the idea that in this particular technological era, things that are transmittable on low fidelity (low quality) speakers are being heard more and more in pop music, quite a bit of R&B and hip hop - things which traditionally had a large and important bass element to them."
So, if this phenomenon is here to stay, what can be done by those who want a little bit of peace and quiet on their journey?
"Legislation is not the answer, and nor is citizen power, as anyone who has ever approached a sodcaster to ask them to stop will know all too well," wrote Julian Treasure, chairman of the Sound Agency, on his blog.
"I believe the heart of the solution is in teaching listening skills in schools. If we teach our children how to listen properly to the world - and especially to each other - they will understand the consequences of their own sound and be far more responsible in making it."

Tips to Improve Your Concentration

When TV newscaster Diane Sawyer was asked the secret to her success, she said, "I think the one lesson I've learned is there is no substitute for paying attention."

Are you thinking, "I agree, but HOW do we improve our ability to focus and maintain attention -- no matter what?"

These five FOCUS tips can help you concentrate better -- whether you're working in a busy office, studying at school, sitting in a meeting, or trying to finish a project.

F = Five More Rule
There are two kinds of people -- those who have learned how to work through frustration, and those who wish they had. From now on, if you're in the middle of a task and tempted to give up -- just do FIVE MORE.

Read FIVE MORE pages. Finish FIVE MORE math problems. Work FIVE MORE minutes.

Just as athletes build physical stamina by pushing past the point of exhaustion, you can build mental stamina by pushing past the point of frustration.

Just as runners get their second wind by not giving up when their body initially protests, you can get your "second mind" by not giving up when your willpower initially protests. Continuing to concentrate when your brain is tired is the key to S-T-R-E-T-C-H-I-N-G your attention span and building mental endurance.

O = One Think At a Time
Samuel Goldwyn said, "If I look confused, it's because I'm thinking." Feeling scatter-brained? Overcome perpetual preoccupation with the Godfather Plan -- make your mind a deal it can't refuse. Yes, the mind takes bribes. Instead of telling it NOT to worry about another, lesser priority (which will cause your mind to think about the very thing it's not supposed to think about!), assign it a single task with start-stop time parameters.

For example, "I will think about how to pay off that credit card debt when I get home tonight and have a chance to add up my bills. For now, for the next thirty minutes from 1-1:30 pm, I will give my complete focus to practicing this presentation so I am eloquent and articulate when pitching this proposal to our VIP clients."

Still can't get other concerns out of your head? Write them down on your to-do list so you're free to forget them. Recording worrisome obligations means you don't have to use your brain as a "reminder" bulletin board, which means you can give your undivided attention to your top priority task.

C = Conquer Procrastination
Don't feel like concentrating? Are you putting off a task or project you're supposed to be working on? That's a form of procrastination. R. D. Clyde said, "It's amazing how long it takes to complete something we're not working on."

Next time you're about to postpone a responsibility ask yourself, "Do I have to do this? Do I want it done so it's not on my mind? Will it be any easier later?" Those three questions can give you the incentive to mentally apply yourself because they bring you face to face with the fact this task isn't going away, and delaying will only add to your guilt and make this onerous task occupy more of your mind and time.

U = Use Your Hands as Blinkers
Picture your mind as a camera and your eyes as its aperture. Most of the time, our eyes are "taking it all in" and our brain is in "wide-angle focus." We can actually think about many things at once and operate quite efficiently this way (e.g., imagine driving down a crowded highway while talking to a friend, fiddling with the radio, keeping an eye on the cars beside you, and watching for your exit sign.)

What if you want to switch to telephoto focus? What if you have to prepare for a test and you need 100% concentration? Cup your hands around your eyes so you have "tunnel vision" and are looking solely at your text book. Placing your hands on the side of your face blocks out surroundings so they are literally "out of sight, out of mind." Think about the importance of those words.

Want even better news? Does the name Pavlov r-r-r-ring a bell? If you cup your hands around your eyes every time you want to switch from wide-angle to telephoto focus, that physical ritual becomes a Pavlovian trigger.

Remember? Pavlov rang the bell, fed the dog, rang the bell and fed the dog, until the dog started salivating as soon as he heard the sound of the bell. Similarly, using your hands as blinkers every time you want to narrow your focus teaches your brain to switch to "one track" mind and concentrate on your command.

S = See As If For the First or Last Time
Want to know how to be "here and now" and fully present instead of mindlessly rushing here, there, and everywhere? Frederick Franck said, "When the eye wakes up to see again, it suddenly stops taking anything for granted." Evelyn Underhill said, "For lack of attention, a thousand forms of loveliness elude us every day."

I constantly relearn this lesson. One time I was giving my sons their nightly back rub. Although I was sitting right next to them, I might as well have been in the next country because I was thinking of the early morning flight I needed to take the next day and wondering if I had packed my hand-outs, if my ticket was in my purse, etc.

Suddenly, my unfocused eyes fell upon my sons and I truly SAW Tom and Andrew as if I was looking at them for the first time. I was immediately flooded with a sense of gratitude for these two healthy, thriving boys. I felt so blessed to have been gifted with such wonderful sons. In an instant, I went from being absent-minded to being filled with a sense of awe and appreciation for their presence in my life.

Next time your mind is a million miles away, simply look around you and really SEE your surroundings. Study that exquisite flower in the vase. Get up close to the picture on the wall and marvel at the artist's craftmanship.

Lean in and really look at a loved one you tend to take for granted. This will "Velveteen Rabbit" your world and make it come alive in your mind's eye.

Simple Ways For Your Mind Power

Graphical Human Brain

 Here are Ten simple ways you can use to unfold your mind power today to help you think more rapidly, perk up memory, grasp information finer and liberate your brain’s full potential.

1. Learn a language:

Learning a new language can be demanding, engrossing, and cool. Not only will you must drive the cerebral power to arrange your recently studied words and phrases, but you will as well have the occasion to think in a different lingo.

2. Meditate:

Meditation has an exceptional way of unfolding your mind from the subliminal level. It has its means of delving through your mind, and delivering out significant, and time after time sensitively points memoirs into your cognizant mind.

3. Music:

Music boosts your feeling and cultivates a sense of poignant intellect. For an example, just see a foreign movie in language that you don’t interpret, you will be nicely amazed that you will not only make out what’s happening, but be capable to sense the feelings of the actors.

4. Reading:

By reading, you are equal to key in numerous years of understanding, inspiration, information, and intelligence into your minds in few hours. It’s essential to read books/articles penned by people that have achieved something you wish for, or that you respect somehow. One ought to be cautious not to poison their mind by reading misleading information.

5. Writing:

Writing develops your lexis, which depicted to be outright link with success. Most of the career people involved in is established on strong communication skills with a steadfast hold of terminology and flair for expressive style.

6. Poetry:

Poetry can nurture imagination as you outline a brilliant illustration with your words. It’s in addition a groovy method to work out your memory, by remembering appealing words, plus conning poems to have with you all the time.

Parts of Humain Brain

7. Brainteasers:

Brainteasers/Puzzles build up neural links in someway that they amend hand-eye coordination in people of all ages. Brainteasers are available in loads of kinds that you can exercise memory, mathematics, vocabulary, and other spells of decisive thinking although relishing these tricky games.

8. Painting:

Painting is one more nifty form of stating your style. No art is truly ever so completed, as there’s perpetually more to be fared, except it surely can be left at remarkable.

9. Mathematics:

Although many people hate math because of the lousy way it’s educated, it still instructs you how to cogitate significantly, and bestows your way in to a methodical chain of thought. By imagining this way, you are open to be more rational and having the expertise of judgment.

10. Questions:

The ideal way to unfold your mind is by questioning everything. It’s indeed a lot easier to believe facts/figures that arrives to you, rather than questioning it and being vulnerable to having to imagine. As is habitually the instance, raising questions for yourself, guides to more and more questions. At times, you do find sensible answers; however, it’s crucial to observe that the simple bit of asking develops your minds and grants you to seek on an endless number of blueprints. A fresh question lends an innovative viewpoint, which likely alters all things you make out about the world.

Conclusion:

It’s easy to get bogged down by the information overload in this fast evolving tech world. But as there are limits to everything so is to our mind, it doesn’t mean to let our brain rot and restrict ourselves from improving though. I hope the above-mentioned simple ways (albeit not groundbreaking) will help you over the time.

China watermelons burst from excess chemicals

BEIJING – Watermelon fields in eastern China are a mess of burst fruit after farmers abused growth chemicals in an attempt to make extra money but ended up ruining their crops, state media reported Tuesday.
An investigative report by China Central Television found farms in and around Danyang city in Jiangsu province were losing acres (hectares) of fruit to the problem.
The farmers sprayed forchlorfenuron, a growth accelerator, during overly wet weather and put it on too late in the season, which made the melons burst, CCTV said, citing agricultural experts.
It said most watermelons sold at a wholesale market in nearby Shanghai were believed to have been treated with forchlorfenuron. Telltale signs are fibrous, misshapen fruit with mostly white instead of black seeds, it said.
Chinese regulations don't forbid use of the drug, and it is allowed in the United States for use on kiwi fruit and grapes.
But the report underscores how farmers in China are abusing both legal and illegal chemicals, with many farms misusing pesticides and fertilizers.
The government has already voiced alarm over the widespread overuse of food additives like dyes and sweeteners that retailers hope will make food more attractive and boost sales.
The CCTV report colorfully described the watermelons as "land mines" and said they were exploding by the acre (hectare).
The report quoted Feng Shuangqing, a professor at the China Agricultural University, as saying the problem showed that China needs to clarify its farm chemical standards and supervision to protect consumer health.
Danyang farmer Liu Mingsuo ended up with eight acres (three hectares) of ruined fruit and told CCTV he couldn't sleep because he kept picturing exploding watermelons.
"On May 7, I came out and counted 80 (bursting watermelons) but by the afternoon it was 100," Liu said. "Two days later I didn't bother to count anymore."
About 20 farmers and 115 acres (45 hectares) of watermelon around Danyang were affected, it said. Farmers resorted to chopping up the fruit and feeding it to fish and pigs, the broadcaster said.

Stephen Hawking's Afterlife

Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking recently explained his belief that there is no God and that humans should therefore seek to live the most valuable lives they can while on Earth.

I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first. I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.

Hawking's 1988 book  "A Brief History of Time" sold 9 million copies, and in it Hawking referenced God metaphorically as the force that could fully explain the creation of the universe.
But in 2010, Hawking told Diane Sawyer that "science will win" in a battle with religion "because it works."

"What could define God [is a conception of divinity] as the embodiment of the laws of nature. However, this is not what most people would think of that God," Hawking told Sawyer. "They made a human-like being with whom one can have a personal relationship. When you look at the vast size of the universe and how insignificant an accidental human life is in it, that seems most impossible."
Hawking's latest book, "The Grand Design," challenged Isaac Newton's theory that the solar system could not have been created without God. "Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to ... set the Universe going," he writes.
Hawking was diagnosed with the degenerative Lou Gehrig's disease at the age of 21. He lost his power of speech and for decades has talked through an electronic speech synthesizer. The device has allowed him to continue his research and attain a top Cambridge research post, which was previously held by Newton. His most famous theory explains how black holes emit radiation, according to The Guardian.
So if everyone is destined to power-down like computers at the end of their lives, what should humans do to lend meaning to their experience?
"We should seek the greatest value of our action," Hawking told the paper.

NATO helicopter attacks Pakistani army post

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan – A NATO helicopter attacked a Pakistani army post near the Afghan border on Tuesday, injuring two soldiers in an incident that could further increase tensions following the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden, Pakistani officials said.
NATO coalition spokesman Lt. Col. John Dorrian confirmed there were helicopters flying near the Pakistani border and that there was "an incident." The alliance was investigating, he said.
A Western military official said the incident started before dawn, when a NATO base in Afghanistan received intermittent direct and indirect fire from the Pakistani side of the border.
Two helicopters flew into the area to provide support, one of which fired across the border after twice receiving fire from the Pakistani side, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The attack took place Tuesday morning in the Datta Khel area of the North Waziristan tribal region, injuring two soldiers, said Pakistani intelligence officials. The area is a known sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants and has been targeted repeatedly by covert U.S. drone strikes.
Pakistani troops responded to the attack with machine gun fire and deployed two helicopter gunships over the army post, but the NATO helicopter had already left, said the Pakistani officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
It was not yet clear if the NATO helicopter crossed into Pakistani airspace, the Western military official said.
"We're investigating the incident to determine a flight path by examining GPS waypoints in the helicopter computer, to construct a sequence of events and ultimately determine what led to the exchange of fire," said Dorrian, the NATO spokesman.
He declined to say which coalition country was involved. But most of the helicopters that fly in that part of Afghanistan are American.
Dorrian said NATO will work with the Pakistani government to determine what happened, saying they expect it will reflect the same good cooperation seen in recent military operations along the border. In recent weeks, NATO and Pakistan have launched coordinated offensives against militants on their respective sides of the border.
"This is going to be transparently looked into," Dorrian said.
It is unclear how Pakistan will respond to the attack.
Last September, a U.S. helicopter attack killed two Pakistani soldiers at an outpost near the Afghan border, prompting Pakistan to close a key border crossing for 11 days that NATO uses to ship goods into landlocked Afghanistan. The U.S. later apologized, saying the pilots mistook the soldiers for insurgents being pursued across the border from Afghanistan.
Relations are even more tense now following the Navy SEALs raid on May 2 that killed bin Laden in Abbottabad, an army town only about 35 miles (55 kilometers) outside the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
The Pakistani government is outraged that the U.S. carried out the operation without telling Pakistan first, and many U.S. officials have expressed disbelief that bin Laden could have lived in Abbottabad for at least five years without the authorities' knowledge. However, the U.S. has also said it has not found any evidence yet that Pakistani leaders knew of bin Laden's whereabouts.
The helicopter attack comes a day after U.S. Sen. John Kerry wrapped up a 24-hour visit to Islamabad in which he worked to salvage the relationship with Pakistan, but also warned the government that "actions, not words" were needed to get ties back on track. Kerry was the most high-profile American to visit Pakistan since the raid on bin Laden.
Kerry said Pakistan had agreed to immediately take several "specific steps" to improve ties, but did not say what they were. The only tangible signs of progress were a remark by Kerry that Pakistan had agreed to give America the tail of a classified stealth helicopter destroyed by U.S. commandos when it malfunctioned during the raid and an announcement that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would soon announce a trip to the country.
But there have also been signs of Pakistan's anger.
The Pakistani government sent the United States a written request following the bin Laden raid, asking Washington to reduce the number of American military personnel in the country, said a U.S. military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
There are currently more than 200 U.S. military personnel in Pakistan, some of whom are tasked with training Pakistani troops, said the official. Pakistan has asked the U.S. to reduce the number of trainers in the country, but the official would not specify the numbers involved.

Human Skin Color

Human skin color is primarily due to the presence of melanin in the skin. Skin color ranges from almost black to white with a pinkish tinge due to blood vessels underneath. Variation in natural skin color is mainly due to genetics, although the evolutionary causes are not completely certain. According to scientific studies, natural human skin color diversity is highest in Sub-Saharan African populations, with skin reflectance values ranging from 19 to 46 (med. 31) compared with European and East Asian populations which have skin reflectance values of 62 to 69 and 50 to 59 respectively.
The natural skin color can be darkened as a result of tanning due to exposure to sunlight. The leading explanation is that skin color adapts to sunlight intensities which produce vitamin D deficiency or ultraviolet light damage to folic acid. Other hypotheses include protection from ambient temperature, infections, skin cancer or frostbite, an alteration in food, and sexual selection.






With about 2 square yards (1.7 meters squared) of exposed skin to care for, it makes sense that many people's medicine cabinets are crammed with skin-care products. But for most of us, using more than two or three of those products on a daily basis is unnecessary -- and may even be doing more harm than good.
The exposed layer of skin we're slathering with lotions, creams, toners, scrubs and cleansers is called the epidermis -- it's the outermost of the three layers of skin. The epidermis is the most vulnerable to environmental damage, typically UV light that can leave it discolored and old-looking; and skin in general undergoes an aging process that can leave it looking dull, wrinkled and dry.

Which came first, color prejudice or black slavery? Was it slavery that eventually created negative feelings toward dark skin? Or was it the other way around? Perhaps these feelings already existed when black slavery first arose, eventually making it more and more inhuman.

In reality, it's not rocket science. Skin only needs a handful of simple, inexpensive "treatments" to get and stay healthy -- and healthy-looking. but for most people, effective skin care is actually a pretty simple process.

What is your current skin tone? What skin tone do you want? Find both on this Fitzpatrick skin care chart
	Type	General	Pigment	Sunburn
	I	Light	Pale white or freckled	Always
	II	Fair	White	Usually
	III	Medium	White to Light Brown	Sometimes
	IV	Olive	Moderate Brown	Rarely
	V	Brown	Dark Brown	Very Rarely
	VI	Black	Very Dark Brown to Black	Never

Interesting facts about Brazil

• An important fact on Brazil is that it is one of the largest countries in the world, and is larger than Italy, Portugal, Japan, Spain, Indonesia and South Africa. It has a coastline of over 7,367 kilometers and borders the Atlantic ocean.
• Some of the historical facts about Brazil comprise the country being discovered by a Portugal explorer, Pedro Alvares Cabral in the 1492. Pedro named the land Portugal. In 1550, African slaves were shifted to the country by ship in order to work on sugar plantations. It was only in 1888, that slavery was abolished. Approximately, 4 million slaves were freed.
• Brasilia, the capital of Brazil is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities of the world. One of the world's best architect, Oscar Niemeyer designed the city.
• Another of the interesting facts about Brazil is that its seasons are opposite to those of the United States. As a result, July is cooler than December. Moreover, Brazil's Amazon Basin receives approximately 7 feet rain every year. Brazil's Amazon river is the second longest river in the world.
• Important facts about Brazil include the fact that it houses the world’s largest remaining rainforest, the Amazon rainforest. This rainforest encompasses an area of 2.3 million square miles. The native Indian tribes are found dwelling in these rainforests even today.
• Another fun fact about Brazil is its passion for soccer. Soccer, also called 'futebol', is the national sport of the country. Brazil has won the soccer world cup 5 times, a number higher than any other country. The famous soccer player Edson Arantes do Nascimento, popularly known as Pele, is from Brazil. The Maracana stadium of Brazil is the world's most beautiful soccer stadium. What is even more interesting is the fact that there exists at least one soccer stadium in every Brazilian city. Talk about passion!
• Brazilian people are also quite interesting. They are optimistic, passionate and very entrepreneurial. A popular joke associated with Brazilians is that they don't lie, they just exaggerate! This is supposed to imply that Brazilians think very highly of their country and themselves. The people in general have the desire to become number one.
• Another of the well known facts of Brazil is its keen interest in agriculture. About 1/3rd of the country's population works in the agricultural sector. The people living in rural areas make use of natural materials to build houses. Various styles of houses are found in the country. The lower class live in humble houses whereas the upper class and middle class reside in apartments.
• A variety of tropical fruits such as mangoes, pineapples and bananas are grown in the country. Acai berry, a superfruit is also cultivated here. Fruits are generally served at the end of every meal. So, when you visit a Brazilian house, make sure you don't stuff yourself at dinner. Save place for the fruit!
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• The world's best and tastiest coffee comes from this country. Surprisingly though, cocoa has been the country's favorite drink for centuries!
• Among the various interesting facts about Brazil is the fact that this country has the second highest Christian population in the world. It is also one of the largest Roman Catholic countries. A 130 feet tall statue, Christ the Redeemer is not only a monument that symbolizes Brazil, but is also among the seven wonders of contemporary times.
• Brazilian women are known or their beauty. However, most Brazilians don't get married until their early 30s. Moreover, if the Brazilian men continue to live with their folks their entire life, it is not considered as strange as in the US.
• The country is home to several unique animal species such as the spotted ocelot, caiman crocodile, the tapir and several other insects and reptiles. To add to Brazil fun facts, it is a country with the most species of monkeys. So take care of your hat!
• Included in the many interesting Brazil facts is that a large number of people suffer from AIDS. However, this fact has been swept under the carpet. The country is also home to many transexuals.

Brazil has the second highest number of airports in the world, the 10th largest railroad network and the 3rd largest road network on Earth. So one won't face any commutation or transportations problems while visiting the country.

Fifty Interesting Facts About South Africa

1. Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world.

2. The world is divided into six floral kingdoms. All these kingdoms encompass several countries, and in some cases, several continents. South Africa, which has a floral kingdom wholly contained within the country, is the one exception. The Cape Floral Kingdom has 9,600 plant species, 70% of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

3. Table Mountain alone has over 1,500 species of plants, more than the entire United Kingdom.

4. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.

5. South Africa has the longest wine route in the world.

6. Kruger National Park supports the greatest variety of wildlife species on the African continent.

7. South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique are tearing down fences between the countries' game parks to create a 13,500 square mile game park, which will become the largest conservation area in the world. It will be bigger than Switzerland, Belgium or Taiwan.

8. South Africa has a penguin colony, which thrives thanks to the cold Antarctic currents on the west coast near the Cape.

9. South Africa is rated 3rd in the world in supplying safe, drinkable tap water.

10. The Palace of the Lost City resort hotel is the largest theme resort hotel in the world as well as the largest building project undertaken in the southern hemisphere.

11. Walt Disney serves South African wine exclusively at its 73-acre Animal Kingdom Lodge in the United States.

12. South Africa has the cheapest electricity in the world.

13. The deepest mine is a gold mine in South Africa. in 1977 the Western Deep Levels Mine reached a depth of 11,749 feet. Most mines descend to about 3,300 feet.

14. South Africa is the only country in the world to voluntarily abandon its nuclear weapons program.

15. South Africa has 19,004 miles of railway track - 80% of Africa's rail infrastructure.

16. South Africa generates two-thirds of Africa's electricity.

17. The Tugela Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world, where the water tumbles down 2,789 feet. First place goes to the Angel Falls in Venezuela at 3,212 feet.

18. Blyde River Canyon is the third largest canyon in the world - and the largest green one. The Grand Canyon in the U.S. is the biggest, and the Fish River Canyon in Namibia the second, but both are very dry.

19. South Africa is home to the world's smallest succulent plants (less than 0.39 inches) and the largest (the baobab tree).

20. Kimberley may have the biggest man-made hole in the world, but did you know that the southern Free State town of Jagersfontein has the deepest vertical man-made hole?

21. The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace prizewinners is in Soweto. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses on Vilakazi Street in Soweto.

22. South Africa is the world's largest producer of macadamia nuts.

23. South Africa has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world.

24. South Africa is the world's leader in mining and minerals. It has nearly 90% of the platinum metals on earth, 80% of the manganese, 73% of the chrome, 45% of the vanadium and 41% of the gold.

25. South Africa is the first country in Africa to host the prestigious FIFA World Cup (will take place in 2010).

26. South Africa has the oldest meteor scar in the world, just across the Vaal River near Parys, called the Vredefort Dome. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

27. South African grasslands have approximately 30 species per square kilometer, greater than the biodiversity of rainforests.

28. South Africa is the sole producer of the Mercedes Benz C Class, right-hand drive vehicles .

29. General Motors South Africa will be the only manufacturing site outside of the United States to build the Hummer H3 vehicle.

30. South Africa is one of the most generously endowed geographic solar hotspots in the world, soaking up just over half of the world's highest category of solar wattage per square yard of land.

31. South Africa has deserts, mountains, escarpments, plateaus, grasslands, bush, wetlands and subtropical forests.

32. Most of the world's proto-mammalian fossils are found in the Karoo region.

33. Dr. Christiaan Barnard, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, performed the first human heart transplant in the world in 1967. He was also the first to do a "piggyback" transplant in 1971, and he was the first to do a heart-lung transplant.

34. The vast majority of South African coal exports are shipped through the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT). With the capacity to export 79.4 mmst annually, RBCT is the world's largest coal export facility.

35. The world's largest diamond was the Cullinan Diamond, found in South Africa in 1905. It weighed 3,106.75 carats uncut. It was cut into the Great Star of Africa, weighing 530.2 carats, the Lesser Star of Africa, which weighs 317.40 carats, and 104 other diamonds of nearly flawless color and clarity. They now form part of the British crown jewels.

36. There are about 280,000 windmills on farms across South Africa, second in number only to Australia.

37. Three of the five fastest land animals live in South Africa - the cheetah (63 miles per hour), the wildebeest, and the lion.

38. The oldest remains of modern humans were found in Klasies River Cave in the Eastern Cape. They are well over 100,000 years old.

39. In eastern South Africa, scientists have found traces of blue-green algae dating back 3,500 million years. This is some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth.

40. There are more than 2,000 shipwrecks, dating back at least 500 years, off the South African coast. More than one of these, including the Waratah, simply vanished without a trace.

41. The Karoo region is home to some of the best fossils of early dinosaurs.

42. Although Pretoria is considered to be the capital of South Africa, the country actually has three capitals: Pretoria (executive), Cape Town (legislative), and Bloemfontein (judicial).

43. In its eastern part, South Africa entirely surrounds another country - Lesotho, an independent constitutional monarchy.

44. Approximately 900 bird species are found in South Africa alone, which represents 10% of the worlds total bird species.

45. South Africa has the most luxurious train in the world, The Rovos Rail.

46. South Africa has the highest commercial bungi jump in the world (710 feet).

47. Mossel Bay is in the Guinness Book of records as having the second  most moderate climate in the world.

48. Pietermaritzburg's city hall is the largest red brick building in the Southern Hemisphere.

49. Hippos are susceptible to sunburn, and spend most of their days with just their noses out of water. Their noses have special flaps that close when submerged, and they can stay under water for 25 minutes.

50. South Africa has the oldest wine industry outside of Europe and the Mediterranean, featuring Chardonnays, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cinsault, Riesling, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinotage varietals.

Wolf Messing Russia's Greatest Psychic

The human brain is mysterious, and its complex cognitive powers are far from being understood. In the darkest years of the turbulent 20th century there lived a man who harnessed the mysterious powers of the brain like no other human being known to history. He was a telepath, a mind reader, a psychic, a remote viewer, and a lucky survivor who avoided both the Holocaust and the death camps of Joseph Stalin. We may never know the full extent of his extraordinary abilities.
Wolf Grigorievich Messing was born in 1899 to a poor Jewish family in the tiny town of Gora-Kavaleriya near Warsaw, in what was then part of the Russian Empire. As a young child he suffered from “lunatism,” a disorder believed to be caused by the phases of the moon. Messing was cured when his parents placed a tub of cold water by his bed, so he would step into it and wake up.
At the age of six Messing was sent to a religious school, where he distinguished himself by his devotion and his incredible ability to memorize prayers. Later he was enrolled in a yeshiva, but ran away after two years. Messing got on the first passenger train he could find, hid under a bench, and fell asleep. When the train conductor demanded his ticket, Messing picked a piece of paper off the floor and handed it to the man, looking into his eyes and willing that the man believe the scrap to be a genuine train ticket. He was successful, and arrived in Berlin with no further problems.
Messing was paid a pittance for menial work, and once fainted from hunger right on the street. He was taken to a morgue, where he was saved from his lethargy by the famous psychiatrist and neurologist Professor Abel. This man was the first to realize Messing’s incredible mental powers and his ability to control his body. Abel began to conduct mind-reading experiments with the boy.
Messing could become cataleptic (entering a trancelike or unresponsive state of consciousness) at will. Later he found out that he could foretell the future in this state. Meanwhile, young Wolf began to work in the Berlin Panopticum (a circus) and a variety theater.
The professor was amazed with results of his experiments. Messing immediately understood all mental commands and executed them with precision. He trained himself by going to the Berlin market to read the minds of the vendors.
Abel also taught the teenager to turn off his feelings of physical pain. Messing became a fakir, and to supplement his income (and send money to his impoverished family), he let people pierce his chest and neck with nails in front of an audience.
When he turned 16, Messing began his first tour, traveling to the city of Vienna. But he was no longer a circus attraction. Messing had developed a program of psychological experiments, as he modestly refered to them. During these “experiments” the teenager would execute commands sent to him mentally, tell biographies of people he never met before, and find items hidden by the audience.
Messing’s growing fame attracted the attention of Albert Einstein. The great physicist invited the talented youth to his home, where Messing met Sigmund Freud. The psychologist immediately began his own mental experiments. He gave a mental command to young Wolf to get a pair of tweezers and pluck three hairs from Einstein’s fabulous mustache. The youth did as he was instructed, albeit with embarrassment. But Einstein told him to turn to him for assistance, should he ever need it.
Messing never met with Einstein again, but learned from Freud the art of concentration and self-hypnotism. Later in his life Messing met with other famous people, including Gandhi in 1927 ...