Story of Appreciation - A Lesson to learn

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.
He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made
the last decision.

The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic
achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the
youth answered "none".

The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as a clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes
before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and
clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.

The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me
what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished
cleaning all the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."

The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not be the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.

The director said, " This is what I am looking for, to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of
others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first. He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*

You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.

有意思的短句。【转载自蔡康永文集】

5岁觉得游泳难，放弃游泳， 到18岁遇到一个你喜欢的人约你去游泳，你只好说“我不会耶”。18岁觉得英文难，放弃英文，28岁出现一个很棒但要会英文的工作，你只好说“我不会 耶”。人生前期越嫌麻烦，越懒得学，后来就越可能错过让你动心的人和事，错过新风景。 ——《康永，给残酷社会的善意短信》

在古代，我们不短信，不网聊，不漂洋过海，不被堵在路上，如果我想你，就翻过两座山走五里路，去牵你的手。

遇到比你有钱的人，请不要自动地卑躬屈膝，除非……他有要把他的钱给你……而通常有钱人，并不会把钱送给随便就对他卑躬屈膝的人，所以，何必呢？ ——《康永，给残酷社会的善意短信》

在 某些地方，很实际很简单的愿望，在别的地方，却是遥不可及的梦想，你看一群人怎么描述梦想的內容，就知道他们在过什么样的生活，我一度不喜欢过度的标榜梦 想在人生中有多重要，后来经历了，也明白了，很多简单的愿望,就是这么遥远，远得像梦，我就同意，而且鼓吹，那些值得的梦想.~~《康永,給殘酷社會的善 意短信》

是 的,是很多人为钱做坏事. 但你要厌恶的是这种行为,而不是厌恶钱. 厌恶钱,不见得一定是高贵的. 钱就像武侠小说里的武功,可以倚之為惡,也可以拿来做很多美好的事. 如果拒绝賺钱,那就像拒绝练武,不是不可以,但可能要想好: 一旦遇到武功强的坏人來欺负你, 你的对策是什么? 【康永，给残酷社会的善意短信】

有些宗教，為了鼓勵我們做好人，把好人死掉以後的去處，描述得好幸福喔 …… 幸福得，簡直讓人等不及的想一出生就趕快過去報到啊 ………

别 急着觉得自己失败，很可能，你只是还没找到你会成功的那块领土而已。古斯巴达社会，讨厌算术，认为学算术就是想赚钱，很可耻。如果你很会算术，在那里一定 觉得自己很失败。换成现在，算术好绝对被当优点了。世界很大，成功的定义有很多种，在找到你的战场之前，别轻易说自己是失败者

上 段恋情,全心投入,结果重伤.于是这次恋爱怕受伤,就很保留。这意味着:上次那个伤你的烂人,得到最完整的你,而这次这个发展中的情人,得到个很冷淡的 你。我知你是保护自己,但这若是做生意,你这店一定倒的。永不再來的恶客,得到最好服务,而新客上门,却备受冷落,这店怎么不倒?【康永,给未知恋人的爱 情短信】

你那时发给我的短信, 我一直留着没有删除. 因为我还是需要一点证据, 证明即使是你, 也有过那么爱我的时候 。。。。。。。。。。【 康永 ~ 给未知恋人的爱情短信 】

大人老想把我们关在课本里，可是真正的乐子，都在课本外面，那个无边无际的险恶世界里。——《康永，痛快日记》

【我愛你，與你何干？】.........這句話，好可愛，好可悲，好可貴，好可憐。

因為全心愛一個人，而感覺到自己正在活著，這就是我們從愛情上，得到的最大回報了。至於對方，能回報我們多少愛，因此可以不是最重要的了。《康永，給未知戀人的愛情短信》

很 多杰出的人，很早就停止上学了，（自己选择，或，想上但没得上），但这些人可沒停止学习，他們立刻改去更广大的社会学校，向更厉害的人学习了，你若有这 種胆识，也儘可如此。但请不要误以为这些人，是因为早早停止上学，而变杰出的，这就好像以为拿破仑是因为个子矮才杰出一样……《康永，给残酷社会的善意短 信》

突然发现爱已消失时，往往无比错愕，不懂发生了什么。这时虽也可百般逼问，但逼问恐是徒增难堪而已。我对此刻的建议 是：坐下深呼吸，闭目回想当初这爱降临 时，其实也是何等的不明白没道理。怎么来就会怎么去，这样悠然回首后，也许能醒悟爱的本质毕竟如此，然后放开了……《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

不是在幸福的时候哦……嗯，不是在幸福的时候，反而，很遗憾的，是在不幸的时候，我们才有机会，探知自己能够，爱到什么程度……《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

小S又被造谣一个新闻，她身边的人当然也都陪着，被记者纠缠两天。反正这就是我们工作的一部分。我整天在家写稿，没接记者电话，只在晚上传了这则短信给记者：【任何真的认识小S的人，都会把小S当宝贝，我从不怀疑这件事。】

「享 有」比「拥有」贵重。我们「享有」空气，但无法「拥有」空气，我们「享有」阳光，但无法「拥有」太阳。同样的，我们享用友情亲情，但没办法，也不该想 「拥有」那个友人亲人，我们也享用爱情，但没办法，也不该想「拥有」那个爱人。就享有吧，「享有」比「拥有」贵重多了。《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

一 朵云里面的两滴雨，恋爱了。旁边别的雨滴很冷淡，反正很快要掉落，何必呢。但这两滴雨，还是要恋爱。不久这天到来，云变成雨，一滴滴纷纷掉落。而恋爱着 的这两滴雨，拥抱在一起，往下掉，他们准备好要掉在地面，消失不见，但就在消失前，他们从两滴变成了一滴。《康永，没人在乎的小报导》

你要拥有他？真好，只是，你能拥有他的什么呢？你能拥有他的疾病吗？你能拥有他的疤痕吗？你能拥有他的回忆吗？...... 好像都不能耶，那，你能拥有他的什么呢？ 《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

其實一切，最後都是記憶，所以，請儘量正確的記憶：如果不是戀愛，就不要記憶為戀愛。如果不是吻，就不要記憶為吻。而，如果是真的愛，那當然，萬勿錯過，就一定要記憶為：愛。《康永，給未知戀人的愛情短信》

当 你跟他的想法很不同，但你又很想说服他时，你最好不要强调这是“你的”想法，你可以在措词上转个弯，让他感觉，你是“被他启发”，才产生这个想法的。这 麽做最省力，因为所有人，都不会反对自己的想法。这类有点贱的招式，最适合以下犯上时使用。《康永，给残酷社会的善意短信》

你很重要，因为你就是你能拥有的全部。你存在，整个世界才存在。你看得到阳光，整个世界才看得到阳光。你失去平衡，世界就失去平衡。你消失，世界就消失。所以你很重要，你就是你能拥有的全部。《康永, 给残酷社会的善意短信 》

每 做一事，最好只追求一个最在乎的目标，其余都可让步，这样达成目标的机会才高。比方：做这事，最在乎是学经验，那就别计较钱；做那事，最要紧是钱，那就 别计较面子。以此类推。若做一事，又想学经验，又要赚得多，又要有面子... ...如此美事，有得等啊。《康永，给残酷社会的善意短信》

看 到別人做不好時，也許會暗爽在心，得到一種“我比他聰明”的優越感。但真正聰明的人，是觀察別人為什麼做不好，然後警剔自己，儘量不要犯相同的錯。那些 只愛發出噓聲的人，應該是打算一直在台下當觀眾，而那些警剔自己的人，則是在準備：有一天要站上舞台。《康永，給殘酷社會的善意短信》

如 果父母爱自己的小孩,只是为了小孩能繁殖,能延续自己的血脉,这样的爱,好蛮荒,也充满交易的感觉.我可以理解有些父母就是这样想的.我可以理解,只是 同時我也会不寒而慄,这种蛮荒又交易的爱.....你如果不繁殖,妈妈就不爱你了.....（评论【同志娱乐】新专辑主打女生当自强意识的S.H.E，前 晚与陶晶莹对谈，尺度无禁忌。三人问陶子若发现孩子是同志怎么办？陶子说：“我觉得荳荳跟小龙很有潜力往这条路走，我女儿超Man，小龙的动作偶尔会有娇 羞感。但其实没必要担心，把心打开，快乐最重要，若他们真是同性恋，我可能会问性生活美满吗？” )

你永远都有更好的事 可做: 不喜欢正在读的这篇微博？立刻跳开,去读別的。不喜欢正在看的这集节目？转台，去看别的。不喜欢新交的这个朋友？闪人，去认识别人。不要浪費生命，去忍受 这些不必忍受的事。忍受完，又浪費生命去抱怨或咒骂，這太划不来了。你一定有更好的事可做的。《康永，給殘酷社會的善意短信》

遇 到别人恶言相向时，怎么办？如果对方是还要相处的同学同事，那我建议你可以回问“你为什么这么气啊？”或“什么事把你气成这样啊？”，这句话應能稍為喚 醒对方用理性谈事情，也有助你和对方都冷静些。遇到疯拳，先用轻功闪开，争取一點探问的时间，胜过直接还手，引起不必要的混战……《康永，给残酷社会的善 意短信》

气质可以假装，通常可以假装一晚上都不穿帮；而幽默感没办法假装，一分钟都假装不了。所以我珍视幽默感，远超过气质。《 康永, 给残酷社会的善意短信 》

你以为你对他的想念，已经到了极致了，已经不可能想念得更多了，结果，在某一个意想不到的时刻，你又成功的，比原来想他的程度，再更多想念他一点点。《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

为 什么要鼓吹第一名呢？为什么要把第一名解释成光荣和意義呢？世界很大，可做的事很多，为什么要鼓吹只有極少人能得到，得到了也不代表会幸福的东西？那些 第一名，总有一天要面对不再是第一名的日子。他们人生目标被教成第一名是一切吗，接下去要如何自处？請别再盲目鼓吹第一名了。《康永，给残酷社会的善意短 信》

你恋爱了，只是你爱的人，有时并不真的存在。他可能只是一堵无辜的白墙，被你狂热的，把你心里最嚮往的爱情电影，全部在他身上投影一遍。《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

有 的大人鄙视逸乐，歌诵工作，但请闭目想像：漫步草原的逸乐的马，和负重拖车的工作的马，哪种生活更让人向往呢？先别急着用人生意义来压人，哲学家们费尽 心机，也无法证明，是工作较有意义？还是逸乐较有意义？如果闭目扣问内心，实在没道理一味斥责逸乐，推崇工作啊。《康永，给无聊大人的诚实短信》

别 急着觉得自己失败，很可能，你只是还没找到你会成功的那块领土而已。古斯巴达社会，讨厌算术，认为学算术就是想赚钱，很可耻。如果你很会算术，在那里一 定觉得自己很失败。换成现在，算术好绝对被当优点了。世界很大，成功的定义有很多种，在找到你的战场之前，别轻易说自己是失败者。

森 林不残酷吗？有災病猎杀，但动物仍美好着。宇宙不残酷吗？荒寂无回應，但星辰仍美好着。社会也残酷，有生死離別，会井乾路绝，但人仍美好着。所以我仍能 贮存残酷中的善意，如贮存蛛网上的露珠，地層下的琥珀，我知道陌生人未必慈悲，但若能遇到，我就珍惜贮存，因为还有来日。《康永，给残酷社会的善意短信》

对方说:「我已经不爱你了。」，你着急了，脱口而出:「没关系的啊！我们还是可以在一起的啊！」，说完，你忽然哭了，不是因为伤心对方不爱你了，而是因为这一瞬间，你猛然醒悟，自己已经成为爱情的乞丐。《康永，给未知恋人的爱情短信》

Animaniacs - "Be Careful What You Eat"

Malacca's monorail service comes to a stop

MALACCA: Barely two months after its grand launch to mark Malacca’s developed state status, the city’s RM15.9mil monorail line has ground to a halt owing to a host of problems.

Launched on Oct 20, the monorail has been idle for a month after developing problems with its wheels and software system.

The China-made monorail line, spanning 1.6km from Taman Rempah in Pengkalan Rama to Kampung Bunga Raya Pantai along the Malacca River, is part of the state’s aim to tap the potential of the river as a tourist attraction.

Project under scrutiny: The monorail line is part of Malacca’s aim to tap the potential of the river as a tourist attraction.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had launched the system to mark the recognition of Malacca as a developed state, 10 years ahead of the national Vision 2020.

Hours after the launch, however, a coach with some 20 passengers stalled about 100m from the Hang Jebat station.

Operator Menara Taming Sari Sdn Bhd used a skylift to rescue the stranded passengers.

The project is a joint venture between the Malacca Historic City Council and state subsidiary Kumpulan Melaka Bhd and Agibs Engineering & Construction Sdn Bhd.

The Tourism Ministry has approved an additional RM13.2mil for the monorail phase two extension project under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

On Thursday, a visibly upset Mohd Ali said four engineers from China were trying to iron out the problems affecting the monorail.

“Some screws keep breaking and the rims of the wheels had to be replaced.

“We hope the engineers will be able to fix it within a week,” he told reporters after closing a refresher course for National Service trainers at Permata Resort Camp in Alor Gajah.

He said if the monorail continued to face problems, the state government would not buy additional monorails from China for the proposed extension project and would, instead, source them from Europe.

Menara Taming Sari chief executive officer Nazry Ahmad admitted the monorail had been out of service due to “several technical and mechanical problems”.

“We have been facing problems with the monorail on and off since it was launched. It is now closed to the public,” he said yesterday.

By ALLISON LAI
malacca@thestar.com.my

LiVe MeaningFul

香港‧韩名牌指甲油含致癌物回收‧廉价指甲油甲醇超標20倍

香港‧韩名牌指甲油含致癌物回收‧廉价指甲油甲醇超標20倍

2010-08-17 15:58

（香 港）標榜用料天然的韩国名牌Skin Food，两款分別属“可可巴”和“牛奶彩绘”的指甲油，被消委会验出含致癌物“苯”，公司即时宣佈全面停售及回收两系列约50款指甲油，並安排凭单退 货。另消委会亦发现，一款同属韩国货的5元一支的廉价指甲油，甲醇含量超出安全標准20倍，透过呼吸及皮肤进入身体，会损害肝、肾和心臟。

新兴牌子Skin Food出事

消委会首次化验市面42种指甲油及底油，发现有4款甲油的致癌物“苯”含量由9.7ppm至 260ppm不等，其中3款声称產自韩国，包括售40至50元一支的韩国新兴名牌Skin Food，以及只售5元及8元的“廉价货”。另有10款甲油亦验出微量“苯”，当中不乏国际大牌子。

至於经皮肤吸收或呼吸道吸入后可致中毒的挥发溶液“甲醇”，则在4款指甲油中验出，其中只售5元的韩国甲油BNC manicure，甲醇含量超標，达41,000ppm，较允许上限高出20倍。

Volili指甲油释毒可致畸胎

另一款没標示来源地的Volili指甲油，则含有微量MMA，及欧洲、中国均禁用的DEHP，此物质经动物研究证实，带“致畸性”和“致突变性”毒性，会干扰內分泌系统，甚至令胎儿有缺陷。消委会指出，由於甲油和洗甲水均含有多种挥发性化学物质，孕妇少用为妙。

海关跟进消委会检测报告，並在市面抽取了4款怀疑含有苯、甲醇、DEHP或MMA的指甲油再作检测，结果显示BNC manicure的样本含有21ppm苯和270ppm甲醇，未符合安全標准，故已从供应商扣查百多樽相关甲油。

其余3个样本只验到“小量”有害化学物，海关认为不会直接对人体构成伤害。出售多款廉价指甲油的“莎莎”发言人则强调，並无出售消委会验到4款含苯的甲油。

“学会补花纹减涂抹甲油次数”

消委会总干事刘燕卿警告，经常大量使用含有毒成份的指甲油，会透过皮肤接触和呼吸系统吸入有毒 物，可能影响健康，构成中毒危险。“很多女士喜欢经常转换甲油顏色，甲油花了又要重新涂上，其实最好学会填补花纹，减少涂抹甲油次数。”她亦指出，涂指甲 油时亦要保持空气流通，减少吸入有害物质。（香港明报）

Beware Your Insurance Policy Coverage

The New Paper's report by Tuesday 31 August 2010

This sort of fury often brought on by finance-related matters.

Yesterday I received a letter from Prudential, with whom I spend nearly $1,000 every month, telling me that I don’t have cancer
Yep, you read it right. Apparently, according to the experts at Prudential, I lost a breast and went through a 12 hour surgery for… not cancer!
Blows your mind, huh? I’m still trying to find pieces of my brain under the couch after this staggering news.

Truth is, three of my many Prudential policies cover me for critical illness. However, when I signed with my agents, I never imagined that cancer at Stage 0 would be considered by my insurance company that I “do not have cancer”. In fact, there is every chance a woman buying a life plan with critical illness coverage has NO IDEA there is a stage called DCIS, and that her insurance company does not consider it cancer.

So my “imaginary cancer” won’t allow me to claim any of the $200,000 (or more) that my critical illness plans entitle me to.

Please, if you are a woman reading this, go and see your insurance agent and tell him/her/it that you want coverage for EARLY STAGE CANCERS. Make sure your policy document states that you will get 25% or however much for ductal carcinomas-in-situ or Stage 0 breast cancer. To my understanding these are the 2 policies that offer them now:



1. Great Eastern’s PinkLife will pay out 25% of your sum assured for carcinomas-in-situ. Not great an exchange for a breast but at least it’s not nothing. If I had bought that instead I would have $50,000 to allow me to take a break from work for some months, while still being able to pay my monthly bills and kids’ tuition fees and groceries…


2. AIA’s Complete Critical Illness Cover pays out 25% on early critical illnesses (I am assuming DCIS breast cancer is one of these).


Please please please, I beg you, don’t get royally scr*wed like me. Make sure your critical illness plan actually covers you, and you are not just happily giving your money away to insurance companies for their CEOs to buy 10 luxury holiday homes across the world.

Do not be a sucker like me. Please.

Call your insurance agent or financial planner today and make sure, by hook or by crook, you are covered by some rider, anything, for early stage cancers.

I’ve been researching cases of insurance companies who don’t pay out for DCIS breast cancers. Looks like it’s a worldwide disease. The insurance companies are the disease, I mean.
I lost a breast to this threat.
My histological report finds the cancer cells ARE malignant and aggressive, and most certainly were life-threatening — or I wouldn’t have needed the mastectomy.
I just happened to discover it before it became an uncontrollable growth.
Tell me how this is not cancer.
In my Googling I found this BBC clip. It makes me so, so sad that all around the world, women like me are shortchanged by insurance policies that they pay through the nose for.
I have paid close to $32,000 for one policy and over $25,000 for the other.

This clause in Critical Illness contracts NEEDS TO CHANGE. DCIS is cancer (and in my case, malignant) and it should be awarded accordingly and automatically. Sadly, Prudential covered its backside in its small print, which I had no understanding of. It makes me sad that they expect me to have Stage 1, or 2, or 3 or terminal cancer and chemo and radiation before I qualify to make a claim. Losing a breast is forever. Surely that must count for something.

For women in their 20s or 30s reading this — if you have had a grandmother, mother, sister, aunt, female cousin contract breast cancer, make sure you get yourself proper coverage (see box above).

A close friend who is a decorated journalist was horrified to hear it was likely I could not make a claim on my critical illness plans. “They should change that,” he said (after uttering “Wah lau eh, sh*t!”). “I can write a story on that.”

He should. I think I will be calling him soon. Also I am relooking at my Prudential policies now — maybe it’s not worthwhile carrying on. I should get my money back. Pity the surrender value is so pathetic. Bet that CEO already bought his 11th luxury holiday home.

Never mind, lessons learned. READ THE SMALL PRINT, AND FIND OUT WHAT THE EXCLUSIONS MEAN.
So, I guess I have no choice but to haul my sorry ass back to work.

Shree Ann Mathavan of The New Paper came to visit me yesterday and we had a nice chat about my insurance policies (among other things — she is a lovely girl and a hardworking journalist).
Her story came out in today’s New Paper and I felt it was a really fair and clear report of what happened. I was dreading a super-sensationalist header like “She Loses A Breast… And They Won’t Pay!” LOL!

Shree Ann was really respectful of my reasons for talking about this — it is not to complain that Prudential bullied me (which they did not, a contract is a contract) — but to alert other women who might be in the process of buying a policy, or may not have taken a look at her existing policies to make sure her coverage is full. Hence her report came out as such.
I’ve received emails, calls and comments to this blog — financial advisers who very kindly explain how it works (I just wish it was BEFORE not AFTER, but thank you all), women who have been through the same experience, and women who never even realised hospitalisation and critical illness policies are two different policies! So it only confirms that there is definitely a gap in the information that women need to have about their health insurance.

I am also happy to hear from friends who have bought the women’s only policies from AIA, Prudential or Great Eastern, and the GE Early Payout Critical Care, and were covered when the need arose.

Comment:
This is the story i read through facebook and quite a big shock. Immediately i give a call to my insurance agent. He also clarify that AIA policy also mention that stage 3 only consider CANCER. Stage 2 ( carcinomas-in-situ ) only able claim under Female illness. Stage 1 or 0 only claim for hospitalization.

Grown Ups

Grown Ups, starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, Rob Schneider, and David Spade, is a comedy about five friends and former teammates who reunite years later to honor the passing of their childhood basketball coach. With their wives and kids in tow, they spend the Fourth of July holiday weekend together at the lake house where they celebrated their championship years earlier. Picking up where they left off, they discover why growing older doesn't mean growing up.

Comment:
This comedy movie actually quite funny. When first time i saw this poster, i think it will be a bored story to watch. After watching, feel this movie not bad. It also have moral value behind the story. :p

当幸福来敲门 ( The Pursuit Of Happyness -2006 )

Based on a true story about a man named Christopher Gardner. Gardner has invested heavily in a device known as a "Bone Density scanner". He feels like he has made these devices. However, they do not sell as they are marginally better than the current technology at a much higher price. On top of that, one of these does not work. As Gardner tries to figure out on how to fix the faulty one and sell the others, his wife leaves him, he loses his house, his bank account, and credit cards. Forced to live out in the streets with his son, Gardner is now desperate to find a steady job; he takes on a job as a stockbroker, but before he can receive pay, he needs to go through 6 months of training, and to sell his devices. Written by John Wiggins

Comment:
This is very interesting movie. It show the reality of life. How a guy going to live with $21 after paying the government tax. Some more he has a son which also needs to eat and sleep. No money and everyday have to queue up to get a place to sleep. Life is not easy. But at last he successfully get a new job and having his own company.

Recipes for Health: Garlic

According to a Provençal saying, “Garlic soup is a life saver.” This simple broth, made by simmering crushed garlic cloves in water with sage or other herbs, is recommended as a cure for ailments as varied as hangovers, stomach ailments and colds.

Garlic has been known for its therapeutic benefits since ancient times. Studies have linked it to lower cholesterol, serum triglyceride levels and blood pressure. Sulfur-containing compounds including allicin, which give garlic its pungency, along with high levels of vitamin C, vitamin B6, manganese and selenium seem to be responsible for garlic’s beneficial cardiovascular effects. Allicin helps to prevent platelets in the blood from sticking together and is also a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent that may be useful in weight control. - Martha Rose Shulman

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/garlic/index.html

Risks: Asleep, and Helping to Keep the Weight Off

Children under 5 who do not get at least 10 hours of sleep at night are almost twice as likely to be overweight or obese later in childhood, a new study reports. And naps during the day don’t count.

The study, published Monday in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, analyzed data from a nationally representative sample of 1,930 children under 14. The data included detailed diaries from two random days, in which parents recorded the amount of time a child spent in various activities, among them sleeping.

The study adds to an existing body of evidence suggesting that sleep plays an important role in weight regulation, perhaps because tired children are not as active or because sleep affects hormones that influence hunger and appetite, said the paper’s lead author, Janice F. Bell, an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health in Seattle.

“What we’re saying is that adequate sleep at age 0 to 5 is probably more important than we think,” Dr. Bell said, adding that the good news is that “it’s a modifiable risk factor — it’s something we can change.”

By RONI CARYN RABIN

Top 10- High Energy Foods 2

No.2 - Omega-3 eggs
Omega-3 eggs are full of healthy fats, energy-boosting B-vitamins and some vitamin D. They also provide a rich supply of brain-boosting choline, the precursor for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and are considered the ”perfect” protein because of their amino acid profile and high biological value. They are one of nature’s most nutrient-dense foods

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/fitness/top-10-high-energy-foods_2.html

Top 10 - High Energy Food

No.1 - Cold-water fatty fish
Cold-water fatty fish include wild salmon, mackerel and herring. These fish are an excellent source of omega-3s, which provide a number of health benefits including decreased risk of heart disease and various cancers, decreased inflammation, and decreased body fat. They’re also rich in complete protein, energy-boosting B-vitamins, magnesium, potassium, and are one of the few food sources of vitamin D.

http://www.askmen.com/top_10/fitness/top-10-high-energy-foods_10.html

Colours for Health

The gorgeous colours in fruit and vegetables like pumpkin, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, collard greens, and tomatoes come from carotenoids 类胡萝卜素, but these natural pigments aren’t just window dressing. Some may also fight our most prevalent conditions, such as metabolic syndrome, which reportedly affects about ten to 40% of Asians, and ups their chances of type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

A new study from the University of Queensland has found that people with diets high in carotenoids are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome. And the good news doesn’t stop there. A study of 6177 Canadians found that those with diets rich in the carotenoids betacarotene, lutein and zeaxanthin were up to 26% less likely to develop the most common form of kidney cancer. Other new research has found that women with high levels of these plant chemicals had a lower risk of ovarian cancer, men were less likely to get lung cancer, and both sexes boasted better bone mineral density.

Smashing Pumpkins
Pumpkin seeds are particularly high in disease-fighting plant compounds called phytosterols. For healthy savory snack, remove the seeds from the pumpkin, rinse to separate them from the stringy pulp, pat dry, toss with olive oil and salt, and bake at 180°C for 20-25 minutes until slightly puffed and golden.

from http://www.rdasia.com.my/colours-for-health

破產了‧如何绝处逢生

近期大马惊爆每日平均有14人宣告破產，虽然有人质疑数据看似有点夸张，不过却敲起社会对信贷破產的警钟，一步一步地闯进破產禁区。

在申请破產人数越来越多之际，破產的现象也渐渐趋向年轻化，无论是大学新鲜人，或是刚踏上创业道路的年轻人，都可能成为破產“死神”点中的倒霉对象。

本期《財富焦点》要奋力破解逐渐升温的“破產之谜”，让“破產真相”直接浮出台面，鑑定种种引起破產的“导火线”及未来的应对之路，毕竟破產並非“大结局”，期望有天能像破蛹的蝴蝶重生！

过去5年，共有3万8357名年龄介於25至44岁的人士破產，相等於每天有41人申请破產。政府更扬言要针对这惊人的数据展开调查，不过可以肯定的是，破產的主要因素包括无力偿还汽车贷款、商务贷款以及卡债。

每天41人申请破產
大马破產局的统计数据显示，国內2010年首季破產人数达4513人，比较2009年同期的3670人，多出843人或2.30%。

根据大马破產局的解释，破產是指某人士在无力偿还至少3万令吉的情况下，而被高庭宣判“持续性破產”。

由於信用卡申请条件宽鬆，目前有1000万人以信用卡作为消费型態，然而少过30%的持卡人每月將款项还清。

买车买到破產？
在破產者当中，以拖欠汽车贷款所佔比重最高，当中年轻人佔95%。一般认为，汽车贷款的条件宽鬆，再加上打工族虚荣心作祟，没有依据本身能力来购买汽车，都是一大禁忌！

破產知多少？
一个人破產后会面对怎样的影响？

一旦接获破產令，在没有获得法庭批准的情况，破產者的財產都不能隨意“更动”，而他的財產將由破產总监（Director General of Insolvency）接收及管理。

同时，破產总监將成为破產者所有存摺、信函及相关文件的拥有者。

如何脱离穷籍？
在1967年破產法令下，共有3个方法脱离穷籍，包括：（惟大马没有自动脱离机制）

1.取消破產令，当中出现的情况有：
―法庭认为欠债人不应该被判入穷籍
―法庭对欠债人偿还所有债务而感到满意
―法庭发现所有在新加坡进行的诉讼对欠债人造成影响，且须在当地进行。

2.在法庭的指示下脱离穷籍
你可以透过高等法院申请脱离穷籍，不过在未作出宣判前，法庭將聆听破產总监及债权人的供词，並考虑多项因素，包括年龄、收入及资產。
此外，法庭也会考量你偿还予债权人的利息，及在破產总监处理案件时是否给予百分百的合作。

3.透过破產总监发出脱离穷籍证书
破產总监可以本身的判断能力，让判入穷籍后的欠债人脱离穷籍，主要考量的因素包括：
―破產原因
―破產期限
―破產者的资產
―破產者的年龄或健康
―破產者的行为举止
―破產者给予的合作精神

*为此，破產者须提供百分百的合作予破產总监！
要特別留意的是，破產是项严重的问题，应该是在“走投无路”的情况下选择的“生路”，因为一旦被判入穷籍后，將面对诸多的阻拦，包括限制出国、担任公司董事职位、进行商业活动並將有关收益输入本身的资產內（但却无法偿还拖欠债权人的利息）。

不能“自动”脱离穷籍
破產者也须“交出”所有的財產，包括房子及汽车。在大马，破產者並不能“自动”脱离穷籍，唯一的方法是得到法庭或破產总监的批准，不过当中仍取决於是否遭到债权人的反对。

奥斯卡国际理財机构总裁李国源表示，一般上若拖欠超过3万令吉而无力摊还，將迫使有关人士慢慢“接近”破產的边缘，然而选择破產与否，仍取决於有关人士的意愿。

“很难说明，究竟要欠债多少才要申请破產，因为有些人就算有钱，也不愿还钱，寧愿报穷。不过，若欠债额太大，破產已是逼不得已的做法。”

应先向AKPK寻求援助
不过，他建议濒临破產的人士先向信贷諮询与债务管理机构（AKPK）寻求援助，才选择踏上“破產之路”。

“此机构將与银行方面洽谈弹性的摊还方式，其实银行也不希望欠债人完全不偿还贷款，毕竟呆账或坏账是银行最不想看到的。”

没做功课
创业失败
在创业的部份，早前有媒体打出这样惊人的標题：“中国的大学生创业筹资办公司，开业9天即告破產！”

23岁的舒正义毕业自西安工程大学电子信息系，和许多大学毕业生一样，他尝试通过招聘机构或托家人朋友找工作。后来虽然有一份不错的工作，但他却选择了辞职，想在自己的专业上有所发展。当时，正义与8名同学及朋友筹资7万8000人民幣（约马幣3万6000令吉）开始创办本身的公司，並取得了一种环保防水手电的代理。正义抱著“把一件平凡的事做好就不平凡，把一件普通的事做好就不普通”的宗旨。

公司先后招聘了20多名员工，而且大多数都是在籍大学生。事实上，经营公司和课堂学到的完全是两回事，短短几天內，正义就感到了压力。

当初承诺办理公司注册手续的代理公司在拿了他1万人民幣后毫无音讯，一时资金短缺成了这家刚刚起步公司的绊脚石。

他一天没吃饭，拖著疲惫的身体跑遍学校及银行，都无法筹到钱，原因在於没有房子或汽车做抵押，也没有公司做担保。

从以上的例子来看，大学生刚刚毕业，一般的想法都过於理想化。从正义公司的营运情况而言，他们之前根本没有或没有认真做过市场调查及研究，譬如哪些客户会使用他们的產品，或许连他们本身都不清楚真正的客户群。

这样的推销方式根本就少了目的性，只是扮演“等待”的角色而等人来买。然而，作为一个企业，所需要的是毅力及脚踏实地一步一步走下来。

同时，像这样的公司，由於资金流动不是很大，因此遇到一点资金困难就面临宣告破產窘境，確实有点夸张。

李国源认为，创业失败例子高企，往往是因为创业者本身的心理及准备建设做得不足，问题在於不是有钱就能创业，因当中需要的是能力及人才。
他不讳言，一些中小型企业倒闭，也可能是股东出现问题，在创业前没有擬定详尽的计划书、资本不足，在“匆匆忙忙”的情况下就打算创业。


现金流管理举足轻重

“其实从公司开始营运的首5年，都是处於起步阶段，需要时间来摸索，而这也是为何银行须查看有关公司至少3年的营运纪录，才决定是否批准贷款申请。”

他指出，在创业的过程中，现金流管理扮演举足轻重的角色，若无法达到此目標，整家公司的营运就会卡住。

他说，有些公司甚至在面临资金週转的窘境迫使下，利用信用卡的便利获得现金，结果要填补的“洞”越来越多，且信用卡的利息也不断飆涨，直到达无法摊还的地步。

他提到，对创业的人来说，公司营运不当也对个人的財务起负面影响，“典当”个人的资產，因此建议创业人士参与“贷款保障计划”，確保在公司面临营运问题时，不会侵蚀个人“遗產”。



卡债缠身
破產风越刮越“年轻”

申请破產人数可用“比比皆是”来形容，近年申请破產人数走势激增，市场相信这是与经济不景有关。

事实上，申请破產的人数当中，有不少是欠下信用卡账的年轻人，加上银行向受不起物质引诱、收入又低的年轻人滥发信用卡，很容易导致他们陷入债务危机，一旦无法还债，就只好走上申请破產之途。

此外，金融机构贷款门槛过低、年轻人崇尚名牌及缺乏理財观念同样导致申请现象变得越来越年轻化。

有人利用破產避债骗財

也有另一种人刻意申请破產，故意不还债。他们企图通过签卡、借钱等方法取得一大笔金钱后，將钱转到妻子或亲朋戚友的账户，然后向法庭申请破產。只要准备充足，財產转移是无法追究的。在他们申请破產后，过了4年便可以恢復自由身，债务一笔勾消。在这种情况下，破產法即成为他们避债，甚至骗財的合法管道。

由於申请破產者中不乏刚毕业的大专生，这种情况令各界忧虑年轻人的借贷观念薄弱，加上过著收入与支出严重失衡的生活，最后在踏足社会不久后，便要为自己在求学期间的挥霍付出代价。

理財师指出，信用卡固然为大专生带来消费方便，但也间接鼓励学生养成“先用未来钱”的习惯。

“每人有本身的一套理財原则，並不需要別人教导，不过银行业者为了爭取客户而放鬆发卡尺度，令市民对自身的前途变得短视，都是刺激申请破產人士飆升的原因。”

理財师劝告年轻人不应“跟风”，胡乱申请破產，更不要视破產为解决债务的最好方法，因为破產对个人前途有莫大影响，並建议政府加重对破產的法则，以阻嚇市民，尤其是年轻人任意申请破產。

“年轻人破產后可能前途尽毁，除了不能得到一些专业资格包括会计师和律师外，也难以再次获得大公司聘用。因此，隨意申请破產，最后只会令自己变成失去信用的一群，將会得不偿失。”

整体经济发展不足

对於破產风潮越刮越大的这个时候，李国源不讳言整体经济发展不足是当中的原因之一，包括薪酬不足以应付生活需求，导致负债程度加深。

“当然，其他的原因还包括理財观念不强及轻易取得信贷便利等。”

破產之后怎么办？

破產意味著要有一个全新的开始，同时也是全新的挑战。凡申请个人破產的人，他的信用额度可能已经不再重要了，因债权人会將申请过破產的人视为“洪水猛兽”。

债权人害怕自己手中的合约再次成为一堆废纸。在一段时间之內，破產人可能没有贷款或者申请信用卡的机会。就算有，极高的利率和其他各种费用可能也会让那些刚刚破產的人望而却步。

有学者认为，申请破產是聪明人选择的一条活路，因为这一切总会过去的，再也不用过著那种到处招摇的日子。

不过，从破產泥沼中走出来，確实要经歷一段很长的路。而在这过程中，最重要是要做到以下几点：

1.放下平日的“臭架子”

如果一个人决定申请破產，那就意味著他须在若多年之內接受“改造”。破產者的薪金每月只会被扣除10%，一家大小还能保留住所。

只不过，破產者不得经商或成为他人的商业伙伴、不能在近亲的公司工作或管理近亲的任何企业、在没有通知贷款人他是破產者的情况下不得举债超过1000令吉，以及不能购买任何產业。

破產者必须告別以往的生活方式，放下豪华奢侈的生活方式，反之应该对每个月的房贷和生活费等精打细算。

当然，破產者不能再继续申请新债务，尤其是在没有经过批准之前，申请信用卡等。破產者须重新依靠现金，而不是以信用卡来支付费用。

2.重新夺回信用

申请破產后的生活是一把双刃剑：以前错误的信用管理让破產者积债重重，如今却须重新夺回自己信用的管理权，重新打理自己的財富生涯。

既然破產已成事实，现在所要做的就是重新建立自己良好的信用，惟当中取决於许多变化因素，包括依靠手上所拥有的资源。如果一个破產者有一份很高的收入，那么他就拥有了一半的资本，因为如果能够按时支付自己房產的贷款，在他的信用记录上將写下良好的一章。

理財师认为，態度和坚持能够改变一切，这一切取决於你是一个怎样的消费者，包括你平时的一举一动。

3.把坏影响降到最低

由於每个人都在紧盯著破產者的信用纪录，所以破產对生活造成的影响恐怕连破產者本身都无法想像。

必须注意的是，在现实生活中，由於雇主对於宣佈破產的人士存有歧视是违法的，所以很多雇主在录用员工之前总是先仔细看一下他的信用记录，確定没有大问题之后才敢录用。

破產之后，还有一点必须做到的是注明自己的破產原因。虽然不会带来太大帮助，不过至少可以让雇主直接瞭解你破產的原因，且更好地进行判断，然后决定究竟要不要雇用你这“倒霉”的破產者。

破產並非等同於“世界末日” ，也不等同於宣判“死刑”，破產局不会夺走破產者的所有东西，破產者倒是还享有“重新开始”新生活的机会。

破產也许是个让我们学习信贷管理的好机会，但肯定不是我们向前迈进或成长的绊脚石，只要信念坚定，我们还是有机会夺回本身的“信贷清誉”！

星洲日报／投资致富‧財富焦点‧2010.08.22

30 Healthy Cholesterol Tips

1. Find more ways to walk. Can you walk to the store for milk? Park farther away? Take the stairs? If you can move more, DO! Physical activity is vital to heart health.

2. Eat six or more small meals a day. A large study of British adults found that people who ate six or more times a day had lower cholesterol than those who ate twice a day, even though the "grazers" got more calories and fat!

3. Fix all your sandwiches on whole grain bread. Eating more complex carbs, like whole grain bread and brown rice, can increase HDL levels slightly and significantly lower triglycerides, another type of blood fat that contributes to heart disease.

4. Say cheese! Women who ate a serving a day (about the size of four dice) had higher HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad) than those who ate less, according to a study at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

5. No laughing matter. A recent study showed that diabetes patients who watched funny sitcoms for 30 minutes, along with their standard meds, reduced their heart risk substantially: They had about a 26 percent increase in HDL ("good" cholesterol), compared with a bump of just 3 percent among patients in the control group.

6. Brew it better. If you're worried about cholesterol, stick to paper-filtered and instant coffees. Unfiltered coffees, which are typically made with a French press, contain more of a cholesterol-raising substance called cafestol.

7. Make the move to nonfat milk. If you drink whole milk, switch to 2 percent. If you already drink 2 percent, move to 1 percent. If you drink 1 percent, you're ready for nonfat.

8. Start with soup. Studies show that folks who begin their meals with soup end up eating fewer calories by the end of the day without feeling hungrier. Give it a try with a broth-based soup.

9. Bag some barley. Thanks to its impressive stash of soluble fiber, which slows the digestion of food and the rise of blood sugar, barley is much friendlier to blood sugar than rice for most people. And it lowers cholesterol to boot.

10. Start three days this week with oatmeal, a proven cholesterol-reducer. Use the old-fashioned or quick-cooking kind, not instant.

11. Sip a cup of black tea every four hours. Government scientists found that three weeks of drinking five cups a day of black tea reduced cholesterol levels in people with mildly high levels.

12. Berry good news. Adults who ate about a cup of berries a day lowered their blood pressure and raised their HDL (good) cholesterol after eight weeks, according to a new study from Finland.

13. Pay attention to fiber. Studies find that eating 10 to 30 grams of soluble fiber a day -- much more than the average American eats -- reduces LDL about 10 percent. Aim to up your intake slowly though, otherwise you may experience some bloating and flatulence.

14. The use of medication doesn't have to be permanent. If you improve your diet and increase your activity level, you may reduce your cholesterol enough to get off the medication and stay off it!

15. Add half a tablespoon of cinnamon to your coffee before starting the pot. A Pakistani study found that 6 grams cinnamon a day (about 1/2 tablespoon) reduced LDL cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes by nearly 30 percent.

16. Try turmeric. Small studies have found that curcumin, a component of turmeric, cuts cholesterol. Heat a little oil in a sauté pan, and toss in a tablespoon of turmeric, a dash of salt, and a generous pinch of black pepper (pepper can increase your uptake of curcumin by up to 2,000 percent). Stir for a minute, then add veggies and lean protein for a healthy, sunny dish.

17. Pop edamame as a snack. Just half a cup contains nearly 4 grams fiber, not to mention the soy isoflavones in these soybeans. Consumption of both has been linked to lower cholesterol.

18. Fall in love with olive oil. A study found that people who consumed about 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil daily for just one week had lower LDL and higher levels of antioxidants in their blood.

19. Put your pizza on a diet. Order a veggie pie with extra vegetables. Or, if you must have meat on your pizza, make it chicken or ham, not pepperoni. Or try clams, shrimp, or anchovies!

20. Practice deep breathing four times a week for two to four minutes. Use this technique when you're faced with a stressful situation to mitigate your body's reactions.

21. Take as prescribed. If you need cholesterol medication, statins are generally prescribed first, but your doctor may also suggest bile acid sequestrants, fibrates or prescription niacin, all of which will help.

22. Make healthy eating easy. If time's an issue, buy "semiprepared" foods. Some examples: boneless, skinless chicken breast; broccoli and cauliflower florets; and bagged salad.

23. Bag the butter. Dip breads in olive oil instead, or try a sterol-based spread. In the kitchen, try replacing butter with olive or canola oil.

24. Make meals picture-perfect. On days when you don't have salad, add a piece of fruit to your lunch. Or better yet, have fruit at lunch and salad with dinner.

25. Get creative with vegetables. Throw frozen veggies (no need to defrost!) into soups.

26. Step to it. Try to get at least 2,000 steps a day just through everyday activities, like vacuuming and gardening. Make it easy and check out a sports store for a pedometer.

27. Bored with your walks? Invite a friend to break up the tedium or try a new route -- both can make for a more enjoyable experience, and time will go much faster.

28. Lower stress levels with an enjoyable hobby. Can't think of one? Jot down your favorite childhood pastimes, then find one you can transfer to your adult life. For instance, if you loved to draw, find a drawing class nearby and sign yourself up!

29. Sprinkle wheat germ or flaxseed (both rich in omega-3 fatty acids) over salads, yogurt, and cereal.

30. Set the alarm on your computer to go off once an hour. This is your signal to get up and take a short, five-minute walk.

Mind Over Money

“But I can’t save any money.” It’s an excuse I hear a lot. Sometimes it’s a whine. Other times I detect a note of defiance. In the past few years, it has become increasingly frequent, as more and more of us make less than we spend, eating up the equity in our homes, while increasing our borrowing. Savings rates are declining. And the situation seems to be getting worse.

The question is: Why? Why don’t we make saving a priority? We certainly know that saving money – like eating broccoli and strengthening our core muscles – is good for us. In the latter cases, we listen. Yoga and Pilates have never been hotter. And broccoli now comes as a baby vegetable, precut and bagged, and even in purple. Yet saving for tomorrow is still a largely ignored and unappreciated skill. There are three reasons for this.

One: Saving today is harder. “If you’re having to spend a disproportionate amount of income on food and gas, it’s hard to save,” says Anthony Pratkanis, a psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who specialises in financial issues.

Over in our part of the world, food and fuel prices have increased substantially, eroding much of the income growth we’ve enjoyed in the past few years. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, food prices soared nearly 40 percent since last year. Meanwhile, crude oil prices have surged more than five-fold since 2002.

What’s worse, the prospect of still spiralling inflation amidst a current slowing global economy will make it more difficult for already strapped households to save.

Two: Credit became too accessible. For years it was simply too easy to get your hands on money to spend. Banks are eager to extend credit to you if you meet their requirements.

A financial cards study by Euromonitor International reported there were 580 million credit cards in circulation in Asia Pacific last year, a 54 percent increase since 2002. Correspondingly, credit cards transactions has increased 62 percent in the same five-year period.

Another study by the Bank for International Settlements, the bank for central banks, noted that many Asian countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, racked up a 200 to 500 percent increase in credit card usage volume, including the use of cards both to make purchases and to withdraw cash, between 1998 and 2005.

With such easy credit available, why save when you could get that big flat-screen TV today and pay for it with a simple swipe of plastic?

Three – and most intriguing: Saving is, was, and always will be no fun. “Saving money,” explains Jason Zweig, author of Your Money and Your Brain, “doesn't feel good.” Think about it this way: Choosing to save almost always means opting for delayed instead of immediate gratification. “You can buy a pair of shoes today,” says Zweig, “or have a nice retirement 20 years from now.” You’re going to buy the shoes because the pleasure of getting something good today is much greater than the pleasure of getting something good years in the future – even if the reward in the future is bigger.

IF IT’S NOT SHOES THAT make you go mushy inside, it may be technology, or rare books. But that’s not only an intensity you feel, it’s an intensity neuroeconomists can see. In recent years, this relatively new breed of experts in economics and neuroscience have started using MRIs to view the brain as it is making money choices.

When something we want to buy comes into view, they see the pleasure centre firing up as we get a feel-good dopamine rush. Similarly, getting a few dollars today is thrilling – more thrilling, in fact, than getting a slightly larger profit tomorrow. And if you have to wait a few weeks or months for that gain, it will have to be much bigger in order to arouse the same interest in your brain. Things way off in the future – like retirement – don’t jostle the pleasure centre much at all.

“HUMANS, LIKE MOST ANIMALS, have a strong preference for immediate reward over delayed reward. If you offer me $10 today or $11 tomorrow, I’ll probably say I’d rather have the $10 today,” says Zweig. Even bigger numbers don’t seem to make a difference. Financial experts routinely use what-if scenarios to try to encourage people to save more and at a younger age. You’ve probably heard that if at age 20, you put $100 a month into an account earning 8 percent interest, you’d have $527,454 at retirement. If you waited until you were 30 to begin, you’d have only $229,388. Yes, the examples are striking, but by Zweig’s logic, they probably aren’t very effective.

“A reward you get in the distant future has no emotional kick to it. It’s just an abstraction,” he says. “Even if you tell people you’ll have a million dollars 30 years from now, the brain doesn’t get it.”

Which, of course, is perfectly rational. “If tomorrow’s reward is based on promises – which retirement is – the people making the promises might be lying, they might not be around 20 years from now, your goals might change, many things could happen,” says Zweig. “So you have this automatic preference for an immediate reward. And that probably comes from our [hunter-gatherer] ancestors.” Back in those days, food was scarce. Given the choice of eating now or maybe eating more later, the cave folk who chose the latter very likely starved to death.

So the question becomes: Knowing what we know about our money and our brains, what mind games can you play to psych yourself into saving?

Visualise your goals. Let’s say you're 31 and you want to retire in 25 years. The key is to make the goal as concrete as you can, says Zweig. Pick your birthday circa 2033 as the day for your retirement goal. Then ask yourself, What do I want to do when I retire? Do I want a villa in Bali, a yacht to sail the seas in, or a paid-off mortgage? It’s different for everyone. But you’ve made retirement tangible: You have the date. You have the goal. Then you give it a name. It becomes “The Villa in Bali Fund.” You put a little Balinese music on your desktop, or cartoons of the beach – whatever reminds you of your goal. Put your account statements in a manila folder and decorate it with coconut trees.

Sound corny? Sure, but what you’re doing, Zweig says, is building an emotional environment that you can save in. All these things work together to motivate you, and then when you see the pair of shoes, it will be easier for you to say to yourself, This is a choice between shoes and Bali. Suddenly, you can leave the shoes in the store.

Rally your team. Use your friends and family as a way to discipline yourself. Tell them what your goal is, and ask them to remind you if you’re about to spend money on something you won’t need. (Tell them you won’t get cranky and will appreciate the help.) You can even do this on the internet. Dean Karlan and Ian Ayres of Yale just launched a website called stickK.com, which lets you post your goal, notify your friends, and set up penalties if you fail. It worked for both founders, who lost a significant amount of weight by pledging a significant amount of money if they didn’t drop pounds. But you could also use it to build an emergency stash, increase your contribution to your retirement savings, or amass an education fund for your kids.

Break it down. Stephen Brobeck, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America, says that one reason many middle-income families don’t save is that they don’t believe they can come up with big enough sums of money to do it effectively. The fact is, he says, small amounts can be quite effective. Start with your change. “It sounds trivial, but we have story after story of people who accumulated hundreds of dollars that way, realised they could do it, and worked harder to get more,” he says. Then add an automatic transfer from checking to savings account every month.

Finally, recognise that the saving process is actually healing. It makes you feel better – a better person, a better spouse, a better parent – to know that you have something put away for your future. Says Brobeck, “You may have to make sacrifices in the short term, but you’ll feel so much better in the medium to long.

” Additional reporting by Arielle McGowen, Chan Hse May and Shawn Pang.

By Jean Chatzky, Jim Plouffe

How to Be Your Own Doctor

1. Have a PERF-ect day

Essentially, there are four things you should monitor every day to make sure you are living healthily: the amount of fruit and vegetables you ate that day (fresh Produce); whether you walked and were active (Exercise); whether you got at least 15 minutes of laughter and fun time for yourself (Relaxation); and whether you got enough beans, grains and other high-fibre foods (Fibre). If you can say you did well on all four, your day has been extremely healthy. (Needless to say, this doesn’t apply if you spent the rest of the day say, drinking, smoking and eating chocolate.)

2. Get naked every two to three months

Then, with your partner (or a really close friend), conduct a head-to-toe skin check, looking for any new moles, changed moles, suspicious spots or rashes. Be sure to check your scalp, between your toes and fingers, and also the underside of your arms. If you find anything worrying, see your doctor.

Do the ABCD test when checking moles, looking out for these possible danger signs:

Asymmetry: the two halves don’t match.
Border irregularity: the edges are jagged.
Colour: uneven. Different shades of black, brown or pink can be seen.
Diameter: more than 6mm.

3. Monitor your sleepiness

There are three good ways to tell if you’re not getting enough sleep. First, do you require an alarm clock to wake you up most mornings? Second, do you become drowsy in the afternoon to the point that it affects what you’re doing? Third, do you doze off shortly after eating dinner? If the answer to any of these is yes, you need more sleep. And if you’re getting enough sleep (about eight hours) and still have these troubles, talk to your doctor about your low energy.

4. Measure your height every year after you turn 50

This is especially important for women as a way of assessing posture and skeletal health. A decrease in stature can be as informative as a change in a bone density test for monitoring your overall bone health. If you’re concerned, speak to your doctor.

5. Keep a mental colour chart of how dark your urine is

It may sound weird, but it’s a useful health indicator. Your urine should be a clear, straw colour; if it’s dark or smells strong, you may not be getting enough fluids. If it stays dark-coloured even after you increase your liquid intake, make an appointment to see your doctor. If it’s bright yellow, it may be the B vitamins in your multivitamin tablets (if you take them).

6. Check your heartbeat after you exercise

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women with poor heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise had twice the risk of having a heart attack within ten years as those who had normal HRR. Next time you exercise, like a strenuous 20-minute walk or a jog, count your heartbeats for 15 seconds immediately afterwards, then multiply the result by four to get your heart rate. Sit down and wait two minutes before checking again. Subtract the second number from the first. If it’s under 55, your HRR is higher than normal and you should consult with your doctor.

7. If you have diabetes, check your feet every day

You will be susceptible to foot damage, so examine your feet carefully for any blisters, fungus, peeling skin, cuts or bruises. Because people with diabetes often have some nerve damage in extremities such as the feet, these daily self-examinations give critical clues as to how well you’re monitoring your blood sugar and if you might have nerve damage.

8. Have a cardiovascular check

If you’re over 40, you can request a full cardiovascular screening assessment (for future heart attack and stroke risk) with your doctor. You can also request one if you’re under 40 with a strong family history of heart attack or stroke. Blood cholesterol levels are just one of several factors that need to be measured and assessed, along with smoking status, blood glucose level, ECG results and blood pressure. Measuring cholesterol alone is not enough, as other risk factors may be missed; normal cholesterol levels do not necessarily mean that your overall cardiovascular risk is normal. Ask for advice at your doctor’s surgery.

9. Check your blood pressure every six months

Check with a home blood pressure monitor, or at a clinic. If the top number is more than 140 (130 if you have diabetes) and the bottom number is higher than 90 (80 for diabetics), wait a day, then check it again. If it’s still high, make an appointment with your doctor.

10. Check your hairbrush

If your hair’s falling out, ask your doctor to check your levels of blood ferritin, an indication of how much iron your body is storing. Some studies suggest low levels may be related to unexplained hair loss. Thyroid disease is another fairly common cause.

From the book, 5 Minute Health Boosters, published by Reader’s Digest (January 2010).

《白蚂蚁》

《白蚂蚁》是一位新山热血戏剧男孩所制作的,製作費仅耗資逾7000令吉。但自从首映后,却得到了空前热烈的迴响.这部剧不但反映出华小教育的问题,也“賺”了观众的笑声和眼淚.

剧本的主材是从本地微型华小的角度出发， 以轻松诙谐手法触碰教育课题.

《白蚂蚁》描述某小镇一间只剩四位学生的微型华小，除了教课设备不足外，校舍还被白蚂蚁严重侵蝕，某天，一位充满热忱的新老师来报到后，学校开始有了微妙的变化。。



这是一处蛮不错的电影。。轻松的带出华小设备的不足。。戏里的主题曲歌也很好听。。

小小

演唱／詞曲：戴佩妮

小小的戰鬥力　可以翻越幾個丘
小小的一顆心　可以承載多少痛
小小的這雙手　可以握住什麼夢
小小的鞋缺一個口　小心的向前走

我走到海邊　看浪花翩翩
我在我小小的世界　哼著一首歌
抬起頭睜開眼　星星堆滿天
1 2 3　嗯嗯嗯　會不會實現
深呼吸閉上眼　風偷吻我的臉
嗯嗯嗯　4 5 6　某人在心裡面

我走到海邊　看浪花翩翩
我在我小小的世界　哼著一首歌
抬起頭睜開眼　星星堆滿天
1 2 3　嗯嗯嗯　會不會實現
深呼吸閉上眼　風偷吻我的臉
嗯嗯嗯　4 5 6　某人在心裡面

抬起頭睜開眼　星星堆滿天
1 2 3　嗯嗯嗯　會不會實現
深呼吸閉上眼　風偷吻我的臉
嗯嗯嗯　4 5 6　某人在心裡面

De-Tox As A First Step To A Slimmer, Healthier You

What does detox mean? It can be defined as cleansing the body of toxins that have accumulated through addictive habits. Most of us lead very busy lifestyles and end up eating out a lot. Through these eating habits, we are unconsciously fueling our bodies with countless meals of unhealthy foods, high content of oils, fats, sugar, salt etc.

No one can deny the wonders of the human body where the liver and kidneys do much of the detoxing for us naturally. However, it is nice to give those hard working organs a break once in a while, which is why a detox is highly recommended but not a must.

Many women and even some men go on detox programs for beauty and health reasons. Detoxing has been said to give dull and sallow skin a healthier more radiant glow. The effectiveness of a detox is subjective but in theory when your body is fully cleansed your body should technically function better.

For a healthy and effective detox regime, Marie France Bodyline recommends a 5-step program every 3-4 months. Nutritionists at Marie France Bodyline advise that the detox program is done during a period when you are most inactive or on leave from work as you may be weak from the lack of food for the first few days. The program advocates a healthy and balanced diet with a gradual addition of solid foods back into the system after the first 3 days.

Below is the recommended 4-step detox program as recommended by Marie France Bodyline which can be completed as a 3 or 7 day program:

Step 1 For the first 2 days, eat as much fruit as possible. Choose a good variety of fruits that are rich in different vitamins and minerals. For example Blueberries and Apples are high in antioxidants. Drink plenty of fruit juice with the pulp during the day. Avoid juices and fruits high in sugar at night. Coffee and tea should not be consumed during this period, but instead drink plenty of water. Water can be flavoured with a tinge of lime and/or lemon juice. Stay away from all carbs during this period.

Step 2 Take 3 to 4 portions of leafy green vegetables and fruits. Each serving should consist of 50% fruit and 50% vegetables. Vegetables may be lightly cooking with a light dash of olive oil. Fruits should be consumed fresh and raw. Do this for a day or two.

Step 3 At this stage you can begin adding white meats and beans to your diet. Maintain light cooking for both the meats and beans. This can be done for a day.

Step 4 In day 6 and 7 of your detox progam start adding half a bowl of rice to your meal.

Detoxing has had positive effects in helping with weight loss, improving digestion and slowing the aging process but should never be done on a long term basis.

Courtesy of Marie France Bodyline

觉得做人累了就看看....

学会沉默　　
有 时候，你被人误解，你不想争辩，所以选择沈默。本来就不是所有的人都得了解你，因此你认为不必对全世界喊话。却也有时候，你被最爱的人误解，你难过到不想 争辩，也只有选择沈默。全世界都可以不懂你，但他应该懂，若他竟然不能懂，还有什么话可说?那么，不想说话，就不说吧，在多说无益的时候，也许沈默就是最 好的解释。
　　
至少平静　　
在你跌入人生谷底的时候，你身旁所有的人都告诉你：要坚强，而且要快乐。坚强是绝对需 要的，但是快乐？在这种情形下，恐怕是太为难你了。毕竟，谁能在跌得头破血流的时候还觉得高兴？但是至少可以做 到平静。平静地看待这件事，平静地把其他该处理的事处理好。平静，没有快乐，也没有不快乐。
　　　
不要想如果当初　　
人 生是一条有无限多岔口的长路，永远在不停地做选择。如果只是选择吃炒面或炒饭，影响似乎不大，但选择读什么科系、做什么工作、结婚或不结婚、要不要有孩 子，每一个选择都影响深远，而不同的选择也必定造就完全不一样的人生。生命中不可承受之情，就在于人生没有重来 的机会啊。如果当初如何如何，现在就不会怎样怎样。。。这种充满怅然的喃喃自语，还是别再多说了吧。每一个岔口的选择其实没有真正的好与坏，只要把人生看 成是自己。独一无二的创作，就不会频频回首如果当初做了不一样的选择。
　　
保持单纯　　
因为思虑过多，所以常会 把自己的人生复杂化了。明明是活在现在，却总是念念不忘着过去，又忧心忡忡着未来；坚持携带着过去、未来与现在同行，你的人 生当然只有一片拖泥带水。而单纯是一种恩宠状态。单纯地以皮肤感受天气的变化，单纯地以鼻腔品尝雨后的青草香，单纯地以眼睛统摄远山近景如一幅画。单纯地 活在当下。而当下其实无所谓是非真假。既然没有是非，就不必思虑；没有真假，就无须念念不忘又忧心忡忡。无是非真 假，不就像在做梦一样了吗?是呀，就单纯地把你的人生当成梦境去执行吧。
　　
控制情绪别浪费了
今天的你，是不开心 的你，因为有人在言语间刺伤了你。你不喜欢吵架，所以你离开；可是你只是离开了那，却没有离开被那人伤害的情境，因此你愈想愈生气。愈有气，你就愈没有力 气去理会别的事情，许多更该用心去做去想去处理的事件，就在你漫天漫地的心烦意乱之中，被轻忽被漠视被省略了。因为，你只是一心一意地在生气。在情绪上做 文章，这是对自己的浪费，而且是很坏的浪费。毕竟，生气也是要花力气的，而且生气一定伤元气。所以，聪明如你，别让情绪控制了你，当你又要生气之 前，不妨轻声地提醒自己一句：“别浪费了。”
　　
悄悄悄悄地回归平静　　
曾经有一段时间，你心情低落，甚至懒得拉 开窗帘，看着窗外的阳光。因此你当然也忘了去看看，窗台上那一盆每天都需要喝水的百合花。如此不知过了多久，总算有一天，你度过了心情的低潮，同时也想起 了你的百合。天啊，可怜的花，它还活着吗？你战战兢兢地拉开窗帘，却见它迎风招摇，花颜可掬。原来在过去的这段日子里，你虽然忘了喂它喝水，老天却没忘了 以雨露眷顾它呢。许多事物悄悄地在你的视线之外进行，而且悄悄地安排好了它们自己。天生万物，天养万 物，一切其实无须担心。。。

你只要做的就是做好自己，不留任何遗憾。。。足矣！！！！

原来月经不洗头 不是冷不冷的问题

于阿桑、梅艳芳的死去，给女人的忠告：
女人月经来潮前会有头晕者，是癌症的前兆。
抗癌之母—庄淑旗博士生于1922年，
今年80岁了， 庄淑旗博士的抗癌养生法--女生月经来时为何不能洗头 ?
很早以前就常听到老一辈的人这样规劝我们这些不怕死的年青人，因为问他们：
为什么不行？没人回答得出来，只说：那是以前人经验累积的告戒，不听的话，
以后老了就会知道！所以就这样，一直觉得那可能是古早环境不好，
没有像我们现在有吹风机，洗好马上吹干，应该就没事了… 想不到……
看了这篇文章后，才知道不是有没有吹干的问题。

不论是小女孩还是大女人，都应该要注意，不要洗头就对了。男生收到也看一看，
跟你有关的女人都应该让他知道这个正确观念才是! 台湾的女医学博士庄淑旗根据研究医学，先后在日本庆应大学修得药理博士、医学博士，她对日本癌症患者三万人的病发前的生活调查发现，绝大多数的癌症患者均有极端的偏食习惯，并在调查中有惊人的发现，大多数的乳癌及子宫癌患者，凡在月经来潮时，洗头发、提重东西、或产后不注意调养或吃冰冷食物，致子宫收缩不完全，而使体内贺尔蒙分泌不平衡，长久累积而致癌。由于这项发现，庄博士乃潜心研究女性月经期间生理调理的方法，在日本发表改善月经期间饮食法，与改变生活方式疗法，结果使许多日本妇女因乳癌、子宫癌症及得患其它癌症开刀者，因饮食、生活的改善，而使癌症不再发。现在这个疗法已在日本被广为宣传，每年有数万人因而得救，这个方法就是，在月经期不能洗头，她说古老的时侯，妇女们都知道月经期间不能洗头，将之传给她的女儿媳妇，但不知其原因，有许多现代人总以为科学发达，古老的说法无凭据，不信，结果竟得乳癌，庄博士说：以往子宫大量出血的妇女，在妇科未发达以前，她们都不愿找医师看病，而有一个自疗方法，即是将头发用水打湿，则子宫收缩，血立刻止掉。


因为这个原理，她发现，月经来潮时，不 能洗发，不能吃冰冷食物，以免让排出的污血未排净，而残留在子宫之内，日积月累，贺尔蒙分泌失调，而有乳癌、子宫癌的发生，除了不洗发，不吃冰冷食物外，如月经来潮前会有头晕、胀奶、便泌者，这是癌症的前兆，预防方法可依体型用黑糖、莲藕、萝葡、薏仁等，熬汤饮之，则可防止癌细胞的发展，达到最佳的预防方法 。
喝奶茶，不吃刚烤的面包，远离充电电源，白天多喝水晚上少喝，一天不喝多于两杯咖啡，少吃油多的食物，最佳睡眠时间为晚10点到早6点，晚5点后少吃大餐，一天喝酒不能超过1杯，不用冷水服胶囊，睡前半小时服药忌立即躺下，睡眠不足8小时人会变笨，有午觉习惯的人不易变老，手机剩一格点时不要打电话，因为一格电打电话时的辐射是平常的1000倍，还要记得要用左耳接电话，右耳接电话会直接伤到大脑。

现在很多女性朋友们，都有一个最爱得的毛病，就是乳腺癌。（千万不要摘。一摘就麻烦了，摘一个，过不了几年另一个必摘），和子宫肌瘤，卵巢囊肿三位一体的妇科病。我本人不是医生，但是知道这病的病理，他们都来至我们的例假。第5 条，非常好。要养成记录生理周期的习惯。

正常的例假情况是每月28天，正负不能超过一天，每次时间应该4到5天。忽前忽后都不行
量多了也不行，量少了也不行 。如果有痛经的女性朋友，不要不去管他，长期不管他，以后可能得以上三种的机率很大。经痛到医院去医生说是很正常的，确实这个不叫病。叫症状。特别是要准备在怀孕的妈妈们，一定要调好。为什么有的宝宝生出来，有小孩多动症，隔三岔五的感冒，绝对偏食？就是妈妈的例假出问题了。

在食谱里添加杂粮和蔬菜，一定要多吃五谷杂粮。五谷：大豆，大米，玉米，小麦，谷黍 大家有没有发现电视上的不孕症的广告也越来越多了？其实就是因为我们长期吃的食物中激素，农药，化肥多过，肝脏的排泄力度不够，排不出来以后，很多的脏东西要通过卵巢来走，走不出来就会逐渐在堵塞，输卵管一堵，不孕症就太正常了。夏天大家一定要禁嘴，不要吃冰冷的食物。寒气就到胃里，就像庄博士说的，就形成寒淤，让排出的污血未排净，而残留在子宫之内，日积月累。（子宫肌瘤就是积累的残留）

> > 1. 在干净的床上裸睡
> > 2. 生理期不吃巧克力，因为会加重痛经
> > 3. 养成记录生理周期的习惯
> > 4. 通过运动而非调整型内衣来塑造曲线
> > 5. 不翘二郎腿，以免压迫神经
> > 6. 贴身衣物不干洗
> > 7. 拉风的丁字裤不适宜日常穿着
> > 8. 去年的衣服要进行曝晒后才可以穿
> > 9. 如非必要，不使用卫生护垫
> > 10. 定期检查化妆品的保质期
> > 11. 洗浴后一小时再化妆
> > 12. 即使爱美，也不要在耳朵上部的外缘软骨部位穿耳洞
> > 13. 了解自己的家庭病史，特别是母亲和外婆的病史

补充几条调理的好方法。
1，每天泡一杯红茶生姜水喝，几块新鲜生姜进去，还可以加蜂蜜进去，益母草蜂蜜是最好的
2.益母草膏（益母草膏算是痛经中的圣草了），维威制药厂出产的，百花牌的貌似不错，几块钱一瓶，提前2天吃，一次一勺，一天3次，再就是提前一个星期吃逍遥丸。
3.泡脚也很好，坚持每天热水泡脚。
4。还有一定要运动，每天坚持，也不能熬夜。

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World ^8

Have a glass of wine. A staple of French and Mediterranean tables, wine adds joy to the meal, and because it contains potent antioxidants, is at least partly responsible for why these cultures traditionally have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality despite their higher-fat diets. And while some studies show that we tend to eat more when we drink, a Finnish study actually found that male drinkers were leaner than abstainers.

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World ^7

Chow down only when you're hungry. Americans eat for all sorts of reasons besides hunger, especially from boredom, loneliness, stress or fear, a foreign concept in other cultures. "You can't make food the solution to every issue in your life and expect to be thin," says Dr. Katz. "If you eat from boredom, find a hobby. If you eat to relieve stress, learn meditation or yoga."

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World ^6

Dine with others. Eating with family or friends vs. alone in your car, at your desk or on the couch is part and parcel of traditional cultures. Not only does camaraderie make the meal more enjoyable, it's slimming. "Eating with others restrains your own behavior," notes Dr. Katz. "You eat more slowly, which increases the likelihood that you'll register when you're full before you've eaten more than you should."

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World ^5

Enjoy regular meals. One reason French women don't get fat is because French women eat three meals a day. You may think skipping meals cuts calories, but all it does is evoke a primal "fear of hunger response" that causes overeating later, explains Dr. David Katz, MD, author of The Way to Eat. "Throughout most of our history, we had too little to eat. So when you go for long periods without eating, you stir up all that native programming, which says eat like crazy when you can, because all too often you can't." Start with breakfast. Studies show that breakfast-eaters are slimmer than skippers.

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World ~4

Get moving. People in Asian countries, France and the Mediterranean tend to be slim because they're more active. Not that they spend hours at the gym; they simply walk a lot.

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World~3

When you're eating, just eat. No other culture multitasks meals the way Americans do with our TV dinners, fast-food drive-throughs and grab-'n-go food that's designed to fit into a car cup holder and be eaten with one hand. In Japan, it's considered rude to eat while walking. And you'll never catch the French gulping coffee in the car. "In France, there are no car cup holders because you don't drink coffee while driving," explains Will Clower, PhD, author of The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss. "Eating and drinking aren't errands. It's not what you do on the way to something else." Good advice. When you're distracted by work, traffic or the TV, you're apt to overeat without even realizing it, notes Dean Ornish, MD, author of Eat More, Weigh Less. "If you really pay attention to what you're eating, you enjoy it more fully and don't need as much food."

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World ~2

2. Drizzle on the healthy oils. Healthy fats like olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and canola oil, a staple of Okinawans, make vegetables tastier, so you're likely to eat more of them. And, as we know, eating a diet rich in produce is key to maintaining a healthy weight.

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

8 Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World~1

1. Stop eating before you're full. The Okinawans, whose average BMI is 21.5 for those who eat a traditional diet, call this hara hachi bu, or eating till you're 80 percent full. Of course, we're not suggesting that you leave the table hungry. But eating until the buttons pop stretches the stomach by about 20 percent each time you do it, so you inevitably need more food to feel satisfied, explains Bradley Willcox, MD, co-author of The Okinawa Diet Plan. He says that putting your fork down "when you feel that first twinge of fullness" gives your brain a chance to realize that you are full before you overdo it.

By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel

擅自將照片放上网‧部落格作弄人可被起诉

在部落格发表不负责任的言论破坏他人声誉，或在没有经过他人同意下，擅自將別人的照片贴上网，导致部落客对照片中人物展开人身攻击等情况，时有所闻。

执业律师告诉《大霹雳》，根据法律程序，当事人可採取法律行动，聘请律师向涉及者展开民事诉讼，即控告对方毁谤；或向警方投案，让警方调查是否抵触1998年多媒体与通讯法令。

不过，当事人事前必须先查到涉及者的下落和身份；否则涉及者依然可以逍遥法外。

梁卓经：须提供涉及者资料

怡保执业律师梁卓经指出，自己的照片被人擅自放上网和遭到其他人嘲笑或作弄，最传统的做法，就是通过律师起诉对方毁谤，以索取適当的赔偿；或向法庭申请庭令，阻止对方的毁谤行动。

他表示，採取这样的行动属於民事案，起诉人必须提供涉及者的最基本资料，即涉及者的全名和地址，否则就无法进行了。

部落客不用真名难查梁卓经说，在起诉对方毁谤的行动中，起诉人通常难於找到对方的资料，因为一些部落客在网咖开部落格时，往往不用真身份，所以起诉行动起不了作用。

他指出，当事人可向警方报投，要求展开调查；如果这案件涉及犯罪因素，警方可援引通讯与多媒体法令展开调查，而这类案件属於刑事案。

“如果涉及者所使用的电脑是本身住家的，以及用真的全名来註册，警方即可追踪到涉及者的下落。”

邱文传：可通过律师起诉

怡保执业律师邱文传指出，如没有经过当事人同意而將当事人的照片贴上网，並作弄或破坏当事人的声誉，这项举动可在毁谤法令和通讯与多媒体法令下作出追究。

“当事人可通过律师採取法律行动，起诉对方毁谤；或向警方报案，让警方在通讯与多媒体法令下展开调查。”

他表示，当事人將面对的问题是，有关行动可能无济於事，因为许多部落客都不爱用真名和真地址来开部落格，因而往往追查不到涉及者的下落。

他说，为了避免惹祸上身，一些部落客选择在网咖开部落格，並採用假姓名和地址，这將使当事人无从追查到涉及者的身份。

“如果没有对方的身份资料，即使要通过法律行动对付对方，也无从著手；因此，一些面对这类问题的受害者，即使感到很气恼，也无能为力。”

法律小常识
网站撰文发言须小心

任何部落客在网站撰文发言时须小心用字，因为发言不慎，將有可能触犯1998年多媒体与通讯法令第232和233条文，而被控上法庭。

触犯通讯及多媒体法令233条文，最高可被判罚款5万令吉或监禁1年，或两者兼施；至於触犯通讯及多媒体法令232条文，最高可被判罚款3万令吉或监禁3年，或两者兼施。

在这法令211和233条文下，凡在网页发佈有恐嚇和骚扰等的內容，將受到对付。一旦罪名成立，可被罚款不超过5万令吉和监禁1年，或两者兼施。

霹雳 头条新闻 2010-08-06 12:22

美国‧全球最富有男人背后的女人们

（美国）美国《福布斯》杂志列出举世瞩目的超级富豪太太，她们不但是丈夫背后的女人，有些还是丈夫在事业上的好拍档，堪称美貌、智慧及財富並重。
富豪们选择太太的眼光多样，不少富豪会被美貌折服，也有富豪会选择未飞黄腾达之前能同甘共苦的女子，更有富豪会被女人的才气能力所倾倒。但无论怎样，能入选世界富太的女人，个个都不仅仅是贤內助那么简单。

1.邓文迪（美貌+智慧）
丈夫：媒体大亨默多克
年龄：42岁
1999年嫁给默多克后，邓文迪（右）被媒体喻为飞上枝头变凤凰，但邓文迪能力过人，她持有耶鲁大学MBA学位，近年更开始沾手丈夫的传媒王国，替他打理中国My Space。这对夫妇生有2个女儿，强势的邓文迪还为两个女儿爭取到了继承权。

2.盖尔．戈尔登（才干+同甘共苦）
丈夫：华尔街企业狙击手爱康
年龄：61岁
在1999年与金融家爱康结婚之前，戈尔登曾长期担任其助理。婚后，能力过人的戈尔登成立了一个网上旅游预订系统，並在2002年开办了一个专为女性旅游服务的公司。

3.安妮‧迪亚斯‧格里芬（智慧+才干）
丈夫：美国对衝基金经理肯尼斯‧格里芬
年龄：37岁
肯尼斯是美国最大对衝基金之一Citadel投资集团的创办人。获得哈佛MBA学位之后，安妮先后曾在高盛、富达投资以及索罗斯基金管理公司就职。2001年，安妮成立了一间对衝基金公司，如今已坐拥1亿美元资產。

4.韦罗妮卡‧贝卢斯科尼（美貌）
前夫：意大利新总理贝卢斯科尼
年龄：54岁
韦罗妮卡与贝卢斯科尼已於今年离婚，並达成离婚財產分配协议。
根据协议，贝氏避免了每月支付350万欧元赡养费的“天价离婚”方式，条件是將位於米兰郊区价值约8000万欧元（约合3.5亿令吉）的別墅赠与韦罗娓卡，並答应她与其生育的3名子女將获得其与第一任妻子所生的2名子女同等的財產分配权。

5.米拉姆‧欧克西恩（才干+智慧）
丈夫：美国赌场大亨阿德尔森
年龄：63岁
阿德尔森是被米拉姆的才能所吸引。出生於以色列的米拉姆是一名生物化学专家，被认为是研究毒品上癮治疗领域的佼佼者。她与丈夫阿德尔森携手在拉斯维加斯建立了毒品治疗中心。米拉姆还是纽约洛克菲勒大学的客座教授。

6.埃丽卡‧巴克斯特（美貌）
丈夫：澳洲首富詹姆斯．帕克
年龄：32岁
澳洲首富詹姆斯‧帕克在去年6月迎娶女友埃丽卡，令才29岁的埃丽卡跃升澳洲首富夫人。她当了10多年模特，也曾出过唱片，绝对是声色艺俱全的富豪太太。

7.梅兰妮‧特朗普（美貌）
丈夫：美国地產大亨唐纳德‧特朗普
年龄：40岁
梅兰妮拥有天使面孔、魔鬼身材，正是她的美貌让她成为了特朗普的第3任太太。这位斯洛文尼亚的模特在16岁就出道。在斯洛文尼亚大学拿到建筑学学位后，梅兰妮只身前往纽约发展，前年为特朗普诞下了儿子巴伦。

8.黛安娜‧冯‧弗斯滕伯格（才干）
丈夫：美国媒体业巨头巴里‧迪勒
年龄：63岁
比利时出生的黛安娜是著名时装设计师，她早在上个世纪70年代便发跡於纽约，90年代更成为《名利场》杂志的编辑。黛安娜创立的的黛安娜‧冯‧弗斯滕伯格品牌在全球超过56个国家销售。

星洲日报／国际‧2010.08.05

人生，在生死一瞬间改变。

“一样东西有没有能量，在於你是否愿意赋予它能量；人若没有能量，仙丹在你旁边，也是死物。”

王明勇原本是中原大学建筑土木系毕业的高材生，在一次工程意外中，吊车上重达约数百公斤的模板从20多层楼高垂吊而下，直接压落在他的身上；生死一瞬间，他幸运地保住性命，但是脊椎的伤痛却一直留在身上。

经过这场意外后，王明勇开始思考未来：有没有一种事业能够兼顾健康与生活呢？此时他接触到当时刚在台湾起步的“有机產业”，於是毅然决定转换跑道、从头学起，开始进修相关学分，並远赴德国、瑞士、日本、澳洲、美国、加拿大体验研习，终於成为新世代的饮食专家。

为甚么会唸建筑土木系，王明勇笑说，几乎每个青少年前半部的人生是一样的，在经济还未独立以前，任何事情都得听父母安排，包括教育；父母认为哪科系有前途，孩子就被安排去唸那科系。他就是在这样的家庭教育制度下成为家族工程师，但他谦虚，他称自己为“盖房子的人”。

大学毕业后，他心中一直有个伟大的梦想。他希望能够矗立一座永垂不朽的建筑物，可是，理想才刚萌芽，他却在建筑工地受伤了。

当年26岁的他的第一份工作，是建筑工程师，对工作满腔热血，而且很有成就感。他参与一项大型的眷村改建计划，带领整千名泰籍劳人，还有一个翻译员跟在身边，承担了一项建造2400多户住宅的建筑工作。

某天，他在工地的地面上拿著对讲机与操控起吊机的人沟通。对讲完毕，他站在原地接听了一通电 话，就在接听这通电话的片刻时间里，起吊机的工作人员已缓缓地把模板下降。站在烈日当空下的他，突然被一团黑影笼罩著，他心知情况不妙，抬头往上看，模板 已到头顶，下一秒钟，就会压在他身上了。

当时，操控起吊机的人在20多层楼的高度，从对方的方向往下瞧，是个死角，完全看不到模板降落的方向正是王明勇站著的地方。

回忆起当时的情况，他笑道，老天彷彿对他的命运自有安排似的，“平时工地的上班日，是很多工人在的，我发生意外时，碰巧是午饭时间，大家都外出吃饭去了。”

地面上除了他，其实还有一个不諳中文的外籍劳工。但是，碰巧这外劳当时却身处凹入地面一个大而深的，收建筑材料的洞口里，视觉上也根本看不到他的存在。

●经歷生死一瞬间

发现黑影正降落到头顶上时，他只剩一秒的逃亡时间而已。他说：“模板的面积太大了，在空中降落时是左右前后摆动的，所以，我当时是无处可逃，也根本来不及拔腿就跑。加上处於危险的紧急状况时，人很难做出妥当的决定，当下，就只能尽自己所能做一个自己认为是最好的决定了。”

他想过逃进旁边的那大而深的洞口里，但洞口週边却插满钢枝。钢枝排得密密麻麻，向外弯，高度及 腰，“万一跳不过去，钢枝就会插在我身上......”届时，王明勇很可能会马上一命呜呼了。当下，他决定弯著腰身蹲在钢枝旁，希望模板压下来时，还可以 借钢枝的支撑力，顶模板一把。

那重约一吨的一大捆模板压下来时，他几乎窒息。当时，他手仍握著对讲机，却无法发出声音。他几乎用尽全身的力气，才从嘴巴吐出气声，“拉上去！”，“拉上去！”，他气若如丝。

操作起吊机的同事听到对讲机传来模糊的声音时，这才发觉地面的情况不妥，於是把刚降下的模板又上升。就在这时候，碰巧有个外出用餐的同时回工地拿东西时发现受伤的王明勇，於是马上致电到医院求救。

回想十多年前这场生死一瞬间的经歷，王明勇依然鸡皮疙瘩。他说，就在那一瞬间，他以为自己的生命会就此结束，然而，这场意外却是他人生里的不幸中的大幸。

接著，他在医院躺了三週，因为年轻，他修养了三个月就復原了，但是，脊椎的伤痛却一直留在他身上。

●转念，美好的未来就在前方

王明勇相信，这宗意外发生后，给了他一个重生的机会，让他重新走在生命的轨道上，探索自己的生 命意义。他解说：“我很卖命的工作，为了盖出好房子，我可以百分百的付出自己的时间和精力，日以夜继的工作，但是，如果某天我在工作时万一发生意外一命呜 呼的话，我的人生到后来究竟留下了甚么？”

他开始思考生命的意义何在。

修养期间，他回到家乡老宅养病。在山明秀水的乡村里，他想起自己是在务农环境下成长，当年家里 养鸡、鸭、猪，此外还耕稻种菜，他自小就对农业很有兴趣，“上大学时没有以自己的兴趣来选科，因为当时是父母亲为我做的决定，我相信80%孩子都是这样 的，对自己的兴趣和未来模陵两可，所以才不能学以自用。”他轻嘆。

当下，王明勇开始思考自己的未来何去何从？究竟有没有一份事业，是能够同时兼顾自己的身体健康与生活品质呢？他开始思考人生未来的动向──寻找一份可以把家庭、健康、事业融合一体，並且兼顾得很好的工作。

那时，他刚好接触到当时刚在台湾起步的“有机產业”，於是毅然决定转换跑道、从头学起，开始进修相关学分，后来，还远赴德国、瑞士、日本、澳洲、美国、加拿大体验研习，自此把关怀下一代的健康视为自己的使命。

接触了营养学，他才发觉，现实生活中只有四个字可用以形容现代人对於饮食健康的学问，既是“无知，疏忽”。他感嘆说：“每个人都有自己的专长，每个人几乎从小开始就朝自己专长的方向去学习、去栽培，但是，对於如何过健康的生活，却似乎没有人被教导过。”

他有过上千次的饮食营养与健康的分享会，每次，他都开宗明义的问现场听眾的健康资讯从哪里来？ 答案往往是“道听涂说”，“来自原生家庭”云云。“我是学土木工程的，我知道一栋房子要怎么盖，地基怎么打，房子才牢固，但是，在这之前，对於如何为自己 打造健康的生活，我却不知道。”社会越文明，人们的精神就越薄弱，逐渐的，连生活的基本需求与准则都丟了。

●打造健康生活的根基

学校老师教育学生德、智、体、群、美，王明勇教的是第6育──健康，他希望人们可以把健康烹飪的权利掌握在自己手中。

这场意外让他发现，生命，原来很脆弱，但是，生命，也可以很坚韧的；如果一个人的个性坚强，遇 到挫折，就不容易被挫败，反而会从中有所领悟。后来，他发觉一个人事都能拥有美好的人生和个人的意念有关，在生机饮食领域久了，他接触过不少癌症患者，有 些癌症患者最终还是活了下来，是因为他们对活著的意念够坚定。

工地意外的发生，让王明勇转念了。人的行为和思想有固定的模式，所以，人人看事情的角度不一 样。发生意外，有的人认为是业障，也会有人埋怨自己运气不好，但他並不怨天尤人，他认为这是老天给他的礼物，一个改变自己的际遇，甚至是一生的、珍贵的礼 物。“没有这场意外，今天，我或许还是庸庸碌碌的盖房子。”说罢，他哈哈大笑。

除了进修营养学，他还进修心理学。一路走来，他觉察到自己在性格上有所改变了。年轻时，他个性 很衝动，做事情只讲求效率，而今，他认为自己比较有智慧了。“凡是都有来龙去脉，如果能冷静思考和分析，就可避免很多不好的事情的发生，这样一来，在做重 大的抉择时，就比较能以智慧的头脑来做判断。”他分享道。

盖永垂不朽的房子是他的理想，当年的理想还未达標，他就先受伤倒下，对於最初的理想，他心里还是有一点的遗憾，但是，却直言“盖房子”和“传健康之道”两者带给他的成就感是孑然不同的，但是，两者最终为人们带来目的都是一样：让人过健康美好的生活。

虽然不过当了將近两年的土木工程师，但他心里却早早埋下盖一栋永垂不朽的，让人惊讶哇然的建筑。这栋建筑，是一座城市的座標；这城市的座標，却是他在理想上建筑而来的精神。纵然那永垂不朽的城市座標后来並没有矗立在台北市街头，但他却將健康的地桩打在人们的脑子里。

王明勇认为，帮助人不是仅限於物质上的协助，他现在做的，是分享健康知识的工作。他形容自己现 在就像是一个“传道士”，在演讲中，他分享自己所知道的健康知识，这样或许能让一些可以多活一段时日，又或能让人预防罹焕癌症。永垂不朽的建筑，和健康之 道，一样是为人们带来健康美好的生活根基。

【王明勇简介：】

◆学歷：中原大学建筑土木系毕业、台北医学大学营养保健学分班、台北医学大学食膳保健学分班、澳洲生药学院（Australian School Of Herbal Medicine）结业。

◆现职：新竹市文化局与妇女社区大学及科学城社区大学生机饮食讲师、新竹市爱恆启能中心健康顾问、“无毒的家”自然生活馆讲师等。

◆日本时间差疗法协会会员，德国布鲁士自然疗法中心研习、台湾运动科学协会运动营养学委员、台北市信义社区大学生机饮食助理讲师等。

星洲日报／副刊‧报导：李秀华‧2010.06.17

新加坡‧未来25年‧料6万女性患乳头瘤病

新加坡‧未来25年‧料6万女性患乳头瘤病

2010-07-23 17:14

（新加坡）一项调查显示，未来25年里，新加坡预计会有6万名女性受到引发子宫颈癌等疾病的病毒感染，而诊治这些疾病的费用將高达8300万元，如果能在女性青春期（12至24岁）就为她们注射疫苗，將能大大减少这些病患，也能为新加坡减少诊治这些疾病的医疗开支。

由国立大学医院妇產科属下妇科肿瘤部主任刘仁惠副教授进行的调查报告显示，在未来25年里，新 加坡预计会有6万多起由人类乳头瘤病毒（Human Papillomavirus，简称HPV）引起的新病例。这些疾病，包括子宫颈癌、癌前病变（Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia）和刺疣（genital warts）。

其中，子宫颈癌预计將佔有关病例的约13%；初期、中期及晚期癌前病变约佔34%，而其余的约52%则来自刺疣。

报告指出，诊治这些疾病的开销將达8300万元。其中，诊治子宫颈癌的开支约佔69%；初期、中期及晚期癌前病变的费用占约24%，诊治刺疣则占约7%。

为医疗开销带来负担

从以上预估未来25年的数据看来，由人类乳头瘤病毒所导致的3组疾病將会为新加坡的未来医疗开销带来巨大负担。

新加坡中央医院妇產专科高级顾问医生郑春贵副教授进行的另一个调查，则特別探討在进行子宫颈抹片检查（PAP Smear）的同时，也进行广大的人类乳头瘤病毒疫苗注射，是否能减少本地女性因子宫颈癌而死亡的个案。

此报告显示，在未来的100年里，新加坡如果配合子宫颈抹片检查，也广大地进行人类乳头瘤病毒疫苗注射，因子宫颈癌而死亡的例子將减少超过一半，而患上刺疣的病例也能减8成。

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