Wednesday, January 31, 2007

INSANE Japanese obstacle course

This obstacle course is absolutely INSANE. And the guy actually completed it !!



Link: Sasuke Obstacle Course - YouTube



Top 10 Foods for a Good Night's Sleep


Taken from Top 10 Foods ... Yahoo! Food


What is the secret to getting a
solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep? Head for the kitchen and enjoy one or two
of these 10 foods. They relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds,
and/or get calming, sleep-inducing hormones - serotonin and melatonin
- Yawning They're
practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition to a bit of soothing
melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a muscle relaxant.

Chamomile tea.
The reason chamomile is such a staple of bedtime tea blends is its mild
sedating effect - it's the perfect natural antidote for restless
minds/bodies.

Warm milk. It's not a myth. Milk
has some tryptophan - an amino acid that has a sedative - like effect -
and calcium, which helps the brain use tryptophan. Plus there's the
psychological throw-back to infancy, when a warm bottle meant "relax,
everything's fine."

Honey. Drizzle a little in
your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar is stimulating, but a little
glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a recently discovered
neurotransmitter that's linked to alertness.

Potatoes.
A small baked spud won't overwhelm your GI tract, and it clears away
acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing tryptophan. To up the
soothing effects, mash it with warm milk.

Oatmeal.
Oats are a rich source of sleep - inviting melatonin, and a small bowl
of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy - plus if you've
got the munchies, it's filling too.

Almonds. A
handful of these heart-healthy nuts can be snooze-inducing, as they
contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing magnesium.

Flaxseeds.
When life goes awry and feeling down is keeping you up, try sprinkling
2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime oatmeal.
They're rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.

Whole-wheat bread.
A slice of toast with your tea and honey will release insulin, which
helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it's converted to serotonin
and quietly murmurs "time to sleep."

Turkey.
It's the most famous source of tryptophan, credited with all those
Thanksgiving naps. But that's actually modern folklore. Tryptophan
works when your stomach's basically empty, not overstuffed, and when
there are some carbs around, not tons of protein. But put a lean slice
or two on some whole-wheat bread mid-evening, and you've got one of the
best sleep inducers in your kitchen.

What if none of these
foods help get your Check out your sleep habits with this
quick RealAge test to find out what?s keeping you up at night. http://www.realage.com/health_guides/RLS/intro.aspx

For an extra treat, here's the ultimate sleep-inducing snack...



Lullaby Muffins

Makes 12 low-fat muffins

Between the bananas, the whole wheat, and the honeyed touch of sweetness, these muffins are practically an edible lullaby.

· 2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1 tablespoon baking powder

· 2 large, very ripe bananas

· 1/3 cup applesauce

· 1/4 cup honey

· 1/2 cup milk or soymilk

Preheat
oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it's
whole-wheat pastry flour or you'll produce golf balls, not muffins),
salt, and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the
applesauce, honey, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into
the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins
with paper muffin cups, pour in batter, and bake 30 minutes or until
tops are lightly brown and slightly springy.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrates; 10g sugars; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium


One of my favorites - attributed to Mother Teresa generally, but some sites say that it was written by Kent Keith in 1968. Irrespective of who wrote it, it is beautiful ...

Anyway

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.


If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.


The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.


Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.


The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.


People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.


What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.


People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.


Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

Monday, January 22, 2007

You call that a boat?

It's an alien ship!! No, its a new boat - the "Proteus".

Go look see ...



Link: MercuryNews.com | 01/19/2007 | You call that a boat?

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Top 100 endangered species

A list of the top 100 species that have reached a critical stage in terms of their existence on this planet. We should act before it is too late...



Link: EDGE :: EDGE Top 100

Monday, January 15, 2007

Deep Space Images

DEEP SPACE.

One of the neat things about this (besides the killer images) is you only load the part of the picture you are looking at. Click a couple of times on the image to enlarge then you can pull the image to see areas that are off screen. When you get to an area that hasn't been loaded yet it will look blurry until the image loads. Too cool.



http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/mediaimages/zooms/index.shtml

Need a Good Painter? (This Guy Should Qualify)

Amazing wall paintings!! See them for yourself:



Link: Need a painter? ...

The distribution of world income

Which countries have the most money? No surprises here:



Link: Econbrowser: The distribution of world income

Space Shuttle Discovery Launch

Awesome video. Go see it !!



Link: YouTube - Space Shuttle Discovery Launch

Saturday, January 13, 2007

How do you run a business without managers?

A nice story by a person who ran a company WITHOUT any managers. That's right, no managers !! Might not work for all cases, but it definitely is a case of really thinking "out of the box".



Link: Ask the CHO: How do you run a business without managers

Joke: Things you would never know without the movies...






Things you would never know without the movies...







-
During all police investigations, it will be necessary to visit a club at least
once.



- All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large
red readouts so you know exactly when they are going to go off.



- If you
need to reload your gun, you will always have more ammunition, even if you
haven't been carrying any before now.



- You are very likely to survive
any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture
of your sweetheart back home.



- A man will show no pain while taking the
most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.




- When paying for a taxi, don't look at your wallet as you take out a
bill; just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact
fare.



- Kitchens don't have light switches. When entering a kitchen at
night, you should open the fridge door and use that light instead.



-
Cars that crash will almost always burst into flames.



- A single match
will be sufficient to light up a room the size of any big stadium.



- Any
person waking from a nightmare will sit bolt upright and pant.



- Even
when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the wheel
vigorously from left to right every few moments.



- A detective can only
solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.



- It does not matter
if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies
will patiently attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner
until you have knocked out their predecessors.



- Once applied, lipstick
will never rub off - even while scuba diving.



- Any lock can be picked
by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds - unless it's the door to a burning
building with a child trapped inside.



- Television news bulletins
usually contain a story that affects you personally at the precise moment that
it is aired.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Find what is the time anywhere in the world


Nice site. Has the current time for places around the world.

E.g. The time for India is:







New Delhi





And the time for Los Angeles, CA is:



Los Angeles





Link: Free Analog Web Clock for your website or blog

Top Ten Accidental Discoveries

The top 10 accidental discoveries of the 20th century. You can argue about some of the items on the list (popsicles?), but others are pretty much spot on.



Link: EXN.ca | Discovery

Monday, January 08, 2007

Feel like going on a roller coaster ride?

The Amazing Eejanaika Roller
Coaster


Fuji-Q Highland
(Fujiyoshida, Shizuoka Japan)




Number
of Inversions 14 times (Guinness World Record)

Maximum Speed 126 km/h

Lift
Height 76 m

Angle of Descent 89 degrees

Track Length 1,153
m




Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kMARGNfHfU

Friday, January 05, 2007

World Record skydiving parachute formation!


After almost a week of training a group of dedicated skydivers put together the largest parachute formation ever built. It consists of 81 skydivers in the formation and several video people flying around. It took place over Lake Wales Florida USA just before sunset and has some incredible shots by some incredible video fliers, and a picture-perfect "starburst" break-away.


Link: World-record skydiving parachute formation! (funzu.com)

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Joke: W.C.


It seems that a little old English lady was looking for some rooms in Switzerland. She asked the local village schoolmaster to help her.

A place that suited her was finally found, and the lady returned to London for her luggage. She remembered then that she had not noticed a bathroom, or as they called it in England, a "water closet." She wrote to the school master.

He was puzzled by the initials "W.C.", never dreaming of course that she was asking about a bathroom. He finally asked the help of the parish priest, who decided that W.C. stood for Wesleyan Church. This was the reply:



Dear Madam,

The W.C. is situated nine miles from the house in the center of a beautiful grove of trees. It is capable of holding 350 people at a time, and is open on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday each week.

A large number of folks attend during the summer months, so it is suggested that you go early, although there is plenty of standing room.

Some folks like to take their lunch and make a day of it, especially on Thursdays when there is organ accompaniment. The acoustics are very good and everyone can hear the slightest sound. All join in to sing.

A sheet of paper is distributed at the entrance, but if there is not enough to go around, you can always borrow your neighbours'. The paper must be returned upon leaving, to be used again within a month’s time.

It may be of interest to you to know that my daughter was married in W.C., and it was there that she met her husband. We hope you will be there in time for our bazaar to be held very soon. The proceeds will go towards the purchase of plush seats, which the folks agree are a long-felt need, as the present seats all have holes in them.

My wife is rather delicate, therefore she can not attend regularly. It has been six months since the time she last went. Naturally, it pains her very much not to be able to go more often.

I shall close now with the desire to accommodate you in every way possible, and I will be happy to save you a seat down front or near the door, whichever you prefer.

--Schoolmaster

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Joke: Marriage and wives

Marriage and wives...





I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry.

That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste.

David Bissonette





When a man steals your wife, there is no better revenge than to let him keep her.

Sacha Guitry



After marriage, husband and wife become two sides of a coin; they just can't face each other, but still they stay together.

Hemant Joshi



By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll be happy. If you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher. Socrates



Woman inspires us to great things, and prevents us from achieving them.

Dumas



The great question... which I have not been able to answer... is, "What does a woman want?

Sigmund Freud



I had some words with my wife, and she had some paragraphs with me.

Anonymous



"Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays."

Henny Youngman



"I don't worry about terrorism. I was married for two years."

Sam Kinison



"There's a way of transferring funds that is even faster than electronic banking. It's called marriage."

James Holt McGavran



"I've had bad luck with both my wives. The first one left me, and the second one didn't."

Patrick Murray



Two secrets to keep your marriage brimming

1. Whenever you're wrong, admit it,

2. Whenever you're right, shut up.

Nash



The most effective way to remember your wife's birthday is to forget it once...

Anonymous



You know what I did before I married? Anything I wanted to.

Henny Youngman



My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met.

Rodney Dangerfield



A good wife always forgives her husband when she's wrong.

Milton Berle



Marriage is the only war where one sleeps with the enemy.

Anonymous



A man inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Wife wanted". Next day he received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."

Anonymous



First Guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!"

Second Guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."

Poem: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Robert Frost)

One more poem by Robert Frost



Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening



Whose woods these are I think I know

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.



My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.



He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.





The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

Poem: The Road Not Taken (Robert Frost)


A poem that I like ...

The Road Not Taken --> Robert Frost

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; 5

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same, 10

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back. 15

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. 20

Monday, January 01, 2007

Funny Poem: My Boss and I


My Boss and I

When I Take a long time, I am slow,
When my boss takes a long time, he is thorough,

When I don't do it, I am lazy,
When my boss does not do it, he is busy,

When I do something without being told, I am trying to be smart,
When my boss does the same, he takes the initiative,

When I please my boss, I am apple polishing,
When my boss pleases his boss, he is cooperating,

When I make a mistake, you're an idiot.
When my boss makes a mistake, he's only human.

When I take a stand, I am being bull-headed.
When my boss does it, he's being firm.

When I overlooked a rule of ettiquette, I am being rude.
When my boss skips a few rules, he's being original.

When I am out of the office, I am wandering around.
When my boss is out of the office, he's on business.

When I have one too many drinks at a social, I am a drunken bum.
When my boss does the same, he appreciated women.

When I am on a day off sick, I am always sick.
When my boss is a day off sick, he must be very ill.

When I apply for leave, I must be going for an interview.
When my boss applies for leave, it's because he's overworked

When I do good, my boss never remembers,
When I do wrong, he never forgets.

Nice tool - Copernic Desktop Search

Fast, accurate search of your hard drive. Find emails, files, music, pictures, etc. in a jiffy.



I use this and I am very happy with it. It is free !!



Link: Copernic Desktop Search - The Search Engine for Your PC

Happy New Year 2007!!

A new year. A chance to begin anew. May we take this opportunity and make the world a better place.