Sunday, June 18, 2006

15 WAYS TO LIVE LONGER

Forwarded by polo

1. Do not oversleep

There's a reason not to hit the snooze button anymore: Sleeping too much can reduce life expectancy, according to a February 2002 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. The study found that people who sleep more than eight hours per night had a significantly higher death rate than normal. But late-night-party-goers shouldn't rejoice: researches say that sleeping less than four hours also increases death rates. People who sleep between six and seven hours per night were shown to live the longest.

2. Be optimistic

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that optimistic people had a 50% decreased risk of early death compared with those who leaned more toward pessimism. The results, published in the August 2002 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, make sense: Those with a positive outlook on life are probably less stressed, better equipped to deal with adversity and, consequently, healthier. Optimists also tend to have lower blood pressure than pessimists, which, again, is most likely related to how positive thinkers respond to stress.

3. Have Sex

No complaints here. There's decent evidence that sex helps keep us healthy, and thus increases longevity. But according to researchers, it's not necessarily an actual biological response generated by sex that makes us live longer. What's more likely is that having intimate sex means you are less stressed, happier and better rested--all factors that can lower blood pressure and protect against stroke and heart disease. A study published in the April 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association found that "high ejaculation frequency was related to decreased risk of total prostate cancer."


4. Get a pet


People who own pets, especially dogs, have been shown to be less stressed and require fewer visits to their physicians than non-owners. Survival rates for heart-attack victims who had a pet have been shown to be 12% longer than for those who did not have one, according to one of the first studies dealing with the impact pets can have on our health, led by researcher Erica Friedmann. Pet owners have also been shown to have lower blood pressure. The reasons are most likely related to an array of psychological factors, such as the facts that owning a pet decreases loneliness and depression, encourages laughter and nurturing, and stimulates exercise.

5. Get VAP test

It's estimated that about half of the people with heart disease--the No. 1 killer in the U.S.--have normal cholesterol levels, which raises serious doubt about the ability of traditional cholesterol tests to detect risk. But more advanced cholesterol tests, like the VAP test, made by the Birmingham, Ala.-based lab Atherotech, may remedy that. VAP measures important metrics that traditional tests miss. Regular tests only detect half of the people with heart disease, while the VAP has been shown to detect 90% of heart disease patients. That's important because lipid abnormalities can most often be rectified with medication and dietary changes. And the sooner you start making changes, the better.


6. Be Rich
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 24% of Americans whose family income is less than $20,000 are "limited" by chronic disease, whereas only 6% of people with an income of $75,000 or more have this problem. In general, population groups that suffer the worst health have the highest poverty rates and the least education. One possible explanation: Higher incomes permit access to better food and housing, safer neighborhoods and increased medical care. Higher incomes also increase the opportunity to engage in health-promoting behaviors. Of course, being a chief executive certainly exposes you to a high level of stress that can decrease life expectancy. But according to the data, striving to be financially comfortable is a good goal for aspiring centenarians.

7. Stop Smoking/Do not smoke

To say that smoking is bad for your health is, of course, not revelatory. But it still cannot be denied that quitting can significantly improve your prospects for a long life. Middle-aged men who are long-term, heavy smokers face twice the risk of developing more aggressive forms of prostate cancer than men who have never smoked, according to findings that appeared in the July 2003 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. According to a recent study in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, cigarette smoking has been clearly linked to the most common causes of death in the elderly.

8. Chill out


A study led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 2002 found that men classified as having the highest level of anger in response to stress were over three times more likely to develop premature heart disease than men who reported lower anger responses. They were also over six times more likely to have a heart attack by the age of 55. One possible explanation is the correlation between anger and high blood pressure, a condition that commonly develops in highly stressed individuals. The lesson is simple: Try as much as you can to let unavoidable, everyday stresses roll off your shoulders.

9. Take antioxidants

Antioxidants, substances that are found in foods ranging from cinnamon to blueberries, can scavenge free radicals, compounds whose unstable chemical nature accelerates the effect of aging on our cells. Until these excess free radicals are quenched by antioxidant molecules, cellular damage accumulates. This contributes to an array of degenerative diseases, including atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's and cancer. Research shows that certain types of beans (kidney, pinto, black) are among the best sources of antioxidants, while blueberries and other berries follow close behind.

10. Marry well


While the phrase "marry well" is typically used to describe people who marry someone rich, we are talking about something entirely different: genetics. Apparently, longevity genes can be inherited. According to a February 2005 study in Mechanisms of Aging and Development, exceptional longevity and healthy aging is an inherited phenotype across three generations. So, for the single people out there, pick a spouse whose grandparents are still alive. This won't make you live longer, but it might help your children.

11 . Exercise

Get up and start moving. Not only does exercise help us maintain our weight, it improves our cardiovascular health, strengthens the bones and increases endorphins in the body--hormones that give us energy, make us happier and help ward off stress and disease. "If you don't use it, you lose it," says Dr. Merl Myerson, director of cardiovascular prevention at St. Luke'sRoosevelt Hospital in Manhattan. "We find that active people will do better, live longer."

12. Laugh a little

Laughter reduces levels of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. It also releases endorphins that work as pain killers and gives your blood circulation a boost. Not to mention it relaxes blood vessels and keeps a person from being angry--a significant predictor of heart disease. "The higher you score on anger and hostility, the greater the likely hood you'll have a heart attack," says Dr. David Fein, medical director at Princeton Longevity Center in New Jersey.

13. Lose Weight

For people who are overweight or obese, life is a ticking time bomb. They have increased risk of heart disease and several types of cancer, along with higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes--a condition that is becoming an epidemic in the U.S. "The real way to lose weight is to cut back on food intake," says Dr. David Fein, Medical Director at Princeton Longevity Center in New Jersey. "People are under the impression that they can exercise weight off, but exercise is a means to maintain weight.

14. Manage Stress


Everyone has stress to a certain degree, but not everyone knows how to manage it. The key is to recognize what the big factors are in your life and how to mitigate them. Constant stress produces high levels of cortisol, which has been shown to impair cognitive functioning and weaken the immune system. "I think stress kills more people than just about anything else," says Dr. David Fein, medical Director at Princeton Longevity Center in New Jersey.


15. Meditate
According to Dr. Woodson Merrell of Beth Israel Hospital in New York City, the most powerful healing tool for stress and prolonged life is meditation. It clears the mind of thought and lets a person concentrate on tranquility. Fifteen minutes of meditation has been shown to produce a much more relaxed state of mind than one hour of the deepest sleep. Even starting the day with just two minutes of meditation can be beneficial. Sit with your spine erect and try to quiet your thoughts; it may help to concentrate on one word.



Salesman and the New Technology

Forwarded by Bayi
Personal Services on a Vending Machine

A salesman checked into a futuristic motel.Realizing he needed a haircut before his meeting tomorrow, he called down to the desk clerk to ask if there was a barber on the premises. "I'm afraid not, sir," the clerk told him apologetically, "but down the hall from your room is a vending machine that should serve your purposes."

Skeptical but intrigued, the salesman located the machine, inserted $15, and stuck his head into
the opening, at which time the machine startedto buzz and spin. Fifteen seconds he pulled out his head andsurveyed his reflection, which reflected the best haircut of his life.Two feet away was another machine with a sign that read, "Manicures $20." "Why not?"he thought. He paid the money, inserted his hands into the slot, and the machine startedto buzz and spin. Fifteen seconds later h epulled out his hands and they were perfectly manicured. The next machine had a sign that read,"Machine provides a service men need when away from Their Wives, 50 Cents."He looked both ways, put fifty cents in the machine, unzipped his fly, and with some anticipation, stuck his manhood into the opening.When the machine started buzzing, he let out a shriek of agony and almost passed out. Fifteen seconds later it shut off.With trembling hands, he was able to withdraw his member... which now had a button neatly sewn on the end.

,

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

ENGINEERING TERMINOLOGIES

FROM BHAYI
1. A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES ARE BEING TRIED - We are
still pissing in the wind.


2. EXTENSIVE REPORT IS BEING PREPARED ON A FRESH APPROACH TO
THE PROBLEM - We just hired three kids fresh out of college.


3. CLOSE PROJECT COORDINATION - We know who to blame.


4. MAJOR TECHNOLOGICAL BREAKTHROUGH - It works OK, but looks
very hi-tech.


5. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS DELIVERED ASSURED - We are so far
behind schedule the customer is happy to get it delivered.


6. PRELIMINARY OPERATIONAL TESTS WERE INCONCLUSIVE - The damn
thing blew up when we threw the switch.


7. TEST RESULTS WERE EXTREMELY GRATIFYING - We are so surprised
that the stupid thing works.


8. THE ENTIRE CONCEPT WILL HAVE TO BE ABANDONED - The only
person who understood the thing quit.


9. IT IS IN THE PROCESS - It is so wrapped up in red tape that
the situation is about hopeless.


10. WE WILL LOOK INTO IT - Forget it! We have enough problems
for now.


11. PLEASE NOTE AND INITIAL - Let's spread the responsibility
for the screw up.


12. GIVE US THE BENEFIT OF YOUR THINKING - We'll listen to what
you have to say as long as it doesn't interfere with what we've
already done.


13. GIVE US YOUR INTERPRETATION - I can't wait to hear this
bull!


14. SEE ME or LET'S DISCUSS - Come into my office, I'm lonely.


15. ALL NEW - Parts not interchangeable with the previous
design.


16. RUGGED - Too damn heavy to lift!


17. LIGHTWEIGHT - Lighter than RUGGED.


18. YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT - One finally worked.


19. ENERGY SAVING - Achieved when the power switch is off.


20. LOW MAINTENANCE - Impossible to fix if broken.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

ECONOMIC HITMAN

Forwarded from mail.

A very interesting book and a New York Best Seller, it I have chosen another non-fiction to read onboard my long-haul flights. It's a paperback version of a 2004 book, Confession of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins. An editor at Malaysian Business has been pestering me to read this book for months. I find it a rivetting read.


"...highly-paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International development (USAID), and other foreign "aid" organisations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources.

Their tools include fradulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalisation."

Perkins confessed that the book, conceived in 1982, was disrupted four times and delayed for over 22 years because he was threatened, and bribed, to get him kill the idea. But his only child, college-graduated Jessica, coaxed him into it despite his fears over the threats and bribes.

"Don't worry, dad. If they get you, I'll take over where you left off. We need to do this fo rthe grandchildren I hope to give you someday!" The daughter said. And the book came out in 2004, published by Berrett-Koehler, after the manuscript was reviewed by declined by a reputable international chain.


According to Perkins, the EHMs are the heralds of people who walk the corridors of Monsanto, General Electric, Nike, General Motors, Wal-Mart and the likes.

What is more alarming is that, when the EHMs failed, another type of hitman will take over -- the CIA.

When the CIA fail, in come the jackals, and heads of states are overthrown or die in violent "accidents".

And when even the jackals fail, then the old models resurface. Young Americans are sent in to kill and die. As in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Countries mentioned by Perkins in his capacity as an EHM are Indonesia (1963-1971), Panama and Saudi Arabia (1971-1975), Panama, Iran, Columbia and Ecuador (1975-1981), and Ecuador, Panama, Iraq and Venezuela (1081-Present).

The common string that ties all this economic espionage together is, among others, one commodity: Oil.

To those uninitiated into the EHMs, they often dress up as professionals from international consulting firms. They will convince developing countries to accept enourmous loans, often to see them default in a short number of years. The American government and international "aid agencies" will then request their "pound of flesh". Depending on the luck of the respective countries, the flesh may include access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support that encompasses partisan votes in the UN.