Toothpaste >> What else can it do for you?

Toothpaste:  it whitens, brightens, deodorizes, removes stains, and restores and protects enamel.
But toothpaste's cleaning capabilities work wonders on many things besides our teeth.
The same ingredients that help polish our pearly whites can also soothe some common ailments, make household items sparkle, and even get rid of stains and pungent smells. 


Try out these fifteen tricks with a white, non-gel toothpaste (unless otherwise noted), and watch that cavity-fighting, breath-freshening tube of wonder work its magic.

1. Relieve irritation from bug bites, sores, and blisters: These skin irritations all tend to weep and, in the case of bug bites, often itch. Apply a drop of toothpaste to a bug bite or insect sting to stop the itching and decrease any swelling. When applied to sores or blisters, it dries them up, thus allowing the wound to heal faster. It's best when used overnight.

2. Soothe a stinging burn:
For minor burns that donot involve an open wound, toothpaste can deliver temporary cooling relief. Apply it delicately to the affected area immediately after a burn develops; it temporarily relieves the sting and prevents the wound from weeping or opening.

3. Decrease the size of a facial blemish:
Want to speed up the healing of a zit? Apply a tiny dot of toothpaste to the affected area at night before bed. Wash it off in the morning.

4. Clean up your fingernails:
Our teeth are made of enamel, and toothpaste is good for them, so it stands to reason that toothpaste would also be good for our fingernails. For cleaner, shinier, and stronger nails, simply scrub the underneath and tops of fingernails with a toothbrush and toothpaste.

5. Keep hair in place:
Gel toothpastes contain the same water-soluble polymers that many hair gels are made of. If you are looking to style and hold an extreme hair creation, try gel toothpaste as your go-to product if you are out of regular hair gel. (This is also a great trick for making baby barrettes stay in place.)

6. Scrub away stinky smells:
Garlic, fish, onion, and other pungent foods can permeate the skin cells on our hands. Scrubbing hands and fingertips briefly with toothpaste removes all traces of smelly odors.

7. Remove stains:
Toothpaste can make tough stains on both clothing and carpets disappear. For clothes, apply toothpaste directly to the stain and rub briskly until the spot is gone, then wash as usual. (Note that using a whitening toothpaste on colors can sometimes bleach the fabric.) For carpet stains, apply toothpaste to the stain and scrub it with an abrasive brush, then rinse immediately.

8. Spruce up dirty shoes:
This tactic works great on running shoes or scuffed-up leather shoes. As with carpet stains, apply toothpaste directly to the dirty or scuffed area, then scrub with a brush and wipe clean.

9. Remove crayon stains on painted walls:
Rub a damp cloth with toothpaste gently on the marked-up wall and watch the Crayola marks disappear.

10. Make silver jewelry and other silver pieces sparkle: Rub toothpaste onto jewelry and leave overnight. Wipe clean with a soft cloth in the morning. Make diamonds shine by giving them a gentle scrub using a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a little water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of toothpaste. Do not use this method on pearls, as it will damage their finish.

11. Remove scratches on DVDs and CDs.
This remedy has been used with mixed success rates, but it seems to work fairly well on shallow scratches and smudges. Apply a thin coating of toothpaste to the disc and rub gently, then rinse clean.

12. Tidy up piano keys before tickling them:
Piano keys retain oil from the skin, which then attracts dust and dirt. Clean away grime gently with a damp, lint-free cloth and toothpaste; after rubbing in the toothpaste, wipe the keys clean with a second lint-free cloth.

13. Deodorize baby bottles:
If baby bottles develop a sour-milk smell, a good cleaning with some toothpaste and a bottle scrubber will clean away residue and deodorize. Always make sure to rinse well.

14. Remove the burned crust on irons:
For those of you who still use an iron, you may find that after time, the plate of the iron develops a burned crust. The silica in toothpaste gently grinds away this rusty-looking layer.

15. Defog goggles:
Scuba divers, swimmers, and triathletes may already know about this handy little trick: Rub a small spot of toothpaste into each lens of your goggles, then rinse thoroughly, and voila! There'll be no need to ever buy expensive defogger gels again. Avoid rubbing too vigorously, though, as the abrasive ingredients in toothpaste could scratch the lenses.

One year old girl is pregnant!!

In this world we see a lot of things and this yet is one more… 
Shocking event for Chinese medicine, which found that a one year old girl is pregnant, Mengru Kang was taken to hospital after unexplained stomach was swollen much. After ultrasound, the doctors found amazed that the girl has a baby in the womb , the child's twin brother. Doctors say that the embryo was not caught in the womb and has found another place to grow. The little girl will undergo a Cesarean delivery to bring out the baby. This unusual phenomenon, very rarely is numneste " fetus in fetus " and can be met once every 500,000 pregnancies. 

STUNNED doctors have discovered a one-year-old girl is carrying a BABY in her tummy. Little Kang Mengru, from China , left medics baffled after her belly became enlarged. Doctors carried out a CT scan to discover the cause of the growth and found a foetus inside her. They believe the tot is her parasitic twin . She is now waiting for an operation to have the tiny baby removed. 

The Body Language of Liars

When a guy is trying to get away with something, his gestures will betray him. Watch closely and you'll be able to catch him in the act.

Liar Move #1

Liar Move: He wraps his ankle around the leg of a chair.

Busted: "Pulling off a lie is stressful, so when a guy is masking the truth, his body will tense up," says body-language expert Janine Driver. "As a result, he'll take a more rigid stance. This is also a subconscious sign of restraint. It's like he's physically fighting to hold back from telling the whole story."

Liar Move #2

Liar Move: He suddenly puts his hands in his pockets.

Busted: "Showing his palms indicates comfort and openness, so when he's lying, he'll instinctively feel the need to conceal them," says Patti Wood, author of Success Signals: A Guide to Reading Body Language. "He may also hide his hands behind his back or occupy them by fidgeting with an object, like his cell phone."

Liar Move #3

Liar Move: He shrugs one or both shoulders.

Busted: "Watch out if he does this while saying a definitive statement, like 'I didn't sleep with her,'" says Driver. "The shrug is his way of canceling out the untruth, much like crossing his fingers behind his back, except he's unaware of the motion. It's also his subconscious way of not committing to the lie and avoiding guilt."

Liar Move #4

Liar Move: He uses his index finger to rub just underneath his nose.

Busted: "This sign is usually exhibited by men who don't typically lie, so they feel remorse," says Wood. "Immediately after he speaks, he'll touch his face in a way that slightly hides his mouth. It's as though he can't believe what just came out of there."

POINTS ON HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE

Personality:

1. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

2. Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment

3. Don't over do; keep your limits

4. Don't take yourself so seriously; no one else does

5. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip

6. Dream more while you are awake

7. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..

8. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.

9. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.

10. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present

11. No one is in charge of your happiness except you

12. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

13. Smile and laugh more

14. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Community:

15. Call your family often

16. Each day give something good to others

17. Forgive everyone for everything

18. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6

19. Try to make at least three people smile each day

20. What other people think of you is none of your business

21. Your job will not take care of you when you are sick. Your family and friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:

22. Put GOD first in anything and everything that you think, say and do.

23. GOD heals everything

24. Do the right things

25. However good or bad a situation is, it will change

26. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up

27. The best is yet to come

28. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful

29. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it

30. If you know GOD you will always be happy. So, be happy.

While you practice all of the above, share this knowledge with the people you love, people you school with, people you play with, people you work with and people you live with. Not only will it enrich YOUR life, but also that of those around you.

Learn from a Wealthy Wise Man - Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien

Robert Kuok Hock Nien's notes on the past sixty years (On the occasion of Kuok Group’s 60th Anniversary, April 2009)

(1) My brothers and I owe our upbringing completely to Mother. She was steeped in Ru-Jiao – the teachings of Confucius, Mencius, Laozi and other Chinese sages. Ru-Jiao teaches the correct behaviour for a human being on his life on earth. Mother gently, and sometimes strongly, drummed into the minds of her three boys the values of honesty, of never cheating, lying, stealing or envying other people their material wealth or physical attributes.

(2) Father died on 25 December 1948 night without leaving a will. Following the Japanese surrender, he had re-registered the firm as a sole proprietorship. We went to court to get an appointment as managers, permitting us to continue to manage Tong Seng & Co. The judge said that, as there were two widows, the firm and the estate should be wound up.

(3) We decide to establish Kuok Brothers Limited. In mid-January 1949, five of us met at a small roundtable in our home in Johore Bahru. Present were my MOTHER, cousin number five HOCK CHIN, cousin number twelve HOCK SENG, my brother HOCK KHEE nicknamed Philip (a.k.a. cousin number seventeen), and myself (a.k.a. cousin number twenty). We sat down and Mother said, “Nien, would you like to start?” I said, “Fine, yes I will start.” To cut the long story short, we got started, and commenced business from a little shop house in Johore Bharu on 1 April 1949.

(4) As a young man, I thought there was no substitute for hard work and thinking up good, honest business plans and, without respite, pushing them along. There will always be business on earth. Be humble; be straight; don’t be crooked; don’t take advantage of people. To be a successful businessman, I think you really need to brush all your senses every morning, just as you brush your teeth. I coined the phrase “honing your senses” in business: your vision, hearing, sense of smell, touch and taste. All these senses come in very useful.

(5) Mother was the captain of our ship. She saw and sensed everything, but being a wise person she didn’t interfere. Yet she was the background influence, the glue that bound the Group together. She taught my cousins and my brothers and me never to be greedy, and that in making money one could practise high morality. She stressed that whenever the firm does well it should make donations to the charities operating in our societies. She always kept us focused on the big picture in business. For example: avoid businesses that bring harm, destruction or grief to people. This includes trades like gambling, drugs, arms sales, loan-sharking and prostitution.

(6) We started as little fish swimming in a bathtub. From there we went to a lake and now we are in the open seas. Today our businesses cover many industries and our operations are worldwide but this would not have been possible without the vision of the founding members, the dedicated contributions and loyalty of our colleagues and employees, and very importantly the strong moral principles espoused by my mother.

(7) When I hire staff I look for honest, hardworking, intelligent people. When I look candidates in the eye, they must appear very honest to me. I do not look for MBAs or exceptional students. You may hire a brilliant man, summa cum laude, first-class honours, but if his mind is not a fair one or if he has a warped attitude in life, does brilliance really matter?

(8) Among the first employees were Lau Teo Chin (Ee Wor), Kwok Chin Luang (Ee Luang), Othman Samad (Kadir) and an Indian accountant called Joachim who was a devout Roman Catholic and who travelled in every day from Singapore where he lived.

(9) I would like on this special occasion to pay tribute to them and in particular to those who were with us in the early days; many of whom are no longer here. I have already mentioned Lau Teo Chin (Ee Wor) and Kwok Chin Luang (Ee Luang) and Othman Samad (Kadir), there are others like Lean Chye Huat, who is not here today due to failing eyesight, and Yusuf Sharif who passed away in his home country India about one and a half years ago and the late Lee Siew Wah, and others who all gave solid and unstinting support an d d evotion to the Company. It saddens me that in those early difficult years these pioneers did not enjoy significant and substantial rewards but such is the order of things and a most unfortunate aspect of capitalism. However through our Group and employee Foundations, today we are able to help their descendants whenever there is a need to.

(10) I have learnt that the success of a company must depend on the unity of all its employees. We are all in the same boat rowing against the current and tide and every able person must pull the oars to move the boat forward. Also, we must relentlessly endeavour to maintain and practise the values of integrity and honesty, and eschew and reject greed and arrogance.

(11) A few words of caution to all businessmen and women. I recall the Chinese saying: 失败乃成功之母"shibai nai chenggong zhi mu" (failure is the mother of success). But in the last thirty years of my business life, I have come to the conclusion that the reverse phrase is even truer of today’s world: 成功乃失败之母"chenggong nai shibai zhi mu". Success often breeds failure, because it makes you arrogant, complacent and, therefore, lower your guard.

(12) The way forward for this world is through capitalism. Even China has come to realise it. But it’s equally true that capitalism, if allowed to snowball along unchecked, can in many ways become destructive. Capitalism needs to be inspected under a magnifying glass once a day, a super-magnifying glass once a week, and put through the cleaning machine once a month.

In capitalism, man needs elements of ambition and greed to drive him. But where does ambition end and greed take over? That’s why I say that capitalism, if left to its own devices, will snowball along, roll down the hill and cause a lot of damage. So a sound capitalist system requires very strongly led, enlightened, wise governments. That means politician-statesmen willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their people. I don’t mean politicians who are there for fame, glory and to line their pockets.

(13) To my mind the two great challenges facing China are the restoration of education in morals and the establishment of a rule of law. You must begin from the root up, imbuing and infusing moral lessons and morality into youth, both at home and from kindergarten and primary school upward through university. Every Chinese needs to accept the principle of rule of law; then you have to train upright judges and lawyers to uphold the legal system.

(14) Wealth should be used for two main purposes. One: for the generation of greater wealth; in other words, you continue to invest, creating prosperity and jobs in the country. Two: part of your wealth should be applied to the betterment of mankind, either by acts of pure philanthropy or by investment in research an d d evelopment along the frontiers of science, space, health care and so forth.

Tan Sri Robert Kuok Hock Nien (born 6 October 1923, in Johor Bahru, Johor), is an influential Malaysian Chinese businessman. According to Forbes his net worth is estimated to be around $10 billion on May 2008, making him the richest person in Southeast Asia . He is media shy and discreet; most of his businesses are privately held by him or his family. Apart from a multitude of enterprises in Malaysia , his companies have investments in many countries throughout Asia . His business interests range from sugarcane plantations (Perlis Plantations Bhd), sugar refinery, flour milling, animal feed, oil and mining to finance, hotels, properties, trading and freight and publishing.

Property Sector - SINGAPORE

Another round of cooling measures on Singapore's property market =

The Singapore Government has on Monday introduced a new round of cooling measures to

ensure property prices remain stable and sustainable. The Seller’s Stamp Duty previously

applicable to property buyers who buy and sell their property within one year, is now extended to property buyers who buy and sell within three years. In addition, for property buyers who already have one or more outstanding housing loans at the time of new housing purchase, are now required to make minimum cash payment of 10%, instead of 5% previously, of the valuation limit, and are only allowed to finance with bank loan up to 70% of their property valuation, compared to 80% previously. The government also said more measures will be introduced should the need arise, including injecting an even larger supply of private housing in 1H2011 GLS Programme, in order to promote a stable and sustainable property market.

Prices likely to trend sideway for rest of the year We believe the above measures will taper off the sentiments of short-term property investors. We see demand from genuine property buyers remain healthy due to stable economy outlook, but expect wait-and-see approach from property buyers in the short term. As a result, sale volume of private residential property is likely to drop, particularly in the mass and mid-market segments.

28th Aug - My Birthday 2010

I had great fun last night's Birthday Party 2010 with my friends till this morning..... Sure hope my birthday wishes I made comes TRUE SOON SOON SOON~~~~~

Thanks to my dear friends (Kelly, Melissa, Serene, Chiawly, and so many others who came...) for the Funky Night! Cheers everybody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Afternoon Hi-Tea places in Singapore

There are many Afternoon Tea places in Singapore, here’s a list of some of the best Singapore Afternoon High tea places:

Cafe L’Espresso

When it comes to English High Tea, one of the places that is frequently mentioned will be the English High Tea Buffet at Cafe L’Espresso, Goodwood Park Hotel. The spread typically include scones, sandwiches, some sweets and savories.

22 Scotts Road GF
Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6730 1743
// Mon – Thu English High Tea Buffet $34++ 2pm – 5.30pm
Fri – Sun English High Tea Buffet $36++ 12 noon – 230pm, 3pm – 5.30pm

Cova Pasticceria

Paragon used to be the only chi-chi place in town, before the opening of Ion Orchard. Whether you are sipping a latte or nibbling a cake in Cova, it doesn’t really matter. The most important thing is – be seen in Cova Pasticceria. They have 3 different high teasets which are available from 3pm – 5pm daily.

The classic tea set ($18++) which has 5 items of finger and open sandwiches. TheImperial tea set ($20++) consists of 7 items of pastries and cakes, and lastly the Royal tea set ($22++) which has 9 items of finger sandwiches, pastries and cakes.

290 Orchard Road #01-20A
Paragon Shopping Centre Singapore
Tel: +65 6733 0777

Halia

Nested within the greens of the Singapore Botanic Garden, Halia is the perfect place if you want to escape from the busy city. For just $19++ per person for their traditionalEnglish High Tea set, enjoy buttery scone with ginger-perfumed fresh cream and home-style apricot and ginger jam, miniature cakes, open-faced sandwiches and flaky puff pastry.

1 Cluny Road Singapore
Botanic Gardens Singapore
Tel: +65 6476 6711
// Monday to Saturday (except public holidays), 3pm to 5pm.

House Dempsey

Barracks Cafe under House, Dempsey has recently launched a new Summer High Tea Buffet. It is only available on Thursday and Friday from 3pm – 5.30pm. The afternoon high tea buffet includes a pot of premium tea and high tea items for $25 nett per person. This is the perfect Dempsey restaurant to spend a leisure afternoon with a group of friends.

8D Dempsey Road #01-01 to 06
Tanglin Village (Dempsey Road) Singapore
Tel: +65 6475 7787

Jewels Artisan Chocolate

I have been wanting to go to Jewels Artisan Chocolate at Orchard Central since I heard about their Teatime indulgence set. Their try-a-little-bit menu sounds good, and at just $14.80++, it’s one of the cheapest afternoon high tea sets around. It includes 1 pc of truffle/praline, 1 pc of macaron, 1 slice of 85% Dark Chocolate Gateau, 1 dollop of ice cream/sorbet and 1 pot of gourmet tea.

181 Orchard Road #02-31/32
Orchard Central Singapore
Tel: +65 6509 8998
// Available from 11am – 6pm daily

Marmalade Pantry

Marmalade Pantry has an Afternoon High Tea set at $20++ each which is available from 3pm to 5pm daily with a minimum of 2 sets per order. The afternoon tea indulgenceincludes Gryphon tea, a selection of egg and cress, beef & horseradish and green land shrimp finger sandwiches, buttermilk scones, and a cupcake.

2 Orchard Turn #03-22
ION Orchard Singapore
Tel: +65 6734 2700

PS Cafe

Even though there isn’t any high tea set available, PS Cafe is still one of the best place to relax and chill over some desserts and tea. Oh boy, I can’t believe I haven’t been to PS Cafe yet. Will somebody please bring me there?

390 Orchard Road #02-09A
Palais Renaissance Singapore
Tel: +65 6887 2207

Rose Veranda

Depending on whether you prefer the international afternoon tea buffet or the English high tea, Rose Veranda offers both choices daily. Personally, I’d go for their English high tea set which comes in the 3 tier dessert stand.

22 Orange Grove Road Mezzanine Level,
Tower Wing Shangri-la Hotel Singapore
Tel: +65 6213 4486
// English High Tea 34++ (Weekdays), 36++ (Weekends) from 3pm – 6pm
International High Tea Buffet 38++ (Weekdays), 40++ (Weekends) from 11.30pm – 6pm

Tea Lounge @ Regent Hotel

Many friends who have been to the Tea Lounge @ Regent Hotel mentioned that they serve the best high tea in Singapore. On weekdays, they have the traditional English afternoon tea which comes in a 3 tier dessert stand. I always have this fascination with 3 tier dessert stand, they just make every dessert looks so good! For a wider spread, go on weekends for their international highi tea buffet.

1 Cuscaden Road GF
The Regent Singapore Singapore
Tel: +65 6725 3246
// Weekday English Afternoon High Tea $36++ 12 noon – 5pm
Weekend International High Tea Buffet $42++ 1.30pm – 5.30pm

TWG Tea Salon

Located in Republic Plaza and Ion Orchard, TWG Tea Salon offers more than 800 different types of tea – it’s definitely the place to go if you are a tea lover. They have three different high tea sets priced accordingly to different appetite. The 1837 tea set($17++) includes two scones/muffin, 1 pastries/macaron and a pot of tea.

The Chic Tea Set ($25++) has 3 fingers sandwich, 2 scone/muffin, pastries, and a pot of tea. But if you want to try their famous macarons, go for the Celebration Tea Time Set($29++) which consists of the same items as the chic tea set, plus another extra 3 macarons.

2 Orchard Turn #02-21
ION Orchard Singapore
Tel: +65 6735 1837
// TWG high tea is available 3pm – 6pm daily

Getting ahead....

Success depends on getting good at saying no without feeling guilty. You cannot get ahead with your own goals if you are always saying yes to someone else's projects. You can only get ahead with your desired lifestyle if you are focused on the things that will produce that lifestyle.

17 Cheap Ways to Jumpstart Your Metabolism

A healthy metabolism will keep you in shape and raise your energy levels, both of which are essential to smart money management. By staying healthy, you'll save money on health care costs while maintaining your ability to earn a living. Your metabolism - more specifically, your metabolic rate - is how quickly your body is burning calories. So if you're trying to lose weight, raising your metabolic rate means you'll see results faster.

You don't need fancy diets or expensive gym memberships to raise your metabolic rate. Here are 17 simple things you can do today to jumpstart your body.

1. Fidget. Tap your foot, twirl a pen, chew sugar-free gum while at your desk. Fidgeting uses energy, and while you won't be shedding inches instantly, the mini-aerobics on a daily basis adds up - highly fidgety people may burn up to 500 calories more in a day.

2. Stay properly hydrated. Studies have shown that when we are dehydrated, our systems slow down. That includes our metabolism. Aim for at least 8 cups of water a day. An easy way to keep track is to get a 32-oz (4 cups) water bottle, and drink two full bottles a day. If water is too boring for you, there are several natural ways to make water more flavorful.

3. Avoid diet soda. Water is king when it comes to hydration, but many people find it boring and look for alternatives like diet soda. But just because it has 0 calories doesn't mean it's as good as water. The problem is that the chemical sweeteners used in diet sodas can increase food and fat cravings, which can make sticking to a structured diet and seeing results much harder.

4. Drink cold drinks. Research subjects' metabolisms increased by a third in the 30-40 minutes after drinking a glass of water. The metabolic rate increase is due to your body warming up the liquid.

5. Spice up your meals. Spicy foods speed up the metabolic process by 20 percent or more for up to half an hour after eating them. Adding a dash of red pepper flakes to stews, pasta sauces, and other dishes is an easy way to turn up the heat and increase the burn.

6. Eat a balanced diet that includes "negative calorie" foods. Complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables fill you up and take effort for the body to break down. Some vegetables (like celery) and other complex carbohydrates (like high fiber foods) even require more calories to break them down than they contain, making them "negative calorie" foods.

7. Eat more protein. Studies have shown that the body uses twice the energy to break down foods containing protein as it does food that has a high carbohydrate or fat content.

8. Eat fish to store less fat. Eating salmon, tuna, and other fish lowers the levels of leptin in your body. Leptin tells your body how to store calories, and high levels of it trigger fat storage. Eat more fish, lower your leptin levels, and your metabolism triggers your body to store less fat.

9. Eat enough calories over the course of the day. Crash diets don't work. If you take in fewer calories than your basal metabolic rate (NYSE: BMR - News) - that is, the amount of calories your body needs when you're completely inactive - then your metabolism will slow down as your body goes into survival mode. So make sure you eat enough to keep your metabolism from stalling.

10. Don't skip breakfast. Eating breakfast is a signal to your metabolism that it's time to start working. Skipping breakfast for the sake of eating less throughout the day is counter-productive; not only does it keep your body in rest mode, but it also makes you hungrier throughout the day.

11. Eat consistently throughout the day. Eating introduces food into your system, which puts your metabolism to work converting that food to energy it can use. So constant snacking keeps your metabolism elevated throughout the day.

12. Plan ahead for meals and snacks. Eating smaller meals more frequently has the added benefit of keeping your energy level from spiking up or down, which helps you avoid hunger, stay more active, and avoid stress. Have a food plan for the whole day, so you're not tempted by the vending machine in the afternoon and have the energy to exercise after work.

13. Kick your workouts up a notch. When you're walking, wear a weight vest, or bring dumbbells and do curls along the way. Use fitness bands and other resistance gear to get your body to burn more energy in the same amount of time. Need to stay organized? Check out these 8 fitness and diet smart phone apps.

14. Focus on muscle at the gym. Building muscle will help you burn more calories even when you're not moving. While cardio exercise helps to burn fat, muscle building speeds up your metabolic rate for up to 2 hours after every 20-minute session. Better still: every pound of muscle in the body burns 35 calories per day rather than the 2 calories burned by a pound of fat.

15. Perk yourself up with some caffeine. Whether it's a cup of coffee in the morning or a cup of tea in the afternoon, a little bit of caffeine increases your metabolism in the short term. Just be aware that milk and sweeteners add calories, which can counter the metabolic benefits. Also beware of having too much caffeine, which may lead to energy crashes or fitful sleep.

16. Dodge stress. Stress raises cortisol levels; cortisol is a hormone that can make you hungrier and slow down your metabolism.

17. Never underestimate the value of a good night's sleep. Like stress, though, lack of sleep can elevate levels of cortisol. If the risk of slowing your metabolism down isn't enough to motivate you to try for 8 hours of sleep, how about this -- when you sleep, your body produces a hormone that increases your metabolic rate.

Did you know that "ough" can be pronounced TEN DIFFERENT WAYS?

There's "cough" (which rhymes with "off"), "enough" (which rhymes with "stuff"), "dough" (which rhymes with "no"), "through" (which rhymes with "do"), "thought" (which sounds like "awe"), "plough" (an alternative spelling of "plow"), "hiccough" (an alternative spelling of "hiccup"), "hough" (an alternative spelling of "hock"), "lough" (an alternative spelling of "loch"), and "thorough" (which has a different pronunciation in the UK than it does in American English).

Try this sentence: "A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed."

In Japan they have square watermelons....

They get square watermelons by growing them inside of square glass cases. That way they can fit easily into a refrigerator, and you can stack things on them. Square watermelons are expensive though (10,000 yen or about $82). Compare that to regular round watermelons which cost about $15-20 in Japan.

FUN FACT: Yawning is contagious

Yawning is contagious - even thinking about yawning is enough.

After reading this fact, there is a 50% chance you will yawn.

Research shows that 11-week-old fetuses yawn. Yawns become contagious to people between the first and second years of life. When one person in a group yawns, over half of the people in the group will yawn within 5 minutes, and the rest will at least be tempted to yawn. Even animals yawn when they see another animal yawn. The average duration of a yawn is about 6 seconds, and guys yawn for longer than girls.

Cracking your knuckles.....

Cracking your knuckles does not actually hurt your bones or cause arthritis. The sound you hear is just gas bubbles bursting. Cracking your knuckles (or any of your joints) can have therapeutic benefits. When you crack one of your joints you are pulling the bones that are connected at the joint apart from each other. This process stimulates your tendons, relaxes your muscles, and loosens your joints. Chiropractors do this for spinal joints when your back is sore and stiff, but you can do this on your own for your knuckles, toes, knees, neck, etc.

Unfortunately, there can be too much of a good thing. Cracking your knuckles will never lead to arthritis (despite what your mom keeps telling you), but scientists have discovered that it can cause tissue damage in the affected joints. Knuckle-cracking pulls your finger bones apart which stretches your ligaments. Too much stretching of your ligaments will cause damage to your fingers akin to the arm injuries sustained by a baseball pitcher who throws too many pitches. In addition to making your hand really sore, this ligament damage can also result in reduced grip strength.

How does this work? Your joints, the places in your body where you can bend, are where your bones intersect and are held together by ligaments. These joints are surrounded by a liquid called synovial fluid. When you stretch your ligaments by pulling the bones apart to crack your knuckles a gas in the synovial fluid escapes and turns into a bubble. This process is called cavitation. Cavitation ends when the bubble eventually bursts, producing that popping sound we know and love. After that, your joints won't be able to crack for another 25-30 minutes while the gas gets reabsorbed into the synovial fluid.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/musculoskeletal/question437.htm

“珍惜”这个字....

世人只看见潇洒的自己，微笑着的面具底下脆弱与惶恐却是我隐藏的另一面。

一路走来，所有辛酸苦辣、悲、痛、哀只有往肚里吞。

“珍惜”这个字，相信没人比我更懂得。

在这世上, 我... 其实什么也没有。

所以不管任何人事物，好或否，我其实都很感激。

就算跌得有多重、伤得有多痛，感激让我有机会从中学习。

人生路对我而言还很长，我珍惜现在所拥有的与身边所有的人,

更懂得最要珍惜的其实是 一 自己。

~Iris海绮

感情最难的是....

感情最难的，不在于是否两个人真的就爱了，而是难于爱的维持与持久，因为人生并不是只有一天。生活毕竟是现实的，人要经历这样那样的考验，不是一句我爱你就能解决了的。人生中会有很多意想不到的事情，要有足够的耐心去面对。人们常认为婚姻是爱情的坟墓，可碰到婚姻就失败的爱情，大概也算不上真正的爱情。情，总是在琐事中，在一点一滴或大起大落的欢欣与磨难中共同积累的。三毛说：“爱情如果不落实到穿衣、吃饭、数钱、睡觉这些实实在在的生活里，是不容易天长地久的。”记住，浪漫是一件美丽的晚礼服，但你不可能一直都穿着它，晚会结束了就要穿回生活的装束。