TAS TANGAN

Saya tidak pernah terpikir sama sekali. Siapa yang akan berpikir seperti ini? Sudahkah Anda memperhatikan wanita yang meletakkan tasnya di atas lantai toilet umum dan kemudian pergi secara langsung ke meja makan mereka serta meletakkan tas itu di atas meja? Sering terjadi!

Makanan dari restoran atau fast food bukanlah penyebab yang sering mengakibatkan sakit perut. Kadang-kadang, justru yang Anda tidak ketahui lah yang bisa merugikan Anda!

Biasanya para Ibu sering merasa terganggu pada saat tamu yang datang dan meletakkan tas mereka di atas meja tempatnya memasak dan menyajikan makanan. Seorang Ibu selalu menganggap bahwa tas itu kotor, karena tas tersebut telah terkontaminasi udara luar (debu, kotoran dsb). Hmmm..Ibu yang pintar ya..?

Ini adalah masalah yang disebabkan oleh para wanita sendiri. Sementara para wanita tersebut tahu dengan pasti apa isi tasnya, apakah pernah terbayangkan apa yang ada di bagian luar tas tersebut?

Para wanita membawa tasnya kemana-mana, dari mulai kantor sampai toilet umum sampai lantai mobil. Kebanyakan para wanita tidak pernah pergi tanpa tas. Tetapi, pernahkah terpikir kemana saja tas itu sudah berada sepanjang hari ?

"Saya menggunakan bis, dalam perjalanan saya se hari - hari dan kadang saya meletakkan tas saya di lantai bis" kata seorang wanita. Atau di lantai mobil saya dan di toilet.. "

Kadang saya juga meletakkan tas saya di kereta belanja dan akhirnya di toilet umum" (lagi) kata seorang wanita lainnya dan tentunya di rumah saya yang tempatnya lebih bersih.

Kami memutuskan untuk mencari tahu apakah tas tersebut merupakan tempat berkumpul bakteri-bakteri. Kami melakukan tes di Nelson Laboratories di Salt Lake City, dan kami memutuskan untuk meneliti jumlah rata-rata tas tangan yang dibawa para wanita setiap hari nya.

Kebanyakan wanita mengatakan bahwa mereka tidak berhenti berpikir tentang apa yang ada di bagian bawah tas mereka. Kebanyakan wanita tersebut mengatakan biasanya mereka meletakkan tas mereka di atas meja dapur atau meja makan saat makanan disajikan.

Para wanita ini mengatakan mereka tidak akan heran bila tas mereka sedikit kotor. Tapi ternyata, yang mengejutkan adalah bahwa tas tersebut sangatlah kotor, bahkan ahli mikrobioligi yang melakukan tes tersebut pun sangat terkejut.

Ahli mikrobiologi Amy Karen dari Nelson Labs mengatakan hampir semua tas yang diuji, bukan saja banyak mengandung bakteri biasa tapi juga bakteri yang amat berbahaya.

Contohnya bakteri Psudomonas yang dapat menyebabkan infeksi mata, staphylococcus aurous dapat menyebabkan infeksi kulit yang serius dan salmonella serta e-coli yang ditemukan pada tas dapat menyebabkan orang jatuh sakit.

Dalam sebuah contoh, empat dan lima tas yang diuji positif mengandung salmonella dan itu ternyata bukan yang terburuk..
Tas yang terbuat dari kulit atau vinyl cenderung lebih bersih dan tas yang terbuat dari kain dan saat ini trend model amat memegang peranan yang penting.

Wanita yang memilik anak-anak cenderung memiliki tas yang lebih kotor daripada yang tidak memiliki anak, dengan satu pengecualian.

Tas seorang wanita single yang sering pergi hangout ke klub atau caf¨¦ atau diskotik adalah yang paling terkontaminasi, kadang mengandung kotoran (feses) atau kemungkinan bekas muntahan, kata Amy.

Inti tulisan ini adalah ¨C tas Anda tidak akan menyakitkan Anda, tetapi ada kemungkinan membuat Anda sakit jika Anda tetap melakukan dan meletakkan tas di tempat Anda makan.

Gunakan gantungan untuk meletakkan tas Anda di rumah atau di toilet umum dan jangan letakkan tas di atas meja restoran atau meja makan Anda.

Para ahli mengatakan, Anda harus memperlakukan tas tersebut sama dengan sepatu Anda.
Jika Anda berpikir meletakkan sepasang sepatu di atas meja makan atau dapur maka hal yang sama terjadi jika Anda meletakkan tas. Tas Anda telah terkontaminasi oleh orang-orang lain yang datang ke tempat tersebut sebelum Anda, mereka bersin, batuk-batuk, buang air kecil, dan sebagainya.

Apakah Anda benar-benar ingin membawa semua kotoran itu ke rumah?
Para ahi mikrobiologi di Nelson mengatakan bahwa wanita harus rajin membersihkan tasnya dan itu amat membantu.
Cuci tas yang terbuat dari kain dan gunakan pembersih kulit untuk membersihkan bagian bawah tas kulit Anda.
INFORMASIKAN INFO INI KEPADA SAHABAT-SAHABAT ANDA!!!!
PARA PRIA HARAP INFORMASIKAN KEPADA ISTRI, KEKASIH ATAU ANAK PEREMPUAN ANDA

TAS TANGAN

Saya tidak pernah terpikir sama sekali. Siapa yang akan berpikir seperti ini? Sudahkah Anda memperhatikan wanita yang meletakkan tasnya di atas lantai toilet umum dan kemudian pergi secara langsung ke meja makan mereka serta meletakkan tas itu di atas meja? Sering terjadi!

Makanan dari restoran atau fast food bukanlah penyebab yang sering mengakibatkan sakit perut. Kadang-kadang, justru yang Anda tidak ketahui lah yang bisa merugikan Anda!

Biasanya para Ibu sering merasa terganggu pada saat tamu yang datang dan meletakkan tas mereka di atas meja tempatnya memasak dan menyajikan makanan. Seorang Ibu selalu menganggap bahwa tas itu kotor, karena tas tersebut telah terkontaminasi udara luar (debu, kotoran dsb). Hmmm..Ibu yang pintar ya..?

Ini adalah masalah yang disebabkan oleh para wanita sendiri. Sementara para wanita tersebut tahu dengan pasti apa isi tasnya, apakah pernah terbayangkan apa yang ada di bagian luar tas tersebut?

Para wanita membawa tasnya kemana-mana, dari mulai kantor sampai toilet umum sampai lantai mobil. Kebanyakan para wanita tidak pernah pergi tanpa tas. Tetapi, pernahkah terpikir kemana saja tas itu sudah berada sepanjang hari ?

"Saya menggunakan bis, dalam perjalanan saya se hari - hari dan kadang saya meletakkan tas saya di lantai bis" kata seorang wanita. Atau di lantai mobil saya dan di toilet.. "

Kadang saya juga meletakkan tas saya di kereta belanja dan akhirnya di toilet umum" (lagi) kata seorang wanita lainnya dan tentunya di rumah saya yang tempatnya lebih bersih.

Kami memutuskan untuk mencari tahu apakah tas tersebut merupakan tempat berkumpul bakteri-bakteri. Kami melakukan tes di Nelson Laboratories di Salt Lake City, dan kami memutuskan untuk meneliti jumlah rata-rata tas tangan yang dibawa para wanita setiap hari nya.

Kebanyakan wanita mengatakan bahwa mereka tidak berhenti berpikir tentang apa yang ada di bagian bawah tas mereka. Kebanyakan wanita tersebut mengatakan biasanya mereka meletakkan tas mereka di atas meja dapur atau meja makan saat makanan disajikan.

Para wanita ini mengatakan mereka tidak akan heran bila tas mereka sedikit kotor. Tapi ternyata, yang mengejutkan adalah bahwa tas tersebut sangatlah kotor, bahkan ahli mikrobioligi yang melakukan tes tersebut pun sangat terkejut.

Ahli mikrobiologi Amy Karen dari Nelson Labs mengatakan hampir semua tas yang diuji, bukan saja banyak mengandung bakteri biasa tapi juga bakteri yang amat berbahaya.

Contohnya bakteri Psudomonas yang dapat menyebabkan infeksi mata, staphylococcus aurous dapat menyebabkan infeksi kulit yang serius dan salmonella serta e-coli yang ditemukan pada tas dapat menyebabkan orang jatuh sakit.

Dalam sebuah contoh, empat dan lima tas yang diuji positif mengandung salmonella dan itu ternyata bukan yang terburuk..
Tas yang terbuat dari kulit atau vinyl cenderung lebih bersih dan tas yang terbuat dari kain dan saat ini trend model amat memegang peranan yang penting.

Wanita yang memilik anak-anak cenderung memiliki tas yang lebih kotor daripada yang tidak memiliki anak, dengan satu pengecualian.

Tas seorang wanita single yang sering pergi hangout ke klub atau caf¨¦ atau diskotik adalah yang paling terkontaminasi, kadang mengandung kotoran (feses) atau kemungkinan bekas muntahan, kata Amy.

Inti tulisan ini adalah ¨C tas Anda tidak akan menyakitkan Anda, tetapi ada kemungkinan membuat Anda sakit jika Anda tetap melakukan dan meletakkan tas di tempat Anda makan.

Gunakan gantungan untuk meletakkan tas Anda di rumah atau di toilet umum dan jangan letakkan tas di atas meja restoran atau meja makan Anda.

Para ahli mengatakan, Anda harus memperlakukan tas tersebut sama dengan sepatu Anda.
Jika Anda berpikir meletakkan sepasang sepatu di atas meja makan atau dapur maka hal yang sama terjadi jika Anda meletakkan tas. Tas Anda telah terkontaminasi oleh orang-orang lain yang datang ke tempat tersebut sebelum Anda, mereka bersin, batuk-batuk, buang air kecil, dan sebagainya.

Apakah Anda benar-benar ingin membawa semua kotoran itu ke rumah?
Para ahi mikrobiologi di Nelson mengatakan bahwa wanita harus rajin membersihkan tasnya dan itu amat membantu.
Cuci tas yang terbuat dari kain dan gunakan pembersih kulit untuk membersihkan bagian bawah tas kulit Anda.
INFORMASIKAN INFO INI KEPADA SAHABAT-SAHABAT ANDA!!!!
PARA PRIA HARAP INFORMASIKAN KEPADA ISTRI, KEKASIH ATAU ANAK PEREMPUAN ANDA

Vitamins

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Americans love to take their vitamins. More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements according to the Council for Responsible Nutrition, a supplement industry trade group.
But what should you do? Walk through the vitamin aisle of any grocery store, and you're hit by a staggering array of options. From vitamin A to glucosamine to milk thistle (what is that, anyway?) to whey protein, it's hard to decide what to take.

Our experts (clockwise from top left): Dr. Melina Jampolis, Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Walter Willett, Dr. Christiane Northrup

That's why this week the Empowered Patient asked four experts -- all medical doctors -- what supplements they take every day. Their lists may surprise you -- they all take at least two supplements -- some take three or four or more.
Choosing a daily vitamin regimen is especially daunting in light of two new studies out this week. In the largest and longest study of its kind, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, found that vitamins C and E do nothing to protect against heart disease in men. The study, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, also found that vitamin E even appeared to raise the risk of bleeding strokes, which, while rare, are often the most deadly. Other research on women and vitamins is also discouraging.
A study in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute this week found that a daily regimen of vitamin D and calcium did not offer any protection against invasive breast cancer.
With those studies in mind, here's what our panel of experts takes every day. Watch for more advice about vitamins »
Dr. Andrew Weil; Age: 66; director, Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine; Drweil.com

What he takes:
1. A daily multivitamin/multimineral

2. Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis, as well as other conditions. Studies show many of us are vitamin D deficient. Weil says look on the label to make sure you're getting vitamin D3, not vitamin D2.

3. Magnesium. Lack of magnesium may lead to irritablity, muscle weakness, and irregular heartbeat.

4. Juvenon (or "Omega"), a compound believed to enhance cellular health and function. This supplement contains two nutrients, acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha lipoic acid. The company that makes Juvenon says benefits include "more energy," a "sharper mind", and "more restful sleep."
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In Depth: Empowered Patient

5. Co-Q-10, a supplement that boosts coenzyme Q10, which is produced by the human body and is necessary for the basic functioning of cells. Animal studies have found that coenzyme Q10 helps the immune system work better and makes the body better able to resist certain infections and types of cancer.
Weil, author of 10 books including, "Eight Weeks to Optimum Health," says it is important to take studies, like the one in JAMA, with a grain of salt. "I believe vitamins E and C are important as part of our antioxidant defenses, even if we have not yet documented specific preventive effects," says Weil.
What not to take
Weil says men shouldn't take iron unless they've been diagnosed by a physician as having iron deficiency anemia. He also advises against men taking calcium supplements; he's concerned they could increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Dr. Christiane Northrup; Age: "50 something;" author, "The Secret Pleasures of Menopause;" Drnorthrup.com

What she takes:
1. Antioxidant supplement
2. Fish oil. Some studies have found fish oil, which contains omega 3 fatty acids, can help lower triglyceride levels, lower blood pressure, and help depression, among other uses.
3. Calcium, which can help prevent osteoporosis -- a problem in particular for older women
4. Magnesium
5. Coenzyme Q10
6. Vitamin D
Northrup, an authority on women's health and wellness and author of the new book "The Secret Pleasures of Menopause," says it is important to remember that vitamins are not drugs. They don't work the same way in the body.
"Vitamins are best taken in the correct proportions to each other," says Northrup. For example, she says if you are taking folic acid, which is a B vitamin, you'll do better when you also take the other Bs that make up the B complex. Says Northrup, "That's how nutrients occur naturally and how the body best utilizes them."

What not to take
Northrup says postmenopausal women almost never need iron, and taking too much might pose a risk for heart health.
Dr. Walter Willett; Age: 63; chairman, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
What he takes:
1. Multivitamin
2. Vitamin D
Willett thinks the jury is still out on vitamin E and C and heart health. "I don't think we have the final answer," says Willett, the chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. He points out that in the Women's Health Study, women receiving vitamin E experienced a statistically significant 24 percent reduction in total cardiovascular disease mortality.
What not to take
He agrees with Dr. Weil: men don't need extra calcium, and high intake might increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Dr. Melina Jampolis; Age: 38; Drmelina.com
What she takes:
1. Multivitamin
2. Calcium
3. Vitamin D
4. Omega 3
Jampolis, who practices in San Francisco, California, and specializes exclusively in nutrition for weight loss and disease prevention and treatment, says everyone should take a basic multivitamin. "I like to call it an insurance policy," she says.
What not to take
What not to take: "I'm not convinced that the 'beautiful skin' vitamins really help much -- it's much better to get the nutrients from your diet, drink water, and wear sunscreen," Jampolis says.
The bottom line
Our experts agree you shouldn't make decisions about what vitamins to take based on a single study. For example, the JAMA study findings didn't make our experts lose faith in these two vitamins.
"I believe vitamins E and C are important for optimum health as part of our antioxidant defenses, even if we have not yet documented specific preventive effects," Weil says.
The experts also agree that taking vitamins is only part of the larger puzzle. You also need to watch your diet and exercise. And, do your homework. New studies come out all the time.

To Save Relationship

Having rough times in your relationship? Everyone have these periods but don't think breaking up just because some small issues because there are many ways to save a relationship and I will point some of them.

1.Communication: The most important way to save a relationship is communication. You must talk with your partner, because communication is the thing that builds, improves or destroy a relationship. You can solve all the problems that you have in your relationship if you just communicate.

2.Forgiveness: Forgive the mistakes of your partner because we all make mistakes and you could make a wrong step too. You mustn't break up just because one mistake of your partner.

3.Trust: In every relationship, marriage, friendship, trust is the most important quality. If you want your partner to trust you, you must trust him too.

4.Show Your Feelings: If you want a serious relationship then you must show your partner that you care about him, that you love him.

5.Give Gifts: Even a flower can make your girlfriend love you more. In case you have a boyfriend, then I think a RC car or some collectibles will make him like a little boy.

6.Be Honest: You mustn't lie. If you really want a serious relationship and a long one, then you will shorten the life of your relationship. Why lie? I personally don't lie and I feel very good.The truth is better then a short time lie.

7.Sharing Your Problems: Share your problems with your partner. Try to open your soul in front of your partner because this will make your relationship stronger and it's the base of a solid relationship.

These are just a few ways to save a relationship, but all of them are efficient and if you use them you will have a strong and long relationship and you will save your relationship.

Touching Story About Father

A man came home from work late, tired and irritated, to

find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the door.
SON: 'Daddy, may I ask you a question?'
DAD: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the man.
SON: 'Daddy, how much do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'That's none of your business. Why do you
ask such a thing?' the man said angrily.
SON: 'I just want to know.. Please tell me, how much
do you make an hour?'
DAD: 'If you must know, I make $20.00 an hour.'
SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: 'Daddy, may I please borrow $10.00 ?'
The father was furious, 'If the only reason you asked
that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or
some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to
your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being
so selfish. I work hard everyday for such this childish behaviour.'
The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door.
The man sat down and started to get even angrier about the
little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?

After about an hour or so, the man had calmed down,and
started to think: Maybe there was something he really needed
to buy with that $10.00 and he really didn't ask for money very
often. The man went to the door of the little boy's room
and opened the door. 'Are you asleep, son?' He asked.
'No daddy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.
'I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the man.
'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation
on you. Here's the $10.00 you asked for.'The little boy sat
straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you daddy!' He yelled.
Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled
up bills. The man saw that the boy already had money,
started to get angry again. The little boy slowly counted
out his money, and then looked up at his father.
'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the father grumbled.
'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,'the little boy replied.
'Daddy, I have $20.00 now. Can I buy an hour of your time?
Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'

The father was crushed. He put his arms around his
little son, and he begged for his forgiveness.
It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life.
We should not let time slip through our fingers without having
spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts.

Do remember to share that $20.00 worth of your time
with someone you love.If we die tomorrow, the company that we
are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the
family & friends we leave behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family.

Cinta Abadi

Sabtu, 8 November 2008 | 09:03 WIB

BEIJING, SABTU - Seorang perempuan sadar dari koma selama 30 tahun berkat cinta yang tak tergoyahkan dan perawatan telaten suaminya di E’zhou, provinsi Hubei.

Para dokter percaya cinta Chen Dulin, yang baru-baru ini terpilih sebagai salah seorang suami teladan di provinsi tersebut, telah menolong Zhao Guihua sadar dari koma panjangnya.

Paru-paru, jantung dan tekanan darah Zhao stabil setelah ia menjalani pemeriksaan menyeluruh.

Zhao jatuh koma setelah satu kecelakaan tiga dasawarsa lalu, tapi Chen tak pernah putus asa buat istrinya dan merawatnya di rumah setelah sang istri menjalani dua operasi.

Sejak itu, Chen telah telah menggunakan alat penyemprot dan pipa plastik untuk memasukkan susu, kue dari telur dan makanan cair lain ke dalam perut Zhao.

Kini, Chen, yang sudah berusia 77 tahun, tetap mengutarakan cinta kepada istrinya setiap hari.

Natural Food To Keep Your Artery Clean

Your arteries are blood vessels that transport oxygen and nutrients from your heart to the rest of your body. In order for this important process to occur, your arteries should be flexible, strong, elastic and clear of any deposits.
All fruits and vegetables are said to help prevent heart disease, but certain varieties (like apples) pack a particularly powerful punch.
However, over time deposits of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products, calcium and other substances can build up in your arteries. These plaques can severely restrict blood flow and, even more seriously, they can cause your arteries to rupture, leading to blood clots.
Blood clots can then block your blood flow entirely, leading to heart attack and stroke.In fact, a build-up of plaques in your arteries, known as atherosclerosis, is the main underlying cause of heart disease.So keeping your arteries clean is not only a key part of your heart health, it's a key to your health overall.
While exercising on most days of the week is an excellent way to keep your arteries healthy, your diet also plays a major role. Here we've identified 10 foods that are especially adept at helping to keep your arteries clean.
1. Grapefruit:
It contains a type of fiber called pectin, which has been shown in animal studies to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis.
2. Green Tea:
This healthy beverage contains procyanidins, which have been found to help prevent blood clots and promote healthy endothelium (the tissues that lines blood vessels and your heart).
3. Apples:
Apples (particularly Red Delicious and Granny Smith) are also rich in procyanidins.
4. Garbanzo beans:
Garbanzo beans contain both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, which help to remove cholesterol- containing bile from your body. They are also known to help prevent heart disease.
5. Olive oil:
Using olive oil as your exclusive source of oil may cut your risk of coronary heart disease almost in half, according to the CARDIO2000 case-control study, published in Clinical Cardiology. Meanwhile, studies show that particles of LDL (bad) cholesterol that contain monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil) are less likely to become oxidized. This is important because only oxidized cholesterol is able to stick to your artery walls and form plaques.
6. Spinach:
This leafy green contains both vitamin C and vitamin A, which team up to prevent cholesterol from becoming oxidized (and thereby helping to prevent plaques from forming in your arteries).
7. Salmon:
Salmon is rich in omega-3 fats, which make blood less likely to clot inside arteries and prevent cholesterol from becoming damaged or oxidized. Choose wild-caught salmon (instead of farm-raised) for the most benefits.
8. Tomatoes:
Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that may make LDL cholesterol much less susceptible to becoming oxidized -- again, this is the first step in the formation of plaque formation and is a major risk factor for heart disease.
9. Swiss Chard:
Swiss chard is an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin E, which helps prevent free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol. Eating a diet rich in vitamin E has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis.
10. Garlic:
Garlic helps your heart and arteries in numerous ways, including:
- Stimulating the production of nitric oxide in the lining of blood vessels, which may help them to relax
- Inhibiting coronary artery calcification, which serves as a marker for plaque formation
- Preventing the oxidation of cholesterol
- Reducing the formation of nanoplaque (the first building blocks of plaque) by up to 40% and reducing the size of the nanoplaque that has already formed by up to 20%, according to a study by German scientist Professor Güautnter Siegel, M.D., from the University of Medicine in Berlin

Happiness, Loving And Money

Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city. - George Burns

Money can’t buy you love. It can’t buy you happiness either.

Today’s materialistic world often urges us to buy the coolest gadgets, the trendiest clothes, bigger and better things, but research shows that possessions and purchases don’t buy us happiness. According to an article on CNN:

By and large, money buys happiness only for those who lack the basic needs. Once you pass an income of $50,000, more money doesn’t buy much more happiness, [according to a happiness studies].

So while we are being pushed towards materialism, it’s for monetary gain by corporations, not for our own happiness. Unfortunately, it’s hard to escape the trap of materialism, and find happiness in other ways than buying stuff online or finding joy in the mall.

But it’s possible. Here’s a guide to finding a materialism-free life and discovering true happiness.
Guide to finding a materialism-free life and discovering true happiness.
Escaping Materialism
All around us, there are messages telling us to buy stuff. On the Internet (blogs included), we see continuous advertising trying to get us to purchase a product or service. It’s the main reason for television, and movies are continually made with products placed throughout, so that we aren’t always sure what is advertising and what was put in there by the director.

Flip on the radio or open up a newspaper or magazine, and you’re bombarded my more advertising. Go to a shopping center/mall, and the urge to buy comes from every direction.

This message to continually buy, buy, buy … and that it will somehow make us happpier … is drilled into our heads from the days of Happy Meals and cartoons until the day we die. It’s inescapable.

Well, almost. You could go and live in a cabin in the woods (and that actually sounds nice), or you could still live in our modern society, but find ways to escape materialism.

Here are some suggestions:

* Limit television.
Do you really enjoy watching TV for hours? Think about which shows you really, really love, and only watch during that time. When the commercials come on, go do something else. Or use Tivo to watch TV. You can even give up cable TV entirely, if you’re brave — I have, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

* Eschew the news.
Journalists will never tell you this, but if they’re completely honest, they’ll confess that the most important part of any news company, from TV or radio news to Internet or print new, is the advertising division. It’s the division that pays the paychecks of the rest of the company. The news is important in driving traffic to the advertising. So when you’re watching or reading news, you’re really being sucked in to advertising. Try this instead: boycott the news for a week. I’ve done it for about two years, and it hasn’t hurt me a bit. In fact, it’s helped me a lot.

* Limit Internet reading.
I’m not saying you should cancel your cable Internet subscription or anything. I love reading blogs. But find just those that you truly love reading, that give you the most value, and limit your reading to those. And just do it once a day, for 30 minutes or so. If you can do that, you’ve gone a long way towards tearing yourself away from advertising.

* Give up magazines for books.
Magazines are also designed with advertising in mind. And they rarely give you much value. Try reading an ad-free book instead. It’s a much better use of your time.

* Don’t go to the mall or Walmart.
The only purpose of these places is for you to spend money. If you just want a place to spend your Saturday afternoon, find a place where you don’t need to spend money to have fun — a park or a beach, for example. If you need to buy something, go to a single store (not the mall) and go in and get what you need. Don’t browse and walk around looking at stuff. You’ll get sucked in.

* Monitor your urges.
When you’re online, or watching TV, or at a store, keep track of the number of times you want to buy something. Keep a little notebook or index card, and just put tally marks. Once you become more aware of your urges to buy things, you can start to control them. If you could control them, limiting your consumption of media (see above tips) isn’t really necessary — although I would argue that it still gives you a better quality of life.

* Use a 30-day list.
If you still really want to buy something, put it on a list, and write down the date you added the item to the list. Now tell yourself you cannot buy that item for 30 days. It might be difficult, but you can do it. When the 30 days have passed, if you still want it, then buy it. But you can’t buy anything (besides essentials like groceries) without putting it on the list for 30 days first. Many times, our urges to buy something will pass during this waiting period.

* Declutter.
I find it pretty amazing to see all the crap I buy over a period of years, when I go through my closets and other possessions and start getting rid of stuff I don’t use or want anymore. It’s a gratifying process, and at the same time, it makes me realize how useless all our consumer shopping is. I don’t need any of the stuff! When you do this, you may be less likely to buy more stuff. Especially if you enjoy the decluttered look of your house as much as I do.

* Find other forms of entertainment.
There are other things to do besides watch TV or movies or read magazines or newspapers or the Internet. Try playing sports or exercising, or playing board games or creating art or writing or reading a book. Try doing fun things with your kids or visiting relatives and other loved ones. Try volunteering with a charity. I’m sure you could come up with 100 free or cheap things to do.

* Buy used.
When you get the urge to buy something, and you’re convinced that it’s needed, try finding it used instead of new. Look in thrift shops or garage sales or flea markets or similar places.

A True Path to Happiness
So, if you’re able to escape materialism, how can you find true happiness? There are many ways, and each of us is different, but here are some things I suggest trying:

* Grateful list.
Make a list of things about which you’re grateful in your life. Give thanks for them daily.

* Think positive.
Try eliminating negative thinking from your life, and thinking positive instead.

* Small pleasures.
Make a list of small things that give you great pleasure. Sprinkle them throughout your day. Notice other small pleasures as you go through your day.

* Kindness.
Practice random acts of kindness and compassion. Do it anonymously. Help those in need. Volunteer. Make someone smile.

* Love.
Make an intimate connection with your loved ones. Develop your friendships. Spend time with them, converse, understand them, make them happy.

* Health.
Exercise and eat healthy — it sounds trite, but it can bring great happiness to your life.

* Meaning.
It’s often useful to find meaning, either through a church or spiritual way, or through those we love in life or through the things we’re passionate about. Give yourself a purpose.

* Flow.
Eliminate distractions, and really pour yourself into whatever you’re doing. If it’s writing an article, like this one, really put yourself into it, until you forget the outside world.

* Know yourself.
Become attuned to what brings you happiness. Study yourself. Learn about what you love, and about your ability to love. Increase your capacity for compassion.

What brings you happiness? How do you feel about materialism, and is it worth trying to escape it? Let us know in the comments.

Cancer, Chemotherapy and an alternative Way

CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHN HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .

Cancer Update from John Hopkins

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.

3. When the per son's immune system is strong, the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

4. When a person has cancer, it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, change diet and include supplements which can strengthen the immune system.

6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract, etc., and can cause organ damage to the liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, etc.

7. Radiation--while destroying cancer cells--also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However, prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.

9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation, the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.

10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.

11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
A. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar, it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame which is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. A better substitute is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.

B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soya milk, cancer cells are being starved.

C. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

D. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for build ing healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

E. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate which contain a lot of caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. The best water to drink is purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic; avoid it.

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.

13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs, etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted or unneeded cells.

15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

CANCER UPDATE FROM JOHN HOPKINS HOSPITAL , U S A
1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave. Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well.
Dioxin chemicals causes cancer, especially breast cancer.
Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies.
Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic.
Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital , was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat.
He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastic releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.
You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper.
It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper.
The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cook ed in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead

Beauty of Mathematics

Absolutely amazing!

Beauty of Mathematics !!!!!!!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

It's up to you if you share this with your friends & loved ones just
the way I did..

Have a nice day

Nails in the Fence

Link

SENYUM

Touching story......dari milis tetangga

SENYUMLAH...

Kisah di bawah ini adalah kisah yang saya dapat dari milis alumni Jerman, atau warga Indonesia yg bermukim atau pernah bermukim di sana. Demikian layak untuk dibaca beberapa menit, dan direnungkan seumur hidup.

Saya adalah ibu dari tiga orang anak dan baru saja menyelesaikan kuliah saya. Kelas terakhir yang harus saya ambil adalah Sosiologi. Sang Dosen sangat inspiratif, dengan kualitas yang saya harapkan setiap orang memilikinya.

Tugas terakhir yang diberikan ke para siswanya diberi nama "Smiling."
Seluruh siswa diminta untuk pergi keluar dan memberikan senyumnya kepada tiga orang asing yang ditemuinya dan mendokumentasikan reaksi mereka.
Setelah itu setiap siswa diminta untuk mempresentasikan di depan kelas. Saya adalah seorang yang periang, mudah bersahabat dan selalu tersenyum pada setiap orang. Jadi, saya pikir, tugas ini sangatlah mudah.

Setelah menerima tugas tsb, saya bergegas menemui suami saya dan anak bungsu saya yang menunggu di taman di halaman kampus, untuk pergi ke restoran McDonald's yang berada di sekitar kampus. Pagi itu udaranya sangat dingin dan kering. Sewaktu suami saya akan masuk dalam antrian, saya menyela dan meminta agar dia saja yang menemani si Bungsu sambil mencari tempat duduk yang masih kosong.

Ketika saya sedang dalam antrian, menunggu untuk dilayani, mendadak setiap orang di sekitar kami bergerak menyingkir, dan bahkan orang yang semula antri di belakang saya ikut menyingkir keluar dari antrian.

Suatu perasaan panik menguasai diri saya, ketika berbalik dan melihat mengapa mereka semua pada menyingkir? Saat berbalik itulah saya membaui suatu "bau badan kotor" yang cukup menyengat, ternyata tepat di belakang saya berdiri dua orang lelaki tunawisma yang sangat dekil! Saya bingung, dan tidak mampu bergerak sama sekali.

Ketika saya menunduk, tanpa sengaja mata saya menatap laki-laki yang lebih pendek, yang berdiri lebih dekat dengan saya, dan ia sedang "tersenyum" ke arah saya. Lelaki ini bermata biru, sorot matanya tajam, tapi juga memancarkan kasih sayang. Ia menatap ke arah saya, seolah ia meminta agar saya dapat menerima 'kehadirannya' di tempat itu.

Ia menyapa "Good day!" sambil tetap tersenyum dan sembari menghitung beberapa koin yang disiapkan untuk membayar makanan yang akan dipesan.
Secara spontan saya membalas senyumnya, dan seketika teringat oleh saya 'tugas' yang diberikan oleh dosen saya. Lelaki kedua sedang memainkan tangannya dengan gerakan aneh berdiri di belakang temannya.

Saya segera menyadari bahwa lelaki kedua itu menderita defisiensi mental, dan lelaki dengan mata biru itu adalah "penolong"nya. Saya merasa sangat prihatin setelah mengetahui bahwa ternyata dalam antrian itu kini hanya tinggal saya bersama mereka,dan kami bertiga tiba2 saja sudah sampai di depan counter.

Ketika wanita muda di counter menanyakan kepada saya apa yang ingin saya pesan, saya persilahkan kedua lelaki ini untuk memesan duluan. Lelaki bermata biru segera memesan "Kopi saja, satu cangkir Nona." Ternyata dari koin yang terkumpul hanya itulah yang mampu dibeli oleh mereka (sudah menjadi aturan di restoran disini, jika ingin duduk di dalam restoran dan menghangatkan tubuh, maka orang harus membeli sesuatu). Dan tampaknya kedua orang ini hanya ingin menghangatkan badan.

Tiba2 saja saya diserang oleh rasa iba yang membuat saya sempat terpaku beberapa saat, sambil mata saya mengikuti langkah mereka mencari tempat duduk yang jauh terpisah dari tamu2 lainnya, yang hampir semuanya sedang mengamati mereka...

Pada saat yang bersamaan, saya baru menyadari bahwa saat itu semua mata di restoran itu juga sedang tertuju ke diri saya, dan pasti juga melihat semua 'tindakan' saya.

Saya baru tersadar setelah petugas di counter itu menyapa saya untuk ketiga kalinya menanyakan apa yang ingin saya pesan. Saya tersenyum dan minta diberikan dua paket makan pagi (di luar pesanan saya) dalam nampan terpisah.

Setelah membayar semua pesanan, saya minta bantuan petugas lain yang ada di counter itu untuk mengantarkan nampan pesanan saya ke meja/tempat duduk suami dan anak saya. Sementara saya membawa nampan lainnya berjalan melingkari sudut ke arah meja yang telah dipilih kedua lelaki itu untuk beristirahat. Saya letakkan nampan berisi makanan itu di atas mejanya, dan meletakkan tangan saya di atas punggung telapak tangan dingin lelaki bemata biru itu, sambil saya berucap "makanan ini telah saya pesan untuk kalian berdua."

Kembali mata biru itu menatap dalam ke arah saya, kini mata itu mulai basah
berkaca2 dan dia hanya mampu berkata "Terima kasih banyak, nyonya."

Saya mencoba tetap menguasai diri saya, sambil menepuk bahunya saya berkata "Sesungguhnya bukan saya yang melakukan ini untuk kalian,Tuhan juga berada di sekitar sini dan telah membisikkan sesuatu ke telinga saya untuk menyampaikan makanan ini kepada kalian."

Mendengar ucapan saya, si Mata Biru tidak kuasa menahan haru dan memeluk lelaki kedua sambil terisak-isak. Saat itu ingin sekali saya merengkuh kedua lelaki itu.

Saya sudah tidak dapat menahan tangis ketika saya berjalan meninggalkan mereka dan bergabung dengan suami dan anak saya, yang tidak jauh dari tempat duduk mereka. Ketika saya duduk suami saya mencoba meredakan tangis saya sambil tersenyum dan berkata "Sekarang saya tahu, kenapa Tuhan mengirimkan dirimu menjadi istriku, yang pasti, untuk memberikan 'keteduhan' bagi diriku dan anak2ku!"

Kami saling berpegangan tangan beberapa saat dan saat itu kami benar2 bersyukur dan menyadari, bahwa hanya karena 'bisikanNYA' lah kami telah mampu memanfaatkan 'kesempatan' untuk dapat berbuat sesuatu bagi orang lain yang sedang sangat membutuhkan.

Ketika kami sedang menyantap makanan, dimulai dari tamu yang akan meninggalkan restoran dan disusul oleh beberapa tamu lainnya, mereka satu persatu menghampiri meja kami, untuk sekedar ingin 'berjabat tangan' dengan kami. Salah satu di antaranya, seorang bapak, memegangi tangan saya, dan berucap "Tanganmu ini telah memberikan pelajaran yang mahal bagi kami semua yang berada disini, jika suatu saat saya diberi kesempatan olehNYA, saya akan lakukan seperti yang telah kamu contohkan tadi kepada kami."

Saya hanya bisa berucap "terimakasih" sambil tersenyum. Sebelum beranjak meninggalkan restoran saya sempatkan untuk melihat ke arah kedua lelaki itu, dan seolah ada 'magnit' yang menghubungkan bathin kami, mereka langsung menoleh ke arah kami sambil tersenyum, lalu melambai2kan tangannya ke arah kami. Dalam perjalanan pulang saya merenungkan kembali apa yang telah saya lakukan terhadap kedua orang tunawisma tadi, itu benar2 'tindakan' yang tidak pernah terpikir oleh saya.

Pengalaman hari itu menunjukkan kepada saya betapa 'kasih sayang' Tuhan itu sangat HANGAT dan INDAH sekali!

Saya kembali ke college, pada hari terakhir kuliah dengan 'cerita' ini di tangan saya. Saya menyerahkan 'paper' saya kepada dosen saya. Dan keesokan harinya, sebelum memulai kuliahnya saya dipanggil dosen saya ke depan kelas, ia melihat kepada saya dan berkata, "Bolehkah saya membagikan ceritamu ini kepada yang lain?" dengan senang hati saya mengiyakan.

Ketika akan memulai kuliahnya dia meminta perhatian dari kelas untuk membacakan paper saya. Ia mulai membaca, para siswapun mendengarkan dengan seksama cerita sang dosen, dan ruangan kuliah menjadi sunyi. Dengan cara dan gaya yang dimiliki sang dosen dalam membawakan ceritanya, membuat para siswa yang hadir di ruang kuliah itu seolah ikut melihat bagaimana sesungguhnya kejadian itu berlangsung, sehingga para siswi yang duduk di deretan belakang di dekat saya di antaranya datang memeluk saya untuk mengungkapkan perasaan harunya.

Di akhir pembacaan paper tersebut, sang dosen sengaja menutup ceritanya dengan mengutip salah satu kalimat yang saya tulis di akhir paper saya.
"Tersenyumlah dengan 'HATImu', dan kau akan mengetahui betapa 'dahsyat'
dampak yang ditimbulkan oleh senyummu itu."

Dengan caraNYA sendiri, Tuhan telah 'menggunakan' diri saya untuk menyentuh orang-orang yang ada di McDonald's, suamiku, anakku, guruku, dan setiap siswa yang menghadiri kuliah di malam terakhir saya sebagai mahasiswi. Saya lulus dengan 1 pelajaran terbesar yang tidak pernah saya dapatkan di bangku kuliah manapun, yaitu: "PENERIMAAN TANPA SYARAT."

Banyak cerita tentang kasih sayang yang ditulis untuk bisa diresapi oleh para pembacanya, namun bagi siapa saja yang sempat membaca dan memaknai cerita ini diharapkan dapat mengambil pelajaran bagaimana cara MENCINTAI SESAMA, DENGAN MEMANFAATKAN SEDIKIT HARTA-BENDA YANG KITA MILIKI, dan bukannya MENCINTAI HARTA-BENDA YANG BUKAN MILIK KITA, DENGAN MEMANFAATKAN SESAMA!

Jika anda berpikir bahwa cerita ini telah menyentuh hati anda, teruskan cerita ini kepada orang2 terdekat anda. Disini ada 'malaikat' yang akan menyertai anda, agar setidaknya orang yang membaca cerita ini akan tergerak hatinya untuk bisa berbuat sesuatu (sekecil apapun) bagi sesama yang sedang membutuhkan uluran tangannya!

Orang bijak mengatakan: Banyak orang yang datang dan pergi dari kehidupanmu, tetapi hanya 'sahabat yang bijak' yang akan meninggalkan JEJAK di dalam hatimu.

Untuk berinteraksi dengan dirimu, gunakan nalarmu. Tetapi untuk berinteraksi dengan orang lain, gunakan HATImu! Orang yang kehilangan uang, akan kehilangan banyak, orang yang kehilangan teman, akan kehilangan lebih banyak! Tapi orang yang kehilangan keyakinan, akan kehilangan semuanya!
Tuhan menjamin akan memberikan kepada setiap hewan makanan bagi mereka, tetapi DIA tidak melemparkan makanan itu ke dalam sarang mereka, hewan itu tetap harus BERIKHTIAR untuk bisa mendapatkannya.

Orang-orang muda yang 'cantik' adalah hasil kerja alam, tetapi orang-orang tua yang 'cantik' adalah hasil karya seni. Belajarlah dari PENGALAMAN MEREKA, karena engkau tidak dapat hidup cukup lama untuk bisa mendapatkan semua itu dari pengalaman dirimu sendiri

Four Wives

There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men.

He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times.

Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her.

One day, the merchant fell ill. Before long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!"

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word.

The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated.

Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !"

Moral :

Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives

A. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.

B. Our 3rd wife ? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others.

C. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

D. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.

Guess what? It is actually the only thing that follows us wherever we go. Perhaps it's a good idea to cultivate and strengthen it now rather than to wait until we're on our deathbed to lament

A Nice Article About Love

A Nice Article about Love
-by Swami Vivekananda

I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me.

Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love."

This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds.

This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you.

For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings.

Give and don't expect.
Advise, but don't order.
Ask, but never demand.

It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring."

Passing thought... Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away.....

Life is beautiful!!! Live it !!!

No God or Know God?

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem Science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?

Student: Absolutely, sir.

Prof: Is God good?

Student: Sure.

Prof: Is God all-powerful?

Student: Yes.

Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.

Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm? (Student is silent.)

Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Is Satan good?

Student: No.

Prof: Where does Satan come from?

Student: From...God.. .

Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?

Student: Yes.

Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?

Student: Yes.

Prof: So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?

Student: Yes, sir.

Prof: So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?

Student: No, sir.

Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?

Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?

Student: Yes.

Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?

Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Prof: Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.

Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Prof: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold?

Prof: Yes.

Student: No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat,

But we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold.

Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't.

If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.

Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.

To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir.

With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable)

Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH.

That is all that keeps things moving & alive....... .........