Karaoke therapy

Ever since the first karaoke bar appeared in Kobe, Japan, in the 1960s, salary men have understood the calming effects of singing (usually badly) along to a bouncing ball. Only recently, however, have researchers begun to explore karaokes therapeutic benefits.

"Even the shy and socially inhibited, like many Chinese and Japanese, become less restrained when singing karaoke," say Dr. Authur Dun-ping Mak, a psychiatrist at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong. The Hospital's psychiatric department has been using karaoke as therapy since 1990, and Mak says the combination of images and singing helps people focus on positive thoughts.

Mak has found that relax by vocalizing their pent-up grievances through the lyrics of popular songs.People can identify with the characters and moods pictured on the screen while projecting their own feelings through their performance. "Karaoke tends to bolster self image, decrease stage anxiety and encourage social interactions," Mak says.

QA (1)

Question :Why, when we twist and turn in our sleep so much, is it rare that we fall of bed?
Answer: Even when you're asleep,your brains is still rare of its surroundings to some extent. It will have remembered how big your bed is and how far your body can safely turn. Should you get too close to the edge, your brain will tell your muscles, and you'll roll backward. Be warned, though: Your brain will often lose its bearing if you've been drinking or if you're in an unfamiliar bed.

Question: Why do we call illegal activity "bootlegging"?
Answer: The Oxford English Dictionary defines a "bootleg" as, perhaps obviously, the leg of a tall boot and says that from this arose the term "bootlegger" to describe someone who carries liquor in his boot-legs. It quotes a New York publication that printed, in 1980, "The 'Bot-legger' is a grim spectra. He is a man who wears boots in whose tops are concealed a flask or two of liquor."
The first reference to "bootleg" actually appeared a year earlier, when the Ohama Herald wrote, " There is as much whiskey consumed in Iowa now as there was before 'for medical purpose only,' and on the bootleg plan."
Today, the term refers to any item that is illicitly transported or produced, such as CDs.

Question: How do ancient ruins gets covered in so much earth?
Answer: You'd be surprised at how quickly earth can form. A neglected garden path become hidden in only a decade, so it's little wonder that archaeologists often have to dig metres down to find very old buildings. Earth is created as rocks in the ground are broken into smaller particles by weathering and erosion. The process is continued by plant decay and by worms, which convert organic matter to soil via their digestive systems. If a ruin is in a river valley or a typical field, where there are lots of plants and eroding water, soil could cover it in as little as a few hundred years.

Go home earlier

The pressure to work longer hours never seems to end. "Companies would take 24-hours a day if they could," says Laura Stack, author of Leave the Office Earlier. Some ricks to reclaims your life:

Nix last-minute interruptions
Close your door ten minutes before quiting, so co-worker with ,"emergencies" won't drop by. Cubicle-round? Turn on voice mail and put bag and coat in visible spot.

Map out tomorrow
Before you leave, priorities the next day. Plan important tasks for morning so you won't buy yourself a late night.

Schedule personal time
Blockout "appointments" with your family, your gym or yourself. If someone asks to meet at six o'clock, you can honestly say you're booked.

Minimise meeting time
If only part of meeting is relevant to you, arrange to go first. Say you have another appointment you couldn't reschedule or a pressing deadline.

Ten ways to boost your energy

1.Exercise
2.Eat light
3....but don't skip meals
4.Go easyon caffine
5.Drink plenty of water
6.Cut down the booze
7.Learn to power nap
8.Sitting comfortably?
9.Think positive
10.Relax

Pacifier advice for parent

According to Professor George Haycock, scientific adviser to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death (FSID), "A number of research studies have suggested that babies who are regularly given a pacifier when put down to sleep, even for a nap, are less likely to die suddenly and unexpectedly than those who are not."

The advise from FSID is: if breastfeeding, do not begin to give a pacifier until your baby is one month old. Don't worry if the pacifier falls out when your baby is asleep and don't ever force your baby to take a pacifier. And never coat the pacifier in anything sweet.

Bad day or burnout?

Everyone has periods when work piles up, the boss is ticked and stress is high. But there's a difference between a bad day or week at the office and burnout, according to Dr Micheal Leiter, who heads the center for Organization Reserach and Development at Acadia University in Nova Scotia and is the co-author of Banish Truth About Burnout. He identifies three components to burnout:

Your general well-being
Do you feel exhausted?

Your relationship with work.
Do you feel apathetic or that you can't concentrate, like you're "going through the motions?"

Your self-evaluation.
Do you doubt that you're doing important work and that you're good at it?

Having nay one of these feeling doesn't constitute burnout. The accumulation and frequency of symptoms should be a warning sign.

Step to finding the right kindergarten

Sending your child to a kindergarten can be a very anxious experience. Kindergarten gives your child a head start in learning nit just ABC's, but life skills, too. The following tips can be great help in your search and evaluation

It helps to begin your research by asking other parents on their experiences, and nothing beats a site visit for peace of mind. The first thing to watch out for is the professional and teachers.

Small classes are good for learning, so there shouldn't be too many students in one class. Fifteen is a reasonable number. There should be one teacher plus one teaching assistant per class.

An insight into the syllabus is also useful. Ask to see the teaching materials to check their quality, as well as samples of students' work. If you can, watch how the children behave in class and conduct themselves toward the teacher.

Factor some non-academic criteria in your decision as well: make sure the kindergarten is clean and serves nutritious meals. Look whether toilet are designed for children's size and height. See how it pays attention to health and safety both inside and outside class,

Yee gives this lesser-known tips: If car are allowed to park in the premises, check whether they park tail in; this lets drivers look ahead when they leave and avoid accidents.

Pen up your veggie diet

1. Introduce low-fat, high-fiber beans and pulse (such as lentils and chickpeas), which provide essential amino acids.

2. Iron is available from beans, lentils, dried fruit, nuts and fortified breakfast cereal, but is less easily absorbed from plants than from meat. Drinking orange juice or eating vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits or lightly cooked vegetables at meal times helps improve absorption.

3. Vegetarians should eat lower-fat dairy product daily for calcium. Vegan sources include tofu, nuts, grains, white bread, dried fruit and green vegetables.

4. Dairy products, eggs and fortified yeast extracts provide vitamin B12. Vegan can get B12 from vitamin supplements and fortified cereals.

5. Vegetarians usually have ample protein sources, but vegans need to obtain protein from cereals, pulses, nut and seeds.

Myth busters: Cosmetic surgery.

Hair transplants are only for men (Myth)
Hair-transplant surgery is performed more frequently on men, but many women suffer hair loss or thining due to age, disease or surgery: and they, too, can undergo hair-transplant procedures.

If you have breast implants, you cannot breastfeed (Myth)
In general, breast implants do not change your ability to breastfeed. Having said that, some surgeons do avoid making incisions near the nipple to prevent damage to the milk ducts.

Liposuction eliminates fat permanently. You'll never have to exercise or diet again (Myth)
Liposuction does permanently remove a percentage of the fat cells from an area. But the remaining fat cells can increase in size. And they're still sensitive to our bad habits. In short, liposuction cannot substitute for good health and exercise.

Boy and girl racers start young

Want your kids to grow into responsible drivers? Watch how you drive when they're in the back seat. Research at Bar-Ilan University, Israel, shows that, not only do young children absorb your driving style, but they are most influenced by parents of the same sex: So, fathers should be most careful with son in the back, and mothers with daughter. Depressingly, by age 11, gender stereotypes are already emerging, with boys drawn to speed and likelier to condone traffic violations.

Keep your car clean

Washing your car is not just about appearances: it can extend your vehicle's life.

First rinse off surface dirt> Then wash using a car shampoo. Don't use household detergent, which can corrode the paintwork. Clear drain holes and guttering of debris. Considers investing in a pressure washer to reach undesired and wheel arches. Dry off with a towel or chamois. Don't wash your car when it's hot or the water may just evaporate leaving marks.

Two to four times a year, apply a wax after washing. This adds a barrier to keep water out.

If there's no handy water supply (or you just want to save water) look for products that clean and polish one go, without water.

Health and diet for children

Ensure proper nutrition for your toddler. We all need a balanced diet throughout or lives; it goes without saying that toddlers need it even more. You can find all the nutrients your toddler needs in many everyday sources.

The feeding challenge begins when he turns one and needs a diet emphasizing solids.

That's also when his appetite becomes unpredictable, but his body is constantly developing behind the scenes, so insist on your diet plan! A child who doesn't eat properly will catch one bug after another. A balanced diet ensures correct height and weight development and builds body resistance. This way, your child will not miss his important development milestones. Healthy body, healthy mind--mental strength will follow.

Essential elements :
Calcium and iron are vital to a child's growth. Calcium builds healthy bones and teeth. You child should have three portions of dairy product like milk, cheese and yogurt daily to satisfy his calcium needs. Don't skimp on fat-- growing children need the energy it contains.

Iron is vital to supprt brain development and a health bloodstream. Insufficient iron may lead to anemia, which can be discerned from a child's weak and listless look. Serve enough red meat regularly; if red meat doesn't figure on your family's menu, subtitue spinach, beans, pears or bread and cereals fortified with iron.

Complex carbohydrates in food like rice, noodles, cereals, bread, pasta and potatoes provide the energy to fuel his day, which is especially important once he starts walking. You can get needed protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and lentils. Fatty acids like DHA found in oily fish and selected milk formulas are important building blocks for brain development.

Don't forget to give five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, whether fresh, frozen or dried. They contain important vitamins and minerals which have many beneficial function. These can range from enabling growth, to strengthening the body's internal system, to purifying the blood.

Fruit and vegetables also contain fiber, which helps proper functioning of the intestinal tract.

Keep in mind that quantity of food is important. Many toddlers can't manage large amounts in one setting. Three small snacks and three small meals should get him through the day.

Now for things you toddler doesn't need; avoid processed food, extra salt and too much sugar. Avoid fruit juices-- they contain a lot of sugar that is bad for the teeth. Offer him water at mealtimes instead.

Tips tips tips

1) Answer the phone by LEFT ear.
2) Do not drink coffee TWICE a day.
3) Do not take pills with COOL water.
4) Do not have HUGE meals after 5pm.
5) Reduce the amount of OILY food you consume.
6) Drink more WATER in the morning, less at night.
7) Keep your distance from hand phone CHARGERS.
8) Do not use headphones/earphone for LONG period of time.
9) Best sleeping time is from 10pm at night to 6am in the morning.
10) Do not lie down immediately after taking medicine before sleeping.
11) When battery is down to the LAST grid/bar, do not answer the Phone as the radiation is 1000 times.
12) Forward this to those whom you CARE about!

Children life skills.

Teach simple task to build self-esteem. Building confidence and inculcating life skills should start from the day your child is born so that he learns independence early on. There are many opportunities and stages for nurturing the right attitude.

Begin with giving the love, encouragement and praise your child need when he is just a baby. Provide a strong and stable domestic environment for him to grow up in, and he'll develop the self-esteem needed to tackle the challenges of middle childhood.

Your child will start wanting a substantial degree of freedom from upper primary school. His challenges here will consist of mastering the skill necessary to get through each day. You role is in preparing him to deal with this independence.

First, he need to know how to survive. He should be taking responsibility for his nutrition and knowing all about safety in kitchen. Start with teaching how to make a simple meal and go with him when he buys his own ingredients.

Home task:
Job around the house can be fun and make your child feel valuable; there are many things you can do together here. Washing the car, planting the garden, and sorting the laundry are activities that will give your child a sense of environment accountability and appreciation of teamwork. He'll doing all these on his own before long.

Dealing with school is a vital life skill. Starting school and seeing all the new faces is never easy, with the myriad of personalities in a class and all the potential emotional health risk. Make sure you're there to lend an ear and support him through the early days, even if you feel he is confident enough.

Homework is the next challenge, where your child learns the importance of deadlines. Organization skill is important here, so encourage him to study when he gets home and relax only after he is finished. He should learn to sort his books and accessories, and responsible for his own meals.

Personal hygiene is important. At this age, it's often an uphill task to get your child into the bathroom. Make him clean his teeth morning and evening and see to it that he gets in the shower once a day.

Encourage your child to take the initiative. Resist the temptation to make his decisions for him. If you do that, he will never feel confident that when faced with a problem, he can solve it correctly. Offer him choices. Ask him what he would like- whether it's films at the cinema or choosing his birthday party programme.

Don't forget practical reward for completed jobs.Children will often start a job and stop when the novelty wear off. You'll encourage him to see a challenge through if you hand out small reward at the end.

Money talks (How you handle money matters can rub off on your kids)

Sound money management habits can form a strong foundation for how children deal with other when they grow up. "As you teach children about money, they also begin to learn other important lessons such as decision making, priorities, responsibility and goal setting," says Brian Goh, senior vice-president of ipac financial planning (Singapore). Here are some money lessons in daily activities :

When at the ATM or when using your credit card.
To appreciate the value of money, kids need to know where it comes from. Explain that hard-earned money has to first be deposited into the bank before it come outs out of the ATM, and that purchases made on credit cards have to be paid for, in full, at the end of the month.

When grocery shopping
This is the best time to teach them how to make sound buying decisions. Have them help you look for items on your grocery list, and compare prices among different items. If you choose one brand of milk over another because it's on sale, explain the decision.

When giving them an allowance
Paying out allowances on schedule (like the first of every month) teaches children the value of honoring agreements. Help them put away a portion into savings even before they start spending it, and assist them in setting savings goals, like buying a new toy.

When shopping
Spending indiscriminately sends out a dangerous signal that we can get whatever we want, when we want. Instead, teach your kids the difference between needs and wants. For instance, when checking out the latest Plasma TV, explain that while it might be nice to have a new TV, it's not a necessity because the one at home is working just fine.

When planning a holiday
This is a great time to bring together concepts like budgeting, saving, price comparison, and balancing needs and wants. Money lessons are best absorbed when they are put to practical use, so do involve your kids in the decision-making processes of holiday planning- from picking a destination to scouting for deals

mum for daughter tips

Here are some simple dos and don'ts for mothers raising daughter

DO:
-Plan a fun outing for just the two of you . She's more likely to open up with no-one else around. Choose an activity that allows you interact, such as pedicres and lunch.
-Offer to help, even if you're rebuffed. The more often you let her know you're available-whether for homework or hair-styling- the more likely she is to take you up on it... eventually
- share some of the same hobbies- and use them as a reason to spend time together.

DON'T:
-Take it personally when she shuts you out. And don't give up trying for fear of being rejected: you never know when you'll catch her at time when she's open to your advice
-Try to be her best friend. This will lead her to expect a life without limits.
-dress like teenagers yourself. Nothing is less cool than a 42-year-old woman dressed like a 15-year-old. Especially when that woman's your mother.