NobleJoker

Beat Box Kitchen

2008-10-01T22:18:00.001+10:00

A storm is brewing – is it global warming?

2008-09-16T12:24:00.001+10:00

Check out these awesome pics of hurricanes taken from space. Some reports say the power of hurricanes is actually increasing due to global warming – who knows – but these pics are unreal.

2008-09-12T12:55:00.001+10:00

learning how to update just my status via ping.fm - I think

Alex won an Award at school today!

2008-08-22T12:22:00.000+10:00

Alex won an effort award for getting 10 merit awards over the last few months

Here he is getting the certificate

As you can tell though – it wasn’t for his running.

Oh dear – I think he will take after his parents in the foot-speed stakes although he wasn’t very well that day

Sometimes red eye can work out great

2008-08-22T12:15:00.000+10:00

They don’t make ‘em like they used to

2008-08-10T23:11:00.001+10:00

They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To

There is a great article at this site I just found called www.Babblebaby.com.au

It’s all about old TV shows that were on when I was a kid. Shows like The Goodies & Monkey Magic. Here’s my comment on the site:

Would I let my 3 & 6 year old watch these - You betcha. This is a slice of my childhood. Monkey and the Goodies are my favourite shows of all those years and I still watch them. Throw in Dr Who and you have every afternoon at my place. Monkey was a little violent for sure and who didn't hit their brother with a stick playing Monkey - I know did. Not only would I let my kids watch Noddy or Mr Squiggle or The Muppets, I would encourage it and probably enjoy sitting next to them to watch together. And isn't that the point - making TV a shared experience and not just a pseudo child minder
Cheers :)

These are some of my favourite shows of all time.
Throw in the following shows and you have a picture of my viewing habits as a kid.

Dr Who
The Smurfs – lord help me but I was late many a morning watching Smurfs
Fraggle Rock
Press Gang – I absolutely loved this show when it came out
Battle of the Planets – we called it G Force – my brother Chris loved this the most

Many of these shows, especially on the ABC were repeated and repeated and we watched every episode over and over. They fell like old friends to me :)

Fart jokes are truly timeless

2008-08-09T23:57:00.001+10:00

A list of the world's oldest jokes was compiled by the UK's University of Wolverhampton. The oldest joke traced back to 1900 BC Sumeria:

"Something which has never occurred since time immemorial; a young woman did not fart in her husband's lap."

OK, maybe it lost something in translation. But you have to admit that it says something about human nature that the oldest bit of written humour is a fart joke.

News story link

The top ten oldest jokes in recorded history - UK TV

Details found at Fred Langa’s blog

The One Skill That Will Earn You Money, No Matter What You Do

2008-08-07T22:46:00.001+10:00

Communication

No matter what you do in life, communication will earn you money.

You’re a person working in a cubicle on hard problems. The ability to present your work to the boss during performance reviews will make or break you. The ability to present your work to coworkers will help your project go better. The ability to talk to peers at conferences will open up new connections and possibly new career paths for you.

You’re a person who’s involved with artistic work. Your ability to sell your work relies on your ability to communicate. In many cases, your work itself relies on an ability to communicate - art speaks, does it not?

You work at a minimum wage job at a burger joint. Good communication skills get you to the front counter, where the work is typically more varied and more interesting and you have the opportunity to show off customer relations skills to the manager, who will begin to value you as a key employee, leading to potential raises and better scheduling.

You’re standing at the bus stop. Other people are waiting around, mostly just fidgeting. Keeping quiet will earn you nothing. Starting a conversation with the guy in the business suit holding a copy of one of your favorite books might start a valuable friendship.

Here are ten things you can do immediately to improve that skill.

Introduce yourself to others as often as is reasonably possible. If you’re in a situation where you’re in close public quarters with others that you do not know (like a meeting room, a party, or a dinner table), introduce yourself to them, and initiate some conversation. Likely, if you’re sitting there quiet and nervous, they’re feeling the exact same way. Even in the worst case scenario - the conversation doesn’t go well - at the very least, you got some conversational practice out of the deal.

Make a concerted effort to remember names well enough that you can call them by name later. Always ask for people’s names and try very hard to remember them. At the end of the conversation, get a business card from them and, later, jot what you can remember about them down on the back of the card - the occasion in which you met, any key information that stands out, etc. If you can’t get a business card, jot their name down in a notebook with similar information. This will help you remember. Then, if you think you might be meeting that person again, review the information a bit before you go. This will help you immediately have an impact on them the next time you meet.

Take every opportunity you can get to speak in front of a crowd and give presentations. If you’ve got an opportunity to speak in public, always take it. Not only does this force you to know how to organize your thoughts and communicate them to others, it provides countless opportunities to open up interactions with people who share your interests and concerns.

Put extra care into explaining your work to others. Whenever you have a chance to explain your work to others, put in plenty of care so that they’re able to understand it without their eyes glossing over. Comment your code. Think of everyday analogies for what you’re doing and use them. Try as hard as you can to avoid technical talk unless the situation specifically calls for it. In short, the better you can explain what you’re doing to a layman, the better you’ll appear not only to upper management, but to people in future interview situations.

Share what you know about your work as widely as possible.
It’s always worthwhile to start a blog covering your professional area. Not only does it give you an opportunity to sort through your thoughts and concepts, it also allows you to share your ideas with a wide world. Plus, doing it regularly simply makes you a better communicator. Here are five great examples of strong professional blogs:
Joel on Software is written by Joel Spolsky, a software developer
Seth’s Blog is written by Seth Godin, a marketing consultant
Jeffrey Zeldman Presents is written by Jeffrey Zeldman, a web developer
DennisKennedy.blog is written by Dennis Kennedy, a lawyer
Doctor David’s Blog is written by Dr. Davide Loeb, a pediatric oncologist

Compliment others sincerely. If someone does something well, compliment them, and do it sincerely. Most people go through the drudgery of their workday and their daily life without realizing that people sincerely appreciate their efforts. Thank people for the effort they put out for you, from the company president all the way down to the janitorial staff. Thank the administrative assistant who helped you get your paperwork filed. Compliment the person at the beauty salon who just got an excellent new hair style. I even go so far as to tell people that I see on the street that they look beautiful today or that they’re wearing great clothes (”I love that jacket!”). Even if it gets you nothing more than a thank you, you’d be shocked how often such things come back around in the long run.

Participate in social groups where you have a high likelihood of meeting new people. Find a group or two that match your interests or beliefs (faith, community service, books, etc.) and get involved. Go to those meetings and make an effort to meet new people there. Take leadership roles.

Attend conferences and conventions with the goal of meeting people. Don’t attend conferences in order to listen to the talks. Attend conferences to meet people. As soon as you’ve decided to go to a conference, see if you can get involved in the organization a bit. Help run a session, or be a “substitute” speaker if one is needed. During the rest of the meeting, make an effort to meet people who share your specific interests and work on building the beginning of friendships with them. If you’re eating alone at a conference, you’re wasting that conference.

When people talk, listen and ask occasional questions. Most people prefer to talk about themselves and their own interests much more than listening. If you’re having a one-on-one conversation, most people tend to feel best about it when they’ve done about 60-65% of the talking. That means that you’ll almost always make for a better conversationalist if you shoot for 35-40% of the talking. The best way to do that is to just listen carefully to what the other person is saying. Watch them - don’t let your eyes wander. Ask an occasional question or two. This doesn’t mean you should be silent, but it does mean you should let the other person do the brunt of the talking.

Talk about your own mistakes before ever criticizing others. If you’re ever in a position to criticize others, always be up front with your own mistakes, foibles, and flaws. You will never come off well if you try to create an air of perfection around yourself while criticizing others. It’s never a bad idea to lead with an anecdote about a mistake you’ve made in the past, even in interview situations (of course, there you’ll want to continue by explaining how you fixed the mistake, if reasonable). Trying to come off as perfect makes you seem less human and thus criticism from you seems much less palatable. Show some flaws - you’ll come off better in the end.

Copied from The Simple Dollar Blog

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/15/the-one-skill-that-will-earn-you-money-no-matter-what-you-do/

Workout Music – Rage!

2008-08-01T10:23:00.000+10:00

I posted this recently at Gyminee – thought I would share

I have some different playlists on the iPod for lifting workouts including Queen, The Offspring, and The Darkness.

But the one that really gets me 'zoned in' and agro to get that last rep is Rage Against the Machine. I just have the best of. Driving beats and mad as hell - shout it like you mean it lyrics.

To me RATM sound like the soundtrack to a prize fight. If you need to focus and get the distractions of the day or other people in the gym out of your mind then Rage On!

Western Spaghetti by PES

2008-07-19T18:20:00.001+10:00

This is a fantastic stop motion video
I don't think I want to eat this spaghetti

The essentials of good business writing

2008-07-17T11:18:00.001+10:00

Good business writing is at the heart of successful marketing. Without it you will be at best, misunderstood, at worst, totally ignored. Follow these simple guidelines to ensure your business writing hits the spot.

Write readable sentences by writing the way you talk

There is a misconception that good business writing is complex and flowery. It is simply not true. The only people who can ignore this advice are lawyers by virtue of the fact that it is their intention to make everything more complex than it need be, especially as they are paid by the hour to explain to you what they have written!

Use ordinary words

Don’t try to be too clever; don’t use a long word where a short one will do.

Variety

Vary your punctuation and sentence length to add life and movement to your writing.

Use the personal pronoun

Use "I" or "we" wherever you can.

Make your point

Make your main point early and make it easy to find. Don't introduce new ideas until you have thoroughly explained the first.

Intention

Make your purpose for writing clear. Say what you have found, address the issue or problem and make a recommendation or provide a solution. Tell the reader very clearly what you want them to do. Never make the assumption that the reader will make the mental leap between the information and what you want them to do about it.

Structure

Help your reader get to the point by revealing the structure of the document. Allow them to have control over what they discover and when.

White space

Leave plenty of white space. This can be created by using headings, lists, bullet points and short paragraphs.

Use font types wisely

If in doubt stick to the classic fonts. Don't litter your writing with bold, italics CAPITALS or underline; it makes the text harder to read.

Wherever possible, remember:

Use the active voice

Use ordinary words

Construct clear, simple sentences

Concrete not abstract – use examples, metaphors and details

Personal

Informal, conversational style

Make every word count or get rid of it

Use just enough punctuation to assist the reader

Watch your grammar – don’t switch tense.

Say what you mean and mean what you say

Don't use jargon - if you have to, explain it the first time you use it

Strive to express yourself clearly

Get to the point fast, or at least allow the reader the option to if they choose to

But most of all have fun with it. Never be afraid to reflect your own personality in your writing and it's okay to break a few rules now and again!

Karen McCreadie is a freelance writer – capable of writing anything from a marketing brochure to a website to ghost writing your next book! Ghost writing is her specialty.

Original article link http://www.flyingsolo.com.au/p196318265_The-essentials-of-good-business-writing.html

I’m going for Wolverine's work-out

2008-07-10T14:12:00.001+10:00

This is sort of what I have been doing, that is:

More exercise
More protein
Less carbs
More regular eating and smaller portions (I have been slack on that these couple of cold weeks)

It’s working for me so far – see me at Gyminee

I like the reference to low HI diet. The less processed the better

Off to the gym this arvo I think :)

ninemsn talks to the hairy man's trainer Michael Ryan about how he got that body.

Fancy a superhero's body? The Hulk is a mean, green muscle machine, Superman's a six-pack wielding cliché and Spider-Man is too lycra-clad to envy. But Hugh Jackman's Wolverine is quite a different story. A well-conditioned torso, chest and arms are something your everyday man could aspire too.

Building up a new burly physique isn't something that only the likes of a celebrity preparing for the part of the animalistic superhero can achieve, of course. According to his personal trainer and good friend, Michael Ryan, it's within all of our reach with a little dedication.

So, is Hugh naturally muscular and therefore not a good representation of your average man?

Not at all! I've worked with him for over 20 years and when we first met he was skinny. In fact, he had chicken legs! He has built his body gradually over the years. He's 39 now and looking better than ever.

Hugh's very well-stacked for his title role in Wolverine. Did you put him through hours of gruelling training a day?

The routine was intense but it was for 1.5 hours for six days a week. It wasn't a complicated regime at all and something anyone can do. It was based on four or five lifting sessions and a cardiovascular session.

The key to our success with his body was variation. A lot of guys head for the gym day-in day-out and do the same thing every time and then wonder why their body stays the same. Make a point of working different muscles, building on the weight you can lift and getting your heart beating with a mix of running, swimming or cross-training.

No tight-clad yoga sessions then?

Not for this role! But we have used yoga in the past to condition his body. It's a fantastic way of toning and elongating muscles.

Ah, but once you've got all that muscle, a few days off and it turns to flab?

Not the case. I think if you ask anyone who has successfully improved their body with a regular workout, going back to old ways is not an option. It's not hard to maintain muscle if you are dedicated to keeping up a routine. Hugh's finished filming now but rang from New York to let me know he's keeping up the good work!

How big a part does diet play in achieving a body like Wolverine's?

It plays a huge part. If you think about the fact that only 1.5 hours is spent training, it's the 22.5 hours after that are the worry. We put Hugh on a six-meals-a-day plan that consisted of high-protein foods. Think fish, meat and pulses.

What we put a big focus on was basing the diet on as low an HI [human interference] diet as possible. Basically as untouched, unmodified by human hands as possible. It's how the body functions at its optimum level.

Does it get harder to achieve a Wolverine-esque body as you get older?

Well Hugh's almost 40 and we didn't face any issues. Men can peak in their mid-40 so age isn't as big a factor as you'd think. Getting the body you want is about balance and dedication.

6 Things Money Cannot Help you Achieve

2008-07-06T22:55:00.001+10:00

Written on 6/06/2008 by Shilpan Patel of Success Soul

Imagine you are Mr. Bill Gates, czar of the wealth. Life is great; you're the richest man on the earth. You can buy anything in life, right? Wrong. Before you ride on the jet of euphoria and focus your entire life on earning money, know there are simply things that a roll of hundred dollar bills cannot get for you, not even if you are Mr. Gates.

If you are perplexed, let me explain my theory. It may sound like an oxymoron but money has its Achilles’ heel. All of our false perceptions about money have one common flaw - they identify money as something external to us, they identify money as the tool to accumulate abundance to please others by accumulating possessions.

What money can't buy mostly lies within us. Nonetheless, trading our life energy for money can deprive us from inner nourishment that can eventually lead our lives into a downward spiral.

1. Time: Money is a tool for trade. With that said, we spend a good chunk of our allotted time on this earth getting, spending, worrying and fantasizing about money. You can't buy the time and save it in your storeroom even if you are Mr. Gates. On the contrary, money takes away your time that could have been spent playing with your children or having a long walk with your alter ego. When the sun sets, a day goes away from our life forever. No money has power to bring that back to life.

2. Self Awareness: Ignorance is bliss, right? It's a curse. Not having self-awareness and self-consciousness lead to decisions that can cost you dearly. Well, the cost may be life itself. As a result, many people live a mediocre life without living for a true purpose. Their ignorance can't be transmuted into awareness with money. They believe that their ignorance is their awareness.

3. Self esteem: I have a plethora of examples to prove that no money can purchase self-esteem. Self-esteem is earned from within. If you are your worst enemy, gods of money can't rescue you from the self-destruction you inflict on yourself. King of rock Elvis Presley had the best life one can imagine with no dearth of cash. He took his own life with the deprivation of self-esteem.

4. Health: As I write this, I found out that Senator Kennedy has brain cancer, and it is terminal. Of course money can get him the best health care possible but no money can buy insurance for a life. We buy insurance for just about everything including our life but money can never bring life back.

5. Respect: Try this. Slap someone on his face and then hand him $100 to get his respect. Will you get it? I doubt it. We all live our life in pursuit of self-respect from peers, from family members, from our alter ego and even from strangers. No money can buy respect from others if our actions speak volumes about our negativity - insult, rudeness and lack of respect for others.

6. Happiness: This is controversial. Money can buy happiness if it is spent on to bring grater financial security for the family. However, money can't buy happiness if the purpose is to make money to make other people happy. The chase of possession of possessions can never find its destination with incessant desire to accumulate more possessions. Happiness comes from within. When we trade so much time and energy to get money, we deprive our inner self from the food of happiness.

I'm sure that you either are nodding you head in disbelief by now, or you've been enlightened by the revelation that, after all, money can't buy some of what matters most in our life. I'll be glad to get a zap or a hug from you.

Inside the space station

2008-07-03T10:55:00.001+10:00

This is a bloody amazing video of life on the International Space Station. I am sure they don't spend all day goofing off but this just looks like fun

Alex as Art

2008-06-30T23:20:00.001+10:00

Here’s a photo of Alex on his first day of school turned into a Rubik’s cube

Created with dumpr.net - fun with your photos

Don’t know why – I just thought this site was cool and wanted to try out the photo effects
There is a great effect that can change a pic into a sketch artist’s drawing but you have to pay for that one.

Here’s one of Alex’s recent drawings made into an art work on a gallery wall

Art Museum by dumpr.net

Zürich Chamber Orchestra | Roller Coaster

2008-06-05T09:16:00.001+10:00

Awesome web animation vid set to classical music

Sleep deprivation is not a badge of honour

2008-06-04T16:39:00.001+10:00

This is an interesting article on missing sleep. The guy is right – some people plan on it or don’t do enough to avoid it. Some bosses expect or encourage overtime and so on too

The photo in this link is right - just ask any new parent if sleep deprivation encourages creativity. Our 2 year old has been having some bed-wetting problems again lately. We nearly had it mastered and he will again soon I am sure. But getting up in the middle of the night to wash him and strip the bed totally sucks.

We all miss some sleep occasionally but the 2 caveats are:

Avoid missing sleep and don't plan to miss sleep
When you do - catch it up as soon as possible - without wrecking your sleep patterns

Easier said than done I know :)

Link to post by David at 37signals.com

Worst album covers ever

2008-06-01T19:00:00.001+10:00

Here's one of those lists of dodgy album covers. Some of these look dumb now but were pretty typical of fashions and so on in the 70's and 80's. Some are trying to be funny and plenty fail

I like this one:

Check the rest of them out here

A Letter to My Son, on Starting Out In Life

2008-05-30T14:30:00.001+10:00

This letter/article is from a site called Zen Habits.
As a father of 2 young boys I thought it was pretty cool

Dear Son,

You’re only three years old, and at this point in your life you can’t read, much less understand what I’m going to try to tell you in this letter. But I’ve been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you, about my life so far as I reflect on what I’ve learned, and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years.

You won’t be able to understand this letter today, but someday, when you’re ready, I hope you will find some wisdom and value in what I share with you.

You are young, and life has yet to take its toll on you, to throw disappointments and heartaches and loneliness and struggles and pain into your path. You have not been worn down yet by long hours of thankless work, by the slings and arrows of everyday life.

For this, be thankful. You are at a wonderful stage of life. You have many wonderful stages of life still to come, but they are not without their costs and perils.

I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I’ve learned. As with any advice, take it with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you.

Life Can Be Cruel
There will be people in your life who won’t be very nice. They’ll tease you because you’re different, or for no good reason. They might try to bully you or hurt you.

There’s not much you can do about these people except to learn to deal with them, and learn to choose friends who are kind to you, who actually care about you, who make you feel good about yourself. When you find friends like this, hold on to them, treasure them, spend time with them, be kind to them, love them.

There will be times when you are met with disappointment instead of success. Life won’t always turn out the way you want. This is just another thing you’ll have to learn to deal with. But instead of letting these things get you down, push on. Accept disappointment and learn to persevere, to pursue your dreams despite pitfalls. Learn to turn negatives into positives, and you’ll do much better in life.

You will also face heartbreak and abandonment by those you love. I hope you don’t have to face this too much, but it happens. Again, not much you can do but to heal, and to move on with your life. Let these pains become stepping stones to better things in life, and learn to use them to make you stronger.

But Be Open to Life Anyway
Yes, you’ll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life … but don’t let that close you to new things. Don’t retreat from life, don’t hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things, new experiences, new people.

You might get your heart broken 10 times, but find the most wonderful woman the 11th time. If you shut yourself off from love, you’ll miss out on that woman, and the happiest times of your life.

You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet … and then after meeting dozens of jerks, find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people, and don’t open your heart to them, you’ll avoid pain … but also lose out on meeting some incredible people, who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life.

You will fail many times but if you allow that to stop you from trying, you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success.

Life Isn’t a Competition
You will meet many people who will try to outdo you, in school, in college, at work. They’ll try to have nicer cars, bigger houses, nicer clothes, cooler gadgets. To them, life is a competition — they have to do better than their peers to be happy.

Here’s a secret: life isn’t a competition. It’s a journey. If you spend that journey always trying to impress others, to outdo others, you’re wasting your journey. Instead, learn to enjoy the journey. Make it a journey of happiness, of constant learning, of continual improvement, of love.

Don’t worry about having a nicer car or house or anything material, or even a better-paying job. None of that matters a whit, and none of it will make you happier. You’ll acquire these things and then only want more. Instead, learn to be satisfied with having enough — and then use the time you would have wasted trying to earn money to buy those things … use that time doing things you love.

Find your passion, and pursue it doggedly. Don’t settle for a job that pays the bills. Life is too short to waste on a job you hate.

Love Should Be Your Rule
If there’s a single word you should live your life by, it should be this: Love. It might sound corny, I know … but trust me, there’s no better rule in life.

Some would live by the rule of success. Their lives will be stressful, unhappy and shallow.

Others would live by the rule of selfishness — putting their needs above those of others. They will live lonely lives, and will also be unhappy.

Still others will live by the rule of righteousness — trying to show the right path, and admonishing anyone who doesn’t live by that path. They are concerned with others, but in a negative way, and in the end will only have their own righteousness to live with, and that’s a horrible companion.

Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse, your children, your parents, your friends, with all of your heart. Give to them what they need, and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment, but only love. Open your soul to them.

Love not only your loved ones, but your neighbours … your coworkers … strangers … your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile, a kind word, a kind gesture, a helping hand.

Love not only neighbours and strangers … but your enemy. The person who is cruellest to you, who has been unkind to you … love him. He is a tortured soul, and most in need of your love.

And most of all, love yourself. While others may criticize you, learn not to be so hard on yourself, to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love … but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being, worthy of happiness and love … and learn to love yourself for who you are.

Finally, know that I love you and always will. You are starting out on a weird, scary, daunting, but ultimately incredibly wonderful journey, and I will be there for you when I can. Godspeed.

Love,
Your Dad

Anti-Piracy Video

2008-05-30T12:29:00.001+10:00

Thought this was funny - particularly the use of the policeman's hat

Anti-Piracy Video

Vine Ripened Tomatoes

2008-04-10T12:57:00.001+10:00

I made Tracy & I an omelette sort of thing for breakfast this morning. I have changed my diet a little so am avoiding the toast/cereal trap so some eggs are good first thing.

Anyway - I ate a tomato with the omelette too. They are big red and juicy and quite flavoursome.

Here's the kicker - How long do they last!

Tracy bought 4 vine ripened tomatoes weeks ago - at least 3 weeks. They have just been in the fridge since and they are still great. Your typical supermarket gas ripened rubbish taste like water and don't last a week before going south.

No more crap tomatoes for me - vine ripened or nothing. They are worth the extra $$

Get happy!

2008-04-08T11:26:00.001+10:00

Some of this is a bit 'New Age' but I thought some of this advice was interesting. I find sometimes when I am zoned out and vague I am actually breathing very shallow. A few deep breaths and I perk up a bit. I would also like to be more alert to my posture as this can save you from the slumped shoulders and aches and pains of sitting too long.

What do we need to become more alert, calm and happy? The practice of happiness is a continual one, so get smiling with these ten top steps.

#1 Get your mind in gear to go

Enjoy a relaxing stretch in bed, filling your lungs with fresh air, breathing out any heaviness from the night. Read an excerpt from something that uplifts your spirit and reminds you of the purpose of your own existence. This will help set your intention for the day before the busyness begins. Your intention might be to practice kindness, compassion or respect for all people – including yourself.

# 2 Come to your senses

Wherever you are, be there! Your body is always in the present yet your mind is forever projecting into the future or rehashing the past. Practice awareness of the present moment by coming to your senses. Be aware of your posture, the shape of your body and the touch of your clothing; notice its texture, the temperature that your clothing helps create. Feel the air moving against the skin of your hands and face. Listen to all of the sounds around you. Let your listening run right out until you hear the clouds passing. Then focus on your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Let any thoughts or feelings come to pass without holding onto any of them.

# 3 Stress detector

Practice increasing your awareness of what happens in your body when you encounter stressful situations. Does your pulse increase, do you feel tight in your chest or your throat. Do you sweat or get butterflies in your stomach? Does your jaw tighten or does your head feel like it’s going to burst? It is better not to speak or act from a state of reaction.

# 4 Be present to the breath

Awareness of the breath allows you to more easily respond rather than react to life’s challenges. We can't always control what happens to us in life but we can control how we respond to the things that happen. We may not be able to avoid becoming emotionally upset, but we can control the intensity and duration of that upset and how we express it.

# 5 Don’t take your life so personally

Learn to not take yourself quite so seriously. If you can laugh at yourself you will be endlessly amused. Your body secretes endorphins when you laugh. These natural hormones give you a natural high and empower your immune system. Where possible, escalate a smile into a chuckle, a chuckle into a laugh and a laugh into a belly-shaking one. A light-hearted approach to life allows us to be spontaneous and available to people in the present moment.

# 6 Know yourself

Become aware of your attitudes, beliefs and reactions. Be willing to be a work in progress. This gives you the chance to change your judgments of yourself and others. Know what replenishes you and make sure that those things happen in your life. If music, nature, singing, dancing, reading, gardening or other activities replenish you, then make sure those things are present in your life on a regular basis.

# 7 Lace them up

Exercising for 40 minutes can reduce stress levels for up to three hours. Find regular and enjoyable exercise which can be realistically incorporated into your life. Walking and swimming are two of the most beneficial forms of exercise and improve your circulation, breathing and the functioning of all your internal organs.

# 8 Letting go of the past

The past cannot be undone. Forgiving is not the same as condoning. True forgiveness is an internal act and doesn’t need the involvement of the person or situation in which we felt wounded. The essence of forgiveness is that we liberate ourselves from reacting from feelings of being hurt or wounded.

# 9 Learn relaxation techniques

Familiarity with progressive relaxation techniques helps us to recognise when we are becoming stressed. Having the ability to physically unwind is the first step to letting go of mental tension. Regular use of a good relaxation practice will take the stress out of learning the technique!

# 10 Learn to meditate

Learning to meditate can be the next simple step in relaxing the mind so that it becomes quieter. With a quiet and focused mind our intuition, inspiration and imagination become more readily accessible. Meditation is one of the greatest tools for improving clarity, concentration and memory.

Petrea King is the author of Your Life Matters – The Power of Living Now and directs the Quest for Life Centre, Bundanoon, NSW www.questforlife.com.au

Get happy! - Blackmores

Time Management - Dilbert Style

2008-01-30T09:43:00.001+11:00

I love the Dilbert comic strip. It makes me laugh nearly every day.

This is a great way to increase your productivity :)

6 Simple Strategies to Stay Happy

2008-01-02T17:00:00.001+11:00

I thought this was pretty interesting. Be satisfied and grateful for what you have will make you appreciate it more. Any other boon that comes along will be a bonus and make you even happier but you won't be sad without it. Cheers MATT

It is a fact that if you want something too badly, it is likely to evade you. And this is truer for happiness than anything else. The reason why happiness seems to evade the millions of people searching for it is because they are looking in the wrong place.

Most people look for happiness "outside" themselves and not "inside". Some feel that they would be happy if they could afford a house of their own. Others feel that they just have to own all the latest gizmos to finally find happiness.

There are some who may not seek happiness in material things but they are still not looking in the right place. They feel that they would be happy if they found the right life partner or if their children loved them more. Even in such cases, these people are searching for happiness "outside" themselves.

Have you ever wondered how most infants are extremely happy almost all the time? Physical discomfort can make them cry for a while but such aspects are transient and last for only a few minutes. The reason why infants are almost always in a state of natural happiness is because they are in constant awe of nature and the world around them. Unfortunately, it is the society, parents, friends, teachers and relatives that influence them with regards to what happiness should mean.

It may be difficult to undo all the layers of perception that have formed on the mind over time. However, it is never too late to try and address the issue and train your mind to be happy. There are some tips that can help you in shedding your inhibitions and breaking away from the shackles of predefined definitions of happiness.

Accept yourself – One of the key reasons why people are unhappy is that they do not really like or love themselves enough. It is essential that you accept yourself as what you are without any caveats and conditions to attain happiness. Don't get too critical about yourself – your looks, your brains, your capabilities or your financial condition. Just learn how to love yourself as you are. You will realize that once you are comfortable with what you are, others will accept you more willingly.

Happiness is a state of mind – It is important that you understand and appreciate that your happiness lies within. Consider this – no one can make you unhappy if you have decided for sure that you will be happy in every situation. If you have made up your mind to be happy, you can always seek out the positive aspects of a situation and remain happy. Life may throw challenges at you but solutions will come faster and to you if you face them with a smile on your face.

Prioritise your life – As we grow older, the demands that various people and circumstances they lay on us increase. While on the one hand your job pressures increase, you may also feel the need to spend time with your family and children. At the same time, you may also want to enjoy life personally by doing the things that you have always wanted like going to the gym or taking off on a mountaineering trek.
It is important that you learn how to balance the various responsibilities that you may have. If any one of these tasks becomes paramount, you are likely to ignore the others. For example, if you get extremely preoccupied with your work, you family life are likely to miss you. On the other hand, if you are too consumed with your plans for your various hobbies, your job and family are likely to suffer. You may achieve momentary happiness but neither of these situations can result in happiness in the long run.

Take care of your health – an unhealthy body cannot be the home of a happy mind. It is important that you understand the strong link between physical health and mental happiness. If you are fit and healthy, you are likely to exude positive energy.

Stay in the company of happy people – Ensure that you seek out people who are happy and cheerful all the time. Being in the company of people who have a habit of cribbing and criticizing is likely to divert your mind towards negative thoughts. Avoid getting into the sulk mode by choosing the company of happy people.

Be grateful – Saying a small "thank you" for what you have can make a lot of difference. When you make it a habit to be grateful, you seek out the things that you do have. This helps you divert your mind from negative thoughts of what you do not have. This does not mean that you give up trying. On the other hand it encourages you to think of future goals and achievements in a positive manner.

Take time off to enjoy nature, life and the small things that we take for granted on a daily basis. A beautiful sunset can bring you joy, if only you would take a few minutes out of your daily schedule and look at it.

FROM: 6 Simple Strategies to Stay Happy - Dumb Little Man

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Aussie boffins build intelligent bra

2007-12-14T13:59:00.001+11:00

....and so my friends said "Don't study science. You'll be a nerd and never meet any chicks". I hereby tender this very late response to this argument with the following 2 statements:

1. 36D 2. vertical movement

Life is cruel sometimes

Australian scientists have created an 'intelligent' bra that monitors the user's activity to determine the most comfortable fit for future underwear.
The bras are being used to look at the nerve damage caused by bad bra fitment and to allow women to exercise in more comfort. They come with sensors woven into the fabric and measure the position of the bra relative to the body, as well as other load factors.
"A consequence of current brassiere design is that the brassiere straps bear much of the load generated by breast momentum during physical activity," say the researchers from the University of Wollongong in the Journal of Biomechanics this week.
"As breast mass increases, breast bounce momentum also increases, placing large loads on the straps and, in turn, excessive pressure on the wearer's shoulders. Apart from strap-related pain, many females, particularly large-breasted women, are restricted from participating in physical activity due to exercise-induced breast pain associated with excessive vertical breast displacement."
The team got two women with a 36D and a 38DD cup size to walk and run on a treadmill. During running vertical movement was measured and ranged from 11 to 68mm.
On analysing the evidence the team found the shoulder straps bear most of the brunt of this movement and narrow straps cut into important nerves on the shoulders, causing tingling fingers and potentially long term nerve damage.
The researchers say that this kind of study would not have been possible using earlier sensor technology, since it would distort the findings.

PCAuthority News: Aussie boffins build intelligent bra