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Rawatan Alternatif Untuk Sakit Jantung dan Sakit Buah Pinggang

2014-06-18T15:15:00.002+08:00

Rawatan alternative untuk sakit jantung dan sakit buah pinggang.

Bulan November 2013, cik abang dimasukkan ke hospital kerana serangan jantung. Ambulan dipanggil dan cik abang segera di bawa ke HKL. Sebaik tiba di hospital terus dibawa masuk ke unit kecemasan, para doktor dan dotor pelatih mengerumuni cik abang. Doktor bagi tahu saya yang dia beri ubat cair darah untuk memudahkan pengaliran darah di dalam salur darah. Doktor siap bagi tahu akan kemungkinan bila mereka bagi ubat ni, boleh berlaku pendarahan dan jika pendarahan itu di bahagian otak, cik abang sama ada boleh dapat stroke atau tak dapat diselamatkan. Saya tawakal saja, dan suruh doktor teruskan.

Tak lama lepas tu, denyutan jantung cik abang makin lemah dan perlahan, tekanan darah merudum, maka doktor buat keputusan untuk guna alat Direct Current Shock, tekan di dadanya. Sorang demi sorang doctor cakap kat cik abang yang masih separa sedar, “Encik, kami nak buat direct current shock ya, keadaan encik parah.” “Encik banyakkan berdoa ya.” “Keadaan encik parah ni, berdoa ya.” Yang paling tak best bila salah sorang cakap, “ Encik, keadaan encik parah. Encik boleh mati.” Cakap tak berlapik langsung! Bertambah sakit la jantung orang yang sedang sakit. Semua bersedia nak gunakan alat tu sambil doktor beri isyarat hold on sambil baca kadar denyut nadi dan tekanan darah dan sebagainya. Memang cemas dibuatnya terutama bila doktor keep counting sambil bagi isyarat untuk tekan alat tu kat dada. Kemudian, tiba-tiba doktor bagi isyarat batalkan guna alat tersebut sebab degupan jantung muncul semula walaupun perlahan.

Keadaannya agak parah sebab berdasarkan rekod doktor, jantung bahagian depan, kiri dan kanan dah rosak. Doktor juga menganggarkan yang ada tiga bahagian jantung yang tersumbat. Cik abang kena tahan wad 10 hari dan diberi cuti 40 hari. Tak dibenarkan bawa barang berat dan tak dibenarkan bawa kereta dan macam-macam pantang.

Bila dah sakit tu, ramai le kengkawan dan sedara mara yang nasihatkan jangan terlalu bergantung kepada ubat doktor sebab ada kesan sampingans. Sebab masih baru, kami bercadang untuk betul-betul ikut makan ubat doktor, bila dah okay nanti cari la ubat alternative.

Sementara tu kami menunggu masa untuk ke IJN, susulan dari rawatan CRW. Sambil tu, kami cuba jugak cari rawatan alternative sebab tak nak buat pembedahan jantung.

Nak dijadikan cerita, tak sempat lagi nak cari ubat alternative, sekali lagi terpaksa panggil ambulance dan suami dimasukkan ke hospital bulan March 2014. Sekali lagi terpaksa lalui trauma macam bulan November 2013. Aduhai….. (Nota: Kali pertama kena serangan jantung, kami belum berkahwin)

Ada kawan cadangkan pergi buat rawatan alternative kat seorang pak cik di Pantai Remis kerana suaminya dia pernah sakit jantung dan buat rawatan di situ, now selepas 5-6 tahun, tak ada masalah jantung lagi dan tak jadi buat pembedahan jantung.

Kami pun pergi lah ke tempat tu dengan tersalah simpang dan berpusing merata. Suami dah buat rawatan sekali dan bakal buat rawatan susulan kat situ. Alhamdulillah kesihatan suami kian baik. Semuanya dari Allah, kita cuma berusaha.

Kalau ada sesiapa yang ada masalah jantung dan buah pinggang, boleh lah mencuba rawatan pak cik yang dikenali sebagai Pak Long Haji Mohamad di Kampung Tebuk Yan di Pantai Remis, Perak. Boleh hubungi Pak Long di talian 012-5093304. Tentang bayaran, bayar seikhlas hati untuk rawatan yang dibuat. Untuk ubat (cuka kurma, madu, etc) ada la sedikit bayaran.

Pak Long juga boleh beri rawatan khas untuk lelaki kalau nak tambah umphh. Itu kena sembang sendiri dengan Pak Long.

Itu aje perkongsian info. Moga memberi manfaat kepada yang memerlukan.

Nota kaki 2017: Suami masuk hospital lagi dua kali pada tahun 2015. Suami enggan dibedah. Jadi kami cuba beberapa rawatan alternatif. Alhamdulillah guna air semburan Polilex dan minum air rebusan daun pecah beling seolah beri tenaga dan dia semakin sihat.
Sekarang ni sudah dua bulan mencuba air yang dikisar bersama timun, lemon, halia dan daun serta batang sup; diminum pagi dan malam. Alhamdulillah kadar kolesterolnya turun ke tahap normal. Kita berusaha, Allah tentukan kesembuhannya.

Beratur 5 jam untuk beli "Cronut". Kegilaan di New York. Cronut Craze in New York.

2013-06-17T12:56:00.003+08:00

Beratur 5 jam untuk beli "Cronut". Kegilaan makanan di New York

Sanggup tak anda beratur 4 - 5 jam semata-mata nak beli 2 keping "cronut" macam dlm gambar tuh? Cronut adalah gabungan crossaint dan donut. Memang macam tak logik ada orang beratur 4 or 5 jam setakat nak beli makanan nih. Tapi di New York, memang ramai yg gilakan makanan ni.

New York foodies in grip of 'Cronut' craze

By Brigitte Dusseau | AFP News – 21 hours ago

LATEST ON Y! NEWS »

Some hungry customers began queueing outside the pastry shop around 3:30 am. Others managed to keep their taste buds at bay for a few more hours, arriving at the patisserie around 6:00 am.

They were all united by a desire to sample the food craze that has gripped New York since its debut a month ago. Half-doughnut, half croissant: the 'cronut' has left the Big Apple's gourmets in a frenzy.

By the time the Dominique Ansel Bakery in the heart of trendy Soho opened its doors to the public at 8:00 am, the slavering customers were at breaking point. Within the hour, every single cronut available has been sold.

The bakery's owner, Dominique Ansel, says the crowd reflected the typical pattern since the May 18 launch of the the cronut, a food sensation powered by social media. On the first day, 50 were sold. The next day 100 flew off the shelves, within 15 to 20 minutes.

Since then the bemused pastry chef has become accustomed to queues of 150 to 200 people winding down the street before the bakery has opened.

Ansel settled upon the idea of the cronut after deciding he wanted to create a hybrid pastry that would be instantly recognizable as a marriage of French and American food cultures.

His revolutionary confection offers the delicate puff pastry of a traditional croissant shaped into a round doughnut, which is then deep-fried, filled with cream, rolled in maple sugar and coated with a light glaze.

It's soft yet crunchy, light and delicious, say the cronut's devotees.

Ansel, regarded as one of the most talented pastry chefs in New York, said settling upon the cronut recipe was a painstaking process. "It took me about two months to perfect the recipe," Ansel told AFP.

It is so perfect that Jessica Amaral, 30, thought nothing of leaving home at 3:00 am to get in line. The two cronuts she is buying are a treat for her husband to mark the couple's eighth wedding anniversary.

"I am the idiot, I read online that people were arriving at three... The others started to arrive at five. It's my eighth year anniversary, I thought it would be nice for my husband."

Just behind Amaral in the queue stood Steven Go, a chef who arrived from his home in Staten Island shortly after 5:00 am, at the behest of his wife. Justin Gorder, a 30-year-old salesman, travelled an hour from New Jersey.

Irvin, a trader, bashfully admitted he should already be at work. Gina, meanwhile, arrived in a taxi at 6:30 am, clutching her four-month-old baby.

To satisfy the largest possible number of customers, patrons are restricted to two cronuts each. At first, customers could snaffle six at a time, but Ansel restricted it to two after discovering the cronuts he sold for $5 each were changing hands on the Internet at up to $50 a piece.

At 8:00 am, the wait was over. Ansel flung open the doors and welcomed his first customers. By 8:56, almost all of the approximately 250 to 300 cronuts available have been sold. A bakery employee distributed madeleine pastries, advising people who arrived at 7:00 am they had a "40 percent" chance of satisfying their craving.

By 9:05 am, Ansel broke the bad news to those outside his shop who have missed out. "We are sold out for today," he said.

Inside, around 20 people waited anxiously to snap up the final cronuts on sale. A crafty customer offered to sell his place in the queue for $100. His offer was accepted by two friends who delightedly came away with two cronuts each.

Immediately behind stood Jessica McCord. She was furious, but consoled herself by opting for a kouign amann, the Breton cake that is a house specialty.

Meanwhile, Irvin, late for work, hungrily devoured his cronuts. A young woman meanwhile prepared to take her prized pastries, nestling in a golden case, to share with work colleagues.

McCord was disappointed to have missed out, but the experience will not deter her. "We'll be back," she sighed.

Kucing ditangkap kerana gagal misi di penjara

2013-06-05T09:18:00.002+08:00

Kucing ditangkap, gagal misi di penjara.

Fuh! Gempak tajuk news ni. Kucing kena tangkap? Gagal misi? Ditangkap? Dipenjara?

Ada beza antara "dipenjara" dengan "di penjara", okay. Tapi berita ni memang bizzare or weird la kan. Berita ni memang lain dari yang lain.

Pengawal penjara telah menangkap seekor kucing dan menggagalkan misinya.

Kalau dah nama orang jahat, otak penjahat (criminal minds) ni kreatif la jugak kan. Kreatif tapi bodoh la pulak.

Pengawal penjara yang membuat rondaan ternampak seekor kucing di atas pagar dan kucing tersebut kelihatan seperti membawa sesuatu. Apabila ditangkap, kucing tersebut didapati “memiliki” beberapa buah telefon bimbit, bateri dan alat pengecas yang dilekatkan di badannya, ala-ala suicide bomber gitu.

Federal Prison Services berkata, kejadian berlaku pada 31/5/2013 di penjara Penal Colony No. 1 di Syktyvar di daerah Komi, kira-kira 1,000 kilometer daripada Moscow, Rusia.

Tak dapat la nak dipastikan camne caranya si kucing tu nak drop kan barang yg dibawanya kepada empunya handphone2 tu.

Si "Criminal minds" yg rancang penyeludupan ni kira memang ngok la kan. Dowh... dah sah-sah tau yang si kucing tu tak la reti nak menyorok bila nampak pengawal penjara, lagi nak suruh kucing menyeludup barang masuk ke penjara. Lawak gila lah berita benar nih.

Crouton & Bread Pudding from stale bread

2013-03-28T18:23:00.001+08:00

Fresh Ideas for Stale Bread

By admin | Makansutra – Tue, Mar 26, 2013 7:33 PM MYT

Crouton is great as salad companion, or just as snacks.

Text and images by Tris Marlis @ Makansutra

What do you do with half a loaf of bread that is going to expire the next day, or just short of going mouldy? Refrigerating prolongs its shelf life, yet the low temperature also makes it stale – dry, hard and almost not palatable.

Stale bread, however, is perfect for croutons, those crunchy bits usually served on top of Caesar’s Salad along with Parmesan cheese. To make croutons, dice a couple pieces of stale bread, toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasonings like garlic powder, herbs and chilli. Sauté the bread cubes in a skillet until they are light brown, and finish it in the oven at 170 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes or until crispy and golden brown.

If you are not a fan of croutons, make some bread crumbs for fried chicken instead. To make them, bake stale bread in oven at 120 degree Celsius until dry and lightly brown. Cut them into pieces and blend them in a food processor until it has the consistency (coarse or fine) you desire, or a sandy texture. Let it cool thoroughly before storing, and season it to taste with salt pepper or even truffle salts.

Bread pudding is best served warm and with a scoop of ice cream!

For dessert, try this simple bread pudding recipe – velvety and moist bread with custard.

Ingredients:

6 slices of bread

2 tbsp of butter

4 eggs

2 cups of milk

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tsp of vanilla extract

Method: 1. Preheat oven to 130 degrees Celcius.

2. Break bread into small pieces (about 1 inch squares or hand tear if you like). Spread melted butter over bread in a 8” x 3” round baking pan.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until the sugar dissolves. Pour over bread. Let it sit for 15 minutes until the bread is covered and has soaked up the egg mixture.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top of the pudding springs back when lightly tapped. Watch the pudding closely and stop as it starts to brown.

5. Serve it with vanilla or coconut ice cream!

Best Nashville Fried Chicken

2013-03-28T17:42:00.003+08:00

Burning desire: Hot chicken takes over Nashville

By CHRIS TALBOTT | Associated Press – 18 hours ago

Fried chicken (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Most folks know Memphis for its barbecue and Philly for its cheesesteaks, but how about Nashville and its hot chicken?

If you're not sure, you've never tried this fried chicken so fiery it will leave your mouth in shock. It's a flavor you don't soon forget.

Born as cheap, flavorful fare for Nashville's working class community and offered late into the night for its party-goers, hot chicken has long been a staple in town. But its reputation has grown in recent years. Taylor Swift and B.o.B. even featured one of the city's best known hot chicken shops in a video they did together.

At heart, it's fried chicken that gets finished with a potent — and nearly always secret — blend of dry, peppery seasonings (paprika and cayenne are common, though that's just the start). But that oversimplifies things.

"I don't know," James McNew, hot chicken fan and bassist for New Jersey indie rock band Yo La Tengo, says of the recipe. "Some kind of combination of love and hate. I'm not sure of the measurements, whether it's half and half or not."

McNew and husband-wife bandmates Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley have been coming to Nashville for almost two decades. For the music, of course. And the chicken.

They sing its praises to anyone who will listen. They even named two songs in honor of their love for Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, which has been serving up searing hot chicken since sometime during the 1940s.

"It's something different," said Andre Prince Jeffries, second-generation owner of Prince's. "It's not a boring chicken. I mean, you wake up on this chicken. You're gonna talk about it."

And talk about it they do. The members of Yo La Tengo heard about hot chicken from another band that already had fallen for it. They visited the humble strip-mall home of Prince's in north Nashville, far from the trendy districts, and were immediately enchanted.

"It really was love at first sight," Kaplan said during a recent interview at Prince's. "Even before we tasted it. It was obviously unique."

Prince's is the most popular of Nashville's growing roster of hot chicken restaurants. Over the years, it has moved several times and its owners have missed a few bills, but Jeffries, with the help of her daughter, niece, brother and cousins, has managed to keep it in her family.

As the story goes, it all began with Jeffries' great uncle Thornton Prince, a bit of a man about town whose girlfriend had put up with enough and wanted a bit of spicy retribution. So she made him a special chicken for breakfast with a fiery kick.

"But he liked it, I'm sure after he kind of startled himself on it,'" Jeffries said. "He had her make some more, whatever stuff she put on it. And word got around. People started coming out to the house for chicken."

"My great uncle started it, but of course I give credit to his lady friend," Jeffries said.

Sixty-odd years later, the family will be honored in May with a prestigious James Beard Foundation America's Classics Award. It's a proud moment for Jeffries, but one born out of a simple idea.

"I just wanted something to stay in the family," she said. "Mom and pop places, they are phasing out. Big business is taking over, and so I think there's very few mom and pop places open that's been going for as long as we have. That was my goal. But it's nothing that I've done. I'm standing on the shoulders of somebody else."

Many of Nashville's hot chicken restaurants are family run. Like Prince's, the chicken recipe at Bolton's Spicy Chicken & Fish — the restaurant that made the appearance in the B.o.B.-Swift video for "Both of Us" — has been handed down from one generation to the next. Dollye Ingram-Matthews, who owns Bolton's with her husband, Bolton Matthews, thinks there's a reason it's become a Nashville tradition.

"Probably because it's nowhere else and you have to have experience with it to know what you're doing," she said. "It's not something you can say, 'I'm going to open up a restaurant and da da da da da.' You have to have experience with the pepper to make sure it comes out. Because if not you're going to have a lot of errors with your cooking."

The same is true for the customer. Ordering errors occur all the time. It's best to start low. Hot is over the limit for most people, Ingram-Matthews says. And mild is hotter than what most chain restaurants consider spicy. Anyone who orders extra hot is asked if they're a first-timer and politely instructed to start at a lower temperature if so.

And, of course, there's a little danger involved if you don't take the encounter with the fiery pepper seriously.

"With the dry rub, wash your fingers," she said. "Wash up under your nail beds. Do not touch your eyes. And definitely wash your hands before you use the bathroom."

Ingram-Matthews has plenty of advice. But don't bother asking her for the family recipe.

"They say, 'What is the secret to your recipe,' and I say, 'Love, joy, peace and happiness,'" she said. "And I leave it that. Because it's full of all of that."

___

NASHVILLE HOT FRIED CHICKEN

To ensure that the exterior doesn't burn before the interior cooks through, keep the oil temperature between 300 and 325 degrees.

Start to finish: 2 hours

Servings: 6

2 quarts cold water

1/2 cup hot sauce

Salt and ground black pepper

1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon sugar

3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken, quartered

3 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

Hearty white sandwich bread (optional)

Pickle chips (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk the cold water, hot sauce, 1/2 cup salt and 1/2 cup sugar until the salt and sugar dissolve. Add the chicken and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

When ready to cook, in a small saucepan over medium, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, paprika, remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar and the garlic powder. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to small bowl and set aside.

Remove the chicken from refrigerator and pour off brine.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Two at a time, dredge the chicken pieces through the flour mixture. Shake excess flour from the chicken, then transfer it to wire rack. Do not discard the seasoned flour.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 F. Set a clean wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the remaining oil to 350 degrees.

Return the chicken pieces to the flour mixture and turn to coat, then shake off the excess. Add half of the chicken to the oil and fry, adjusting the burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature between 300 F and 325 F, until the skin is a deep golden brown and the white meat registers 160 F and the dark meat registers 175 F, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Drain the fried chicken on the prepared wire rack and place in oven to keep warm. Return the oil to 350 F and repeat with the remaining chicken.

When all of the chicken is cooked, stir the spicy oil mixture to recombine, then brush it over both sides of the chicken. Serve on bread, if using, and top with pickles, if using.

Nutrition information per serving: 780 calories; 510 calories from fat (65 percent of total calories); 57 g fat (10 g saturated; 0.5 g trans fats); 140 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 38 g protein; 1100 mg sodium.

(Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated magazine)

___

Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott

Giraffe share your meals at Giraffe Manor

2013-03-11T12:20:00.001+08:00

Friday, March 8, 2013 11:12am PST

Giraffes join guests for breakfast and dinner at iconic Giraffe Manor

By: David Strege

One of the more peculiar hotels in the world features giraffes joining you for breakfast or dinner by poking their heads through open windows. At Giraffe Manor on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, a reference to a long neck doesn't necessarily mean beer.

The one-of-a-kind hotel is actually a sanctuary for the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Roaming the 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest are eight Rothschild giraffes, some of which routinely show up in the mornings and evenings to greet guests and sneak a snack. The captivating photos tell the story.

Giraffe Manor is said to be one of Nairobi's most iconic buildings dating to the 1930s and is reminiscent of the early days of Europeans in East Africa.

Since 1974, Giraffe Manor has been the home of Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville. Why giraffes? Their lifelong goal is the preservation of this treasured Rothschild giraffe.

The goal of guests, meanwhile, is the preservation of their morning toast.

Photos are used by permission from the Giraffe Manor. Enjoy.

Forbidden Love's Punishment

2013-02-07T17:29:00.002+08:00

Woman in Timbuktu punished for forbidden love

By RUKMINI CALLIMACHI | Associated Press – 13 hrs ago

TIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) — The love story in this fabled desert outpost began over the phone, when he dialed the wrong number. It nearly ended with the couple's death at the hands of Islamic extremists who considered their romance "haram" — forbidden.

What happened in between is a study in how al-Qaida-linked militants terrorized a population, whipping women and girls innorthern Mali almost every day for not adhering to their interpretation of the strict moral code known as Shariah. It is also a testament to the violent clash between the brutal, unyielding Islam of the invaders and the moderate version of the religion that has long prevailed in Timbuktu, once a center for Islamic learning.

Salaka Djicke is a round-faced, big-boned girl with the wide thighs still fashionable in the desert, an unforgiving terrain that leaves many women without curves. Until the Islamists came and upended her world, the 24-year-old lived a relatively free life.

During the day, she helped her mother bake bread in a mud oven, selling each puffy piece for 50 francs (10 cents). In the afternoon, she grilled meat on an open fire and sold brochettes on the side of the road. She saved the money she earned to buy herself makeup and get her hair styled.

Like her sisters and friends, she spoke openly with men — including the stranger who called her by mistake more than a year ago.

The man thought he was calling his cousin. When he heard Salaka's voice, he apologized. His voice was polite but firm, with the authoritative cadence of a man in his prime. Hers was flirtatious, and her laugh betrayed her youth.

They started talking.

A few days later, he called her again. For two weeks, they spoke nearly every day, until he asked for directions to her house.

She explained how to find the mud house on Rue 141, past the water tower also made of mud, in a neighborhood less than a mile from where he sold gasoline from jerrycans by the roadside. She had time to put on a yellow dress.

He arrived on his motorcycle.

He was older — she does not know how old — and already married, a status that bears no taboo in a predominantly Muslim region where men can take up to four wives. She found him handsome.

From that day on, he ended phone conversations with the phrase, 'Ye bani,' or "I love you" in the Sonrai language. Instead of Salaka, he called her "cherie" — sweetheart in French, still spoken in this former French colony.

He showered her with gifts, starting with a 6-yard-long piece of bazin fabric, the hand-dyed, polished cotton which is the mainstay of Malian fashion. It was a royal violet, and he paid to have it tailored into a two-piece outfit, with a flame-like flourish of orange brocade on the bodice.

She put it on for him, and they went to the photo studio one street over. They stood against the poster backdrop of an enamel-blue waterfall. He put his arms around her and invited her to sit on his lap.

By the time the first group of rebel fighters carrying the flag of the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad drove past her house on April 1, the two had been seeing each other for several months. He called to see if she was OK.

These fighters in military uniforms made clear their goal: They wanted to create an independent homeland known as Azawad for Mali's marginalized Tuareg people.

Only days later, a different group of fighters arrived, wearing beards and tunics that looked like the kurtas common in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Their black flag resembled the one people had seen on YouTube videos posted by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. They called themselves Ansar Dine, or "Defenders of the Faith."

They produced a pamphlet outlining how a woman should wear the veil, and whom she could and could not be seen with. Eschewing any contact with women, they handed the leaflets out to the men.

One of them was Salaka's boyfriend. He drove his motorcycle to her house to give it to her.

She didn't have enough money to buy the plain, colorless veil prescribed to cover the entire body. So her boyfriend went to the market and paid for two, one red and one blue. The women of sub-Saharan Africa are so used to wearing vibrant colors, he couldn't find any that were black.

___

As their love affair grew more intense, so did the crackdown by the Islamists in northern Mali, an area equal in size to Afghanistan.

Three months after they arrived, they arrested an illiterate man and woman, both dirt-poor herders living together for years with their animals outside the town of Aguelhok. The man had left his wife to reunite with his teenage love, and they had two children out of wedlock, the youngest just six months old.

In the last week of July, the Islamists sped into their nomadic camp and arrested them. They drove them to the city center, where they announced the couple would be stoned to death for adultery.

They dug a hole the size of a man and forced them to kneel inside. They made the villagers come out to see what Shariah was.

Then they cast the first stone.

The fear was now palpable on the streets of Timbuktu. Salaka and her boyfriend stopped seeing each other in public. When he came, they sat in the enclosed courtyard of her parents' home, behind the veil of its chrome-red dirt walls.

Even in relatively modern Timbuktu, it was not considered appropriate to leave the couple alone in a room. So he arranged for a friend to loan him the keys to his empty house in a neighborhood less than a mile away.

Would she please join him there, just for an hour, once a week?

She hesitated. He begged her, saying he couldn't be without her. They determined that the Islamic police stopped their patrols at 10 p.m.

She went once and got home safely. She went again.

They began meeting once a week. She insisted on staying no longer than 40 minutes. He brought her on his motorcycle, stopping close to the house and pushing the bike through a blanket of sand to avoid attention.

By this time, the Islamists were beating everyone from pregnant mothers and grandmothers to 9-year-olds for not covering themselves fully. A woman was no longer supposed to talk even to her own brother on the stoop of her house.

At a certain point Salaka knew they were going to get caught. She planned out what they would say.

In one version, she would say he was her uncle. In another she would call him her older brother. In yet another, they would try to pass off as a married couple.

On the night of Dec. 31, the two left Salaka's house on a motorcycle, headed west and turned onto Road No. 160.

They passed the bread oven belonging to one of her mother's competitors. They skirted an alley crowded with handmade bricks laid out to dry. They turned left, and then right again, taking a circuitous path to confuse anyone who might be following them.

When they got close, they chose the narrowest alleyways, used only by motorcycles and donkey carts instead of the Toyota pickup trucks of the Islamic police. They passed the house where they planned to meet and doubled back in an alley. He cut the motorcycle's engine, told her to stay 100 yards behind him and pushed the bike through the sand as usual.

She watched him leave. She was breathing so hard she was afraid the stars could hear her. He passed the first intersection, then the second, and then the third.

The bearded men came on foot via the third intersection. There were four of them. Her lover jumped on his motorcycle and gunned it across the sand. He was the married one and would have paid the higher price.

She knew she couldn't outrun them. So she stood. And in the moments it took for them to descend on her, she realized it would be futile to lie.

___

They took her to the headquarters of the Islamic police, inside a branch of the local bank. They shoved her into the closet-like space where the ATM machine is located and locked the gate behind her.

When she didn't come home that night, her worried sister called her cell phone. The Islamic police answered and told her where Salaka was.

In the morning, her family came to slip her a piece of bread through the grills of the gate, feeding her like an animal at the zoo. Later that day, the police transferred her to a prison they had set up just for women in a wing of the city's central jail. For the next three nights, she slept alone on a hard floor in a large, cement room.

On Jan. 3 they took her to the Islamic tribunal. Just eight days before French President Francois Hollande unilaterally approved a military intervention in Mali on Jan. 11, Salaka was convicted of being caught with a man who was not her husband and sentenced to 95 lashes. It was a severe punishment even by the standards of the Islamists.

They took her to the market at noon on Jan. 4, the same place where she bought the beef for the brochettes she sold and the flour used to make her mother's flatbread. She recognized the meat sellers. One of them used his phone to record what happened next.

The police made her kneel in a traffic circle. They covered her in a gauze-like shroud. They told her to remove her dress, leaving only the thin fabric to protect her skin from the whip. Curious children jostled for a better view.

What they did to her was witnessed by dozens of people in Timbuktu, and can still be heard on the meat seller's cell phone.

The executor announced Salaka's crime and her punishment. Then he began flogging her with a switch made from the branch of a tree. Her high-pitched cries are contorted with pain. You can hear the slap of the whip. You can hear her labored breathing.

They hit her so hard and for so long that at one point she wasn't sure if the veil had fallen off. She could feel the blood seeping through.

When it was over, they told her that if they ever saw her with a man again, they would kill her.

Her lover called as soon as she got home. The night she was caught, he ran away to Mali's distant capital, becoming one of an estimated 385,000 people who have fled their homes from the north.

He said over and over: "I'm sorry." He promised to marry her. But he has not yet returned. She still will not name him, fearing the Islamist extremists will be back.

Her face warms when she speaks of him and contracts when she describes her pain and humiliation. There isn't a child in Timbuktu who doesn't recognize her, she says. Even now she avoids the market, sending her sisters to buy the meat instead.

"This was a tyrannical regime, which had no pity towards women," she says. "I'm not the only one that went through this. I did this because I was in love."

Last week, Salaka was among the thousands of people who poured into the streets to cheer French soldiers as they liberated the city. She folded and put away her blue and red veils.

In recent days, she pulled out her lover's gift of the violet bazin with the flame-patterned brocade from the bottom of a pile of clothes she was not allowed to wear under the city's occupiers. She painted her lips a translucent fuschia. She went to the newly opened hairdresser.

The photo studio where she and her lover posed by the cardboard waterfall remains closed, so instead her brother snapped a picture of her.

If you look closely, you can see the marks left by the whip across her now-naked shoulders.

___

Salaka's story was pieced together from interviews with her over three days. Salaka took AP journalists to the rendezvous house, the place where she was arrested, the ATM machine, her prison cell and the market. Her family, city officials and several witnesses confirmed the whipping, and a meat seller shared with the AP a sound recording that captures the sentencing and her screams. The account of the stoning in Aguelhok is from the city's mayor.

Rukmini Callimachi can be reached at www.twitter.com/rcallimachi.

Healthy Dinner less than 400 Calories

2013-01-28T20:37:00.002+08:00

6 Quick, Healthy 400-Calorie Recipes for Dinner

By The Editors of EatingWell Magazine | Shine Food – Fri, Jan 25, 2013 3:19 PM EST

By Michelle Edelbaum, EatingWell Digital Editor

Trying to eat healthier and maybe even lose a little weight? Science shows that when it comes to losing weight, what's most important is how much you're eating. (See what a 1,200-calorie day of food looks like.)

Must Try: 5-Day 1,500-Calorie Diet Meal Plan & Shopping List

Here are some delicious, satisfying and healthy 400-calorie recipes for dinner that are ready in 40 minutes or less to help you eat better and keep your calories in check so you can maintain or lose weight. Serve them with a small side salad to get an extra serving of vegetables for few additional calories.

Don't Miss: 12 Soups That Boost Your Metabolism
30-Minute Low-Calorie Dinners

Shrimp Fried Rice
Makes: 4 servings, 2 cups each
Active time: 40 minutes | Total: 40 minutes
Cost per serving: under $3

This healthy shrimp fried rice recipe is packed with vegetables and makes 4 generous servings, so you'll need to use a large skillet that is at least 12 inches wide. A large wok also works well. If you have cooked rice on hand, omit Step 1 and add 2 1/2 cups cooked rice to the pan in Step 5.

1 1/2 cups water
1 cup instant brown rice
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Tips)
4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces peeled and deveined raw small shrimp (51-60 per pound; see Tips)
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
4 cups stringless snap peas (12 ounces)
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into
1/2-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
4 scallions, chopped

1. Combine water and rice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Spread the rice out on a large baking sheet to cool.
2. Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Heat 1 teaspoon canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring to help break into smaller pieces, until just set, about 45 seconds. Transfer the egg to a bowl.
4. Add another 1 teaspoon canola oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until pink, 1 1 /2 to 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl.
5. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in snap peas, bell pepper, carrots and scallions; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the rice and the reserved egg and shrimp; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gently stir in the sauce mixture.

Per serving: 307 calories; 11 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 165 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrate; 2 g added sugars; 17 g protein; 5 g fiber; 462 mg sodium; 523 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (157% daily value), Vitamin A (147% dv), Folate (23% dv), Magnesium (21% dv), Iron (18% dv), Potassium (15% dv).

Tips:
Hoisin sauce is a thick, dark brown, spicy-sweet sauce made from soybeans and a complex mix of spices. Look for it in the Asian section of your supermarket.

Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, "21-25 count" means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as "large" or "extra large," are not standardized, so to get the size you want, order by the count per pound. Both wild-caught and farm-raised shrimp can damage the surrounding ecosystems when not managed properly. Fortunately, it is possible to buy shrimp that have been raised or caught with sound environmental practices. Look for fresh or frozen shrimp certified by an independent agency, such as the Marine Stewardship Council. If you can't find certified shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp from North America-it's more likely to be sustainably caught.

Chicken Coconut Curry
Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Active time: 50 minutes | Total: 1 hour
Cost per serving: under $3.50

At once comforting and exotic-tasting, this rich chicken coconut curry stew will warm you on chilly winter evenings. Chunks of potato, lean chicken and loads of veggies make it a meal in a bowl. Enjoy with a fruity white wine like Gewurztraminer or Chenin Blanc to tame the heat. Using "lite" coconut milk instead of full-fat in this healthy curried coconut chicken stew recipe trims roughly two-thirds the fat and calories without sacrificing flavor.

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size cubes
6 teaspoons curry powder, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 14-ounce can "lite" coconut milk
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 cups 1-inch chunks Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 medium)
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1. Place chicken in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring once or twice, until mostly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the pot and add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is starting to soften, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the remaining 5 teaspoons curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant but not browned, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, potatoes, carrots, celery and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Return the chicken to the pot and add peas. Increase heat to high and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro and brown sugar.

Per serving: 346 calories; 12 g fat (8 g sat, 1 g mono); 63 mg cholesterol; 31 g carbohydrate; 2 g added sugars; 29 g protein; 5 g fiber; 574 mg sodium; 934 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (77% daily value), Vitamin C (29% dv), Potassium (27% dv), Iron & Magnesium (16% dv).

Smoked Turkey, Kale & Rice Bake
Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Active time: 20 minutes | Total: 40 minutes
Cost per serving: under $2.50

This hearty one-skillet dinner is loaded with celery, kale, tomatoes and quick-cooking brown rice. It's easy to make the recipe vegetarian by substituting smoked tofu for the turkey.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 cup thinly sliced celery
4 cups slivered kale leaves
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-fat, no-salt-added cottage cheese
1 cup instant or quick-cooking brown rice
6 ounces smoked turkey breast or smoked tofu, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add kale and tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the kale begins to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cottage cheese, rice, turkey (or tofu), water and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, position rack in upper third of oven; preheat broiler.
3. Stir the rice mixture, increase the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Spread cheese on top. Broil until the cheese is bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

Per serving: 266 calories; 11 g fat (5 g sat, 4 g mono); 33 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 18 g protein; 4 g fiber; 605 mg sodium; 596 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (147% daily value), Vitamin C (60% dv), Calcium (26% dv), Magnesium (18% dv), Potassium (17% dv).

Spaghetti Carbonara with Peas
Makes: 4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each
Active time: 30 minutes | Total: 30 minutes
Cost per serving: under $1.50

Our healthy spaghetti carbonara recipe is lower in calories and fat than a traditional spaghetti carbonara recipe, plus it boasts 9 more grams of fiber per serving from whole-wheat pasta. For the best flavor, use Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The eggs in the sauce are not fully cooked; if you're concerned about consuming undercooked eggs, use pasteurized-in-the-shell eggs in this spaghetti carbonara recipe.

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 strips thick-cut bacon
2 large eggs, at room temperature (see Tip)
3/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. About 3 minutes before it is done, stir in peas and garlic.
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Scrape the bacon drippings into a large bowl; add eggs, 1/2 cup Parmesan, salt and pepper and whisk until combined.
3. Chop the bacon and add to the egg mixture. When the pasta and peas are done, drain, reserving 3/4 cup of the water. Immediately stir the pasta, peas and the 3/4 cup water into the egg mixture, stirring quickly so the eggs don't scramble. Let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken the sauce. Serve each portion topped with 1 tablespoon of the remaining cheese.

Per serving: 385 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 111 mg cholesterol; 53 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 23 g protein; 10 g fiber; 659 mg sodium; 320 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (33% daily value), Magnesium (28% dv), Calcium (25% dv), Iron & Vitamin C (22% dv), Folate (21% dv), Zinc (20% dv).

Tip: To bring eggs to room temperature, either set them out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

Half-Hour Chili
Makes: 6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Active time: 15 minutes | Total: 30 minutes

This truly tasty half-hour vegetarian chili is made possible by using convenient canned beans and tomatoes (no pantry should be without them). Whole-grain bulgur adds another layer of toothsome texture and nutritional heft. This chili is relatively mild, so it's a good crowd-pleaser. If you like it spicy, add extra chili powder or serve with hot sauce.

1 tablespoon canola oil
3 medium onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 28-ounce can plus one 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juices
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans, rinsed
1/3 cup bulgur (see Note)
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt for garnish
1/3 cup chopped scallions for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, carrot, jalapeño, garlic, chili powder to taste and cumin. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and carrot are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes with their juices, sugar and salt; cook for 5 minutes over high heat. Reduce heat to low; stir in beans and bulgur. Simmer until the chili is thickened, about 15 minutes.
3. Garnish with yogurt, scallions and cilantro, if desired.

Per serving: 217 calories; 3 g fat (0 g sat, 2 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 40 g carbohydrate; 1 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 13 g fiber; 697 mg sodium; 854 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (49% daily value), Vitamin C (43% dv), Potassium (25% dv), Folate & Iron (24% dv), Magnesium (20% dv).

Note: Bulgur is made by parboiling, drying and coarsely grinding or cracking wheat berries. Don't confuse bulgur with cracked wheat, which is simply that-cracked wheat. Since the parboiling step is skipped, cracked wheat must be cooked for up to an hour whereas bulgur simply needs a quick soak in hot water for most uses. Look for it in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets, near other grains, or online at kalustyans.com, buylebanese.com.

Bean & Barley Soup
Makes: 4 servings, 2 1/2 cups each
Active time: 30 minutes | Total: 45 minutes
To make ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
Cost per serving: under $4

This hearty bean and barley soup tastes like it has simmered for hours, but actually it's quite quick to throw together. Plus this recipe for healthy bean and barley soup freezes beautifully. If you have cooked barley on hand, omit the quick-cooking barley and stir in 1 1/2 cups cooked barley along with the broth in Step 2.

1 1/2 cups cooked barley along with the broth in Step 2.
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb, cored and chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 15-ounce can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed

1 14-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
3/4 cup quick-cooking barley
1 5-ounce package baby spinach (6 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel, garlic, and basil; cook, stirring frequently, until tender and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Mash 1/2 cup of the beans. Stir the mashed and whole beans, tomatoes, broth and barley into the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in cheese and pepper.

Per serving: 323 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 4 mg cholesterol; 55 g carbohydrate; 0 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 13 g fiber; 767 mg sodium; 795 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (98% daily value), Vitamin C (67% dv), Folate (28% dv), Potassium (23% dv), Calcium (20% dv), Iron (18% dv).

Rawatan Stroke / Angin Ahmar. Reverse brain damage after stroke.

2013-01-25T12:39:00.002+08:00

'Oxygen reverses brain damage after stroke'

By Indo Asian News Service | IANS India Private Limited – 22 hours ago

Tel Aviv, Jan 24 (IANS) High levels of oxygen reverse brain damage caused by a stroke, traumatic injury or metabolic disorder even years after the event, an Israeli study says.

Shai Efrati of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and colleague Eshel Ben-Jacob, professor of physics and astronomy, recruited post-stroke patients for hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) - sessions in high pressure chambers that contain oxygen-rich air - which increases oxygen levels in the body tenfold.

Analysis of brain imaging showed significantly increased neuronal (brain cell) activity after a two-month period of HBOT treatment, compared to patients who did not undergo treatment, says Efrati, the journal Public Library of Science ONE reports.

Patients experienced a reversal of paralysis, increased sensation, and renewed use of language. These changes can make a world of difference in daily life, helping patients recover their independence and complete tasks such as bathing, cooking, climbing stairs, or reading a book, according to a Tel Aviv statement.

According to Efrati, there are several degrees of brain injuries. Neurons impacted by metabolic dysfunction have the energy to stay alive, but not enough to fire electric signals, he explains. HBOT aims to increase the supply of energy to these cells.

The brain consumes 20 percent of the body's oxygen but that is only enough oxygen to operate five to 10 percent of neurons at any one time. The regeneration process requires much more energy.

The tenfold increase in oxygen levels during HBOT treatment supplies the necessary energy for rebuilding neuronal connections and stimulating inactive neurons to facilitate the healing process, explains Efrati.

The researchers based their study on post stroke patients whose condition was no longer improving.

Best Fast 15 minutes Easy Pasta : Linguine Arrabiata

2013-01-14T14:41:00.002+08:00

15-Minute Easy Pasta: Linguine Arrabiata

By Chow Ciao | Shine Food – Fri, Jan 4, 2013 4:54 PM EST

Tips:

Tricks for easy pasta: Use salt in the water when boiling because dry pasta is not seasoned. Boil dry for less time than the box directions. Finish the pasta off in the sauce.
Arrabiata is a great, spicy base to make other sauces. By adding capers, peppers and tuna you can make a simple puttanesca sauce, or adding some mushrooms and olives makes an easycacciatore. Add a touch of cream for a great, easy pink sauce.

Linguine Arrabiata

Linguine Arrabiata

Recipe by Fabio Viviani

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1-2 tbsp. extra- virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

3 cloves fresh garlic, smashed

1 tbsp crushed dried red pepper flakes

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 28-oz. can pureed tomatoes

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

1 lb. dry linguine pasta

Method:

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the linguine for 6-8 minutes until al dente.

Add red pepper flakes, a pinch of black pepper, then pour in the tomatoes.

Drizzle lightly with additional olive oil, stir, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes; add chopped basil towards the very end of cooking time.

Drain the linguine, reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water.

Transfer the pasta to the tomatoes, only adding pasta water to thin the sauce as needed.

Drizzle with olive oil as desired.

Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the pasta holds the sauce.

Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil to finish.

MANGIA!!

Kentang vs Keledek, Potato vs Sweet Potato

2013-01-10T18:33:00.004+08:00

Food Face-Off: Which is Healthier?

Mana lebih menyihatkan? Kentang atau Keledek?

By Amanda Oaklander
Wed, Jan 09, 2013

White Potato (baked, unsalted)	Category	Sweet Potato (baked, unsalted)
108	Both are nearly identical in calories	103
2 g	…and in protein	2 g
8%	…and in carbs!	8%
10%	Sweet potatoes start shining in thefiber department.	15%
1.8 g	Though they live up to their name with more natural sugar	7.4 g
1%	They also come with more calcium.	4%
4%	Both are good sources of iron	4%
8%	And magnesium.	8%
9%	Regular spuds have morephosphorus	6%
18%	And more of that famous potatopotassium.	16%
0.3%	Sweet potatoes have a pinch moresodium.	1.7%
24%	But are way higher in vitamin C.	37%
7 mcg	Sweet potatoes clobber white withbeta carotene.	13,120 mcg
9%	Still, white potatoes eke out a win with niacin, aka vitamin B3.	8.5%
11%	They also contain much more folate,which powers brain neurotransmitters.	2%
0.2%	But sweet potatoes really bring their A game with oodles of vitamin A.	438%
Baked Potato: 6	WINNER: TIE	Sweet Potato: 6

THE BOTTOM LINE: News flash: Both potatoes are good for you! It’s technically a tie, but we love sweet potatoes for their insane amounts of vitamin A and beta-carotene. They may be sweeter, but they’ve got the fiber to make it work.

WHAT TO BUY: Always, always spring for organic potatoes. Conventional potatoes are subjected to multiple rounds of fungicide and herbicide treatments, and you can’t wash all the chemicals off.

JUST SO YOU KNOW: We used the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference from the USDA. These figures reflect your average white potatoes and sweet potatoes
.

How to Lose 100lbs?

2012-12-31T22:12:00.000+08:00

Diet to slim down your body, as Michelle Mohr's slim down from 210lb to 110lb.
Dare to take the challenge?

Breakfast: 2 scramled egg whites, 1/2 cup fat-free cottage cheese, an apple, a slice of toast and 9 almonds.

Lunch: Salad with chicken, chickpeas, mushrooms, celery and tomato.

Snack: String cheese and 1/2 cup grapes.

Dinner: Grilled chicken with zucchini and half a sweet potato.

Dessert: Sugar-free fudge pop

Kisah Si Penggali Kubur

2012-12-20T16:26:00.002+08:00

Kisah Si Penggali Kubur

Terdapat seorang pemuda yang kerjanya menggali kubur dan mencuri kain kafan untuk dijual. Pada suatu hari, pemuda tersebut berjumpa dengan seorang ahli ibadah untuk menyatakan kekesalannya dan keinginan untuk bertaubat kepada Allah s. w. t. Dia berkata, "Sepanjang aku menggali kubur untuk mencuri kain kafan, aku telah melihat 7 perkara ganjil yang menimpa mayat-mayat tersebut. Lantaran aku merasa sangat insaf ata perbuatanku yang sangat keji itu dan ingin sekali bertaubat."

1 " Yang pertama, aku lihat mayat yang pada siang harinya menghadap kiblat. Tetapi pabila aku menggali semula kuburnya pada waktu malam, aku lihat wajahnya telahpun membelakangkan kiblat. Mengapa terjadi begitu, wahai tuan guru?" tanya pemuda itu.
" Wahai anak muda, mereka itulah golongan yang telah mensyirikkan Allah s. w. t. sewaktu hidupnya. Lantaran Allah s. w. t. menghinakan mereka dengan memalingkan wajah mereka dari mengadap kiblat, bagi membezakan mereka daripada golongan muslim yang lain," jawab ahli ibadah tersebut.

2 Sambung pemuda itu lagi, " Golongan yang kedua, aku lihat wajah mereka sangat elok semasa mereka dimasukkan ke dalam liang lahad. Tatkala malam hari ketika aku menggali kubur mereka, ku lihat wajah mereka telahpun bertukar menjadi b*bi. Mengapa begitu halnya, wahai tuan guru?"
Jawab ahli ibadah tersebut, " Wahai anak muda, mereka itulah golongan yang meremehkan dan meninggalkan solat sewaktu hidupnya. Sesungguhnya solat merupakan amalan yang pertama sekali dihisab. Jika sempurna solat,maka sempurnalah amalan-amalan kita yang lain,"

3 Pemuda itu menyambung lagi, " Wahai tuan guru, golongan yang ketiga yang aku lihat, pada waktu siang mayatnya kelihatan seperti biasa sahaja. Pabila aku menggali kuburnya pada waktu malam, ku lihat perutnya terlalu gelembung, keluar pula ulat yang terlalu banyak daripada perutnya itu. "
Mereka itulah golongan yang gemar memakan harta yang haram,wahai anak muda," balas ahli ibadah itu lagi.

4 " Golongan keempat, ku lihat mayat yang jasadnya bertukar menjadi batu bulat yang hitam warnanya. Mengapa terjadi begitu, wahai tuan guru?"
Jawab ahli ibadah itu, " Wahai pemuda, itulah golongan manusia yang derhaka kepada kedua ibu bapanya sewaktu hayatnya.Sesungguhn ya Allah s. w. t. sama sekali tidak redha kepada manusia yang menderhakai ibubapanya."

5 " Ku lihat ada pula mayat yang kukunya amat panjang, hingga membelit-belit seluruh tubuhnya dan keluar segala isi dari tubuh badannya," sambung pemuda itu.
" Anak muda, mereka itulah golongan yang gemar memutuskan silaturrahim. Semasa hidupnya mereka suka memulakan pertengkaran dan tidak bertegur sapa lebih daripada 3 hari. Bukankah Rasulullah s. a. w. pernah bersabda, bahawa sesiapa yang tidak bertegur sapa melebihi 3 hari bukanlah termasuk dalam golongan umat baginda," jelas ahli ibadah tersebut.

6 " Wahai guru, golongan yang keenam yang aku lihat, sewaktu siangnya lahadnya kering kontang. Tatkala malam ketika aku menggali semula kubur itu, ku lihat mayat tersebut terapung dan lahadnya dipenuhi air hitam yang amat busuk baunya,"
" Wahai pemuda, itulah golongan yang memakan harta riba sewaktu hayatnya," jawab ahli ibadah tadi.

7 " Wahai guru, golongan yang terakhir yang aku lihat, mayatnya sentiasa tersenyum dan berseri-seri pula wajahnya. Mengapa demikian halnya wahai tuan guru?" tanya pemuda itu lagi.

Jawab ahli ibadah tersebut. " Wahai pemuda, mereka itulah golongan manusia yang berilmu. Dan mereka beramal pula dengan ilmunya sewaktu hayat mereka. Inilah golongan yang beroleh keredhaan dan kemuliaan di sisi Allah s. w. t. baik sewaktu hayatnya mahupun sesudah matinya."Ingatlah, sesungguhnya daripada Allah s. w. t kita datang dan kepadaNya jualah kita akan kembali. Kita akan dipertanggungjawabk an atas setiap amal yang kita lakukan, hatta amalan sebesar zarah.

Wallahua'lam..

Amusing Facts You Know Only When You Watch Movies

2012-12-20T16:22:00.002+08:00

You will only know this when you watch Movies.

-It is always possible to park directly outside any building you are visiting.

-A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

-If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you bump into will know all the steps.

-Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communication systems of any invading alien civilization.

-It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

-When a person is knocked unconscious by a blow to the head, they will never suffer a concussion or brain damage.

-No one involved in a car chase, hijacking, explosion, volcanic eruption or alien invasion will ever go into shock.

-Police Departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite.

-When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other.

-You can always find a chainsaw when you need one.

-Any lock can be picked by a credit card or a paper clip in seconds, unless it's the door to a burning building with a child trapped inside.

-An electric fence, powerful enough to kill a dinosaur will cause no lasting damage to an eight-year-old child.

-Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects you personally at that precise moment you turn the television on.

How To Get Salary Increment

2012-12-17T17:45:00.002+08:00

How a maid got her salary increment...

A maid wanted an increment & approached her Madam.

The Madam was very upset about this and asked: "Now Monnie, why do you
want an increment?"

Maid: "Well Madam, there are three reasons why I want an increment the
first is that I iron better than you."

Madam: "Who said you iron better than me?"

Maid: "The master said so."

Madam: "Oh!!"

Maid: "The second reason is that I am a better cook than you."
Madam: "Nonsense, who said you are a better cook than me?"
Maid: "The master did."
Madam: "Oh!!!"

Maid: "My third reason is that I am a better lover than you."
Madam (very upset now): "Did the master say so as well?"
Maid: "No madam, the gardener did."

The Maid gets the raise...

This Maid really clever... hahaha...

The Best Apple Cake

2012-12-11T14:06:00.000+08:00

Genius Apple Cake

By Food52 | Shine Food – Thu, Dec 6, 2012 3:34 PM EST

Butter for greasing pan
3 cups flour, plus more for dusting pan
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups peeled, cored, and thickly sliced tart apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins
Vanilla ice cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan. Beat the oil and sugar together in a mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment) while assembling the remaining ingredients. After about 5 minutes, add the eggs and beat until the mixture is creamy.

2. Sift together 3 cups of flour, the salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir into the batter. Add the vanilla, apples, walnuts and raisins and stir until combined.

3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before lifting out. Serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

The Perfect Resume

2012-12-04T17:30:00.001+08:00

How to Write the Perfect Resume

By Vivian Giang and Melissa Stanger | Business Insider – Fri, Nov 30, 2012 10:30 AM EST

It takes recruiters an average of "six seconds before they make the initial 'fit or no fit' decision" on candidates based on resumes, according to research conducted by TheLadders. With this kind of competition, you need to have a flawless resume to get through the screening process.

We write a lot about resumes — what to do, what not to do — so now we're introducing a guide to crafting a curriculum vitae that will get you into the interview room. However, these rules are general advice we compiled from career experts. Everyone should tailor their own resume depending on the industry they're in and the position they're applying for.

Tailor your resume to the specific position you're applying for.

elizabethdaniellephotos / statigr.amYou're basically selling yourself on that piece of paper, so mold the information to reflect what your potential employer is looking for in an ideal job candidate. This is different depending on your industry.

Miriam Salpeter advises in U.S.News & World Report that candidates should study the company's web site and "look for repeated words and phrases, taglines, and hints about their philosophical approaches."

Then, "mirror some of their language and values in your resume."

Put your name and contact info at the top.

Business InsiderThis sounds simple, but Peter S. Herzog, author of the book "How To Prolong Your Job Search: A Humorous Guide to the Pitfalls of Resume Writing," says that applicants will try putting this important information on the side or bottom.

This is how it should be done:
1. Put your name in bold face and/or regular caps.
2. Include your full address and home, work (optional) and/or cell phone numbers and your email address but do not bold these.

Decide if you want to include an objective.

Business InsiderWe've heard experts go both ways on this, so you need to decide for yourself if you want to include an objective.

Peri Hansen, a principal with a recruiting firm, tells Penelope Patsuris at Forbes that an objective is "the fastest way to pigeon-hole yourself" and if you "specify 'Asset Manager' you may not even be considered for 'Financial Planner.'"

On the other hand, Alex Douzet, CEO of TheLadders, tells us that everyone should include an objective and compare it to a "30-second elevator pitch" where you should "explain who you are and what you're looking for."

The bottom line is to only include an objective if it's not generic.

The length of your resume should reflect years of experience.

j_margerison/statigr.amThis might be difficult if you've had a lot of experience and you're proud of all of it. But this doesn't mean it's necessarily relevant. Cut it down.

If you're in your twenties, your resume should only be one page — there's not enough experience to justify a second one, Alison Green writes in U.S.News & World Report.

However, if you've had more than 10 years of experience, you can add a second page, Douzet tells us.

Don't list your hobbies.

lorenjade_/statigr.amHiring managers only care about what you can do for the company, so if you can't connect your hobbies to the job you're applying for then leave them off your resume. If your extracurricular activities are relevant, you can include them at the bottom.

"I don't really care what kind of a person you are," Paul Ray Jr., CEO of recruiting firm Ray & Berndtson, tells Penelope Patsuris at Forbes. "I want to know what you can do for me."

Don't list your references.

aggressivebull/statigr.amIf your prospective employer wants to speak to your references, they'll ask you. Also, it's better if you have a chance to tell your references ahead of time that a future employer might be calling.

Alison Green writes at U.S.News & World Report: "Unless the company has specifically asked for something other than a cover letter and resume, don't send it. Sometimes candidates include unsolicited writing samples, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and so forth. In most cases, sending these extras without being asked won't help you, and in some cases it can actually hurt."

Create your own CV template.

Simone Fortunini's resume. (Simone Fortunini)The pre-made resume templates offered on word processing programs like Microsoft Word just scream "template," Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter writes in Glassdoor. You can use those templates as a guide, but create your own final copy.

Furthermore, you should always stick to a format that's appropriate in your industry.

Simone Fortunini was an online marketing manager when he decided to create a resume in the form of an interactive web site resembling a Google Analytics page.

Fortunini tells us that since his work experience stems from online marketing and advertising campaigns, Google Analytics is a basic tool that those in his industry work with, and he wanted to create a resume illustrating his understanding in online marketing, graphic design abilities and HTML skills.

Use plenty of white space to draw the reader’s eye to specific items.

Business InsiderDon't include so much information that it gets distracting.

"Make it pleasing to the eye, and balanced with bullets, italics and bold font," Roxanne Peplow, career advisor at Computer Systems Institute, tells us. "Have your name stand out in bigger and bold letters ... bullet point your accomplishments. Too many words on a page are exhausting to read."

Use the right keywords.

Business InsiderPeplow says that "you must put some of the keywords from the job posting into your resume, or it will probably never be seen by human eyes."

This is because a lot of companies use online recruitment tools to sift through resumes, writes Lauren Weber in The Wall Street Journal.

Barbara Safani of CareerSolvers suggests using LinkedIn's skills section to find the keywords that would most likely be used in a company's search query database. To do this, click on the "More" tab in your LinkedIn profile and enter a type of skill or description into the search box. This will result in a list of related skills popping up, which you can use as keywords on your resume.

Only include relevant work experience.

Business InsiderKeep your resume focused and don't include every single job you've ever had.

Eve Tahmincioglu at MSNBC writes: "In this economy, there’s a good chance a long-term job seeker has a part-time job (or jobs) under his or her belt just to make ends meet. But that doesn’t mean you should include every burger flipping, or retail-selling job you’ve had. Putting too many of those jobs on your resume, especially if they have nothing to do with the job you want, can hurt your chances of landing a new position."

“Resumes are a summary of the most important data,” Debra Feldman, a job search expert, tells Tahmincioglu. “In my opinion, a part-time job just to pay the bills would not fall into that category."

Peplow tells us that even if you have minimal work experience, this doesn’t mean that you have nothing to offer. Highlight your transferable skills, which are the ones that you can use from one job to the next — regardless of the position.

Use bullet points to list responsibilities and accomplishments.

Business InsiderUnder each job or experience you've had, list your responsibilities and accomplishments in no more than three to five bullet points, writes Jasper Anson in AskMen.

And don't use full sentences.

Liz Wolgemuth at U.S.News & World Report writes: "[Compare] the process to flipping through a jumbo-size magazine. Readers don't spend a lot of time on each page. Full sentences are, quite simply, too time consuming in today's hiring world."

Put a number to your accomplishments.

Business InsiderYour resume is for experience and accomplishments only. It's not the place for subjective traits, like "great leadership skills" or "creative innovator, says Alison Green in U.S.News & World Report.

You should always try to quantify your accomplishments.

Suzanne Lucas at CBS Moneywatch writes: "Some departments have 1 person, and some have 350. Quantify yours. "Managed a department of 12 analysts" is a lot stronger than "Managed a department." Did you have budget responsibilities? "Managed a $2.3 Million budget" is very different from "Managed a $75,000 budget." How many clients did you juggle? 1, 2, 25? Quantify."

If you can't put a number on what you've done, try linking the impact of your projects to the company's "point of sales." For example, if you were in charge of creating a marketing campaign on Facebook, show that you were able to reach the company's target market without having to spend the money that is usually spent on advertising.

"Basically, if you can't prove that you have sales, you can prove that you saved the company money by reducing marketing expenses," Roderick Lewis, international relations director, ISCTE Business School, University Institute of Lisbon, tells us.

Keep information about your education as short as possible.

Business InsiderInclude only relevant education information: the name of your college, your degree, and the year you graduated.

Susan Adams writes in Forbes that experienced workers should include their education at the end of their resumes. If you're a new graduate, you should consider including a list of course work that's relevant to the position you're applying for.

And don't even think about listing your high school education and activities — unless you're under 20 and "have no education or training beyond high school," according to Tracy Burns-Martin's book "Before and After Resumes."

Use a chronological resume format.

Business InsiderThe chronological resume — which is really reverse-chronological — is the format most often used. On the other hand, a functional resume doesn't include a chronological job history, but instead focuses on skills and abilities.

"Many hiring managers, me included, hate [functional resumes]," Alison Green writes in her blog "Ask A Manager." She says: "Generally, the first thing I think when I see them is, 'What is this candidate trying to hide?' That’s because people tend to use functional resumes when they’re trying to hide an employment gap, or job-hopping, or outdated skills (because it matters if your Web design experience is from 10 years ago or one year ago), or other things I’d rather know about. And if I do remain interested in the candidate, the first thing I’m going to do when I talk to them is ask them to walk me through their job history, with dates — and it’s going to annoy me that I have to, and if I have other good candidates I may not even bother."

If you've been unemployed for a while and you're afraid a chronological resume format will work against you, include any volunteer work you did during this gap and use it as an asset, writes Burns-Martin in her book.

Don't reveal everything.

The goal of the resume is to get you an interview with the company.

Therefore, you shouldn't reveal everything about yourself in the resume — just enough to get the hiring manager's attention, Peplow tells us.

Lawak.- Yang Mana Satu?

2012-12-04T15:45:00.001+08:00

Yang Mana Satu?

"Seorang pelancong Australia nampak kebingungan ketika mencari sebuah restoran makanan barat di Jalan Pasir. Tak lama kemudian seorang budak kecil melintas didepannya.. dan tanpa fikir panjang dia cuba bertanya pada budak kecil itu dengan bahasa melayu yang kucar kacir.

"Maaf dik.. tumpang tanya.. Apa betul ini jalan Pasir?"

Budak kecil itu mengangguk sambil menjawab... "ha'ah"

Pelancong itu tidak faham perkataan 'ha'ah'.

Namun kerana budak kecil itu mengangguk. Dia yakin bahawa jawabannya adalah betul.

Masih dalam kebingungan. . melintaslah pula seorang remaja di depannya. Lalu sekali lagi dia bertanya..

"Maaf dik.. tumpang tanya... Apa betul nama jalan ini adalah jalan Pasir?"

Budak remaja itu mengangguk sambil menjawab, "Benar"

Nampaknya pelancong itu tidak juga memahami perkataan 'benar'.

Namun kerana budak remaja itu mengangguk.. dia yakin yang jawabannya adalah betul.

Masih dalam kebingungan, melintaslah pula orang dewasa.. lalu pelancong itu segera bertanya

"Maaf encik.. saya tumpang tanya... Apa betul nama jalan ini Jalan Pasir?"

Orang dewasa itu mengangguk sambil menjawab, "Betul."

Akhirnya pelancong itu merasa puas.. tapi masih kehairanan.. lalu Untuk menghapus rasa keraguannya. . dia bertanya lagi..

"Saya keliru.. Tadi saya bertanya kepada budak kecil, tapi jawabannya 'ha'ah'.. lalu saya bertanya kepada seorang remaja muda dan jawabannya 'benar'. akhirnya saya bertanya kepada encik dan encik menjawab 'betul', tapi semuanya mengangguk. Sebenarnya mana yang betul?"

"Oh, itu maksudnya sama aja.. Kalau yang menjawab 'ha'ah' bererti latar belakang pendidikannya sekolah rendah aje... Kalau yang menjawab 'benar', orang itu latar belakang pendidikannya pasti sekolah menengah.. dan kalau yang menjawab 'betul' itu pastinya orang itu ada sarjana," jawab orang dewasa itu...

"Jadi.. Anda tadi menjawab 'betul', bererti snda seorang sarjana ya?" tanya Pelancong lagi..

Orang dewasa ini terus mengangguk sambil menjawab, "ha'ah"

8 Easy Way To Cut Calories & Be Slim

2012-12-04T09:58:00.000+08:00

8 Easy Way To Cut Calories & Be Slim

It's December! We're on holiday mood again. So many invitation for so many occasion whether it's wedding, festive or parties etc. So much for food galore and you wonder whether your waistline will still be the same next month. But then, who could resist delicious food and drinks huh.

If you want to watch your calorie intake and watching your waistline, adopt below easy way to cut down calorie but still enjoy the food and stay slim. No matter what season or what reason, lets be healthy and happy.

1. WATER. Always choose water. It's guilt free and no calories. Switch your drink to water at any time of the day, any place. A can of soda give you 140 to 170 calories. Water = 0 calorie. Count how many times a day that you drink soda, coffee, alcohol etc. You will be amaze on how many calories that you cut down by choosing water instead. If your taste bud really can't take the plain-ness of water, drop a little bit of honey or a few drop of lemon juice into that plain water.

2. SAY NO TO FRIED FOOD. Totally reject fried breaded food. Fried food have high calories. Breaded fried food contained even more unneeded oil, which translated into more calories. Switch to bake or grill food instead.

3. SWITCH SAUCES. Forget a sweet and sour sauce on your stir fry. Seasoning it with soysause and ginger. For barbecue, use salt and pepper instead. Sauce and gravies have more calories than what you needed. The food taste better with less sauce.

4. SWITCH OIL. If you love to bake, instead of using vegetable oil, replace it with unsweetened Applesauce. Your food still be delicious with the same great taste but you cut down the calories in that food.

5. CHOOSE FRESH FRUIT. Instead of canned fruit which was laced heavily with syrup (more unwanted calories for you), eat fresh fruit instead. If can't be avoided, consider to rinse the syrup from canned fruit before you eat it.

6. SAY NO TO FRENCH FRIES. Choose baked potato instead. French fries may taste good but the calories will give you extra inch to your waistline if you regularly eat it.

7. MUNCH FRUIT instead of chips or snack. If you love to munch in between meals, choose the non sweet fruit such as guava which loaded with vitamin C. Or eat cucumber instead. It's curb your hungry but didn't add your calories intake.

8. CUT YOUR PORTION. Control your food intake. The easy way to do it is to drink a glass of water about 20 minutes before your meal. It will lessen the urge to scoop more food into your plate. Consider change your plate to a size smaller. If currently you are using 8" plate, change it to 6" instead. The smaller the plate, the lesser chances of over loaded it with food. But remember, once you clear the food from that plate, don't take a second serving.

Lets switch to a healthier happy life today. Small changes will make a different. Enjoy the food sensibly for a better healthier you.

Low Calorie 2 Minutes Brownie in Mug Recipe

2012-12-03T12:11:00.000+08:00

Low Calorie 2 Minutes Brownie In Mug

Low Calorie Brownie In Mug

Ingredient

1 tbsp Flour

1 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa

3/4 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Unsweetened Applesauce

(can replace applesauce with vegetable oil)

1/8 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 pinch Salt

1 pinch baking powder

6 Dark Chocolate Chips

(add white choc chips if desire)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into microwaveable safe mug (except the chocolate chips)

2. Mix thoroughly using fork

3. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly on top of brownie mixture

4. Set "High" and microwave it for 1 minute.

5. Take it out. Let it cool and voila! Enjoy your brownie.

p/s If you switch to use vegetable oil, the calorie is higher than original recipe.

Real case of Benjamin Buttons: Matthew and Michael Clark are aging backwards

2012-11-27T12:53:00.001+08:00

Real Benjamin Buttons Brothers: Matthew and Michael Clark Are Aging Backwards

By Piper Weiss, Shine Staff | Healthy Living – 9 hours ago

The Clark brothers (courtesy of Channel4)By the looks of their home, Tony and Christine Clark are raising two rambunctious 7-year-old boys. Model train tracks and Monopoly pieces are scattered on tables and cartoons flicker on the TV set.

But the Clarks' two sons are grown men who share only the same interests and emotional fluctuations of little boys. Like the character portrayed by Brad Pitt in the 2008 film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons," Matthew, 39, and Michael, 42, are aging backwards.

Diagnosed with a terminal form of leukodystrophy, one of a group of extremely rare genetic disorders that attack the Myelin, or white matter, in the nervous system, spinal cord, and brain. In the Clarks' case, the condition has not only eroded their physical capacities, but their emotional and mental states as well.

Only six years ago, both brothers were holding down jobs and growing their families. Today, they spend their days in the care of their parents, both in their sixties, playing with Mr. Potato Head, fighting over Monopoly, and in rare lucid moments, struggling to understand why their lives have changed so dramatically.

Before the Clark Brothers were diagnosed, they were living independent lives. Michael served in the Royal Air Force and later became a cabinet maker. Matthew worked in a factory and was raising a teenage daughter. Tony and Christine, meanwhile, had retired and moved from the UK to Spain. Then in 2007, both of their sons fell off the radar. They stopped returning their parents' calls and texts, and as the Clark brothers' conditions developed, their lives fell apart.

Should parents get their kids' genome sequenced?
Michael surfaced in a soup kitchen, and was referred to medical experts by social workers. After an MRI scan, he was diagnosed with the incurable degenerative disorder. Soon after Matthew received the same news. In the U.S. alone, about 1 in 40,000 children are born with a form of the neurodegenerative disease, according to Dr. William Kintner, President of the United Leukodystrophy Foundation. While some forms of the disorder are potentially treatable if discovered in the earliest stages and not all cause an emotional regression, the brothers are unlikely to be cured. "It's very difficult to do anything once progression has occurred," Dr. Kintner tells Yahoo! Shine.
With their train set.(Courtesy of Channel4)

As of April, when the Clarks were first written about in the British press, their mental age was 10.

"We will be out walking and things which might interest a toddler interest them, the other day we were walking home when Michael saw a balloon and pointed it out to us," father Tony Clark, told The Telegraph last spring.

Today, the brothers are even younger mentally.

"Just like small children, they wake up a lot during the night," mom Christine said in an interview published in The Independent this week. "I was up seven times with them last night."

After learning of their diagnoses, Tony and Christine returned to the UK and moved in with their sons. Their daily struggles as a family have been chronicled in a British documentary, "The Curious Case of the Clark Brothers," airing Monday in the UK.

Earlier this year, Matthew became a grandfather, when his daughter had a son. But the news for the family was bittersweet, as the Clark brothers' mental age continued to creep backwards.

"There's no return to them being cute little boys," said Christine, who regularly manages their tantrums and fights over Monopoly. "They're big strong men—and that presents a quite different set of problems."

More recently, even their physical strength began deteriorating.

"A few weeks ago, they could still manage with a knife and fork, but now that's getting too difficult for them—they get the food onto their forks, but somehow it all falls off before it reaches their mouths," she said.

Donors and genetic disorders: how much do you know?
Now walking is the next hurdle; Matthew is already confined to a wheelchair.

"The likelihood that they're on a terminal course is fairly certain, but who knows?" says Dr. Kintner, who is familiar with the Clark case but didn't meet the brothers. "If they were citizens of U.S., we'd try to get them to the National Institute of Health for diagnostic work, but in the UK the system is different. There is no comparable organization with genetic diseases, so it's a little more difficult there."

Dr. Kintner estimates there are several million cases of one of the estimated 40 types of leukodystrophies in the U.S., but an exact number is hard to pinpoint. The different forms of the disorder are still being identified and tests for each known type are still being developed. "It's going to take a long time," says Dr. Kintner. "I hope in my lifetime I see a cure for some of them."

A preview for the British documentary on the Clark Brothers airing on the UK's Channel 4.

2 Minit Brownie Cawan (2 minutes Mug Brownie)

2012-11-27T11:33:00.003+08:00

2 Minit saja diperlukan untuk buat brownie cawan nih. Simple & easy.
Resepi diadaptasi dari instructables.com

Just 2 minutes needed for this Mug Brownie.

Bahan-bahan
1/4 cawan tepung
1/4 cawan gula perang
2 sudu serbuk koko
secubit garam
2 sudu minyak sayuran (minyak jagung/mazola/yg seumpamanya)
2 sudu susu atau air kopi atau air suam

Dalam cawan yang boleh digunakan untuk microwave, masukkan bahan-bahan kering dan kacau guna garpu.
Masukkan minyak dan susu (atau air kopi atau air suam). Kacau sebati.
Masukkan dalam microwave. Set high untuk 60 saat.
Lepas 30 atau 40 saat check dulu. Mungkin dah masak (bergantung pada microwave) tapi selalunya 60 saat dah ok dan garing sket atasnya.
Keluarkan. Boleh la makan.
Nak lagi best, letak 1 scoop aiskrim vanilla. Mmm.... yummy....

Gambar langkah demi langkah ada kat bawah.

Easy Poptart Chocolate

2012-11-26T14:58:00.002+08:00

Poptart Chocolate - Very Easy & Simple

You just need 2 ingredients

Ingredients:

2 prepared pie crusts
2 dark chocolate bars (or other chocolate that you prefer)

Step 1. Break the chocolate into 2-square pieces. Place three pieces of chocolate on one half of the pie crust. Step 1

Step 2. Place the second half of pie crust over the top of the chocolate. Use a pizza cutter or crimped-edge knife to slice around the chocolate, leaving a 1/4″ space around each edge of the chocolate. Crimp the edges with a fork and transfer to a baking sheet. Step 2

Step 3. Bake poptarts in an oven preheated to 425 degrees for 9-11 minutes, or just until the edges are golden brown. Transfer to a cooling rack. Melt the extra pieces of chocolate in a small ziploc bag, snip off the corner of the bag, and drizzle over the poptarts. Step 3

Serve poptarts hot or cold, with a glass of cold milk. Recipe makes 6 small Pop-Tarts.

Be creative. You can change the filling for strawberry jam mixed with chunky fresh strawberry (cut the strawberry into small pieces) or other filling to your liking.

Happy baking! :)
,

Cara mudah letak butang "Like" facebook di blog

2012-11-24T23:27:00.005+08:00

Cara mudah nak letak butang "Like" Facebook di blog

Masih tercari-cari cara bagaimana nak letak butang "Like" di Facebook anda? Dah cuba tapi tak berjaya? Cuba, try, test yang ini pula.

Caranya mudah saja:

1. "Sign in" masuk ke blog anda, pergi ke dashboard & pergi ke Template

2. Klik "Ëdit HTML". Lepas itu mesti klik Ëxpand Widget Templates.

3. Cari <data:post.body/>. Kalau tak tau nak cari, tekan control F dan taip perkataan tu.

4. Betul-betul selepas perkataan <data:post.body/> letakkan code di bawah ni (copy & paste saja la) :

<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType != "static_page"'>

</div>

</b:if>

5. Lepas itu save. Cuba preview blog anda. Sekarang di bawah setiap post anda dah ada butang "Like".

As easy as ABC bak kata Mat Saleh.

Enjoy your blogging experience. :)

Very Funny Lawyer & Witness Q & A

2012-11-14T20:03:00.001+08:00

Below are the transcript Q & A in USA's court which are so funny.

Q: What is your date of birth?
A: July fifteenth.
Q: What year?
A: Every year.

Q: This myasthenia gravis - does it affect your memory at all?
A: Yes.
Q: And in what ways does it affect your memory?
A: I forget.
Q: You forget. Can you give us an example of something that you've forgotten?

Q: All your responses must be oral, okay? What school did you go to?
A: Oral.

Q: How old is your son - the one living with you.
A: Thirty-eight or thirty-five, I can't remember which.
Q: How long has he lived with you?
A: Forty-five years.

Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke that morning?
A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
Q: And why did that upset you?
A: My name is Susan.

Q: Sir, what is your IQ?
A: Well, I can see pretty well, I think.

Q: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in the voodoo occult?
A: We both do.
Q: Voodoo?
A: We do.
Q: You do?
A: Yes, voodoo.

Q: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

Q: The youngest son, the twenty-year old, how old is he?

Q: Were you present when your picture was taken?

Q: Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?

Q: Did he kill you?

Q: How far apart were the vehicles at the time of the collision?

Q: You were there until the time you left, is that true?

Q: How many times have you committed suicide?

Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
A: Yes.
Q: And what were you doing at that time?

Q: She had three children, right?
A: Yes.
Q: How many were boys?
A: None.
Q: Were there any girls?

Q: You say the stairs went down to the basement?
A: Yes.
Q: And these stairs, did they go up also?

Q: Mr. Slattery, you went on a rather elaborate honeymoon, didn't you?
A: I went to Europe, sir.
Q: And you took your new wife?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?
A: By death.
Q: And by whose death was it terminated?

Q: Can you describe the individual?
A: He was about medium height and had a beard.
Q: Was this a male, or a female?

Q: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
A: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.

Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?
A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?
A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.
(jawapan yg bagus utk soklan bodos.....he heh)

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