According to the report released by the Institute of medicine that the only thing vitamin D and calcium have been proven to help is with avoiding rickets and maintaining strong bones. Too much of everything is bad, that is the rule of the thumb.
According to Dr. Holick who was the first person to identify the major circulating form of vitamin D in human blood and to determine vitamin D is synthesized in yhe skin says that "You cannot obtain enough vitamin D to your diet. The 3 steps strategy reccomended are injest food that naturally contain or are fortified with vitamin D along with sensible sun exposure and taking vitamin d supplement. Control of vitamin D ensuring enough vitamin D to Body is reccommended."
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
freedom
"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" remains as good a concise definition of liberalism’s aims today as it was when Thomas Jefferson borrowed the language of John Locke for the Declaration of Independence. What distinguishes liberalism, however, is not just high aspirations but strikingly effective principles for the creation as well as the control of power. From its origins as constitutional liberalism in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the liberal project has provided the basis of the most prosperous and powerful states in the world.
-Paul Starr, Freedom's Power
-Paul Starr, Freedom's Power
Friday, November 26, 2010
Christmas light and Safety Instruction
The majority of christmas light today use a parallel wiring system. Parallel wiring provides more than one path of electricitl for each light bulb to follow. After the current leaves the light bulb it follows two or more path before returning to the electrical source. The parallel lights have two wires and each light bulb has its own positive wire connection so if one light bulb burns out the rest lights remain lighted. To reduce the risk of overheating the lights, you should replace any burned out light bulbs promptly. Use the same wattage replacement bulbs as the original strand of lights. The voltage of the light does not change when another set of lights are added, what does change when adding additional sets of lights is the number of watts. This increase in wattage increases the amount of current that passes through the light bulbs.
STOP BEING SO NICE
Conflict avoidance is a common trait of most corporate workplaces. But, steering clear of disagreements and leaving things unsaid creates unnecessary complexity and needless anxiety. To get better at confronting conflict constructively, follow these three steps:
1. Reflect. Ask yourself whether there are times you should've spoken up but held your tongue. Do you avoid certain types of conflicts?
2. Get feedback. Ask trusted friends and colleagues how they perceive your readiness to engage in constructive conflict. They might see patterns that are less obvious to you.
3. Experiment. You don't have to change overnight. Try pushing back on a request or speaking up in a meeting and see how it goes. Preface your comment with an admission that you are working on getting better at conflict. This will help demonstrate your sincerity.
Conflict avoidance is a common trait of most corporate workplaces. But, steering clear of disagreements and leaving things unsaid creates unnecessary complexity and needless anxiety. To get better at confronting conflict constructively, follow these three steps:
1. Reflect. Ask yourself whether there are times you should've spoken up but held your tongue. Do you avoid certain types of conflicts?
2. Get feedback. Ask trusted friends and colleagues how they perceive your readiness to engage in constructive conflict. They might see patterns that are less obvious to you.
3. Experiment. You don't have to change overnight. Try pushing back on a request or speaking up in a meeting and see how it goes. Preface your comment with an admission that you are working on getting better at conflict. This will help demonstrate your sincerity.
US downplays shelling by North as aircraft carrier heads for Koreas
Reuters
INCHEON, South Korea/WASHINGTON: The United States said Wednesday it believed North Korea’s shelling of a South Korean island this week was an isolated act tied to leadership changes in Pyongyang and called on China to use its influence to stop the North’s provocative behavior.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States was working with allies on ways to respond but said that “It’s very important for China to lead.”
“The one country that has influence in Pyongyang is China and so their leadership is absolutely critical,” Mullen told a US television talk show.
A day after North Korea rained artillery shells at the island of Yeonpyeong, killing two civilians, a US aircraft carrier group set off for Korean waters Wednesday to take part in drills.
Although the US Forces Korea said the exercise had been planned well before the attack, many thought the move would enrage the North and unsettle its ally, China.
State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley also said the US expects China to use its influence to get North Korea to cease its provocative behavior, saying Beijing could play a “pivotal” role in helping to calm the situation.
Mullen said he believed the attack was linked to the succession of the reclusive state’s leadership.
Widely thought to be in failing health, Kim Jong-il appointed his younger son to key posts in September, a move seen as grooming him to be the North’s next leader. But Kim Jong-un has no real support base, and with the economy in dire straits there is a risk powerful military or government figures may decide the time is opportune for a power grab.
Tuesday’s attack by the North was the heaviest since the Korean War ended in 1953 and marked the first civilian deaths in an assault since the bombing of a South Korean airliner in 1987.
North Korea said the shelling was in self-defense after Seoul fired shells into its waters near the disputed maritime border. The North’s KCNA news agency said the South was driving the peninsula to the “brink of war” with “reckless military provocation” and by postponing humanitarian aid.
“The DPRK that sets store by the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula is now exercising superhuman self-control, but the artillery pieces of the army of the DPRK, the defender of justice, remain ready to fire,” the agency said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
The nuclear-powered USS George Washington, which carries 75 warplanes and has a crew of over 6,000, left a naval base south of Tokyo and would join exercises with South Korea from Sunday to the following Wednesday, US officials in Seoul said.
“An aircraft carrier is the most visible sign of power projection there is … you could see this as a form of pre-emptive deterrence,” said Lee Chung-min of Yonsei University in Seoul.
In Seoul, the South Korean government came under pressure for the military’s slow response to the provocation, echoing similar complaints made when a warship was sunk in March in the same area, killing 46 sailors.
Defense Minister Kim Tae-young was grilled by lawmakers who said the government should have taken quicker and stronger retaliatory measures against the North’s provocation.
Read more:http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=121846#ixzz16OmR0Oza
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)
top 10 most dangerous sports in the world
Possibly the most brutal contact sport on the planet. Given that fact, it’s hardly surprising that rugby has more injuries per player than any other participation sport.
9. CAVE DIVING:
Being a diver is bad enough, what with the risk of decompression, which can cause failure of the spinal cord, brain and lungs.
8. CHEERLEADING:
Cheerleading is the world’s most injury-prone sport in the world for women.
7. MOTORCYCLING:
The most dangerous motor race in the world is, without doubt, the Isle of Man TT event. In its 100-year history, this one race has seen more than 220 deaths.
6. FISHING:
The sedate pastime of angling has one of the highest mortality rates of any sport due to the number of people who drown every year.
5. ROCK CLIMBING:
According to Accidents In North American Mountaineering, the year 2000 saw 24 deaths in the US due to rock climbing mishaps.
4. GOLF:
Some figures suggest more than 4,000 of us take our last breath on the fairway every year. It’s also a killing field when it comes to bad weather, with five per cent of all lightning-related deaths taking place on the golf course.
3. HORSE RIDING:
Falling off a horse can sometimes cause pretty severe injuries, such as happened to Christopher Reeves. Even being around horses can lead to injuries, they are large animals that weigh much more than us mere humans and they can pack a very powerful blow.
2. BASE JUMPING:
Dangerous for the simple fact that it’s all or nothing – if your parachute opens you’ll be fine, if it doesn’t you’re looking at certain death.
1. LAWN BOWLS:
If you’re one of the lucky ones that escapes death, there are thousands more who end up with dislocated ankles, broken hips, torn knees or who simply keel over with a heart attack or a stroke due to the incredibly stressful nature of the game.
“Recognized Organization Performance” how will this affect the Ship Risk Profile (SRP)?
Ships with a Recognized Organization which is not listed in the table “Recognized Organization Performance” cannot be a Low Risk Ship (LRS). The following criteria are not fulfilled:
- Recognized Organization to be high performance, and
- recognized by one or more Paris MoU members.
Furthermore, for the calculation of the High Risk Ship (HRS) profile, the ship will not gain any points for the criterion Recognized Organization performance as the RO does not appear on the Paris MoU list.
NEWSIM 10th Anniversary
My Dear RM Students,
I invite you all to join us in celebrating NEW SIMULATOR CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. (NEWSIM) 1oth Anniversary on December 8, Wednesday, at the Blue Leaf, The Fort. You may bring with you one other person closest to your heart. Attire: Formal.
Please see the map here:
http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/location.aspx
And because it is Christmas, I feel like Santa Claus.
NO FINALS FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUPS WHO WILL SUBMIT THE CONSOLIDATED REPORTS ON TIME.
I wish to see you all in this once in a lifetime event! Please send me an SMS to confirm you are coming. For those who cannot make it, see you on December 11 :-)
Alvin
I invite you all to join us in celebrating NEW SIMULATOR CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. (NEWSIM) 1oth Anniversary on December 8, Wednesday, at the Blue Leaf, The Fort. You may bring with you one other person closest to your heart. Attire: Formal.
Please see the map here:
http://www.theblueleaf.com.ph/location.aspx
And because it is Christmas, I feel like Santa Claus.
NO FINALS FOR ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE GROUPS WHO WILL SUBMIT THE CONSOLIDATED REPORTS ON TIME.
I wish to see you all in this once in a lifetime event! Please send me an SMS to confirm you are coming. For those who cannot make it, see you on December 11 :-)
Alvin
Success - 7 Mindsets You Need To Adopt to Attract Your Success
It doesn't matter what your situation may look like right now. As long as your thoughts are in alignment with your desire you can attract the success you want to have by adopting the right mindset.
Mindset #1 - Clarity of Mind
Mindset #2 - Use Visualization
Mindset #3 - Use Vivid Imagery
Mindset #4 - Get Emotionally Involved
Mindset #5 - Focus on your Desire
Mindset #6 - Identify your 'Why'
Mindset #7 - Take Action
Getting involved with like-minded individuals can help you nurture and develop this mindset even more, help you to keep on track and encourage you if the road to your success becomes tough.
source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Success---7-Mindsets-You-Need-To-Adopt-to-Attract-Your-Success&id=5155066
Mindset #1 - Clarity of Mind
Mindset #2 - Use Visualization
Mindset #3 - Use Vivid Imagery
Mindset #4 - Get Emotionally Involved
Mindset #5 - Focus on your Desire
Mindset #6 - Identify your 'Why'
Mindset #7 - Take Action
Getting involved with like-minded individuals can help you nurture and develop this mindset even more, help you to keep on track and encourage you if the road to your success becomes tough.
source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Success---7-Mindsets-You-Need-To-Adopt-to-Attract-Your-Success&id=5155066
Thursday, November 25, 2010
5 Holiday Shopping Mistakes
Mistake 1: You don't have a gift list. Running around the mall not knowing what to buy is a surefire path to blowing your budget--especially when you're pressed for time.
Mistake 2: You don't track holiday spending. Not tracking all those little splurges and expenses can leave you with a huge bill to pay in January. Not fun.
Mistake 3: You don't look for a discount. Many last minute shoppers are too desperate to find a deal when the big deadline looms.
Mistake 4: You don't give homemade gifts. Making something from scratch is thoughtful and can also save you money.
Mistake 5: You don't shop at home first. Filling your shopping cart with holiday decorations, gifts, and food supplies is a massive money mistake if you already have the goods at home.
Mistake 2: You don't track holiday spending. Not tracking all those little splurges and expenses can leave you with a huge bill to pay in January. Not fun.
Mistake 3: You don't look for a discount. Many last minute shoppers are too desperate to find a deal when the big deadline looms.
Mistake 4: You don't give homemade gifts. Making something from scratch is thoughtful and can also save you money.
Mistake 5: You don't shop at home first. Filling your shopping cart with holiday decorations, gifts, and food supplies is a massive money mistake if you already have the goods at home.
Cyberthieves use human money mules for risky work
By ALICIA A. CALDWELL and PETE YOST, Associated Press Alicia A. Caldwell And Pete Yost, Associated Press – Mon Nov 22, 6:35 pm ET
WASHINGTON – Sitting at a computer somewhere overseas in January 2009, computer hackers went phishing.
Within minutes of casting their electronic bait they caught what they were looking for: A small Michigan company where an employee unwittingly clicked on an official-looking e-mail that secretly gave cyberthieves the keys to the firm's bank account.
Before company executives knew what was happening, Experi-Metal Inc., a suburban Detroit manufacturing company, was broke. Its $560,000 bank balance had been electronically scattered into bank accounts in Russia, Estonia, Scotland, Finland and around the U.S.
Operating from Eastern Europe and other overseas locations, the thieves used malicious software, known as malware, to infect the computers of unsuspecting users in the United States by e-mail, the malware-infected e-mails were written to look like they came from a company manager or colleague who might send an e-mail message to everyone in a company, such as the head of human resources.
When the e-mail recipient clicked on an embedded link to a website or opened an attachment, a Trojan horse virus called Zeus installed itself and gathered usernames, passwords and financial account numbers typed by the victims on their own computers, the hackers then used this information to move the victims' money electronically into bank accounts set up in the United States by the money mules.
The money mules set up shell bank accounts to receive the money, then they withdrew the funds from the shell accounts in amounts they thought were small enough to elude detection by banks and law enforcement. In some cases, the cyberthieves bombarded telephone numbers attached to the targeted accounts with calls to block the company from calling to verify the transactions.
The mules sent most of the stolen funds overseas electronically to accounts controlled by the ring leaders; the mules usually kept 8 to 10 percent as their cut.
WASHINGTON – Sitting at a computer somewhere overseas in January 2009, computer hackers went phishing.
Within minutes of casting their electronic bait they caught what they were looking for: A small Michigan company where an employee unwittingly clicked on an official-looking e-mail that secretly gave cyberthieves the keys to the firm's bank account.
Before company executives knew what was happening, Experi-Metal Inc., a suburban Detroit manufacturing company, was broke. Its $560,000 bank balance had been electronically scattered into bank accounts in Russia, Estonia, Scotland, Finland and around the U.S.
Operating from Eastern Europe and other overseas locations, the thieves used malicious software, known as malware, to infect the computers of unsuspecting users in the United States by e-mail, the malware-infected e-mails were written to look like they came from a company manager or colleague who might send an e-mail message to everyone in a company, such as the head of human resources.
When the e-mail recipient clicked on an embedded link to a website or opened an attachment, a Trojan horse virus called Zeus installed itself and gathered usernames, passwords and financial account numbers typed by the victims on their own computers, the hackers then used this information to move the victims' money electronically into bank accounts set up in the United States by the money mules.
The money mules set up shell bank accounts to receive the money, then they withdrew the funds from the shell accounts in amounts they thought were small enough to elude detection by banks and law enforcement. In some cases, the cyberthieves bombarded telephone numbers attached to the targeted accounts with calls to block the company from calling to verify the transactions.
The mules sent most of the stolen funds overseas electronically to accounts controlled by the ring leaders; the mules usually kept 8 to 10 percent as their cut.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Bungee Jumping!
Indians in the South Pacific island of Pentecost used to have bungee jumping as a kind of a competition or rite which the males jumped from banyan trees tied to vines. Since this practice was shown in 1955 by a National Geographic documentary, bungee jumping has gained world wide popularity. The increased popularity of this sport has raised questions about safety and risk of jumping. The major bungee jumping injuries have been impact related. Minor injuries include contusions, pinched fingers , and cord burns to the body. Intraocular hemorrhages, peroneal nerve injuries, near hanging , and quadriplegia are more serious injuries that are being reported. Bungee Jumping injuries are divide in three major groups : head, trunk, and lower extremities injuries.(http://www.medstudents.com.br/sport/sport7.htm)
Protect Your Good Idea
The best idea can still die when naysayers raise concerns, even if the concerns are meritless. Instead of trying to dodge unavoidable attacks, learn to expect the common types you'll face, and how to counter them simply and convincingly:
- Death by delay - Adversaries may try to put off the discussion, ask for additional information, or otherwise delay a decision on your idea, thereby slowing momentum. Keep your audience focused on making a decision.
- Confusion - Detractors often present distracting information or try to link your idea to several others in an attempt to confound people. Be clear about what your idea is and what it isn't.
- Fear mongering - Nothing kills an idea faster than irrational anxieties. Know what fears your challengers might stir up and be prepared to allay them.
Exercise Ambidextrous Decision Making
Do you rely on data and analytics to make big decisions or do you follow your instincts? While analytical decision-makers are usually more likely to make the right judgment call, intuition and gut feel can't be overlooked. In fact, many leaders have missed great opportunities because the data didn't support the risk, and the risk was actually worth taking. Great leaders adeptly use both inputs. If you are really good at collecting and analyzing data to inform decisions, find ways to check your data against a gut feeling. If you generally rely on creativity and an intuitive understanding of the customer, see if you can develop more analytic muscle.
Source: adapted from "Learn to Make Judgment Calls On the Other Hand" by Tom Davenport
Source: adapted from "Learn to Make Judgment Calls On the Other Hand" by Tom Davenport
Monday, November 22, 2010
2 Ways to Make the Most of a Crisis
Spectacular feats seem to happen in a crisis: people step up, productivity increases, and politics and red tape take a back seat. Unfortunately, this type of energy can't be sustained once the crisis dissipates. But, there are important lessons to take from this elevated mode of operation. Next time your organization has an emergency, do these two things:
1. Hold a post-crisis clinic. Ask everyone who was involved in the response what happened differently and why. Help people identify the new ways of working they adapted.
2. Focus the energy on a critical initiative. Ask people to apply the energy and dedication they mustered in the crisis to a stretch goal that you want to achieve in 100 days or less. This will help you determine which new ways of working are sustainable and can be integrated into a more routine way of doing business.
Source:"Don't Let Your Next Crisis Go to Waste" by Ron Ashkenas.
1. Hold a post-crisis clinic. Ask everyone who was involved in the response what happened differently and why. Help people identify the new ways of working they adapted.
2. Focus the energy on a critical initiative. Ask people to apply the energy and dedication they mustered in the crisis to a stretch goal that you want to achieve in 100 days or less. This will help you determine which new ways of working are sustainable and can be integrated into a more routine way of doing business.
Source:"Don't Let Your Next Crisis Go to Waste" by Ron Ashkenas.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Quality, the biggest risk confronting Toyota on the top of the world
Toyota Motor Corp. has successively introduced to the world new models of cars highly important to the market since 2006, such as the American best seller Camry, world's best seller Carolla, and the top-in-the-Lexus-series LS. So far, everything has gone smoothly without any trouble to the quality of each of the models. Some industry sources say, however, that the people who are actually involved in the production of those cars have been stretched out for too long. "This kind of situation can't last long," they say. The company appeared to have been trying to avoid any defect in its production by setting up an inspection system like that under an emergency alert. It is thriving on achieving a sales increase of as much as 10 million units as early as in 2010. The company has also to meet the challenge of high technology advance symbolized hybrid cars, while it has to exert efforts for the production of cheaper-priced cars meet the competition from Chinese makers. Toyota is entering into new fields which it has never experienced before one after another. Risk always lurks in effort to maintain high quality.
Pacquiao - for President ? ? ? ?
No question about Pacquiao being an excellent fighter inside the ring... but being a congressman, representing a certain locality can already be disturbing... can we be ready to put our fate in the hands of a good boxer as our future president?????
Why did Google bet $1 million on Shweeb?
- Shweeb, a pedal-powered monorail, wins $1 million from Google
- Inventor pushes "a system that would change the world"
- Google says Shweeb could be a low-cost, eco-friendly solution to traffic woes
- But expert sees more potential in light-rail trains and plug-in hybrid cars
JUMP AT YOUR OWN RISK
I have been lucky working onboard passenger cruise ships to see and experience many things some of which were considered wild, others were wonderful and the few were risky and frightening.
One of the most thrilling and craziest thing I’ve ever did was bungee jumping high above a flat solid ground somewhere in the cold wilderness of Akureyri, Iceland.
After having the initial briefing on the ground and harnessed up, I joined the jump instructor in a small cage to head up to the jump site at the top of the boom of a high crane. Feeling confident and exhilarated about this new experience, I glanced at the equipment and the elastic cord attached to my harness by which I was to be suspended. I’ve bungee jumped before in other places in the world but this time my heart started beating faster for completely different reason. The elastic cord which was to hold my dear life for a few minutes on my descent looked to me somewhat old and heavily frayed. I wondered if it was just the hallucinating effect of the great height I was at that time.
Standing on the platform moments before my jump, I asked the jump instructor how often they changed the elastic cord. The man pondered for a few moments and answered brusquely, “Isn’t it obvious? Whenever the cord breaks.”
One of the most thrilling and craziest thing I’ve ever did was bungee jumping high above a flat solid ground somewhere in the cold wilderness of Akureyri, Iceland.
After having the initial briefing on the ground and harnessed up, I joined the jump instructor in a small cage to head up to the jump site at the top of the boom of a high crane. Feeling confident and exhilarated about this new experience, I glanced at the equipment and the elastic cord attached to my harness by which I was to be suspended. I’ve bungee jumped before in other places in the world but this time my heart started beating faster for completely different reason. The elastic cord which was to hold my dear life for a few minutes on my descent looked to me somewhat old and heavily frayed. I wondered if it was just the hallucinating effect of the great height I was at that time.
Standing on the platform moments before my jump, I asked the jump instructor how often they changed the elastic cord. The man pondered for a few moments and answered brusquely, “Isn’t it obvious? Whenever the cord breaks.”
THE NEWEST WORDS IN THE MERIAM WEBSTER DICTIONARY END OF 2009
To keep up with the advances in technology and new cultural trends, dictionaries add new words every year.
CARBON FOOTPRINT: the negative impact that a person or business has on the environment more specifically the term refers to the amount of carbon during a particular period of time.
FRENEMY: someone who pretends to be a friend but who is actually an enemy.
GOJI (goh-jee): the dark red berry of the thorny Asian shrub Lycium barbarum.
LOCAVORE (loh-ku-vor):someone who eats fods that have been locally grown, whenever it is possible
STAYCATION:a vacation spent at home or close to home
VLOG: a blog that features videos
WEBISODE:an episode of a show that can be viewed on a website
Crippled cruise ship Carnival Splendor returns
- The Australian
- November 12, 2010
- PULLED by two tugboats, the disabled passenger ship Carnival Splendor was expected to reach the shore overnight. The cruise line was trying to make amends with 3299 passengers - including 24 Australians - whose holiday to the Mexican Riviera went sour.
"We know we ruined their vacations," Gerry Cahill, president and chief executive of Carnival Cruise Lines, said yesterday.
Since an engine compartment fire on Monday, passengers and 1167 crew on the 290m ship have been without air-conditioning or hot food. The dream of sumptuous banquets was replaced by meals of bread, Spam, canned fruit, canned milk and munchies such as Pop Tarts - delivered by US navy airlift from the carrier Ronald Reagan.
The biggest inconvenience - the lack of flush toilets - was cured within hours of the fire.
No one was injured in the fire, which broke out on the first day of a scheduled seven-day trip from Long Beach to Puerto Vallarta. To make amends for the ruined vacations, Carnival has agreed to a full refund, reimbursement for travel expenses and a free cruise of comparable value. Hotel reservations and travel arrangements are being made by company workers.
Los Angeles Times
Ship Risk Profile
1) How do the risk factors affect Priority I and II?
The risk factors affect on how often a ship will be periodically inspected. Periodic inspections are determined by a time window. Each ship will be classified as High Risk Ships (HRS), Standard Risk Ships (SRS) or Low Risk Ships (LRS) using details of inspections in the PMoU area in the last 3 years.
2) What are the main differences between Priority I and Priority II?
Each ship will be attributed with a ship risk profile. Depending on the time since the last inspection in combination with the ship risk profile applicable, the ship will be prioritized for inspection. A Priority II ship may be inspected; a Priority I must be inspected.
These are no obligations for the ship but for the PMoU member where the ship calls. Priority I status may also be invoked if there is an event triggering an overriding inspection such as when the ship has been reported to be manoeuvring erratically.
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