The Art of Smiling

A happy smile is a passport to ready friendship. A genuine smile shows itself on the face, but it comes from within. It reflects a person's whole attitude towards life and towards other people.

A smiling face will become one of our greatest personal assets. It has physical, mental and social value. The physical value is seen first of all in the sheer effect it has upon one's personality by change in the appearance. Beauty and handsomeness can be spoiled completely by looks of anger and self-pity. But a perfectly plain face becomes immediately attractive when it is lit up with a beaming smile.

The mental effects of smiling form a beneficial circle. The mental attitude of hopefulness and optimism produces the smile. The smile in turn stimulates and purifies the mind. Smiling produces a feeling of happiness.

Socially, too, smiling is of great value. It shows friendliness and awakens to whom it is directed. It prepares the ground for all the relationship which is to follow.

Here are a few hints to cultivate the art of smiling.:

Practise Smiling: Stand in front of the mirror and see yourself when you are doing something you enjoy. Your face will light up and you will like yourself.

Look for the good, Glad and Beautiful: All the good things are around you. Practise the art of observation and appreciation. Let sheer pleasure bring that radiant smile on your face again.

Let people contribute to your Happiness: When people try to help us, thank us, reward us, let us not spoil their pleasure by our indifferent attitude. Let there be genuine, smiling, heart-warming appreciation of what they are doing.

Learn the Art of Smiling through Giving: Some shops display a notice which says "Service with a Smile". The process should be automatic with everyone. To be of service to someone should make us really glad.

Practise Tranquillity: It is the worried people who frown. Peaceful people show their peace of mind in a clear, calm and smiling face. Many people find peacefulness through prayer and worship. Others may find it in music, poetry or techniques of relaxation. But one way or the other, to have a quiet mind is the best way to have a smiling face.

Financial Crisis, Money and Payday Loans

What you gonna do in case of short-term financial crisis? Borrow money from friends or relatives? Change your plans to buy or spend? Or simply opt for a payday loan? Take a look at this interesting conversation.

Skydiving Text Messaging Record Attempt

This world is full of odd and interesting stuffs. That's why there are so many weird world records in Guinness World Records database! Probably a new record will be added to the list, as on December 19 a team of 10 professional skydivers text messaged while free falling from 12,000 feet outside the Los Angeles city limits at the Samsung Mobile XTREME TEXTING event.

The skydivers used five different Samsung Mobile messaging phones with full QWERTY keyboards. The challange was captured in the air by two aerial videographers and two additional videographers on the ground. Now the video has been sent to the Guinness World Records for judgment. If the feat gets a green signal from the official judge, "Fastest Text Messaging While Skydiving" will be a new entry into Guinness World Records.

What you think about the attempt? Definitely it was a difficult one, as the skydivers got only one minute to text message the following phrase while free falling 12,000 feet above ground:

"The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human."

via: Samsung

Coffee has greater effect on Men!

A new study by a group of researchers from the University of Barcelona, Spain, has found that caffeine has greater effect on men compared to women and those effects starts just 10 minutes after it is drunk. This is for the first time someone has documented the interesting differences in the positive effects that caffeine may have on alertness between men and women.

The researchers have based their findings on an experiment conducted on 668 healthy volunteers (238 male and 450 female), aged around 22. The volunteers were asked to drink either a classic espresso containing 100mg of caffeine or a decaffeinated espresso containing 5mg of caffeine. Then their changes in alertness over time were measured by the researchers.

After analysis of data, the researchers found that both men and women saw an improvement in their activity levels after drinking the classic espresso. They also found that, 45 minutes is the time needed for maximum caffeine concentration to be reached in the blood. But withing a few minutes of drinking coffee, the levels reached half the maximum concentration and the effect was appeared to be greater in the men.

Interestingly, the researchers also found a small subjective improvement in the participants’ state of alertness after drinking the decaffeinated espresso. Previously scientists were not aware about any effect of decaffeinated drinks on alertness.The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the 'Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry' journal.

Mystery of Tutankhamun's Father

New evidence in the form of an inscribed limestone block in Egypt might have solved the mystery about the identity of boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun's father. Tutankhamun, the best-known pharaoh of ancient Egypt, has been puzzling scientists ever since his mummy and treasure-packed tomb was discovered in 1922 in the Valley of the Kings by British archaeologist Howard Carter.

Now a missing broken limestone block found a few months ago in a storeroom at el Ashmunein, a village on the west bank of the Nile some 150 miles south of Cairo, suggests that Tutankhamun was the child of Akhenaten.

The limestone block was used in the construction of the temple of Thoth during the reign of Ramesses II, who ruled around 1279-1213 B.C. Once reassembled, the slab has become an accurate piece of evidence that proves Tutankhamun lived in el Amarna with Akhenaten and he married his wife.

"We can now say that Tutankhamun was the child of Akhenaten," Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Discovery News.

According to Hawass, the block comes from the temple of Aton in Amarna and the forms of the inscribed names clearly date it to the reign of Akhenaten. The text on the block also suggests that the young Tutankhamun married his father's daughter, that is his half sister.

"The block shows the young Tutankhamun and his wife, Ankhesenamun, seated together. The text identifies Tutankhamun as the 'king's son of his body, Tutankhaten,' and his wife as the 'king's daughter of his body, Ankhesenaten'," Hawass said.

So, this block clearly proves that Tutankhamun was the child of Akhenaten. But researchers are not yet convinced about the mother of Tutankhamun. There is a debate whether he is the son of Kiya, Akhenaten's minor wife, or Queen Nefertiti, Akhenaten's other wife.

PETA all-wood Human Coffins

A company in New Mexico is building special human coffins in partnership with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). So, what's the catch? As PETA name is involved here, there must be something related to animal rights and in this case the coffins are all-wood and bear painted slogans, such as "Lifetime PETA Member", "Told You I Wouldn't Be Caught Dead in Fur!" or "I saved 500 animals."

The PETA coffins are assembled by Dienna Genther, 44, a former construction worker from Bellingham, Washington, who operates a company called The Old Pine Box in rural Edgewood. The coffins went on sale last week and are priced from $620 to $670, which includes a $75 contribution towards PETA. Made of wood, the coffins are designed to be Earth-friendly, with no screws, nails, hinges or animal-based glues.


So, this kind of coffins are perfect for those who wants to support animal rights even after death! This is a genuine idea and I'm sure that there will be plenty of customers for the PETA coffins. What you say?

Source: http://www.theoldpinebox.com/peta_coffins.html

World's Largest Ceviche served in Peru

On Sunday, chefs in Peru prepared the World's Largets Ceviche, a form of citrus-marinated seafood appetizer, popular in mainly Latin American countries like Mexico, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. . The 6.8 tonne dish was prepared in an open-air sports stadium in Callao, a district near Peru's capital. About 450 students and chefs worked together for the preparation, which was an attempt to bring back their world record title.

After the ceviche was ready, it's weight was measured by putting the traditional dish into smaller boxes and taking the measurement with a movable scale. A representative of the Guinness Books of World Records was also present there, who later confirmed the new record. The previous record for the world's largest ceviche, weighing in at 4.5 tons, was set in Mexico in 2005.

Britain's "Worst Christmas Tree"

A Christmas tree in Peterlee, a town in County Durham, England, is being termed as the "Worst Christmas Tree"! Because it is too small and looks more like a twig than a tree. And even some people thinks the tree is an insult to the town! Take a look at the picture.

The tree was meant to be the focal point of festive celebrations at Castle Dene Shopping Centre in Peterlee. When the tree arrived it turned out to be smaller than expected. But, it was too late to order another one. So, it was put up and decorated with coloured lights. Even pop star Natasha Hamilton was invited to officially switched on it's lights.

Despite all those decoration the Christmas tree failed to attract local people. One shopper termed it as "the worst Christmas tree in the country". Even complaints were lodged before Councillor Joan Maslin.

After all those complaints and media coverage, the Shopping Centre was flooded with offers of replacement. Now it is reported that the Christmas tree will be replaced with a new 20ft tall Norway spruce, provided by Forestry Commission. At last the people of Peterlee will be able to enjoy a beautiful Christmas!

via: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7760771.stm