dreaming of a White Christmas

Still Dreaming of a 'White Christmas'
A Look Back at the Biggest Pop Song of All Time
by Susan Stamberg

January 1940, Irving Berlin, the most popular songwriter in America, raced into his office and asked his musical secretary to take down a new song. "Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it's the best song anybody ever wrote," he said. His "White Christmas" was a seasonal, secular hymn that has lasted over half a century.

"Today, we can hardly imagine Christmas without secular Christmas tunes, but really they weren't part of popular music culture until Irving Berlin wrote 'White Christmas'," says Jody Rosen, author of the new book, White Christmas: The Story of an American Song.

Though it has been recorded hundreds of times, the version most people remember is the classic by Bing Crosby. It was first featured in the 1942 film Holiday Inn and later in the 1954 movie White Christmas.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on the history of the most popular pop song of all time.

See the snowman singing my song click here

Chimps beat humans in memory test

The young Chimpanzee is playing a memory game on screen.

Chimpanzees have an extraordinary photographic memory that is far superior to ours, research suggests.

Young chimps outperformed university students in memory tests devised by Japanese scientists.
The tasks involved remembering the location of numbers on a screen, and correctly recalling the sequence.
The findings, published in Current Biology, suggest we may have under-estimated the intelligence of our closest living relatives.
Until now, it had always been assumed that chimps could not match humans in memory and other mental skills.
"There are still many people, including many biologists, who believe that humans are superior to chimpanzees in all cognitive functions," said lead researcher Tetsuro Matsuzawa of Kyoto University.

"No one can imagine that chimpanzees - young chimpanzees at the age of five - have a better performance in a memory task than humans.
Young chimpanzees have an extraordinary working memory capability for numerical recollection - better than that of human adults tested in the same apparatus, following the same procedure."

Memory tests
Dr Matsuzawa and colleagues tested three pairs of mother and baby chimpanzees against university students in a memory task involving numbers.

The mothers and their five-year-old offspring had already been taught to "count" from one to nine.
During the experiment, each subject was presented with various numerals from one to nine on a touch screen monitor.
The numbers were then replaced with blank squares and the test subject had to remember which number appeared in which location, then touch the appropriate square.
They found that, in general, the young chimps performed better than their mothers and the adult humans.
The university students were slower than all of the three young chimpanzees in their response.
The researchers then varied the amount of time that the numbers appeared on-screen to compare the working memory of humans and chimps.
Chimps performed much better than university students in speed and accuracy when the numbers appeared only briefly on screen.
The shortest time duration, 210 milliseconds, did not leave enough time for the subjects to explore the screen by eye movement - something we do all the time when we read.
This is evidence, the researchers believe, that young chimps have a photographic memory which allows them to memorise a complex scene or pattern at a glance. This is sometimes present in human children but declines with age, they say.
"Young chimpanzees have a better memory than human adults," Dr Matsuzawa told BBC News.
"We are still underestimating the intellectual capability of chimpanzees, our evolutionary neighbours."

'Ground-breaking'

Dr Lisa Parr, who works with chimps at the Yerkes Primate Center at Emory University in Atlanta, US, described the research as "ground-breaking".

She said their importance of these primates for understanding the skills necessary for the evolution of modern humans was unparalleled.
"They are our closest living relatives and thus are in a unique position to inform us about our evolutionary heritage," said Dr Parr.
"These studies tell us that elaborate short-term memory skills may have had a much more salient function in early humans than is present in modern humans, perhaps due to our increasing reliance on language-based memory skills."

Cindy Kurleto

Cindy Kurleto’s lovely face was first publicly noticed in a San Miguel Beer commercial and this is where window of opportunities in Philippine show biz opened for her. During the early stage of career, her relationship with popular actor Jericho Rosales brought her to limelight.
Cindy is the daughter of Filipina Faustina Verdillo and Austrian Friedrich Kurleto. She entered the world on April 23, 1981 in Austria and finished a Hotel and Restaurant Management degree there prior to her decision to visit and stay in the Philippines for good.

In 2003, after the beer commercial, she appears to three more commercials, for Palmolive Sun Protection Shampoo, Secret Deodorant and Lee Jeans. Furthermore, she had a small role in the movie “Ngayong Nandito Ka”, where she met Jericho and people became aware of her. She then became a co-host of a daily noontime show, Magandang Tanghali Bayan (MTB).
A year after, she moved to GMA Network that gave her an opportunity to act despite of being inarticulate in Filipino.Cindy appears in a comedy sitcom “Daddy Di Do Du” as love interest of the lead actor Vic Sotto . Also, she portrays a psycho villain in the daily TV drama series “Forever In My Heart”.

The efforts and discipline paid off for this 5’7 lady as she landed in more TV appearances. In 2005, she characterized “Cassiopea” in a fantasy TV series “Encatadia” and in the same role in a follow-up series "Etheria”. Currently, Cindy Kurleto is a regular co-host in “Eat Bulaga”, giving her needed exposure in this daily TV show. On the side, she is still busy in making commercials for popular brands like Camay Soap, Mendrez Shoes, Freeway Clothing, and Silverworkds Accessories.

Dreaming of a white Chtistmas

A Look Back at the Biggest Pop Song of All Time
by Susan Stamberg

In January 1940, Irving Berlin, the most popular songwriter in America, raced into his office and asked his musical secretary to take down a new song. "Not only is it the best song I ever wrote, it's the best song anybody ever wrote," he said. His "White Christmas" was a seasonal, secular hymn that has lasted over half a century. "Today, we can hardly imagine Christmas without secular Christmas tunes, but really they weren't part of popular music culture until Irving Berlin wrote 'White Christmas'," says Jody Rosen, author of the new book, White Christmas: The Story of an American Song.

Though it has been recorded hundreds of times, the version most people remember is the classic by Bing Crosby. It was first featured in the 1942 film Holiday Inn and later in the 1954 movie White Christmas.

On Morning Edition, NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on the history of the most popular pop song of all time.

Valerie Conception

Valerie Concepcion

Valerie Concepcion was born on December 21, 1987, in Manila, Philippines. Val, unlike her other contemporaries, didn’t actually enter show business should she could support her family. It was her love for the craft—and her desire to entertain people—that prompted her to join the family of Click, a noon-time teen show of GMA 7 where she played the role of Yasmin. Otherwise, she would just be a full-time student who’s taking up a degree in Mass Communications or in a cooking school, turning one of her hobbies into a profession. At a very young age of 15, Valerie was already conquering TVs and movies. Besides Click, also played a significant supporting role in the movie Fantastic Man. She was so good with her acting performances that she was hailed as Best New Female TV Personality in the 2003 Star Awards. Indeed, one would definitely believe that she was already at a peak of her career, until news broke out, and she was forced to leave from her work temporarily. Known to a few but a total shock to many, Val was pregnant with her first child—and she was only 16.Everybody thought that it’s the total end of Valerie, who gave birth to a very beautiful baby girl whom she fondly calls as Fiona. However, the dilemma turned into something positive when she was welcomed back to the world she learned to love with Open Arms. She received great parts in GMA’s fantaseryes, such as Mulawin: The Movie and in Majika, where she played the role of Naryan, an umbra or a female spirit who needs to conform to the wishes of her master. She was also Elisa in Atlantika, a concept of GMA of a very powerful kingdom found underneath the sea. However, it was her portrayal as Nora Ferrer in Sinasamba Kita that made even her critics think that she can be a dramatic actress. Nevertheless, it was during one of her shoots for the said soap opera that she met a very terrible accident. It could have been just a fake collision with a car, but it landed her in the hospital for days. Valerie wasn’t only noticed for her acting prowess but for her ample curves as well, which people think got much better after she gave birth. This gave her great spots in men’s magazines, including FHM, where she was heralded as the 42nd sexiest woman in the Philippines. She also never fails to entertain millions of people all over the world as she becomes one of the female co-hosts of Willie Revillame in Wowowee. Valerie can also be seen in commercials, most notably in her cameo appearance in San Miguel Beer with Manny Pacquiao and Jet Li. Valerie believes that everything happens for a certain reason. For a girl who’s barely in her twenties, to think that her setbacks are only lessons to be learned is such a huge feat. Her determination and natural ability will truly make her shine among the stars.

Ruffa Gutierrez as one of the most beautiful woman in the philippines

Ruffa Gutierrez

She has been declared as one of the most beautiful women in the Philippines. She has acted in television and movies in more occasions than people would ever care to count. She has been through controversy and duress, yet she still stands proud and tall as a woman who has seen almost everything there is to be seen in the Philippine showbiz industry.

Ruffa Gutierrez is a Filipino actress, former beauty queen, and model who won the title of Binibining Pilipinas World in 1993 and was the Second Princess in Miss World 1993. She was born as Sharmaine Ruffa Rama Gutierrez on June 24, 1974, in Manila, Philippines, to Eddie Gutierrez, a very popular mestizo actor in the 1960s, and former actress, Annabelle Rama. She is the oldest among three children, others being identical twin brothers, Raymond and Richard, who are both actors as well.Upon achieving success in the world of beauty pageants, she started off in her career as an actress. She has starred in over 50 different films in the Philippines and has done countless appearances on television. During 1994, she got herself in a very huge controversy when she won, though by cheating, the Best Actress Award for Loretta in the Twentieth Metro Manila Film Festival. The story rocked the film industry. The award was meant for Aiko Melendez, one of her good friends. The error was corrected a couple of days after.Ruffa married a Turkish businessman named Yilmaz Bektas in 2003. At first, their marriage seemed to be perfect and golden, as their union resulted with two children and Ruffa staying in Istanbul, Turkey, where her husband resides in. She had even converted to the Islamic faith. That was until accusations of horrible abuse such as being electrocuted in the bathtub, continuously being beaten for fifteen hours straight, being locked up in the cabinet for hours at a time, and so on. Yilmaz retaliated by denying the torture, though he confirmed that he indeed slapped her once. This, after he learned that she was previously married. But the accusations did do much to tarnish their four-year marriage, and they came to a mutual agreement of ending it all together on May 2007.Since then, she has reconverted back to her Christian faith and came back to the Philippines to continue her showbiz career and to take care of her kids. She claimed that Bektas has been threatening them for some time now, so she requested protection from the police force, which was granted for a month. A little bit later, they reconciled, and Bektas plans to repropose to her, but only “at the right time,” as he said, as well as gaining blessing from her family. This would be close to a total impossibility since Annabelle Rama has publicly stated that she does not want to see Bektas.She now hosts the showbiz talk show “The Buzz,” replacing Kris Aquino, who took maternity leave. Supposedly, a temporary replacement, Kris has announced her resignation from the show, so Ruffa becomes a permanent host from now on. Ruffa has also starred in a hit fantaserye of ABS-CBN entitled Kokey. If she’s not working and taking care of her kids, she’s busy with her Roof-a-Child Foundation.

My Favorite Flowers

My favorite annuals!!!

My hobby is gardening and I love flowers so much, Perennials and annuals are my favorite to grow since they are easy to propagate through cutting production and they give more flowers compared to other ornamental plant. They come in different colors, some are red, violet, pink, white and other basic colors of an annual plant but some produces flowers in shocking colors like tangerine, bluish red and dark yellow and red that almost turns into maroon.

They grow in full sunlight but they prefer in a cooler climate because that's where their habitat fits in but there are plant enthusiast that bought flowers (annual type)in a colder climate and bring them into the lower elevation and put it in a full sunlight place, as a result, plant turn their leaves brown and begin to curl and starts to defoliate and turns to be a dead plant. Usually based on my experienced plants that grow in the higher elevation of land doesn't grow healthy in the lower elevation in hot climate but some survives but don't flower at all.

These are some of my favorite annual plants:

Recipe of The Day

Cauliflower Salad

1medium sized cauliflower

1/2 lemon

1/4 cup vinegar

1 cup safflower oil

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 cups low calorie yogurt

colds meats or chicken (optional)


corn kernel (optional)

Cut cauliflower from stem and discard core. Place in a saucepan with lemon and cover with boiling water. Lemon will keep cauliflower white. Cook for three minutes. Drain in colander and refresh under cold water for 1 minute, taking care to keep florets in shape.

Place in a salad bowl, sprinkle vinegar and oil. Dust with half the mint leaves and allow to rest for at least 25 minutes. To serve, coat lightly with yogurt and dust with remaining mint leaves. This salad is excellent with cold meats or chicken.

FACT OR FICTION? The daily health scare

SCARE#1 FISH IS FULL OF TOXIC METALS

Mercury is the main concern, and while it is naturally found in air, water and food, fish absorb the most dangerous form, methelymercury, from waters as they feed.

THE TRUTH:
It's certainly true that some varieties of fish, like shark and swordfish, contain higher levels of mercury, because they're usually older and bigger at the time they're caught, ' says nutritionist Dr. Rosemary Stanton'. But, according to Stanton, its really only a problem when the fish are caught insist that are far more 'polluted' with mercury than Australian waters.

SCARE#2 MOBILE PHONES CAUSE BRAIN TUMORS

In numerous studies have claimed that mobile phones are responsible for everything from headache,to cancer to brain tumors. One study, published in International Journal of Oncology, found that people who's spend more than an hour a day talking to mobile phone, where almost a third more at risk of developing a rare form of brain tumor. Why? its thought that the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the phone is to blame.

THE TRUTH:
The general consensus worldwide is that there is no brain-cancer link to mobile phones. The latest and largest study to confirm the "No harm" finding was conducted by 3 British Universities and the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK. Researchers announced that as much as 10 years of mobile phone used resulted in no increase risk of tumor. However, 'whether there are longer -term risks remains unknown,' was the final comment of the Researchers.

YOU SHOULD:
Despite the fact that most expert believe mobiles don't pose a risk to your health, it's still worth taking a few precautions. Choose a Mobile phone with a low specific absorption rate, which refers to the amount of radiation that is absorb by body tissues, use a hands-free kit as much as possible, and avoid carrying your mobile phone close to your body when it's switch on.

SCARE#3 VACCINATION CAN TRIGGER SERIOUS ILLNESS

Despite vaccinations playing a vital role in the prevention of some fatal diseases, some people argue that they are dangerous, saying that they can trigger everything from serious side effects to the very disease they are meant to protect against.

SCARE#4 COOKING WITH ALUMINUM CAUSES ALZHEIMER'S

An old Favourite rumours are always circulating about the risks associated with cooking food in aluminum pots. The main one? That aluminum leaches out into food during cooking, which puts you at an increased risk of developing an Alzheimer disease.

THE TRUTH
U.S. Researchers at the University of Kentucky failed to find significant amount of aluminum in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, despite the fact that they'd spent a lifetime drinking water with a high aluminum content. In line with that, the Alzheimer's Australia website states: "Despite the widespread presence of aluminum, the majority of elderly people do not get Alzheimer disease and the risk from aluminum, if any, must be small".

YOU SHOULD
be aware aluminum is int he air, in foods and in water, but, to ward off Alzheimer, a US study found drinking natural juices reduce the risk of developing the disease by 75% .

SCARE#5 CURRY CAN CAUSE CANCER

This one hit the headlines in the UK last year. According to a trading standard, investigations in the UK, high levels of food coloring in chicken, tikka masala-a popular Indian curry- is capable of causing hyper activity, asthma and even cancer.

THE TRUTH:
The colorings in question are tartrazine,Sunset Yellow and Ponceau 4R. In 57 percent of Indian restaurants tested in the UK, illegal and potentially dangerous" levels of the food dyes were being used to give the sauce its distinctive orange-red hue. And while there is no research to show how widely these three colourings are used in Australia, they're certainly not banned-a step that some countries, including Finland, Norway and the US, have taken due to various proven side effects, including asthmahypaeractivity in children and the onset of cancer in animals.

YOU SHOULD:

Make it a habit to read labels and ask whether these artificial colour shave been used in takeaway and restaurant dishes that have a distinctive yellow-orange colour. But don't avoid eating curry altogether-according to a US study from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, curcumin, a spice that gives curries a "natural" yellow colour, may have an important role to play in fighting cancer like melanoma.

SCARE#6 DEODORANT CAUSES BREAST CANCER

This scare was given a new lease of life in 2004 when the northwestern University in Chicago, in the US, released a study, which found that frequent underarm shaving combined with deodorant use might increase a woman's chances of developing breast cancer. The theory is that the aluminum salts found in deodorant could enter the shaven skin and alter a woman's DNA.

THE TRUTH:

This is a highly contentious and frequently argued issue, but according to the National Breast Cancer Centre, the link between antiperspirants and breast cancer is a misconception, stating that "there is no quality evidence which shows the use of antiperspirant deodorants is associated with or causes breast cancer".

And what about the Northwestern University study? According to Professor Matthew Vadas, Chairman of the Australian Cancer Research foundation's medical advisory committee , the study is flawed. The sample size was small and didn't consider body mass index, or the role of post-menopausal hormones," argues Professor Vadas. "And the results of two similar studies have also been disputed," he adds.

YOU SHOULD:

Pay more attention to proven risk factors for breast cancers, and do what you can to prevent them. While things like losing excess weight, reducing alcohol intake and enjoying regular exercise are measures you can take to decrease your risk, knowing your family history of breast cancer and understanding the role age has to play are positive steps towards understanding just how at risk you may be.

Panglao Island A Best Place To Have a Vacation

PANGLAO ISLAND

Two bridges connect Bohol to Panglao, an overnight success for diving-oriented beach resorts. From a virtually deserted beach in the early 1980's, Alona beach has become a thriving tourism community just managing to keep commercialism at bay. Most places in Alona Beach rent our motorcycles for around P600 per day.

fiesta time in Panglao towns is in late August. In Dauis, it's in mid-August.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

The refreshingly cold waters of Hinagdanan Cave, at Bingag, on the island's northern coast, would be worth a plunge if the bats here hadn't spent years pooping in the water. The well-lit stalactites and stalagmites are a lot more appealing. Admission is officially free, but a P5 donation is the norm Diving is the most popular tourist pursuit on Panglao. Apart from revelling in underwater paradises just south of Alona Beach Divers also use Panglao as a base from which to reach Cabilao Island.

PLACES TO STAY AND EAT

There's no shortage of resorts along Alona Beach. The best on offer, with singles/doubles with fan is Alonaville Beach Resort (038-411 3254). It has good rustic rooms with common bath and attractive little rooms and cottages(mostly twins) with fan

Alona Pyramid Resort Has solid, standard rooms. Usually two-storey huts. Next door is Sea-Quest Divers.

The quite Bohol Divers Lodge has cottages and popular diving tours. Divers Lodge and Sunshine Divers nearby also have good dive tours. At the quieter end of the beach, a really nice place to to spend the night is Alona tropical which also has a deservedly popular restaurant.

On the attractive, raised point at the eastern end of Alona Beach, Crystal Coast Villa has also good rooms to offer with air-con and bath and a swimming pool. If you want to be surrounded by lots of greenery, try Alona Kew White Beach, it's a large jungly compound offering cottages with aircon and bath. There';s a fine big restaurant on the grounds and staff can arrange boating and diving excursions.

In a different area, on the beach near Bolod, Bohol Beach Club is a quite swanky place for divers and lovers of the good life. It has large, air-con doubles and twins with bath and excellent service, there's good snorkeling right on the beach and diving and snorkeling gears for rent. Staff will collect you from the pier in Tagbilaran if you ring ahead.

GETTING THERE AND AWAY

There's an Aboitiz Express and Supercat/Sea Angels booking office in front of the Alona Kew White Beach Resort, which is handy for booking tickets and getting information. JG Express buses go several times a day from Tagbilaran's Dao bus and jeepney station to Panglao town to Alona Beach(45minutes). Just ask for the bus to Alona. The cheapest, simplest way to reach Alona in a hurry is to hire a tricycle from anywhere in Tagbilaran.

Smoking is a Bad Habit, Here's How You can manage the Damage

TTHE BAD NEWS Smoking increase you likelihood of developing cancers of the lungs, oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, oesopaghus. pancreas, urinary bladder, renal pelvis, nasal cavities, sinuses, liver, stomach, kidneys, and uterine cervix,. You're also risking heart disease, myeloid leukemia, stroke, chronic (and irreversible) lung disease, premature ageing and sexual disfunction.

THE GOOD NEWS Within 24 hours hours of quitting, your blood will contain fewer poisons and more oxygen. Another month and your blood pressure and breathing improve. After 12 months, your risk of heart disease is halve. "A person who quits smoking before age 25 will have a much smaller risk of smoking-related disease. "says associate Professor Matthew Peters, a respiratory specialist. "You stall your lifetime risk at the age you quit, so if you quit at 30 you're likely to forever have the same risk as a 30-year-old smoker. If you will have the same risk as a 40-year-old smoker.

THE FIX See your GP and as for help on quitting. Anti oxidants such as vitamin C (in vegetables and fruit), vitamin E(in vegetable oil and nuts), and lycopene (in tomatoes) will help combat the free radicals that contribute to health problems in smokers.

Cholesterol questions

MYTH OR FACT

All cholesterol is bad for us

Myth: Cholesterol is normal and essential to our health- it is part of our body cells and hormones and is used by the body to help digest fat. In our bodies, we have good (HDL) cholesterol and bad (LDL) cholesterol. In simple terms, our total cholesterol is the total of the good and the bad. Generally, the lower your total cholesterol, the healthier it is for your heart.

Eating foods containing cholesterol should be avoided

Myth: Contrary to what you may think, cholesterol in food does not effect our "Bad" cholesterol as much as saturated fat does. Therefore, it is more important to reduce your saturated fat intake to help keep your heart healthy.

Eliminate Molds

Put a stop to molds in your house

Molds are fungi that play a vital role in our environment. They break down dead organic matter and recyle nutrients in the environment. But inside our homes, molds cause more harm than good. Touching or inhaling mold spores may cause allergic responses like hay fever-type symptoms and asthma attacks. or trigger eye, skin, nose, throat or lung irritation.



To wipe out molds, I suggest these:



Eliminate molds as soon as they appear,. Use detergent or an appropriate household cleaner. Wear gloves when cleaning. Dry the cleaned area thoroughly. dispose of used rags or sponges.



If the molds return quickly or spreads, it may indicate an underlying problem, such as a leak.



I also used sodim bicarbonate mix with vinegar, it really eliminates molds most especially in the bathroom. yes! the baking soda, the one you use for baking a cake. I measured 1 tablespoon of it and a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water, shake it to dissolve the content and you can now use it to clean your bathrooms walls and floors.

More time in television can harm kids health

The effects of too much television

Too much TV viewing in childhood could lead to poor health during the adult years. a new study shows. Researchers in New Zealand tracked for 26 years the TV viewing habits of 1000 children born in the country during the early 1970's. Results published in The Lancet medical journal showed that television viewing from the ages of five to 15 years old increased the risk of these in adulthood:

*High cholesterol

*Smoking

*poor fitness

*obesity

The study authors further noted that about 17 percent of overweight cases, 15 percent of the poor fitness results, 15 percent of the elevated cholesterol findings and 17 percent of current smoking cases among these 26-year-old could be traced to watching more than two hours of television per day during childhood and adolescence.

Lead author Robert Hancox, MD., and colleagues from the University of Otago in New Zealand suggested that parents should confine children's viewing hours to one to two per day, preferably even less if possible.

Parents should see to it that their kids are in less time viewing on TV and its better to put a guidelines or schedule for them in TV.

Clues in picking your new shoe?

Am I picking the right shoe for my little one?

There are a lot of shoes available in the market. It comes in different styles,colors,leather or rubber types, so how do you know which one is good for your little one...

Other than style, buy for comfort and function". Shoes should not only look good, but also help your child feel good and move around well.

Select materials that breathe. closed shoes with upper made of synthetics or plastics can irritate young delicate skin especially in warm weather. "Leather and canvas are good for the feet,". They are flexible,soft,yet durable materials that let air in but keep moisture out, keeping feet cool and dry.

Rubber is the best material for the soles. It is flexible, durable, and has a good gripping surface." Skid-free rubber soles are recommended to avoid accidents in slippery areas," Another good for soles is polyurethane.

Ensure an appropriate fit. "Shoes or sandals that are too long can cause tripping and those that are too short leave little toes vulnerable to dirt and grime,",Moreover , feet without socks are even more vulnerable to blisters from ill-fitting shoes.

Select shoes or sandals that come in a choice of widths for different types of feet," You can also get shoes with adjustable front fastening so as not to constrict the feet.

Pick shoes with good last design and which follow the shape of your child's feet so he/she will feel comfortable in them.

"Get shoes and sandals with arch support," to distribute weight over a wider area.

Arch supports also help the flat-footed.

FREEZING FATHERHOOD

Baby born using long-frozen sperm

Through frozen sperm, a man who became infertile after being treated for testicular cancer as a teenager has become a dad 21 years later. The live birth has been hailed as a new world record for the longest period of cryo-preservation, or freezing of sperm.

The man, then 17, reportedly froze five samples of sperm before undergoing surgery, radiation and chemotherapy between 1979 and 1981 to treat testicular cancer.

Two years ago, the sperm was thawed and used to fertilize his partner's eggs. A healthy baby boy was born in 2002 to the UK-based couple. The live birth provides proof that long-term freezing can successfully preserve sperm quality and fertility, notes researchers, who called for more follow-up studies.

5 Tips to Fight Stress

Relaxing tip #1:

Prepare for the next day

If you know that tomorrow is going to be a stressful day at work, prepare yourself by taking a multivitamin and getting as much sleep as you can. Before going to bed, take a little time to bond with your kids by doing light activities such as reading a book to them. The fulfillment you'll feel from bonding with your kids allows you to calm down before facing that challenging workday ahead.

Relaxing tip #2:

Release facial muscle tension

Tense facial muscles lead to tension headaches. Especially during those long and busy days in the office, try to find time to take five minutes to massage the inner corners of your brows, working your way out to your temples, moving down to the hinges of your jaw. You'll instantly relieve locked up stress.

Relaxing tip #3:

Go out for a walk

If you work on a computer all day long, try getting up and going for a walk outside the office even for five minutes for a change of view, a breath of fresh air and a drop of sunlight. Sunlight triggers chemical reactions in your system which help fight tension.

Relaxing tip #4

Don't forget to breath

Taking deep breath helps release pent-up stress and lets you think twice before reacting negatively to stressful situations. Take three deep breaths before saying something to someone which you might regret later (and therefore cause more stress), and five big ones before delving into the huge load of paperwork on your desk.

Relaxing tip #5

Opt for healthy drinks and snacks

In the middle of the hectic workday, Don't reach for soda, coffee, chips or sugar-fix. Caffeine, sodium and sugar give you a short-lived energy buzz and lead to a system crash. Soothe your nerves instead with lots of water to keep your hydrated, and snack on fresh fruits and nuts.

Fun Ways To Get kids to EAT HEALTHY

parents usually encounter feeding problems like changes in the kid's appetite., experimenting with new foods,and demanding snacks which are usually unhealthy. In getting their child to eat, some parents give it to the kid's whims while other parents develop a controlling attitude by forcing the kids to eat what parents want them to eat. The dinner table then turns into a battleground between the unyielding child and the frustrated mom. To solve the problem, it is important that parent create an atmosphere where children are encouraged, not forced, to eat healthy. How to make nutrition fun for kids? Here are the ways:

BEDTIME "VEGGIE TALES'. Narrating tales is an effective, enjoyable way to introduce healthy habits to the child. Before tucking your kid to bed, tell her stories that teach proper nutrition. Mommies can create delightful characters like 'Iggy the eggplant' or 'Peachy the Pechay'. Incorporate fruits and vegetables in beloved fairy tales.. tell the story of 'Snow White and the Seven Fruits'. You can turn it into an interactive storytelling session by asking your kid to think of a favorite fruit or vegetables and give it a wacky name. Emphasize the importance of eating healthy everyday and inject a good dose of humour in the story.

GROCERY SHOPPING WITH YOUR KID. Shopping for nutritious foods in the supermarket can be an excellent opportunity for learning and bonding. You can play simple games in the grocery to educate your child about good nutrition and to keep him from throwing temper tantrums. Do the "Great Vegetable Hunt" . You and your child can go ever the grocery. List and see who finds the items first. Or you can shop for the grocery items in alphabetical order ' apples,bananas, carrots, and so on . Both kids and mom will have a frolicking good time at the supermarket.

MAKE MEAL PLANNING FUN. Feeding experts believe that involving the child during meal planning helps reinforce healthy eating habits. Knowing her opinion matters will also boost your child's self esteem. To make meal-planning fun, ask your little one to suggest a favorite vegetables or fruit and inquire about the colors and shapes that she likes. If your child loves the color orange, you can cut carrots into fun shapes like a star or a quarter moon and include it in your dishes. Be very imaginative in the kitchen--make your family meals as colorful and interesting as possible.

FOOD PYRAMID AT PLAYTIME. A Creative way to teach the food pyramid is to include during playtime. Together, search for pictures of nutritious foods then arrange and paste the cut outs on a cardboard like a pyramid. While performing this art project, both kid and mom will learn that the body needs lots of liquid like water and clean broth ;much "go" foods like rice, corn, pasta and cereal ; more "glow" foods like vegetables and fruits; some "grow" foods like fish, eggs, nuts, poultry, lean meat, milk and cheese and a little sweets, salt, fats and oil. Bring out the food pyramid art piece every time you plan meals with your kid.

The Dinner table does not have a battle ground between the unyielding child and the frustrated mom.

PACKAGE HEALTHY, ATTENTION DOES GRABBING BAON. School snacks are important because they help supply energy to the child for studying and playing. To encourage children to eat health baon during recess time, moms can pack nutritious school snacks in a fancy and colorful way. You can choose a vivid-colored, glossy paper or plastic to create a sandwich bag that looks like a party loot bag, or you can wrap the sandwich baon like a gift and tie it with a nice ribbon. Another way is, to let your kid help you prepare and pack his baon as this will encourage him to eat the food that he helped prepare. Don't forget to tuck a short thoughtful note in the lunch box to send your love and motivate your child to eat.