Chinese Farmers Can Grow Gourds into Virtually Any Shape

Ni Hao! How's it going, eh? Thanks for clicking by today. Ready for a mug of Chinese tea...well, okay, coffee then...and a virtual treat? Of course you are. You'd have to be out of your gourd not to, huh? Speaking of gourds...

We'll save the Looking at the detailed sculptures in the photos below, You’d be tempted to think they are made of wax, but believe it or not, they’re actually gourds! Enterprising Chinese farmers are able to grow these veggies into any shape they want. 

The most popular one is Chairman Mao, but there are many others as well – Buddha, Jesus, Santa Claus, babies, old men, monks, dragons, and pretty much anything else that attracts people’s attention.

You might think there’s some complex bioengineering or agricultural science going on behind these gourd-sculptures, but in reality, they’re just grown in simple plastic molds. 

It all started when a man named Xie Lyu Zhi visited the Thousand Year Temple in Sichuan Province. He claims that during the visit, a Buddhist monk told him about a dream he had about a gourd shaped like a deity.

Now, for me, I would have thought that rock and movie stars would be big hits...especially if you want to get the younger generation interested in maintaining the family farm.  But then, what do I know about Chinese farming, eh? 

Better yet, go into the business of selling plastic molds to farmers. On second thought, farmers don't have much money so they'd probably want to trade gourds for your molds...so you'd end up with a truckload of gourds which you could then take to the market. Aha! Now we're getting nowhere!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Sweet Foods that Lower Blood Sugar

Hey! Hey! Nice to see you. Wassup? Me? Well pour yourself a rousingly refreshing mug of coffee and snag a virtual treat or two while I bring you up to date. You know I went through a triple bypass in March and have been on the road to recovery since then... getting on for six months now. Went to see my family doctor yesterday and he says I am doing very well...BP is good, cholesterol is down, heart rate is bang on. The only thing is that my blood sugar is up a little. He calls it prediabetes. As they say in England. Marvelous...bloody marvelous! More exercise, watch my diet ad nausuem! Well, coincidentally, here is a recent note I received from my pal Dr Al (Sears) about blood sugar...

Dear Bob,

There are certain sweet foods like blackberries, apples, grapes and even chocolate that lower blood sugar.

That’s not all. These sweet foods also:

• prevent tumors in almost every organ in your body. They even prevent breast tumors 

• fight tissue-attacking free radicals and protect your cells against tumor development and growth. Studies show they can reduce your cancer risk between 30% and 60%

• have the power to lower the risk of both lung cancer  and prostate cancer

• increase your body’s natural protective enzymes to guard against stroke

• help prevent hardening of the arteries

How do they do it? These foods get their blood sugar-lowering and other healing powers from catechins. Catechins act a lot like insulin, helping bring down high blood sugar.

Catechins come from the seeds, skin and certain other parts of sweet fruits like blackberries.

Another creamy-sweet fruit with catechins is the exotic cupuacu that I tasted in Brazil. Even though it has a chocolaty-vanilla sweetness, its catechins keep your blood sugar low.

These special plant nutrients are part of a group of plant compounds called flavonoids. And you don’t need much to get the effect. One study finds low doses of catechins are heart-protective. 

But the “low” doses in the clinical trial are still more than the average person gets every day. Most people don’t consume near enough catechins to get cancer protection and heart benefit. The average daily intake is only 23 milligrams. You need 100 milligrams or more.

The problem is most doctors and nutritionists don’t know which foods have the most catechins.

One doctor who does is my colleague Dr. Victor Marchione. In his Food Doctor newsletter he outlines a strategy that can help you find and consume catechin-rich foods.

Start by adding some green tea to your diet, which has the anti-aging catechin EGCG (epigallocatechin). You can also eat dark chocolate.

Maybe the best fruit for getting enough catechins is the blackberry. Blackberries have about 40 milligrams in 100 grams, the highest of any fruit. One recent animal study showed that blackberry can lower blood sugar by 25%.

Red table wine is an excellent source of catechins, with about 10 milligrams of these compounds in 100 grams, or 3.5 ounces of liquid.

Another powerful healing food with catechins that’s not very well known is the rose hip. These are a great source of vitamin C. But I found a Swedish study that discovered rose hips get most of their antioxidant power to protect and heal from catechins.

Yet catechins are just one of the food compounds you can get in food to avoid heart disease, stroke and cancer. Dr. Marchione has written a very interesting report in which he recommends using foods like those that have catechins as a first line of medical treatment.

As you’ll see in his special report, foods go far beyond just providing basic nutrition. They have active compounds that could help you relieve pain, reduce blood pressure, and fight cancer. And these foods also make you feel more happy, relaxed and energized. For a limited time, you can get a copy of this report FREE. Check it out today.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

We generally have a fridge full of berries...including blackberries. On my cereal in the morning; as an after dinner treat n the evening and, like last night, in a homemade power drink with banana, apple juice and melon. 

See ya, eh!

Bob

Bachelors Wanted in Brazilian Town Made Up Entirely of Women

Well hi ya! How're you faring today? Okay? Good! Fill your mug with some delicious Brazilian coffee and treat yourself to a virtual muffin or doughnut. You all know the legend of Amazon women, right? Well here's an actual Amazon town!

Noiva do Cordeiro, a picturesque Brazilian town in the hills near Belo Vale, is one of the very few all-female settlements in the world. Its 600-odd female residents are mostly between the ages of 20 and 35. They all live by a strict set of rules that allows only women to dominate society – but now they’ve extended an invitation to potential male suitors.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that the men they choose are welcome to live with them. All men – including husbands and sons above the age of 18 – are banished from Noiva do Corderio. They have to work away from home and can only visit during the weekends. Girl-power rules in this rural community, and women are in charge of every aspect of life including farming, town planning and religion.

It’s a interesting way of life, but the residents of Noiva do Cordeiro believe that it’s the best way to live. “There are lots of things that women do better than men.” said resident Rosalee Fernandes, 49. “Our town is prettier, more organized, and far more harmonious than if men were in charge.”

For any bachelor interested in applying, the first thing they need to be able to do is to say, "Uh huh...you're right...yes, I'm listening...of course dear...anything you say, honey...and, I love you in Brazilian Portuguese!"

See ya, eh!

Bob

I Love This Doctor!

Hi ya! How's tricks? Gettin' any... exercise these days, that is? Well before you rush out to the gym, pour yourself a nice refreshing mug of coffee and scarf down a virtual muffin or two. Then, listen to this doctor's advice... Tony in Manchester sent this to me so I thought I'd share it with you...knowing how much you love exercise and diets and stuff.

Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.. Is this true? 
A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap. 

Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: Oh no. Wine made from fruit.. Brandy distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made of grain. Bottom up! 

Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? 
A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two body, your ratio two to one. 

Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? 
A: Can't think of single one, sorry. My philosophy: No pain...good! 

Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetable be bad? 

Q : Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle? 
A: Oh no! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach. 

Q: Is chocolate bad for me? 
A: You crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around! 

Q: Is swimming good for your figure? 
A: If swimming good for figure, explain whale to me.

Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle? 
A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!

Well... I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.

And remember:
 
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather skidding in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!"

See ya, eh!

Bob 

Vicks VapoRub - Interesting...

A splendidly happy day to you. Thanks for clicking by. Help yourself to a mugful of coffee and a virtual muffin or doughnut. Tony in Manchester sent this to me so I thought I'd share it with you. Everybody and their uncle has used Vicks VapoRub at one time or another.
During a lecture on Essential Oils, they told us how the foot soles can absorb oils.

Their example: Put garlic on your feet and within 20 minutes you can 'taste' it.

Some of us have used Vicks VapoRub for years for everything from chapped lips to sore toes and many body parts in between. But I've never heard of this. And don't laugh, it works 100% of the time, although the scientists who discovered it aren't sure why.

To stop night time coughing in an adult as we found out personally, put Vicks VapoRub generously on the soles of your feet, cover with socks, and the heavy, deep coughing will stop in about 5 minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief.  Works 100% of the time.  More effective than even very strong prescription cough medicines.  In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly.

Just happened to tune in A.M. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good, due to the chemicals in them.  This method of using Vicks VapoRub on the soles of the feet was found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bed time.  In addition it seems to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.

My wife tried it on herself when she had a very deep constant and persistent cough a few weeks ago and it worked 100% !!  She said that it felt like a warm blanket had enveloped her, coughing stopped in a few minutes.  So she went from every few seconds uncontrollable coughing, she slept cough-free for hours every night she used it.
 
If you have grandchildren, pass this on. If you end up sick, try it yourself and you will be amazed at how it works.

DON'T SHUN THIS ONE..

TRY IT THE NEXT TIME YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH.

THE ONLY THING YOU CAN LOSE IS YOUR COUGH.

By the way, if you have toenail fungus, rub some Vicks on them. Within three months or so, the fungus will clear right up!

Just don't stir your coffee with your toes(or mine either for that matter) until the fungus clears up!

See ya, eh!

Bob

A Squeeze for Charity

Hey there! Konichiwa! How are you doing today? "Only in Japan," you say? Well fill your coffee mug and nibble on a firm, round, delicate... doughnut while you read about this charitable event. 

A group of Japanese porn actresses are preparing to have their breasts squeezed by fans for 24 hours this weekend for a charity event loosely translated as "Boob Aid".

The nine adult movie stars told local media on Monday they could barely contain their excitement about the "Stop! Aids" campaign event -- which will be televised live -- but asked, perhaps somewhat optimistically: please be gentle.

"I’m really looking forward to lots of people fondling my boobs," Rina Serina told the Tokyo Sports newspaper. "But I would be very happy if you would please be delicate."

The event, the 12th since its launch in 2003, will be broadcast on adult cable television, with punters donating to the anti-Aids campaign in exchange for a feel.

It comes after sexist heckling of a Tokyo assemblywoman hit the headlines, highlighting old-fashioned views towards women that still permeate Japanese society.

"I never thought my boobs could contribute to society," added the ponytailed Serina, apparently unaware of any contradiction.

Fellow porn actress Iku Sakuragi had no qualms about being groped by hundreds of pairs of hands.

"It’s for charity," said the 21-year-old. "Squeeze them, donate money -- let’s be happy."

Lawmakers from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling party sparked a public outcry in June when they subjected Tokyo assemblywoman Ayaka Shiomura to sexist taunts, shouting "Why don’t you get married?" at her during a debate on motherhood.

Japan has one of the lowest rates of female workforce participation in the developed world and a lack of childcare facilities, poor career support and deeply entrenched sexism are blamed for keeping women at home.

The 24-hour "squeeze-a-thon" begins at 8pm on Saturday (1100 GMT) and is backed by the Japan Foundation for Aids Prevention.

Now that's something, don't you think? I mean come on, eh! Get a grip!


See ya, eh!


Bob

Cambodia’s Miracle-Performing Baby

Ah! Life is a mystery and a miracle all at the same time. Such as, how you manage to spiral down out of cyberspace, narrowly miss the coffee urn and land right next to the tray of virtual treats. Wonderful to see you, it is. Fill your mug; load up your plate. It's Sunday so go ahead... be a devil. Throw the cat another goldfish. Don't let the SPCA people hear me say that. Speaking of miracles...

Kong Keng, a 2-year-old kid from Khnor village in Cambodia, is being hailed as a miracle baby with special healing powers. Thousands of people are traveling from as far as Laos and Vietnam, believing that even a glimpse of Kong will help cure them of their ailments. He appears to be the last ray of hope in a nation that doesn’t exactly have the world’s best healthcare system.

The toddler’s healing powers were discovered by an accidental healing ‘miracle’ that occurred a few months ago. “The miracle happened to my brother,” said Sung Bahn, Kong’s uncle. “He was paralyzed from the waist down after a motorcycle accident. Doctors couldn’t cure him and neither could the Kru Khmers (traditional Cambodian healers).”

Hundreds of people throng outside Kong’s single-room wooden home every single day. It’s a motley crowd of handicapped people in wheelchairs, and ailing, dying patients on stretchers. Phat Soen, Kong’s 21-year-old mother, brings the boy out and places a row of eucalyptus balm bottles in front of him. She then guides his hand over each bottle – his touch is believed to transfer healing powers to the balm.

Phat Soen said the boy is now personally treating only the sickest visitors because of the crowds. Others are given magic sticks or leaves blessed by the toddler. 

The family charges about $1 for the boy's blessing. Neighbours are also making money by selling food and, in one case, plastic toys described as good presents for Kong Keng.

I wonder if he'd mind passing his hand over my lottery ticket. I'd even be willing to pay for his education from Kindergarten to Doctorate...if I won that is!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Doing students' homework lucrative business

Sawasdee, krup! How the heck are you today, eh? Feeling overwhelmed with all the things you have to get done. Well, take a break; pour yourself a nice mug of coffee and munch slowly on a virtual doughnut or muffin while you mentally arrange everything you need to accomplish into a priority list. Believe me, you are not alone. In Thailand, there is a big kerfuffle in the Ministry of Education over an ad on InstaGram. Read on...

The Thai Education Ministry is investigating widely advertised "homework" services which complete students' assignments for them at prices starting as low as 50 baht.
A Facebook user Jakkriz Yompayorm, who is a part-time teacher and lecturer, wrote on his personal page about an advertisement on Instagram Homeworknaka. He said it offers to do homework for students in primary to high school levels, including Thai and English language essays, handwritten poems or essays, art works and other topics at a reasonable price.

The price is from 50 baht for homework and from 200 baht for a report.
He was of the view that the business was not good for education as a whole, even though it helps students who have to submit work to teachers but haven't bothered to learn at all.
“The students do not develop their skills and this business is indirectly hurting students,” he wrote.
His Facebook post was picked up by a popular page, Drama-addict community, and the issue was then raised with executives at the Education Ministry.
Some netizens said students have too much homework and could not finish it on time, and their parents were unable to help them, so some people have offered this type of business service.
Some said students have to study eight subjects each a day and they are unlikely to finish their homework if all teachers give them homework. They asked for a change in education system to reduce the work load on students.
Permanent education secretary Suthasri Wongsaman said the ministry was working with the Information and Communication Technology Ministry to examine such advertisements on all channels of online media,...
If the ministry finds the service is being offered by government teachers, they will face disciplinary action. Otherwise, the ministry has to consider whether the operators have broken any laws.

“I think personally this business is ruining the nation’s education system. Although these services are available in some countries, they should not be available in Thailand,” she said.
Ms Suthasri said Thai students already have bad habits, especially the “copy and paste” syndrome, but this one was worse.
The ministry will ask the Office of the Basic Education Commission and the Office of the Private Education Commission to look into whether schools have been giving too much homework to students, or not. 

Metchanon Prachuablarp, secretary of a committee supporting education reform under the Youth Network of Bangkok, said in some high schools students hired a different teacher of the same subject to do their homework. He said this is not a new issue. It has been the practice for a long time, particularly for students in Bangkok and nearby provinces, because they want high scores.
Mr Metchanon said society had to understand that students had a huge work load to complete against time. When they could not finish the work on time, they hired someone else to do it.
Some teachers took on the work because they were poorly paid and doing homework for students was a way to earn extra money.
Source: link:http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/428184/doing-students-homework-lucrative-business. 

 As an educator, I sympathize with the problem. I had more than one student who wrote the first and last paragraphs of a report and copied (cut and pasted) the rest of it from the Internet. She swore that because she had copied it, it was now her work! Yeah, right! It was very easy to tell by the vocabulary used that the work was not hers. But I agree with Mr Metchanon that it is not a new problem. However, it is so easy to copy and paste these days, and students are overloaded with homework assignments, that it has become more of a problem. 

And how about teachers? In Thailand where classes can range from 40 -55 students, how does the average teacher find time to correct all of these assignments? In one school there, I had 21 classes that I saw once a week - hardly time to get to know the students. With about 45 students per class, that was 945 students I saw every week... read and grade 945 homework books every week! 

In classes, it sometimes seemed as though a handful of students did their work and the rest of the class copied from the diligent (and not so diligent) ones...including copying mistakes. Here is a teacher's dilemma for you...because you do not know (though can often make a pretty good guess) as to who wrote the original with the mistakes in and who were the copiers, do you penalize everybody?

It needs a complete look at the whole process of learning. It is a worldwide situation and it needs addressing in a creative manner. 

See ya, eh! Whew... I'm ready for a coffee!

Bob

"Not a Word Was Spoken"

Well there you are. I was hoping to see you today. Pour yourself a mugful and hoist a mega muffin onto your plate so you'll have something to sip and munch on as you look through these "Aww..." pictures my cousin Robin in England sent me. No matter how you are feeling today, these should improve your outlook. Thought I'd share them with you...

 

 

 

"There comes a time in your life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it.

You surround yourself with people who make you laugh.  Forget the bad, and focus on the good.

Love the people who treat you right, pray for the ones who don't.   Life is too short to be anything but happy.  Falling down is a part of life, getting back up is living."    

Keep Smiling!!

See ya, eh!

Bob

These Panty-Wearing Peaches Are All the Rage in China

Oh my! I'll bet you spotted this picture as you were spiraling down from cyberspace, huh? Naughty, naughty! So, apart from that, how are you today? Go on, tell me you're 'Peachy!'. Help yourself to a mug of coffee and a fruit explosion muffin...though I am not sure I'd like to see exploding panties!

Fruit vendors in China came up with a novel idea to sell peaches for the romantic Qixi festival on August 2. They put a sexy spin on the otherwise innocent fruit by slipping some specially designed panties on them! It’s actually quite amusing, how closely the lingerie-donning peaches resemble a woman’s backside.

It all started when a fruit vendor in Nanjing decided to slip underwear onto a few of his peaches. According to Yao Xiao Yang, founder of ‘Fruithunters, he was inspired by literature. “What we understand about fruit is too simple; fruits are wonderful presents given to us by nature,” he explained.

“Fruit being sexy is widely accepted in world literature. Names of many fruits are self-evident, such as Sodom apple and Venus nipple peach. On an ancient Egyptian script pomegranate meant breasts, a French poet compared women’s butts to melons under the sunshine and James Joyce made similar comparisons in Ulysses.”

...And I think I shall leave it right there without further comment that might get me into trouble.

See ya, eh!

Bob

Why Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat

Konichiwa! How's it going, eh? Ready for a Japanese Rice cake and a mug of green tea...after you have your coffee, I mean? Good to see you today! I just read this article on longevity in Japan and thought I'd share it with you. 

“A good, functional and healthy body is the ultimate fashion statement.” Kiyokazu Washida, fashion critic

Recently I came upon a small, but informative book by Naomi Moriyama entitled, Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat. Intrigued and a bit skeptical, although I follow a very similar style of diet, I found some delicious recipes to add to my daily repertoire of meals and gleaned some useful tidbits of information. Such as, for the past 25 years Japanese women have held the world record for living the longest, 86.4 years. Not just the women, Japanese men have the longest life expectancy among all men in the world’s 192 nations. Much of this distinction is attributed to eating a healthy diet.

In her book Moriyama takes the reader into her mother’s kitchen in Japan and reveals her secrets for living a long and healthy life. Not much you haven’t heard before, and yet taken altogether and practiced over a lifetime the results are impressive. Here’s the Japanese recipe for living to a ripe old age, while staying active and healthy.

1. The ingredients simmering in a Japanese kitchen are a simple variety of foods eaten on a consistent and daily basis:

• Fish
• Sea Vegetables
• Land Vegetables
• Soy
• Rice
• Fruit
• Green Tea

2. The Japanese enjoy home cooked meals on a daily basis. A traditional meal consists of grilled fish, a bowl of rice, simmered vegetables, miso soup, sliced fruit for dessert and green tea. The Japanese consume almost 10 percent of the world’s fish, although they make up about 2 percent of the world’s population. That’s 150 pounds per year, per person compared to the world average of 35 pounds. And this daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids may well explain why they live long and healthy lives. That, and the fact they consume 5 times the amount of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, that Americans do.

3. The emphasis of Japanese cooking is to use what is fresh and in season. According to author Moriyama, “Japanese supermarkets are cathedrals of freshness. Food is not only dated, it’s timed—Japanese women buy fish, meat, vegetables, or prepared meals that are timed by the half hour they were packed that day.”

 
4. The Japanese eat small portions of a variety of courses at a meal. According to Moriyama, from childhood they are taught to eat slowly, savoring every bite. And the food is served on plates at least a third the size of American tableware. Moriyama includes the basic foundations of Japanese home-cooked food presentation:

• never completely fill up the plates
• never serve a big portion of any item
• each item is served in its own dish
• less is always more
• each item is arranged to showcase its natural beauty
• food should be garnished and dressed–lightly
• fresh is best

5. Japanese cooking is intentionally light and cooked gently. Most of the work is done on top of the stove using a variation of techniques such as: steaming, pan grilling, sauté, simmer or quick stir fries in a wok. The Japanese chef uses heart healthy oils and flavored broth to season a dish. And though the meal is light you feel content and satisfied, but not overly full.

 
6. The Japanese eat rice instead of bread with every meal. This is an important distinction between the East and West way of eating. It is the over consumption of refined wheat flour that is a major cause of obesity in America today. Instead of eating bread with each meal try a serving size (half a cup) of brown rice or other whole grain 1-2 times per day.
7. In Japan, breakfast is considered the most important and biggest meal of the day. It can consist of a variety of small courses which include green tea, steamed rice, miso soup with tofu and scallions, small sheets of nori seaweed, an egg omelet or piece of fish.
8. Sweet desserts are eaten less often in Japan and in much smaller portions than in America. That is not to say that chocolate, pastries, cookies, ice cream and red-bean cakes are not treasured. Rather, they are respected for the power they can unleash in the appetite and harm they can do to the body when eaten in excess.
9. The Japanese have a different mind-set about food. While Americans are concerned with dieting and weight issues the Japanese are raised and encouraged to enjoy a more diverse variety of foods without dieting concerns. However, watch out Japan, with the introduction of western style fast foods obesity rates amongst Japanese youth are beginning to climb.
10. Exercise is part of the Japanese daily ritual. According to a 2004 Time magazine cover story, How to Live to Be 100, “The Japanese are in good health and in excellent shape, they are an active people who incorporate plenty of incidental exercise into their days.” They have created a welcome environment for bicycling around town, walking, hiking, and generally staying active. 
Source: http://www.care2.com

Sayonara, eh!

Bob