Happiness is contagious, according to researchers James H. Fowler of the University of California-San Diego and Nicholas A. Christakis of Harvard Medical School. Best of all it spreads far. Happiness, like flu, spreads through social networks. If you are happy, you’re more likely to be happy. When something good happens to someone, the resulting happiness radiates outward like ripples on a pond. The effects can be traced out to third degrees of separation, not just a friend of a friend, but their friends as well. That means even strangers influence happiness.

The best thing to do is cultivate happiness. So when I learned that my happiness can affect not only my wife, but her friends and their friend. I now listen to positive songs on my way home to boost my happiness so I can communicate with my loved ones at home with the feeling of happiness.

Although tourism is one of the main industries on the island, many of the hotels and other tourist areas are run by mainland companies, so much of the income never gets put back into the local economy. Also, since the attractions are geared towards tourists, many of the entrance fees can be hefty (although the locally owned and operated ones tend to be cheaper). Similar to Gyeongju and some other areas, local residents can enter most places for free or for a steeply discounted price.

For a start, form a routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This will get you in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, otherwise known as your circadian rhythm and is one of the most important strategies for achieving a good sleep. Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, you will feel much better for it.

Make sure your bedroom is sleep friendly. It should be below 20oc, which is the optimal temperature for sleeping. This facilitates a drop in core body temperature, which can help you fall and stay asleep. If it’s too hot or too cold it can interfere with quality sleep. And, make sure its dark. Even dim lights can confuse your body clock. Heavy curtains can help block light from the windows, or you can try an eye mask to cover your eyes. Never under estimate the comfort of your bed either. You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably and your mattress and bedding should also be comfortable enough not to cause a sore back or aching neck.

Avoid doing anything stimulating in the hour before bed. So many of us use the television to fall asleep, but it actually stimulates the mind rather than relaxing it. Even the most relaxing programs can interfere with the body’s clock due to the light and sound coming from the screen. And, avoid talking on the phone and texting as this can hype you up just as much.

How you exercise and eat during the day will also play an important role on sleep patterns, in particular in those hours leading up to bedtime. For a start stay away from big meals, avoid alcohol, cut down on caffeine and quit smoking. All these things stimulate the body and reduce your sleep quality. While exercising regularly can help you sleep and more deeply at that, be sure to schedule it in the morning or early afternoon, as any later and it will raise your temperature, the opposite of what you want near bedtime and stimulate the body.

Try to stop worrying, as anxiety and stress will make it very difficult to sleep well. Take note of what is causing the worry as this may help you figure out what you need to do during the day to get your stress under control. If you find it hard, you need to learn how to manage your thoughts or get help with a stress management plan. This will teach you how to manage your time and handle stress in a productive way to give you a more positive outlook.

Its Easter Sunday, this is the day when the Christian world commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ who is the son of God and the savior of the humankind. Easter Sunday is celebrated indifferent way by different culture. It is a time of festivities and celebrations where traditional Easter games where developed.

In the US Easter Sunday is the time of the year that children will look for Easter egg and other treats. Many families in the US also attend Sunday mass or participate in a feast or gathering. There are families that also do a traditional Sunday roasts that maybe ham or lamb.

In Polish culture, The Resurrection Procession is the joyous Easter morning Mass at daybreak when church bells ring out and explosions resound to commemorate Christ rising from the dead. Before the Mass begins at dawn, a festive procession with the Blessed Sacrament carried beneath a canopy encircles the church. As church bells ring out, hand bells are vigorously shaken by altar boys, the air is filled with incense and the faithful raise their voices heavenward in a triumphant rendering of age-old Easter hymns. After the Blessed Sacrament is carried around the church, and Adoration is complete, the Easter Mass begins.

In the Philippines Easter Sunday is starts at dawn when images of Christ and Mary will be brought in procession where they meet in place they designate as Galilea usually in a church. The Virgin Mary is clothed or at least veiled in black to express bereavement. A girl dressed as an angel, positioned on a specially constructed high platform/scaffold or suspended in mid-air, sings the Regina Coeli in Latin or a local language and then dramatically removes the black veil, signifying the end of her grieving. This is accomplished by the “angel” simply pulling off the veil, or by tying it to balloons or doves and releasing these into the air. The Virgin is then transformed into the Nuestra Señora de Alegria, or Our Lady of Joy. The moment is marked by pealing bells and fireworks, followed by the Easter Mass that begins right after sunrise either at 6 or 7 in the morning. In some parishes, however, the practice is done on midnight of Easter Sunday after the Easter Virgil the night before.

Whole grains have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood coagulation. Whole grains have also been found to reduce the risks of many types of cancer. They may also help regulate blood glucose in people living with diabetes. Other studies have also shown that people who consume more whole grains consistently weigh less than those who consumed less whole grain products.

In January 2005, the US government published the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. One of the new guidelines recommends that all adults eat half their grains as whole grains – that’s at least 3 servings of whole grains a day.

Brown Sugar-Olive Oil Scrub

Don’t spend your money on pricey scrubs; make your own with brown sugar and olive oil. It exfoliates away all the dry skin, moisturizes what’s underneath, increases your skin’s circulation and can improve the appearance of cellulite.

For gorgeously smooth skin, combine roughly three parts brown sugar with one part olive oil (11/2 cups to 1/2 cup; 3 cups to 1 cup, and so on). Before you shower, stand in your bathtub and apply the scrub with your hands to your body and rub. Be gentle, as this is quite abrasive, but you can be a bit rougher where your skin is thicker and drier (i.e. your feet). Rinse off in the shower, and you’ll find there’s no need to moisturize afterwards.

Yogourt Mask

Used by women for centuries, yogourt works on all skin types to soften skin, soothe redness and tighten pores while gently deep cleaning. Use a natural, unflavoured, plain yogurt (Balkan style tends to be thicker and is easier to apply) and apply to your face as you would a mask, avoiding the eyes and mouth. You may want to let the yogourt warm up slightly before applying it! Leave on for ten minutes and rinse off with warm water. Follow with a honey mask, or apply moisturizer as you would normally.

Honey Mask

Honey is also an ancient beauty product used alongside yogourt to soften, deep clean and soothe your skin. Honey is a natural antibiotic and will help to kill any bacteria in your pores, which in turn helps to eliminate redness. It’s also gently moisturizing and full of vitamins. Simply smooth it onto your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth and let it sit for ten minutes. Rinse off with warm water and follow with your regular toning and moisturizing routine.

As I said from my previous post I will be dealing with the alternatives of cleaning agents. Anyway here it goes, undeniably even if cleaning agents have harmful substances and cost much money from us we tend to buy this stuff just to make our living space clean. We don’t think of the consequences it would make in the future as long as we are clean its okay.

Water, salt, vinegar and baking soda are good examples of the safest items one can use for effective housekeeping. They work extremely well and leave us with a happier wallet. You can find thousands of tips on their uses from the internet as well as from friends.

Instead of using air freshener in the room, one can place indoor plants because it absorbs the unpleasant smell in the rooms. It also produces oxygen which can lighten up the ambiance in the room. By doing this, you are able to lessen the emission of CFC in the ozone layer.

The possibilities of alternative cleaning agents are endless so you should be clever enough to discover it. There is so much we can do at home is small ways that will help the environment, every little change helps.

Eating healthy food does more than leave you feeling satiated and well nourished. One should choose wisely what food to prepare during mealtime and you’ll end up your chances of living a vibrant, long life. Here are some of the basics of healthy food for your heart.

Whole grains. To mop up artery clogging cholesterol, try for six daily servings of whole grains. Rich in a cholesterol-lowering fiber called betaglucan, oats appear particularly powerful in protecting against heart disease. Cooking up hot cereal from steel cut oats is good because it has higher pytochemicals than the rolled variety.

Nuts. Crack open a walnut shell and you’ll find plenty of plant sterols, compounds that help stop your gut from absorbing cholesterol. A source of blood-clot-preventing omega 3s, walnuts also nourishes the heart with vitamin E, fiber, potassium, and protein. For better heart health, eat a handful of walnuts, almonds, cashews, or pistachios about five times a week.

Oily fish. Canned or fresh, oily fish such as wild salmon contains wealth of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to improve triglyceride levels, stabilize heartbeat, lower blood pressure, curb heart harming inflammation, and reduce stroke risk. Include smaller fish such as sardines and anchovies since large fish accumulate more toxins.

Grapes. In 2008 study, scientists discovered that polyphenols found in grapes might reduce blood clotting and prevent blood vessels from narrowing. Grape skins contain resveratrol, a phytonutrient that may elevate the levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Choose organic, since conventional grapes tend to be treated heavily with pesticides.

BBC: A zebra at Zurich Zoo appeared to be staring into the jaws of death when visitors saw it nose to nose with an open-mouthed hippopotamus.

But the hippo had no intention of having the zebra for lunch – it was having its teeth cleaned.

The extraordinary sight was captured by photographer Jill Sonsteby, from Jacksonville, Florida.

She said the teeth-cleaning session lasted 15 minutes and the zebra came to no harm.

“The zebra was in the same enclosure as the hippo and its baby,” said Ms Sonsteby, 34.

“The hippo opened its mouth and let the zebra in there to clean.

“Everybody was snapping pictures. It was so great to be there at that moment.”

Dangerous

The hippopotamus is regarded as one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and has a bite that can cut a small boat in half.

Hippos can weigh up to three tonnes and are the third largest land mammal in the world.

Although they rarely kill each other, hundreds of fatal attacks on people in Africa have been recorded.

Despite its bulky frame, the hippo can outrun a human on land over short distances.

Arctic Ocean is a vast sea of ice, but there are places where marine life is abundant. This marine ecosystem is totally different from other oceans of the world. Say for example this is the only ocean that harbors the population of narwhal, a unicorn sea mammal. Recently there was an issue about the exploitation of the Arctic Ocean; it has been the interest of commercial or even industrial fishing because of its huge fish population. It is also a place of interest for generating crude oil where it jeopardizes not only the marine organisms, but the land organism as well.

The good news is that this marine organisms last frontier is about to be protected from commercial and industrial exploitation. A group called Oceana petitioned to the federal government of the US to protect the health and welfare of the Arctic. The petition includes regulations on greenhouse gas emission on the area due to crude or gas drilling. This would also bring about scientific studies on the effect of greenhouse gases on the Arctic and the Earth. This petition is supported by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newson and the Native Village of Shishmaref, Alaska.

The protection of the Arctic meant that industrial fishing will be controlled thereby stop the further expansion of the industry. This is of course a big challenge from the fishing industry, lesser area of fishing meant less catch so there should be a fishing management to be done here so as not to compromise the national consumption.

For me it is really necessary to protect the remaining uninhabited places on earth like the Arctic. Not only it is a place for scientific studies, but it may also be the place on Earth where human and other creature can live when time comes the Earth is degraded.