How to be Happy?

Happiness–it's what we all strive to find and keep, even when it's as elusive as ever. Nobody is jolly and elated all the time, but some individuals are definitely more fulfilled than others. Studies reveal that happiness has little to do with materialistic needs, goods, or wants, or high achievement; it boils down to your outlook on life, the quality of your relationships, and basic amenities like good governance and community resources. Check Step 1 and beyond for more tips and tricks on how to unlock the happier you

 Be optimistic. In the 1970s, researchers followed people who'd won the lottery and found that a year afterward, they were no happier than people who didn't. This hedonic adaptation[1] suggests that we each have a baseline level of happiness. No matter what happens, good or bad, the effect on our happiness is temporary, and we tend to revert to our baseline level. Some people have a higher baseline happiness level than others, and that is due in part to genetics, but it's also largely influenced by how you think.

    Add up all the little joyful things that happen to you during the day. Write them down. For example, if there was no traffic on the road, if you had a very decent and scrumptious breakfast, if your friend said something uproariously humorous that made you laugh, if you took your dog out for a walk in the park and played with it, add these together. Your outlook will change.
    Feel deeply grateful for the things you have. This is a very effective way to be happy. If you feel grateful for the things you have, you not only become more happy but it also helps you to bring more into your life.
    View the glass as half-full instead of half-empty. Your girlfriend/ boyfriend broke up with you? Now you have the chance to meet someone else! You lost your job? Now you can seize the opportunity to find a better one! Adjust your mentality so that, in everything that happens to you, there's some kernel of good.
    Put yourself in situations where fabulous, fortunate things are likely to happen to you. It's easier to remain optimistic if you set yourself up for success. Cheating on a partner, or stealing someone's bicycle — while temporarily thrilling — rarely end well for any party involved. Ask yourself before you act: Am I setting myself up for success or for failure?
    Think of your current situation (however hard it may be) and then think of how much harder some other people have it. Just be happy that you are not in that worse situation. Learn to enjoy your life!

 Follow your gut. In one study, two groups of people were asked to pick a poster to take home. One group was asked to analyze their decision, weighing pros and cons, and the other group was told to listen to their gut. Two weeks later, the group that followed their gut was happier with their posters than the group that analyzed their decisions. Now, some of our decisions are more crucial than picking out posters, but by the time you're poring over your choice, the options you're weighing are probably very similar, and the difference will only temporarily affect your happiness.

    Next time you have a decision to make, and you're down to two or three options, just pick the one that feels right, and go with it. Never regret the decisions you make, though. Just live by the 3 C's of life: choices, chances, and changes. You need to make a choice to take a chance, or your life will never change.

Own yourself. This means accept and embrace your habits, your personality, mistakes, the way you talk, looks, your voice, and most importantly 'You'. Try to be comfortable in your own skin and subconsciously communicate to others that, 'This is me take it or leave it'. It means don't apologize to anyone for something which is a part of you, like your personality, your voice, habits (good or bad), basically anything; remember there is always someone who likes you for the way you are. For example if you want to wear something which is weird but you find it cool, wear it, no one is stopping you. Its a deeper step towards building a good relationship with yourself.

Make enough money to meet basic needs — food, shelter, and clothing. In the US, that magic number is $60,000 a year. Any money beyond that will not necessarily make you happier. Remember the lottery winners mentioned earlier? Oodles of money didn't make them happier. Once you make enough to support basic needs, your happiness is not significantly affected by how much money you make, but by your level of optimism.

    Your comfort may increase with your salary, but comfort isn't what makes people happy. It makes people bored. That's why it's important to push beyond your comfort zone to fuel personal growth.

Stay close to friends and family: Or move to where they are, so you can see them more. We live in a mobile society, where people follow jobs around the country and sometimes around the world. We do this because we think salary increases make us happier, but in fact our relationships with friends and family have a far greater impact on happiness. So next time you think about relocating, consider that you'd need a salary increase of over $100,000 USD to compensate for the loss of happiness you'd have from moving away from friends and family

    If relationships with family and friends are unhealthy or nonexistent, and you are bent on moving, choose a location where you'll make about the same amount of money as everyone else; according to research, people feel more financially secure (and happier) when on similar financial footing as the people around them, regardless of what that footing is.

 Have deep, meaningful conversations. A study by a psychologist at the University of Arizona has shown that spending less time participating in small talk and more time in deep, meaningful conversations can increase happiness.  So next time you're beating around the bush with a friend, instead cut right to the chase. You'll be happier for it.


Smile: Science suggests that when you smile, whether you're happy or not, your mood is elevated.  So smile all the time if you can! Smiling is like a feedback loop: smiling reinforces happiness, just as happiness causes smiling. People who smile during painful procedures reported less pain than those who kept their facial features neutral. :) 

How Pyramids Work

The ancient pyramids are among the most astonishing structures in the world. Built in ancient times by workers who didn't have the benefit of modern tools and machinery, they are a constant source of fascination. Most of us think of ancient Egypt when pyramids come to mind, but they exist in many parts of the world. Why did the ancients build pyramids? What was their purpose? Is there any special meaning behind the pyramid shape? How were they built without earth-moving or heavy-lift machinery? In this article, we'll examine pyramids around the world, how they were constructed and who used them.
The ancient pyramids are among the most astonishing structures in the world. Built in ancient times by workers who didn't have the benefit of modern tools and machinery, they are a constant source of fascination. Most of us think of ancient Egypt when pyramids come to mind, but they exist in many parts of the world. Why did the ancients build pyramids? What was their purpose? Is there any special meaning behind the pyramid shape? How were they built without earth-moving or heavy-lift machinery? In this article, we'll examine pyramids around the world, how they were constructed and who used them.
What is a pyramid?
A pyramid is a geometrical solid with a square base and four equilateral triangular sides, the most structurally stable shape for projects involving large amounts of stone or masonry. Pyramids of various types, sizes and complexities were built in many parts of the ancient world (like Central America, Greece, China and Egypt). In the history of Egypt and China, they were primarily tombs and monuments to kings and leaders. The pyramids of the Mayans and Aztecs of Central America were mainly religious temples, though some of them housed burial chambers.
The Central American pyramids were smaller and sometimes wider than their Egyptian counterparts. These pyramids also took longer to finish -- they were often built and modified over hundreds of years, while Egyptian pyramids took a couple of decades to construct. Pyramids in Central America were integrated into Aztec and Mayan cities, whereas Egyptian pyramids were located away from the major cities.
The ancestors of these great structures are the burial tombs found throughout North America and Europe -- simple mounds of earth that covered burial chambers. The first tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs were flat, box-shaped buildings called mastabas (Arabic for "bench"). Pharaohs later built grander tombs by adding levels on top of the box to form stepped pyramids. Stepped pyramids are prevalent in Central America. In Mesopotamia, they were called ziggurats.
The Egyptians took pyramid design to new heights, culminating in the constru­ction of the pyramids of Giza in the 26th century B.C. Laborers used 2.3 million blocks of limestone and granite to build the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which stands 146 meters high, has a 230-meter-square base and weighs about 6.5 million tons. A number of pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, have survived thousands of years of exposure to the elements, a tribute to the ancient architects, engineers and workers who built them.

She Has 3 Sons!

Today I'd like to share this story from Humans of New York page on FB:

“My children are 18, 17, and 15. And I think it’s just really starting to hit me that I’m about to lose them really quickly. I’m always thinking back and trying to figure out the ways that I might have been able to spend more time with them. Maybe if I’d been a little less concerned with cleaning up messes, or always cooking dinner, or going through the mail as soon as I got home from work. I don’t know… I just wish I’d been less ‘busy.’ When I was twenty, I left home and moved away to New York. I’d go home to visit my mother once a year, and each time she’d look a little older. I guess part of me is just afraid that my kids are going to do the same thing to me.”

Thanks for reading :)

5 Ways to Sleep Better Every Night

You train hard and eat well. Don't wreck all your game prep with sloppy sleep habits. "Elite athletes now understand that ignoring their sleep can be as detrimental to their performance as taking to the field drunk," says W. Christopher Winter, M.D., president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and a consultant to several professional football, basketball, and baseball teams.
Monitor Your Sleep
Dr. Winter tells all his clients to try a sleep monitor, such as the Basis Peak ($199, mybasis.com). The device can analyze the quality of your shuteye by checking your heart rate and skin temperature and logging how much you toss and turn. "It really helps me stay on track with my sleep," says Dr. Winter.
Take a Suggestion
"You can't try to fall asleep; you need to distract your brain. I use a self-hypnotic suggestion technique where I imagine myself diving deeper into dark water. In a recent study from Switzerland, researchers found that having people listen to hypnotic suggestions—words and phrases like 'relax' and 'let go'—increased their time spent in deep sleep by 81 percent."
Catch Some Z's
"Like many people, I exercise indoors more in winter. As a result, my sunlight exposure decreases, along with my levels of vitamin D, an important nutrient for good sleep. To boost my D, I eat Atlantic salmon or another fatty fish, usually grilled with mango salsa, three days a week. According to Norwegian research, this simple diet trick can improve sleep quality."
Pack for the Sack
"Just as you'd never forget your toothbrush and razor, you should always travel with a few tools for sleep hygiene. I pack a sleeping mask, earplugs, and a small bottle of lavender oil. Whatever hotel I'm in, I keep my room quiet, dark, and familiar. That's the reason for the lavender; I often spritz it on my pillow at home, so I associate the smell with home and good rest."
Avoid a Nap Trap

"I nap only if I've done something unusual, like taken a red-eye flight. I limit it to 30 minutes—otherwise I sleep too deeply and wake up groggy. If I'm tired, I just go to bed a couple of hours earlier; wake-up times should be consistent. On weekends I sleep in for 60 to 90 minutes, but any longer deprives me of light exposure and screws up my sleep architecture."

8 Things You Should Actually Be Afraid Of

You worry your favorite team will crap the bed on Sunday, or that you’ll never meet your dream girl. But if you think about it, those are pretty silly things to stress about: Only one team ends up on top every year, and if divorce rates are any indication, your "dream girl" may very well turn into a nightmare.
That’s not to say your life should be worry-free. But for a lot of men, fear is misplaced. Here are eight things that should actually have you concerned:
1. Losing Touch With Your Buddies 
A single good friend extends your life by 10 years, and may offer more health benefits than quitting smoking, found one report on the power of social connections. But as marriage and parenthood settle in, most men abandon their old friendships without forming close new ones, shows research from Harvard University. You need at least three close buddies you can talk with and rely on in times of trouble, concludes an Oxford study.
2. Your Overdeveloped Sweet Tooth
Sugar screws with your metabolism, causes weight gain, and is likely contributing to the country’s skyrocketing diabetes rates. The sweet stuff has also been linked to cancer and heart disease. It even messes with your mood. But despite all those risks, men eat loads of it packed into soda, “sports” drinks, and processed foods and snacks.
3. Your Worst Driving Habit 
Texting while driving is about six times more dangerous than driving drunk, according to stats from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Still, you and most of the people you know probably do it from time to time—or every time you’re behind the wheel. Stop.
4. “Bad” Stress 
We report all the time about stress and its ties to heart disease, depression, inflammation, cancer, and a dozen other awful ailments. But feeling your heart race before a big presentation at work isn’t the type of stress that's deadly. The stress that will kill you is chronic stress, which doesn’t let up for months—or even years—and keeps you up at night. If your job, your relationship, or some aspect of your life is constantly gnawing at you and bringing you down, you need to make some changes.
5. Prostate Cancer
You’ll see a lot of pink this month in honor of breast cancer awareness. But for men, prostate cancer is just as common—and nearly as deadly—as breast cancer is for women. Fortunately, you can help defend yourself from the disease with coffee, frequent sex, and tomatoes.
6. Information Overload
If you’re not showering or sleeping, you’re probably flipping through emails, surfing the web, or doing both while you watch television. But that constant influx of information can slowly choke the parts of your brain that help focus your attention and manage your emotions. It may also supercharge your body’s stress responses to mild, shouldn’t-be-a-big-deal triggers, suggests research from the U.K.
7. Crappy Sleep
Sleeping fewer than 7 hours a night raises your risk of death from all causes by 12 percent, shows a study from the University of Warwick in the U.K. But nearly 40 percent of men don’t get that much. While the exact amount of sleep every man needs can vary a lot, the big test is whether you feel alert or groggy an hour or two after getting up. If you’re already dozing before lunchtime, you’re not sleeping well enough or long enough, suggests research from the University of Pennsylvania. Alcohol could be to blame. The ethanol in your beer, wine, or liquor disrupts your sleep patterns and can keep you from getting the restful ZZZs your body needs.
8. Your Faulty Smoke Alarms

There are roughly 1.4 million house fires every year in America, and the majority of people killed by those fires die from inhaling smoke or toxic fumes, according to the U.S. Fire Administration. So ask yourself: When was the last time you checked your smoke detector? Spending a few bucks on a good photoelectric and ionization option can keep you safe from smoke and fumes, experts say.

What’s the Difference Between Gingham and Plaid?

When we think of plaid, ’90s-era grunge bands or vinyl-toting hipsters come to mind. Gingham evokes images of a slightly preppier, more conservative guy—possibly with Starbucks or a Baby Björn. Both have their style merits, but how can you tell apart these two patterns? The first step is understanding that didn’t start out as patterns, but rather as materials. 

Long ago, plaid was a length of wool cloth with a now-familiar tartan pattern (asymmetrical horizontal and vertical lines in multiple colors with names like Black Watch and Mackenzie) used in traditional Northern English and Scottish garbs. The latter type was rendered in thousands of styles unique to each clan, or family. The material’s name eventually became synonymous with its intricate pattern and was produced in other materials, leaving its original meaning behind. 

Although it carries less historical significance than plaid, gingham started the same way: a cotton or linen cloth that was most often seen with symmetrical, overlapping stripes of the same color that creates a checkered pattern. It’s the symmetry and single color that set gingham apart from plaid. Today, it’s also more closely associated with its uniform pattern than the material it’s made from. 

Plaid and gingham are still go-to patterns for guys and can be worn to formal and informal occasions alike. A finer Glen Plaid works great as a standout suit pattern, and smaller gingham patterns work especially well as a shirt worn under a solid suit. Large iterations of both patterns work well in everyday shirts, coats, and—if you’re feeling bold—pants. But beware: only wear one of these bold prints at a time or people will once again focus on the patterns and completely forget the rest

Just How Germy Are Airplanes?

Talk about an annoying seatmate: New research from Auburn University reveals that nasty bacteria can hang around on airplanes for days.
In the study, scientists wanted to see how long two common types of bacteria—methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli O157:H7—could survive in airplane-like conditions. So they replicated the inside of a plane (20 percent humidity) and exposed common items like armrests, tray tables, toilet handles, and cloth seat pockets to the bacteria. E. Coli lasted up to 96 planes on an armrest, and MRSA lived up to 168 hours (1 week!) on the seat pocket.
Unsurprisingly, large commercial airplanes aren't cleaned after every flight, says aviation specialist Mark Gendreau, M.D.
Study author James Barbaree, Ph.D., says he hopes his research encourages airlines to take greater cleaning precautions in the future. But until then, guard against catching disgusting germs—or worse, deadly diseases—with these air-travel sanitation solutions.
Drink Up...
Before you fly, down some water, says Gendreau. Planes have low-humidity levels—where bacteria thrive—and when you’re body’s dried up, your mucous membranes that typically fight off foreign germs are dry, too. That leaves your immune system compromised, which is also already weaker when you’re traveling due to stress, lack of sleep, and a busy schedule. So drink about 6 ounces of water per 90 minutes that you’re in flight, Gendreau advises.
...But Avoid the Bathroom Water
The H2O on airplanes was bad enough to force the Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) to address the issue. The organization is still involved in mitigation and remediation, says Gendreau. Experts aren’t sure why the EPA found dangerous bacteria (coliform bacteria associated with feces) in the stored water on airplanes, but it’s possible that the storage compartment isn’t regularly cleaned, he says. So after going to the restroom, wash your hands in the sink with soap. Then scrub your hands with just sanitizer. Don’t use the sink water to drink, brush your teeth, or even wash your face. If you ask for drinking water from a flight attendant, he or she will supply you with clean, bottled H2O brought aboard separately from the big tank, says Gendreau.
Be Your Own One-Man Cleaning Crew
Since you can't always rely on a clean cabin, “when you travel on airplanes, you have to put infection control in your own hands,” says Gendreau. Use disinfecting wipes, or a tissue with a few drops of hand sanitizer, to wipe down the seat, armrests, tray tables, seat-back pockets, and anything else you’re going to be touching, he suggests. Before eating or touching your face, slather your hands with sanitizer.
Blow Away Bacteria

That ventillation system above your head doesn't just keep you cool—it can also shield against airborne germs. Airplane vents mix 50 percent of the air inside with the other half of air outside, says Gendreau. Cabin air is warmed, filtered through HEPA filters, and is usually cleaner than the air piped into your office building, he says. So use this fan as a defense against germs. Aim the vent down so air is flowing directly in front of your face. Turn it to a low-medium level so you can feel fresh air hitting your lap. You’ll be creating a shield of purified air that will push away any illness-causing intruders flying toward you.

The Cancer That’s Hitting More and More Young Guys

Today’s troubling trend: The rates of colorectal cancers are rising in young people, even as they decline in older folks, reveals a new study from the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas.
Researchers found that colorectal cancer incidence dropped overall by just under 1 percent each year from 1975 to 2010. But when looking at people 20 to 49 years old, the rate actually increased, especially in the youngest age group. During that time, the rate for 20- to 34-year-olds grew by nearly 2 percent annually.
That might not sound like a lot, but the bigger problem is the pattern we’re on.  Using these trends, the researchers estimated that by 2030, rates of colon cancer could increase by 90 percent for people ages 20 to 34, while rectal cancers could spike by 124 percent.

So what’s going on in our guts? It’s likely that a combination of higher levels of obesity, lower levels of physical activity, and a diet with plenty of processed meats—and not enough fruits and vegetables—can leave you susceptible, says study author George Chang, M.D.
What’s more, younger patients are more likely than older people to be diagnosed when their cancer is at a more advanced stage. After all, colonoscopy screenings—the gold standard for colon cancer detection—are only recommended as a preventive measure for people at average risk starting at age 50.
And that’s important, because not only can a colonoscopy spot early cancer before it begins causing symptoms, but the procedure can also pick up precursor lesions called polyps before they even become cancerous, says Dr. Chang.
Even when guys do notice symptoms like blood in the stool, a change in bowel habits, or abdominal pain, they might miss out on a full clinical workup. That’s because doctors are more likely to attribute the problems to more common and less serious things like hemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome. As a result, younger people can sometimes wait years for a cancer diagnosis.
So if those symptoms pop up, don’t brush them off—and don’t let your physician do so, either. Ask about getting a colonoscopy, or even the just-approved, at-home stool test called Cologuard.  And let him know if you have a family history of colorectal cancers, since that raises your risk.
If you don’t have symptoms or a family history and you’re under 50, you currently don’t meet the recommended guidelines for a colonoscopy. Yet the study raises important questions about whether current screening guidelines are enough.
While it didn’t look at screening policy, the study suggests that more research is needed to determine if the recommendations should be changed, says Dr. Chang.

My Chemistry Exam!

Last week, I had a chemistry exam, I have so much anxiety before the exam. When it tested the exam, got 15 of 20, for me, this class fairly good.

Before the Exam

    Show up early. Walking in late might mean getting an uncomfortable seat, and most probably less time to take the exam.

    Freeways and traffic are a part of Los Angeles life...plan for it! Give yourself PLENTY of extra time to make the commute on exam days. Better to have a half hour extra to spend on campus than to arrive a half hour late for the exam.

    Bring an extra pen or pencil, eraser, and mechanical pencil leads.

    Do not bring cellular phones, iPads, mp3 players, etc., to the exam. They are not needed, and can disturb students around you. If you answer a cell phone during an exam, it will be assumed you are using it to cheat.

    Molecular models are allowed on all Hardinger exams. You may pre-build anything you like, but the pre-built structure cannot be labeled in any way.  Calculators are forbidden on all Hardinger exams.

During the Exam 

Perhaps the most important piece of advice is:
                                                       Think before you write!
Much precious time can be saved by spending a few seconds contemplating your answer before you spend the time to write it out.  Your brain generally works much faster than your pen or pencil.
Even if you aren't cheating, strive to avoid behaviors that suggest you are.
Close your backpack, bag, etc. Do not open it during the exam. If you need to open it to get an eraser, model kit, etc., ask permission from an exam proctor first. Reaching into your bag without clearance first suggests you are cheating. If caught, many instructors will toss you out of the exam (and send an academic misconduct report to the Dean of Students office), regardless of your intention.
Before the exam starts, put all notes in your backpack or bag, then close it. Don't leave notes in your pocket. Leaving the room during the exam with notes in your pocket suggests you are cheating. If caught, many instructors will toss you out of the exam (and send an academic misconduct report to the Dean of Students office), regardless of your intention.
Erase any writing on the desk, or on your hand. Any writing here that relates to course material suggests you are cheating. If caught, many instructors will toss you out of the exam (and send an academic misconduct report to the Dean of Students office), regardless of your intention.
Go to the restroom **before** the exam. If you must go during the exam, verify that you do not have any notes in your pockets before you leave the exam room. Keep your restroom trip as short as possible. (You should probably scout out the restroom nearest to the exam room before the exam starts.) Spending more than a few minutes in the restroom suggests you are cheating. If caught, many instructors will toss you out of the exam (and send an academic misconduct report to the Dean of Students office), regardless of your intention.
Some other advice:  
Examine all the problems first before you begin any of them. Do the problems you know first, saving the problems that will require more work for later. You have a limited period of time in which to earn your points, so do first the problems on which you will get the most points.
Avoid suspicious behavior during the exam. Don't stare at other exams, fidget with your eraser, etc.
A grader will assume you know material covered in a previous course or exam, but not a concept covered by the current exam.
Never leave a question blank, unless you are told guessing will result in lost points.
Always read instructions very, very, very carefully. Make sure you know what the question is asking.
Make sure that your answer is in the format that the question asks for. For example, if the questions says "circle and label," then circle AND label. When in doubt, ask a TA, or better yet, the person who wrote the exam.
If you don't quite understand what a question is asking, ask a TA or better yet the person who wrote the exam. You shouldn't lose points because the question is poorly worded. However, never bother to ask "is this right?" during an exam. The answer will be "I cannot tell you," and you have wasted your valuable exam time.
Draw structures neatly.  Communicating your thoughts with structural drawings is critical in chemistry.  Sloppy drawings imply sloppy thinking.
Write neatly. If your words cannot be understood, you will not get credit for them. If your name cannot be read, your exam score cannot be recorded, so you get no credit for it!
Erase a wrong answer instead of scribbling it out.  This leaves you with more space to write your corrected answer.  Use a pen with easily erasable ink if you use a pen at all.
Avoid non-sequitur answers. That is, avoid adding details which don't answer the question directly. The time spent writing the non-sequitur could be used for other answers. In addition, if the non-sequitur information is wrong, you may lose points for it, whether or not it's relevant to the question.
Avoid pentavalent carbons (carbons with 5 full bonds). Hexavalent carbons are even worse.
If you make any assumptions about a question, write them down and clearly label them. Example: "I assumed the following for question 3...."  If your assumption is reasonable for a student with an equivalent level of experience, your exam answer will be graded with this assumption in mind.
If you continue an answer on the back of the page, include a clear notation such as "answer to this question continued on back of previous page." It is not the job of the graders to hunt for your answers.
Spell chemical words correctly. Although this is not an English course, part of learning an subject is a mastery of it's vocabulary. In addition, be careful with your choice of words. Chemistry vocabulary is large because there are so many words that have very specific meanings. Perhaps the most common mistake is the use of "molecule" to refer to a fraction of a molecule, or a group of atoms which do not make up a whole molecule. Refer to such a fraction as "molecular fragment" or "group" or something like that.
Make sure you use the right kinds of arrows! Review the meaning of various chemistry arrows via the Arrows entry at the Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry.

Consider the fact that your exam answers must stand for themselves. Use clear sentences! You cannot explain your answer after the exam and expect to regain any lost points.
Quit when time is called, regardless of what you are writing or thinking.  Continuing to write after the exam time is over is cheating, and there are penalties for cheating.

How to Handle Briefly Explain Questions
Briefly explain questions are designed to probe your knowledge of fundamental concepts, and your ability to articulate scientific ideas.  Here are some thoughts about how to approach these questions, from the minds of the TAs and Dr Hardinger.
"Briefly explain" also means ""outline" or "concisely discuss."  Complete sentences are not necessary, as long as your logic is clear to the grader.
Think before your write! A few seconds spent considering the answer before you put pen to paper might save you lots of time erasing and rewriting.
Think about all the key concepts for a question before you begin to write your answer.  Expect to explain any concepts that are new between this exam and the last.  For example, on the second midterm, topics covered on the first midterm do not need to be explained, but topics presented in lecture since the first midterm do require explanation.  A final is cumulative, so you should explain all new concepts for the course.
Outline the answer first, if necessary.  (You do this for a ten page paper, so why not for a briefly explain question as well?)  A list of key words or phrases works well for this.  You may find that your outline is a complete answer by itself.  Avoid "stream of consciousness" writing.
Organize and articulate your answer in a manner that your fellow classmates could understand.  Pretend you are explaining the concept to someone who is in the class, but has not yet studied this exam material or attended lecture.
Use precise and accurate wording when answering "briefly explain" questions.  Consider the difference in these symptoms as explained by a patient: "I have a pain in my head" versus "I have an intermittent but dull throbbing pain that is occurring behind and above my left eye.  The pain started yesterday around noon when I was hit in the left temple by a softball."
Pack as much information into the answer as possible, but avoid irrelevant information.  (Vast quantities of irrelevant information are sometimes called "intellectual vomit," and we all know how unpleasant that can be.) Scores tend to be proportional not to the number of facts, but rather to the concentration of relevant concepts in the answer.  The number and accuracy of relevant concepts is more important than the number of words.
Briefly explain questions are graded both on use of appropriate vocabulary and concepts.  Just because you have not used the exact words on the key does not mean you cannot get full credit.  However, certain words and phrases are very important and should be used.  Experience with the course material is the best guide to what is and is not important. Graders are favorably impressed by the correct use of relevant vocabulary words.
Avoid limiting statements such as "The only way..."  These often lead to false generalizations with subsequent deduction of points.
Eschew obfuscation.  Elide cerebral entropism.  (Just like these statements. Look it up!)
Briefly explain answers in CFQs, Practice Problems and old exam keys are generally much longer than is expected on an exam. This is because these answers are also meant to provide a detailed archive for future students to learn the concepts of the question.
The best briefly explain answers will show that you understand the concepts and can manipulate them intelligently, and that you have not just wasted your time memorizing the CFQs.
The exam space provided for an answer is always adequate.  If a small space is provided, that indicates that a shorter answer is sufficient.  It should not be assumed, however, that large spaces mean long answers are required.
Write and draw neatly.  Points cannot be awarded for what cannot be interpreted.
Practice with writing briefly explain answers should be a routine study habit.  If you find a good writing style, emulate it.

When You've Completed the Exam
Check your answers if you have time. If your gut instinct is to leave an answer alone, then do so. Personal experience suggests that the "second guess" is often wrong if you have been studying correctly.
Always collect your graded exam, and compare it with the key. (Exam keys are usually posted on the course web site within an hour of the exam's completion.)  You can learn a lot by comparing your answers with those on the key.

Learning From Your Mistakes
Once the exam is returned, carefully review your answers and try to understand why full credit was not earned.  Consider this quote (allegedly from Karl Popper, an educational philosopher):
"The difference between the amoeba and Einstein is that, although both make use of the methods of trial and error or elimination, the amoeba dislikes erring while Einstein is intrigued by it.  He consciously searches for his errors in the hope of learning by his discovery and elimination." Are you an amoeba or an Einstein?


You may find it useful to print out a blank copy of the exam, and re-take it.  This will give you more practice and help you become more familiar with the concepts.

10 foods make you hungry after eating....What is it?

1. White bread is made from skimmed wheat crust, which is poor in fiber, eating and raising the proportion of insulin in the blood and increases the incidence of cancer and weight gain.

2. juices provide the body with energy and vitality, but that is not sweetened juices as well because it raises the sugar levels in the body, and make us feel hungry, so it is advisable to drink natural juices.

3. baked salted have a significant effect on weight gain, and the reason is very simple, as the self aspires to eat sweets after salty food, leading to a feeling of hunger.

4. Nutrition experts warn of the danger of fast food because they contain large quantities of hydrogenated fats, which raise the ratio of insulin in the body, and can feel hungry.

5. Alcohol consumption even by his simple large effects on the body, it is dangerous because it affects the secretion of the hormone leptin in the body, leading to a feeling of hunger.

6. pasta consumption is bad for the body as consumption completely white bread, as it's fast digestion, and its effects also reduce the body's secretion of insulin human feels hungry.

7. Many believe that sushi meal healthy because they contain fresh fish, but it is usually full of rice, which has a negative effect on the body completely Kalmajnat white bread.

8. artificial sweeteners negative impact on the body, whether in the form of tablets alternative to sugar or mixed drinks, because they directly affect the level of sugar in the body.

9. pizza has a multiplier effect on the body, because they contain many of them white bread and hydrogenated oils, cheese, cooked ingredients, and this prevents the secretion of satiety hormones.

10. grain colored chips, made especially for kids, white flour and sugar contain, so it's best to replace chips made of sugar-free corn.

How to Negotiate Your Salary for a New Job

Think of it as high-stakes poker—you'll need to stack the deck. Here's how:
Start by checking a site like PayScale to find local compensation rates for people with your level of experience. According to a Salary.com analysis, nearly half of U.S. adults don't know how to find the pay range for their job; as a result, many accept whatever dough they're offered. Found the average pay? Consider that your minimum.
Next, estimate your chance of landing the position, says Michael Haselhuhn, Ph.D., an assistant professor of management at UC Riverside. If you're confident you'll get the gig, add 10 percent to your minimum, Haselhuhn suggests. It's a safe salary bump without asking for too much.

If they come back with a figure that's lower than the average, don't fold; respectfully reiterate your experience and value.
Do they seem sympathetic but still won't budge? See whether they're willing to offer extra vacation days, perhaps, or a once-a-week telecommuting option. Of course, if you're a long shot for the job or just need a paycheck, don't even think about bluffing.

The Hidden Danger in Google Glass!

Looking silly isn’t the only drawback to wearing Google Glass: A small new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that the wearable computer can block part of your peripheral vision.
Researchers tested the visual fields of three people while they wore Glass and then again as they donned a pair of control frames. The result: Glass left study participants with blind spots on their right sides, while control frames did not.
That’s because the hardware on Google Glass wraps around the right side of the frames, where it can obstruct your view, says study author Tsontcho Ianchulev, M.D., an associate clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Ianchulev and his team also analyzed more than 300 photos of people wearing Glass and estimated that 59 percent would likely have a blind spot.

The severity of the obstruction could differ from person to person. “People have different heads—small heads, big heads, different distances between their eyes—so depending on the variation of those, some people can have a much bigger blind spot or a much smaller blind spot,” says Dr. Ianchulev.
Any visual obstruction can be potentially dangerous, says Dr. Ianchulev. For example, blind spots might increase your risk of tripping and falling or ending up in a car accident. And when you turn the glasses on and add the distraction of checking e-mail and doing other tasks, would it make the problem even worse? That’s something the researchers are hoping to learn in a future study.
Still, that doesn’t mean you have to write off the gadget, which we reviewed last year.  “Google has done a phenomenal job at really packing so much power and electronics into a small device and making it extremely useful for many applications,” says Dr. Ianchulev.  Just exercise caution: “What we are saying is that maybe driving with it, or biking with it, or riding a motorcycle is probably not the best idea, and we want people to be aware of that before they undertake those activities with the device,” he says.
He’s also optimistic that future iterations of Google Glass might be kinder to your peepers. “This is not a problem that cannot be solved with a little bit of engineering and modification of the frame,” he says.

Thanks for Reading :) 

"Sex With Glass" will bring out the geeky exhibitionist in you

  Google Glass just found its first mood-killer app. Dubbed subtly "Sex With Glass" the idea is both you and your partner both wear a pair of £1,000 Google Glass specs during sex, download the app, and then you can stream "what your lover sees from any angle" mid-coital bliss. Welcome to the very cutting edge of dweeb fornication technology.
Created during London's Wearable Tech Hackathon in December, the design team talk proudly (read: suspiciously) of how much "better" it is than Skype sex. They also seem peculiarly pleased with the fact you can summon a Marvin Gaye track to soundtrack your lovemaking (note: Gaye's bitter divorce LP Here, My Dear may be more appropriate than you realise).
Needless to say, if either you or your partner are remotely uncomfortable on camera then this has the potential for disaster. Imagine Friends' Ross and Rachel at the end of The One With the Videotape being given an unparalleled 640 x 360 display view of the Geller scrotum in all its dangly glory. The truth is that, as with all homemade pornography, there is the issue of "the willing suspension of disbelief": Sex With Glass will most often do nothing more than confirm that you are not quite as good in bed as you think you are. If your technique is more Torvill and Dean than James Deen there is simply nowhere to hide. Similarly once your partner realises her expression in "the moment" is reminiscent of Este Haim's "Bassface" and you catch yourself channeling Jamie Bell's Nymphomaniac poster it may be quite hard to convince either of you to ever have sex again.
There are other issues. In much the same way that it is rarely advisable to Google an obscure sexual practice during foreplay, the idea of asking Glass for some tips on positions mid-congress may not do wonders for your intimacy issues.
As with all sex-related technology, security is a priority (as Snapchat found out when users discovered their sexts were merely hidden, rather than deleted). According to Sex With Glass you'll be able to watch your videos for five hours after the act before they are deleted forever. "That's for all the ladies out there," they add helpfully, overlooking the fact that some men would also rather not have their sweaty Kardashian-career-starter on the cloud for anyone to access.
As you have probably realised by now, Sex With Glass is in no way endorsed by or associated with Google - it's also unlikely to make it into any of the campaign ads later this year when the devices finally goes on sale. But for the non-shy technophile, is seems only a matter of time before Google Glass enters the bedroom with gusto; after all, if you think "wearable technology" is new, you've obviously not been inside Ann Summers lately.
The final masterstroke? The fact that if you suddenly get cold feet beneath the duvet you can shout out "OK Glass, pull out" which - no, we're not joking - ceases filming immediately. While we're disappointed that there isn't a Sex With Glass "safe word" as such, it does at least give you the option to come to your senses before you attempt a bedroom live broadcast.

London Develops a Peruvian Palate

While London is relatively welcoming to non-native cuisines, few could have predicted just how quickly the latest culinary trend would take off. Though the Peruvian population is small, a dozen or so high-profile Peruvian restaurants have exploded on the scene, with more on the way. Peru’s most famous chef, Gastón Acurio, is even looking to open a branch of his La Mar cevicheria in high-rent Mayfair.

Peruvian restaurants are now comfortably ensconced in neighborhoods throughout the city, tucked on quiet streets next to pubs in Shoreditch and among the galleries and theaters in the West End. Martin Morales, the Peruvian-born former head of Disney Music and iTunes Pan Europe, began tweeting about Peruvian food, then opened a Peruvian pop-up restaurant, Ceviche. “I was frustrated because no one knew this food or the ingredients, so I started cooking it at home,” Mr. Morales said. “Everything happened organically. A tweet here. A tweet there. Then the pop-ups.”

He opened his brick and mortar restaurant Ceviche (cevicheuk.com) in Soho in 2012, with his own takes on Peruvian classics like beef heart skewers (£8, or $12.50 at $1.57 to the pound) and picante de conejo (£12), rabbit braised in ají amarillo and ají panca peppers. In the years since, he has carved out a mini-Peruvian empire with a cookbook and a record label that resurrects vintage Peruvian music. His latest project is Andina (andinalondon.com), a casual spot in Shoreditch with breakfast items like quinoa porridge sweetened with purple corn syrup (£4.50) and juices from South American “superfoods” (£3), as well as street food dishes like succulent chicharrón sandwiches (£6.60) and a ceviche bar (£6 to £9) for the rest of the day. More refined is Lima London (limalondon.com), which opened in 2012 on a lively strip in Fitzrovia and became the first Peruvian restaurant in Europe to be awarded a Michelin star.

No one can say for certain why the city has latched on to this exotic trend, but most agree that it isn’t slowing. “I love and am fascinated that every time I go to London and see how the city wants more of Peru,” said the chef Virgilio Martinez, who owns Central in Lima and is a partner in Lima London.

Robert Ortiz, who runs the kitchen at Lima London, focuses on Peru’s unique biodiversity, incorporating exotic flavors like chia seeds, ají amarillo and red amaranth into a soulful sea bream tiradito (£14). Elsewhere on the menu you will see Amazonian cashews, vinegar made from the rich syrup of the algarrobo tree, and an array of multicolored tubers. The restaurant also serves a seven-course tasting menu that changes each month (£48). This July, a second restaurant was added, the 60-seat Lima Floral in Covent Garden.

At Chotto Matte (chotto-matte.com), which opened in Soho in late 2013, the Japanese-Peruvian fusion called Nikkei is the emphasis. The space has two floors that contain a cocktail lounge with retractable glass walls, a robata grill, a sushi bar and various dining nooks decorated with colorful graffiti by Tokyo-based Houxo Que and the Londoner Tom Blackford.

The extensive menu bounces around from izakaya-inflected anticuchos, like octopus with yuzu and purple potato (£8.95), to a handful of gyozas, including one filled with pork and prawn and served on ají amarillo and butternut squash purée (£5.25). While much of the sushi is quite standard, some hand rolls add touches like Peruvian corn and a leche de tigre-like coriander sauce (plus shrimp, £9.75) or lomo saltado, a beef stir-fry (£8.50).

Part of the investor Arjun Waney’s restaurant portfolio of flashy modern Japanese spots like Zuma and Roka, Coya (coyarestaurant.com) opened near Hyde Park in late 2012. The concept has been so successful that Mr. Waney is opening locations in Dubai and Miami. The two-level industrial space, with an open ceviche bar, is members-only except at lunch. (On weekends it turns into a bustling lounge with D.J.s spinning tunes until 1:30 a.m.)

While Peruvian ingredients form the base of the menu, Coya ventures away from straightforward recipes, even avoiding rice and potatoes, staples of many traditional plates, aside from a few dishes. The eclectic background of the London-born chef, Sanjay Dwivedi, gleaned while cooking at London restaurants like the Michelin-starred Indian spot Zaika, and as a touring chef for the Rolling Stones, comes through in dishes like his quinoa salad (£7), cooked for six hours in palm sugar and tamarind.

“We’re all very different,” Mr. Dwivedi said of London’s Peruvian restaurant scene. “It’s not a competition.”

Walking guides: the UK’s long-distance footpaths in easy stages!

Long-distance footpaths can be seductive things. You gaze at them on a map – the greater and lesser squiggles on the Ordnance Survey’s snakes-and-ladders grid. If the air and your step feel full of spring, the temptation is to set off for the start of one of these routes and mentally project yourself along the awaiting stretches. Five days, maybe six or seven if you dawdle, and in what feels like no time you’ll be at the other end, in the pub, brimming with beer and achievement.
Sometimes, however, the will founders, even in seasoned walkers. On the third day, you find yourself in fine rain, with no view, sore feet, the waymarking all to hell, in a boggy field, with bulls staring back. And there’s no signal on your mobile, so no taxi to bail you out to the nearest station, wherever that is.

One solution is to “collect” the walks: do them in bite-size portions, a single day here, a weekend there. That way you can put together even the longest of the British footpaths, such as the 630-mile South West Coast Path, from Minehead in Somerset to Studland in Dorset. That will take you a while, but then, what’s the hurry?

I am in the middle of “collecting” the magnificent Grand Union canal, which runs from west London to Gas Street Basin in the heart of Birmingham. It offers 147 miles of towpath walking – the extra length is partly explained by the way some of the stretches go with the flow of the land, contouring round its features rather than engineering a straight line by aqueduct and tunnel.

 

I started at Paddington station, which is next to the canal’s terminal basin. Yes, the railways of the mid-19th century often stalked the existing canals, and the courses of these erstwhile rivals crisscross dramatically all the way up to the Black Country.

I got off the underground at Paddington and started walking – and talking to the people on the boats along the way (literally along the way, since they’re going at walking speed). It’s impossible to hurry, because the world slows into a placid, reflective corridor, green-fringed through the dense townscape. And there are pubs dotted along the entire route.
A week later, I took a suburban ride to Brentford. My next leg of the walk involved taking the Piccadilly line to Alperton; then, the Chiltern line out of Marylebone for Rickmansworth; to Euston, for the Rugby line to Berkhamsted, Tring, Leighton Buzzard, Milton Keynes … you get the picture. It’s a kind of elasticated commute, but instead of a walkers’ B&B I went home each night.

So now I’m at Wolverton, 73.3 miles from Paddington and almost the same distance from Gas Street. I’ve done this in nine sections and it has taken almost as many months. I’ve trumped the barges for slowness. Every few minutes there’s a chunk of displaced air coming at my face as the Birmingham-bound trains roar past, reminding me that they can do the journey in 90 minutes. Good for them.

Yes, when I was much younger I did the 177 miles of the Offa’s Dyke path, down the Welsh border, in one 10-day trip. And while I’m trying to brag, I once walked a series of 30-mile days as part of Ian Botham’s transalpine charity marathon in Hannibal’s footsteps, complete with three elephants. (That was too tough to be called fun, let alone leisure. One of the animals had to pull out with an offside-elbow strain, but that’s another story.)

Many of Britain’s long-distance paths, such as the Ridgeway, have a historical rationale, and none more obviously so than the Grand Union Canal. This great strip of water was the future once: at the end of the 18th century, Britain was just pulling clear from a depression caused by the US war of independence. Industry was picking up, and hungry for raw materials. A horse that could haul maybe a couple of tons on a good road could pull more than 20 times that along the canal. To walk this towpath, even with all that activity over long ago, is to see a little of how we got to where we are now. And by spring, I should be in Birmingham.

There are several hundred long-distance footpaths in Britain, ranging from 17-mile hikes such as the Altrincham Circular in Cheshire, through the medium-size (at 65 miles) Black Fen Waterway trail in East Anglia, and the West Highland Way in Scotland at 95 miles, up to classics such as the Pennine Way at 247 miles. The Walking Englishman website has a directory. Here are a few options.

Hadrian’s Wall
This 84-mile walk, from Wallsend on Tyne to Bowness-on-Solway, follows the remains of the second-century fortification. It is served by the Newcastle-Carlisle rail link, which crisscrosses the wall along its way. Stopping points can be: Newcastle, Blaydon, Wylam, Prudhoe, Stocksfield, Riding Mill, Corbridge, Hexham, Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill, Haltwhistle, Brampton, Wetheral and Carlisle. It’s also accessible on the 685 bus route along the A69. (See Hadrian’s Wall Path by Anthony Burton, Aurum Press, £12.99.)


South Downs Way
Almost all 106 miles of this chalkland bridleway – from Eastbourne in East Sussex to Winchester in Hampshire – is accessible by train. Try Eastbourne, Polegate, Glynde, Lewes, Southease, Amberley, Petersfield and Winchester. (Further details in the National Trail Guide series’ South Downs Way.)

A slightly more ambitious proposition, and a good candidate for weekend expeditions, this is 177 miles down the England/Wales border, allegedly constructed by the eighth-century king of Mercia. Stopping points: Sedbury, Monmouth, Pandy, Hay, Kington, Knighton, Brompton Crossroads, Buttington Bridge, Llanymynech, Chirk Mill, Llandegla, Bodfari, Prestatyn.


Angles Way
Beneath enormous Norfolk and Suffolk skies, this 93-mile stretch is regarded as the best waterside walk going. It’s eminently accessible by train – from the starting point of Great Yarmouth, across the Broads from Norfolk; then Oulton Broads and Beccles, both on the line to Lowestoft from Ipswich; Bungay and Harlesden by number 80 bus from Diss, then Diss itself, on the London-Norwich mainline; and Thetford, on the Ely-Norwich train