Catch People Doing Things Right

Do you know one of the best ways to motivate other people and get them involved? Here's a clue... It's not always as simple as quoting a passage from a motivational book or threatening to fire someone, or screaming at the top of your lungs about how incompetent they are.

It tends to be one of those things that positively impacts the person reading it at the time. Not necessarily the person you want to motivate or inspire. Particularly if they're not the type person who reads or listens to it themselves.

The downsize of threatening to fire someone can have several implications. Sure you might get the immediate spur in productivity you were looking for, but in the long run you could end up losing much more then you gain. For example, it can create a sense of disloyalty and distrust in people.

Then there's the question of what happens if the person you're threatening to fire beats you to it and quits on the spot? You say it wouldn't bother you, but is that really the case? Essentially you've created a whole other problem. Now you've got to rehire someone, spend time and money training them, etc. I think you see where I am going with this right?

So what's the solution you ask? Obviously you don't want folks running around unproductive and you want those around you to operate at peak performance.
Here's the suggestion... Catch those around you doing something good! Admittedly this might sound overly simple, but you have to realize it's in this very simplicity that makes it so effective. People love to be rewarded. Often we miss the point that people are motivated in different ways.

For some people it might be monetary rewards, perhaps it is something like being publicly recognized in a group of their peers, or shown appreciation in the company newsletter for a job well done. This simple idea stretches both into the world of business and one's personal life.

It makes no difference if you're talking about dealing with your family or a disgruntled employee the fact remains that people like to be appreciated. They may tell you otherwise, but it's one of life's inescapable truths. The more you look for ways to catch people doing things well, the less you're going to find yourself worrying about the other.

Now it's time to get out there and catch those around you doing something good. One word of caution, be genuine in your approach. If you do, the rest will take care of itself.

做一个人前不疲倦的漂亮女人

　混乱的环境会给人失控的感觉，因此，定期清理工作和生活环境使它们井然有序，可以有效的调解心情，助你远离压力。
学会休息
　　如果有太多事情要做，你是否会因此减少自己的睡眠时间？调查发现约四分之一的美国人不得不挤占睡眠时间工作，这通常使得他们在白天过于疲惫。有句老话叫不会休息的人就不会工作，那么该如何改变你的现状呢？下面有些小建议供朋友们参考借鉴：

晚上八点以后关掉电脑和电视
　　电视和电脑屏幕发出的光线会驱散你的睡意，因此为了保证睡眠，最好在8点前将他们全部关闭。
　　如果你不得不在晚上工作，那么尝试提前一两个小时关掉他们，你会有意想不到的收获。
定期清理工作和生活环境可以有效的调解心情。

收起你的闹钟
　　当你躺在床上却无法入睡时，不停看表只会增加你的压力使你更难入睡。专家建议，如果你遭遇睡眠问题，那么在设定好闹钟之后最好把它们放在你看不见的位置，这会让你忘记时间，尽快进入梦乡。

别把房间弄得过凉/热
　　过凉或过热的房间都会影响你的睡眠质量，把房间温度设定在合理的范围，可以帮助你尽快入眠。

适度锻炼
　　有氧运动可以帮助你迅速进入睡眠状态，同时，适度的运动也有利于建立正常的生物钟，使你的身体运转的更加顺畅。

如果你过于担心一件事，那就把它写下来
　　如果你无法克服对事情的焦虑，那么试着把它写下来，然后认真分析下这件事情发生的可能性有多大。研究发现，人类忧虑的事情有七成都是不会发生的。
（文章转载自新华网）

The Laughing Cure

Why a hearty guffaw may really be the best medicine.

WebMD Feature

May 8, 2000 -- As a veteran television executive involved in sitcoms like Roseanne and Home Improvement, Sherry Hilber watched weekly as studio audiences writhed with laughter. "I'd see them leave at the end of the show and think, 'Maybe for the rest of the night something is happening inside their bodies.' "

Intrigued, Hilber boned up on the limited literature about humor's effects on physical health. She found a mixed bag of upbeat anecdotes, tantalizing small studies, and contradictory results.

Seeking to use her comedy knowledge for a larger cause, Hilber established Rx Laughter (http://www.rxlaughter.org), a nonprofit project dedicated both to helping the ill via humor and to supporting more scientific research on the topic. Thanks to her fund-raising efforts, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) are set to begin exploring whether funny videos can promote healing.

Sidestepping the Banana Peel

The UCLA/Rx Laughter researchers hope to sidestep some of the banana peels that have tripped up previous researchers.

For instance, if comedy helps, is it laughing aloud or internal amusement that matters most? No one knows. The UCLA/Rx Laughter researchers will start by screening videos Hilber assembled for 100 elementary school children to determine what they find reliably funny. Initially, they'll count how often each kid laughs and also ask whether they thought the video was funny, looking for correlation. (The researchers chose to focus on kids partly because they readily respond to humor and laugh more easily.)

Next, investigators will examine the nervous and immune system effects of laughter: heart rate, blood pressure, and the presence of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva, before and after the funny videos.

Eventually, the researchers expect to explore whether comedy changes how kids perceive and respond to pain. Ultimately, they want to see if humor can change the kids' actual health, not just their stress hormones. For example, they may measure how fast wounds heal after surgery and how fast white blood cells rebound to their normal levels after being lowered by chemotherapy.

"You have to pass the 'so what?' test," says the study's co-director, Margaret Stuber, MD, a UCLA professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. "It may be very interesting to us that we can change salivary cortisol, but does that actually change anything that matters?"

The concept that comedy could improve health makes some medical sense. Studies show that anger, depression, and pessimism impair the immune response, increase surgical recovery and wound-healing times, and can even contribute to higher death rates. And what better way to counter a negative outlook than through a dose of comedy? "Humor and distressing emotion cannot occupy the same psychological space," says Steven Sultanoff, PhD, a clinical psychologist and president of the American Association for Therapeutic Humor.

Cousins' Comedy "Cure"

It was Anatomy of an Illness, the 1979 memoir by late magazine editor Norman Cousins, that put a potential humor/health connection on the mainstream map. Cousins described how he recovered from a usually irreversible and crippling connective tissue disease with a regimen that -- among other therapies -- included laughing at Marx Brothers movies.

Of course, Cousins' success by itself is no proof. And researchers seeking to put medical laughter on more solid scientific footing have faced serious obstacles -- from a shortage of funding to the fact that guinea pigs don't laugh.

Lee Berk, DrPH, a pathology professor at Loma Linda University in California, is among those who have tried. In a series of studies, including one published in the December 1989 issue of the American Journal of Medical Science, he examined before-and-after blood samples from subjects who had viewed humorous videos and from a control group who had not. He found significant reductions in stress hormones and enhanced immune function -- including increased natural killer cells -- in the video-watching subjects.

But the cost and logistics of such sophisticated blood analyses limited those studies to small groups of five to ten people. Meanwhile, a Japanese study published in the June 1997 issue of the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills -- with all of eight people -- actually found a decrease in natural killer cell activity after a group viewed a comedy video.

Even research on pain relief has shown complex results: For an Israeli study, published in the November 1995 issue of the journal Pain, 20 people each watched either a funny, repulsive, or neutral flick. Before and during the films, each underwent a standard test for pain tolerance -- they had to keep one arm submerged in a tank of icy water and rate the discomfort. Humor clearly helped (though repulsion actually increased pain tolerance most).

The same researchers later found comedy videos worked best when "taken" a half-hour before pain testing and with at least a 45-minute "dosage."

While it will be several years before the UCLA study delivers its first medical punch lines, it has already solved a key riddle: Who will pay to see whether laughter really is, if not the best, at least an effective medicine? After all, drug companies, which spend billions to prove medications work, have little stake in investigating laughter.

Instead, Hilber turned to Comedy Central. The television home of South Park will fund most of the study's initial phases with a $75,000 grant. "If in five years' time this study can determine that comedy is good for you, we really have a marketing opportunity," says network executive Tony Fox. "[Forget] an apple a day. Watch Comedy Central instead!"

David Jacobson is a San Francisco-based writer and satirist. His work has appeared in Health, Men's Health, Salon, Maxim, and Details.

The Stress Management and Health Benefits of Laughter

Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold for pain. There's even an emerging therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things. Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits.

Stress Management Benefits of Laughter:

Hormones: Laughter reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline), dopamine and growth hormone. It also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins, and neurotransmitters. Laughter increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T cells. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects of stress.

Physical Release: Have you ever felt like you "have to laugh or I'll cry"? Have you experienced the cleansed feeling after a good laugh? Laughter provides a physical and emotional release.

Internal Workout: A good belly laugh exercises the diaphragm, contracts the abs and even works out the shoulders, leaving muscles more relaxed afterward. It even provides a good workout for the heart.

Distraction: Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt, stress and negative emotions in a more beneficial way than other mere distractions.

Perspective: Studies show that our response to stressful events can be altered by whether we view something as a 'threat' or a 'challenge'. Humor can give us a more lighthearted perspective and help us view events as 'challenges', thereby making them less threatening and more positive.

Social Benefits of Laughter: Laughter connects us with others. Also, laughter is contagious, so if you bring more laughter into your life, you can most likely help others around you to laugh more, and realize these benefits as well. By elevating the mood of those around you, you can reduce their stress levels, and perhaps improve the quality of social interaction you experience with them, reducing your stress level even more!

How To Use Laughter:

Laughter is one of my all-time favorite stress management strategies because it's free, convenient, and beneficial in so many ways. You can get more laughter in your life with the following strategies:

T.V. and Movies: There's no shortage of laughter opportunities from the entertainment, both at the theater and in the aisles of the video stores, as well as at home with T.V. comedies. While wasting your time watching something marginally funny may actually frustrate you, watching truly hilarious movies and shows is an easy way to get laughter into your life whenever you need it.

Laugh With Friends: Going to a movie or comedy club with friends is a great way to get more laughter in your life. The contagious effects of laughter may mean you'll laugh more than you otherwise would have during the show, plus you'll have jokes to reference at later times. Having friends over for a party or game night is also a great setup for laughter and other good feelings.

Find Humor In Your Life: Instead of complaining about life's frustrations, try to laugh about them. If something is so frustrating or depressing it's ridiculous, realize that you could 'look back on it and laugh.' Think of how it will sound as a story you could tell to your friends, and then see if you can laugh about it now. With this attitude, you may also find yourself being more lighthearted and silly, giving yourself and those around you more to laugh about. Approach life in a more mirthful way and you'll find you're less stressed about negative events, and you'll achieve the health benefits of laughter. (See this article on maintaining a sense of humor.

'Fake It Until You Make It': Just as studies show the positive effects of smiling occur whether the smile is fake or real, faked laughter also provides the benefits mentioned above. So smile more, and fake laughter; you'll still achieve positive effects, and the fake merriment may lead to real smiles and laughter.

More on Having Fun: See these additional suggestions on laughing more and having fun in your life.

A Very Good Wisdom for All

This is an excellent conversation between 'God' and an unknown ' -

'Me'. I don't know as to who has been the composer of such an

interesting and captivating conversation ; but has he/she has

definitely put in good amount of thought into crafting the same. *

Those who don't believe in God, may also find it worth reading once.

Enjoy and Think ! *

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. Who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in

the midst of something.

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic.

It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you

results.Activity consumes time.. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way, I was

not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat..

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some.

In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you

are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You

are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your

habit.

That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be

purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't

suffer. With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the

test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be

free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons

(to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and

endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we

are heading..

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look

inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes

provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in

the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a

measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying

than knowing your road ahead. You work with the compass. Let others

work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have

to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: When they suffer they ask, 'why me?' When they prosper, they

never ask 'Why me'. Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but

few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to

be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life

is not merely a process of discovery but a process of co-creation. You are my co-creator.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with

confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God: Well.. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your

doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a

problem to resolve.

Trust me.. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. 'Life is not

measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that took our breath away!

Exercise Your Brain's CPU

by Jennifer Goddard

Concerned about how many brain cells you’ve killed? Don’t be, you are constantly regenerating them.

Around a decade ago, researchers put an end to the myth that we were born with a set number of brain cells. More recent discoveries show exercise is the best way to improve your creativity, thinking and memory, all vital elements of innovation.

Why? Deep inside your brain is the Hippocampus. Shaped like a seahorse and operating like an Intel chip, the hippocampus grows the more you exercise it.

Alone or in tandem, physical and mental exercises improve your brain’s performance and help delay the onset of dementia.

• High intensity exercises are better than low intensity
• Combining resistance and aerobic training gives better results
• Sessions more than 30 minutes are better than shorter
• Exercising for 30 minutes or more before a test will increase your score
• The daily sudoku, crossword or brainstorming session gives your brain a great workout

P.S. Why is memory the basis for innovation? If you can remember something that you saw, read, or discussed six days, six months or six years ago and apply it to the situation now, you will have more creative ideas and innovative solutions.

These are really called TOUGH LIFE‏

If you think you are unhappy, look at them

If you think your salary is low, how about her?

If you think you don't have many friends...

If you think study is a burden, how about her?

When you feel like giving up, think of this man

If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does?

If you complain about your transport system, how about them?

If your society is unfair to you, how about her?

Enjoy life how it is and as it comes

Things are worse for others and is a lot better for us

There are many things in your life that will catch your eye
but only a few will catch your heart....pursue those...

Soya/Tofu lovers

In 1989, I graduated from high school in Texas and couldn't wait to hit
the big college city. One of the changes I wanted to make was to eat
healthier.

Once I moved to health-conscious Austin , Texas , I began to fortify my
body with the best and healthiest foods I could find.

Tofu was the main ingredient in every healthy dish and I bought soya
milk almost every day used it for everything from cereal to smoothies or
just to drink for a quick snack. I bought soya muffins, miso soup
with tofu,soybeans, soybean, sprouts, etc. All the literature in all
the health and fitness magazines said that soya protected you against
everything from heart disease to breast cancer. It was the magical
isoflavones, the estrogen-like hormones that all worked to help you stay
young and healthy. I looked great - I was working out all the time, but
my menstrual cycle was off. At 20,I started taking birth control pills to regulate my
menstrual cycle.

In addition to this I began to suffer from painful periods. I began to
get puffy, it was as though I was losing my muscle tone. I began
to suffer from depression and getting hot flashes. I mistook all
this for PMS since my periods were irregular. By the time I was 25, my
periods were so bad,I couldn't walk. The birth control pills never made
them regular or less painful so I decided to stop taking them.

I went on like this for another two years until I realized my pain
wasn't normal.. At 27, my gynecologist found two cysts in my uterus.
Both were the size of tennis balls. I went through surgery to have
them removed and thank God they were benign. The gynecologist told
me to go back on birth control pills. I didn't.. In 1998, he discovered a
lump in my breast. Again, I went through surgery and again it was
benign.

In November 2000 my glands swelled up and my gums became inflamed.
Thinking I had a tooth infection I went to the dentist who told me that
teeth were not the problem.

After a dose of antibiotics the swelling still did not go down. At this
point I could feel a tiny nodule on the right side of my neck. I told my
mother I had thyroid trouble. She thought I was being silly. No one in
the family suffered from thyroid trouble. Going on a hunch I saw a
specialist who diagnosed me with Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.
After a series of tests he told me it was cancer. My fiance and I sat
stunned. We were not prepared and I was so scared. We scheduled surgery
right away.

The specialist told us that it would only be after the operation
that a pathologist would be able to tell us for sure if it was cancer.
They found a tumor at my right lobe composed of irregular cells and
another smaller tumor growing on the left, so the entire thyroid was
removed. They told me that after undergoing radioactive iodine I would
be safe and assured me that I could live a long life.

After treatment I began to search for the cause of all these problems.
I never once thought it could be all the soya I had consumed for
nearly ten years. After all, soya is healthy. I came upon a web page
that linked thyroid problems to soya intake and the conspiracy of
soya marketed as a by-product of the vegetable oil industry. This
was insane, after all, the health and fitness magazines had said
nothing about soya being harmful.

I visited a herbalist who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 1985.
She informed me that soya was the culprit. She had a hysterectomy
due to cysts and other uterine problems.
A few months later another acquaintance who had consumed soya
came down with thyroid cancer.

A girl in England I met through the Internet in a thyroid cancer forum
had just undergone surgery and she was only 19. What was going
on?

Breast cancer is linked to estrogen. What mimics estrogen in the
female body, SOYA! But I never suspected soya because until now I
never once found a single article that stated soya could be dangerous.

Women who took soya prior to thyroid problems will continue to
take it after if they are not aware of what soya actually does, what it
contains and how it reacts in the female body.. I think this is the reason
that women with thyroid cancer often develop breast cancer later. My
co-worker is big into soya and I see her losing hair and gaining weight
despite a walking workout during her break and after work, and apples
and oranges for lunch. She just had cysts removed from her uterus
too. I warned her to stay off soya. I referred her to websites but
until it is on the evening news on all four networks, women will suffer.
Since the thyroidectomy, I do not touch soya, haven't for two years.

Dear readers,
Please use my story in any way you can. There are so many young
girls who are consuming soya because they think they are taking care
of themselves, and women taking soya because they want to be
healthy. It is so unfair that the information about the dangers of soya isn't
more widely circulated. It is sad.

Here are some references:

http://www.haelan.co.uk/Wholefood-Soya.shtml

http://www.netlink.de/gen/Zeitung/2000/000813.html

7 Colours That Can Reflect Your Mood

I have a friend, who shall be nameless for obvious reasons as I love her dearly. This friends favourite colour is red. Her car is red, flowers in her garden are red, she wears red, her lipstick is red. Need I say more - everything is red. She is a go-getter and the speed with which she embraces life is past the speed limit. So recently I was very interested to read on how wearing certain colours can reflect our mood.

We do react to colour, and scientists have ascertained that each colour transmits a unique message to the brain which impacts our moods in different ways. Consider the list of colours below and consider how your own clothes and decor can enhance particular moods.

Red

Red is a stimulating and energizing colour. It also enhances self-assurance; what woman in a fiery red dress doesn't exude confidence. Red will produce an illusion of fantasy. It can promote opposition in others ( you have been warned) If you want to be attention-getting, feel powerful and dominate - wear red. The colour also symbolizes love. It is a hot and passionate color. Red is said to increase the appetite, so you may want to keep it out of the dining room unless you're having a dinner party. In the bedroom, red light helps sexual activity, and could lead to active nights.

Yellow

To wear yellow will rejuvenate and balance the mind. It wipes out the feeling of heaviness and oppression. Yellow is a sunny and reflective and is a pensive colour. It will lift ones mood to be positive and optimistic.

Orange

This is also the colour of love. It is perhaps a little less serious and a little more fun. Wear it to lift your love life. Orange is a very high energy colour imparting boldness and distinction. Is about being different. Like red and yellow, orange is stimulating. It is an antidepressant and also stimulates the mind. Anyone with a desire to sharpen and add focus and purpose to their life can do with a little orange. ( It is potent, do not add too much)

Green

Green is relaxing and tranquil to the eyes. It reduces stress and brings a feeling of tranquility. It presents natural healing and balance. Wear it to inspire harmony in others and restore your energy. It is the second most popular color. Green is symbolic of faithfulness and unity and hope. It is quick to help others even at their own expense. It represents dependability and tactfulness.

Pink

The colour pink is trendy. Its a girly color and is a symbol of innocence and beauty. Pink has a soothing effect. It also speaks of pure love. It is a romantic color, while red is hot and passionate. It also is bright, vibrant, a strong and healthy color.

Blue

Blue relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure and was found to have a calming effect on hyperactive children. Blue causes a slight psychological change which results in people feeling less hungry. I don't think you could call it a weight loss program though. Blue is also regarded to be effective for increasing wisdom energy. It is the color of peace, tranquility and is excellent in increasing spiritual meditation and healing.

Purple

Purple balances the mind, brings serenity and combats fear. It's connected with psychic powers and helps wake up that aspect. Its also the colour that speaks of royalty. Purple stands out in a crowd.

In conclusion; consider the colours you are wearing - maybe you can create the mood you want to reflect. The chose is yours!

All about ASAP and FYI and FYA

ONE day, a colleague turned to me and asked, “What’s FYI?”

“For your information.”

“What’s FYA?”

“For your action.”

“What’s WRT?”

“With reference to...”

Before the conversation dragged on any further, I quickly looked up a website on acronyms used in business communications and sent it to him via e-mail.

This conversation made me realise that the full meaning of many acronyms and abbreviations may not be immediately apparent for many people – students or working adults alike.

For starters, an acronym is a word created from combining the initial letters of each word. For example, For your action.

An abbreviation is a word shortened from its original form. For example, “Attn.” is an abbreviation of the word “attention” to convey the meaning “for the attention of”.

In general, a full stop is used for abbreviations where the last letter of the word and the abbreviation are not the same. For example, “Co.” (Company) needs a full stop but “Ltd” (Limited) does not. Acronyms do not need punctuation marks.

Below are some frequently used short forms in business communication like e-mails, faxes and letters:

a.k.a. – also known as

On Monday morning, Kay El, a.k.a. The Boss, walked in happily and greeted her assistant, Pee Jay.

approx. – approximately

Checking her e-mail, Pee Jay read, “Today is the boss’s birthday. Can everyone please slip off quietly to the cafeteria in approx. 15 minutes?”

ASAP – as soon as possible

Pee Jay opened up her daily planner and scribbled ASAP next to some of the urgent items on her to-do list.

Attn. – for the attention of

Leafing through the stack of mail to be sent out, Pee Jay asked her boss, “To whom should I address the cheque for the annual report?”

Her boss replied, “Just write ‘Attn: Ms. Chris-tine Jalleh’. She’ll know what to do with it.”

Bcc. – blind carbon copy or blind copy to. In this case, the carbon copy is sent to an e-mail recipient whose e-mail address is not visible to the cc or other bcc recipients.

“By the way, I think it’s better if you bcc me in your e-mail to Brown. We wouldn’t want him thinking that I’m supervising you for this project.”

Cc. – carbon copy, or copy to

“But I would like to be cc-ed on the e-mail to Mr Green as I have not yet introduced the both of you to each other.”

c/o – in care of, used when sending a document to A who will receive it on B’s behalf because B is away from the office.

“Boss, I think Christine is back in China this week. Would it be all right if I sent the cheque in care of her assistant? I’ll still write her name on top with c/o Ah Sis Tern below.”

COD – cash on delivery, where a person makes payment for an item purchase after it has been delivered.

“I’m also sending out the cheque for the set of Business English reference books we bought COD on eBay.”

e.g. – exempli gratia (for example)

Pee Jay replied to the e-mail, “Hi everyone. Please remember that the boss doesn’t like surprises, e.g. everyone shouting ‘Surprise!’ in the cafeteria.”

et al. – et alii (and others). Usually used to list co-authors after the lead author in a bibliography, this form is now popularly used to address the other people other than the recipient in e-mails.

She received a new e-mail, which read, “Dear Pee Jay et al., I was reminded that the boss does NOT like surprises ...”

etc. – et cetera (and so on OR and so forth)

This means that we will not be able to collectively surprise her by springing out of the cafeteria doors as we had planned, etc.

exc. – except

“Can everyone, exc. Pee Jay, be at the cafeteria in 5 minutes? We need to figure out a surprise without the surprise element. Thanks!”

FYI – for your information

Her boss’s voice brought the young assistant back to the present, “Pee Jay, I’m forwarding you all these e-mails FYI, okay?”

FYA – for your action

“Note that some of these e-mails are FYA ...”

i.e. – id est (that is)

After acknowledging her supervisor, Pee Jay decided to help her colleagues out and typed, “She’s in a good mood today, i.e. we won a new account and completed a major project.”

K – thousand, e.g. 450K = 450,000

“Just to give you an idea of her mood, it’s a 450K retainer for the first quarter ...”

PA – personal assistant

The immediate reply to Pee Jay’s e-mail read, “Thanks for the info, Pee Jay – you’re the best PA!”

p.a. – per annum (per year)

Pee Jay smiled and responded, “Haha, there is a reason why I’m paid RM65K p.a.”

p.p. - per pro (used when signing a document on someone’s behalf)

Looking back at her paperwork, Pee Jay signed some invoices on her boss’s behalf, inserting p.p. just before her signature.

Pto. – please turn over, used at the end of a page to indicate that there is a continuity to the text.

“By the way, please remember to type Pto. on the first page of the proposal you’re sending. The last time we sent it to him, he forgot to read the subsequent pages,” chimed in Kay El.

viz. – videlicet, namely

She got up and left a note on Pee Jay’s work station before leaving. Scribbled on it was, “Can I pass you my slice of birthday cake after I cut it? I really don’t need a lot of carbo, viz. refined flour, at my age.” The note ended with a wink.

By CHRISTINE JALLEH

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO LEARN !!!!

Lesson 1:

A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings.

The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs.

When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbour.

Before she says a word, Bob says, 'I'll give you $800 to drop that towel.'

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob, after a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.

The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs.

When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, 'Who was that?'

'It was Bob the next door neighbour,' she replies.

'Great,' the husband says, 'did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?'


Moral of the story:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.



Lesson 2:

A priest offered a Nun a lift.

She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.

The priest nearly had an accident.

After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.
The nun once again said, 'Father, remember Psalm 129?'

The priest apologized 'Sorry sister but the flesh is weak.'

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, 'Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory.'

Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.



Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp.

They rub it and a Genie comes out.
The Genie says, 'I'll give each of you just one wish.'
'Me first! Me first!' says the admin clerk. 'I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world.'
Puff! She's gone.

'Me next! Me next!' says the sales rep. 'I want to be in Hawaii , relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life.'

Puff! He's gone.

'OK, you're up,' the Genie says to the manager.
The manager says, 'I want those two back in the office after lunch.'


Moral of the story:
Always let your boss have the first say.



Lesson 4
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing.

A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, 'Can I also sit like you and do nothing?'
The eagle answered: 'Sure, why not.'

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.



Lesson 5
A turkey was chatting with a bull.

'I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree' sighed the turkey, 'but I haven't got the energy.'
'Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?' replied the bull. They're packed with nutrients.'

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree.

The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch.

Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there..



Lesson 6
A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field.

While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was.

The dung was actually thawing him out!

He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.
A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate.

Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.


Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.

(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend.

(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's best to keep your mouth shut!


THUS ENDS THE FIVE MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

Top MP3 Players

Music is the oldest tension buster, that’s why in old age kings always carry singer and poet with them. You and me can also call ourselves as king as we also carry our singer and poet … but not with us … in our pocket … Yes … I am talking about top 10 Mp3 players.

If you are planning to purchase … then read these tips and reviews

Rank 1: iPod Video 30Gb

Outstanding features: Available in black and white and colour, the iPod Video 30Gb can hold 7,500 songs or 75 hours of video playback and is the best-looking player your money can buy.

It features a large 2.5 inch colour screen capable of displaying images and videos at a maximum resolution of 320 x 240 pixels.
The circular touch-pad navigation is easy to use. Besides support for audio and video, it can entertain you while you are on the go with Podcasts and audio books.

With a built-in calendar, contact list, notes, world clock, stopwatch and a few games, it also acts as a personal information manager (PIM).
A single battery charge can last 20 hours.

Drawbacks: The LCD is too small for playing videos.
The screen is scratch prone, so be sure to invest in a protective casing. Also, the lack of in-built speakers and A/V cables (you need to buy them separately) make it a not-so-ideal portable media solution.

Final word: The name, iPod, is synonymous with MP3 players today. Though slightly expensive, it is undoubtedly the best music player around. But if you are a true audiophile and do not mind spending a few bucks extra, look no further.


Rank 2 : IPod Nano 2Gb

There are fun games that can entertain you on the move. The navigation is done through a circular wheel that is simply amazing and responsive.
The sound quality spells excellence. To enhance your music, there are also 22 preset equaliser settings. It also has a world clock that displays time in analogue and digital formats.

Drawbacks: The screen is susceptible to scratches. It does not have an FM tuner or voice recorder.

Final word: A must-have player that is cool to look at and offers a plethora of additional features.


Rank 3: Creative Zen Neeon 5Gb

Outstanding features: If you are looking for a lightweight, sleek music player, this is it. Weighing just 55 grams and 15.9mm thick, the Neeon has a 7 colour changeable LED backlight.
Its memory is flash-based, making it lighter as compared to other players. The 5Gb capacity can store around 1000 songs.
The Neeon comes with an FM Tuner coupled with FM and Line-in recording. With five equaliser settings (one can be customised), it delivers decent sound. You can even jazz up the player with the Stik-OnTM skins available from Creative.

Drawbacks: The player is sluggish at times and there is clearly a lag in performance. Moreover, you cannot listen to tracks when the player is attached to the PC.

Final word: Though the Neeon has an intuitive navigation and decent sound quality, the price is a little on the higher side.


Rank 4: Samsung YP-D1Q 2Gb

Outstanding features: How about having a digital camera in your MP3 player? Samsung YP-D1Q does just that. It features a 2-megapixel camera for photography enthusiasts. You can take photos while listening to your favourite music.
It looks more like a phone with a large screen (1.8� TFT LCD), but it can play MP3, MP4, WAV, OGG and ASF files.
It also has an FM Tuner and boasts Samsung�s proprietary Digital Natural Sound Engine (DNSe) for an enhanced music experience. It can deliver 20 hours of playback till the battery dies down.

Drawbacks: A bit expensive for the kind of features offered. One can buy a similar capacity MP3 player and digital camera with much better resolution at this price.

Final word: The Samsung YP-D1Q is different from the rest. Adding a digital camera may make this acceptable by photography buffs but, for music lovers, we doubt this will create an impact.


Rank 5: Sony NW-HD5 20Gb

Outstanding features: Weighing just 155 grams, the NW-HD5 comes with a 20Gb capacity and is available in silver, red and black.
It can play MP3, ATRAC3 and ATRAC3 plus files (Sony proprietary sound format).
The unique thing about this hard disk-based player is that it has a sensor that can detect sudden jerks or falls and stops the hard disk operation; this prevents your MP3 player from crashing.
The buttons are on the face and are well laid out.
The player can also be attached to external speakers or to your car stereo as it supports output from line-out.
Sound output quality is excellent and true to the Sony tradition.

Drawbacks: Though a good player, this one has quite a few drawbacks. You need to use the bundled Sonicstage software to transfer files.
If you copy files from your laptop and want to transfer it to your PC, you can't, as the player locks the files stored in it.

Final word: If you don't mind the restrictions and want Sony sound, the NW-HD5 will not disappoint you. But, at this price, there are many better players available.

Rank 6: MobileBlu DHB 100 5Gb

Outstanding features: This player can hold up to 2000 songs. It supports MP3 and WMA audio files.
It is firmware upgradeable, which means that if the company wishes to provide additional audio format playback, it can be done with just a firmware upgrade.
Weighing just 100 grams, the DHH 100 is compact with a metal body.
Though the player has a monochrome display, navigating is easy.
With a microphone in front, you can enjoy voice recording and take a nap during your economics lecture.
The earphones, as well as the in-built speakers, deliver crisp sound, but it isn't that loud.

Drawbacks: Though you can insert an additional SD Card in the slot, you cannot play files from it. Also, it does not have the playlist feature that most other players support.

Final word: The player offers what it is made for -- good sound output. If you think 5Gb can hold your music collection, go for it.

Rank 7: iRiver U10 1Gb

Outstanding features: The iRiver U10 is a portable media player that comes with 512Mb and 1Gb capacity.
Besides playing MP3 files, it can also display text, movies (AVI format only), and images.
This is also the only player around to support Macromedia Flash games.
The 2-inch LCD gives crystal clear display and is one of the best in its category.
The player can also tune into local FM stations.
The sound quality is decent and the player has a good battery life.

Drawbacks: The U10 supports only AVI files as a movie format. Also, for transferring photos, you need to use the bundled software, hence no drag-n-drop.
The maximum capacity offered is 1Gb, which is low considering it is a portable media player.

Final word: One of the unique players available. If you love playing flash-based, colourful games and don’t mind the memory limit, the U10 is definitely a great gadget.

RANK 8 : Mobile 8 DAH 1500i 1Gb

Outstanding features: This tiny cube-shaped MP3 player will definitely make heads turn. It comes in 512Mb and 1Gb capacities and weighs a mere 18 grams.
It has a bright OLED screen and supports MP3 and WMA sound formats.
It also has an FM tuner, Voice and FM recording with SRS WOW effects. The navigation is simple and the player offers 10 hours of playback time with a single battery charge.

Drawbacks: It cannot play files in alphabetical order. Also, it is slightly expensive when compared to others offering similar features.

Final word: A great flash memory based Mp3 player that looks stunning. Definitely way ahead of the iPod shuffle in terms of features.


Rank 9: Samsong YP Z5Q -2GB

Outstanding features: The first question you ask is -- is it the iPod Nano killer?
It boasts of a larger screen (1.8in colour TFT) than the Nano and has 2Gb Flash memory. The YP-Z5 is available in two capacities �- 2Gb and 4Gb.
The YP-Z5 supports MP3 and WMA files as audio formats and JPEG as image format. The sound quality is great and this can be credited to the proprietary DNSe sound technology.
It is extremely slim.

Drawbacks: The YP-Z5 lacks an FM tuner and voice recorder. Also, the navigation touchpad is a bit uncomfortable to start with.

Final word: A tiny, sturdily built player that is light in weight and offers good sound quality. Had it been priced right, it would surely have turned the heat on the iPod Nano.


Rank 10: Transcend T.sonic 610 1Gb

Outstanding features: This player looks more like a cell phone. It has a nice, user-friendly interface and navigation, can play MP3 and WMA files and can also record sound.
The company claims its Li-ion rechargeable battery lasts at least eight hours.
The sound quality is decent and a blast at full volume.
The player also has a FM tuner, and comes with 512Mb and 1Gb capacity.

Drawbacks: Does not have a colour display. Compared to others, the battery life is also not that great. Also, as it supports USB 1.1, the data transfer speed is not that fast.

Final word: This is a no-nonsense easy-to-use MP3 player for people whose priority is just music. With the price tag it retails for, this is a decent buy with extra features like recording and an FM tuner.