Almost 3 months – A Reflection…

Dino’s Words of Wisdom blog has been up and running for almost 3 months now. When it was created, Dino had planned to post one entry every single day. This goal seemed a bit far fetched at the time; however, his enthusiasm overpowered his limitation.

The first entry was posted on March 16, followed by almost one post for each day. As April came along, so did laziness and procrastination, which led to one post every other day. This month couldn’t be worse – 6 posts, including this one.

Why does this matter? Why does this blog even exist? To answer the latter question first, the purpose of this blog was, and still is, to share Dino’s perspective on anything and everything that strikes his interest and triggers his curiosity. There were posts on empowerment, appreciation, health, alternative medicine, technology, environment, wisdom, or an odd story that caught his attention.

Now, to answer the former question – Why does this matter? It doesn’t.

Yeah, right. Of course it does. In order to have meaning and value in our life, we need to constantly strive for something. Dino hasn’t reached a point in his life yet where nothing matters any more. Therefore, the reason this matters is that if the number of posts decrease, so will the number of readers; but besides that, Dino will once again get lost in the illusions of the outer-world and not have a chance to internally reflect (and share) what is being portrayed. In addition, this also helps Dino become more disciplined.

The goal for the next three months is to post an entry every other day, however, quality does matter over quantity, so if you don’t see a post for a while, just keep checking, and eventually there will be one.

Thanks for reading and your comments!

Boxers or Briefs?

Have you tried out one of those automatic blood pressure monitoring machines? The ones in which you insert you entire arm and it starts squeezing until your hand goes numb. Well, it seems as though the life of those machines will soon come to an end.

Philips has just applied for a patent to develop blood-pressure sensing underpants – yes, you read that correctly, underpants!

The underpants come equipped with sensors that measure the electrical impedance of the tissue beneath it. A pair of such sensors can calculate the speed of the pulse wave by timing how long it takes to travel from one sensor to the other.

Dino wasn’t able to obtain too much information about this, but assumes that the sensors will also include a wireless feature that would allow you to transfer the readings to an online log (for monitoring and analysis) or directly to your doctor, keeping you safe at all times. It may even have an alarm that sounds if your blood pressure rises too rapidly.

It’s quite an odd invention – Dino wonders if Philips would collaborate with a garment company such as CK to distribute this, and the different colors that would be available. What about laundry, would the sensors be water resistant? Would it be safe to have a wireless transmitter so close to your…you know what.

Dino will keep you posted once more information is available. Meanwhile, you may want to check out a previous post about an ice shirt that helps you cool down in the summer.

Polly Want a Cracker?

Have you heard the story of Yosuke the parrot?

Apparently, Yosuke flew out of his cage and got lost in a city near Tokyo. He was then rescued by the cops and spent the night in the police station. The next day he was taken to the vet, while police searched for clues.

Yosuke kept quiet while he was with the cops, (guess he was taught not to say anything until his lawyer arrived) however, after a few days with the vet, he revealed his full name and address. “I’m Mr. Yosuke Nakamura and I live at #5 XYZ Street”.

The cops checked out the address and found out that indeed the Nakamura family lived there. Yosuke was returned in good health and the Nakamura family lived happily ever after.

Until Yosuke decides to fly out again…

Boost your brain power

If the procedure in the previous post freaked you out, then I’m sure you’ll be very glad to read this. As promised, Dino has decided to share a few natural techniques to boost your brain power.

Breath deep. Breath through your nose and you'll notice that you use your diaphragm more, drawing air deeper into your lungs. Several deep breaths can also help to relax you, which is conducive to clearer thinking.

Use dead time. This is time that is otherwise wasted or just under-utilized. Driving time, time spent in waiting rooms, or even time spent raking your yard can be included in this. Pick up an iPod/MP3 player and start listening to audio books.

Learn a language. Learning a new language has been shown to halt the age-related decline in brain function. It also introduces your mind to new concepts and new ways of looking at things.

Write. Writing is good for your mind in a number of ways. It is a way to tell your memory what is important, so you'll recall things more easily in the future. It is a way to clarify your thinking.

Listen to Mozart. In a study at the University of California, researchers found that children who studied piano and sang daily in chorus, were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group.

Exercise. Research shows that cognitive function is improved immediately after just ten minutes of aerobic exercise.

Consume alcohol in moderation. In a study at the University of Indiana School of Medicine, elderly light drinkers (fewer than 4 drinks per week) scored higher on tests of thinking abilities than non-drinkers. Those who drank 10 or more drinks per week scored lower. It is known that alcohol can kill brain cells, so moderation seems to be the key.

Click here for more.

Just whistle while you work...

A new study published in the journal of neurology suggests that the length of our arms and legs raise the risk of memory loss.

According to the report, the women with the shortest arm spans were 50 percent more likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease than women with longer arm spans. And the longer a woman's leg from floor to knee, the lower her risk for dementia. While in men, only a shorter arm span was linked with higher dementia risk.

If your body type does fall into this category, fear not. Another experiment that implants electrodes in your brain has been proven to reverse memory loss.

The electrodes are implanted under local anaesthesia while the patient is awake. Before the operation, the neurosurgeon performs an MRI scan and establishes the target location for the electrodes. He then carries out a craniotomy – lifting a section of the skull – and inserts the electrodes and leads.

During the experiment, the patient recalled a scene from 30 years earlier. More tests showed his ability to learn was dramatically improved when the current was switched on and his brain stimulated.

Just in case this procedure sounds too invasive for you, stay tuned for Dino’s next post, as he shares a few natural techniques on boosting your brain power.

It’s gettin' Hot in here...

If the summer heat is getting to you and you can’t shed off any more clothes, then the ice shirt is perfect for you. It circulates cold water within its pipes to cool down your body. These shirts are usually worn by racers in extreme conditions so that they can maintain their body temperature.

The temperature in Singapore is getting extremely hot, so Dino has decided to pick up the ice shirt for himself. Now, he won’t just feel cool, but be cool.

Would you like one?