|
|
|
|
|
An article that best describes the personality and values of a pinoy.
Pinoy
A must read for every true blue Pinoy even those Pinoy at heart.
Published on 08 Apr 07 in the Phil. Daily Inquirer. Please read and
enjoy.
MANILA, Philippines -- Pinoy is what Filipinos call each other, a term
of endearment. You're Pinoy from Pilipino just like you're tisoy from
mestizo or chinoy from chino.
It's a nickname just as Minoy is from Maximo, Ninoy from Benigno, Tinay
from Florentina and Kikay from Francisca. But now they're Maxi and Ben
and Tintin and Cheska.
You've been called indio, goo-goo, Negro, flip, noypits. Or Filipino, a
biscuit that is brown outside and white inside, or a word stricken
from the dictionary which means domestic. Ay, lintik!
You're Juan de la Cruz or Mang Pandoy. You're common tao, masa, urban
poor but also Cecile Licad and Don Jaime, Jose Rizal and Tony Meloto,
Shawie and Pacquiao and Nick Joaquin, galing galing.
Born June 12, 1896, the Republic of the RP is a Gemini, good at
connecting, good at loving-loving, good at texting and interpersonal skills.
Filipinos like to yakap, akbay, hawak, kalong, kalabit. We sleep side
by side, siping-siping, we go out kabit kabit.
There's lots of us to go around. Someone always to listen to a sob
story, even in a jeepney, to share-a-load or to share a TV.
*Everyone's tit o, tit a*
Who has a hipag, a bayaw, a bilas, a balae, a kinakapatid? Who has an
ate, dete, diche, kuya, diko? The maids call her ate, the driver calls
him kuya and everybody is tit o or tit a.
Who has a Lola Baby, a Tit o Totoy, a bosing called Sir Pee wee, his wife
Ma'am Lovely and their kids Cla Cla and Cring Cring?
The Pinoy lives in a condo, a mansion, an apartment, a bahay na bato,
ilalim ng tulay, Luneta, Forbes Park, and Paris too!
He's a citizen of the world, he's in all the villages and capitals,
colonizing the West, bringing his guitar and his bagoong, his walis na
tingting, his tabo, his lolo and lola.
Where there's a beat, there's a Pinoy. You'll find her singing in a
nightclub in Tokyo, a musical in London, the Opera House in Sydney. Sure,
they've got the infrastructure, the theaters and architecture. Who but
Pinoys direct their plays, or trains their company managers, and
imports our teachers, by the way?
*Viagra to Victoria's Secret*
Look at that baggage all pasalubong, none for herself. From bedsheet to
hair color, Toblerone to carpet, Viagra to paella pan, Victoria's
Secret to microwave.
Hey, Joe, don't envy me 'cause I'm brown, you'll get ultra violet from
that sun and turn red not brown.
Just lucky, I guess. God put us all in the oven, but some were uncooked
and some were burned, but me, I came out golden brown!
Hey, Kristoff! Hey David and Ann! Your Pinoy yaya makes your kids
gentler, more obedient, she teaches them how to pray. Hey Big Brother!
Hey Grandma Moses! Who but Pinoy nurses make your sick days easier all
the way?
We made the jeepney, the karaoke, the fluorescent bulb, the moon buggy.
We invented People Power and crispy pata; popularized virgin coconut
oil, scaled the Everest and made it with Cebu furniture abroad among the
best. Ever trying for the Guinness World Record with the longest swim
of a child, the longest kiss, the longest longanisa?
*Linguist*
The Pinoy is a linguist. As in. As if. For a while. Open the light.
Close the light. Paki ganyan naman ang kuwan sa ano. Tuck in. Tuck out.
Don't be high blood. If you're ready na, I'll
pass for you.
Hayop; Hanep! Bongga ka 'day, feel na feel kita, kilig to the bones
ako. Don't make wala, don't make tampo. Taralets na, babes, let's go,
nababato na ang syota mo.
I'm inviting you to my party, please RSVP. Oo means "yes" or "maybe,"
or "yes if you insist," or "maybe if it doesn't rain."
"Yes" is also a nice way of saying "no." Yes, hindi kita sisiputin.
"No," eto na ako at ang barkada ko. Please don't ask a Pinoy a question
like that!
*Just flows*
She's not so exact, not so chop-chop, she just flows and flows.
Filipino time? Naku, huli din naman ang Kano!
The Pinoy finds time to be nice, to be kind, to apologize, to be there
when you're depressed, to help you with your utang and your wedding
dress.
The Filipino is a giver, never mind what it does to his liver, never
mind what it takes. Hardships of the Third World don't dry up his blood,
they just make him more compassionate, more feeling, of the other guy's
lot.
Note that the maid sends all her wages home to ailing daddy. She is the
OCW whose labor of loneliness created the original katas ng Saudi.
*'Bahala na'*
The Filipino is fearless, bahala na si Batman, which actually means
Bathala na or "leave all to God." Okay lang if I die by bitay, okay lang
if I live, okay lang if I survive by the skin of
my teeth.
Saway ni Inay: Di ka naman Bill Gates, di ka naman French, mahirap nang
magbuhat ng sarili mong bench.
Be Pinoy!
Enjoy!
|
|
|
BAD BREATH: 5 CAUSES AND 5 CURES
|
Feb 12, 2008 12:16 am
575 Views
|
Wondering why your loved ones are giving you more personal space than you’ve asked for? Suspicious about the Altoids left on your desk with dental floss bows? If you’re one of 90 million Americans suffering from chronic bad breath, here are some of the possible causes, as well as remedies to restore your fresh breath—and relationships.
Top Five Causes of Bad Breath
1. A dirty mouth. “Ninety percent of mouth odors come from mouth itself—either from the food you eat or bacteria that’s already there,” says Dr. Richard H. Price spokesman for American Dental Association. “Mouth odor is like any other body odor—the result of microbes living in the body giving off byproducts.” In the mouth, this means bacteria that normally live in the mouth interact with food particles, blood, tissue, etc., to create volatile (i.e., stinky) sulfur compounds. If you don’t clean properly, the bacteria build up, and next thing you know—that’s not toothpaste on your tongue.
2. A mouth out of balance. Certain mouth conditions can exacerbate bacterial growth and odor, such as gum disease and dry mouth. Gum disease causes bloody gums, creating more elements for those pesky bacteria to putrefy. But it is a dry mouth that is the more common cause of bad breath. Saliva helps flush out the mouth, keeping bacteria moving so they don’t settle down and multiply, while drier mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. In spring and summer, allergy medications can dry you out; in winter, dry heat tends to be the culprit.
3. Stinky foods. If it stinks going in, chances are it’s going to stink coming out. The obvious offenders are onions, garlic, alcohol and tobacco. And foods don’t only create a stench in the mouth. “Plant oils are absorbed and the byproducts enter your bloodstream so you are actually breathing the odors out via your lungs three to four hours later,” says Jeannie Moloo, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. [Full disclosure: Moloo is the author’s cousin.]
4. Not enough carbs. You look great after four weeks on Atkins, so how come you still can’t get a date? High-protein, low-carb diets cause your body to burn stored fats for fuel instead of carbs and can lead to a condition called ketosis. “As fat burns, ketones build up in the body, and some are released through breath,”explains Moloo. “Unfortunately ketones don’t smell particularly good.” And bad breath trumps six-pack abs.
5. Illness. Occasionally, bad breath can be a sign of a more serious illness. The most common systemic causes of bad breath are diabetes or GERD (or gastro esophageal reflux disease). Diabetes can also cause ketosis, and the resulting bad breath is sometimes one of first symptoms that lead to diagnosis. GERD is a backflow of acid from the stomach to the esophagus. Less common but possible are liver or kidney disease
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
|
LOVE LUST AND MARRIAGE
|
Feb 10, 2008 5:49 pm
496 Views
|
Love Lust & Marriage
LOVE - When your eyes meet across a crowded room.
LUST- when your tongues meet across a crowded room.
MARRIAGE - When you try to lose your spouse in a crowded room. LOVE - When intercourse is called "making love."
LUST - When intercourse is called "screwing."
MARRIAGE - When intercourse is a town in Pennsylvania. There really is one.LOVE - When you argue over how many children to have.
LUST - When you argue over who gets the wet spot?
MARRIAGE - When you argue over whose idea it was to have kids. LOVE - When you share everything you own.
LUST - When you steal everything they own.
MARRIAGE - When the bank owns everything.LOVE - When it doesn't matter if you don't climax.
LUST - When the relationship is over if you don't climax.
MARRIAGE - When . . . Uh . . . what's a climax?
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
|
ESSENTIAL HEALTH TIPS
|
Feb 10, 2008 5:44 pm
502 Views
|
"He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything." -Arabian Proverb
1. Move More
Make it a daily challenge to find ways to move your body. Climb stairs if given a choice between that and escalators or elevators. Walk your dog; chase your kids; toss balls with friends, mow the lawn. Anything that moves your limbs is not only a fitness tool, it's a stress buster. Think 'move' in small increments of time. It doesn't have to be an hour in the gym or a 45-minute aerobic dance class or tai chi or kickboxing. But that's great when you're up to it. Meanwhile, move more. Thought for the day: Cha, Cha, Cha…. Then do it!
2. Cut Fat
Avoid the obvious such as fried foods, burgers and other fatty meats (i.e. pork, bacon, ham, salami, ribs and sausage). Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and cream should be eaten in low fat versions. Nuts and sandwich meats, mayonnaise, margarine, butter and sauces should be eaten in limited amounts. Most are available in lower fat versions such as substitute butter, fat free cheeses and mayonnaise. Thought for the day: Lean, mean, fat-burning machine…. Then be one!
3. Quit Sm0king
The jury is definitely in on this verdict. Ever since 1960 when the Surgeon General announced that sm0king was harmful to your health, Americans have been reducing their use of t0bacco products that kill. Just recently, we've seen a surge in sm0king in adolescents and teens. Could it be the Hollywood influence? It seems the stars in every movie of late sooke . Beware. Warn your children of the false romance or 'tough guy' stance of Hollywood sm0kers. Thought for the day: Give up just one …. the next one.
4. Reduce Stress
Easier said than done, stress busters come in many forms. Some techniques recommended by experts are to think positive thoughts. Spend 30 minutes a day doing something you like. (i.e.,Soak in a hot tub; walk on the beach or in a park; read a good book; visit a friend; play with your dog; listen to soothing music; watch a funny movie. Get a massage, a facial or a haircut. Meditate. Count to ten before losing your temper or getting aggravated. Avoid difficult people when possible. Thought for the day: When seeing red, think pink clouds….then float on them.
5. Protect Yourself from Pollution
If you can't live in a smog-free environment, at least avoid smoke-filled rooms, high traffic areas, breathing in highway fumes and exercising near busy thoroughfares. Exercise outside when the smog rating is low. Exercise indoors in air conditioning when air quality is good. Plant lots of shrubbery in your yard. It's a good pollution and dirt from the street deterrent. Thought for the day: 'Smoke gets in your eyes'…and your mouth, and your nose and your lungs as do pollutants….hum the tune daily.
6. Wear Your Seat Belt
Statistics show that seat belts add to longevity and help alleviate potential injuries in car crashes. Thought for the day: Buckle down and buckle up.
7. Floss Your Teeth
Recent studies make a direct connection between longevity and teeth flossing. Nobody knows exactly why. Perhaps it's because people who floss tend to be more health conscious than people who don't? Thought for the day: Floss and be your body's boss.
8. Avoid Excessive Drinking
While recent studies show a glass of wine or one drink a day (two for men) can help protect against heart disease, more than that can cause other health problems such as liver and kidney disease and cancer. Thought for the day: A jug of wine should last a long time.
9. Keep a Positive Mental Outlook
There's a definitive connection between living well and healthfully and having a cheerful outlook on life. Thought for the day: You can't be unhappy when you're smiling or singing.
10. Choose Your Parents Well
The link between genetics and health is a powerful one. But just because one or both of your parents died young in ill health doesn't mean you cannot counteract the genetic pool handed you. Thought for the day: Follow these basic tips for healthy living and you can better control your own destiny.
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
|
love and marriage
|
Feb 10, 2008 5:36 pm
491 Views
|
A student asks a teacher, "What is love?"
The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the wheat field and choose the biggest wheat and come back.
But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."
The student went to the field, go thru first row, he saw one big wheat, but he wonders....may be there is a bigger one later.
Then he saw another bigger one... but may be there is an even bigger one waiting for him.
Later, when he finished more than half of the wheat field, he start to realize that the wheat is not as big as the previous one he saw, he know he has missed the biggest one, and he regretted.
So, he ended up went back to the teacher with empty hand.
The teacher told him, "...this is love... you keep looking for a better one, but when later you realise, you have already miss the person.... "
*"What is marriage then?" the student asked.
The teacher said, "in order to answer your question, go to the corn field and choose the biggest corn and come back.
But the rule is: you can go through them only once and cannot turn back to pick."
The student went to the corn field, this time he is careful not to repeat the previous mistake, when he reach the middle of the field, he has picked one medium corn that he feel satisfy, and come back to the teacher.
The teacher told him, "this time you bring back a corn.... you look for one that is just nice, and you have faith and believe this is the best one you get.... this is marriage
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
|
EASY A MAN, DIFFICULTY A WOMAN
|
Feb 10, 2008 5:33 pm
424 Views
|
A brand new store has just opened in New York City that sells Husbands.
When women go to choose a husband, they have to follow the instructions at the entrance:
"You may visit this store ONLY ONCE!" There are 6 floors and the value of the products increase as you ascend the flights. You may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you CANNOT go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the Husband Store to find a husband.
On the 1st floor the sign on the door reads:
Floor 1 - These men have jobs. The 2nd floor sign reads:
Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids.
The 3rd floor sign reads:
Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids and are extremely good looking.
"Wow," she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going.
She goes to the 4th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help with Housework.
"Oh, mercy me!" she exclaims, "I can hardly stand it!"
Still, she goes to the 5th floor and sign reads:
Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, help with Housework and Have A Strong Romantic Streak.
She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the 6th floor and the sign reads:
Floor 6 - You are visitor 31,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store.
To avoid gender bias charges, the store's owner opens a New Wives store just across the street.
The 1st floor has wives that love sex.
The 2nd floor has wives that love sex and have money.
The 3rd through 6th floors have never been visited
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
|
AMAZING FACTS ....ABOUT HONEY AND BEES
|
Feb 10, 2008 5:30 pm
Mood: bouncy,
388 Views
|
1. Did you know that bees have 4 wings?
2. The honeybee's wings stroke 11,400 times per minute, thus making their distinctive buzz.
3. A bee flies at a rate of about 12 miles per hour.
4. How many eyes does a honeybee have? Five.
5. The queen bee is the busiest in the summer months, when the hive needs to be at its maximum strength. She will lay about 1,000 to 1,500 eggs per day.
6. In the cold winter months, bees will leave the hive only to take a short cleansing flight. They are fastidious about the cleanliness of their hive.
7. Honeybees do not die out over the winter. They feed on the honey they collected during the warmer months and patiently wait for spring. They form a tight cluster in their hive to keep the queen and themselves warm.
8. It takes 35 pounds of honey to provide enough energy for a small colony of bees to survive the winter.
9. Honeybee colonies have unique odors that members flash like identification cards at the hive's front door. All the individual bees in a colony smell enough alike so that the guard bees can identify them.
Amazing Facts...About The Work of the Honeybee
1. The honeybee is not born knowing how to make honey; the younger bees are taught by the more experienced ones.
2. A honeybee visits between 50 and 100 flowers during one collection flight from the hive.
3. In order to produce 1 pound of honey, 2 million flowers must be visited.
4. A hive of bees must fly 55,000 miles to produce a pound of honey.
5. One bee colony can produce 60 to 100 pounds of honey per year.
6. An average worker bee makes only about 1/12 teaspoon of honey in its lifetime.
7. At the peak of the honey-gathering season, a strong, healthy hive will have a population of approximately 50,000 bees.
8. It would take approximately 1 ounce of honey to fuel a bee's flight around the world.
9. Honey is the primary food source for the bee. The reason honeybees are so busy collecting nectar from flowers and blossoms is to make sufficient food stores for their colony over the winter months. The nectar is converted to honey by the honeybee and stored in the wax honeycomb.
Amazing Facts...About Honey and Your Health
1. Honey contains vitamins and antioxidants, but is fat free, cholesterol free and sodium free!
2. One antioxidant called "pinocembrin" is only found in honey.
3. Honey is the only food that includes all the substances necessary to sustain life, including water.
4. Honey has the ability to attract and absorb moisture, which makes it remarkably soothing for minor burns and helps to prevent scarring.
5. Honey speeds the healing of open wounds and also combats infection.
6. As recently as the First World War, honey was being mixed with cod liver oil to dress wounds on the battlefield.
7. Modern science now acknowledges honey as an anti-microbial agent, which means it deters the growth of certain types of bacteria, yeast and molds.
8. Honey and beeswax form the basics of many skin creams, lip-balms, and hand lotions.
9. According to Dr. Paul Gold, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, "people remember things much better after they've consumed glucose, a form of sugar found in honey."
10. Honey is nature's energy booster! It provides a concentrated energy source that helps prevent fatigue and can boost athletic performance.
11. Recent studies have proven that athletes who took some honey before and after competing recovered more quickly than those who did not.
12. Honey supplies 2 stages of energy. The glucose in honey is absorbed by the body quickly and gives an immediate energy boost. The fructose is absorbed more slowly providing sustained energy.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
|
HOW ALCOHOL WORKS
|
Feb 4, 2008 12:44 pm
Mood: anxious,
986 Views
|
If you have ever seen a person who has had too much to drink, you know that alcohol is a drug that has widespread effects on the body, and the effects vary from person to person. People who drink might be the "life of the party" or they might become sad and droopy. Their speech may slur and they may have trouble walking. It all depends on the amount of alcohol consumed, a person's history with alcohol and a person's personality.
Even though you have seen the physical and behavioral changes, you might wonder exactly how alcohol works on the body to produce those effects. What is alcohol? How does the body process it? How does the chemistry of alcohol work on the chemistry of the brain? In this article, we will examine all of the ways in which alcohol affects the human body.
What is Alcohol?
In order to understand alcohol's effects on the body, it is helpful to understand the nature of alcohol as a chemical, so let's take a look...
Here are several facts:
Alcohol is a clear liquid at room temperature. Alcohol is less dense and evaporates at a lower temperature than water (this property allows it to be distilled -- by heating a water and alcohol mixture, the alcohol evaporates first). Alcohol dissolves easily in water. Alcohol is flammable (so flammable that it can be used as a fuel).
Alcohol can be made by four different methods:
Fermentation of fruit or grain mixtures Distillation of fermented fruit or grain mixtures (Spirits such as whiskey, rum, vodka and gin are distilled.) Chemical modification of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas or coal (industrial alcohol) Chemical combination of hydrogen with carbon monoxide (methanol or wood alcohol) Ethyl Alcohol
The alcohol found in alcoholic beverages is ethyl alcohol (ethanol). The molecular structure of ethanol looks like this:
H
H 3 C - C - O - H
H
In this structure, C is carbon, H is hydrogen, O is oxygen and the hyphens are the chemical bonds between the atoms. For purposes of clarity, the bonds between the three hydrogen atoms and the left carbon atom are not shown. The OH (O-H) group on the molecule is what gives it the specific chemical properties of an alcohol. For the remainder of this article, when we say "alcohol," we mean ethanol.
You will not find pure alcohol in most drinks; drinking pure alcohol can be deadly because it only takes a few ounces of pure alcohol to quickly raise the blood alcohol level into the danger zone. For various types of beverages, the ethanol concentration (by volume) is as follows:
Beer = 4 to 6 percent (average of about 4.5 percent) Wine = 7 to 15 percent (average of about 11 percent) Champagne = 8 to 14 percent (average of about 12 percent) Distilled spirits (e.g. rum, gin, vodka, whiskey) = 40 to 95 percent
Most of the typical spirits purchased in liquor stores are 40 percent alcohol. Some highly concentrated forms of rum and whisky (75 to 90 percent) can be purchased in liquor stores. Some highly concentrated forms of whiskey (i.e. moonshine) can be made and/or purchased illegally. How Alcohol Enters the Body
Alcohol Effects:
Men vs. Women
When you compare men and women of the same height, weight and build, men tend to have more muscle and less fat than women. Because muscle tissue has more water than fat tissue , a given dose or amount of alcohol will be diluted more in a man than in a woman. Therefore, the blood alcohol concentration resulting from that dose will be higher in a woman than in a man, and the woman will feel the effects of that dose of alcohol sooner than the man will.
When a person drinks an alcoholic beverage, about 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and about 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestine. How fast the alcohol is absorbed depends upon several things:
The concentration of alcohol in the beverage - The greater the concentration, the faster the absorption. The type of drink - Carbonated beverages tend to speed up the absorption of alcohol. Whether the stomach is full or empty - Food slows down alcohol absorption. After absorption, the alcohol enters the bloodstream and dissolves in the water of the blood. The blood carries the alcohol throughout the body. The alcohol from the blood then enters and dissolves in the water inside each tissue of the body (except fat tissue, as alcohol cannot dissolve in fat). Once inside the tissues, alcohol exerts its effects on the body. The observed effects depend directly on the blood alcohol concentration (BAC), which is related to the amount of alcohol consumed. The BAC can rise significantly within 20 minutes after having a drink.
How Alcohol Leaves the Body
Once absorbed by the bloodstream, the alcohol leaves the body in three ways:
The kidney eliminates 5 percent of alcohol in the urine. The lungs exhale 5 percent of alcohol, which can be detected by breathalyzer devices. The liver chemically breaks down the remaining alcohol into acetic acid. As a rule of thumb, an average person can eliminate 0.5 oz (15 ml) of alcohol per hour.. So, it would take approximately one hour to eliminate the alcohol from a 12 oz (355 ml) can of beer.
The Breakdown of Alcohol
The breakdown, or oxidation, of ethanol occurs in the liver. An enzyme in the liver called alcohol dehydrogenase strips electrons from ethanol to form acetaldehyde. Another enzyme, called aldehyde dehydrogenase, converts the acetaldehyde, in the presence of oxygen, to acetic acid, the main component in vinegar. The molecular structure of acetic acid looks like this:
O
||
H 3 C - C - O - H
The || symbol is a double bond between the atoms. When ethanol is oxidized to acetic acid, two protons and two electrons are also produced. The acetic acid can be used to form fatty acids or can be further broken down into carbon dioxide and water.
The BAC increases when the body absorbs alcohol faster than it can eliminate it. So, because the body can only eliminate about one dose of alcohol per hour, drinking several drinks in an hour will increase your BAC much more than having one drink over a period of an hour or more.
The Effects of Alcohol
If you have seen someone who has had too much to drink, you've probably noticed definite changes in that person's performance and behavior. The body responds to alcohol in stages, which correspond to an increase in BAC:
1. Euphoria (BAC = 0.03 to 0.12 percent)
They become more self-confident or daring. Their attention span shortens. They may look flushed. Their judgement is not as good -- they may say the first thought that comes to mind, rather than an appropriate comment for the given situation. They have trouble with fine movements, such as writing or signing their name.. 2. Excitement (BAC = 0.09 to 0.25 percent)
They become sleepy. They have trouble understanding or remembering things (even recent events). They do not react to situations as quickly (if they spill a drink they may just stare at it). Their body movements are uncoordinated. They begin to lose their balance easily. Their vision becomes blurry. They may have trouble sensing things (hearing, tasting, feeling, etc.). 3. Confusion (BAC = 0.18 to 0.30 percent)
They are confused -- might not know where they are or what they are doing. They are dizzy and may stagger. They may be highly emotional -- aggressive, withdrawn or overly affectionate. They cannot see clearly. They are sleepy. They have slurred speech. They have uncoordinated movements (trouble catching an object thrown to them). They may not feel pain as readily as a sober person. 4. Stupor (BAC = 0.25 to 0.4 percent)
They can barely move at all. They cannot respond to stimuli. They cannot stand or walk. They may vomit. They may lapse in and out of consciousness. 5. Coma (BAC = 0.35 to 0.50 percent)
They are unconscious. Their reflexes are depressed (i.e. their pupils do not respond appropriately to changes in light). They feel cool (lower-than-normal body temperature). Their breathing is slower and more shallow. Their heart rate may slow. They may die. 6. Death (BAC more than 0.50 percent) - The person usually stops breathing and dies.
How the Body Responds to Alcohol
Alcohol acts primarily on the nerve cells within the brain. Alcohol interferes with communication between nerve cells and all other cells, suppressing the activities of excitatory nerve pathways and increasing the activities of inhibitory nerve pathways.
How Nerve Cells Talk
Nerve cells talk to each other and to other cells (such as muscle or gland cells) by sending chemical messages. These messages are called neurotransmitters.
An electrical signal travels down one nerve cell, causing it to release the neurotransmitter into a small gap between cells called the synapse. The neurotransmitter travels across the gap, binds to a protein on the receiving cell membrane called a receptor, and causes a change (electrical, chemical or mechanical) in the receiving cell. The neurotransmitter and receptor are specific to each other, like a lock and key . Neurotransmitters can either excite the receiving cell to cause a response or inhibit the receiving cell from stimulation.
For example, University of Chicago Medical Center: Alcohol and Anesthetic Actions talks about the ability of alcohol (and inhaled anesthetics) to enhance the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA, which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. Enhancing an inhibitor would have the effect of making things sluggish, which matches the behavior you see in a drunk person. Glutamine is an excitatory neurotransmitter that alcohol weakens. By making this excitatory neurotransmitter less effective, you also get sluggishness. Alcohol does this by interacting with the receptors on the receiving cells in these pathways.
Alcohol affects various centers in the brain, both higher and lower order. The centers are not equally affected by the same BAC -- the higher-order centers are more sensitive than the lower-order centers. As the BAC increases, more and more centers of the brain are affected.
The order in which alcohol affects the various brain centers is as follows:
1. Cerebral cortex
2. Limbic system
3. Cerebellum
4. Hypothalamus and pituitary gland
5. Medulla (brain stem)
High Times
Cerebral Cortex
The cerebral cortex is the highest portion of the brain. The cortex processes information from your senses, does your "thought" processing and consciousness (in combination with a structure called the basal ganglia), initiates most voluntary muscle movements and influences lower-order brain centers. In the cortex, alcohol does the following:
Depresses the behavioral inhibitory centers - The person becomes more talkative, more self-confident and less socially inhibited. Slows down the processing of information from the senses - The person has trouble seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting; also, the threshold for pain is raised. Inhibits thought processes - The person does not use good judgement or think clearly. These effects get more pronounced as the BAC increases.
Limbic System
The limbic system consists of areas of the brain called the hippocampus and septal area . The limbic system controls emotions and memory. As alcohol affects this system, the person is subject to exaggerated states of emotion (anger, aggressiveness, withdrawal) and memory loss.
Balancing Act
Cerebellum
The cerebellum coordinates the movement of muscles. The brain impulses that begin muscle movement originate in the motor centers of the cerebral cortex and travel through the medulla and spinal cord to the muscles. As the nerve signals pass through the medulla, they are influenced by nerve impulses from the cerebellum. The cerebellum controls fine movements. For example, you can normally touch your finger to your nose in one smooth motion with your eyes closed; if your cerebellum were not functioning, the motion would be extremely shaky or jerky. As alcohol affects the cerebellum, muscle movements become uncoordinated.
In addition to coordinating voluntary muscle movements, the cerebellum also coordinates the fine muscle movements involved in maintaining your balance. So, as alcohol affects the cerebellum, a person loses his or her balance frequently. At this stage, this person might be described as "falling down drunk."
Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland
The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that controls and influences many automatic functions of the brain through actions on the medulla, and coordinates many chemical or endocrine functions (secretions of sex, thyroid and growth hormones) through chemical and nerve impulse actions on the pituitary gland. Alcohol has two noticeable effects on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which influence sexual behavior and urinary excretion.
Alcohol depresses the nerve centers in the hypothalamus that control sexual arousal and performance. As BAC increases, sexual behavior increases, but sexual performance declines. This observation has been known for a long time, and is referred to by William Shakespeare in " Macbeth" (Act 2 scene 3):
Macduff: What three things does drink especially promote?
Porter: Marry sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine. Lechery, sir it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance....
The porter in the above excerpt also notes the effect of alcohol on urine excretion. Alcohol inhibits the pituitary secretion of anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), which acts on the kidney to reabsorb water. Alcohol acts on the hypothalamus/pituitary to reduce the circulating levels of ADH. When ADH levels drop, the kidneys do not reabsorb as much water; consequently, the kidneys produce more urine.
Warning ... Danger Ahead
Medulla
The medulla, or brain stem, controls or influences all of the bodily functions that you do not have to think about, like breathing, heart rate, temperature and consciousness. As alcohol starts to influence upper centers in the medulla, such as the reticular formation, a person will start to feel sleepy and may eventually become unconscious as BAC increases. If the BAC gets high enough to influence the breathing, heart rate and temperature centers, a person will breathe slowly or stop breathing altogether, and both blood pressure and body temperature will fall. These conditions can be fatal.
For more information on the parts of the brain and their functions, see How Your Brain Works.
Alcohol's Effects on Other Body Systems
In addition to the brain, alcohol can affect other body tissues. It has the following effects on other systems in the body:
Irritates the linings of the stomach and intestine - This can lead to vomiting. Increases blood flow to the stomach and intestines - This increases secretions by these organs, most notably stomach acid secretion. Increases blood flow to the skin - This causes a person to sweat and look flushed. The sweating causes body heat to be lost, and the person's body temperature may actually fall below normal. Reduces blood flow to muscles - This can lead to muscle aches, most notably when a person recovers from the alcohol (the "hangover"). All of alcohol's effects continue until the ingested alcohol is eliminated by the body.
Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol abuse has been a rising problem over the past three decades. With the continued exposure to alcohol, how does the human body respond or adapt? The body's increased tolerance to alcohol involves the following changes:
Increase in level of liver's enzymes that are used to break down alcohol Increase in activity of brain and nervous-system neurons These bodily adaptations change a person's behavior.
The levels of alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase in the liver increase in response to long-term alcohol exposure. This means that the body becomes more efficient at eliminating the high levels of alcohol in the blood. However, it also means that the person must drink more alcohol to experience the same effects as before, which leads to more drinking and contributes to addiction.
The normal chemical and electrical functions of nerve cells increase to compensate for the inhibitory effects of alcohol exposure. This increased nerve activity helps people to function normally with higher BAC; however, it also makes them irritable when they are not drinking. Furthermore, the increased nerve activity
|
|
|
4
Comments
|
|
|
NINE WORDS WOMEN USE........
|
Feb 4, 2008 12:40 pm
Mood: courageous,
448 Views
|
1.)
Fine : This is the word women use to end an argument when they are
right and you need to shut up.
2.)
Five Minutes : If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour.
Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more
minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
3.)
Nothing : This is the calm before the storm. This means something,
and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing
usually end in fine.
4.)
Go Ahead : This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It!
5.)
Loud Sigh : This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement
often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an
idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing
with you about nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of nothing.)
6.)
That's Okay : This is one of the most dangerous statements a wom an
can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard
before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
7.)
Thanks : A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say
you're welcome.
8.)
Whatever : Is a women's way of saying F@!K YOU!
9.)
Don't worry about it, I got it : Another dangerous statement, meaning
this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but
is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's
wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.Then you RUN!
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
|
FACTS OF MARRIAGE
|
Feb 4, 2008 12:39 pm
Mood: bitchy,
450 Views
|
The Lighter Side of Marriage
1. Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence (a life sentence!).
2. Marriage is very much like a violin; after the sweet music is over, the strings are attached.
3. Marriage is love. Love is blind. Therefore marriage is an institution for the blind.
4. Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor's Degree and the woman gets her Masters.
5. Marriage is a thing which puts a ring on a woman's finger and two under the man's eyes.
6. Marriage certificate is just another word for a work permit.
7. Marriage is not just a having a wife but also worries inherited forever.
8. Marriage requires a man to prepare 4 types of "RINGS":
The Engagement Ring
The Wedding Ring
The Suffe-Ring
The Endu-Ring
9. Married life is full of excitement and frustration. In the first year of marriage,
the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens.
In the third year, they BOTH speak and the NEIGHBOURS listen.
10. It is true that love is blind but marriage is definitely an eye-opener.
11. Getting married is very much like going to the restaurant with friends. You order what you want, and when you see what the other fellow has, you wish you had ordered that.
12. It's true that all men are born free and equal - but some of them get MARRIED!
13. There was this man who muttered a few words in the church and found himself married. A year later he muttered something in his sleep and found himself divorced.
14. A happy marriage is a matter of giving and taking; the husband gives and the wife takes.
15. SON: How much does it cost to get married, Dad?
FATHER: I don't know son, I'm still paying for it.
SON: Is it true? Dad, I heard that in ancient China, a man doesn't know his wife until he marries.
FATHER: That happens everywhere, son, EVERYWHERE!
16. There was a man who said, "I never knew what happiness was until I got married.... and then it was too late!"
17. Love is one long sweet dream, and marriage is the alarm clock.
18. They say that when a man holds a woman's hand before marriage, it is love; after marriage it is self-defence.
19. When a newly married man looks happy, we know why. But when a ten-year married man looks happy, we wonder why.
20. There was this lover who said that he would go through hell for her. They got married, and now he is going through HELL. SO ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH IT?
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
|
7 REASONS NOT TO MESS WITH A CHILD
|
Feb 4, 2008 12:37 pm
Mood: bouncy,
474 Views
|
One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"
******
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".
******
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or loo king up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
******
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, She's dead."
******
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.. " "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."
******
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chipcookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
To link to this blog (BeautifulButGorg) use [blog BeautifulButGorg] in your messages.
|
|
|
| Sun |
Mon |
Tue |
Wed |
Thu |
Fri |
Sat |
| |
1
|
2
|
3
|
4
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
9
|
10
|
11
|
123
|
13
|
|
142
|
15
|
16
|
171
|
18
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
31
|
|
|
|
|
|
