借酒消愁愁更愁

Drinking makes heart grow more sorrowful, study finds
AFP - Friday, February 29TOKYO (AFP) - - The age-old belief goes that alcohol helps people drown their sorrows, but in truth the bottle only makes bad memories linger, a Japanese study said Friday.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo concluded that ethanol -- an intoxicating agent in alcohol -- does not cause memory to decrease, as widely believed, but instead locks it in place.

The researchers, led by pharmacology professor Norio Matsuki, gave mild shocks to lab rats to condition them to fear. As a result, the rats would freeze in terror and curl up the moment they were put in their cages.

Researchers then immediately injected the rats with ethanol or saline.

The researchers found that rats with alcohol in their veins froze up for longer, with the fear on average lasting two weeks, compared with rats that did not receive injections.

"If we apply this study to humans, the memories they are trying to get rid of will remain strongly, even if they drink alcohol to try to forget an event they dislike and be in a merry mood for the moment," the study said.

"The following day, they won't remember the merriness that they felt," it said.

Matsuki said the findings offered lessons for people living with bad memories.

"To forget something you dislike, it's best to overwrite the negative memory with a positive memory at an early stage and leave out drinking alcohol," Matsuki advised.

The study was published in the US academic journal Neuropsychopharmacology.

Mentos Chewing Gum

Ironman

Big-Money Race for World's Tallest Ferris Wheels Heats Up

Ferris wheels had become outdated and unfashionable until the London Eye opened. Now cities are racing against one another to build moneymaking landmarks like the Singapore Flyer (below). (Photograph from Getty Images)

By Erin McCarthy
Published in the March 2008 issue of Popular Mechanics.
When it comes to status symbols, nothing beats a circle. There is a global race to create the biggest Ferris wheel, and while these attractions are built for fun, the stakes are serious. “These wheels have almost replaced the skyscraper as icons,” says Dennis Speigel, president of the consulting firm International Theme Park Services. When the Singapore Flyer makes its debut this month, it will be the world’s tallest, at 165 meters — at least until late 2008, when the Great Dubai Wheel (185 meters tall) opens. In 2009, the Beijing Great Wheel (208 meters tall) will surpass both.

Click on image below for enlarged version.

The larger these monstrous rides become, the greater their capacity and potential profit—and the more seriously builders take them. For starters, they don’t call them Ferris wheels. “We categorize them as ‘observational wheels’ because of the capsules,” says Alexander Pieper, spokesman for the Great Wheel Corporation, which developed the Singapore, Dubai and Beijing wheels.

To keep the floor horizontal, motors turn each bus-sized glass capsule 360 degrees in one direction while the rim rotates a full revolution in the other. Unlike typical rigid Ferris wheels, observational wheels have cables tensioned like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. The slow speed allows passengers to enter and exit while the wheel stays in motion.

Steve Dunham - Achmed The Dead Terrorist

Stewardess sues Venture Corp CEO’s wife for allegedly slapping her

Name of Company: Venture Corporation Limited
Address: 5006 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5
#05-01/12 TECHplace II
Singapore 569873
Telephone: 65 6482 1755
Fax: 65 6482 0122
Secretary: Yvonne Choo

Tuesday, 12th February, 2008
Channel NewsAsia - 2 hours 20 minutes ago
SINGAPORE: A Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight attendant is taking the wife of one of Singapore’s richest men, Mr Wong Ngit Liong, to court for allegedly slapping her on a flight from Singapore to Tokyo last year.
Madam Tan Siew Hoon, the wife of Venture Corp chairman and chief executive Mr Wong, 65, is alleged to have struck Ms Then Jiamin on the cheek sometime during that flight on Sept 20, after she saw her speaking to Mr Wong.

The SIA flight attendant was serving passengers in business class, including the Wongs.
According to the writ of summons which was served on Mdm Tan at her home last Monday evening immediately after striking the stewardess, Mdm Tan had said loudly: "Why are you talking to my husband!"
Ms Then, 25, is suing for "general damages and damages for consequential loss and emotional and mental distress" she suffered as a result of the "wrongful assault and battery". She is also claiming damages for defamation.
When contacted, an SIA spokesperson said that this was a personal matter and the airline did not wish to comment.
TODAY understands that after the flight touched down at Narita International Airport, the Wongs did not get on the subsequent connecting flight bound for Los Angeles.
Ms Then is also understood to have missed that flight. She stayed on in Tokyo to see a doctor and lodge a police report.
Upon returning to Singapore, she filed another police report. The flight attendant, who has been with SIA for two years, also took a few days off work to rest.
TODAY understands that Ms Then had approached her lawyers in October and decided to take the matter to court after her requests for compensation and a statement of apology were not acceded to.
Ms Then’s lawyers have until next Monday to file a statement of claims, which would include the sum she is seeking, with the subordinate courts. The defence would then have to submit their case within 14 days.
It is understood that Mdm Tan’s lawyers have responded to the writ. Mr Wong did not respond to TODAY’s queries by press time.

Steven Lim Defends Edison Chen

Knuckleduster

This is good for punching your enemy up. Very painful. Can inflict quite a fair bit of damage. Possible to kill your enemy with it too. Takes a lot of punches though. Maybe one punch to the solar temple might kill your enemy.