Creativity killed with cold blood.

First please watch this movie:


Would you agree that educational system is killing creativity? Have you ever felt disappointed with
what you had been obliged to do? I have this feeling quite often. You have something to do and you do everything else but this. This means that you just don’t want to do it. You procrastinate. What procrastination is?


But why it has to be like that? Why we are forced to do something that we don’t want to do? Have you noticed that when studying to difficult exam you become sleepy and tired and when you start doing anything else you instantly become excited? I feel that this is because of bad educational system.
First problem is the age. We are forced to choose our studies when we are about 18 and in my opinion it is a little too early to make such a significant decision. Many of my friends managed to graduate but after that they are sure that this is not what they want to do for the rest of their lives. And this is not just polish problem. I spoke to an Italian student, who after graduating Architecture on University in Milano discovered, that it was a bad idea and now he is trying hard to find other studies.
In Israel students after high school go to obligatory military training for 3 years (girls for 2 years). It is a common practice that after that they go for a year abroad. Most of young Israeli students go to India, because it is cheap. They party hard there, drink a lot, make new friends and think what to do with their lives. When they come back they start studies. I know that they graduate late, and by that time we (Europeans), are much ahead with diploma and experience in work. But in the end they have greater chance to do what they really want to do.
Second problem is that when choosing a field of knowledge you would like to study, you have a little idea about it. When choosing computer science I had this vision that being a IT professional is exciting, that you work with super computers, make interesting computation and research, sometimes hack into a complex system, you know, cool stuff. Reality is less exiting. As far I can see 98% of this work is to sit with nose in monitor trying to fix problems. Endless sea of incompatibilities, errors, system faults, etc. It’s not easy.
What do you think could be done to increase the chance of choosing right studies? How to find one’s most suitable field of knowledge?

What leads us to success?

What leads us to success?


I am not going to repeat what had been said on that ultra-short presentation on ted. I think that those 8 elements are really extremely important, so when I saw this lecture I started to think. What I am good at? What I can do now? What to do, to be successful? What to push, push, push? I spend some time thinking and nothing came to me. But meanwhile I was pushed by my mother to help me with one project. This post is about this project. ;o)
As a background you should know that: my mother is a professor on Warsaw medical university. She wrote several books and has few hundred papers. Through few last years she produced hundreds articles on health related issues. The idea was to make an internet portal, which will be a bridge between scientific world of hard to understand papers and our world of non professionals.
We have no commercial attitude, we’re not going to change it. That’s not the point. What’s most important: we don’t want to let her work from last few years to disappear. In those articles there is a lot of useful information about health, nutrition, supplements. So why forget about them? Let’s spread this scientificly confirmed knowledge for free!
Because we don’t generate profit from this activity, we don’t have budget for advertisements and marketing campains. So our only hope is to interest people in the content we publish and to tell everybody we can about this project.
Content is interesting topic. Do you know that there is a company on polish market ( I am not going to tell you which one ) which is lunching 37 internet portals about health and supplements? And the best part of it is.. They have no content. So what they do? They pay 10 PLN per page to pupils in gimnazjum and lyceum to translate directly from American portals. Without any verification if that content is any good or not. And what they do to be more trustful? They pay one or two doctors to post comments. And that’s it.
We have good articles which are written by someone who knows the subject. 90% procent of our content has links to literature. Check for your self.
I don’t want to advertise or make an marketing campain using this forum. This is no commercial activity, the idea is just to spread good confirmed knowledge. So spend a few minutes and find out for yourself.
www.naukadlazdrowia.pl


I spend a lot of time “pushing” it forward. I hope one day it is going to be popular forum of exchanging valuable knowledge. A thing that I could be proud of. Can you help me? ;o) What do you think of our work? What we can do to improve it?

3. Other interesting JKM's views

At first I wanted to write about parities, but I thought It could be risky subject a bit ;-)

In the third part of my presentation I would like to show other interesting points of JKM's

program.

• hospitals' privatization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sWjO4-2epU&feature=related

I'm absolutely with JKM. All doctors demand that, but none of our candidates (except for JKM) is for that postulate. Hospitals' privatization does not mean that poor people will die on the street. But I will write about it next year on ITN ;)

• do not subsidize people. JKM hates socialism. He says it's not good for us. Each of us should try to achieve success on their own. Below part of funny discussion. On youtube you can watch many movies about socialism :)
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODsnq0Q6LOQ

• He believes that global warming does not exist. I read about that and I agree with him.

Volcano eruption released to atmosphere more CO2 than all cars for 84 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcY_VLbNVFc

• Below you can watch really funny discussion with a feminist ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxXg4jlqo9E

As I noticed JKM doesn't like feminism ;)

• JKM about EU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wav8VSRtpZQ

JKM is against EU. But you should watch all movies carefully. He says about himself:

'I am European and I want to be in Schengen and Economic Community'.

Everything is explained in these movies.

1. Do you agree with JKM in these issues?
2. What do you think about parties? :)

2. Capital punishment

The second part of my presentation will be about JKM's view about capital punishment.

I am for the capital punishment (as majority of the society). But if I had a possibility to sentence a murderer for heavy social work I would do that. It could be better than killing him.

Below you can watch some movies with JKM :) It's interesting discussion with Joanna Senyszyn (annoying voice ;))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgRFTDewig0 (1,2)

Very often murderers are released from prison after 15 years and they don't have any plans. It's obvious that they commit a crime again. And that's why I am not against capital punishment. Before a murderer kills somebody, he is planning it, he has time to decide to do it or not. If the death penalty was introduced a murderer would think twice.

I want death penalty to act as a deterrent. Below you can watch the next movie with JKM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yusF8HkjuxI (1,2)

Even if murderers get a life sentence It does not mean they will be kept in prison to death.

It's said that capital punishment is not human. And killing innocent person is it? If a murderer

shows no pity and there are hardly any chances to change them, the capital punishment is the only to punish him. The Whole society should be safe, not only the criminals. But as I know it's not possible to introduce it in Poland. It's inconsistent with EU law.

1. Do you think death penalty could deter from committing crimes ?
2. Do you agree with JKM?
3. Would you give your vote to capital punishment in referendum?

JANUSZ KORWIN – MIKKE

I am sure everyone heard about Janusz Korwin – Mikke from Wolność i Praworządność political party. I would like to present his views on some important social and economic affairs. I realize he is very controversial, but often his views are really accurate.

Janusz Korwin – Mikke was the president of UPR and currently WiP. He is 68 years old and this year he is the candidate for the president for the fourth time :)

I've always thought he is only a political freak. I watched many movies on youtube with him and

I must admit that he is quite often right. I would like to point out that I'm not a fanatic of his party and program as I'm not with him in many issues.

1. Possession of weapons

There are numerous reasons I am against gun ownership. Below you can watch what JKM thinks about it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LauK7YTvmzI (1,2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2fOhYU-3EY (1,2)

He says that if someone wants to kill you, he will do it with a knife or a baseball bat and

he prefers to die with a gun rather than with a knife ;) It's a big simplification, isn't it?

You must remember hooligans don't feel anything. I agree that gangsters always have a gun. But young, stupid hooligans do not. So you shouldn't simplify it. It could only encourage young people to assaults. I think the access to guns should be still limited because I don't know how to control it. If the rules and law change I will maybe change my mind. But on the other hand a hooligan will never try to kill you due to the fear you have a gun too. What do you think about it? :)

1. What do you think about the possession of weapons?
2. Have you ever been interested in JKM's views?

How much will it cost to bring up a child ???

 

 

Today I would answer a common question that people ask when considering having children: "how much it costs to bring up a child to the age of 20?” – I made an investigation and the statistics show that the average Polish family spends for the baby around 1000zl per month but very often the costs are much, much higher...
The cost of bringing up a child depends on various factors, including the year you plan to have your child, where you plan to live, and your household income. Other factors - such as a further education - will also have a significant bearing on the amount you spend to bring up your child. There are various ways you can estimate how much raising a child will cost. While figures can vary from year to year, such tools can help you get an idea of an average spend.
The average cost for raising a child to the age of 20 is about 500.000zl. This takes into account housing, food, transportation, clothing, healthcare, childcare, educational and college costs, and so on. Those costs can be reduced by resigning from paying for babysitters, expensive clothes or private schools to the amount of 280.000zl.

 

The early years can be the most expensive with childcare costing an average of 50.000zl. This includes babysitter or nursery fees, cost of: stroller, cradle, changing table, diapers, cosmetics, vaccines, clothing and toys, etc. Early educational costs, including after school clubs and holiday clubs and a range of miscellaneous expenditures such as cool gadgets, clothes and sports equipment, have also been taken into account provides a cost around 50.000zl.

The hardest and the most expensive time for parent’s budget is the time the children go to high school. This cost can rise as high as 200.000zl within those few years.
University usually comes next, figuring in at about 30-40.000zl for a total of four years of study.

Another thing to consider is the cost of food, which can come to around 2500zl per year. Transportation alone - including school runs, trips to friends houses and running a taxi service for your teenager and his/her friends - comes to just over 1200zl per year.
Then there are always miscellaneous costs, which require about 1500zl per year. Finally, the cost of clothes figures in at around 1000-1500zl per year.
If you are preparing to have children, then it is important to prepare yourself financially, whether this means opening an additional savings account and putting away a little money each month or by some other method.
While these figures may be daunting for many soon to be parents, it's always important to remember that the rewards of bringing up a child always outweigh any financial costs...

http://www.baby-shower.pl/AKTUALNOSCI/Felietony/Ile-kosztuje-wychowanie-dziecka.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2008/jun/18/familyfinance2

http://www.strefabiznesu.gazetalubuska.pl/artykul/ile-kosztuje-nas-wychowanie-dziecka-36161.html

Questions:

1. Are you surprised hearing about the cost of bringing up a child?

2. Do you think that this kind of information can discourage people from having children and in turn decrease birthrate in our country?

Delivery…

Watch those movies and comment them, please.

Youtube.com

Questions:

Do you think that father's presence during childbirth is a good option?

PREGNANCY STEP BY STEP

During my “presentation week” I would like to submit some unusual topics about pregnancy, prenatal life, delivery and so on. These topics were all previously alien to me, I thought that they just didn’t concern me! However, about a year ago this all changed, my life took on a new meaning, I have become a very happy father:). I would now like to take this opportunity to introduce you to this subject, but only if you’re ready!

Pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, counting from the first day of a woman last normal period. The weeks are grouped into three trimesters . Find out what's happening with the baby in these long 40 weeks:

WEEK 2

At the beginning of week two (often around day 14 of a 28-day cycle) the average woman ovulates: One of eggs erupts from its follicle and is swept away from the ovary and into the Fallopian tube. During the next 12 to 24 hours that egg will be fertilized if one of the 250 million sperm manages to swim all the way from the vagina to the Fallopian tube and penetrates the egg. Only about 400 sperm will survive the ten-hour journey to the egg, and only one will succeed.
If the sperm carries a Y chromosome, the new baby will be a boy; if it's an X chromosome, it will be a girl. The developing baby is, at this moment, just a little ball of cells…

WEEK 4

This week marks the beginning of the embryonic period. From now until 10 weeks, all of your baby's organs will begin to develop and some will even begin to function. Right now your baby is an embryo the size of a poppy seed!

WEEK 5

In this week, the tiny heart begins to divide into chambers and beat for the first time and start pumping blood.

WEEK 6

This week's major developments are: The nose, mouth, and ears. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as ours. Right now, the baby is about the size of a lentil bean.

WEEK 8

New this week: webbed fingers and toes are poking out from the baby's hands and feet, his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. The baby is about the size of a kidney bean.

WEEK 10

Though The baby’s barely the size over an inch and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, he has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

WEEK 12

This week baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close and his mouth will make sucking movements. His face looks unquestionably human - eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. The baby is the size of a lime.

WEEK 14

The baby can now pee!!! And possibly suck his thumb! From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon.

WEEK 16

This week the baby is about the size of an avocado. his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day.

WEEK 18

If this is a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed. If this is a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them during an ultrasound.

WEEK 20

In his week baby’s brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. He's also around 10 inches long — the length of a banana.

WEEK 22

At almost 1 pound, the baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn.

WEEK 26

The network of nerves in the baby's ears is now developed and very sensitive. He or she may now be able to hear his mum and even his dad voices.

WEEK 28

This week, the baby weighs over 2 pounds. He or she is sleeping and waking up at regular time, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

WEEK 30

Now the baby's about 15.7 inches long, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage).

WEEK 33

This week the baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (like a pineapple) She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair.

WEEK 35

The baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

WEEK 37

This week the baby is considered "full term," even though his or her due date is still three weeks away!!!

WEEK 38-40

The baby's waiting to greet the world! He or she continues to build a layer of fat to help control his or her body temperature after birth, he or she already measures about 20 inches and weighs a bit over 7-8 pounds, a mini watermelon.

Even due to the fact that World Health Organization defines normal term for delivery as between 37 weeks and 42 weeks, most practitioners won't let it wait more than two weeks past the due date to give birth because it puts the baby at increased risk of complications. About 5 to 6 percent of women have prolonged pregnancies that extend three or more weeks beyond their estimated due dates. Babies born at 41-42 weeks and beyond can have dry skin and are often overweight - an increased risk of injury during a vaginal delivery, and double chances of needing a c-section…

www.babycenter.com

www.pregnancy.org

www.parentsconnect.com

Wikipedia

Questions:

1. Have you ever think about having baby?

2. What do you think about protecting prenatal life and abortion?

Addictions [2/3]

Today i would like to talk about another kind of addiction:

Internet addiction

Nowadays, in times of rapid technological development and automation of life, many people feel they could not function normally without the Internet. Global network ensures unlimited possibilities of connecting, transfer of data over long distances, as well as access to various kinds of information. However, it has one small disadvantage, namely, it is very easy to get addicted.

It is estimated that in the late 90's around 200 million people had Internet connection. Research shows that about 6% of computer users are dependent on the Internet and about 30% treat the Internet as a way of escaping from reality. More than half of those diagnosed have serious marital problems. It was also found that excessive dependency on the Internet leads to social isolation. Some people spend more time in front of the computer screen than interacting with their fellow human beings. It has been observed that those who obsessively use the Internet often experience strong discomfort when trying to reduce the amount of time spent on-line.

A study was conducted in January 2000 on a representative group of 1012 Polish Internet users which showed that 43% of them are 18-25 years old and 20% of them are 26-35 years old. Women constitute 37% of them. 58% of Internet users are on-line daily or several times a week. It is estimated that the percentage of Internet users in Poland is approaching 11% of the total population.

When you use the Internet too often and don't think this is a problem, think again. Although today there is no professional medical advice or therapeutic groups that could help us get over our dependence on the Internet, the problem has already been noticed. It is slowly becoming the same social hazard as alcoholism or drug addiction. The Internet can eat our time up. Very soon one starts lacking time for other things - work, study, rest, family life or social interactions. However, due to the intrinsic anonymity of the Internet it is difficult to conduct scientific research of this phenomenon.

This anonymity plays an important role, especially in socially unacceptable areas, such as pornography in its more radical forms. Anyone can find what they want easily and without too much hassle.

Each of us should remember about our family, which is the foundation of our social bonds. Statistics show that an increase of time spent on-line dramatically reduces the amount of time devoted to conversation with family and friends.

Medication abuse

More often than not, the primary cause of drug abuse are different emotional disorders. They could be linked to various neuroses stemming from childhood and early youth. A common symptom of neurosis are imaginary dysfunctions of various internal organs. This is what we call hypochondria which is basically an unjustified fear for one's own health. Although doctors don't recognize any changes in the patient's organism, the latter tend to force them into giving prescriptions.

Dependence on medicine is a form of substance abuse which often results in altered mental or physical states.

This condition is characterized by changes in behavioral patterns, including the compulsion to take specific drugs. People who are addicted to medication don't take drugs for the right reasons. They do it in order to satisfy their emotional needs, achieve a certain mental state, or mood change.

The effects of addiction can vary, depending on the quality and quantity of the drug. Abuse can lead to addiction and increased tolerance. This means one will need larger and larger doses to achieve the same effect. In the long term mental disorders and hallucinations may appear, as well as damage to internal organs of the body. Typically abused substances include analgesics, hypnotics, and euphoric drugs which induce a state of blissful excitement. Hormone treatments are also hazardous to health.

Causes of substance abuse and other addictions vary from person to person, so there are many different ways of treatment and they depend on the specific case.

Have you ever been addicted to the Internet or medication?

Have you ever been in a similar condition?

Board games [3/3]

Future of board games
Those of you who heard about Augmented Reality definitely know that this technology has become more and more popular. For the rest I will just say that this technology allows us to see the physical real-world environment that is augmented by computer-generated images or animations. In other words it combines real and virtual world in one image that can be seen on the screen of our monitor, cellphone or any similar device.

This technology opens totally new possibilities for board games as it can give it sort of fourth dimension - animation. We can replace traditional cards with special markers that are recognized by the video camera and replaced with the appropriate animation that can be seen on the screen. That definitely gives enormous possibilities. When I saw it for the first time I couldn’t take my eyes of it. I was playing around with one card with the special marker and webcam and observing how the animation looked like from different angles.

But here is my question: is it still a board game or is it now a computer game? Or maybe both?

Here is an example of a computer game using augmented reality. Click HERE.

As we can see, here marker is used mostly to determine the “ground” of the battle, but the rest is controlled by using the computer.

So, how does combination of augmented reality and board games look like? Here is an example of game based on Go with many different modes to play. Click HERE.

For me it isn’t very impressive, especially because of the game doesn’t react very fast. I don’t think that this is the direction I would like board games to go. But lets look at the another example. Here we can see a great video about an augmented board game.

Click HERE.

It fully presents the potential of this solution. In my opinion this type of games will become definitely more popular. They are very attractive, especially when it comes to the visual sensations, but here appears the first limitation. A huge advantage of board games in comparison with computer games is the fact that they don’t require electricity! (even Power Grid) Here, as far as augmented reality is concerned, we need not only electricity, but also a computer with video camera (it can be also a laptop with webcam).

OLED technology
Board games don’t go only into the one direction. There is also an OLED technology on the horizon. OLED (the name comes from Organic Light Emitting Diode) basically emits the light when electric current passes through it. It can be used in many different things such as: television screens, cell phones, computer monitors or... board games! More info on WIKIPEDIA.


I found a great article about OLED technology which you should definitely read. It’s worth it.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97818-OLEDs-Could-be-the-Future-of-Board-Games



Other sources
For those who are interested in this topic I recommend the following website. Find out, what’s the future of board games. thefutureofboardgames.blogspot.com/

Questions

1. What do you think about the future of the board games?
2. Is game using augmented reality still a board game?
3. Which technology sounds for you more reasonable - augmented reality or OLED?
4. If you are not playing board games, will you start now, plz? :D

Board games [2/3]

Computer games vs board games
As some of you already mentioned we live in times of computer games. Someone could say that computer games have replaced board games. Of course computers, consoles and similar things have become very popular during last fifteen years.

Thanks to the Internet multiplayer games popularity is big like never before. The internet is definitely on the side of computer games and it is their strongest ally. You can now play computer games not only with your friends, but hundreds of other players all over the world at the same time. It sounds like a lot of fun. That all results in less interest in board games, but that’s not always the case.

There are some examples of overlapping of those two kinds of entertainment. There are board games based on computer games, like Warcraft: The Board Game. It is based on W3: The Reign of Chaos, which is well known and popular fantasy computer game.

On the other hand few months ago I found a computer game that was created by fans of board game called Neuroshima Hex. It looks exactly the same, but it allows people to play via the Internet in multiplayer mode, so now you have the possibility to play with your friends during night when your whole family is convinced that you are sleeping. To be honest, it took me a few nights when I found that game.

When it comes to me, I prefer traditional version of the game, but the electronic version is very useful to learn rules. Most of abstract games, like chess or checkers have its digital equivalent version. They are all good to practice, but miss one very important thing that board games allow you to do - look directly into your opponents eyes!

Games for adults
I found on the Internet video about a board game made in Great Britain called War On Terror.

Watch video HERE

In this game a player has to make a choice whether he wants to support terror or not. Sometimes that is the only effective way to win and the player is forced to make moral choices. I was shocked, because as a huge fan of board games I have never seen before a game based on similar rules. Of course there are thousands of games that are inaccessible, because their amount on the market is very limited, but this one looks like it has a lot of fans.

I had never thought about it before but on our market there are board games not appropriate for children, but sold to everyone. For the first time I found these games in shops called Flo, but they can be found in almost every big shopping center.

I noticed that there are two kinds of these games - erotic and those in which you have to drink alcohol. In the second type of games rules are really simple. You usually throw a dice or move your token to appropriate field of the board and read instruction, ex. “You drink”... This kind of games are not very complicated, but very difficult to finish, can you imagine?



We all know the games called Ships. It’s a perfect game to play during elementary school, where you need only a pencil and a sheet of paper. That was only a matter of time until someone would created something like this...



I’m sure that you can find almost every popular board game in its drinking version, even Monopoly, but where are the restrictions? Even twelve year old child can go to the shop and buy a game which is not appropriate for him it and it’s not good fun any more.

Contemporary games
Game boards don’t include only game board, board pieces (counters, tokens,...) and dice. Inventors become more ingenious and create special objects that make games more interesting and original. For example, in game Shogun there is a special tower where players throw their tokens, and player whose token falls out wins the battle.



There are thousands of great solutions in board games and I’m sure that everyone can find something that is interesting for him or her and spend a perfect time with friends.


Questions:

1. Will computer games replace board games? Or maybe they already did?
2. Do you think that making games like War on Terror is an appropriate attempt or is it just a way of making games more attractive for some people?
3. What’s your opinion about games for adults? Should young players have access to them?

Addictions [1/3]

Today I would like to talk about addictions.

  

Alcoholism

 

Various ways of becoming addicted to alcohol have been identified. Some people drink until getting drunk to begin with, while others start from consuming acceptable amounts of liquor in the company of other people (in which case their drinking gets out of control only gradually). In both cases, from a certain point onwards, their lives start revolving more and more around alcohol (while everything else ceases to matter). Alcohol addiction is not an inevitable result of every case of hard drinking. When the addiction starts to take shape however, it always progresses in a few easily predictable steps.

 

The first step can be described by the impact of liquor consumed on behavior. On that stage alcohol causes mood swings or momentary euphoria that suddenly turns into depression. Getting drunk still is under control but the amounts of alcohol consumed are gradually increasing.

The next step can be characterized by focusing one’s entire life around drinking. Craving occurs in the morning. The circle of one’s acquaintances shrinks and becomes limited to just other drunkards. In this case, the worst problems arise in the sphere of interpersonal relationships. Financial difficulties and problems in school or work are also very common.

Step three cannot be called anything but alcohol obsession. Continuous drinking, lack of response to bodily reactions and overall condition of one’s organism occur at this stage. The dangerous habit often causes blackouts and may even lead to death.

Alcohol consumed in excess is not only a problem of the poor and undereducated, as we often tend to think. Alcohol addiction affects people from the worlds of science, business, politics, and culture alike. Why do some individuals cope with a drinking problem and do not develop alcoholism, while others are drown into addiction? The answer is: it is probably all in the genes. It has been proven that children born into a family with a history of alcoholism are much more bound to become addicted than other children their age. This means that some people inherit a kind of a tendency to alcoholism.

Workaholism

 

Workaholism is a state of dependency on work which causes an perceptible imbalance in daily life. It has been concluded that workaholics tend to be urgent, perfectionist, yet uncertain of themselves, timid, undervalued, and afraid of other people. Typically, those are ambitious people, the ones who like to compete and win, and who crave for success at any cost.

 

A person who flees from conflict situations, independent of what caused such a situation, is under threat of developing workaholism. Therefore, the origins of workaholism are roughly the same as in the case of other similar addictions. Negative effects of overwork may be of different intensity, starting with what can be called normal burden and ending with extreme work overload which can be a great threat to one’s health.

Young businessmen focused on career are too tired for love. They often live by themselves. The same applies to women. Currently, more and more educated women puts their career first. Marriage or birth of children move away to a later stage in life.

“Coffeholism”

 

Caffeine is derived from the bush with a rather friendly name coffea arabica. We consume it in coffee, tea, coke, energy drinks like Red Bull or Tiger, and chocolate, as well as in yogurt, and candies. It originated in Ethiopia and arrived in Europe around the sixteenth century. What is the impact caffeine has on human body? Caffeine is a substance that can be easily abused. Often people drink two, three, and even four coffees during any single day. This can lead to serious caffeine intoxication.

Signs of such poisoning may be:

abnormal thinking, tremor, anxiety, sweating, flushing, chills, chase thoughts, tinnitus, brief flashes and darkness in the vision, nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, cardiac arrhythmia, arrhythmia pulse.

A large dose of caffeine causes paralysis of the heart muscle and respiratory paralysis.

We should also consider the positive aspects of drinking coffee and other caffeinated products. Coffee stimulates metabolism and excretion of urine (diuresis), increases the efficiency of thinking, makes mental and physical fatigue vanish. It may also improve memory, logical reasoning and matching processes. It also increases lung ventilation.

 

Have you ever been addicted to coffee, work, or alcohol?

Have you ever been in a similar condition?

Board games [1/3]
According to encyclopedia a board game is a game in which players use counters or pieces to place them and move them on a board following a set of rules. Every board game has a goal that the player aims to achieve. There are games for one player, games that players play against each other and those where players have to cooperate to achieve specific goal.

Agricola is a fantastic game and it also can by played by one person - if someone wants to practice.

In Pandemic players have to cooperate to protect our world.

History
Most of us don’t probably realize the fact that the first board game discovered by archeologists came from about 3500 BC. It was called Senet and was played by the ancient Egyptians. The game itself has not been found but it has been pictured in a fresco. That fresco from Merknera’s tomb illustrates game similar to chess, game that we all know very well (at least we should).



Throughout ages many of ancient nations were inventing board games and using them as a way of entertainment. All the greatest ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Greece, China and India, had their own board games:
ex: game know as Go was invented in China in about 400 BC and it is very popular nowadays.



Game which we know today as chess origins from Indian Chaturanga which was played in India since about VI century. The most popular game in the world is Monopoly. Interesting is the fact that this year this game has its 80th birthday.



But even famous Monopoly isn’t very original - it is based on, or at least inspired by, earlier game known as The Landlord’s Game. Click HERE if you want to see a video about a game I hate.

Categories of board games
There are many ways to categorize board games. One of them, and according to me, the most reasonable, is to divide games to those that don’t require thinking and those that do. By saying that I mean games based on luck, ex: games where you throw a dice, and games which require strategy and diplomacy.
Games that depends on luck are most likely dedicated to children, because they usually have a simple set of rules and do not require making decisions. More advanced set of rules is characteristic for games based on strategy. Those are definitely more involving games and learning the set of rules sometimes can take even a few hours.

We can also categorize games in the fallowing way:

• German-style (my favorite category) - ex. The Settlers of Catan
• Roll-and-move - ex. The Monopoly
• 2-player games - ex. Checkers
• Multiplayer games - ex. Blokus
• Word games - ex. Scrabble
• Dexterity games - ex. Twister

Monopoly - Elvis edition :)

Checkers

Blokus

Scrabble

Twister

Most of games involve both luck and strategy, but the diplomacy is the characteristic of German-style games.

We can distinguish board games not only by their categories (types) but also by their styles. By saying that I mean that theme and narration of the game can either based on reality or it can be totally abstract (ex: checkers). There are historical, educational, family or futuristic board games.

World games vs games in Poland
There is a website (www.boardgamegeek.com) dedicated to board games players where we can find Top100 games in the world according to internauts. Top5 is:

1. Puerto Rico
2. Agricola
3. Twilight Struggle
4. Through the Ages: A Story of Civilization
5. Power Grid (Wysokie napięcie)

Not all of them are popular in Poland. Still the most popular game in poland is Monopoly, Scrabble, Wysokie napięcie (Power Grid - #5 - we build energetic web), Osadnicy z Katanu (Settlers from Catan - #46 - we colonize the Catan Island) and Neuroshima Hex (battles in postnuclear reality - this game was invented by Michał Oracz)

UPDATE! I just noticed that the game designed by our compatriot, Michał Oracz, jumped into 100 place on TOP100 :) Neuroshima Hex is one of my favorite games.

If you would like to try some board games and play online, visit the following link:
www.yourturnmyturn.com/

Playing board games is not the cheapest hobby in the world. If you are not sure about buying some game you can find many information about it online and sometime its online version, ex: go and visit www.blokus.fr/online-game/ where you can play for free Blokus. You don’t even have to register yourself - just click “Play as a guest”, but I can ensure you that playing board games online is less involving than competing with your friends in real life.

Questions

1. Do you remember board games that you used to play in your childhood?
2. Do you have your favorite board game?
3. Have you ever played any of the games that I mentioned or that are in the Top100 at www.boardgamegeek.com?
4. Do you think that board games are now less popular than in our childhood?

Sushi [ 3/3 ]

Today i would like to talk about Kazari sushi and Nyotaimori ( also known as Body Sushi )

Kazari sushi

At first sight kazari-sushi look like ordinary rolls. But being cut they show us wonderful patterns or even whole pictures composed of many ingredients. For many years kazari (the English translation is "decoration") have been part of traditional sushi culture. The interest in this kind of rolls has risen lately in Japan and all over the world.

Traditionally Kazari-sushi is cooked for festival events. The Japanese say that the view and taste of kazari-sushi brings them additional joy and happiness and that Kazari-sushi will decorate any table and add some creativity to any meal.

The basic ingredients are pink fish flakes, bonito flakes, wild burdocks, cucumbers, fried eggs, dried gourd shavings, red ginger pickles, crab fish cakes, and so on. Such colourful and tasty ingredients are used to create your own original fancy rolled sushi.

Here are few photos of Kazari sushi made by me and my girlfriend:

And few photos from internet:

Body Sushi

Nyotaimori often referred to as "body sushi," is the rare practice of serving sashimi or sushi from the body of a woman, typically naked. This subdivision of food play is originally an obscure Japanese practice that has attracted considerable international media attention.

In Japan the practice is stigmatised and usually only to be found in "seedy sex clubs". When it is presented overseas, however, it is marketed as "a form of Japanese food culture".

I must say that i don't like this idea but few months ago first „body sushi restaurant” was open in Warsaw so i decedied to write about it.

Body sushi procedures according to wikipedia:

„Before becoming a living sushi platter, the person (usually a woman) is trained to lie down for hours without moving—according to one narrative. She or he must also be able to withstand the prolonged exposure to the cold food. Before service, the individual is supposed to have taken a bath using a special fragrance-free soap and then finish off with a splash of cold water to cool the body down somewhat for the sushi. In some parts of the world, in order to comply with sanitation laws, there must be a layer of plastic or other material between the sushi and the body of the woman or man. „

Here is movie about body sushi preperation

And movie from one of restaurants in Gdansk

Questions:

• What do you think about Kazari sushi ? Do you think that we can call it an art ?
• What is your opinion about Body sushi ? Should it be prohibited ?
• Would you like to take part in such “body sushi” event ?

Sushi [ 2/3 ]

Is sushi healthy food ?

Few days ago my girlfriend asked me „Do you think sushi is healthy food”. These are arguments i found during my book and internet research:

The Pros

Many of the main ingredients found in sushi are in fact very healthy and are beneficial to your health. Fish, the main ingredient in rolls and sashimi, is full of protein and calcium. If you want the greatest amount of protein try yellowtail and tuna fish. Another great benefit in the oily fish like salmon are the omega-3 fatty acids. These are known to improve many aspects of your health such as blood circulation and the heart.
The roasted seaweed used to wrap sushi rolls is another great source of protein and calcium. In addition they offer many different vitamins including Vitamin A, C, and ten types of Vitamin B, and the wrap is also known to be a great digestive aid. The Wasabi is more powerful than ultraviolet radiation in killing bacteria. It is also rich in Vitamin C.
It has also been suggested that sushi can help you if you're “exhausted, achy, or moody,” as a result of hypothyroidism. As Iodine is present in sushi, seafood, and kelp, eating these foods will aid in maintaining healthy thyroid hormone levels.

The Cons

Unfortunately sushi does have a few flaws. One of the most talked-about problems with eating any fish or seafood is the level of mercury present. The FDA has suggested that people should limit the amount of fish they consume to no more than 12 ounces per week and pregnant women are encouraged not to eat fish at all as the mercury can cause birth defects.
The calories in little rolls can really add up. This is mainly thanks to the rice which is full of complex carbohydrates; a quarter cup of white rice has 160 calories.
There is one more notable drawback to sushi: as most sushi is composed of raw fish there is a lot of opportunity for parasites to populate the raw meat. This occurs more when the fish are cleaned and gutted out at sea as there is more opportunity for infestation.
Anisakiasis is a parasitic disease contracted from infected seafood which is eaten raw or marinated. This is a type of round worm which can be picked up from eating sashimi, sushi, and ceviche.

Calories in sushi:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/sushi-calories-in-sushi.html

At the end of my research i found very nice pack of „Sushi Healthy ordering tips”. They are listed below:

• Steer clear of fried or battered foods, such as dumplings, tempura and spider rolls. There’s no sense in making fish unhealthy. When ordering at a Japanese restaurant, look for broiled, grilled or steamed items. Typically, soup and sashimi are low in calories.
• Avoid new-wave sushi. Be especially careful when it comes to rolls with duck, cheese or other high-fat ingredients. Also stay away from eel, which is high in calories and fat.
• Keep sodium down. Use less soy sauce or request the low-sodium kind. Also note that miso is quite high in sodium. 
• Limit the extras. Mayonnaise, cream cheese and even a creamy Japanese dressing on the green salad can add significant calories to what you’re eating.
• Avoid the feeding frenzy. Yes, there are many good sushi choices, but try to stick to one or two lower-calorie rolls. Order steamed veggies, hijiki (cooked seaweed) or oshitashi (boiled spinach with soy sauce) to fill you up.
• Keep your food safe. Any raw fish or shellfish can contain parasites, their eggs and other disease-causing microorganisms. Moreover, fish accumulate mercury, which at high enough levels can damage the nervous system.

Second part of my post is about “Sushi tools and stuff”
Dishes and utensils :

HANDAI

 

UCHIWA

SHAMOJI

SUDARĒ , MAKIS

OSŪ

 

HASHI

HASHI OKI

YANAGI BA

DEBA

OSHIBORI

Electric pot for cooking rice

Using this pot we can create 3 types of rice:

Gohan – cooked rice ( eaten with sticks )

Raisu – loose cooked rice (eaten with a fork )

Shari – sushi rice

Sushi knifes:

Traditionally, a sushi knife would be made of an incredibly high-quality carbon steel, the same type used in the forging of katana, traditional Japanese swords.

Difference between a sushi knife and the average Western knife is the way in which it is sharpened. While nearly all Western knives are sharpened on both edges of the blade, a professional sushi knife is sharpened on only one edge, a style known as kataba. For right-handed knives, this is the right edge, and for the rarer knives made for left-handed cooks, the left edge is sharpened instead. Having only one edge of the knife sharpened allows for cleaner cuts and more precision, but learning to use only one edge is more difficult and takes many beginners some time to master.

There are many different types of knives used in creating sushi. Each of these knives are designed in a way which allows them to excel at a specific type of cutting, with some particular fish species having knives designed exclusively to cut them.

The three main sashimi (fish) knives are: yanagi ba, fugu hiki and tako hiki. The yanagi ba looks similar to a Western paring knife, and is used for most fish. The fugu hiki is specifically designed to fillet the puffer fish, or fugu. Yanagi ba are longer, thin blades, used for octopus or squid. For fish beyond a manageable size, such as large tuna, special blades exist which may be in excess of six feet (2m).

Questions

• What is your opinion ? Do You think that sushi is healthy food ?
• How often do you eat sushi
• Do you know some good sushi restaurants in Warsaw ? 
• Fork and knife/hands/sticks – How do you eat sushi ? ;]